Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Tiffany Young is the new face and voice of H&M’s Divided Music campaign. Born and raised in California, Young spent more than a decade in South Korea as a member of the band Girls’ Generation, before moving back to Los Angeles to study acting. “I just finished shooting this video for (my new solo single) ‘Teach You,’” says Young. “And I get to tell you first: My bandmates (Hyo-yeon Kim and Soo-young Choi) make cameos in it!”
“I’ve been going to Lake Powell since I started to walk,” says “The Fosters” actress Meg DeLacy. “It was a very special place for me growing up and still is. For four or five days you are off the grid beach-camping, water skiing, taking your boat through the canyons of the lake and finding swimming holes and places to read a book and just be lazy. You wake up when the sun comes up and wind down when the sun goes down. It’s the best to just be on the lake and do nothing or do a whole bunch of things. There are a million stars to see every night.”
As the son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley grew up in Jamaica surrounded by music. “Jamaica is the root of my music,” says the Grammy Award-winning musician. “I was born there, I was raised there and Jamaica is always inside of me. It’s an impactful place in general for many people. For example, Ian Fleming wrote several James Bond novels in Jamaica at Goldeneye near Ocho Rios.”
Formerly part of Emblem3, Wesley Stromberg has reinvented himself as a solo artist known simply as WESLEY. A resident of Valencia, California, his singles include, “Remedy,” “1000 Ways” and “One Shot.” “My first trip as a child was a road trip with my grandparents to Whistler Mountain in Canada,” says WESLEY, 24. “This trip was magical. I went snowboarding for the first time and saw a giant mountain for the first time. It was breathtaking. Mountains are so incredibly powerful just towering over you.”
Singer-songwriter Charli XCX (“5 in the Morning”) is earning rave reviews as Taylor Swift’s opening act. The English star also is a headliner at W Hollywood’s Wake Up Call music festival. Born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, she spends so much of her life on the road that she has a fool-proof plan for dealing with dateline changes: “Party through the jet lag. Or, if you’re not up to that, enjoy a spa day as soon as you get there and really let your body bounce back so you can make the most out of your trip.”
Comedian Ronny Chieng makes his movie debut in “Crazy Rich Asians,” where he portrays wealthy investment banker Edison Cheng. “This is my first film project, so I don’t have anything to compare it with,” says Chieng, 32, who’s based out of New York. “But the cast got along really well. One of the greatest things about Singapore and Malaysia is the food culture. The cast would meet up on our nights off and go out for the local food and then go for karaoke. It was the best! I also got to see my parents, grandmother and old high school friends, who all live in Singapore. It was also super hot. In fact, I think the crazy in ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ refers to us wearing three-piece suits in the tropics.”
Not long after James Lee celebrated his 27th birthday, the Royal Pirates bassist was involved in a freak accident in Seoul that nearly severed his hand and left it permanently damaged. No longer able to feel the strings of his bass, he quit his band and returned home to California, where he was born and raised. Lee, 30, is celebrating his burgeoning solo career, which includes performances at KCON LA, a premiere party for his EP “The Light” and an acoustic duet of “Let’s Get Away” with his good friend Sooyoung (of Girls’ Generation).
“Every time I go to Capri in Italy, I have the best time,” says composer David Foster. “I just love it there every time. I’ve been at least a dozen times, Of course, you can’t ever really go wrong anywhere in Italy. The people just know how to navigate life and squeeze the best out of every day.”
Rosanna Arquette says she feels grateful when people recognize her for her activism as much as for her acting (“Desperately Seeking Susan,” “Pulp Fiction”). Her latest role is as Mary on the new YouTube Premium series, “Sideswiped.” “While I was shooting this show, which I’m very excited about, I was dealing with all of the Harvey Weinstein stuff,” says Arquette, who was one of the first women to publicly talk about how the film producer threatened to sink her career after she says she refused his demands for sex. “Shooting the series was such a good distraction during that time. And with all the things going on (in politics now), I hope that people will watch the show and laugh.”
Musician Russell Dickerson says one of the perks of touring is getting to explore. “I’ve learned so much about history on my travels, even to smaller towns around America,” says the Nashville resident. “Whenever we pull into a new city, we usually look up a little history on that place. It’s cool to learn why this town came to be, like was it coal or oil or a certain good that made this city what it is today? I’ve definitely been getting some history lessons.” Dickerson, who is part of the Summer Plays On Tour with Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker — is promoting his album “Yours” and his single, “Blue Tacoma.”
One of music’s most prominent DJs, Tiesto has earned his nickname as the Godfather of EDM. The Dutch DJ, born Tijs Michiel Verwest, was performing in European stadiums long before it became cool to stan hipsters such as Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix. Of his many concerts, Tiesto, says performing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens was a highlight. “It was such an unreal experience playing in front of the entire world. It was especially big for me when you consider that dance music wasn’t as big as it is nowadays.”
Rapper I.M is used to traveling around the world with his group Monsta X and says he’s excited about returning to the United States, where he spent part of his childhood. “I’m sad we won’t get to play in Boston,” says I.M, 22, who was born Chang-kyun Im. “But I’m happy we will get to see so many of our American fans.”
Tiffany Young was 15 when she left her native California for Seoul, South Korea, where she hoped to become a music star. Within two years, the teenager made her debut with Girls’ Generation, which would become one of the most successful K-Pop groups ever. She’s back in the U.S. and has a new solo single, “Over My Skin.” My latest interview for Rolling Stone.
“The first trip I can remember taking was to Carolina Beach,” says “Claws” star, Jenn Lyon. “My Me-Maw had a little three-room beach shack and we crammed six adults and five kids into it. We played on the beach, washed off with the garden hose and my Me-Maw took me secretly with her to play Bingo in smoky parlors. I loved all of it.”
As CIA analyst Joe Turner in the new AT&T AUDIENCE Network series, “Condor,” Max Irons plays the role made famous by Robert Redford in “Three Days of the Condor.” The actor says that filming in Toronto reminds him a bit of home. “I used to live in New York and I live in London now and you can see elements of both cities in Toronto,” says Irons, who’s the son of actor Jeremy Irons. “It’s a wonderful place to film, because you’ve got skyscrapers and smaller neighborhoods that have a Brooklyn feel. You’ve also got beautiful nature surrounding you.”
“Traveling has been a really big part of my upbringing and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel for different reasons,” says singer Eric Nam, 29. “I’d like to think that it has had an impact on my character and personality, which ultimately affects my music.” Born and raised in Georgia, Nam currently is on tour promoting his Billboard World Top 10 EP, “Honestly.” His song, “Float,” also is featured in the film, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.”
The star of Doug Liman’s highly anticipated new YouTube Red series, “Impulse,” Maddie Hasson says that when she thinks of travel, she thinks of her husband, Julian Brink. “He is very related to travel for me,” says Hasson, 23. “I do all of my traveling with him, including a lot of firsts. South Africa was the first really different and exciting place I went to and I went with him.”
In modern South Korea, pop stars and politics don’t often mix. While some hip-hop acts (such as Epik High) address controversial topics, many idol groups stick to a slick, apolitical formula with a proven record of success. BTS, who just became the first K-pop act ever to top the Billboard 200 album sales chart, have become a record-setting success story in part because of their willingness to buck this convention. My latest essay for Rolling Stone.
Canadian musician Scott Helman says that touring has taught him to be patient and to go with the flow. “I know it’s corny, but whatever happens will happen. Be on time, pack well, stay hydrated. These are things we can control. Everything else is for the world to decide. My most memorable experiences are when things go wrong while traveling. It’s when you find the kind ones and when whatever is wrong becomes resolved, you can count on them to bring your life more meaning and joy knowing they’re in the world.”
“The Chi” actress Tiffany Boone recalls a childhood trip she took with her mother: “I was 8 years old and we went to Walt Disney World in Orlando. In preparation for my trip, I would watch a travel video about Disney World every single day. It was my very first time on an airplane and I was slightly nervous, but my excitement gave me courage. We had the time of our lives! To this day, it is still one of my favorite travel memories.”