Shifter Selects: The World's a Little Blurry, but There's Hope

Graphic by Samantha N. Olson. Photos from left to right: Billie Eilish/Apple, Jamie Alexander/Instagram, Chloe x Halle/Instagram.

Welcome to Shifter Selects, a new addition to our digital component where we’ll highlight the latest trends in music, film/TV and fashion. Here’s how it’ll go down: on Monday of every week, we’ll be on the lookout for trending topics and give our hot takes on the matter. Sound like something you’d be interested in? Look no further than our Shifter Selects for the week of March 1–5.

This week, we saw another side of Grammy award-winning artist Billie Eilish in her new Apple TV+ documentary, "The World's a Little Blurry." On the topic of Grammy-nominated artists, Chloe x Halle just dropped two new songs for the deluxe version of their 2020 album, "Ungodly Hour." Also, the sweetest father-daughter duo is revolutionizing swimwear for the trans community.

Music

Chloe x Halle drop new bonus tracks for "Ungodly Hour (Chrome Edition)"

by Brianna Bradley

Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Music

The sister act Chloe x Halle recently released a deluxe version of their acclaimed sophomore album “Ungodly Hour.” “Ungodly Hour: Chrome Edition'' dropped last week, complete with two new tracks: “Hazy” and “80/20.” Chloe and Halle wrote “Hazy” on their own and Chloe produced both songs (“80/20” with BREGMA).

With its hypnotic beat and sultry harmonies, “Hazy” will put listeners under a spell. The lyrics are just as mesmerizing as the music: “You fallin' for me, baby / I know I make you crazy / Like when the clouds are hazy / You like to smell my daisies.”

“80/20” is a sexy song about wanting more than 80% in a relationship —and finding someone who can give you what you’re missing. Fans had been asking for the studio recording of “80/20” since hearing a snippet on Instagram live, and the duo finally delivered.

Film/TV

"Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry" premieres on Apple TV+, gives us a new look at the Grammy award-winning artist

by Valerie Galarza

Where to watch: Apple TV+

Pop singer Billie Eilish lets viewers into her personal life with her new Apple TV+ documentary film, “Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry.”

Directed by award-winning filmmaker, R.J. Cutler, the documentary film follows 17-year-old Billie Eilish as she navigates being a young teen living in a pop culture world. The film takes place over the course of a year in which Eilish was writing and recording her Grammy-award-winning debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”

The film gives a more personal look into Billie’s family as both of her parents are present. Her older brother and pop singer, Finneas, helps Billie produce her music as well as provide emotional support.

Eilish promoted her new doc on her Instagram, telling fans how to watch the film. Viewers can watch the film on Apple TV + with a free seven-day trial that automatically renews until it’s canceled. You can also watch the film if you recently bought a new Apple product that comes with a free Apple TV+ subscription.

Fashion

This father-daughter duo is changing the game for swimwear in the trans community

by Camille Ruiz Mangual

Where to follow: Instagram, Facebook, Website

Photo by Rubie's

When Jamie Alexander and his daughter Ruby were packing for a trip to Panama, one question kept coming up: what kind of swimsuit could Ruby confidently and comfortably wear to the beach as a transgender girl? In an interview with the Today Show, Alexander notes, “Everything I saw was heavily branded just to trans people and had a quilted pad in the front. They didn't look like normal bikinis.”

So, Alexander interviewed 50-60 different families of transgender kids to understand their needs. He then worked with a fashion accelerator and a garment engineer through Ryerson University's tech start-up incubator, The DMZ to create Rubies, a line of form-fitting clothing for trans girls.

Alexander’s goal is to make the lives of trans children like Ruby better.

You can find out more about Rubies from their website and Facebook. You can also find Jamie Alexander on Instagram.

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Want to keep up with the latest trends?

Tune in next Monday for our next installment of Shifter Selects!