Taylor Townsend’s 40 LOVE Party
Days before taking the court at the US Open, Taylor Townsend brought friends and fashion together at Sei Less for her third annual 40 LOVE celebration, hosted by the tennis great and Grey Goose. Between the Honey Deuces, Espresso Martinis and Asian-inspired fare, Townsend told EBONY, “I’ve really enjoyed bringing the US Open to life with a lot of positive energy and love. And to invite a lot of people that I really care about, and we all get together and just have a really good time, it’s a great way to start the season.”
After naming Venus and Serena Williams among her inspirations, Townsend made it clear she’s thinking about the generation coming behind her, too. “Now I’m creating my own legacy, so hopefully I’m the person that people look up to and say, ‘I want to be like her.’” She then instructed guests to let loose, hit the dance floor and leave it all there for the night.
Jay Ellis Still Celebrating Insecure
The Insecure reunion tour may be canceled, but some lucky fans will still get one chance to celebrate the show at a single-night-only, 10th-anniversary celebration for the hit HBO series, hosted by creator Issa Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny on October 8 in Inglewood, California. No doubt series alum Jay Ellis, who’s shooting his new series Rookie North in Vancouver, British Columbia, will travel there in style. “I want to be comfortable when I travel. I like my experience to have a little something around it, you know what I’m saying,” he shared at the celebration of American Airlines and Citi/AAdvantage Executive Mastercard partnership, held at Ambassadors Clubhouse in New York City.
Ellis also reflected on how close he’s remained with most of his Insecure co-stars. “We are all very connected still. Like, we text non-stop,” he revealed, adding that getting together for the occasion will be a treat. “When you’re in that production machine, it happens so fast that sometimes you forget the thing. You forget the story, you forget the moment. It’ll be nice to just kind of sit back and reflect on everything that we went through together.” And that includes a very famous last scene that still has people saying: “‘You did Issa wrong.’ That’s what I hear more than anything,” he exclaimed, adding, “And you know what? When they say it, all I see is a blue shirt with ‘Lawrence’ written on it, and he’s a hero.”
Joey Bada$$ In Residency
After a four-year hiatus from the stage, Joey Bada$$ kicked off a residency at the Blue Note Los Angeles this past weekend. The Oscar winner created his “Time Will Tell” Residency to tell the story of his six albums, with each night exploring two different albums. Every seat was filled in the incredibly intimate venue, and fans didn’t miss a bar or a beat of the show, offering a peek past Joey Bada$$ the artist and a window into who he is as a human. The venue choice is clearly intentional; he takes time to create community with his fans, closing the distance between himself, the artist and his supporters and making this experience essential for die-hards, music heads, and the arbiters of culture.
The concert series is a deep dive into what healing through music looks like; each night is a thorough examination of the lyricism, craftsmanship, and authentic finesse with which Joey Bada$$ speaks about complex issues. And while he’s not talking about recent developments in his personal life, you can still feel his emotions: he isn’t hermiting, but diving deep with those who support him and the music. The Brooklyn native is in residency at Blue Note New York this weekend, September 5 to 7, taking the experience back to the city that raised him and originally inspired his sound & artistry. — Simone Walker