1. My favorite cafe in New York is a cash only coffee shop in Greenwich village called Caffe Reggio. The decor is this sort of shabby chic baroque vibe and they make amazing coffee and food. Every time I’m in there I feel very “ New York.” I would go sit in there for hours when I went to University and sit outside, people watching and write song lyrics.
2. Fat Cat in the West Village is one of my favourite bars in New York. It’s a classic. The bar is filled with ping pong and pool tables and you can grab games to play like Jenga and Scrabble in one of their booths. There are always local jazz musicians doing sets as well. They only serve beer and wine, which makes for a really relaxed crowd, I love taking people from out of town there.
3. There’s an amazing consignment shop in Soho called American Two Shot. It’s a mix of vintage and new clothing, they usually only have one of each piece. I love going there to find unique items, everything I’ve ever bought from there feels special whenever I put it on. My favourite is a lavender floor length winter coat, which matches my hair currently.
4. DUMBO Sunday Market. Every Sunday there is an outdoor street market underneath the Manhattan bridge in Dumbo. The entire underpass gets filled with stalls and racks of amazing vintage items and the neighbouring streets get shut down and filled up with food vendors as well. The market doesn’t get as crowded as some of the other ones because it’s not as well known and the items being sold are always amazing and unique.
5. It’s not a secret but I think everyone visiting New York should walk the Brooklyn Bridge. The view is iconic and the bridge is so gorgeous, you can’t help but feel like you’re in the ending credits to a movie looking out over the east river. There is no better view than the New York Skyline.
Ariana and the Rose releases ‘Night Owl’, the latest in a string of cosmic bop bangers from the Brooklyn-based artist that showcases an understanding of the nuances that go into making earworm pop catchy, inspiring and intelligent.
The song starts with a computerised Ariana preparing the listener for the dancefloor, before swelling into a bright, blissful chorus with effervescent electronic flourishes, a funky bass line and a message of unshakeable independence. The song is as uplifting as it is hedonistic—in her own words, “You’re in season / You can feel it in your soul.”
The song stemmed initially from a dark place and bloomed into an anthem of both self-assurance and community: “I was coming out of a tough few months and just beginning to feel like myself again,” said Ariana. “There had been another piece of news on TV that was just so disheartening. I sat down in the studio and wanted to make something that would lift everyone up. The mood of the song is about standing on your own two feet.”
In a feature with Consequence of Sound, Ariana also cites a diverse plethora of cultural and personal influences that sparked the track, including former NYC nightlife hubs Paradise Garage and Danceteria, the effortless charisma and sonic stylings of Prince, and the experience she had becoming acclimated to living alone after a breakup and the independence that grew in her because of it.
‘Night Owl’ is the second song to drop this year from the “synthpop purveyor” (Billboard), following her galactic dance floor romp ‘Lonely Star’ that was featured on PopFiltr’s “New Pop” playlist, and New Music Friday, and was praised by Nylon as being “packed with glittery hope and a call for inclusivity”.
Listen to “Night Owl” HERE
Images by Louise Tse
