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Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Pop has a new clown princess. And she's made the most fun album of the year
One day you're watching in awe as your roommate becomes a sudden pop sensation, the next you've found yourself hitched along for the ride. No, this is not the plot of Netflix's latest teen rom-com; this is Audrey Hobert's life. Last year, Hobert burst onto pop fans' radars after co-writing seven tracks on Gracie Abrams' hit album The Secret of Us, including the smash That's So True. Abrams, her bestie since fifth grade, made sure the world knew Hobert's contributions: the two shared stage time, interviews and social media posts. Suddenly Hobert, who'd never had any aspirations for making music, was on her own trajectory to pop stardom. 'I had never written music before. Gracie and I were just living together at the time and, one day, started writing music. That was my intro to writing music, period,' says Hobert, sprawled on a couch in her Los Angeles home as though this was a therapy session or I'm Bella Freud. 'When she went on to promote it and tour it and be the busy person that she is, I just felt I wasn't done songwriting and that's when I took a stab at it by myself and wrote this album.' As a stab, Hobert's debut album, Who's the Clown?, is a fatality. Led by throbbing single Sue Me – a guilt-free track about hooking up with your Bacardi-drinking ex, built around Hobert's detail-heavy, delightfully wordy syntax – and other sly tales from the frontlines of 20-something situationships, it might be the most relatable pop album this year (no matter how far removed you might be from its target group). 'I was never shocked by Gracie's success because I've known her for so long and that girl works so hard and it makes complete sense that she's getting this insane attention. But I don't think I ever had the thought of 'break me off a piece of that',' says Hobert. 'I just ultimately feel like I don't know how this all happened. I just know that for eight months last year, I wrote viciously, and here we are.' Hobert was Born and raised in Los Angeles. Her father was a writer and producer for TV comedies including Scrubs, Community and The Middle, while her mother worked in the theatre. Her younger brother Malcolm Todd is also a musician. Initially, Hobert had aspirations of being a professional dancer. 'I danced 10 hours a week from the time I was eight till the end of high school. But the older you get, the more you realise it's cutthroat and it's probably not gonna work out. I think I gave up on those dreams around 13.' Writing came naturally, though. She studied screenwriting at the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and had plans to follow in the family business. After graduating, she spent two seasons on the writing team of Nickelodeon's The Really Loud House (a show her father produced). 'That job came in handy when I ended up meeting record labels to sign a deal,' says Hobert. 'On that show, you were in a room where you were valuable if you had a good idea and knew how to get it across. It helped me in those big boardrooms with music people because I knew how to pitch myself as an artist.' Growing up, Hobert was aware her family was tangentially involved in showbiz, but it's all relative. 'I went to this private middle school, and I was surrounded by kids who had much more powerful parents in the industry. So I knew that my dad was involved, but it was small potatoes,' says Hobert. 'It didn't feel like I was livin' la vida loca, Hollywood style, or anything.' It perhaps explains the aloof outsider perspective that pervades her music. Chateau is a song about going to a Grammys party, microdosing mushrooms, and hating on shallow celebrities. On Thirst Trap, she's frustrated that her feelings for a fun new crush are making her deeply boring and predictable. 'The term 'outsider' resonates with me. In the books I read or the movies I watch, I'm always drawn to the outsider character and I've also felt on the outside often times in my life,' she says. 'When it comes to the songs I've written, my goal is just to be brutally honest about how I feel about a situation or a person or whatever.' Comedy is central to Hobert's songwriting appeal. If her musical keystones – Kim Petras, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift's 1989, slacker-poet MJ Lenderman – are part of the equation, so are her comic ones: Lena Dunham, Conner O'Malley, Dan Licata, Nathan Fielder, and her dad's favourites, Steve Martin and Brian Regan. 'I love funny people, and I love being funny. It's, like, my favourite thing to be,' she says. In her songs, Hobert plays the stand-up comic's trick of making her imperfections and insecurities empowering. On the moving Phoebe, a song about identifying with Lisa Kudrow's character on the TV sitcom Friends, she casually sings about her struggles with body image and finding solace in the show's wacky outcast. 'I just found it funny that none of the three guys on the show are ever with Phoebe. Like, they'll be with Rachel or with Monica but never with her, just because she's the quirky girl. I really identified with her, just as an idea of something,' says Hobert. 'I've felt a lot in my life this struggle to feel physically beautiful, but I've always known my worth on the inside. And the older you get, the less that feeling of physical unworthiness serves you, so obviously you want to reach that point as early as possible, like in your 20s, where you're just like, 'F— it, I'm entirely beautiful.' I'm proud of that song, and I'm glad I got to talk about that feeling I've had for a lot of my life.' Hobert's very specific approach to songwriting comes at an opportune time. The pop industry is flailing, the powers that be seem to understand that whatever formula they might've once had for producing hits is no longer working. I'm reminded of the debate that emerged after Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso went big, and people suddenly remembered that pop music can be weird and fun and break rules. Loading For four months last year, Hobert tried the industry's approach. 'I was in sessions, trying to write for other artists, and I knew immediately it wasn't for me,' she says. 'I find that setting to be not conducive to the kind of writing I like to do for songs because there's a beat looping in the background, and the producer has dinner at six, and you're sitting across from someone whose head you're supposed to be in but you've only just met them. I really respect songwriters who can be in that setting and successfully write a big, amazing song, but I'm not one of those people.' The experience only cemented her faith in her own idiosyncratic process. 'In the writing camp world and sessions world, it's a normal thing to have a concept or a title and then to build a song around that, but I never do that. 'I usually start at the first line and write all the way through. I find a second verse to be the hardest thing to write in a song, and a bridge to be the most fun. I'm not really someone who sits down and writes a song in an hour. It takes me weeks, usually, and many, many hours. I do say a lot of words in each song, and I go pretty fast, but I think there's as much importance paid to understanding pop structures and formulas as there is to breaking those rules.'
The Age
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Pop has a new clown princess. And she's made the most fun album of the year
One day you're watching in awe as your roommate becomes a sudden pop sensation, the next you've found yourself hitched along for the ride. No, this is not the plot of Netflix's latest teen rom-com; this is Audrey Hobert's life. Last year, Hobert burst onto pop fans' radars after co-writing seven tracks on Gracie Abrams' hit album The Secret of Us, including the smash That's So True. Abrams, her bestie since fifth grade, made sure the world knew Hobert's contributions: the two shared stage time, interviews and social media posts. Suddenly Hobert, who'd never had any aspirations for making music, was on her own trajectory to pop stardom. 'I had never written music before. Gracie and I were just living together at the time and, one day, started writing music. That was my intro to writing music, period,' says Hobert, sprawled on a couch in her Los Angeles home as though this was a therapy session or I'm Bella Freud. 'When she went on to promote it and tour it and be the busy person that she is, I just felt I wasn't done songwriting and that's when I took a stab at it by myself and wrote this album.' As a stab, Hobert's debut album, Who's the Clown?, is a fatality. Led by throbbing single Sue Me – a guilt-free track about hooking up with your Bacardi-drinking ex, built around Hobert's detail-heavy, delightfully wordy syntax – and other sly tales from the frontlines of 20-something situationships, it might be the most relatable pop album this year (no matter how far removed you might be from its target group). 'I was never shocked by Gracie's success because I've known her for so long and that girl works so hard and it makes complete sense that she's getting this insane attention. But I don't think I ever had the thought of 'break me off a piece of that',' says Hobert. 'I just ultimately feel like I don't know how this all happened. I just know that for eight months last year, I wrote viciously, and here we are.' Hobert was Born and raised in Los Angeles. Her father was a writer and producer for TV comedies including Scrubs, Community and The Middle, while her mother worked in the theatre. Her younger brother Malcolm Todd is also a musician. Initially, Hobert had aspirations of being a professional dancer. 'I danced 10 hours a week from the time I was eight till the end of high school. But the older you get, the more you realise it's cutthroat and it's probably not gonna work out. I think I gave up on those dreams around 13.' Writing came naturally, though. She studied screenwriting at the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and had plans to follow in the family business. After graduating, she spent two seasons on the writing team of Nickelodeon's The Really Loud House (a show her father produced). 'That job came in handy when I ended up meeting record labels to sign a deal,' says Hobert. 'On that show, you were in a room where you were valuable if you had a good idea and knew how to get it across. It helped me in those big boardrooms with music people because I knew how to pitch myself as an artist.' Growing up, Hobert was aware her family was tangentially involved in showbiz, but it's all relative. 'I went to this private middle school, and I was surrounded by kids who had much more powerful parents in the industry. So I knew that my dad was involved, but it was small potatoes,' says Hobert. 'It didn't feel like I was livin' la vida loca, Hollywood style, or anything.' It perhaps explains the aloof outsider perspective that pervades her music. Chateau is a song about going to a Grammys party, microdosing mushrooms, and hating on shallow celebrities. On Thirst Trap, she's frustrated that her feelings for a fun new crush are making her deeply boring and predictable. 'The term 'outsider' resonates with me. In the books I read or the movies I watch, I'm always drawn to the outsider character and I've also felt on the outside often times in my life,' she says. 'When it comes to the songs I've written, my goal is just to be brutally honest about how I feel about a situation or a person or whatever.' Comedy is central to Hobert's songwriting appeal. If her musical keystones – Kim Petras, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift's 1989, slacker-poet MJ Lenderman – are part of the equation, so are her comic ones: Lena Dunham, Conner O'Malley, Dan Licata, Nathan Fielder, and her dad's favourites, Steve Martin and Brian Regan. 'I love funny people, and I love being funny. It's, like, my favourite thing to be,' she says. In her songs, Hobert plays the stand-up comic's trick of making her imperfections and insecurities empowering. On the moving Phoebe, a song about identifying with Lisa Kudrow's character on the TV sitcom Friends, she casually sings about her struggles with body image and finding solace in the show's wacky outcast. 'I just found it funny that none of the three guys on the show are ever with Phoebe. Like, they'll be with Rachel or with Monica but never with her, just because she's the quirky girl. I really identified with her, just as an idea of something,' says Hobert. 'I've felt a lot in my life this struggle to feel physically beautiful, but I've always known my worth on the inside. And the older you get, the less that feeling of physical unworthiness serves you, so obviously you want to reach that point as early as possible, like in your 20s, where you're just like, 'F— it, I'm entirely beautiful.' I'm proud of that song, and I'm glad I got to talk about that feeling I've had for a lot of my life.' Hobert's very specific approach to songwriting comes at an opportune time. The pop industry is flailing, the powers that be seem to understand that whatever formula they might've once had for producing hits is no longer working. I'm reminded of the debate that emerged after Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso went big, and people suddenly remembered that pop music can be weird and fun and break rules. Loading For four months last year, Hobert tried the industry's approach. 'I was in sessions, trying to write for other artists, and I knew immediately it wasn't for me,' she says. 'I find that setting to be not conducive to the kind of writing I like to do for songs because there's a beat looping in the background, and the producer has dinner at six, and you're sitting across from someone whose head you're supposed to be in but you've only just met them. I really respect songwriters who can be in that setting and successfully write a big, amazing song, but I'm not one of those people.' The experience only cemented her faith in her own idiosyncratic process. 'In the writing camp world and sessions world, it's a normal thing to have a concept or a title and then to build a song around that, but I never do that. 'I usually start at the first line and write all the way through. I find a second verse to be the hardest thing to write in a song, and a bridge to be the most fun. I'm not really someone who sits down and writes a song in an hour. It takes me weeks, usually, and many, many hours. I do say a lot of words in each song, and I go pretty fast, but I think there's as much importance paid to understanding pop structures and formulas as there is to breaking those rules.'
Indian Express
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kelley Mack, Spider-Verse and The Walking Dead star, dies at 33 following a rare brain cancer, glioma
Hollywood star Kelley Mack, best known for playing Addy on The Walking Dead, has passed away at the age of 33. Kelley was reportedly found dead on August 2 in her hometown, Cincinnati, after being diagnosed with glioma, a rare form of brain cancer that affects the central nervous system. 'It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley,' her sister Kathryn confirmed the death in a heartbreaking post on August 5. 'Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go.' The statement continued that she passed away 'peacefully,' and that her mother, Kristen and aunt Karen were by her side. It read, 'Kelley has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies. She will be missed by so many to depths that words cannot express.' She concluded her statement with a note for her fans and well-wishers: 'She would want you all to know how much she loves you,' she said. 'And as her sister, I want you all to know how brave that tough SOB was, especially when she decided to make the leap to be reunited with God. I'm so f–king proud of her.' A post shared by Kelley Mack (@itskelleymack) Also read: My Oxford Year movie review: Netflix's Saiyaara-coded weepy is no better than a Mohit Suri movie Kelley Mack appeared in five episodes during Season 9 of The Walking Dead. In the show, the young star was part of a tragic storyline involving the Whisperers. Even though her time on the show was brief, she was one of the most impactful and memorable characters. The show also helped her gain recognition in the industry. Before and after The Walking Dead, Kelley bagged an impressive list of credits. She took on several cameo roles in shows like 9-1-1, Chicago Med, and the Modern Family spin-off titled Schooled. Apart from TV series, Kelly was also part of a few indie films, including Broadcast Signal Intrusion with Harry Shum Jr. She was set to appear in the upcoming film Universal, which she also produced. Born on July 10, 1992, in Cincinnati as Kelley Lynne Klebenow, she started in the industry as a child actor and appeared in a few commercials. She studied acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and made a name for herself after winning an Acting Award there for her role in The Elephant Garden (2008), a short film that also made it to the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. Upon completion of her college, she moved to Los Angeles and spent over a decade working in films, TV, and voiceover projects. While many might not know, one of her most memorable voice roles was for Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) in the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Also read: South Park fires back after Donald Trump's Homeland Security hijacks ICE Barbie episode tease: 'So we are relevant?' Apart from acting, Kelley was also a budding filmmaker. She wrote, directed, and edited the short film Positive (2015). Just a year before, she served as a cinematographer for The Kingdom. In 2016, she produced A Knock at the Door. The movie went on to win an award at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival. Her final work, Universal, was premiered at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. In her final Instagram post, she described the comedy sci-fi drama as: 'A couple of academics enjoying a romantic break in a remote log cabin find their stay interrupted by someone who has tracked them down, seeking their help with what could be the biggest discovery in history.' Kelley lived with her parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow, and her siblings Kathryn and Parker. She was also close to her grandparents, Lois and Larry and was dating Logan Lanier. Her family will hold a memorial service on August 16 at the Glendale Lyceum in Ohio.
Express Tribune
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Influencer Chase Filandro dies by suicide at 20 confirmed by family in emotional statement
Chase Filandro, a 20-year-old social media influencer and artist, has died by suicide, his family confirmed to TMZ. A student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Filandro was found in his dorm room, according to the family. 'It was Chase's own decision to enter Heaven,' their statement read. 'His light will continue to shine eternally in the hearts of all those he touched throughout his remarkable, though far too brief, life. Our family is heartbroken and devastated by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved Chase.' Described as a multitalented creative, Filandro was known as a singer, musician, actor, teacher, poet, and painter. His family recalled his magnetic personality, deep love for the arts and nature, and the genuine warmth that allowed him to form meaningful connections with people both online and in person. 'Chase brought joy, creativity, and inspiration to so many,' the statement continued. 'While our hearts are shattered by this tremendous loss, we find comfort in knowing that his artistic legacy and the love he shared will never be forgotten.' His sister announced the news on Instagram and shared a GoFundMe campaign to honor his memory, which has raised more than $24,000 in just two days. The family has requested privacy as they mourn and reflect on what they described as 'the beautiful life Chase lived.' Chase Filandro was 20 years old. His loss is deeply felt by the communities he touched, both online and offline.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who was Kelley Mack? ‘The Walking Dead' actress who passed away at 33
Kelley Mack, the star from the popular TV show 'The Walking Dead,' has passed away at the age of 33. The actress had worked on numerous major projects throughout her career and had been well praised for her acting skills. Who was Kelley Mack? Kelley Mack (birth name Kelley Lynne Klebenow) was an extremely talented actress. Born in 1992 in Cincinnati, she has been a part of the entertainment industry ever since her childhood. She began her acting career with commercials and advertisements, which eventually led to her success at a young age. Her official entry came with her 2008 debut piece 'The Elephant Garden', for which she managed to receive a lot of praise, and was even awarded the Acting Award from the Tisch School of the Arts. Not only that, but she even received the Student Visionary Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her acting accolades span TV dramas, OTT releases, and films as well. The actress also featured in many projects as a voice-over artist as well, showing off her multifaceted talents. Other than all of this, she had also been focusing on her studies in film production and cinematography, and had even produced a short film titled 'Positive'. Another one of her films, 'A Knock at the Door' was also well praised by many after its release, and she even managed to get nominations at FilmQuest, while also winning the Festival Award at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival. Her most noted role comes from 'The Walking Dead' as Addy. She was a part of five episodes in season 9 of the show, and was portrayed as one of the characters on the show who was kidnapped by the Whisperers. She also featured as the voice for Gwen Stacy in the hit animated film 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'. Kelly Mack's demise On August 5, a post was shared on her social media accounts by his sister to confirm that the actress had passed away. The post read that Kelley had left for her heavenly abode peacefully and was surrounded by her mother, aunt and loved ones at the time. She is survived by her sister, her mother and her aunt.
