supermodel* Returns with a Manifesto Against Empty Aesthetics

Frankie Beanie spent his formative years at Liverpool’s LIPA, absorbing the city’s musical instincts before moving to Los Angeles with the aim of building a career. The reality proved more hollow than he’d expected. In response, he launched supermodel* in 2025 alongside a self-written manifesto, the rules of supermodel*. Rule number one: reject the LA pattern of prizing image over substance. “It’s easy to fall into just being a vibes-based artist, rather than actually making good shit,” he explains.

The project’s hard launch came in October with the supermodel ep*, anchored by the standout ‘i used to live in england’. Over a funky, guitar-led arrangement that nods to The Streets, Beanie recounts his Merseyside years with dry wit—meal deals, railway travel, and an unconfirmed rumour that Ross from The 1975 admired his old band. Rather than fact-check, he leans into the myth: “I was like, ‘Ross, man, your band is pretty good too. I like that one song.’” The songwriting is playful and precise, balancing nostalgic observation with a willingness to bend the story for effect.

Now back in the UK for the first time in three years, Beanie headlines Camden’s Barfly. The show closes a loop for a project conceived in reaction to surface-level culture, yet shaped indelibly by his time in England. Supermodel*’s rules set out to reject posture; the result is music that sounds alert, personal, and self-aware.