Dirty Cult is a multimedia production & publishing company (content creator) that explores, celebrates, and highlights intersectionality in music, film & TV, fashion, and pop culture. We provide a creative platform for artists, content creators, and industry professionals to network, collaborate, discuss, and share.
It’s been a long and painful year of quarantine, but thanks to science, Dolly Parton, and the new administration (bust tbh mostly Dolly Parton), we can finally see a tiny bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Now let’s not f*ck that up again, ok babe? As more and more people become eligible for the jab, Dirty Cult is looking forward to a future filled with new opportunities and a renewed sense of purpose. That said, it brings me (Memo, your editor) immense joy to announce our very first event of 2021 featuring live performers!
And this time, we are going to Richmond, Virginia! That’s right gorgeous, Dirty Cult is road tripping south TheSimple Life style. Our fierce new collaborator, Virginia-based drag artist Miss Devo Monique has recently joined the cult (more details tba) and put together a gorgeous lineup that brings Brooklyn and Virginia drag together under one roof. As she prepares to move back to New York, Devo wants to show the locals that all types of drag are beautiful, valid, and should always work together to create more inclusive spaces for everyone. Tickets can be found here. But if you’re not in the area and still want to show your support, you can tip the girls virtually on the night of the event (more details on that also tba).
DJS: P_A_T / W. JEREMY PELSER / VALISSA YOE / FRANKIE SHARP
****TO RESERVE BOTTLE TABLE SERVICE****
Premium bottle/table service w/ outdoor seating for 6 (guaranteed VIP skip the line entry) with your own personal cocktail server.
A – East Terrace (Mainroom/Close to Stage)
$1200 (minimum) Premium Bottle Service and confirmed non transferable RSVP for 6 people / stage adjacent on the East Terrace
B – West Terrace (Terrace City View)
$750 (minimum) Premium Bottle Service and confirmed non transferable RSVP for 6 people / City View on the West Terrace
Light up the Night returns on November 11th with a Cardi vs Nicki themed night at Coney Island Baby. Featuring live music acts by Queen Sessi, Emily Thomas, FERRARiROCHER, and Bianca Jade, a lip sync battle open to everyone, fierce drag shows by resident hosts Miss Vanity Q & Tara Byte, and the launch of our new drag competition series: Drag ME, hosted by Yasmin Delano. DJ Mio Soul playing Cardi & Nicki jams all night.
Email us at lutnevents@gmail.com if you want to sign up and compete for a $100 cash prize plus the title of Miss Light Up The Night. $10 advance tickets are available to the general public via Eventbrite. Click HERE to RSVP on Facebook.
Light Up The Night NYC Tour Dates
December 8th @ DROM January 13th @ The Delancey February 2nd @ Mercury Lounge
Light Up The Night: MIAMI Coming this Spring in partnership with Sirens Loft
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get all the tea on all our current and future events! Want to get featured as a performer? Email us at lutnevents@gmail.com
Light Up the Night is Dirty Cult’s latest venture/party shindig in partnership with the amazingly talented pop artist Queen Sessi and the ferociously fierce drag performer Miss Vanity Q. #LUTNnyc is an LGBTQ+ dance party and performance event that aims to create a safe space for our community and allies to come together, get wild, and celebrate art.
Our opening night went down at DROM in the Lower East Side (09/14), featuring live music performances by Queen Sessi, Bangz, and Sami Sol, and drag shows by Vanity Q, Jolina Jasmine, Trinity Beat, and Aladdin. Hosted by Dirty Cult’s Tara Byte!
Oh honey, it’s All Stars season! R U ready to snatch the gold? Dirty Cult invites you once again to join us EVERY THURSDAY (starting January 25th) at Lot 45 Bushwick to experience our delectable, exquisite, weekly RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties. Shiny Penny, our resident host last year and Brooklyn’s favorite door pixie, is joined by Ruby Roo, who co-hosted last year’s Season 9 premiere and came back for a guest appearance that one time Ragamuffin had to go out of town. Doors open at 7, and drag shows will follow immediately after the screening. Early bird gets the best seats in the house, no joke.
“You’ll never be able to watch the show alone again” – Time Out New York
On January 25th, we’ll be hosting a pop-up up shop by Brooklyn design duo High Wasted Studio. The two officially started out last year making costumes for our favorite local queens, such as Merrie Cherry and Horrorchata, but it wasn’t long before the Ru girls started hitting up their DM’s. Below, Brooklyn’s Thorgy Thor rocking High Wasted pants for her main entrance!
Making this list made me realize I didn’t really listen to a lot of full albums in the year of the Lorde 2017. Part of me thinks the format is dead and singles and mixtapes are the future (and present.) Another part of me fully believes in albums and still enjoys buying them in physical form (keep reading to find out which album I copped in 2017 lol). In no particular order, these are the 10 albums (or mixtapes) I fully endorse this year. For a comprehensive list that represents the music industry at large, go to a mainstream outlet or something.
Drake, More Life
Oh look, the first entry is a mixtape! Drake fully got to my feels with this surprise drop. I remember driving from New York to Texas (yeah, really) listening to this with my friends and feeling very in tune with my life/environment. It was also very much part of my summer soundtrack. I think of the beach, tequila, and bad decisions. I’m here for the playfulness of it all.
Charli XCX, Number 1 Angel & Pop 2
More mixtapes!!! Charli fully flexed her producing muscles and gave us not one but two mixtapes within the past year! I’m telling you right now Charli is the most relevant and on-point artiste of our era. I couldn’t choose just one mixtape because I love both of them equally for different reasons. Idk. Charli’s music makes me feel so alive. I enjoy all the collaborations and truly discovering new artists because of them. You can tell how much fun Charli is having making these records and you’re a fool if you haven’t listened to them.
Lana Del Rey, Lust for Life
Lana gave us the album we expected. The album we deserved. What I love about Lana Del Rey is that she fully lives in a world of her own, and she just wants us all to be a part of it, even it’s just for a little while. Is this happiness? You wonder, as you realize that perhaps listening to her angelical voice really is the closest thing to it you will ever experience. Lana is the cause and the cure to all my blues. Also, seriously speaking, the collabos on this album are really fun. I mean Stevie Nicks amirite?! Omg and we so here for the trap-infused tracks! We stan a vers queen.
Lorde, Melodrama
OMggg this album took forever to come out! But honestly it was worth the wait. Lorde is an incredible songwriter and a legend and we are totally ignoring any rumors re: the production of this iconic album.
CupcakKe, Queen Elizabitch
I know I talk about CupcakKe a lot, but idgaf because Elizabeth is cool af. I caught one of her performances at Ladyfag’s Holy Mountain in NYC and fell in love with her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. Shortly after she released this album, I convinced my boss to let me book her for Pride. I saw her like 6 times total last year and the rest is HERstory.
SZA, Ctrl
Easily my favorite album this year. Every song. SZA fucked us all up. I don’t even know what else to say. You know she fucked up your shit too.
Shakira, El Dorado
So like I totally reconnected with my roots this year. Like, I’m not Colombian, but I grew up with pop en Español and Shakira was one of my OG’s. This album is bilingual and has two Maluma features and a solid half of the album is catchy dance songs that you will 100% love. Shakira forever!
Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
I don’t feel worthy of qualified to talk about this album, but damn.
Kesha, Rainbow
Listen, Kesha deserves this album and this moment. Country may not be my favorite genre, but I’d be dammed if I didn’t give this album a full and fair chance. Kesha’s roots are no secret, so this change in direction comes as a surprise to no one. Her vocals and songwriting abilities are beautifully showcased throughout the album. Like, I was honestly SHOOK the first time I heard Kesha hitting those high notes. Yes queen! Beautiful things happen when artists are given control of their work, and I’m excited for many more years of this incredible, resilient woman.
Taylor Swift, Reputation
HAHAHAHA I know, right??? Who even am I? This is the album I actually bought at the store. Like, I went to Target and got it lol. Listen, I’m not here to make friends, and honestly the heart wants what it wants. There’s a bunch of good songs in this album and that’s that.
Fun story: last time I bought a Taylor Swift CD (1989) at Target I got into a car accident that set me back a couple thousand dollars. Taylor did not send me a check or nothing. Sad!
LMAO okay so these are my Top 10 (played) songs of 2017 according to iTunes and Cardi B and SZA are literally 60% of the list so I included a bunch of other songs that also deserve recognition. Honestly though I think this top 20 is pretty solid. Fine, so it’s a Top 20 and I’m late af. Bite me!
10. No Limit (ft. A$AP Rocky & Cardi B) – G-Eazy
My favorite part of this track is obviously Cardi B’s verse, as is the case for any song featuring Cardi B. It’s not even my top 10 song, I was literally just obsessed with Bardi’s part. I guess G-Eazy is fully established as an artist now, and we allowed that to happen. Good for you, G. I’d totes fuck with you (and get some money).
9. Doves in the Wind (ft. Kendrick Lamar) – SZA
Tbqh, I had no CTRL over myself this summer and I was a sad bad bitch during most of it and this album carried me into better times. That said, this song is probably the most fun in the bunch and so naturally I played it a million times. I love songs about lady parts and needed this to balance out my summertime sadness.
8. Bodak Yellow – Cardi B
This song would have been my no. 1 without a doubt if it had come our earlier in the year. I know every word to both the English and Spanish versions because that’s how bad bitches do. Bodak Yellow is good times. Everybody knows Bodak Yellow. Best Song of 2017 hands down.
OMggg this songgg. First of all, love the Latin vibes. Second of all, come thru with the molly goddard lerks. Third of all, this song fucking slaps hard. This is also a summer throwback for me. Did everything good come out in the summer? I think so. Ri looks literally amazing in the music video and not much else matters. Barack Obama and my dad liked this song so that means it must be good. 10/10.
6. Me Enamore – Shakira
And speaking of Latin music!!! I can’t believe Shakira is still so underrated. At least in North America, and by that I mean mostly the US (and Canada?). I feel bad for people that grew up without 90’s Shakira and had “Whenever, Wherever” as their first intro because that was like such a whatever song. Anyway, Shakira’s new album El Dorado also features “Chantaje (ft. Maluma)” which totally has the most plays in my iTunes ever but it was released in 2016 so it doesn’t count this year. But THIS is my second favorite track from the album and honestly Shakira slaysss. She always does. Stop sleeping on Shakira and learn some Spanish, you fools!
5. Drew Barrymore – SZA
*deep sigh* I actually taught myself an acoustic version of this song. That’s how much I love it. I know that SZA wrote it with a Drew Barrymore moment in mind (love the cameo!), but I can totally hear this playing in the soundtrack of my life too. I get so lonely I forget what I’m worth too sis!
4. Motorsport – Migos, Nicki Minaj & Cardi B
LMAO ok so this one got tons of plays because of Nicki and Cardi. I aggressively listened to the part of the song that features them until I fully mastered their verses. I’m like really good at them now. I’m also fully here for the whole motorsport aesthetic.
3. Felices los 4 – Maluma
I remember the exact moment I discovered Maluma baby. I was in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, September 2016 when one of his music videos literally changed my life. “Whomst is he?” I wondered as I nervously Googled his name. “He’s 22!” I cried, actual tears running down my face. I’d never seen a man so perfect. Shakira would release a collaboration with him later that year (see above). My life just hasn’t been the same ever since. I’m obsessed. I’m not even sure if I like the song that much tbh. I’m just super thirsty for this man. He’s also doing trap en Español now, which is like really sexy and cool.
2. Love Galore (ft. Travis Scott) – SZA
Between this and Drew Barrymore, I don’t know which song made me feel the most feels over this hypothetical relationship I definitely didn’t have. Why you do this to me sis? Bro I’m telling you SZA’s words defined my entire summer.
1. Tyrant (ft. Jorja Smith) – Kali Uchis
This one was a huge surprise for me in the best way possible! First of all, sorry I’m a little late hopping on the Kali Uchis train. This Latina queen has been releasing solid hits over the years and Tyrant is absolutely an instant favorite. The vibe is just so cool and sultry and colorful. Plus, Jorja Smith did a show at SOB’s (where I work) earlier this year, right before her collabo with Drake, and so she’s been on my radar for a while. Such a powerful song. Get into it henny!!!
Honorable Mentions
Passionfruit – Drake
Idk why I couldn’t find a decent YouTube link but you can probably figure out how to stream it. This song stood out from the rest of the tracks in More Life and therefore made the list :)
New Rules – Dua Lipa
OMG so this is also actually one of my favorite moments of the year. I want to be Dua’s friend so bad! I actually showed this song and video to my bestie after a break-up and even her mom agreed that this song is perfect and amazing. Learn the rules, ladies, and don’t you dare break them!!!
Boys – Charli XCX
Charli XCX is one of the greatest most underrated artists of our time!!! Listen to her new mixtape Pop 2.0 and be cool!!! I’m telling you!!! Look at all these boys!!!
You have not lived unless you’ve experienced CupcakKe performing this song (and all her songs) live! I swear to you this bitch has the ENTIRE audience literally moaning. Working with her last year was such a delight <3 I love you CupcakKe!
Songs that I know were good and should be listed but I’m dumb…
I don’t have much to say. I just KNOW they’re good.
Humble – Kendrick Lamar
Obviously. Obama too likes this song.
Mask Off – Future
Check out this incredible violin cover by my amazingly talented client Ezinma!
XO Tour Llif3 – Lil Uzi Vert
Some of my friends are dead :(
Songs that NEED to be acknowledged
In which I directly address the artists :)
Praying – Kesha
Congrats on your long-awaited, much-deserved comeback mama! Congrats on your Grammy nom! That high note was everything! You’re doing amazing sweetie! ILYSM!
Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
Congrats on making it to the top of Top 40 radio!!! I’ve been listening to Portugal. The Man for ages and it’s just a really cool feeling seeing you there. Remember when “selling out” was a bad thing for indie bands? Who cares anymore!!! You are cool af and made me feel cool af back in the day and this still feels cool af today. Plus, you’re Obama certified too, bro!
Despacito (ft. Justin Bieber) – Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee
Dear Justin, I forgive you for not knowing the words to your feature. You are so brave for going through this ordeal. PLUS you totally catapulted Latin music into the mainstream! You’re also very sexy. Please work on a song with Maluma next. I would die.
Dear Luis Fonsi, congrats on getting the Biebz to hop on this track. I remember seeing you 15 years ago when you opened for Britney in Mexico City. I think you’re going to go very far!
Dear Daddy Yankee, don’t ever leave us. In my eyes, you’re one of the seven wonders of the world. Thank you for giving us mas gasolina.
Dirty Cult celebrated the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 on March 24th with an exuberant viewing party at Lot 45 Bushwick. Featuring performances by Ruby Roo, Shiny Penny, Hannah Lou, and Emma Tation (fka Gemini Dai), and a pop-up shop by Brooklyn design duo High Wasted Studio. Hosted by Dirty Cult’s @memourl. View the full gallery below and join us at Lot 45 every Friday!
Slide into your pride weekend with this #GayAF playlist featuring some of the fiercest queens in the game. I saw a lot of Pride playlists on Spotify that featured a bunch of “gay” music but not enough actually gay artists. So in the spirit of queer visibility, everyone here is gay af. And that’s a beautiful thing.
![RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 Premiere Viewing Party [Gallery]](https://dirtycultmedia.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/rpdr-s9-35.jpg?w=1200)
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