Whimsical, outrageous, and undeniably camp, the artistry of New York-based creative BlackJeans is fueled by theatrical sensuality and the powerful absurdity of the underground. After spending the last several years making a name for himself in his local scene, BlackJeans now unleashes his latest artistic venture with the release of his debut EP END OF THE WORLD (PART 1).
Across six tracks, the singer intertwines electro-pop influences with an electrifying delivery, resulting in a body of work that is both wickedly entertaining and undeniably catchy. Through its witty songwriting and comedic punch, the EP holds this ultimate message: If the world is ending, you might as well throw a party.
BlackJeans considers himself to be the Willy Wonka of music — and rightfully so. Singing and dancing amidst the chaos, his musical identity is one where humor and whimsy lie at every turn, and while you might not know where the journey will take you, there’s no denying it’s a wild ride.
The defining pillar of BlackJeans’ artistic expression is clowning. A thrilling force in the underground clown community of New York City, BlackJeans relates to the jester archetype in particular, entertaining the masses in a way that comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable.
“Willy Wonka said, ‘If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.’ I think clowns are making imagination become reality at any given point,” he says. “I think that’s really what’s beautiful about it. And they party harder than anyone you will ever meet in your life.”
This provocative creative vision is further explored in BlackJeans’ ongoing End of the World party series that he regularly holds. Bringing together cabaret, clown, drag, DJs, and musical acts, BlackJeans is determined to show the rest of the world just what they miss as soon as the lights go out.
“I know what’s going on in the underground,” BlackJeans says. “I would like more of the world to see what’s going on. They may not be ready for it, but I think everybody deserves to at least try something twice, you know?”
As his debut EP explores the end of the world, BlackJeans dives deep into this melancholy theme in a way only a clown would — with intoxicating optimism. With songs that deserve to be played for sweaty crowds under neon lights, END OF THE WORLD (PART 1) is the first installment of what will soon be four extended plays, all of which are set to further expand upon the theatrical universe of BlackJeans.
Following the EP’s release, the clown, musician, and storyteller sat down with Melodic Magazine to discuss the making of the album. Joined by his trusty companion Cold Thighs — a gorilla donning bright purple hair and matching red lingerie — BlackJeans held nothing back when telling Melodic all about END OF THE WORLD (PART 1), his goals for the future, and all the ways in which clown and drag fuel his fire.
The EP came out a few weeks ago, but following the release, what has the reception been like?
Oh wow. A lot of freaky little alien people on the Internet seem to be getting involved. You never have any expectations with this sort of thing, so just the fact that any of them would be interested or even listen to the music is kind of blowing my little pea brain. And everyone seems to be really attractive. That’s the number one thing I noticed. A lot of attractive people are coming out of the woodworks right now and saying that they’ve been shaking a little something to the music. So it’s accomplished everything I could have ever hoped for.
Now, attractive for you, is that strictly looks? Or is there an energy involved? What is it for you that makes an attractive listener?
I really appreciate that question, Justice. It’s 1000% energy. And I think that’s, at the end of the day, a ‘your vibe attracts your tribe’ kind of deal. That’s been the look. Look at Cold Thighs. She’s got full energy, full looks, full package, and that’s kind of just what’s been being matched. I don’t know how they find us, but it’s been absolutely outstanding. And everyone’s just absolutely kind, and honestly inspiring and very themselves. I just feel like now all of a sudden there are so many people that I would love to meet and have as friends. I mean, I’m not trying to say Cold Thighs isn’t my friend, but we are also colleagues and work together. I’ve been told to get out there a little bit more, but we’ll see if that’s okay.
For sure. You already have this — I don’t want to say cult following — but a very devoted following. So it’s cool to see how the album has maybe attracted some new followers for you.
Yeah. I think there have been a lot of, like I said, people of a similar flavor that have taught me a thing or two about how to break out of your shell a little bit and flaunt what you may or may not have. So I’ve been very lucky in that sense, for sure.
I find that interesting — this idea of you finding inspiration to break out of your shell — because I feel like you’re already very bold, very outgoing. So what have the new fans taught you about stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit?
There are a lot of people who have found the music recently that I think have faced a lot more adversity. A lot of people who are coming into their own or people who are struggling to be themselves. A lot of people in the LGBTQ community who have told me their stories or are just going through certain surgeries now. I’ve been finding a lot of people who have honestly toured the world themselves and been through a lot of ups and downs; people who’ve gone through addiction struggles, people who have gone through a lot of things that are way heavier than anything that I myself have had to deal with as a lonely clown in his room, let’s say. And I think that all stems back to the overall concept that it feels like the world is kind of ending every day, but people are still here. The worst things could happen, or the hardest things could happen, and they’re still here, they’re still pushing forward, and they still want to find levity in things, and I think that is amazing. That’s, I think, what has been most inspiring. Community is a big thing, and people can be going through the worst things and still look hot as fuck while they’re doing it. And I’m just like, wow, there might be hope after all, you know?
Leading up to the album, I feel like it’s been at least a couple of years in the making. How does it feel now that it’s finally out there?
I’ll tell you what, I’m not really a person who has any major plans. I’m kind of just tripping into every room in the world out there. I feel like it feels good to share things, but it’s kind of just on to the next thing. We’re out here. We’re looking for the party. We’re looking for a good time. We’re looking to now. The biggest thing is to meet some of the people that want to party with us, because everyone’s invited to the party here. There are three more EPs that are in the works right now. They’re all six songs. So I’m just making more music and going out and experiencing as much as possible while we have the chance. It does feel like a relief. It’s good to let go of things. People are holding things in a lot. And I think Shrek had the correct idea when he said better out than in. A lot of the ways that I like to live my life are similar to the nonchalant life philosophy that Shrek has. He is love, he is life. So we got to go now and move on and get more stuff out. There’s a lot more party to be had, I’d say, before everything falls out of orbit.
You mention that this EP is the first installment of this four-part project. What inspired the plan to split this project into four parts?
Oh, wow. That’s a great question. I think a lot of music was being written. And I don’t know if I would really say that I’m a musician. I feel like more of a creative. I like to play in worlds. I like event curation. I like immersive theater. I like to be involved in the things that let people escape for a little bit. But I was really obsessed with making music for a period of time, and a lot of songs were written — more than I knew what to do with. Because I come from the underground clown community in New York — shout out to the Clown Cult of New York and Chuckie Sleaze and all the great clowns that come with that — there were a lot of people who said, ‘Maybe you should do something with these instead of keeping them at home on a hard drive that you forget about.’ It just made sense to piecemeal them together a little bit and release them in batches of six at a time, and then after that maybe take a plane to Puerto Rico and disappear in the mountains of Cayey and never be seen again. It’s pretty much like, if I were to have a plan, this kind of sounds like it. It’s a little hot for gorillas, but I think Cold Thighs would do well. We’ll do our best.
Well and I was even going to ask, you say you don’t necessarily fully lean into the musician label, so after these EPs are out, it seems like music might not be the final end goal or the permanent career path for you?
It’s so soon to tell, right? I think it really depends on how things play out. I will always want to be with good people partying and having a great time. But maybe there’ll be some sort of weird clown show. Maybe there’ll be some sort of weird theatrical production. I’m always here for the drag. But yeah, labels are just no fun, right? Are they? I feel like the binary is a little too scary sometimes. I think there will be something. I’m sure I’ll go through a period of time where I want to write some more music too, maybe write with some other people for the first time, I don’t know. I’m usually on an island — other than shout-out Father Legs, Mr. Adam Tyne, who the EP would not have been possible without. But yeah, I think we’re going to find out. I’ll ride this wave with as many of these beautiful people as possible, and we’ll see where it crashes.
I love that, honestly. I’m excited to see what you do in the future, even if it’s not strictly music or another album.
All I know is I want to bring clown and drag back in a way that, like…I know what’s going on in the underground. I would like more of the world to see what’s going on. They may not be ready for it, but I think everybody deserves to at least try something twice, you know?
Exactly. I did want to get into clowning, because it is such a core part of your artistry. But first, I want to ask about the underground local New York scene that you’re a part of. How does your local scene, whether through music or through the clown community, inspire you and your art?
Oh man, I think there are so many more talented clowns than me that inspire me to shed that skin a little bit. They don’t care if they fall on their face. They’re fearless. I’ve seen a lot of them swallow fire and swords and step on nails. I think at the end of the day, clowns are here to kind of just hold up a mirror and be like, ‘If I could fall on my face and look like an absolute buffoon, then you shouldn’t worry about what somebody said to you two days ago at work about something you might have been wearing or something you might have been doing.’ You shouldn’t feel silly doing anything because everything is silly. You know what I’m trying to say? Like, you are Justice, but are you Justice? You’re playing the role of Justice. You customize your avatar the way that you like to customize your avatar. You have a good time, you have your interests, but you could just move to Idaho, change your name, and start a whole different career.
I think clown is like, anything is possible at any moment, and that feels very freeing and liberating. People get stuck in their grown-up jobs, and they think that they have to be this person until they’re 60 and then retire and then they get to start living their life. And clown is just like, fuck it, throw the paint at the wall, see what sticks. And it’s within reason; consent is incredibly important and I don’t think you should do anything that hurts other people. I think we can uplift other people, but clowns are there to literally do that. Willy Wonka said, ‘If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.’ I think clowns are making imagination become reality at any given point. I think that’s really what’s beautiful about it. And they party harder than anyone you will ever meet in your life, too.
I believe it.
Are you based in New York?
No, I’m in Chicago, actually.
You’re in Chicago. Okay. Apparently, because now you get metrics for things, Chicago is my largest listing base, so I will have to come there. There’s actually a bit of a clown community out in Chicago. Have you ever heard of Rozbot? She’s a juggling, dancing clown. Amazing. Another very inspiring talent to me for sure. When I’m in Chicago, we should go hit up a couple of clown clubs. Let’s see what you think about it.
Yes! It’s so funny because recently I actually fell down this rabbit hole of the history of clowning and how clowns originated in theater. But I was really interested in the role that clowns play in culture, in pop culture, and how that’s changed over time. They have always had this role of being funny and making people laugh, but then also there’s this kind of serious undertone to it sometimes. From that, what would you say your role is as a clown?
I appreciate that you took a deep dive into clowning, because honestly, in these past couple of years, I think I have a strong affinity for jesters. Especially because they were the ones who could get away with a lot. They can make fun of the king and the queen, they could tell stories, they could show multiple different sorts of talents. But also, if they stopped performing, it was off with their head. So it’s this weird dichotomy. And I think that there are a lot of artists too, not to get too heady on this, but a lot of artists probably don’t feel like they’re great at many other things. They’re storytellers. But with that comes this other thing of like, ‘I think it’s way more important to be a therapist or a doctor than necessarily playing your silly songs for people.’ I think, though, there is something about that dichotomy or juxtaposition of what a jester’s life is that I really resonate with.
I don’t know what my role is in anything, but I do enjoy facilitating an environment that I get to play around with other people, maybe other misfits and weirdos that don’t necessarily know where they fit in and just be, ‘Look, you could fit in anywhere. Take up your space and be who you are.’ I just like the idea. That’s why I think parties are such a beautiful thing, because we should all just get together and not be so fucking serious all the time. And maybe we’ll have to go back to our lives and get serious for a little bit, but I like levity. I think my goal here is just to start the biggest party in the world and take it across the country and see what we could do.
I feel like clowning has gotten more popular in the last few years. And I don’t know if it’s just because I’m seeing it more on social media. But I feel like it’s had this surge in popularity, especially because of underground scenes and drag as well. But why do you think so many people are drawn to it?
Maybe I have the clown goggles on, but I think if you look around, everything is clown. You and I were just talking about Metallica [before the interview]. Whether you want to make the distinction between clown or drag, but Metallica in the ’80s? That was drag. Aerosmith? That’s drag. That could be clown. Look at [David] Bowie. Bowie is a huge one for me, but Bowie was a pierrot, Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust. These were all different types of clowns or characters, and I think it’s a tale as old as time. Before anything else, people were telling stories to each other. In theater it’s the mask, but that mask looks like a clown whether it’s tragedy or comedy.
We’ve always been performing to each other. And the reason that we look at a television show and come in week after week is because there’s a character that is portraying some sort of narrative that we are tuning in for. I just think people, especially now, want to be a little bit more free and stop worrying all of the time. And what better way than to be absolutely cringe and bombastic all the time? You get to customize however you want, and there is no right or wrong way to clown. I think at the end of the day, it’s always been there, and now everybody just has access to it a little bit more. I think that’s really what it comes down to.
Clown and drag, it kind of weaves together a little bit, but how would you say they are the same and how are they different?
Hmm. I think I know more about how they’re the same than different, right? A lot of the queens that I love are a little bit more alternative drag queens. Alaska Thunderfuck on season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars was huge for me. Just to see someone own their creation in a way and be so against the grain and still be recognized for it. I have to also shout out my friend Cynthia Doll. She is very herself. There’s also weirdly this thing sometimes with drag and clown where people are actually being more themselves, even though they look so different or it seems so ramped up. I actually think that this is how people feel on the inside sometimes. This is what makes them feel more free. This is something that they can slide into that feels a little bit more true to how they wish they could be all the time if you were to ramp it up to 10. But I think it’s important for people to take breaks. I hear I’m not really good at taking breaks and calming down, and I’m bouncing off the walls and sticking to the ceiling a lot of the time. But I think it’s nice that you can put it on or take it off.
The biggest difference with drag now compared to what it used to be back in ballroom culture is that it feels a little bit more polished a lot of the time, especially with how it’s depicted in the mainstream. It’s way more polished, whereas — don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing makeup artists that are clowning right now that I would never be able to hold a candle to. It’s really gorgeous. But I think it’s a little bit more accessible to go and put on some face paint and get into it. I think it’s easier to jump into clowning than it would be into drag because I think it’s a little bit more curated, if that makes sense. Or it takes a little bit more work, I should say. But it’s cut from the same cloth.
I love what you said about this idea that, even though it’s this very extreme aesthetic or this very extreme form of self-expression, drag or clown is a person’s most natural self. It kind of reminds me of that RuPaul quote, “We’re all born naked, the rest is drag.”
Yes. And I think that even has to be said for what ballroom culture was in the ‘80s, of having this sacred place to go and to be what felt authentic to people at a time when that was especially not accepted. I think it’s a really beautiful thing. But this is why I will always love all storytellers of all walks of life: actors, comedians, everyone that has the courage to do the thing that everybody else tells you is impossible or unrealistic. That’s radical as fuck. I think that’s a gorgeous thing to do.
What advice would you have for people or fans who have been told that they’re too much or that maybe the route they’re going down is questionable?
Oh man, advice from a clown. I don’t know if I recommend it. But I think everybody should just do what makes them happy as long as you’re not hurting anybody else. The worst position you could be in after doing something is the position you just were, right? If you’re speaking more so about people being themselves, there are seldom repercussions for just doing the thing that you think will bring you joy. Again, as long as you’re not hurting anybody else. In 200 years, who’s going to remember it? You could fail all the way. You could fail for years at something that you might love, and then it might just start to work.
I just think at the end of the day, we’re here for a good time, not a long time. In the grand scheme of things, the world is really ending, so we should just go for it because what have we got to lose? But do it with people that you love. I think that makes it a little bit easier and less stressful. We’ve been through a lot, so I think at the end of the day, if you’re doing something that you love with people that you love, the people who love you will accept you. And if they don’t, there’s something to look at there. And I think one of the kindest or most special things that you could do is share with others or listen to others too. There’s really nothing to lose. We’re floating through space right now. None of it makes any fucking sense. It’s ridiculous.
The greatest mystery, truly. I would love to ask about what might come next for you. Now that this EP is out, what’s going to come next for you in terms of maybe some shows or other projects?
I run an event series called End of the World. It’s a party series. I’m figuring out an EP celebration one, but that’ll just be in New York. There might be some L.A. dates. There might be some stuff in the states nearby, but a lot of things are changing. A lot of things are moving. There are certain things I can’t say, or otherwise my publicist would throw something at me. But I will say that there is going to be END OF THE WORLD (PART 2) that will be out sometime early next year. And then there’s a remix version of PART 1 that will be out. Lots of shows, lots of parties, and working on potentially being able to do at least a leg of a tour. It really depends if there’s a larger parent artist that would like to bring our shenanigans on the road. And I have to be tapped into the Internet constantly because the algorithm is our god now. So we have to do what we can to keep the algorithm happy at all times.
For people who’ve never been to one of your End of the World events, how would you describe the vibe? What’s the energy like?
Basically the End of the World parties are equal parts concert, DJ set, vaudeville, and cabaret. We have a whole bunch of different performers that are going to come, shake a little something, and show off their unique skills. I can’t really go into what those are. You’d have to come and see. You do have to be 21 or over to attend these parties, so we’ll also leave that at that. But there’s just a lot of people who have a lot of talents that you wouldn’t think about, that you might not even know exist right now. I think it’s important and educational to see what these talents are. Cold Thighs is a huge fan. Cold Thighs does a little striptease with one lucky member of the audience. Usually she’s very good, especially for being 72 years old. Very spry. You wouldn’t be able to tell at all.
You look great for 72!
Absolutely. She does dye her hair though.
Any final thoughts or anything else you’d like add?
I’ll just say believe in your dreams and do it. Just do it already. Not to be redundant, but get out there and do something weird as soon as possible. Maybe I’ll see you at some point and I hope you come to New York. That’s all I’ve got. I’m not meant to speak. I think that’s another thing I’ve learned recently is that I should really just stick to falling on my face a little bit, you know?
Stream END OF THE WORLD (PART 1) here.
Keep up with BlackJeans: Instagram // TikTok // X // Spotify // YouTube
