lilhuddy
MOOD met with LILHUDDY to talk about, music, the dedication to his craft, and evolving as an a rtist.
LilHuddy wears SS21 Balmain provided by FWRD, with Michael Raven necklaces, and bracelets, accompanied with rings by Opened Jesus and boots by Other.
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When you’re standing in front of Chase Hudson, also known as LILHUDDY, who is draped in a $17,000 Balmain bomber jacket with a shine that can rival a night sky’s star, it seems as though you can easily fade into the walls. Watching him work the camera with chameleons clinging to his person is mesmerizing and echoes the sentiment I expressed— LILHUDDY is a star, baby. Even as our interview progressed while he was back in his regular shirt and jeans, it is evident he possesses a certain “je ne sais quoi”.
Encountering LILHUDDY on TikTok comes with a lot of joy and personality that is infectious and light, but the breakout music sensation has a lot more impact to bring to the atmosphere of sound and performance. Chase first fell in love with music as a child listening to his parents sing around the house and took time to reminisce over how excited he’d get whenever music was playing. Desiring to incorporate music and his love of dance, he felt he needed to regain his zest for the craft. “I hit puberty and I was a little insecure and shy about my voice because it would crack during that period of time. As I grew out of that and started to grow into more of an adult voice, I just picked it back up. I always wanted to become a musician, but I didn’t know if I truly had it in me until I pushed myself to get up and make music,” Chase said.
Many people first encountered LILHUDDY as a TikTok personality, but on the other side of that is so much more talent and contribution to the music realm. He admits that this career path is a different journey that he is excitedly embarking upon. “Being a personality revolves around you and your friends just having fun and stuff like that. Making music is based on you, what you have to say, what your persona is like, what your aesthetic is made of; it’s all kinds of various aspects of you and that’s a big change that I never even took into consideration. It’s all about what you have to say and how you present it,” he states as he analyzes his transition from personality to an artist. Though this wasn’t the original trajectory he anticipated his career to take, he is feeling more and more like he is walking in his purpose.
LILHUDDY wears an SS21 Saint Laurent provided by FWRD suit with a Givenchy horn hat, accompanied by Michael Raven necklaces and bracelets, rings by Opened Jesus.
LILHUDDY wears PF21 Dsquared2, with a silk button-up by Nahmias, necklaces by Dalmata, and rings by Opened Jesus
LiILHUDDY wears SS21 Dior Men, accompanied by Michael Raven Jewelry, and a Gucci cross necklace
LILHUDDY wears an SS21 Ernest W Baker with Dsquered2 boots accompanied by an undercover choker
LILHUDDY’s music is a nostalgic sound of the past reminiscent of the early 2000s pop-punk sound. “There is a new era of pop-punk that’s going to be coming around over these next couple of years with the help of a lot of the people that I work with and that I’m friends with including, Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker, Yungblud, Jaden, and some others.” Having a hand in this resurfacing is enthralling for LILHUDDY, and is resounding excitement for anyone who misses those early morning sounds from VH1 and MTV back in the day-- yeah, that sound.
Travis Barker is also involved in the forthcoming album for LILHUDDY. “Travis is a very smart guy, so everything that he says I take literally because he’s very soft-spoken; he doesn’t talk too much. When he talks, everyone in the room listens because it’s always something meaningful or smart. So, it’s safe to say I’ve taken all of Travis’s advice and I continue to listen to him. I’ll ask him for shopping tips and other things often because he’s been around the business for longer than all of our friends. It’s cool to hear his takes on the world,” LILHUDDY explains of working with a legend in the field.
The visuals that accompany the sounds of LILHUDDY’s music are surely something to marvel at. The storytelling elements unquestionably captivate any viewer and will take them on a cinematic journey. At the time of our interview, America’s Sweetheart was trending #1 and already had millions of views in the first 24 hours. LILHUDDY wants his music to be expressive and contain a message for his fans as they enjoy his art. “In 21st Century Vampire, I wanted to get across the message to just be yourself, really. At the end of the day, don’t let anyone tell you how to act, and don’t let anybody tell you how to live your life. Me being a 21st-century vampire is like me proclaiming that I don’t give a fuck what anybody has to say about me. I know who I am,” Chase proclaims. “America’s Sweetheart is more of a personal message that I had because of a dark time I went through in a relationship, and through that dark time, I learned a lot about myself. I learned how alone I was even though I had so many people around me that were there comforting me. I felt so closed off right when quarantine first started-- back when you couldn’t leave the house, go to the grocery store, get food; you just had what you had and you couldn’t leave the house.” Chase admits this was a tough time to get through, but it was this time that got him deeper into writing and creating music. Chase is just like many of us through this last year where we have had to do some soul searching to come out even better than we were before. Using his art to save himself during a dark time is certainly something many creatives can resonate with.
LILHUDDY wears SS21 Comme des Garcons, with jumper and belt by Other, accompanied with Michael Raven Jewelry, Dalmata choker, and Iceberg shoes.
LILHUDDY wears an SS21 Alexander McQueen accompanied with rings and a necklace by Opened Jesus.
One of the costs of being an artist who publicly shares their work is the vulnerability that comes with unmasking one’s soul. “The level of vulnerability in America’s Sweetheart scared the shit out of me! It was hard for me to be able to put the lyrics on paper and to put those feelings out there. I had to come to terms that this song needs to have its moment and it needs to be special. I was scared a lot of the time making this,” Chase confessed. The video is a stupendous effort from director Sophie Muller who based the visuals on a dream LILHUDDY had. The torment of his heartache extending into his external world is a beautiful thing unraveling to witness on screen-- especially with Charli’s dancing. Genius is found in the seeming intertwining of the dark ending from his “The Eulogy of You and Me” video that sets the tone for the beginning sequence of “America’s Sweetheart”.
In another interview, LILHUDDY’s career was referred to as an “experiment”. Though this interest in music seems new, Chase is adamant about his dedication to the craft and evolving more as an artist as time progresses. “This isn’t even close to an experiment. I think this is the start of a very long era for me. I’m about to go hard!”
LILHUDDY wants fans to relate to him deeper than they might have found possible before through his social media persona. “I want my fans to know that they’re not alone. We all experience the same feelings at times. Growing up, I didn’t hang around many people outside of sports activities. I don’t know, I’ve just been through some very lonely places in life, and I would like everyone else to know that they’re not by themselves. I want that message to be portrayed to the world because it’s not talked about enough,” Chase explained.
Tap further into the artistry that LILHUDDY will be excitedly sharing with the world when his debut album releases in the coming months. Until then indulge in his music videos for America’s Sweetheart, 21st Century Vampire, and The Eulogy of You and Me to get familiar with the sound LILHUDDY is bringing back. Soon enough you’ll hopefully be able to experience the magic of LILHUDDY on a tour which he foresees feeling like an “electrifying rave”. From our time together during his shoot and interview, it is easy to see his style, sound, and amazing hair being around for some time. Check out his Youtube channel and other social channels to make sure you don’t miss out on the splendor that is LILHUDDY.
Photography: Anthony Giovanni
Creative Direction /Fashion: Edwin J. Ortega
Grooming: Johnny Stuntz
Production Design: Issac Aaron
Set Design: Charlotte Cahill
Interview by: Kristopher Welcome
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