Pop Baby's Unstoppable Rise: From Pittsburgh's Dunkin' to Music Stardom

Pop Baby Photographed by Colin Tierney

In Pittsburgh’s vibrant music scene, one artist has made waves through his Gaga-like melodies and theatrical flair. Pop Baby, recently nominated for Best Pop Artist/Group in Pittsburgh City Paper’s ongoing “Best of PGH” readers’ poll, has captivated audiences with his impressive dance moves, engaging social media persona, and iconic platinum locks. In this exclusive interview, we sit down with the rising star to discuss his journey, creative process, and what lies ahead for this homegrown talent.

KRISTI YANG: Congratulations on your nomination for Best Pop Artist in Pittsburgh City Paper! How does it feel to be recognized for your contributions to the local music scene? 

POP BABY: Thank you very much. It is such an honor to be recognized by my hometown for my music. I take great pride in being a Pittsburgh-native artist who has made a path in the crowded music industry. 

Pop Baby Photographed by Colin Tierney

KY: Your journey to stardom, from an aspiring artist to an iconic pop sensation, is truly inspiring. Could you share the key moments and challenges that shaped this remarkable journey? 

PB: My journey has had many ups and downs. From being dropped and rejected by record labels to my first viral moment, it's been quite a rollercoaster. The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far is being an artist who doesn’t fit a mold. Standing out is not always easy, but you just gotta keep moving forward. My most favorite moment this year was playing my first headlining sold-out show at The Forge Urban Winery in Homestead. Great venue and it was a concert I will never forget.

KY: Pop Baby music videos have become cultural touchstones. What's your creative process for developing these visual masterpieces?

PB: I get inspired by what I’m feeling in a moment. Just like the music, the visuals need to tell a story. When I want to direct music videos, I want it to be a dramatic representation of what I’m feeling and not thinking too hard about it. 

Pop Baby Photographed by Colin Tierney

KY: Your lyrics often touch on deeply personal themes. How do you balance vulnerability with your larger-than-life stage persona?

PB: I believe they go hand-in-hand. When you take moments to step outside yourself and be more open with the fans, it creates a stronger relationship, which can influence your stage presence as an artist. The fans and the art are what fuel me, and seeing their eyes light up when they hear my music puts me in a good mood.

KY: Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your unique sound?

PB: I’m very artistically influenced by Lady Gaga, Kesha, and Panic! At The Disco. They all have high-fashioned, theatrical appearances and over-the-top lyrics. However, my biggest muse is Mariah Carey. She is a one-of-a-kind talent who can write, sing, produce, and perform a song with such class and poise. 

Pop Baby Photographed by Emily Conners

KY: Your fashion choices are always bold and eye-catching. How important is image to your artistry, and who inspires your style?

PB: Image is key in this business. My style, just like my music and videos, really just goes along with how I’m feeling in a certain moment. I never was hiding behind my fashion; I was screaming with my fashion. My style inspiration definitely comes from David Bowie or Elton John. I just think both of those legends have such eye-opening styles you can’t get enough of, and that’s exactly what I love to do, too.

KY: This wouldn’t be a Pop Baby interview if we didn’t talk about your social media presence. It’s not just engaging—it's a testament to your connection with your fans. How do you use platforms like TikTok and Instagram to foster this strong bond?

PB: I try to make my content all about them. Everything that goes into it is all about making the fans, who we call the “Classmates,” feel like they’re a part of the journey and like they are being heard for their ideas and feelings instead of it being all like, “Look at me, look at me.”

Pop Baby Photographed by Colin Tierney

KY: The song "Karen" has become an anthem for addressing challenging individuals. Is there a specific Karen who inspired this track, and how do you personally handle the Karens in your life?

PB: Haha. It’s actually a funny story. Before becoming well-known, I used to work at Dunkin’ Donuts, and I dealt with difficult customers all the time. When COVID hit, the term became huge in pop culture, and I took my personal experiences and combined them with seeing viral TikToks or YouTube videos and made it into a fun little tune. Normally, with negative people, I often tune them out. Sometimes, the best thing to do when someone is giving you a hard time is to just give them silence.

KY: As an artist who's redefined pop music in Pittsburgh, what advice would you give to up-and-coming local musicians?

PB: Never give up because you never know what’s in store for you. Don’t be afraid of doing the work, and just stay true to who you are, people will see it.

Pop Baby Photographed by Colin Tierney

KY: You're known for your high-energy live performances. What can fans expect from your upcoming show at Mr. Smalls on July 26?

PB: Lots of music, new choreography, and some fun surprises.

KY: You're also playing the New Castle Music Festival on Aug. 3. How do you prepare for such a major event?

PB: Rehearsals every day, hydrating, and remembering why I started to do music in the first place.

KY: What's next for Pop Baby? Any hints about upcoming projects or collaborations you can share with us?

PB: All I can say is… just buckle up. New music is on the horizon.

Pop Baby Photographed by Colin Tierney

As Pop Baby continues to push boundaries and redefine pop music in Pittsburgh and beyond, his journey serves him as an inspiration to aspiring artists everywhere. With his dancey tunes, high-energy performances, and strong connection to his “Classmates,” Pop Baby is not just a rising star—he’s becoming a cultural icon in Pittsburgh’s evolving music scene. From their humble beginnings at Dunkin’ Donuts to performing at renowned venues and earning nominations, the Baby of Pop’s journey is a testament to creativity, determination, and one’s ability to stay true to themselves. With new music on the horizon and upcoming performances at Mr. Smalls on July 26 and the New Castle Music Festival on Aug. 3, the Classmates have much to look forward to.

Written and Interviewed by Kristi Yang

Photography by Colin Tierney and Emily Conners 

Production by Mark Bluemle

Special Thank You to the Pop Baby team for making this all possible!

You Don’t Know New York Until You Know LEG5

LEG5 (Real name Lucy Geldziler) is known for her digital footprint, alongside her real footprint, which can be found at the club. Lucy is a writer based in New York City who is ready to take on any project that comes her way. From poetry readings, dancing on elevated surfaces, modelings, and more, Geldziler can truly do it. I had the chance to sit down with Lucy and talk about all aspects of her life! 

This interview was conducted over the phone and has been edited for clarity

MARK BLUEMLE: So I guess my first question is, who am I here with?  

LEG5 (LUCY GELDZILER): Hello, I am Lucy Geldziler.  

MB: OK, Lucy. And do you want to just tell us a little bit about yourself?  

LG: I'm a writer and newly aspiring comedian, and occasional model and actor and party girl and this and that and icon and whatnot. All of this to say obviously I work service and retail jobs so I can actually pay my rent. But yeah, that's me.  

MB: Right, I love that. You are an icon, I must say. You are one of my biggest inspirations.

LG: Stop

MB: I love your Instagram feed, it’s very, Tumblr, I guess?

LG: Thank you!

MB: Did you grow up on Tumblr?

LG: Not even, really. So many of my closest friends did. I grew up on Instagram actually.

MB: Yeah, that was going to be my next question, what social media apps did you primarily grow up on? For me, it was like Musical.ly or Instagram.

LG: Yeah, Oh my god. I was never really into Musical.ly. I mean in middle school I was a Snapchat user but I haven't touched that in years, I'll go on it once every couple of weeks. I mostly now use Instagram, and of course, I had a TikTok phase, but Instagram is my main thing now, but every once in a while I get sick of the superficiality and want to fully go offline.

MB: Awesome, I love that. 

MB: I know that you're a writer, I have a few friends who are writers, and they are always saying how hard it is to break into the “industry” and get jobs and stuff, so what's been your experience with that?

LG: It’s f*cking hard. Surrounding myself with other creatives has been the most helpful thing so far like literally networking. I'm not even joking, partying has helped me network so much more than just sitting in my room sending emails never would have. I'm so personal and surround myself with so many successful and creative people in my social scene. Everyone wants to help each other out, even if I'm not selling my screenplays immediately, cause they're so f*cking hard to sell, then it's like, I have friends that put together poetry readings and put me on lineups and then people like my work and then I get recognized and get asked to do another poetry reading. 

Networking is really a huge part of it. You can just, like, write and write and write and send emails and send emails but you have to meet people first. I've written feature screenplays. I read this statistic, I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it said that 99.99% of screenplays don't sell, and of the .01 that do, it doesn't mean that they will get produced. Even if you have a good screenplay, it's hard to sell them without representation, like if you don't have an agent; but it's hard to get an agent if you haven't sold one, so it’s like, the chicken or the egg… neither of them came first!

MB: That is a great way to put it, for real. You’re right, agents these days, especially in the music scene, only want to sign people who already have a following. They don't want to do the work for them.

MB: I guess on that note, what are you working on right now?

LG: I just started writing comedy, well I've done stand-up before. I'm writing more comedy and I started writing a TV show, still in its very early stages. I also have a screenplay I finished that I’m trying to get out there.

MB: Nice. You’re from Jersey right-?

LG: -And substack. I'm trying to start a substack. And yes, I am from Jersey.

MB: [Laughs] Has being from Jersey affected your writing; like from where you grew up?

LG: That's so funny actually, at a poetry reading I just read it, I just read something about being from New Jersey, so like, yeah, Jersey lives in me. Everything I do. I eat sleep Jersey, even when I live in Bushwick.

MB: The Bushwick baddies are taking over right now, I fear. Why did you move to NYC?

LG: I've always wanted to live in the city and I've always been close, it wasn't that new to me, but I felt more acquainted with the creative people. And I did move for school, I started as an acting for film major but dropped out of that school. 

MB: The people here are so willing to collaborate and work. I love it.

MB: A few more questions and then we will be done, what is your sign?

LG: I'm a Capricorn! Born on the cusp!

MB: Oooo a cusp okay.

MB: What is your favorite bar or club? Or a scene in general, I guess?

LG: That’s a hard question because I’m a “scenester.” I don’t go for the venue but for the people, lineup, and friends performing. People not places, amirite? I've spent so much time at Old Flings, I've hosted there a million times. My best friend hosts at Georgia Room and at Starchild rooftop. RIP Butterfly Soho, that was a good one. I’m going to have to go with Paul’s Baby Grand. It's a classic, I have gotten kicked out of there though.

MB: Aw man, why’d you get kicked out?

LG: Umm.. it was my friend's birthday and I was on an elevated surface, as I usually am, and I was coming down and I tore one of the paintings down with me.

MB: It happens.

LG: Kind of doing them a favor, to be honest. You should have seen the painting.

MB; You said that being in the clubs and bars helps you network a lot more than just writing emails. What would you say is the best, like, thing that has happened to you just from going out.

LG: I don't know if this a stupid answer, but honestly, I would just die for all my friends. Not even career wise, but just meeting so many people I love so deeply. You Are probably asking this from a career stance, but I've made so many friends and I couldn't be more grateful to have so many awesome people near me.

MB: No, that’s the perfect answer! That’s great! I love that!

MB: What did you think of the Met Gala?

LG: I wasn't really studying them as much as I should have been, but from the ones I saw, ummm, they were okay. My roommates are in fashion, so I was prepared for them to be insufferable about it, but I think the fact that they weren’t speaks volumes about the lack of exceptionality of everyone’s outfits.

MB: Yeah, that’s about it. 

LG: My friend snuck into the media section.

MB: That’s definitely something I see you doing too. Have you ever taken the J across the bridge and chilled in between the cars outside?

LG: No, I haven't. I've walked the Williamsburg Bridge though!

MB: Holy, how was that?

LG: I've done it a few times, It’s a long walk.

MB: Well, that's about it! Just a quick little chat about who Lucy is! I guess my last question is, anything you want to say to the 47 readers?

LG: Be authentic, always. Authenticity attracts, even if you're insecure, be yourself and people will be drawn to you. 

MB: I love that, we all need to be a bit more real these days.

LG: Exactly. 

If you want to follow Lucy on her journey with her writing, you can follow her Instagram down below! 

Interviewed and Photographed by Mark Bluemle

Hat Designed by Cassidy Healy Productions

Embrace Your Inner Dominatrix: Unleash the Power of the Bedroom

Ladies, gentlemen, and all fabulous beings in between gather 'round! It’s time to talk about a topic that’s as thrilling as it is empowering: being a dominatrix and embracing your dominant side in the bedroom. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a curious novice, stepping into the role of a dominatrix can be an exhilarating way to explore your sexuality, boost your confidence, and connect with your partner on a whole new level. So, slip into your finest leather, grab that riding crop, and let’s dive into the art of domination!

Discovering Your Inner Dominatrix

First things first: what exactly does it mean to be a dominatrix? At its core, being a dominatrix is about taking control and asserting your power in a consensual, respectful manner. It’s about creating a dynamic where you call the shots, and your partner eagerly follows your lead. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to don thigh-high boots and a corset (though it’s certainly fun if you do!). Dominance is as much a mindset as it is an aesthetic.

Confidence is Key

Confidence is the lifeblood of a dominatrix. To truly embrace your dominant side, you need to believe in your power and revel in the control you wield. Start by understanding what makes you feel strong and in command. Is it the way you speak? The way you move? Your choice of outfit? Experiment with different elements until you find what makes you feel like the queen or king of your domain.

Communication is Your Best Friend

A true dominatrix knows the importance of communication. Before diving into any kinky play, have an open and honest conversation with your partner about boundaries, desires, and safe words. Consent is the foundation of any BDSM activity, and knowing that your partner is on the same page allows you to explore without fear or hesitation.

Setting the Scene

Creating the right atmosphere can do wonders for your dominant persona. Think about what kind of environment makes you feel powerful. Maybe it’s a dimly lit room with candles and soft music, or perhaps it’s a stark, minimalist space with bright lights and bold colors. The setting can enhance the experience and help you fully step into your role.

The Power of Play

Being a dominatrix isn’t all about seriousness and strict control; it’s also about fun and playfulness. Use your creativity to devise scenarios and commands that excite both you and your partner. Role-playing can be a fantastic way to explore different dynamics and add an element of surprise to your encounters. Maybe you’re a strict teacher, and they’re the naughty student, or perhaps you’re the powerful CEO and the eager-to-please assistant. The possibilities are endless!

Tools of the Trade

Part of the allure of being a dominatrix is the array of tempting tools at your disposal. From paddles and whips to cuffs and blindfolds, these items can enhance the experience and add an extra layer of excitement. Remember, it’s not about inflicting pain but building anticipation and heightening sensations. Always start slow and communicate with your partner to ensure their comfort and enjoyment.

Embrace the Aftercare

After a session, it’s essential to engage in aftercare. This is a time to reconnect with your partner, provide comfort, and ensure that both of you feel safe and cherished. Aftercare can involve cuddling, talking about the experience, or simply spending quiet time together. It reinforces the trust and intimacy that you’ve built and ensures a positive experience for both parties.

The Journey of Exploration

Remember, becoming a dominatrix is a journey, not a destination. It’s about exploring your desires, pushing boundaries, and discovering new aspects of your sexuality. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Each experience will teach you more about what you enjoy and how you can enhance your dominant persona.

So, whether you’re stepping into the role for the first time or looking to deepen your existing practice, embracing your dominant side in the bedroom can be a thrilling and empowering adventure. Channel your inner dominatrix, and get ready to take control like never before. After all, the bedroom is your stage, and it’s time to perform of a lifetime!

Written By Chloe Kaleah Stewart

Photographed by Mark Bluemle

Creative Directors: Jazzi Almestica, Sophia Querrazzi

Outfits Designed by Cassidy Healy Productions and Valeria Anathema

Production Assistant: Chloe Kaleah Stewart

Talent: Trevor The Project, Jack Oesterle