Shifter Selects: Not Everything That Glitters Is Gold

Graphic by Samantha Olson. Photos from left to right: Gossip Girl on HBO Max/Instagram, Greyson Chance/Linda Gao, Chanel/Instagram.

Welcome to Shifter Selects, an addition to our digital component where we’ll highlight the latest trends in music, film/TV and fashion. Here’s how it’ll go down: on Monday of every week, we’ll be on the lookout for trending topics and give our hot takes on the matter. Sound like something you’d be interested in? Look no further than our Shifter Selects for the week of July 12 – 16.

During the holiday break, Greyson Chance released his new EP, "Trophies," and we finally got to see HBO Max's brand new "Gossip Girl" take off. Plus, Paris Fashion Week makes an incredible return.

Music

Greyson Chance Reflects on Queer Love On New EP, “Trophies”

by Emma Lingo

Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, etc.

After two long years, Greyson Chance is back with his electrifying EP, “Trophies.” Featuring his single “Hellboy,” the album keeps consistent upbeat energy. Chance embraces his sexuality on “Trophies” with songs like “Nobody” and “Holy Feeling” describing his experience with queer love and sex.

Chance’s career launched when he was just 12 years old and sang Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” in a viral video. Now 23, he’s been in the spotlight for over half of his life. Slow acoustic tracks and quick techno songs make this EP chaotic and hard to describe in just one word — Chance said that was his goal. He’s been following industry standards and making conceptual bodies of music for over a decade. Now, he’s ready to break out and listen to his inner child’s needs. And that’s what he does on “Trophies.”

Chance is taking his new EP on a worldwide tour over the next two years, and you can get your tickets here.

Film/TV

Gossip Girl’s New Form

by Brianna Fairman

Where to watch: Check out the trailer on Youtube | HBO Max

There’s an art to trashy television. HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot is not it.

Starring Jordan Alexander as Julien Calloway and Whitney Peak as Zoya Lott (the reboot’s versions of Serena and Blair, respectively), this remake is full of unrealistic dialogue and disturbing characters.

Rather than follow the original in keeping the identity of Gossip Girl a secret, the show quickly reveals that Gossip Girl is now a group of teachers who seem to have no problem exhibiting predatory and borderline abusive behavior towards their students.

And while some of these students are self-proclaimed members of the “guilty rich,” many of them still eagerly perpetuate classist ideals at nearly every turn — which makes little sense given their universal acceptance of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Sure, otherwise marginalized people can still be classists, but (so far) this reboot doesn’t address that issue at all.

Where this show should be fostering a complex discussion of intersectionality, class awareness, and racial diversity, the whole thing comes off as a cringy caricature of what older generations think Gen Z is, i.e. a bunch of overly-woke, self-entitled narcissists.

Maybe this show will redeem itself in future episodes. The diversity is good, and some of the characters’ personalities are nicely reminiscent of the originals’. So long as a redemption arc for the teachers isn’t in the cards, HBO’s “Gossip Girl” could turn itself around.

Fashion

Paris Fashion Week Returns

by Ysatis Rios-Sabat

Where to follow: Chanel, Dior, Giorgio Armani

With fashion week here and gone, most of us are still trying to recuperate from the stunning haute couture we were graced with. Paris fashion week gave us sequins, flowy layers, and hints of color from some of the world’s hottest designers. The week featured over 30 brands and brought back a sense of normalcy as collections returned to in-person shows.

Chanel

Chanel’s take on Haute Couture gave us both subtle and bold, all in one. The powerhouse brand played with the depth of textures to showcase a more put-together feel on the runway. True to their classic style, the outfits flowed under the structure of sequined tweed jackets and beautiful embroidery.

Dior

Inspired by the intricacy of landscapes, Dior’s approach to Paris Fashion Week was classique. The designer brand incorporated specks of nature throughout their pieces with feathers, embroidery, and muted colors.

The rippled fabrics and touches of silk swept the runway and allowed for an ethereal touch to every showcased piece.

Giorgio Armani

Meanwhile, the Giorgio Armani Privé collection played with color—and lots of it. Mr. Armani’s show sparkled as sun rays reflected off of the fabric.

The designer described the collection on Instagram, saying, "With this collection, I wanted to express a sense of joy, of rebirth. In order to achieve this, I started, as always, from the fabrics and the colors, which in this instance I wanted to be light and luminous, maybe even unusual."

And that you did, Armani.

Want to keep up with the latest trends?

Tune in on Monday for our next installment of Shifter Selects!