HARLEY MARINO photography by: jones crow interviewed by: althea
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HARLEY MARINO HAS BEEN KNOWN TO THE WORLD AS A MODEL FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS. But, now, as I sit here waiting for her in a warm Starbucks on the side of New York City most people don't venture towards (I'm early) I'm supposed to ask her about her music career. This is weird for me, seeing someone I've always known for being an incredibly gorgeous supermodel as a pop singer, but hey, if Reagan can be president, why not?
She gets here a little over five minutes late, apologizing and brushing her bangs out with her fingers. She's already one of the kindest people I've met, her doe eyes genuinely filled with wonder when she asks me how I am, and her smile bright. She orders a large cup of something I can't pronounce, then sits back down, prepared for what I'm about to ask. "Why do you think it's such a shock for people like me to think that you're now a professional singer?" I ask. Harley grins, tapping a perfectly painted fingernail against the top of the table. "Probably because it was so unexpected. I'd thought about it forever."
"But, I think one morning when Kendall was telling me how pretty my voice was, I was just like, Damn, why am I not doing that?" She answers with such an honest tone, I can't help but inquire more about the morning of realization. "What happened that morning? Were you on a photoshoot set?" I ask. "Yeah! We were shooting for Estée Lauder, Kendall and I, and I was singing along to the music they had playing on the set. I'm pretty sure it was Whitney Houston? I love her, she was so talented. But, yeah, it wasn't exactly spur of the moment, but at the same time, it was."
I nod and take a sip from my own drink before I look back down at my notepad of questions. "So, do you feel more comfortable singing or modeling?" I inquire. "Singing, definitely. I'm not giving up on modeling or anything, but I think I have so much more control when I'm singing. I write my music, or co-write it, I trust my producers with my entire heart, but with modeling?"
"I basically just have to do what the boss of the set or the runway tells me to. It was time to take control." I feel satisfied with her answer, loving her whole girl-power vibe in general. "Well, I speak for lots of us when I say we're glad you decided that. So, are you and Chris Evans an official couple?" I wonder. "Yeah! We've only technically been official for a week, though," She says, taking another sip of her drink. "Whats the best part about having Captain America as a boyfriend?" I joke. "God, I hope he doesn't read this, but it's the fact that he's Captain America, probably. I grew up in the nerdiest family, I was named after Harley Quinn, my dad has a tattoo of the Marvel logo, comic books are hanging up all over my bedroom walls. I'm dating a superhero, it's amazing. But, as for Chris, I think he's my perfect match. We get along so well, and we just have the best times together. He's so considerate and kind, he's a family man, he truly cares about people. That's the best part."
"That's so sweet, I love that! So, do you think Chris is inspiration for your upcoming album?" I question. "Oh, for sure. My fans are gonna be pissed after this interview, because honestly? I had the album finished. But then things changed, and the album didn't match the persona I was going for. I scrapped half the songs! I wrote four new ones in one night, with some of my best friends. He inspires me so much, he's so hardworking. He really, really inspired Dangerous Woman, which is a song title I always had in mind, but I scrapped the old version and kept the name. It's also the album title."
I nod, "So, dangerous woman, what is that exactly? What does it mean for you?" I asked her, the coffee she had been drinking almost completely gone now. "For me, it means embracing your feminine side. I've always been that one bitch on the side, like, the one screaming girl power constantly."
"It's so so important that women get their equal pay, their equal treatment, equal everything. Women are badass. They're dangerous, and I want people to know that as a woman, I'm not afraid, and because I am a woman, I will always fight for what I believe in." And that's the true moment I know Harley Marino is going to be big, because she is truly the embodiment of a Dangerous Woman. Harley will grow to become one of the most iconic superstars of our generation, and I for one, can't wait to see it happen.
You can download Marino's latest release featuring Nicki Minaj at www.dangerouswoman.com
