Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 494 i GAY TIMES

I get asked this question in every fucking interview,” Swedish pop-sensation ​Ängie says over a drink (it was four drinks) of Heineken in a Mile End, London pub. I brought up the fact that she was once labelled “the most controversial pop star around” by several media outlets, a label she vehemently disputes, while also noting that other mainstream male artists wouldn’t receive anywhere near the amount of flack as she does (for which she was grateful). “It’s so weird because there are so many men like Eminem and Tommy Cash doing it too. I got harassed by a fan two weeks ago because she thought I was too controversial and not a feminist because I said ‘motherfucker’ in Smoke Weed Eat Pussy… I’m always answering stupid DMs because I…

Dancers, models, recording artists and nightlife hosts, The KissBoyz can do it all. Taking inspiration from icons such as Grace Jones, Kylie Minogue, Amanda LePore and Naomi Campbell, the fierce dance trio are making their mark on the industry and plan to “take over the world!” We spoke to Anthony, Julio and Johnny about their sickening costumes, the support from the LGBTQ community and celebrating both masculinity and femininity. How they would describe themselves… Anthony Garza:​Each of us bring something unique to the group, but together we are even stronger. We are androgynous artists, performers and creators. Words that describe us best are proud, powerful, passionate, expressive, fun and free. Julio Marcelino: ​We identify as queer, sexy, very inspired by women and sex with no boundaries between male and female.…

It’s been a long journey, and at times, a huge mess,” ALMA laughs when we ask her how she’s feeling about the impending release of her debut album Have You Seen Her? The Finnish pop singer’s greatest charm is her blunt honesty – something very refreshing in a world of rehearsed press lines and controlled narratives. But what is clear when it comes to ALMA is that – now at least – ​she’s​totally in control of her own narrative. We’ve just wrapped her first Gay Times photoshoot and walking in she knew exactly what she wanted her style to be, needed very little guidance in front of the camera, and nailed everything that was asked of her with no fuss at all. Considering she had flown in from Helsinki the…

Anyone who is anyone and some people who are no-one at all know that it’s all about Formentera. Well, it is when you’re in Ibiza and want to escape the corky wedges and dilated pupils for something a little… let’s say, classier. Which is where Gecko comes in, you sexy thing. It’s a hotel and beach club and it’s splayed across Formentera’s most beautiful beach, Migjorn, so there’s a major boon right there. And boons come in other shapes and elegant sizes down at Gecko, starting with the hotel itself; Balearic Riviera-chic with major nods to the ‘50s - when all the right jet sets took the schlepp over, for the light and the food and the exclusive vibe - the rooms are all hushed chic lines of off-white and…

To say Chicago is an architectural gem is to understate it. From the towering skyscrapers in brick with classical details at the top – among the oldest skyscrapers in the world and a far stretch from the glass ones we’re used to now – to the work of pretty much every internationally respected architect in business today, Chicago has it covered. But the godfather of them all, the one they credit with basically inventing modern architecture, started his career here, in the pretty suburb of Oak Park, where he built his first house before going on to make his mark on the neighbourhood, the city and eventually the world. His name was Frank Lloyd Wright. The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio – as the home he shared with his…

throw shades. They say the eyes are the window to the soul… and sometimes your soul is OFF LIMITS. So it’s time to get a little shady, a little incognito, and shield yourself from all that unwanted attention and drama! There’s no better way to blackout from the world and channel your inner frosty bitch, or even mid-life crisis, by investing in a pair of killer shades. With acidic neon frames and holographic lenses, the eyewear game is making the ultimate luxe statement without you uttering a word. So whether you’re trying to live your Lolita fantasy, or simply trying to add a burst of colour to your look, our selects below have got you covered!…

HELLBOY (in cinemas from 12 April) British filmmaker Neil Marshall (The Descent, Hannibal, Game of Thrones) directs the third live-action instalment in the Hellboy franchise, but this time, it’s a full-blown reboot. Stranger Things star David Harbour replaces Ron Perlman as the title character for this brand new adventure, which sees the half-demon battle an undead sorceress, played by Resident Evil’s Milla Jojovich. Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, Brian Gleeson and Thomas Haden Church co-star. Oh, and how could we forget Laila Morse? Eastenders’ very own Mo Harris plays a gun-wielding shop employee, which, to be honest, is the scene we’re most excited for. SD THE HOXTON, CHICAGO (rooms from $199 per night, thehoxton.com) What began as the funkiest hotel in London’s glittering Hoxton has now gone all…

Why do we let straight white men dictate what our music should sound like, and what we should be listening to on the radio, and what our stories should be?” a riled up voice asks down the phone. It’s the second in-depth conversation we’ve had in a week with Rina Sawayama, one of the the most exciting new faces in pop, and she’s recalling a girls-only writing camp she attended, organised by fellow London-based artist RAYE, which offered a safe space for them to not only create, but also discuss their frustrations at the current state of the industry. “All of these people who have been doing it for years and years have never been in a studio with more than two women. It’s insane. And then someone mentioned that…

For pop purists out there, 2019 couldn’t have got off to a better start. For pretty much the whole of January, Ava Max’s addictive anthem Sweet But Psycho ruled the No.1 spot on the UK’s Official Chart. Sure we’ve had Ariana Grande’s brand of R&B-leaning earworms and Calvin Harris’ house-infused chart bangers over the past year, but Ava’s breakthrough hit was unapologetically, unashamedly, and unwaveringly sugary pop down to its calorific core. “It was really surreal at the time,” Ava tells us on set of her Gay Times shoot in central London. “When it stayed at No.1 for four weeks, I was freaking out. Especially when they gave me the award – it felt like I was living a dream.” It’s a dream Ava has been working away at for…

When we were invited to visit the Capital Region, as the area around Washington DC is selling itself as, truth be told, we were a little doubtful. Why visit a place that defines itself by what it isn’t? That is, NOT the Capital. On the other hand, you could say we have a lifelong interest in perversity, so we thought, why not? Good move. This was our introduction to the state of Virginia and the city of Richmond, and both places charmed our secret socks off. As major US cities like New York become too expensive to live in unless you have offshore accounts or rich temporary spouses, young people and young families are looking for smaller places that offer something saner – and they are taking their creative energy,…

And your teas and coffees are in this doll’s house,” says Anya as she finishes the tour of our room, “and the larder with ice-cream and sweets is just across the hall”. This may be a gracious Georgian building in golden sandstone with all the right proportions and views across the countryside through huge sash windows in what is generally accepted to be the grandest neoclassical street in the whole of Bath if not the country - if not the world! - but it certainly doesn’t skimp on the quirk. The walls of our room – The Pulteney Junior Suite - are bare plaster but there’s a huge crystal chandelier that wouldn’t fit in many hotel rooms. Out there, the stairways are lined with collections of huge retro perfume bottles,…

My name is Harris Reed and this is my fluid manifesto, where this journey begins of speaking about gender and fashion and the beautiful coexistence between the two. I talked with Gay Times and I thought the best way to express who I am, what I stood for, the way that I see fashion standing today was by going off and giving my own personal take on everything. Through a manifesto. Through a long essay. In this I aim to inform, challenge and question the way society is developing and moving, in the way that we look at people’s self-identification, the way we look at the LGBTQ community and the way we look at the power and the responsibility that fashion and the arts have to moving gender equality. And…

TIME TO WORK OUT. If you’re looking for a smartwatch that specialises in health and fitness, it’ll come as little surprise that FitBit is your brand. Their Versa model outdoes its rivals with 4+ days of battery life, as it tracks your progress from morning to night. With a workout coach and plenty of fitness analytics a few taps away, it’s essentially a 24/7 personal trainer. (FitBit Versa available from John Lewis, priced £166.32) TIME FOR STYLE. If you want all the features of a smartwatch but don’t want your timepiece to look like a device a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger would have on their wrist, SKAGEN are masters of blending their minimalist Scandi style with cutting edge tech. With a simple command you have the services of Google Assistant,…

Hello, it’s me,” says the dry, yet instantly recognisable voice of a Milwaukee-born country-folk drag superstar down the phone. I’m talking to skinny living legend and Drag Race All Stars 3 winner Trixie Mattel (duh) as she walks through a Manchester shopping centre, dodging fans left, right and mothertucking centre (one of them actually interrupts the call for a photo). Katya’s late, so Trixie’s using this time to tell me what an “incredible and incomparable performer” she is, which is met with a laugh as the Russian hooker and fellow Drag Racer finally joins the conversation. “What have I walked in on? What kind of lies?” she jokes, sort of, it’s hard to tell. We’re having a three-way (chat) today in celebration of the duo’s fourth season of UNHhhh, the…

Well I’ve always just thought the most evolved way to be is when you love who you love and there’s no parameters on it, that’s the ultimate,” Dita Von Teese passionately tells us when our mid-morning LA conversation turns to the queer community and the ever-growing number of labelless relationships and identities. “I’ve been fascinated by – I don’t like to use this term – but people who are bisexual and have gone from relationships with a male to a female or female to male, they just fall in love with who they fall in love with – I find it evolved.” And while her past and current relationships have been with men, she’s always been open to the idea of connection and falling in love with anybody, regardless of…

Where is it? You take a plane, then another smaller plane, then a cab through the rainforest, then a helicopter out to a private island and you’re there. You can’t miss it. Why so lovely? There is no shortage of beautiful private island resorts in the Seychelles but this one really does take the totally vegan Party Ring iced biscuit. Jaw-droppingly beautiful, the villas are scattered across the property so you feel almost like you have the place to yourself with golf-buggies – or bikes – to shuttle you between your villa and the restaurants and spa and bars that make up this place. All this in the middle of beautiful nowhere. First impressions? Whisking into anywhere on a helicopter (speed boats are available if you want the sea breeze)…

Models Robin and Zo at Storm, Jeffrey at Select Model Management Hair Magdalena Tucholska using Schwarzkopf Professional & Diva Pro Makeup Joel Phillips using MAC Cosmetics Fashion Assistant Antoine Caballero…