The 9 best interviews of 2023
This year we met the best pop star on the planet, the most influential producer in music and a TikToker whose fans crashed our website. Not bad, eh?
Olivia Rodrigo knows what makes her happy now
Olivia wears black and ivory crepe couture dress VALENTINO and earrings and necklaces SWAROVSKI
The Polymaths are plotting world domination
Dawuud wears coat DIESEL and scarf MAISON MARGIELA. Mo wears hoodie and trousers DIESEL and scarf talent’s own. Arthur wears jacket and trousers FENDI and jumper SAGE NATION. Esrom wears cape, top and trousers HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE. Raza wears jacket PRADA, trousers SAUL NASH, shoes ADIDAS, kufi stylist’s own, necklace STEPHEN EINHORN and prayer beads talent’s own. Anas wears jacket and trousers LOUIS VUITTON and hoodie talent’s own. Aaqil wears jacket and trousers LOUIS VUITTON and kufi stylist’s own
From the biggest pop star in the world to a 21-year-old who you probably haven’t heard of. With his crew The Polymaths beside him, Raza Tariq’s absolutely certain he’ll one day be a household name – in fact, he reckons he’s the “greatest artist in human history.” Writer Sam Davies meets the prodigious Tariq to find out if he lives up to his own hype.
Read more here.
Who the hell are 2girls1bottl3?
Mixie wears necklace SHUSHU/TONG. Munchie wears jacket GUESS, hat STEPHEN JONES MILLINERY and headphones BEATS BY DRE
Mixie and Munchie are not your average influencers. In an age of hyper-sharing, they are a mystery, a myth, a glimpse and a glitch. But their TikTok account, 2girls1bottl3, is the portal to a fully-formed world. Writer Nicolaia Rips investigates their uncanny allure in the pair’s first-ever interview from our autumn issue.
Read more here.
Jack Antonoff: “I’ve never made anything hoping everyone would like it”
The man behind Taylor, Lana, Lorde and The 1975, Jack Antonoff has become the most influential producer in the world. But the “Antonoff sound” hasn’t avoided criticism. Here, he gets into it all with writer Shaad D’Souza, sounding-off on the backlash, Taylor Swift’s Reputation and downtown New York’s Dimes Square scene.
Read more here.
Ewan Mitchell, master of reality
The House of the Dragon actor is hellbent on maintaining an air of mystery around him. But that didn’t stop Consultant Editor Craig McLean from gleaning some interesting titbits from the 25-year-old for this interview in our spring issue. Personal details: a no go. Game of Thrones prequel insights: absolutely.
Read more here.
Madeline Argy doesn’t get why she’s famous
(Left to right): Madeline wears skirt MAISON MARGIELA, underwear DSQUARED2, socks FALKE and shoes MIU MIU. Madeline wears top COWBOYS OF HABIT and earrings VERSACE. Madeline wears jacket, skirt and belt SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO, hat NEW ERA and bra FIFI CHACHNIL. Madeline wears dress URTE KAT, earring VERSACE and underwear and belt DSQUARED2
Reluctant TikTok star Madeline Argy goes online to tell the world her most disgusting anecdotes – and her 4.8 million followers can’t get enough of it. This interview by Assistant Editor Jade Wickes from our autumn interview was so popular when it was first published that it literally broke our website. All fixed now, though, so you should give it another read.
Read more here.
Sarah Lucas: sex, a laugh and two fried eggs
Sarah Lucas, Got A Salmon On, 1997, Sarah Lucas courtesy Sadie Coles HQ London
In the run up to the launch of Sarah Lucas’ Tate Britain retrospective Happy Gas in September, Style and Culture Editor TJ Sidhu went down to the gallery for an interview. The pair ended up smoking cigs and chatting about raves outside – just what you’d expect from an artist who never takes life too seriously (and a Style and Culture Editor, for that matter).
Read more here.
Halle Bailey is ready to stand
Halle wears top and mermaid tail DIESEL
2023 was the year that Halle Bailey came out from under her older sister Chloe’s (with whom she was part of Chloe x Halle) wing to become a star in her own right. For our spring issue, Deputy Editor Olive Pometsey met Bailey ahead of the release of her live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, just before her life got turned upside down.
Read more here.
The Dare on hype, hysteria and his raunchy electroclash revival
When New York’s most divisive musician came to London last month, we sent writer Shaad D’Souza to his gig to see what all the fuss was about. The findings? The Dare (AKA Harrison Patrick Smith) is a man on a mission to bring 2007 back, with electroclash sounds and lyrics that are either brilliant, offensive or stupid, depending on who you ask.
Read more here.
