This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 Champion Issue of Showstopper Magazine.
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Caroline Romano on her new single “Used by You”
“I had the line ‘I’d rather be used by you than you be something I lose’ and part of the first verse written a few days prior to going into a session with my friends Sam Varga and Caleb Oczkowski. I wanted the song to feel cold and heavy, and both of these guys write rock songs so incredibly well, so I knew I wanted to bring the idea to them. The entire song was written in a couple of hours, and it was just a very cathartic and therapeutic experience to create it. I still think my favorite moment in the song is the first verse. It says a lot in a little amount of time, and it truly is a brutal start to the song.”
Kylie Cantrall on how she created her “Elastic” TikTok and IG dance
“The ‘Elastic’ dance I’ve been teaching on TikTok is pretty much just a slight variation on the actual choreo from the video. For me, growing up as a dancer, I was obsessed with learning the choreography from music videos [Victoria Monet’s ‘On my Mama’ was one of the most recent videos I had to play over and over to try and learn), but I think you develop a whole different type of connection to a dance video when you’re able to learn the steps, and that was one of my biggest goals with “Elastic,” to immerse my fans in the dance and give them the opportunity to try it themselves!
“I think it’s all in the attitude and how you perform it. It’s a sassy song, and more than anything, I just want the girlies who learn the dance to feel like a baddie while they’re doing it!”
Pop Money…
Raja Fuller on how dance has influenced Pop Money’s performance style
“Our experience in dance has had a profound impact on how we approach performing as part of Pop Money. Dance has taught us discipline and the importance of stage presence—all of which are crucial elements in our performance as a boy band.”
Connor Finnerty on the importance of dance
“We love dance. Dance is something that I think we will always associate with our music. The two go hand in hand really. It’s part of who Pop Money is.”
Cameron Wright on working together
“I think that the best part is that we have been in this band for so long now that we all now know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we know how each of us work best.”
AJ “Boogie” Raguindin on how dance helps their singing
“We find that our skills as dancers help our approach to singing and vice versa. Singing requires breath control and stamina, which are also essential for executing our dance routines.”
Joe Capati on his tour with The 502s
“My favorite part about this tour with The 502s is feeling and experiencing the culmination of years of hard work. I had the opportunity to play for family in Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago. More so, I had the opportunity to show them the tour bus we travel in and present a tru show that I’m proud to be part of. It’s been a full-circle ‘look at where I’m at now, mom’ moment every single day.
“The most challenging part for me is being away from home. I’m a creature of habit—I love going to bed and waking around the same time. I love being able to cook whatever meal calls to me in my kitchen. I love being able to go on long walks with my floofy wooly husky, Kaya, at home. I love being able to work out at my gym where I know where everything is and when the least amount of people will be there.
“Having a tour bus for the first time on The Great American Roadtrip Tour has really been a joy. We get to take naps when we need to, make a proper meal in the galley, and wake up in the city the morning of our show and walk around the city. Life is good, and I’ll take the challenge of being away from home any day.”
Celestina Harris on her love of fashion
Celestina’s most recent appearance is in the series Dr. Death. She plays Lizzi, the daughter of Benita (played by Mandy Moore). Two and a half months of filming gave Celestina plenty of time to tap into Lizzi’s character. She shared that she related most to Lizzi’s love of fashion. “I loved every single outfit Lizzi wore on the show.” Fashion is one of the ways that Celestina gets into character. “What would Lizzi wear?” is one of the questions she asks herself in the days before coming on set.
