Elixir by Royel is now Bennett & Monroe - Listen to "American Horror Show" by Snow Wife and check in with Bennett and Monroe - a cryptic yet intriguing musical invitation that hints at deeper connections and untold stories.
Statement: The creative genesis of Koa Smith’s “Lemonade Reloaded Issue” and “The Lemonade Issue” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Alexandra Stan’s iconic song “Lemonade”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement: The creative genesis of Sam Dezz’s “Toy Solider Issue” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Britney Spears iconic song “Toy Soldier”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement: The creative genesis of Thomas Kuc’s “Roman Holiday” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Nicki Minaj’s iconic song “Roman Holiday”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement: The creative genesis of Oliver Brynnum’s “High Horse Issue” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Kacey Musgraves iconic song “High Horse”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement:
A Message of Support and Appreciation
To Alexx Mack,
In recognition of the artistic journey that remained unshared during my time with Elixir by Royel in 2017, I extend this heartfelt message of support. Your musical talent deserves continued recognition and appreciation.
I encourage all music enthusiasts to explore Alexx Mack’s compelling artistry by streaming her powerful singles:
“Red Eyes”
“BAD”
“Sparxx” (on YouTube)
Available now on Spotify, these tracks represent the unique voice and creative spirit of an artist whose potential remained partially uncharted during our previous interactions.
Your music continues to resonate, and your artistic expression remains valued.
Statement:
Fun fact: The lemonade issue of Elixir by Royel - featuring Nic Von Rupp & Koa Smith for the extended edition - was originally slated to feature Sean Kingston (#Nowplaying, Letting Go Feat. Nicki Minaj - Sean Kingson). Behind-the-scenes creative shifts can lead to unexpected artistic journeys, and this was one of those moments where the universe had other plans.
“let's delve into the remarkable legacy of Billy Idol, a figure whose influence transcends music and style. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, a time marked by social upheaval and a burgeoning punk rock movement, Billy Idol emerged as a beacon of rebellion and self-expression. His iconic look—characterized by leather jackets, spiky platinum hair, and a defiant sneer—captured the spirit of a generation eager to challenge norms and embrace individuality.
Amidst the backdrop of economic uncertainty and cultural shifts, Idol's music resonated with themes of youthful defiance and personal empowerment. His hits, infused with raw energy and anthemic choruses, became rallying cries for those seeking to break free from societal constraints. Billy Idol's contribution to music and culture is not only reflected in his chart-topping songs but also in his ability to inspire a sense of freedom and authenticity in his audience. As we celebrate his legacy, we honor a true pioneer who dared to be different and, in doing so, left an indelible mark on the world.” - Michael Dean (Rebel Yell Issue, Elixir by Royel)

Statement: The creative genesis of Koa Smith’s “Lemonade Reloaded Issue” and “The Lemonade Issue” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Alexandra Stan’s iconic song “Lemonade”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement: The creative genesis of Sam Dezz’s “Toy Solider Issue” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Britney Spears iconic song “Toy Soldier”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement: The creative genesis of Thomas Kuc’s “Roman Holiday” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Nicki Minaj’s iconic song “Roman Holiday”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement: The creative genesis of Oliver Brynnum’s “High Horse Issue” finds its melodic roots in the vibrant musical landscape defined by Kacey Musgraves iconic song “High Horse”. This artistic acknowledgment celebrates the intricate ways in which musical expression can transcend its original medium, inspiring creative works across diverse artistic platforms.
Statement:
Fun fact: The lemonade issue of Elixir by Royel - featuring Nic Von Rupp & Koa Smith for the extended edition - was originally slated to feature Sean Kingston (#Nowplaying, Letting Go Feat. Nicki Minaj - Sean Kingson). Behind-the-scenes creative shifts can lead to unexpected artistic journeys, and this was one of those moments where the universe had other plans.

Sinking Feeling

There’s a moment when reality shifts. When the familiar landscape of commerce and comfort suddenly becomes something else entirely. Stepping outside our favorite stores in Santa Monica—those pristine flagship locations that once represented aspiration and success—the broken windows became more than just shattered glass. They were fractured promises.

The stolen products scattered like abandoned dreams. Empty display cases. Shards of glass reflecting a thousand broken narratives. This wasn’t just destruction. This was a language of pain, of rage, of a system finally speaking its true nature.

Prologue: Island’s Whispers

The island breathes differently when you’re an outsider. When your skin tells a story before your mouth can open. Koa Smith’s broken limb was more than a physical injury—it was a metaphorical fracture in the narrative of belonging.

Mitchell Royel understood this language of displacement intimately. His whiteness—or rather, the perception of his whiteness—had always been a complicated topology. On the island, he was simultaneously hypervisible and invisible, a paradox of racial existence that defied simple categorization.

Moment of Rupture

When Koa shared that quote about his struggle with racial identity on the island, it wasn’t just words. It was a seismic tremor that rippled through the carefully constructed landscapes of assumed belonging. Weeks later, the Instagram post of his broken limb became a visual metaphor—a physical manifestation of the fractures inherent in racial experience.

Black Lives Matter: Cartography of Resistance

The protests were more than demonstrations. They were a radical reimagining of space, of narrative, of existence.

Mitchell received messages that were more than words. They were coded transmissions from a cultural underground:

“I don’t know man.”

Those five words carried the weight of entire histories. His ethnicity—a complex algorithm of experience, heritage, and perception—suddenly became a calculus to be solved, a problem to be interrogated.

Nyakim Gatwech: Sovereign of Darkness

Enter Nyakim Gatwech—the Queen of Dark. More than a model, more than a visual phenomenon. She was a sovereign of narrative, a cartographer of Black beauty who mapped territories previously unmapped.

Their interview was not merely a conversation. It was a diplomatic summit, a negotiation of identity, a reclamation of narrative space. Mitchell was reconstructing more than a brand. He was architecting a new language of existence.

Landscape of Santa Monica

The broken windows of Santa Monica were not just physical destruction. They were architectural poetry—a visual manifesto of a culture in violent transformation. Flagship stores with shattered glass became metaphorical canvases, each fragment reflecting a different angle of a fractured social landscape.

ELIXIR: Manifesto of Reconstruction

ELIXIR was no longer just a brand. It became a manifesto, a cartographic instrument for navigating the complex terrains of racial identity in America.

Mitchell understood that creation is resistance. That art is a form of radical reimagining.

Continuous Becoming

In the intersection of Mitchell Royel and Nyakim Gatwech, we witness something profound. Not just a story of individuals, but a narrative of continuous becoming. Of identity as a verb, not a noun. Of belonging as a process of constant negotiation.

The broken limb. The shattered windows. The protests. The interview.

Fragments of a larger mosaic.

- A Transmission from the Borderlands

Aliens In America Presents - Fractured Horizons: Mitchell Royel, Nyakim Gatwech, and the Topography of Black Lives Matter