When 33-year-old artist Shirien Damra first learned about the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was gunned down while jogging in Georgia last year, she, like many of us, was angry and heartbroken. As a gesture of solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and as a way to raise awareness about what happened, she created a portrait as a tribute—one that would display his humanity. Shortly after, she illustrated similar portraits for Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, two Black Americans who were killed by police....

Since Ella Fitzgerald’s double win at the first ceremony in 1958, women have been making Grammys history. Judy Garland became the first woman to win Album of the Year in 1961, followed by Astrud Gilberto, who held the same honor for Record of the Year in 1964. But still, between 2012 and 2017, 90.7% of general category nominees were male, according to a USC study. In such a male-dominated industry, women are constantly proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, and this year,...

To say JEB is a trailblazer is accurate but inadequate. As she puts it, “We were outlaws, literally, because of the laws against us.” Today, it's difficult to imagine the chutzpah it took for JEB to self-publish Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians,  the U.S.'s first published photography anthology focused on out lesbians, in 1979. JEB sat down with BUST to discuss her work, share the progress and pitfalls of lesbian representation, and remind us that imagining a better future is easier when you can actually...

Goat Girl plays it elegantly loose, and a little more mature, with On All Fours. For its sophomore album, the South London group unpacks its musical discussion of Planet Earth, those inhabiting it, and where we’ll go from here. Rhythmic organicism, unsettling sentiments, and ambitiously playful jumps make up the primary vessel. Tracks flow into each other with ease but swell into distinctly different beings over time. On All Fours is carried by sci-fi synthesizers, grounding guitars, and familiar human yearnings for something more. As the album...

It’s only fitting that Doja Cat’s video for “Streets” opens up with her doing the famous #SilhouetteChallenge that has spawned almost 400 million views on TikTok. The challenge consists of a person standing in front of a doorway, while a snippet of the song “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” by Paul Anka plays in the background. The audio then transitions into “Streets” and the video cuts to the person dancing sensually to the music. Only their silhouette is shown with mood lighting to accompany...

In 1957, J.D. Salinger wrote a letter to a movie producer explaining why he had not released the rights to a film adaptation of The Catcher in the Rye. “There are readymade ‘scenes’—only a fool would deny that—but, for me, the weight of the book is in the narrator’s voice… his asides about gasoline rainbows in street puddles, his philosophy or way of looking at cowhide suitcases and empty toothpaste cartons—in a word, his thoughts,” Salinger wrote. “He can’t legitimately be separated from his own...

If there were ever an idyllic introduction to a star on the rise, then Celeste’s Not Your Muse is it. The winner of BBC Music’s Sound of 2020, Celeste is an artist whose versatility is her handshake, as her project takes listeners on a journey through her ears and eyes. The 12-track offering is full of vibes, anchored by the siren’s lush vocals. Whether she’s purring on opener “Ideal Woman,” lifting the energy on “Tonight Tonight,” getting sensual on “A Kiss,” or hitting you right...

This past Friday, SZA dropped her long-awaited music video for “Good Days,” the latest single off of her yet-to-be-titled, upcoming third studio album. The popular R&B singer-songwriter rose to mainstream stardom in 2017 with the release of her sophomore project Cntrl. The songstress originally teased fans with a visual snippet for "Good Days" toward the very end of her video for “Hit Different” last September. The new, self-directed visual stirred up much excitement among fans all weekend long, becoming a trending topic on Twitter and currently sitting...

We all know women’s history should be showcased and celebrated for more than 31 days a year. But each March, Women’s History Month pushes us to dig a little deeper into the history of the women who have shaped our past and our present, and created ripple effects that will likely shape our future. Since last year’s Women’s History Month, we’ve seen many inspiring women create world-shifting change. Stacey Abrams’ encouraging work with Georgia voters turned the state blue. Dolly Parton contributed to funding the...

In order to achieve any goal, you have to imagine it for yourself first. Yet, some people roll their eyes at the concept of “manifesting.” In her new book WishCraft, Shauna Cummins, a N.Y.C.-based hypnotist and artist, carefully lays out why wishing is really the most important tool in our brain box for harnessing the subconscious mind to achieve our goals. She delves into historical and cultural traditions around wishing (including lessons from her own Celtic roots) and provides instructions for easy rituals you can...