I am also an editorial writer with several pieces featured in local magazines.

All Eyes on Us By Rae Jones

If there’s one thing Atlanta loves it's hustle. No matter who you are, or where you're from, if you can hustle you can hang. There is a reason Hartsfield-Jackson is the biggest international airport in the country. Atlanta, like LA and NYC, has become a pressure cooker resulting in both diamonds and duds from all over looking to make their name here. Yet, there is an undeniable shine that accompanies these Atlanta diamonds that make them unlike any other. Rupaul had her drag debut in Atlanta, having no idea that in only ten years her name would become synonymous with drag. She would become the most well-known drag queen on the planet. Atlanta breeds personality, diversity, and change.I believe this is why artists like Lil Nas X and Aliyah’s Interlude, have risen to stardom. Atlanta embraces differences in a way few other cities do. It encourages you to double down on your taste regardless of backlash or criticism. I find this to be especially true in Lil Nas X’s case as he has ingeniously learned to turn outrage into publicity. His “J Christ” music video is a testament enough to this fact. People love authenticity. They crave it in their art, yet authenticity always isn’t so cut and dry. Sometimes authenticity means, upsetting, pushing boundaries, and changing the status quo. Sometimes people will hate you, the Atlanta artist knows that, but for everyone who hates it, two more will feel freed instead of upset by the same exact piece of media. It might inspire, and that is where the focus should lie. Not everyone will like you, your style, or your art, yet if the focus stays where it should these things do not matter. When Aliyah’s Interlude dropped “IT GIRL” it was touted as a meme song, a TikTok song, nothing but a fad; yet, this month Aliyah was invited to perform at SZA’s concert where she received a warm reception from the crowd in attendance. Lil Nas X was labeled a fraud, a one-hit wonder, who would never create more than “Old Town Road” yet, in 2024 he had several of the most streamed songs on SoundCloud, from a mixtape released against his label's wishes, of which he wrote, “Ngl probably gonna get in trouble for this but light again out now on Soundcloud! sorry Columbia!” Hear “Light Again” below”. An artist’s most important sense is their gut, the willingness to go against the grain if you feel that it is true to your art. It is this constant rebellion that sets these stars apart from the others, a just rebellion, in a world that cares more for money and acclaim than talent and creativity. Atlanta-made artists stand steadfast in the face of adversity, resilient. It is this resilience that makes them shine so brightly. There are few things for certain, but one of them is that the “It girl from ATL” will always have a ring to it.