Bringing people together is what keeps Talia Goddess going. The 19-year-old Brooklyn native does this through her music — whether it’s DJing, singing, songwriting, rapping or producing — on top of modeling and community leadership. Music has been a part of her life since she was six; always performing in local talent shows. “Being in a supportive household gave me the confidence to pursue it,” Talia says, adding that her dad is a DJ, too, who showed her the ropes.
For the Goddess, music has always been less about career moves and more about “honing in on a craft” that allowed her to express herself freely, creating her own brand of soulful, reggae, hip-hop and house-inspired music many know and love her for today. This freedom is important to her not only in music, but also in her everyday life and her approach to beauty. “I love the endless possibilities of makeup,” she says, “but it’s not something I need or rely on to feel beautiful.” This mentality makes the YSL Nu Collection — a new skincare-makeup hybrid line — an obvious staple on her bathroom shelf. Designed with Gen Z in mind, the line is luxury meets edge, all the while helping people love the skin they’re in.
That same exploration of freedom has led Talia to forge her own path, far beyond music. Most recently, she’s dropped her single, “Poster Girl,” modeled in a number of Levi’s campaigns and earned a feature in the Dazed100. “My personal style is really authentic. It’s just my own self-expression of what makes me feel comfortable and cool,” she explains. “[Getting] the attention of major brands and companies is a good feeling because it makes me feel accepted for who I am. I don’t feel like I have to fit an archetype or an image to be recognized.”
This confidence stems from her upbringing in East Flatbush, where she learned beauty was all about “how you carried yourself and how you treated people,” she says. “A lot of the beauty I found in myself was through what made me feel good and comfortable in my own skin.” Talia carries these lessons with her when she’s on stage or behind the DJ booth. “As I navigate my visual identity in music and media, I always emphasize the need to be authentic and comfortable,” she explains. “I know my self-worth comes from my character and who I am within.”
Confidence is also the most important part of any makeup look, she says, be it a super stripped-down tomboy face or full glam. These days, taking inspiration from Lauryn Hill, Talia’s signature makeup look — similar to the NU approach — is natural and minimal. “I feel like being confident and comfortable to go out with no makeup is such a flex,” she says with a laugh. She’s also always on the go — bopping between sets at Elsewhere to Friends and Lovers — so this approach saves her a lot of time too.
When all is said and done, Talia feels most beautiful when she’s performing, whether DJing or singing. “I am sharing parts of myself with the world and that is so beautiful to me,” she says.
Credits
Photography Othello Grey
Fashion Milton David Dixon III
Makeup Frankie Boyd @ Streeters using YSL
Hair Tsuki @ Streeters
Photo Assistant Ian Rutter
Digital Tech Maria Herron
Fashion Assistant Niambi Moore
Manager, Talent & Casting Justine Vaughan
Producer Caroline Budinich
Associate Director of Production Michael May
Production Coordinator Kathleen Thibodeau
Safety Coordinator Colin Bennet
Production Assistant Taylor Myers
Production Assistant Nathaniel Mason
Senior Creative Kayla Isaacs
Creative Director Emery Coopersmith
Account Director Cate Jensen