A “challenging” luxury market and retreat from gaming have prompted a fall in sales and profits at Mike Ashley’s Frasers.
The group, which is majority owned by the billionaire former Newcastle United owner, said sales fell 7.4% to £4.7bn and pre-tax profits slid 24% to £379.5m as it closed some of its House of Fraser department stores and Game video game shops.
Sales in its ‘premium lifestyle’ division, which includes Flannels, House of Fraser and brands such as Pretty Green bought from JD Sports, slumped almost 15% as it said “the luxury market continued to be challenging”, although Frasers said it was “now showing some early signs of improvement”.
Many luxury businesses, including the UK’s Burberry and Mulberry, have struggled amid a slowdown in spending by aspirational shoppers. That group of consumers, who typically treat themselves to an occasional luxury fashion item, have seen their budgets constrained by high interest rates, increased household bills and rising prices.
Despite the problems, Frasers said its “long-term ambitions for the luxury business remain unchanged” and it had consolidated its store estate to “further strengthen our position”.
The FTSE 250 listed group said that after “an especially weak period” in the wake of last October’s budget, “UK consumer confidence and trading conditions improved into 2025, and recent sales trends have been more encouraging”. Adjusted profits rose 2.8% to £560m, it said.
It is expecting underlying profits similar to this year as it said it was working to offset at least £50m of additional costs linked to changes made in the budget, including an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions.
The changes, introduced in April, have already provoked a backlash from business groups against the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who is widely expected to be forced to raise taxes again in her autumn budget.
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Frasers said it would continue to invest in improving the image of its Sports Direct chain, which had a rise in sales. This improvement, however, was offset by closures of its Game video games outlets and falling sales at its Studio Retail online business, leading to an overall fall of 7.2% in Frasers’ sports division.
The company said it was investing in Sports Direct with a “significant recent step up in international expansion”.
It continued to open outlets for its Flannels luxury streetwear chain, including in Leeds and Sheffield.
Michael Murray, the chief executive of Frasers, said: “We accelerated our international expansion, announcing partnerships in Australia, Asia and [the Middle East and Europe], to further build Sports Direct into a truly worldwide proposition.
“Our relationships with the world’s best global brands, including Nike, Adidas and Hugo Boss, are the strongest they have ever been, and our ambitious growth plans are now strengthening and scaling these partnerships even further.”
New research is shedding light on potential strategies for improving the effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).1
The study enrolled > 1000 adult patients with CDI treated with FMT at the Centre for Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (CEFTA) at Aarhus University Hospital and found the most effective FMT treatment strategy involved administering FMT as multiple-dose capsules or colonoscopy after an extended period of antibiotic pretreatment, regardless of CDI episode, and providing repeated FMT in patients with CDI recurrence. Of note, antibiotic pretreatment choice and prophylactic vancomycin in patients needing antibiotics following FMT did not impact outcomes.1
Current treatment guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association recommend the use of FMT-based therapy in patients with recurrent CDI at high risk of recurrence following standard-of-care antibiotics and in hospitalized patients with severe CDI after standard-of-care antibiotics if there is no improvement.2
“Real-world data indicate that one-third of patients do not respond adequately to their first FMT treatment, highlighting the need to optimize FMT treatment strategies,” Sara Ellegaard Paaske, a PhD student in the department of clinical medicine at Aahrus University, and colleagues wrote, calling attention to the current lack of large-scale systematic evidence to guide the decision on when to switch from repeated FMT treatments to antibiotic treatments or to assess the effectiveness of antibiotics in patients recently treated with FMT.1
To address this gap in research and inform a rational clinical approach to FMT treatment for CDI, investigators conducted a multisite cohort study in the Central and North Denmark Regions. Eligible patients were ≥ 18 years of age with CDI treated with FMT applied through capsules, nasojejunal tube, or colonoscopy. CDI was defined as C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), characterised as diarrhea (≥ 3 daily Bristol Stool Form Scale 6–7) coupled with a positive C. difficile test.1
The primary outcome was cure of CDAD 8 weeks after treatment, with cure failure defined as CDAD recurrence, suspected CDAD recurrence, death, or colectomy. Patients were followed until achieving CDAD cure 8 weeks after treatment or until they underwent colectomy, were lost to follow-up, or died.1
Variables related to the FMT treatment strategy were categorised into pretreatment, FMT, and follow-up and included variation in choice and length of antibiotic pretreatment, FMT administration, FMT dosing, and use of prophylactic vancomycin in patients needing non-CDI antibiotics during follow-up.1
From May 2016 to December 2023, investigators treated 1200 patients with CDI with FMT applied through capsules, nasojejunal tube, or colonoscopy at 10 hospital departments. Of these patients, 30 were lost to follow-up, leaving 1170 patients who received 1643 FMT treatments for inclusion.1
Investigators noted vancomycin was the most common antibiotic pretreatment (91%), and capsule FMT was the most frequently used FMT administration (80%).1
Among the included patients, 699 (60%; 95% CI, 57–63%) achieved cure at week 8 following their first FMT treatment, 342 (29%; 95% CI, 27–32%) had verified recurrence within 8 weeks, 49 (4%; 95% CI, 3–6%) had suspected recurrence in the 8-week follow-up, 73 (6%; 95% CI, 5–8%) died during follow-up, and 7 (1%; 95% CI, 0–1%) received colectomy in the follow-up.1
Of the 393 patients with verified or suspected recurrence of CDAD, 326 (83%) were treated with up to 5 FMT treatments. Following repeated FMT treatments, 944 patients (81%; 95% CI, 78–83%) achieved CDAD cure at the 8-week follow-up, and 113 had CDAD recurrence or suspected CDAD recurrence (10%; 95% CI, 8–11%).1
Upon analysis, prolonged antibiotic pretreatment was associated with greater cure rates (65%; odds ratio [OR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10–1.36; P <.001). Additionally, investigators noted FMT administration through oral, multi-dose capsules (69%; OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11–1.27; P <.001) or colonoscopy (69%; OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.04–1.24; P = .01) resulted in the greatest cure rates.1
Of note, neither antibiotic pretreatment type nor prophylactic vancomycin during non-CDI antibiotics affected cure rates, and in patients for whom FMT was initially unsuccessful, repeated FMT was more effective than antibiotic treatment alone.1
“In conclusion, the most effective FMT treatment strategy involved administering FMT as multiple-dose capsules or colonoscopy after an extended period of antibiotic pretreatment, regardless of CDI episode, and providing repeated FMT in patients with CDI recurrence,” investigators wrote.1 “Future guidelines should address FMT dosing, administration methods, and pretreatment duration to assist clinicians in selecting strategies with the highest likelihood of success.”
References
Paaske SE, Baunwall SMD, Rubak T, et al. Clinical management of Clostridioides difficile infection with faecal microbiota transplantation: a real-world cohort study. EClinicalMedicine. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103302
Brooks A. AGA Supports Fecal Microbiota-Based Therapies for C Diff in New Guideline. HCPLive. February 21, 2024. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.hcplive.com/view/aga-supports-fecal-microbiota-based-therapies-for-c-diff-in-new-guideline
Doctors in the UK have confirmed the birth of eight healthy babies conceived using DNA from three individuals through an IVF technique designed to prevent inherited mitochondrial disorders.The procedure, known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT), combines the DNA of the biological mother and father with healthy mitochondrial DNA from a female donor. It is designed to replace faulty mitochondria—the energy-producing structures in cells—with healthy ones from a donor, thereby stopping the transmission of potentially fatal genetic conditions.According to Sky News, this advancement “takes medicine into uncharted territory.” The technique was developed to prevent inherited mitochondrial disorders, which affect around 1 in 5, 000 babies and can cause serious issues such as brain damage, muscle failure, blindness, or death.All eight babies born through this technique in the UK are reported to be healthy. The human fertilisation and embryology authority (HFEA), which regulates fertility treatments in the UK, had previously approved the use of MDT on a case-by-case basis.The Guardian quoted scientists saying, “This is not about creating designer babies. It’s a way to prevent devastating illnesses.” They also noted that long-term follow-up is still required to fully assess the safety and effectiveness of the method.Meanwhile, NPR highlighted that the first baby born using this approach was in Mexico in 2016. The UK is the first country to officially legalise the technique under regulatory supervision.While promising, experts remain cautious. “There’s still much to learn,” one researcher told NPR, adding that “monitoring these children over time is essential.”
Superman’s dog Krypto is not the best-mannered canine in the new James Gunn-helmed blockbuster about the Man of Steel – but he does prove himself to be a capable sidekick and he has driven a real-world surge in pet adoption interest, if online search trends are any indication.
Searches by Google users for “adopt a dog near me” increased by 513% after Gunn’s Superman was released in US theaters during the weekend of 11 July, according to the Woofz dog training app, which cited its own analysis of the trends on the search engine. Searches for “rescue dog adoption near me” and “adopt a puppy”, meanwhile, respectively jumped by 163% and 31%.
Furthermore, Google searches for “adopt a schnauzer” rose by 299%, Woofz said on its website. That is revealing because – as the app noted – the CGI-created, red-caped Krypto which stars alongside David Corenswet’s Superman in Gunn’s flick evidently is a Schnauzer and terrier mutt mix.
Pet lovers in the US, where nearly 6 million dogs and cats were placed into shelters and rescue centers nationwide in 2024 alone, generally met Woofz’s findings alongside Krypto’s scene-stealing turn with enthusiasm.
More than 450 pets were adopted across the US during the first 10 days of July, when Warner Bros – the studio which released Superman – collaborated with Best Friends Animal Society to cover animal adoption fees.
Nonetheless, in a statement first reported by the Wrap, Woofz chief executive officer, Natalia Shahmetova, made it a point to tell those seeking out their own Krypto that “adoption is a real commitment”.
“The hype will fade, but your dog will stay, so make sure you’re ready to give them the time, care, and training they need and deserve,” Shahmetova’s statement said.
Gunn has spoken publicly about how he based Krypto’s likeness and behavior off his own rescue dog, Ozu, whom the Superman director called “the world’s worst dog”.
When rescued from an owner who had hoarded about 60 dogs, Ozu wouldn’t let Gunn and his wife “pet him because he had never known human beings”, Gunn had said. “And he was biting my feet until they bled, ate my new $10,000 laptop, chewed up all my shoes and our furniture – and I was like, ‘Thank God he doesn’t have superpowers.’”
That gratitude over his dog’s lack of superpowers then gave the film-maker the idea to have Ozu “3D scanned and then digitally altered to resemble” Krypto – who is overly excitable, easily distracted and benevolently disobedient, but fearlessly goes into battle alongside Gunn’s version of Superman, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
During one particularly poignant scene, Corenswet’s Superman laments how Krypto is “not even a very good” dog at a time when the pair are apart.
“But he’s out there alone, and he’s probably scared,” the Last Son of Krypton says, before leaving to try to reunite with him and grapple with various enemies.
At the start of this season, Lucy Gould became the first full-time female mechanic in Formula 2’s history.
So we recently sat down with the Rodin Motorsport number three mechanic in Spielberg and she talk us through her role, how she has gotten to this point, and the advice she would give to anybody wanting to pursue a career in motorsport.
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT’S YOUR POSITION WITH THE TEAM?
“My name is Lucy Gould and I am a number three mechanic with Rodin Motorsport’s F2 team. So, that means supporting the number one and number two mechanics.”
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED IN THE TEAM?
“I have been working with Rodin Motorsport as a whole for three years now, but this is my first year with the F2 team.”
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HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE ROLE?
“I got the role with Rodin Motorsport through work experience. I did a week in the factory in 2022, and I got offered the job by Stephanie Carlin. So, I started straight away, and I have not looked back since. I did some time with the Spanish F4 and F1 Academy teams, and I got approached by our F2 Team Manager Benn Huntingford, and he offered me a role as a support mechanic in F2.”
WHAT IS THE MAIN SKILL YOU NEED IN YOUR ROLE?
“The main skill I need for my role is to be able to adapt quite quickly. There is a lot more that I have had to learn coming into F2, because the car is quite different. But most importantly, it’s being able to learn and take direction, and it all becomes a lot easier the more practice and experience you get.
“I thought it was going to be quite a big challenge, making the step from F4 to F2, and there have been a lot of changes, but it has not been as difficult as I thought it would be. Everyone has been really welcoming and willing to helping me, so I feel really comfortable in the role I am in now.”
Gould has been a part of Rodin for three years now but this is her first working in F2
WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE RACE WEEKEND LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
“An average weekend for me is we come to the track on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and we set up the garage and prep the cars if we’ve been on a double or triple header. But if not, we normally prep the cars at the factory. Then we have setup and weigh bridge, and I normally help with the tyres, so they get mounted by Pirelli and then we get them back and we prep for the weekend and then send them back into parc ferme, so I normally help with that.
“Then we get to Friday, where we have Free Practice and Qualifying, making sure that everything is on the trolley ready to go to the pit lane, setting up the pitlane when we get there, making sure everything is where it needs to be. So, if there are any issues, we know exactly where everything is so that everything runs super smoothly.
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“The same goes for Qualifying, making sure we’ve got all the correct sets of tyres out. Then we will prep on a Friday evening for the Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon and the same goes, making sure we have all the correct equipment to go to pit lane, having our pitstop equipment just in case.
“Prep on a Saturday evening for the race on Sunday morning and it’s all the same again. Making sure we have everything we need, and obviously we do a pit stop in the Feature Race, so making sure we have the correct set of tyres out for the stop and then having our backup set out, and that can change during the race. The engineers can say we want this set, so I make sure I am always listening.”
Getting the tyres ready in the pit lane is a big part of Gould’s job on a race weekend
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE TOUGHEST ASPECT OF YOUR JOB?
“I think being away from home a lot does take its toll, but I also really enjoy the travelling side of things. It’s good to get to experience different countries and places and I really enjoy being a part of a team.
“I also think for me personally, being a female, I struggle with the weight of some things, so it’s just making sure I go to the gym and lift some weights, so it’s easier for me, so I can do more of the same stuff that the guys do.
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“Even just things like lifting the wheels, they are quite heavy, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. But I really enjoy my job, I don’t think there is anything I find super difficult enough to deter me away from it.”
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?
“I personally feel the best part of my job is the racing. I have always loved racing, so getting to be part of a Championship like F2, where you have the pit stop, and it is so competitive, and we follow an F1 weekend, so I really enjoy coming away for race weekends.
“It’s also a really nice feeling when you get a podium or win as a team. Everyone is on such a high and it carries on to the next weekend as well. But other than that, I really enjoy being a part of a team, and learning new aspects of motorsport, not just the car, I like learning all around. I am into asking people lots of questions about their job and learning as much as I can.”
Gould is really enjoying her time working within the Rodin Motorsport F2 team
ANY FUNNY STORIES FROM YOUR TIME WITH THE TEAM SO FAR?
“I think there are many things I have done that are funny. But we do all like to have a joke around with each other, that is a nice part of it. We all work together but we all get along really well, so we can have a joke around with each other. Sometimes we play pranks. but normally it’s just being silly, and of course professional.”
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WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO DO WHAT YOU DO?
“The best advice I could give is really annoying because it is so basic and everyone says it, but it is to get work experience. I would not be doing what I am doing now without it.
“It’s really difficult to learn anything online because the majority of roles in motorsport are such hands-on jobs, so I found the most beneficial thing for me to do is to get work experience, and of course it consisted of me having to email all sorts of different teams.
Starting out doing work experience, Gould has gone from working in F4 to F2
“Sometimes you don’t hear back, and sometimes it’s a no, so it can be difficult to keep the confidence and to have the perseverance to keep asking. But you have to be persistent and eventually you will get somebody that will reply to you and give you an offer.
“The only way to get experience is to do it. Everyone says they want someone who is experienced, so you need to find a way to get into it. It can be a day at a racetrack, a week in a factory, not just with an F1 team or F2, F3, F4 team but it can be in karting, or a form of supercars or GTs. Basically, anywhere that is a semi-professional race team. It’s just great experience.”
Of all the pop hits vying to become the song of the summer, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” might be the most improbable: A stark and brooding ballad full of lurid Christian imagery — “Shatter me with your touch / Oh Lord, return me to dust,” goes one line — it’s about a guy seeking the kind of sexual-spiritual fulfillment not typically found on the beach or at a barbecue.
Yet the song, which has more than 720 million streams on Spotify, just logged its sixth week since early June atop Billboard’s Hot 100 — more than a month longer at No. 1 than Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” to name one of the sunnier tunes soundtracking the season. (Among Warren’s other competitors: Drake, who posted an image of the current chart on Instagram on Monday showing his song “What Did I Miss?” at No. 2 behind Warren’s hit. “I’m taking that soon don’t worry,” the rapper wrote.)
“Ordinary’s” somber tone is all the more striking given that Warren — whose father died when he was 9 and who grew up in Carlsbad with a single mother he’s described as an abusive alcoholic — first made a name for himself as a founding member of Hype House, the early-2020s conclave of TikTokers known for beaming out goofy bite-size content from a rented mansion in Los Angeles. Half a decade later, Warren is still a faithful user of his TikTok account (with its 18.8 million followers), though these days he’s mostly driving attention — often with the help of his wife, fellow influencer Kouvr Annon — to his music, which combines the moody theatrics of early Sam Smith with the highly buffed textures of Imagine Dragons.
On Friday, Warren will release his debut LP, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid,” featuring guest appearances by Blackpink’s Rosé and by Jelly Roll, who brought Warren to the stage at April’s Stagecoach festival to sing “Ordinary” and to premiere their duet “Bloodline.” Warren, 24, discussed his journey during a recent trip to L.A. from his new home in Nashville, where he lives not far from Jelly Roll and Teddy Swims. “I was just texting Teddy,” Warren says as we sit down. “I got off tour and immediately was like, ‘Oh, I want to buy a go-kart.’ Teddy FaceTimes me, he goes, ‘You a—hole. I’m trying to buy a go-kart right now too.’ Apparently, I bought the last go-kart in Tennessee.” These are excerpts from our conversation.
“Ordinary” is clearly drawing on your identity as a Christian. Yet there’s something almost sacrilegious about the song. I get that criticism a lot.
To me it’s what makes the song interesting — the erotic energy in a line like “You got me kissing the ground of your sanctuary.” I’m worshiping my wife in a way — she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You can’t just write a song like that and be like, “Oh, baby, you’re my everything.” Everyone’s already done “You’re my world,” you know? I wanted to do something different — almost Hozier-esque. I wrote into it being like, I really love my wife, and I have a relationship with God — that’s something I can compare it to.
As the song has gone out, I’ve heard a lot of Christians’ opinions on it, and some people are like, “F— this guy.” There’s also so many people who think it’s a super die-hard Christian song and don’t like it either. I have to be OK with both sides hating me.
You’ve led a peculiar life, which obviously lends context to your music for anyone who knows the details. Yet “Ordinary” is big enough now that many listeners — maybe most listeners — are hearing it without knowing anything about you. This new song I’ve been teasing [“Eternity”] is about grief, and people are like, “I can’t wait to play it at my wedding.” It’s cool that people are making it their own. It reminds me of Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved,” where people were like, “Oh my God, this is a breakup record.” No, he wrote it about his grandma.
Are you a Capaldi fan? I love Lewis. I don’t look like a Justin Bieber/Shawn Mendes traditional pop star, but it’s cool because Lewis kind of made it popular to not give a f—. Lewis and Ed [Sheeran], I would say — I mean, I’ve seen Ed’s closet, and it’s just nine white Prada T-shirts.
You have an unusual voice. Thank you — I think?
It’s deeper than most pop voices right now. Does it seem unusual to you? No. I asked my wife, “Do I have a basic voice?” She was like, “What are you talking about?” I was like, “I live with this voice, and I think it just sounds like every other bitch.” But I’m my No. 1 hater.
I went back and looked at the series Netflix made about Hype House. I’m so sorry.
There’s some significant fluctuations in your weight, and I was wondering how working in a visual field from a pretty young age shaped your ideas about eating and exercise. When I started making money, I didn’t know what to do with it and I just used DoorDash every second I could. As time went on, especially in Hype House, you have so many people’s opinions and everyone’s pointing out your flaws, and the weight was definitely one of them. After that I was like, “OK, how do I fix this?” I’m 24 now — I was 22, 21 at the time, and I was like, “I should be in the best shape of my life.”
But it definitely does take a toll on you. Even now, if you go look at my TikTok comments, thousands of people are loving me. You go on Twitter, the first 400 comments are like, “He’s so ugly,” “His nose is crooked,” all these things. It hits a point where you have a thousand people loving you, but those two people not — you’re like, “Wait, are they the ones telling me the truth? Is everyone else just gassing me up?”
Kind of bleak. It’s such a strange career. I have the Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, and I’m like, “Should I be eating this the next few days?”
Would you say you’re in a good place in terms of how you think about your physical appearance? Looking in the mirror, probably not. But when it comes to having to approve a photo, I don’t give a s—. I’ll approve whatever, double chin and all.
Is that true? Truly, I don’t mind, because I don’t think people are watching my videos for my attractiveness. That being said, if I was lighter, I think I’d be happier looking at myself. But at the same time, I don’t care because these songs to me are more about what they’re about and less about how I look. Also, it gives me some leeway if someone catches me lacking at In-N-Out.
Warren’s song “Ordinary” now has more than 720 million streams on Spotify and has just logged its sixth week since early June atop Billboard’s Hot 100.
(Ethan Benavidez / For The Times)
You’ve said you don’t really drink or do drugs but that you get drunk once a year. What would be the occasion? I just got drunk with Ed Sheeran — I drank two Modelos and I got put on my ass. This was at Santa’s Pub [in Nashville] — me, Noah Kahan and Ed Sheeran. They had just played something, and Ed was like, “Do you want a drink?” I was like, “If I’m getting drunk this year, it’s getting drunk with Ed Sheeran.” So he gave me a Modelo, and I was like, “Whoa, I’m feeling this.” He’s like, “OK, dude, I’m on my 11th.” He hands me a second one, and my wife had to drive me home.
So I’ve been getting a little loose with it. But it’s always beer — I don’t really drink any hard stuff. Nothing against it, I’ve just always preferred Diet Coke. I wish I liked alcohol.
I mean, you can cultivate this. It’s easy to do. I’ve been trying. I had a sip of my friend’s old fashioned. I thought it was interesting — sugary, but I liked it.
Your song “The Outside” on this new record talks about the illusory nature of happiness and success. I went into it wanting to write about the things that people go through to turn to God or another power or something to get out of their own heads. I wanted to depict people finding a sense of purpose.
“Hollywood wasn’t all that she thought / City of Angels but her wings got caught / She got high enough to think she met God.” You move to L.A. to pursue a dream and you see God after doing a hallucinogenic — that’s referencing a friend of mine who’s now a Christian buff who did ayahuasca. The other [verse] is about health care — watching my friends who don’t have it because it’s so expensive.
“‘It’s just stress,’ so the doctor says / His young heart’s beating out of his chest / Student loans and medical debt.” The Luigi Mangione case happened around the time we wrote that record.
Luigi was in your head as you were writing? That second verse is literally about Luigi Mangione. Not to get political, but the things that I feel are necessary in life — you have to pay for it, and it causes people to turn to something like God. The song ends with me being like, “I talk to my dad in the sky, hoping he talks to me back.” That song means a lot to me.
Your music is extremely tidy, which stands in contrast to the singer-songwriter mode of the Zach Bryans — And the Noah Kahans, where they’re flat in some parts and it doesn’t matter because the emotion’s there.
Why is your instinct as a musician to go for something neater? Because I don’t have the luxury of being able to make what some people view as mistakes. Coming from TikTok to music, I feel like it needs to be neat — it needs to be, “Oh my God, this guy can do this.” The next album I’m working on, it’s more rugged. I’m finding different parts of my voice. I’ve been listening to a lot of older music too, which has been really good.
Such as? Hall & Oates — dude, “Rich Girl”? Billy Joel too.
Is there still a Hype House group chat? I have a group chat with not all of them but the ones that — I’m not gonna name-drop them, but the ones getting popular with music. It was formative years in my life — my college experience, I guess. We’re able to look back on it and have a moment of, like, “That sucked, but it was also awesome.”
Would people in the house have called that you and Addison Rae would be the ones to break out as musicians? No, I don’t think so — especially not me. Maybe Addison — Addison has always been cool. Everyone loved Addison, even in the house, and she’s always been so kind. Even to this day, she’s a good friend of mine. But no one would have guessed me. I don’t think anyone liked me.
In the house? Just in general. The Netflix show — a lot of it was fake, but looking at that, I feel like I’m such a better person now.
“The next album I’m working on, it’s more rugged,” says Warren, whose debut LP “You’ll Be Alright, Kid” comes out Friday. “I’m finding different parts of my voice.”
(Ethan Benavidez / For The Times)
Are you glad that “Ordinary” happened after the influencer moment in your life — that there’s a bit of separation? I started this in 2020, 2021 — I put out my first song then, and I was still an influencer, vlogging, doing all those things. Everyone’s like, “He came out of nowhere,” and I’m like, I’ve been doing this for five years.
But nobody cared until well after your time as an influencer — which might be a good thing, right? I’m not sure the overlap served Lil Huddy. In a weird way, you might’ve gotten lucky. I think about that often. I made videos with my wife — I never really made videos with the content house — and those videos were successful in their own right. I think a lot of my fans today were watching me at that time, but not for the Hype House. Actually, no, that’s not true.
It’s hard to generalize about the audience for a song this big. All I do is put my head down and promote the records. I’m not paying attention to the scope of things.
Of course you’re checking the numbers. I’m not understanding the scope besides the numbers. My monthly listeners [on Spotify], someone told me it was 50-something million — that’s sick. But I can’t contextualize that. If I’m walking down the street, how many people have heard the song and how many people know who I am? I know the song is big, but I’m under the assumption that the record’s bigger than I am.
That seems true. OK, so what does that mean? I can compare it to a Lola Young, or is it a Benson Boone? I think that’s two separate things right now. Also, I don’t know the age demographic. If I walk into a bingo night, are they gonna know who I am?
A bingo night? You know what I’m saying. The song is No. 1 on Hot AC — that’s adult contemporary. Is it someone’s mom? I don’t know who’s listening to the record. But I write songs about people passing away, and most people — no matter rich, poor, whatever — it’s typically gonna be your 40-and-up who are gonna relate to that record. Kids don’t necessarily deal with loss the same way.
Is it weird to think that a significant portion of your audience is people twice your age? No, that’s f—ing rad to me — the older audience is the hardest to grab. I think it’s safe to say that most people judge notoriety on whether their mom knows who they are, right? If that’s where I start, that’s cool.
