The Honduran artist talks about the rise of reggaeton, the dark side of beauty standards and her new album, Vanity.
In the past decade, reggaeton has taken the world by storm, expanding from beyond its origins in Panama and Puerto Rico to become an undeniable global force. Yet, within this massive cultural explosion, few artists are navigating the sound with the distinct, subversive energy of Isabella Lovestory.
Originally from Honduras but shaped by a formative migration to the US and the liminal spaces of the internet, the Montreal-based artist has developed an aesthetic she calls a "plastic fantasy"—a hyper-stylised world of bootleg luxury and cinematic flair.
In this Exchange, she talks to Resident Advisor's Chloe Lula about her new album, Vanity, which she calls a response to her obsession with the "dark side of beauty standards." She also discusses her place within the wider reggaeton landscape; her efforts to reclaim and feminise a historically male-dominated genre; the financial erasure of women in the scene; and how her experimental approach challenges the self-seriousness of electronic music. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula
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The Honduran artist talks about the rise of reggaeton, the dark side of beauty standards and her new album, Vanity.
In the past decade, reggaeton has taken the world by storm, expanding from beyond its origins in Panama and Puerto Rico to become an undeniable global force. Yet, within this massive cultural explosion, few artists are navigating the sound with the distinct, subversive energy of Isabella Lovestory.
Originally from Honduras but shaped by a formative migration to the US and the liminal spaces of the internet, the Montreal-based artist has developed an aesthetic she calls a "plastic fantasy"—a hyper-stylised world of bootleg luxury and cinematic flair.
In this Exchange, she talks to Resident Advisor's Chloe Lula about her new album, Vanity, which she calls a response to her obsession with the "dark side of beauty standards." She also discusses her place within the wider reggaeton landscape; her efforts to reclaim and feminise a historically male-dominated genre; the financial erasure of women in the scene; and how her experimental approach challenges the self-seriousness of electronic music. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula
A lesson in "diva house and horniness" from a modern New York darling.
Ask Kilopatrah Jones who their favourite DJ is, and they'll give you an unequivocal answer: Junior Vasquez. And the influence is telling. Both born and raised in Queens, the two share a sense of house as a life force. Not in a new-age, spiritual sense. For Jones, it means being "sweaty, panting and free."
The NYC DJ can play anything from techno to drum & bass, but when playing house, there's a particular sense of clarity: they understand the genre in the same lineage as Vasquez, Larry Levan and his peers, as the sound of reinvention, transgression, glamour and joy.
Across the following two hours, RA.1013 immerses you in that world. It feels like walking into the Sound Factory at peak-time, bodies in glorious motion, fog thick in the air. The Lot Radio resident runs through familiar classics, bringing it home with a gag-inducing sweep of Donna Summer, Celine Dion, CeCe Peniston—and fittingly ends with Madonna, a wink to Jones's hero and his defining moment, "If Madonna Calls."
Jones' RA Mix also reasserts the idea that clubs should be a place of joy. Not only for our individual needs and fulfillment, but as a political act—especially for marginalised folk. Arriving at a time when systemic regression and cultural decay feels increasingly pervasive, they is a model for what DJs and dance floors can, and arguably should be. As they put it, "I'm just so happy and grateful to be alive and in this body."
Find the tracklist and Q&A at ra.co/podcast/1032
RA Podcast
The Honduran artist talks about the rise of reggaeton, the dark side of beauty standards and her new album, Vanity.
In the past decade, reggaeton has taken the world by storm, expanding from beyond its origins in Panama and Puerto Rico to become an undeniable global force. Yet, within this massive cultural explosion, few artists are navigating the sound with the distinct, subversive energy of Isabella Lovestory.
Originally from Honduras but shaped by a formative migration to the US and the liminal spaces of the internet, the Montreal-based artist has developed an aesthetic she calls a "plastic fantasy"—a hyper-stylised world of bootleg luxury and cinematic flair.
In this Exchange, she talks to Resident Advisor's Chloe Lula about her new album, Vanity, which she calls a response to her obsession with the "dark side of beauty standards." She also discusses her place within the wider reggaeton landscape; her efforts to reclaim and feminise a historically male-dominated genre; the financial erasure of women in the scene; and how her experimental approach challenges the self-seriousness of electronic music. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula
