THE GLOW-UP IS *REAL*: SCENE QUEENS THEN & NOW (+ WHO’S STILL TOTALLY CRUSHING IT)

Oh, MySpace. Anyone remember that?

Bulletins, profile songs, HTML editing & Top 8s with the power to start a war—those were the days…

Except not, because social media is still social media & even back then it had its problems (thanks, Tom).

But in a world before the term “influencer” was actually coined, they definitely still existed. And if you ever logged onto the Internet between the years of about 2006 to 2010, you more than likely remember seeing a few of them with bubble gum pink hair, pounds of eyeliner & some of the first high-profile obsessions with online self-promotion on the books. 

In the words of David Letterman, this next guest needs no introduction. Many of us were there & fortunately lived through it. Though either way there’s no ignoring what’s lived on as one of the most ridiculous fashion phases to hit the 21st century yet: scene kids. 

The mountains of hairspray, closets full of Vans, neon everything, Hello Kitty bows, coontail extensions, morbid alliterations, maxing out the contrast on photos taken from every above-the-head angle in existence & using dryer sheets to make your hair to stick to your face.

You remember the ones. 

Even though many of us thought it was a GREAT idea at the time, in hindsight, it was about as obnoxious as it gets. And while we have covered how some countercultures stick with you through thick & thin, this is one that – praise the sartorial gods – did not.

Which was definitely for the best. 

Although regardless of how you feel, there’s still no discounting the personal brands that several of the biggest “Scene Queens” managed to build. At the time, they were iconic. Their LiveJournals were must-reads. And even though some eventually fell into the chasms of irrelevance – for others, it was only the beginning of what career milestones they’d go on to hit.

Seriously, who woulda thought???

JAC VANEK

(Image Sources: 1 & 2)

If you remembered all the things as previously mentioned above, then you most def remember the scene staple that was a Jac Vanek rubber bracelet. Arguably now poised with the most mainstream success of them all, Jac was a true pioneer in the scene – starting with her relationship with OG P!ATD guitarist Ryan Ross (UGH, throwback swoons).

Even though she was sometimes interpreted as nothing more than a Warped Tour band groupie, she’s actually always been the most entrepreneurial of the bunch. After years of raking in the dough from her personal merch brand, she’s now 1/3rd of the mega-popular podcast (& former E! show) LadyGang & has expanded her apparel brand to a few little stores you may have heard of – like Nasty Gal, Topshop & Zumiez. 

NBD.

AUDREY KITCHING

(Image Sources: 1 & 2)

Similar to Jac, Audrey is another one who staked her claim to scene fame from the start. After gaining online traction from being a teenage model-turned-blogger, she quickly rose to Internet popularity for her notoriously polarizing sense of style. As years went on she (& her look) started to separate from the scene, but that was far from the end of her time in the limelight.

Ditching the hot pink hair for more cotton candy vibes & trading Skelanimals shoots for astrological studies, she’s spent the last several years transitioning her brand into the spiritual space. Armed with her new age lifestyle company Crystal Cactus & an insane Instagram feed that’s straight out of an alien dream, she’s certainly come a long way from the plastic tiara days.

JEFFREE STAR

(Image Sources: 1 & 2)

I know we’re all dumbfounded “Fame & Riches, Rehab Bitches” didn’t get that Grammy nom back in 2009, but Jeffree Star is another former SQ who’s still going surprisingly strong. Instead of falling off the face of the earth as could have easily been an option, he swapped MySpace for YouTube & has since become one of the highest paid vloggers in the world.

Initially reinventing his online empire with the help of makeup tutorials, Jeffree went on to launch Jeffree Star Cosmetics in 2014…which subsequently has become a multi-million dollar company. And despite his seeming habit of picking fights with the likes of Kat Von D, Too Faced Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner…oh yeah & Kim too, one can’t deny the success he’s managed to find.

HANNA BETH

(Image Source)

Once an influencer, always an influencer – or at least, that seems to be the case with Hanna Beth! Reining as one of the top queens (next to Audrey, of course) proved to be a stellar warm-up, since she’s now pivoted to the great, wide world of social à la Insta. From what I gather, the ‘gram is about as far as it goes (minus her winning stint on the short-lived E! competition reality show House of DVF), but hey, she’s doing her thing. And seems to be pretty content with how it’s all going.

KIKI KANNIBAL

(Image Source)

Unlike the four we’ve mentioned so far, Kiki Kannibal (AKA Kirsten Ostrenga) is one that might be more ‘know the face, not the name’.

She definitely had the hair on lock & we give her mad entrepreneur points as well with those signature diamond necklaces. But if Kiki were a Friends episode, she would unfortunately come to be “The One Who Played With Fire” – as crazily chronicled by Rolling Stone a few years back.

Contrary to the rest of this squad who were at least in their twenties at the time, she was on the opposite end of the spectrum at only 14. Needless to say, it turned into a pretty gnarly path of death threats, abuse & creeps to the extreme, so now she’s moved onto a better, (slightly) more private way of life. Which apparently includes vlogging, environmental consciousness, veganism & being a fiery sprite.

ZUI SUICIDE

(Image Sources: 1 & 2)

And lastly, there’s Zui Suicide. While her sticking fame has always been a little more understated than the rest, she certainly had her own knack when it came to social media savvy. In addition to starring alongside Audrey in the YouTube reality show (I guess we’ll call it?) Trashy Life, she was also one of the first official Suicide Girls! Which is pretty cool. But instead of posing for Hot Topic, it seems a lot of her time nowadays is dedicated to #momlife.

With the occasional photoshoot still sprinkled in, too.

Well hopefully that was a nice little trip down memory lane. Getting caught up on all the things you hadn’t thought about for a good eight years – & are just as happy to never think about again.

Guys, it was bleak. But we made it! And our hair still thanks us for the reprieve.

Cheers to glowing up.

xxAA

((feature image sources: 1 & 2))

THE RESURRECTION OF EMO POP-PUNK & WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT US ALL

THAT SOUND. Is it…the sound of little emo hearts screaming everywhere?

I’d say so. Considering the emotional rollercoaster of news that pop-punk fans across the planet have been on for the past ten days alone.

TODAY IN PARTICULAR marking the official release of NINE. The eighth (HA) studio album from O.G. pop-punkers Blink-182. Which as of last night at about 9:03 PST when it dropped, I personally was already crying and dying in the best way possible. 

But for allll the feels many of us are having toward this heart-wrenchingly honest, reflective yet charming as EVER mashup (seriously – the glow up is so real), the momentous occasion was rivaled only by three ~other~ little words:

HELLA – MEGA – TOUR

A.K.A. the recent announcement of Green Day, Weezer and my (all-time-more-than-anything-on-the-face-of-the-planet) fave Fall Out Boy’s epic team-up for a worldwide, face-melting trek of super shows coming to us all next year. Excuse me, still trying to catch my breath. 

Image Source

Although what’s crazy is we’re talking about bands that, even CRAZIER enough, now feel like they’ve been around forever. And not in a same old same old “just been around” kind of way – but thriving. Which is a HUGE deal that also marks a super poignant resurgence unlike anything we’ve seen before.

For sure, I get it. These guys aren’t like all of the living rock and metal legends of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. But as far as modern classics go? There’s no denying their lasting stature.

When these bands exploded onto the scene throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, of course they were just four of hundreds. Probably thousands. And whether it’s due to breaking up, slowing down, or still being around years later without your former fans even realizing it (ouch), most of those other groups nowadays aren’t keeping busy to quite the same degree they used to.

So what IS IT about bands like Blink-182, Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer that’s lead them down such a different path?

Reinvention.

Arguably, without even meaning to do it! 

I think everyone remembers the mind-blowing popularity each of these groups achieved in the mainstream for y e a r s.  From the break-out records to MTV take-overs to around-the-clock radio play and more, they all had the “it” factor in ways we could never explain. Which is GREAT and all, no doubt. But, also makes for a pretty tough act to follow album after album…after album. In the mainstream’s eyes, at least.

It’s a timeless challenge that any successful music act inevitably comes up against in their career. It also ends up leading many of those acts into the stifling loophole of trying to make the same album that gained them the original traction for years and years to come. Yet – as you can imagine, that often times doesn’t end so hotly, either. 

Which is the very thing that sets these four apart.

Image Sources: 1 – Warner Bros/SFGATE; 2 – Variety; 3 – Louder Than War; 4 – Press Here Publicity/Rolling Stone; 5 – Unknown/Twitter; 6 – Alternative Press; 7 – The Honolulu Advertiser; 8 – Blink-182/DIY Mag

OF COURSE they’re not going to replicate the same kind of mainstream popularity they had in the ‘90s to mid-2000s. Hello, it’s a crazy-different world—especially when it comes to consuming music. But instead of defaulting to try and recreate the same album that took the world by storm 10, 15, 20 years ago, they’re continuing to make music that you can tell THEY love making. Are compelled to make. And know their tried & true fans will absolutely continue to love as well.

For as personal of a journey as songwriting is, your own life experiences, relationships and perspective totally shape it. So in addition to one’s musical taste potentially changing over time, what inspires it does too. Inspiration that definitely evolves as you hit 25, 30 and 40 from what it was as an angsty teen dreaming up songs in your bedroom. 

Which is something we not only can all relate to, but should unabashedly celebrate as well! 

So even though NINE won’t ever be Enema of the State, just like Father of All Motherfuckers won’t be Dookie, just like Van Weezer won’t be The Blue Album, just like MANIA wasn’t From Under the Cork Tree — we’ll still forever be here for it all. 

xxAA

P.S. We’d LOVE to hear your thoughts about NINE & all the other new music rolling out this next year, so plz keep us posted!