Michael D. Monroe

1 week ago | contrastmag.com | Michael D. Monroe

You’ve played hundreds of characters on TikTok, what was it like stepping into a scripted role on Overcompensating? Did any of your internet personas sneak into your performance? I really wanted to use this experience to separate myself from my online characters. It’s more fun to create different personalities and tropes for my characters as an actor rather than relying on the ones that I’m used to.

1 week ago | contrastmag.com | Michael D. Monroe

Contrast NewsCultureMusicPopAri Abdul just gave fans something to look forward to: a new single titled “Alive” drops June 13. The announcement came via Instagram, where the rising dark-pop artist shared a series of moody close-ups with the caption: “june 13th ‘Alive’ new song, ari abdul, i want u to listen.” No extra details. No over-explaining. Just the kind of cryptic, emotionally charged rollout that’s becoming a signature part of Ari’s world.

1 week ago | contrastmag.com | Michael D. Monroe

Fuerza Regida just set a new standard for what an album rollout can look like in 2025. On May 1st, the group went live on TikTok for a 2.5-hour broadcast called “111XPANTIA LIVE,” and it wasn’t your typical livestream. It was part concert, part merch drop, part cultural reset—an all-in-one digital takeover that pulled in over 200,000 viewers, sold nearly 2,000 physical albums, and generated more than 10 million impressions around the world.

2 weeks ago | contrastmag.com | Michael D. Monroe

Cory Gunz is in go-mode. The platinum-selling Bronx MC just dropped his new single Bag featuring Queens heavyweight Grafh, and it’s a bar-for-bar clinic. Over a dark, cinematic beat by Black Saun and Qui3t, the two trade razor-sharp verses packed with survival code, loyalty talk, and raw street wisdom. It’s classic New York. The release follows Gunz’s viral reunion with Lil Wayne at Madison Square Garden last week, where the duo shut it down with 6 Foot 7 Foot.

2 months ago | contrastmag.com | Michael D. Monroe

ConcertsFestivalsLatinMusicAfter an emotional and packed-out Coachella debut, Ivan Cornejo is keeping the energy going with two new shows added to his Mirada Tour: June 14 in San Diego and June 28 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The tour, which has already sold over 355,000 tickets, will hit major cities across North America including New York, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. . Saturday night at Coachella, Ivan took over the Mojave stage with a set that felt intimate and cinematic.