A year and a half ago, the streets of downtown Phoenix were flooded with the signature coquette and Disney princess attire that follows one artist wherever she goes. Now, a similar outbreak has spread across the Valley to Glendale, with lines full of fans decked out in prom dresses, handmade bows and golden paper crowns around every corner of the Westgate Entertainment District…
Andrew Dirst
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Our sun-soaked, The Summer I Turned Pretty-core era may have “ended” with the series finale (fineee, there’s a movie coming, don’t panic), but bikini season? Yeah, she’s eternal. Especially for us international girlies. Enter ISMÊ Swim, born between Brazil and California thanks to Isabella Bailey—aka the girlboss who once schlepped around a whole rack of bikinis, hawking them on campus for 12 hours straight. Now, she’s leveled up with bead-and-charm embellishments, Sports Illustrated creds, and swim that honestly feels like it should’ve been part of Belly’s wardrobe rotation.
So why not throw them in the mix? We lined up our fave ISMÊ styles with four iconic TSITP music moments—whether you’re Team Conrad, Team Jeremiah, or just Team “I showed up for the soundtrack.” (Beware, there are spoilers for season three past this point.)
The Honey POP received samples from ISMÊ Swim in exchange for editorial promotion.
Golden hour is basically the show’s unofficial extra cast member, always swooping in to remind us how Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher see Belly. But the brightest beam of all? When our curly-haired little brother whips out a proposal while Benson Boone belts ‘Forever and a Day.’ Belly does the whole dramatic pause (gotta keep him sweating as he did just cheat on her and all) before saying yes, and they seal it with an “I love you.” Cute, right? Except, if you look closer, the light’s not all flawless — there are those little shadowy crescents dancing on the pavement and across their faces, hinting that maybe love isn’t just sunshine and butterflies, but insecurities too.
Fashion-wise, ISMÊ Swim’s Areia Underwire top and bottoms nail the moment: hypnotic yellow velvet with beaded straps peeking through, like sunlight throwing sparkles where you least expect them.
‘No Surprises,’ croons Radiohead—except, surprise! Jeremiah blurts out his engagement to Belly to the family, right after his mom’s memorial. Timing, babe, timing. Belly’s in a soft blue dress, a shade that usually screams the calm and steady feelings she has around him… except nothing about this scene is steady. Her mom’s fake laughing, Conrad’s gripping the serviette like it’s a stress ball, and Jeremiah’s over here serving chaos. It’s the kind of moment where a ring pop proposal almost makes more sense.
But if we’re talking better accessories, ISMÊ Swim’s Sky bikini is the real showstopper. Its baby-blue velvet mirrors Belly’s dress, while the dangling gold shell and star charms on the straps twinkle like little musical notes—pretty distractions that shimmer even when the scene hits a sour chord.
Belly’s busy blowing out any birthday-candle fantasies of Conrad being the one and doubling down on Jeremiah—but those hairline cracks in Fisher’s world are starting to show. Enter a peach stand, Conrad’s soft-focus gaze, and The Rolling Stones’ ‘Wild Horses’ playing like the soundtrack to a slow-motion heartbreak.
The peaches aren’t just props—they echo the juicy palette of ISMÊ Swim’s Citrus bikini. With its thicker turquoise straps holding everything in place, striped triangles of yellow, orange, and red feel like sunlit fruit slices, and the cheeky turquoise faux-stone charm adds just the right dash of sweetness. A little wild, a little wistful—much like Conrad’s expression watching her eat that peach.
Belly’s lens on Conrad has always been scribbled in Taylor Swift ink, so when ‘Dress’ scores their Paris reunion—the one they swore would never-ever happen—it’s nothing short of sizzling. Taylor whispers, “Say my name and everything just stops,” and Conrad breathes, “I dream about this,” like he’s been taking notes straight from her diary. Naturally, sparks fly, lips lock, and destiny gets its way. Just as inevitable? You clicking add to cart on ISMÊ Swim’s Panther one-piece. Sleek and sultry with a crisscross back tie and a flirty little ring detail, it’s basically the swimsuit version of a secret rendezvous: snug, striking, and impossible to forget.
Okay, but seriously… which suit are you claiming now that your fave TSITP music moment is the backdrop for your try-on? Or are you being generous and handing one off to Belly? 👙✨ Peep ISMÊ Swim’s site for even more drool-worthy finds, then tag us on Twitter, Insta, or FB so we can gas you up in the comments.
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Rachel Finucane
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If you thought we were exaggerating about the man’s love for backflips in our Benson Boone preshow coverage, we were not. In fact, he did a backflip before he even sang a single note at his sold-out show Tuesday.
Benson Boone did not one, not two, but seven backflips total during his show at the Kia Center. And those were just the backflips that we counted — there were several other moments where the American singer-songwriter left the surly bonds of Earth.
When he flew over the crowd on a giant chandelier, for instance. As mesmerizing as the stunt was, Boone’s addiction to adrenaline kicks is borderline concerning. The chandelier was suspended above attendees on the floor and in the 100 sections, and we couldn’t help but notice how little support Boone seemed to have while in the air. He tightly gripped a rope on the base of the floating prop, but that was it.
Boone’s “American Hearts” tour has a heavy theme of pushing boundaries to “live life on the edge,” and we were certainly on the edge of our seats praying that the 23-year-old’s knees wouldn’t give out upon landing. Yes, the flips were the only instances where Boone was upside-down, but he was continuously jumping off the sets and vaulting over instruments. It was astonishing to see how easily Boone leaped atop his Yamaha piano.
Sure, we’ve all seen the internet discourse: Boone is either fervently loved or unbelievably hated. No matter which side your personal coin falls, it’s undeniable that the artist has talent. His vocal capabilities were surreal. Not to mention, Boone can land a trick and then immediately begin singing — all in the same breath.
Boone is very self-aware when it comes to what people in the music press think of him. He took the opportunity to repeatedly poke fun at his meme-worthy personality, making jokes about his TikTok hate-train and the demographic of his listeners.
There was an almost nine-minute monologue dedicated to the fact that many of the audience members weren’t even old enough to get their driver’s licenses. Part of the same monologue included a question posed to the audience: “Have you ever been in love?” One concertgoer shouted that the audience was too young to be in love, so Boone immediately shifted the question to “Have you ever had a crush?” He continued to go on about how one of his songs could be relatable to the audience if they have a crush on their elementary school classmate.
Other notable moments from the show included a hurricane of heart-shaped confetti, colored red, white and blue, and a lone T-shirt shot into the audience by one of Boone’s dear friends, McLean. The T-shirt, snatched by a lucky fan, had the name of the night’s surprise cover to be performed by Boone.
The Orlando show’s selected cover was “All of Me,” by John Legend. Now that’s showmanship.
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According to Keith Richards’ son Marlon, the Rolling Stones may have an album of new material ready to go by the end of the year. As reported by Record Collector Magazine, the younger Richards indicates that the Stones have been working in the studio with producer Andrew Watt, who helmed their 2024 album Hackney Diamonds, a record that represented the band’s first collection of new material in almost two decades.
It is heartening to hear that the Stones still have some creative coal left in the furnace. Regardless of what the final product may sound like, the fact that these old guys are still making new music is more than impressive. The Stones who are still standing are raging against the dying light and exhibiting an admirable unwillingness to go gently into that good night.
Not that there is any indication that the Stones are about to individually or collectively keel over. I’m speaking metaphorically here. As we saw last year at NRG Stadium, they can still get the job done and even throw in a few surprises in the process. So I can’t wait to see what the lads come up with this time around.
And Marlon would seem to be an unimpeachable source, as he was part of the Stones Touring Party since he was an infant, later acting as his father’s majordomo and keeping some of the leeches away from Richards the senior. Nothing like being told to “fuck off” by an eight-year-old.
Ticket Alert
If you missed out on getting tickets for the West Texas Exiles at the Mucky Duck on Saturday, September 27, there is good news. A second (late) show has been added on the same night, but tickets are going fast.
Singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Ben Kweller will perform at the Heights Theater on Tuesday, November 11, touring in support of his latest release, Cover the Mirrors. Tickets are on sale now.
It’s never too early to start planning for New Year’s Eve, I suppose, so if you don’t already have plans, a show for your consideration is Treaty Oak Revival at Toyota Center on Wednesday, December 31. Treaty Oak, “the rock band with a country accent,” has come a long way since getting its start as a cover band in Odessa around 2018. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
Mariah the Scientist (so named because she was actually studying to be a pediatric anesthesiologist before deciding on a career in music) will perform at the Bayou Music Center on Saturday, April 4. Presales are in progress, with the general ticket sale on Friday.
Concerts This Week
Man, what a week for shows in Houston. We will begin with Samantha Fish at the Heights Theater tonight. Fish is on tour in support of her latest album, Paper Doll, which exhibits her continued growth as a performer and songwriter. For more information, see the Houston Press interview with this blazing guitar player.
It may seem like a long time until we get to St. Patrick’s Day, but guess what? It’s only six months away! To celebrate (and why not?) Houston’s Celtic rockers the Blaggards will play a “Half Way to St. Paddy’s Day” show at Under the Volcano tonight. As an added inducement, the Volcano is offering half-price Guinness and Irish stew. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a blaggard is “a person, usually a man, who is not honest or fair and has no moral principles.”
There are a couple of big shows at Toyota Center this week, the first being a concert from singer-songwriter Benson Boone on Thursday. Boone made some serious noise on Tik Tok in 2021, racking up 1.7 million views before signing a fat record deal. On Saturday, Toyota Center will welcome chanteuse Laufey (pronounced LAY-vay), who cites Frederic Chopin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Chet Baker as some of her primary musical influences. Not too shabby.
Groundbreaking rapper Lil Wayne will perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Thursday. How much of a badass is Lil Wayne? His hometown of New Orleans declared in 2024 that “Lil Wayne Day” will be celebrated each year on February 6 and 7.
Country mega-star Lainey Wilson is also at the Pavilion this week, performing on Saturday. Wilson was raised in Baskin, LA, where she grew up on a musical diet of Buck Owens and Glen Campbell, demonstrating that her parents brought her up right. On Sunday at the Pavilion, it’s an intriguing double bill featuring Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett, two artists who are both traditionalists in their respective genres (R&B and country) and both spent time forging their careers in Texas.
Jim Lauderdale is well-known as a songwriter, having penned tunes recorded by George Strait, Elvis Costello, the Chicks, Vince Gill and Patty Loveless. But let’s not forget that he is a most engaging performer in his own right. Catch his act on Tuesday at the Mucky Duck.
Tom Richards
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Who is Benson Boone, and why does that name ring a bell?
Well, he’s the guy from the internet who always does at least one backflip while belting out pop hits like “Mystical Magical.” If you’re still befuddled, we can break it down further: The 23-year-old singer-songwriter has a 1970s pornstache and is the voice behind the Billboard Hot 100 anthem “Beautiful Things.” In 2021, he made a brief appearance on American Idol, but withdrew from the competition after making the top 24 contestants.
Around the time of his Idol stint, Boone began garnering big-time attention from TikTok. He soon caught the eye of Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds, who signed Boone to his first label. In 2025, Boone received his first Grammy nom — for “Best New Artist” — and even performed on the show.
Boone can be a polarizing pop figure; middle-aged women seem to love him, while the younger generation either despises him or just can’t get enough. The haters criticize the Washington-born singer with the dreaded slur of “trying too hard” or call him a “wannabe Harry Styles.” On the (back)flipside, his fans find Boone absolutely charming, including this writer’s own mother. And his hits are undeniably hooky. (Editor’s note: We saw Alaska 5000 cover “Beautiful Things” live, and it hit!)
You can decide for yourself whether Benson Boone is your mixed bag of tricks when he arrives in the City Beautiful this week. Or maybe not, because this show is thoroughly sold out.
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, Kia Center, 400 W. Church St., 800-745-3000, kiacenter.com, SOLD OUT.
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This article appears in Sept. 10-16, 2025.
Photo: Pedro Gomes/Getty Images
The world’s most famous cat lady, Taylor Swift, doesn’t forget where she came from and who she was there with, especially if they went to cat school together. Swift announced that she had added her Cats co-star METTE, as well as Benson Boone and Griff, as openers to her Wembley Stadium shows in late June for the Eras Tour. “Thought this might be a fun time to announce the first group of opening acts I’ll be adding to the London shows, going on before Paramore. I chose artists whose music I love listening to, and I can’t wait for them to add an extra jolt of excitement to our shows,” she said in an Instagram story. Does this mean “Beautiful Ghosts” can be a surprise song now?
Now, when Swift asked, “Are there still beautiful things?” Boone said, “Yes, I have them!” Boone has had a huge year so far, with his song “Beautiful Things” going #1 in multiple countries. Swift has been a fan of English singer Griff for a while now, first meeting at the 2021 Brit Awards, and she recently reshared Griff’s single “Vertigo,” the title track to her upcoming debut album. “8 yr old me who had fearless on repeat wouldn’t believe this,” said Griff in an Instagram caption on the news. Are you ready to go back to elementary school with her?
Alejandra Gularte
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