Charlotte Rose Benjamin Recommends Getting High and Going to the Ballet

HAWT SEAT feat. pop princess CRB

May 23, 2026

I’m pinching myself to have Charlotte Rose Benjamin guest write today’s HAWT SEAT. Her 2022 album Dreamtina is my most-spun vinyl, and a t-shirt for her 2024 album Moth Mouth ranks among the best cost-per-wear items my closet.

Aside from the two albums above, you may recognize her from her 2020 EP Party City (the titular track is one of my all-time favorites), her newsletter Blogtina, or her brand new single “Shady” — which has got to be the first time I’ve ever heard the word manatee in a pop song. Brava!

Charlotte, tell us what’s been on repeat for you lately…

7 for all mankind low rise boot cut jeans two sizes too big

It took me a while to figure out where I stand when it comes to what we are all deciding to do re: denim in 2026. I feel slightly contrary to buying new jeans. Not sustainable, sure, but also they just look so void of personality, ya know? Give me a back pocket design! A POV! a little character! The new ones are all so big and sloppy looking!

I thought I had it all figured out in 2024: Levi’s made the perfect jean and all you need in your closet is several variations of vintage 501’s. I’m not abandoning the idea that 501’s are a staple—and the two-sizes-up thing works for them too. Let the waist fall low on your hips and the crotch creep down towards your knees, it looks way cooler and more effortless than whatever Agolde or Still Here is trying to convince you to spend upwards of $300 on.

501’s are a classic, however, they do not deliver that sultry ~Jennifer Aniston low on the hip frayed hem, Keira Knightley in her Jamie Dornan phase circa 2003, Lily Rose Depp with 070 Shake wearing flip flops at Whole Foods~ thing that you’d be a fool to not want to join the club on. When I found my 7 for all mankind low rise boot cut jeans at Tired Thrift in Greenpoint, I knew they would be my new go-to jean. I love how comfy they feel and how relaxed they look. Loose, but not too baggy. Current, but not necessarily trendy because they’re vintage. And cheap too!

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk

As I write this, I am exactly one week into my 30s. As I get older, I’m feeling much prettier wearing less makeup. The one thing I do feel absolutely incomplete without (besides extra dewy skin and a slicked-back bun) is lip liner.

Do I carefully trace my lip line to make sure it looks even and natural? Nope. Does the shape of my lips change dramatically on any given day based on a change in the wind or whatever mood I happen to be in the moment I’m lining them? Yes. Do I care if you can tell I’m wearing lip liner? No! Ever heard of making a statement? I think it’s very French to overline the lips and do almost nothing else. I like looking a little messy and undone.

Espresso and tonic over ice with orange zest in the afternoon

My friends in Portland, Maine introduced me to espresso and tonic last summer. It’s an effervescent boost of energy you’ll want to savor like it’s chocolate. So light, yet so rich and indulgent-feeling.

Afternoon caffeine, I’m learning, is actually the biggest life hack that I have only just discovered. You can start your whole day over at 3pm! If my boyfriend is working, he can make you the best one you’ve ever had at Hudson Clearwater in the West Village.

Getting high and going to the Ballet at Lincoln Center

I grew up watching a lot of modern dance when I was a kid and I found it punishingly boring. I used to try to imagine plot lines to make the abstract disjointed choreography make sense. I was certain the dancers were having more fun than anyone in the audience and that we were all suffering through it in some vain competition to seem sophisticated enough to appreciate high art. Now I adore the ballet. And the more ambiguous the better, especially if you have a little weed gummy right when you sit down.

You don’t really have to try to absorb anything other than the shapes, colors, sounds of the orchestra and the dancers’ beautiful bodies. I work out kinks in my mind. It’s like a brain spa. Better than talk-therapy IMO. I prefer The New York City Ballet to The American Ballet Theater because ABT does more story driven stuff which is distracting to my style of watching ballet, but they are both fab.

Strangers by Belle Burden

My favorite genre of anything, be it song, movie, book etc. is ~Betrayed Woman Writing a Tell-All~, so like every other basic bitch New York City and their mom and their cousins and all their friends I can’t stop thinking about Strangers by Belle Burden. I too spent the early days of Covid on Martha’s Vineyard and the way Belle describes the “flat light” is so visceral and true to my experience growing up there in the off season.

When I picture her home in the book I can’t help but imagine my parents’ house (though obviously Belle’s is much fancier). I hate her ex husband. I love reading about her family history. I feel so horrified for her and also very held by this book. Another one of my go-to’s from this category is Heartburn by Norah Ephron. Again, you probably already knew that, but if you haven’t heard Meryl Streep read the audiobook you simply must. If I were a doctor I would prescribe both books as medicine for a breakup.

“Dreamtina”

My debut album, “Dreamtina” just turned 4. Occasionally, Spotify will play something from “Dreamtina” on shuffle and lately it makes me so emotional to hear those songs. I was 23 when I started writing it and I had never worked so hard at anything. I’m really proud of how much blind belief I had in myself back then with absolutely no industry connections or money.

I think it’s a really good album1. To me it was a lightning in a bottle kind of thing I don’t think I could ever replicate. That being said!!!! I have two new songs coming out soon. They are basically just really fun and cool and totally perfect for feeling good and walking around in the summertime :) We’re going to play them both live at Union Pool on June 13th as well, so get a little ticket for that if you want!

Getting older

Everyone is always saying it to you in your 20s, but turning 30 legit is really cool. My personal journey to 30 feels like transitioning from someone as chaotic and messy as Courtney Love to full on Martha Stewart.

I used to send multi-paragraph texts to guys in bands who lived in Bushwick and wouldn’t notice if I moved to Oslo with no warning, begging them to love me. I lived in apartments for years where I never even learned how to use the oven. I famously once sat on a soft-shell taco in a white dress on the L train on my way to a party, tied a denim jacket around my waist, and just kept rockin’!

Things are different now. I quit smoking last year, I made butternut squash soup from scratch last night, I love throwing dinner parties, I keep houseplants alive and frequent the post office. I’m spending less time feeling sorry for myself when I fuck up, and am posting less online. I am honestly kind of learning to love my eleven lines, but sometimes I miss my tight little 22 year old ass.

Keep up with Charlotte Rose Benjamin on Spotify, IG, TT, and subscribe to Blogtina here on Substack <3