tldr: an attempt to reduce the _terror reporting_. **There is no longer a curl bug-bounty program.** It officially stops on January 31, 2026. After having had a few half-baked previous takes, in April 2019 we kicked off the first real curl bug-bounty with the help of Hackerone, and while it stumbled a bit at first it has been quite successful I think. We attracted skilled researchers who reported plenty of actual vulnerabilities for which we paid fine monetary rewards. We have certainly made curl better as a direct result of this: **87 confirmed vulnerabilities and over 100,000 USD** paid as rewards to researchers. I’m quite happy and proud of this accomplishment. I would like to especially highlight the awesome Internet Bug Bounty project, which has paid the bounties for us for many years. We could not have done this without them. Also of course Hackerone, who has graciously hosted us and been our partner through these years. Thanks! ## How we got here Looking back, I think we can say that the downfall of the bug-bounty program started slowly in the second half of 2024 but accelerated badly in 2025. We saw an explosion in AI slop reports combined with a lower quality even in the reports that were not obvious slop – presumably because they too were actually misled by AI but with that fact just hidden better. Maybe the first five years made it possible for researchers to find and report the low hanging fruit. Previous years we have had a rate of somewhere north of 15% of the submissions ending up confirmed vulnerabilities. Starting 2025, the confirmed-rate plummeted to below 5%. Not even one in twenty was _real_. The never-ending slop submissions take a serious mental toll to manage and sometimes also a long time to debunk. Time and energy that is completely wasted while also hampering our will to live. I have also started to get the feeling that a lot of the security reporters submit reports with a _bad faith attitude._ These “helpers” try too hard to twist whatever they find into something horribly bad and a critical vulnerability, but they rarely actively contribute to actually _improve_ curl. They can go to extreme efforts to argue and insist on their specific current finding, but not to write a fix or work with the team on improving curl long-term etc. I don’t think we need more of that. There are these three bad trends combined that makes us take this step: the mind-numbing AI slop, humans doing worse than ever and the apparent will to poke holes rather than to help. ## Actions In an attempt to do something about the sorry state of curl security reports, this is what we do: * We no longer offer any monetary rewards for security reports – no matter which severity. In an attempt to remove the incentives for submitting made up lies. * We stop using Hackerone as the recommended channel to report security problems. To make the change immediately obvious and because without a bug-bounty program we don’t need it. * We refer everyone to submit suspected curl security problems on GitHub using their _Private vulnerability reporting_ feature. * We continue to immediately _ban and publicly_ _ridicule_ everyone who submits AI slop to the project. ## Maintain curl security We believe that we can maintain and continue to evolve curl security in spite of this change. Maybe even improve thanks to this, as hopefully this step helps prevent more people pouring sand into the machine. Ideally we reduce the amount of wasted time and effort. I believe the best and our most valued security reporters still will tell us when they find security vulnerabilities. ## Instead If you suspect a security problem in curl going forward, we advise you to head over to GitHub and submit them there. Alternatively, you send an email with the full report to `security @ curl.se`. In both cases, the report is received and handled privately by the curl security team. But with _no monetary reward offered_. ## Leaving Hackerone Hackerone was good to us and they have graciously allowed us to run our program on their platform for free for many years. We thank them for that service. As we now drop the rewards, we feel it makes a clear cut and displays a clearer message to everyone involved by also moving away from Hackerone as a platform for vulnerability reporting. It makes the change more visible. ## Future disclosures It is probably going to be harder for us to publicly disclose every incoming security report in the same way we have done it on Hackerone for the last year. We need to work out something to make sure that we can keep doing it at least imperfectly, because I believe in the goodness of such transparency. ## We stay on GitHub Let me emphasize that this change does not impact our presence and mode of operation with the curl repository and its hosting on GitHub. We hear about projects having problems with low-quality AI slop submissions on GitHub as well, in the form of issues and pull-requests, but for curl we have not (yet) seen this – and frankly I don’t think switching to a GitHub alternative saves us from that. ## Other projects do better Compared to others, we seem to be affected by the sloppy security reports to a higher degree than the average Open Source project. With the help of Hackerone, we got numbers of how the curl bug-bounty has compared with other programs over the last year. It turns out curl’s program has seen more volume and noise than other public open source bug bounty programs in the same cohort. Over the past four quarters, curl’s inbound report volume has risen sharply, while other bounty-paying open source programs in the cohort, such as Ruby, Node, and Rails, have not seen a meaningful increase and have remained mostly flat or declined slightly. In the chart, the pink line represents curl’s report volume, and the gray line reflects the broader cohort. Inbound Report Volume on Hackerone: curl compared to OSS peers We suspect the idea of getting money for it is a big part of the explanation. It brings in real reports, but makes it too easy to be annoying with little to no penalty to the user. The reputation system and available program settings were not sufficient for us to prevent sand from getting into the machine. The exact reason why we suffer more of this abuse than others remains a subject for further speculation and research. ## If the volume keeps up There is a non-zero risk that our guesses are wrong and that the volume and security report frequency will keep up even after these changes go into effect. If that happens, we will deal with it then and take further appropriate steps. I prefer not to overdo things or _overplan_ already now for something that ideally does not happen. ## We won’t charge People keep suggesting that one way to deal with the report tsunami is to _charge_ security researchers a small amount of money for the privilege of submitting a vulnerability report to us. A _curl reporters security club_ with an entrance fee. I think that is a less good solution than just dropping the bounty. Some of the reasons include: * Charging people money in an International context is complicated and a maintenance burden. * Dealing with charge-backs, returns and other complaints and friction add work. * It would limit who could or would submit issues. Even some who actually find legitimate issues. Maybe we need to do this later anyway, but we stay away from it for now. ## Pull requests are less of a problem We have seen other projects and repositories see similar AI-induced problems for pull requests, but this has not been a problem for the curl project. I believe for PRs we have better much means to sort out the weed with automatic means, since we have tools, tests and scanners to verify such contributions. We don’t need to waste any human time on pull requests until the quality is good enough to get green check-marks from 200 CI jobs. ## Related I will do a talk at FOSDEM 2026 titled Open Source Security in spite of AI that of course will touch on this subject. ## Future We never say never. This is now and we might have reasons to reconsider and make a different decision in the future. If we do, we will let you know. These changes are applied now with the hope that they will have a positive effect for the project and its maintainers. If that turns out to not be the outcome, we will of course continue and apply further changes later. ## Media Since I created the pull request for updating the bug-bounty information for curl on January 14, almost two weeks before we merged it, various media picked up the news and published articles. Long before I posted this blog post. * The Register: Curl shutters bug bounty program to remove incentive for submitting AI slop * Elektroniktidningen: cURL removes bug bounties * Heise online: curl: Projekt beendet Bug-Bounty-Programm * Neowin: Beloved tool, cURL is shutting down its bug bounty over AI slop reports * Golem: Curl-Entwickler dreht dem “KI-Schrott” den Geldhahn zu * Linux Easy: cURL chiude il programma bug bounty: troppi report generati dall’AI * Bleeping Computer: Curl ending bug bounty program after flood of AI slop reports * The New Stack: Drowning in AI slop, cURL ends bug bounties * Ars Technica: Overrun with AI slop, cURL scraps bug bounties to ensure “intact mental health” * PressMind Labs: cURL ko?czy program bug bounty – czy to koniec jako?ci zg?osze?? * Socket: curl Shuts Down Bug Bounty Program After Flood of AI Slop Reports Also discussed (indirectly) on Hacker News.

Amidst ongoing controversy over possibly ending the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after the Trump administration cut off 90% of its foreign aid contracts, a multi-year study from an American think tank found that the agency might have provided millions of dollars of funding to extremist organizations connected to terrorist entities and their allies. > The conservative US think tank Middle East Forum said in its report, titled “ _Terror Finance at the State Department and USAID,_ “ that the USAID, as well as the US State Department, provided hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations involved with designated terrorist groups. The report specifically focused on funds from USAID and the State Department that allegedly wound up in the hands of extremist groups and other entities tied to terrorism. "The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters," the think tank wrote in its report, which was published on February 4th. “ _Billions more of federal monies has been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government,_ “ the think tank added. > The think tank reported that, among its top findings, the USAID provided more than $900,000 of funding to the Bayader Association for Environment and Development, which the Middle East Forum described as a "Gaza-based terror charity.” Bayader describes itself as a non-governmental organization (NGO) working "to build a civil society" in the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007. "Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture," the MEF’s report also stated. > While the USAID funds were secured through other NGOs, such as the Catholic Relief Services, the report said that USAID “ _coordinates directly with Bayader as well,_ “ with USAID officials praising “Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity." MEF’s report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant to the American Near East Refugee Agency in 2024, also a "long-standing partner" of Bayader. The report also found that staffers with the NGO, founded in 1968 to assist refugees displaced by the Arab-Israeli war, have repeatedly posted "violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials” in public. Some of the comments made by employees of the American Near East Refugee Agency include calling on God to "erase the Jews," expressing support for the "brave prisoners" in Israeli prisons during the Israel-Hamas war, and describing the horrifying attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, as a "beautiful morning." > Other findings from the report include the State Department providing funding to domestic groups tied to extremism, such as the Tides Foundation, which some members of Congress accused of funding pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish violence in college campuses across the country. USAID recently came under fire from the Trump administration after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the leadership of Elon Musk, investigated the agency’s spending practices, with the possibility of the agency being reorganized or even shut down. On its website on February 4th, the agency announced that nearly all personnel would be put on leave, except for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs." Its overseas missions have also been reportedly told to shut down.

Amidst ongoing controversy over possibly ending the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after the Trump administration cut off 90% of its foreign aid contracts, a multi-year study from an American think tank found that the agency might have provided millions of dollars of funding to extremist organizations connected to terrorist entities and their allies. > The conservative US think tank Middle East Forum said in its report, titled “ _Terror Finance at the State Department and USAID,_ “ that the USAID, as well as the US State Department, provided hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations involved with designated terrorist groups. The report specifically focused on funds from USAID and the State Department that allegedly wound up in the hands of extremist groups and other entities tied to terrorism. "The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters," the think tank wrote in its report, which was published on February 4th. “ _Billions more of federal monies has been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government,_ “ the think tank added. > The think tank reported that, among its top findings, the USAID provided more than $900,000 of funding to the Bayader Association for Environment and Development, which the Middle East Forum described as a "Gaza-based terror charity.” Bayader describes itself as a non-governmental organization (NGO) working "to build a civil society" in the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007. "Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture," the MEF’s report also stated. > While the USAID funds were secured through other NGOs, such as the Catholic Relief Services, the report said that USAID “ _coordinates directly with Bayader as well,_ “ with USAID officials praising “Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity." MEF’s report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant to the American Near East Refugee Agency in 2024, also a "long-standing partner" of Bayader. The report also found that staffers with the NGO, founded in 1968 to assist refugees displaced by the Arab-Israeli war, have repeatedly posted "violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials” in public. Some of the comments made by employees of the American Near East Refugee Agency include calling on God to "erase the Jews," expressing support for the "brave prisoners" in Israeli prisons during the Israel-Hamas war, and describing the horrifying attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, as a "beautiful morning." > Other findings from the report include the State Department providing funding to domestic groups tied to extremism, such as the Tides Foundation, which some members of Congress accused of funding pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish violence in college campuses across the country. USAID recently came under fire from the Trump administration after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the leadership of Elon Musk, investigated the agency’s spending practices, with the possibility of the agency being reorganized or even shut down. On its website on February 4th, the agency announced that nearly all personnel would be put on leave, except for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs." Its overseas missions have also been reportedly told to shut down.

Amidst ongoing controversy over possibly ending the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after the Trump administration cut off 90% of its foreign aid contracts, a multi-year study from an American think tank found that the agency might have provided millions of dollars of funding to extremist organizations connected to terrorist entities and their allies. > The conservative US think tank Middle East Forum said in its report, titled “ _Terror Finance at the State Department and USAID,_ “ that the USAID, as well as the US State Department, provided hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations involved with designated terrorist groups. The report specifically focused on funds from USAID and the State Department that allegedly wound up in the hands of extremist groups and other entities tied to terrorism. "The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters," the think tank wrote in its report, which was published on February 4th. “ _Billions more of federal monies has been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government,_ “ the think tank added. > The think tank reported that, among its top findings, the USAID provided more than $900,000 of funding to the Bayader Association for Environment and Development, which the Middle East Forum described as a "Gaza-based terror charity.” Bayader describes itself as a non-governmental organization (NGO) working "to build a civil society" in the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007. "Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture," the MEF’s report also stated. > While the USAID funds were secured through other NGOs, such as the Catholic Relief Services, the report said that USAID “ _coordinates directly with Bayader as well,_ “ with USAID officials praising “Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity." MEF’s report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant to the American Near East Refugee Agency in 2024, also a "long-standing partner" of Bayader. The report also found that staffers with the NGO, founded in 1968 to assist refugees displaced by the Arab-Israeli war, have repeatedly posted "violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials” in public. Some of the comments made by employees of the American Near East Refugee Agency include calling on God to "erase the Jews," expressing support for the "brave prisoners" in Israeli prisons during the Israel-Hamas war, and describing the horrifying attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, as a "beautiful morning." > Other findings from the report include the State Department providing funding to domestic groups tied to extremism, such as the Tides Foundation, which some members of Congress accused of funding pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish violence in college campuses across the country. USAID recently came under fire from the Trump administration after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the leadership of Elon Musk, investigated the agency’s spending practices, with the possibility of the agency being reorganized or even shut down. On its website on February 4th, the agency announced that nearly all personnel would be put on leave, except for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs." Its overseas missions have also been reportedly told to shut down.

submitted by mo_lave to anime 12 points | 14 comments https://collider.com/darkest-anime-series-ranked/ * _Bookiepop Phantom_ * _Ergo Proxy_ * _Higurashi_ * _Haibane Renmei_ * _Shiki_ * _Talentless Nana_ * _Speed Grapher_ * _Shinsekai Yori_ * _Chainsaw Man_ * _Terror in Resonance_ * _Elfen Lied_ * _Psycho-Pass_ * _Now and Then, Here and There_ * _Made in Abyss_ * _Paranoia Agent_ * _Monster_ * _Texhnolyze_ * _Berserk_ * _Devilman Crybaby_ * _Evangelion_

We all remember where we were in 2016. The “ _Glosses by Kylie Jenner_” commercial had just dropped — a hyper-saturated, honey-lit vision of Jenner's “King Kylie” era — and there was this song in the background that sounded so new, so effortless, that the internet decided it had to be her. The mystery voice was breathy and detached, wrapped in bubblegum production and soft menace. Within hours, theories spread: Jenner had a secret pop project. Jenner was the singer. Jenner had become _Terror Jr_. She hadn’t — but in a way, she had. ### That Glosses clip didn’t just launch a beauty product; it accidentally launched a band. The song, “ _3 Strikes_,” was the first thing David Singer-Vine and Lisa Vitale ever made together. At the time, they didn’t even have a name. A mutual friend, director Colin Tilley, played their demo for Kylie while shooting the commercial, and she immediately wanted to use it. Overnight, Terror Jr became a myth before they were even a group — an internet rumor with a SoundCloud link. “I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this,” Lisa of Terror Jr tells __PAPER__. “People are always like, ‘I loved you guys before Kylie.’ And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then.” Nine years later, the story finally loops back on itself. Jenner — now reclaiming her _King Kylie_ persona — officially appears on Terror Jr’s new single “ _Fourth Strike_.” It’s a wink at the past and a reclamation of it: the voice that was once mistaken for hers now shares the mic with the real thing. For Terror Jr, the collaboration isn’t just nostalgia bait; it’s a reminder of what they do best — sneaking real emotion inside glossy pop. “We’re riding the song like a Trojan horse,” David says. “That’s the mission — hiding substance inside something shiny.” The track arrives alongside an upcoming album, __The Terror Jr Album__ , a body of work that pushes their hyper-synthetic sound toward something more personal, political, and cinematic. In 2016, they were the mystery. In 2025, they’re the reveal. We caught up with Lisa Vitale and David Singer-Vine ahead of the King Kylie release to talk pop myths, politics, and the full-circle chaos of being the band that accidentally launched a Kardashian-adjacent conspiracy — and how they turned it into art. ### ### **Y’all ready for the Kylie event tonight?** **David Singer-Vine:** Oh, wow. That’s like asking, are you ready to fly? You know when you’re a little bird about to spread your wings? You never really know until it happens. **Lisa Vitale:** I feel like I’m jumping out of the nest, not sure if I’ll fall on my face or fly into the sky. **David:** But no, I don’t want to assume too much. We did FaceTime with her, and she’s very chill. Over my career, I’ve worked with all kinds of people. Like ten years ago, I did a session with 50 Cent, and he literally just sat in the corner writing lyrics on a piece of paper. These people you build up in your head as mythic or untouchable are often just normal. Kylie’s the same — sweet and grounded. So yeah, I feel ready for the Kylie event. **Take me back. How did this all start? How did the idea come about? Because with “Three Strikes,” I remember the Kylie Cosmetics moment, when everyone thought it was her voice. That was such a buzzy internet thing. So how did “Fourth Strike” actually happen?** **Lisa:** In a lot of ways — not to use TikTok language — but we really did manifest this. We’d been joking about Kylie being on a song for years. We always hoped it would happen, but didn’t know if it ever would. When it finally did, it was surreal. We were like, there’s no way this is real. **David:** We actually took the past year off to focus on our new album. We felt like we were drifting from what mattered most to us — making music we’re proud of, that feels timeless and not just a flash-in-the-pan TikTok thing. During that time, my childhood best friend, director Colin Tilley, reached out. He’s the one who originally played “Three Strikes” for Kylie back in the day while shooting her first lip-gloss commercial. At that point, Lisa and I had just started conceptualizing Terror Jr — we didn’t even have a song out yet. Kylie heard the demo and immediately said, let’s put it in the video. That was essentially the inception of Terror Jr — alongside Kylie Cosmetics. We’ve always loved the lore of people thinking Kylie was Lisa. But this new song felt like divine timing. Colin hit me while we were deep in album mode and said, "Hey, I’m shooting Kylie’s anniversary campaign. Let’s get a new Terror Jr song in there." Kylie could’ve chosen anyone, but she said yes. She thought it would be cool for both of us. That’s how “Fourth Strike” happened. It also brought together people from my past. Colin looped in our other childhood friend, Niles Hollowell-Dhar — who I used to make music with as The Cataracs and who now goes by KSHMR. It felt like my two musical worlds merging, right as Kylie was launching her own music. It’s all these pop-culture threads colliding in one moment. **So Terror Jr wasn’t actually formed before the Kylie Cosmetics video dropped?** **David:** Nope. We didn’t even have one song. **Lisa:** We had just started writing together. Kylie heard a loose demo that ended up forcing us to finish it for her commercial. **Wow, I didn’t know that.** **David:** Yeah, nobody does. You might be the first person to actually really inquire. **Lisa:** I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this, because people are always like, “I loved you guys before Kylie.” And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then. ### ### **It** _**_is_**_**a Mandela Effect! That’s so crazy. Were you guys in the studio with her for this one? Did you actually have face time with Kylie?** **David:** For this, yeah. Well, not in person, but we did have real FaceTime with her. I actually love how it came together. She wanted to do it her way, and we just wanted her to be comfortable. She had her friend Carter, who’s a music guy, bring a mobile studio to her. She brought in a songwriter she wanted to work with, crafted her verse, and sent everything back and forth with us. She’d record, clean up some things, tweak vocals. She was really involved. For me, it was charming to see because I remember how terrifying it is to record for the first time. And again, she didn’t have to do this. She could’ve worked with any group bigger than us. This was pure fun for her. We just went back and forth until it felt right. On release night, we all FaceTimed again and just talked feelings, how proud we were, how at peace we felt. That’s what matters. Whatever happens next is out of our control. **So you’ll actually meet her tonight?** **David:** Yeah, as long as the Uber doesn’t crash. LA’s a dangerous place to drive! **Lisa:** Or we don’t get tackled the second we walk out of it. **I saw that King Kylie received over 2.2 million Spotify artist profile views following the release of “Fourth Strike.” That’s kind of crazy.** **David:** It is! There are famous people, and then there’s Kylie Jenner. We knew her reach was massive, but doing this song, we felt it. Lisa and I have been doing this for almost a decade, and this track made us feel like a brand-new group again. It’s rare to capture that lightning twice, and it’s directly because of her — her association, her energy, her willingness to be openly linked with us. **She knows what’s good. I feel like she has great taste.** **Lisa:** I mean, we think so. I might be biased, though. **Do you have any intel on her personal music taste? Like what she listens to?** **David:** I just remember back in the day she’d help break artists. If Kylie featured you in something, you’d instantly pop off. I don’t remember all the names, but it was a thing. So yeah, the taste is there. She’s got influence. **Let’s talk about your upcoming album,**_**_The Terror Jr Album_**_**. It feels like such a return to form. What’s the vibe with this new record?** **David:** First off, we’d love to send it to you after this. Just keep it safe until November 7. We’re in the final stretch, tweaking mixes and mastering. I’m manic toward the end—I keep hearing tiny things I want to fix. But honestly, I’m so proud. Last night I had a dance party in my bathroom when I was supposed to be asleep. As a songwriter, I’m proud of the craft. My housemate, who’s also the executive producer, has become family. It’s been a sonic family between him, Lisa, and me. We started this a year ago, and I doubted we’d even finish. Some days I doubt the world will still exist. But it’s here now, almost complete, and I’m just grateful. And I’ll admit, I’m a film nerd first, more than a music historian. I’m obsessed with narrative — writing lyrics that actually say something. We were purposeful about the social commentary, politics, and philosophy in these songs. I hope people listen and raise an eyebrow in a good way. **That’s what I’ve always loved about y’all — the lyrics. I don’t think people give you enough flowers for how smart and clever they are, especially the political ones. Like on “A-OK (Everything’s Perfect),” wasn’t there even a line about Omarosa?** **David:** Yeah! Lisa and I spent long hours on that stuff, not stopping until we knew the lyrics would leave a mark. **Lisa:** We actually wrote something similar when we posted the album artwork, saying how we’ve been looking inward and at the world around us. The album is a mix of reflection — personal and global. We’ve never made music that wasn’t also commentary on what we see. What I love about working with David is how fearless it feels. We’re not afraid to say things. A lot of artists hesitate to speak politically, but for us, it’s in the lyrics — we don’t have to spell it out in interviews. I remember doing laps in my pool in the Valley, it was 110 degrees, and David called saying, "We need another song." I was literally melting, watching the news, thinking, __What do I even write about?__ The world felt apocalyptic, and that energy seeped into the music. But there’s also self-reflection and perspective in it. **David:** There’s a song on the album called “It’s Exhausting,” which kind of puts me on blast. It’s me looking down the barrel — confronting myself and the world I grew up in. We talk about America, white privilege, limousine liberals, everything. I just hope people are surprised by the substance behind it, even as they’re pulled in by the pop of “Fourth Strike” with King Kylie. ### > See on Instagram ### **Your music is so interesting, because on the surface it seems almost plastic and bubblegum — but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it hits deep.** **David:** Yeah, we’re riding the song like a Trojan horse. That’s the mission here — sneaking real substance inside something shiny. Hopefully, we fulfilled it. **Well, I think that’s all I’ve got to ask you guys. I’m such a huge fan of you guys. You’re like The Beatles to me.** **Lisa:** Oh, okay — so who’s Paul and who’s John? **David:** [laughs] Yeah, exactly. But thank you, Ivan. That means a lot. It’s crazy — most of our friends are self-funded indie artists like us, and it’s hard out here. The music industry right now is full of haves and have-nots, especially in pop. So it really means something to hear that, because even before this Kylie moment, we’ve always put our hearts into what we do. We’ve never worked this hard on a project — truly. The blood, sweat, and tears are all in this one. So the fact that this Kylie crossover is happening now, and we get to share it with people like you, it’s just… we’re lit up right now. We’re hyped. And this interview is part of that moment. We really appreciate you. **Lisa:** Yeah, and we appreciate that you were covering us before Kylie blessed us again. You did “Puppy Eyes,” and we still talk about that. We really appreciate the support — hopefully we all ride into the sunset of success together. ### _Photography byColin Tilley _

We all remember where we were in 2016. The “ _Glosses by Kylie Jenner_” commercial had just dropped — a hyper-saturated, honey-lit vision of Jenner's “King Kylie” era — and there was this song in the background that sounded so new, so effortless, that the internet decided it had to be her. The mystery voice was breathy and detached, wrapped in bubblegum production and soft menace. Within hours, theories spread: Jenner had a secret pop project. Jenner was the singer. Jenner had become _Terror Jr_. She hadn’t — but in a way, she had. ### That Glosses clip didn’t just launch a beauty product; it accidentally launched a band. The song, “ _3 Strikes_,” was the first thing David Singer-Vine and Lisa Vitale ever made together. At the time, they didn’t even have a name. A mutual friend, director Colin Tilley, played their demo for Kylie while shooting the commercial, and she immediately wanted to use it. Overnight, Terror Jr became a myth before they were even a group — an internet rumor with a SoundCloud link. “I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this,” Lisa of Terror Jr tells __PAPER__. “People are always like, ‘I loved you guys before Kylie.’ And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then.” Nine years later, the story finally loops back on itself. Jenner — now reclaiming her _King Kylie_ persona — officially appears on Terror Jr’s new single “ _Fourth Strike_.” It’s a wink at the past and a reclamation of it: the voice that was once mistaken for hers now shares the mic with the real thing. For Terror Jr, the collaboration isn’t just nostalgia bait; it’s a reminder of what they do best — sneaking real emotion inside glossy pop. “We’re riding the song like a Trojan horse,” David says. “That’s the mission — hiding substance inside something shiny.” The track arrives alongside an upcoming album, __The Terror Jr Album__ , a body of work that pushes their hyper-synthetic sound toward something more personal, political, and cinematic. In 2016, they were the mystery. In 2025, they’re the reveal. We caught up with Lisa Vitale and David Singer-Vine ahead of the King Kylie release to talk pop myths, politics, and the full-circle chaos of being the band that accidentally launched a Kardashian-adjacent conspiracy — and how they turned it into art. ### ### **Y’all ready for the Kylie event tonight?** **David Singer-Vine:** Oh, wow. That’s like asking, are you ready to fly? You know when you’re a little bird about to spread your wings? You never really know until it happens. **Lisa Vitale:** I feel like I’m jumping out of the nest, not sure if I’ll fall on my face or fly into the sky. **David:** But no, I don’t want to assume too much. We did FaceTime with her, and she’s very chill. Over my career, I’ve worked with all kinds of people. Like ten years ago, I did a session with 50 Cent, and he literally just sat in the corner writing lyrics on a piece of paper. These people you build up in your head as mythic or untouchable are often just normal. Kylie’s the same — sweet and grounded. So yeah, I feel ready for the Kylie event. **Take me back. How did this all start? How did the idea come about? Because with “Three Strikes,” I remember the Kylie Cosmetics moment, when everyone thought it was her voice. That was such a buzzy internet thing. So how did “Fourth Strike” actually happen?** **Lisa:** In a lot of ways — not to use TikTok language — but we really did manifest this. We’d been joking about Kylie being on a song for years. We always hoped it would happen, but didn’t know if it ever would. When it finally did, it was surreal. We were like, there’s no way this is real. **David:** We actually took the past year off to focus on our new album. We felt like we were drifting from what mattered most to us — making music we’re proud of, that feels timeless and not just a flash-in-the-pan TikTok thing. During that time, my childhood best friend, director Colin Tilley, reached out. He’s the one who originally played “Three Strikes” for Kylie back in the day while shooting her first lip-gloss commercial. At that point, Lisa and I had just started conceptualizing Terror Jr — we didn’t even have a song out yet. Kylie heard the demo and immediately said, let’s put it in the video. That was essentially the inception of Terror Jr — alongside Kylie Cosmetics. We’ve always loved the lore of people thinking Kylie was Lisa. But this new song felt like divine timing. Colin hit me while we were deep in album mode and said, "Hey, I’m shooting Kylie’s anniversary campaign. Let’s get a new Terror Jr song in there." Kylie could’ve chosen anyone, but she said yes. She thought it would be cool for both of us. That’s how “Fourth Strike” happened. It also brought together people from my past. Colin looped in our other childhood friend, Niles Hollowell-Dhar — who I used to make music with as The Cataracs and who now goes by KSHMR. It felt like my two musical worlds merging, right as Kylie was launching her own music. It’s all these pop-culture threads colliding in one moment. **So Terror Jr wasn’t actually formed before the Kylie Cosmetics video dropped?** **David:** Nope. We didn’t even have one song. **Lisa:** We had just started writing together. Kylie heard a loose demo that ended up forcing us to finish it for her commercial. **Wow, I didn’t know that.** **David:** Yeah, nobody does. You might be the first person to actually really inquire. **Lisa:** I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this, because people are always like, “I loved you guys before Kylie.” And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then. ### ### **It** _**_is_**_**a Mandela Effect! That’s so crazy. Were you guys in the studio with her for this one? Did you actually have face time with Kylie?** **David:** For this, yeah. Well, not in person, but we did have real FaceTime with her. I actually love how it came together. She wanted to do it her way, and we just wanted her to be comfortable. She had her friend Carter, who’s a music guy, bring a mobile studio to her. She brought in a songwriter she wanted to work with, crafted her verse, and sent everything back and forth with us. She’d record, clean up some things, tweak vocals. She was really involved. For me, it was charming to see because I remember how terrifying it is to record for the first time. And again, she didn’t have to do this. She could’ve worked with any group bigger than us. This was pure fun for her. We just went back and forth until it felt right. On release night, we all FaceTimed again and just talked feelings, how proud we were, how at peace we felt. That’s what matters. Whatever happens next is out of our control. **So you’ll actually meet her tonight?** **David:** Yeah, as long as the Uber doesn’t crash. LA’s a dangerous place to drive! **Lisa:** Or we don’t get tackled the second we walk out of it. **I saw that King Kylie received over 2.2 million Spotify artist profile views following the release of “Fourth Strike.” That’s kind of crazy.** **David:** It is! There are famous people, and then there’s Kylie Jenner. We knew her reach was massive, but doing this song, we felt it. Lisa and I have been doing this for almost a decade, and this track made us feel like a brand-new group again. It’s rare to capture that lightning twice, and it’s directly because of her — her association, her energy, her willingness to be openly linked with us. **She knows what’s good. I feel like she has great taste.** **Lisa:** I mean, we think so. I might be biased, though. **Do you have any intel on her personal music taste? Like what she listens to?** **David:** I just remember back in the day she’d help break artists. If Kylie featured you in something, you’d instantly pop off. I don’t remember all the names, but it was a thing. So yeah, the taste is there. She’s got influence. **Let’s talk about your upcoming album,**_**_The Terror Jr Album_**_**. It feels like such a return to form. What’s the vibe with this new record?** **David:** First off, we’d love to send it to you after this. Just keep it safe until November 7. We’re in the final stretch, tweaking mixes and mastering. I’m manic toward the end—I keep hearing tiny things I want to fix. But honestly, I’m so proud. Last night I had a dance party in my bathroom when I was supposed to be asleep. As a songwriter, I’m proud of the craft. My housemate, who’s also the executive producer, has become family. It’s been a sonic family between him, Lisa, and me. We started this a year ago, and I doubted we’d even finish. Some days I doubt the world will still exist. But it’s here now, almost complete, and I’m just grateful. And I’ll admit, I’m a film nerd first, more than a music historian. I’m obsessed with narrative — writing lyrics that actually say something. We were purposeful about the social commentary, politics, and philosophy in these songs. I hope people listen and raise an eyebrow in a good way. **That’s what I’ve always loved about y’all — the lyrics. I don’t think people give you enough flowers for how smart and clever they are, especially the political ones. Like on “A-OK (Everything’s Perfect),” wasn’t there even a line about Omarosa?** **David:** Yeah! Lisa and I spent long hours on that stuff, not stopping until we knew the lyrics would leave a mark. **Lisa:** We actually wrote something similar when we posted the album artwork, saying how we’ve been looking inward and at the world around us. The album is a mix of reflection — personal and global. We’ve never made music that wasn’t also commentary on what we see. What I love about working with David is how fearless it feels. We’re not afraid to say things. A lot of artists hesitate to speak politically, but for us, it’s in the lyrics — we don’t have to spell it out in interviews. I remember doing laps in my pool in the Valley, it was 110 degrees, and David called saying, "We need another song." I was literally melting, watching the news, thinking, __What do I even write about?__ The world felt apocalyptic, and that energy seeped into the music. But there’s also self-reflection and perspective in it. **David:** There’s a song on the album called “It’s Exhausting,” which kind of puts me on blast. It’s me looking down the barrel — confronting myself and the world I grew up in. We talk about America, white privilege, limousine liberals, everything. I just hope people are surprised by the substance behind it, even as they’re pulled in by the pop of “Fourth Strike” with King Kylie. ### > See on Instagram ### **Your music is so interesting, because on the surface it seems almost plastic and bubblegum — but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it hits deep.** **David:** Yeah, we’re riding the song like a Trojan horse. That’s the mission here — sneaking real substance inside something shiny. Hopefully, we fulfilled it. **Well, I think that’s all I’ve got to ask you guys. I’m such a huge fan of you guys. You’re like The Beatles to me.** **Lisa:** Oh, okay — so who’s Paul and who’s John? **David:** [laughs] Yeah, exactly. But thank you, Ivan. That means a lot. It’s crazy — most of our friends are self-funded indie artists like us, and it’s hard out here. The music industry right now is full of haves and have-nots, especially in pop. So it really means something to hear that, because even before this Kylie moment, we’ve always put our hearts into what we do. We’ve never worked this hard on a project — truly. The blood, sweat, and tears are all in this one. So the fact that this Kylie crossover is happening now, and we get to share it with people like you, it’s just… we’re lit up right now. We’re hyped. And this interview is part of that moment. We really appreciate you. **Lisa:** Yeah, and we appreciate that you were covering us before Kylie blessed us again. You did “Puppy Eyes,” and we still talk about that. We really appreciate the support — hopefully we all ride into the sunset of success together. ### _Photography byColin Tilley _

We all remember where we were in 2016. The “ _Glosses by Kylie Jenner_” commercial had just dropped — a hyper-saturated, honey-lit vision of Jenner's “King Kylie” era — and there was this song in the background that sounded so new, so effortless, that the internet decided it had to be her. The mystery voice was breathy and detached, wrapped in bubblegum production and soft menace. Within hours, theories spread: Jenner had a secret pop project. Jenner was the singer. Jenner had become _Terror Jr_. She hadn’t — but in a way, she had. ### That Glosses clip didn’t just launch a beauty product; it accidentally launched a band. The song, “ _3 Strikes_,” was the first thing David Singer-Vine and Lisa Vitale ever made together. At the time, they didn’t even have a name. A mutual friend, director Colin Tilley, played their demo for Kylie while shooting the commercial, and she immediately wanted to use it. Overnight, Terror Jr became a myth before they were even a group — an internet rumor with a SoundCloud link. “I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this,” Lisa of Terror Jr tells __PAPER__. “People are always like, ‘I loved you guys before Kylie.’ And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then.” Nine years later, the story finally loops back on itself. Jenner — now reclaiming her _King Kylie_ persona — officially appears on Terror Jr’s new single “ _Fourth Strike_.” It’s a wink at the past and a reclamation of it: the voice that was once mistaken for hers now shares the mic with the real thing. For Terror Jr, the collaboration isn’t just nostalgia bait; it’s a reminder of what they do best — sneaking real emotion inside glossy pop. “We’re riding the song like a Trojan horse,” David says. “That’s the mission — hiding substance inside something shiny.” The track arrives alongside an upcoming album, __The Terror Jr Album__ , a body of work that pushes their hyper-synthetic sound toward something more personal, political, and cinematic. In 2016, they were the mystery. In 2025, they’re the reveal. We caught up with Lisa Vitale and David Singer-Vine ahead of the King Kylie release to talk pop myths, politics, and the full-circle chaos of being the band that accidentally launched a Kardashian-adjacent conspiracy — and how they turned it into art. ### ### **Y’all ready for the Kylie event tonight?** **David Singer-Vine:** Oh, wow. That’s like asking, are you ready to fly? You know when you’re a little bird about to spread your wings? You never really know until it happens. **Lisa Vitale:** I feel like I’m jumping out of the nest, not sure if I’ll fall on my face or fly into the sky. **David:** But no, I don’t want to assume too much. We did FaceTime with her, and she’s very chill. Over my career, I’ve worked with all kinds of people. Like ten years ago, I did a session with 50 Cent, and he literally just sat in the corner writing lyrics on a piece of paper. These people you build up in your head as mythic or untouchable are often just normal. Kylie’s the same — sweet and grounded. So yeah, I feel ready for the Kylie event. **Take me back. How did this all start? How did the idea come about? Because with “Three Strikes,” I remember the Kylie Cosmetics moment, when everyone thought it was her voice. That was such a buzzy internet thing. So how did “Fourth Strike” actually happen?** **Lisa:** In a lot of ways — not to use TikTok language — but we really did manifest this. We’d been joking about Kylie being on a song for years. We always hoped it would happen, but didn’t know if it ever would. When it finally did, it was surreal. We were like, there’s no way this is real. **David:** We actually took the past year off to focus on our new album. We felt like we were drifting from what mattered most to us — making music we’re proud of, that feels timeless and not just a flash-in-the-pan TikTok thing. During that time, my childhood best friend, director Colin Tilley, reached out. He’s the one who originally played “Three Strikes” for Kylie back in the day while shooting her first lip-gloss commercial. At that point, Lisa and I had just started conceptualizing Terror Jr — we didn’t even have a song out yet. Kylie heard the demo and immediately said, let’s put it in the video. That was essentially the inception of Terror Jr — alongside Kylie Cosmetics. We’ve always loved the lore of people thinking Kylie was Lisa. But this new song felt like divine timing. Colin hit me while we were deep in album mode and said, "Hey, I’m shooting Kylie’s anniversary campaign. Let’s get a new Terror Jr song in there." Kylie could’ve chosen anyone, but she said yes. She thought it would be cool for both of us. That’s how “Fourth Strike” happened. It also brought together people from my past. Colin looped in our other childhood friend, Niles Hollowell-Dhar — who I used to make music with as The Cataracs and who now goes by KSHMR. It felt like my two musical worlds merging, right as Kylie was launching her own music. It’s all these pop-culture threads colliding in one moment. **So Terror Jr wasn’t actually formed before the Kylie Cosmetics video dropped?** **David:** Nope. We didn’t even have one song. **Lisa:** We had just started writing together. Kylie heard a loose demo that ended up forcing us to finish it for her commercial. **Wow, I didn’t know that.** **David:** Yeah, nobody does. You might be the first person to actually really inquire. **Lisa:** I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this, because people are always like, “I loved you guys before Kylie.” And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then. ### ### **It** _**_is_**_**a Mandela Effect! That’s so crazy. Were you guys in the studio with her for this one? Did you actually have face time with Kylie?** **David:** For this, yeah. Well, not in person, but we did have real FaceTime with her. I actually love how it came together. She wanted to do it her way, and we just wanted her to be comfortable. She had her friend Carter, who’s a music guy, bring a mobile studio to her. She brought in a songwriter she wanted to work with, crafted her verse, and sent everything back and forth with us. She’d record, clean up some things, tweak vocals. She was really involved. For me, it was charming to see because I remember how terrifying it is to record for the first time. And again, she didn’t have to do this. She could’ve worked with any group bigger than us. This was pure fun for her. We just went back and forth until it felt right. On release night, we all FaceTimed again and just talked feelings, how proud we were, how at peace we felt. That’s what matters. Whatever happens next is out of our control. **So you’ll actually meet her tonight?** **David:** Yeah, as long as the Uber doesn’t crash. LA’s a dangerous place to drive! **Lisa:** Or we don’t get tackled the second we walk out of it. **I saw that King Kylie received over 2.2 million Spotify artist profile views following the release of “Fourth Strike.” That’s kind of crazy.** **David:** It is! There are famous people, and then there’s Kylie Jenner. We knew her reach was massive, but doing this song, we felt it. Lisa and I have been doing this for almost a decade, and this track made us feel like a brand-new group again. It’s rare to capture that lightning twice, and it’s directly because of her — her association, her energy, her willingness to be openly linked with us. **She knows what’s good. I feel like she has great taste.** **Lisa:** I mean, we think so. I might be biased, though. **Do you have any intel on her personal music taste? Like what she listens to?** **David:** I just remember back in the day she’d help break artists. If Kylie featured you in something, you’d instantly pop off. I don’t remember all the names, but it was a thing. So yeah, the taste is there. She’s got influence. **Let’s talk about your upcoming album,**_**_The Terror Jr Album_**_**. It feels like such a return to form. What’s the vibe with this new record?** **David:** First off, we’d love to send it to you after this. Just keep it safe until November 7. We’re in the final stretch, tweaking mixes and mastering. I’m manic toward the end—I keep hearing tiny things I want to fix. But honestly, I’m so proud. Last night I had a dance party in my bathroom when I was supposed to be asleep. As a songwriter, I’m proud of the craft. My housemate, who’s also the executive producer, has become family. It’s been a sonic family between him, Lisa, and me. We started this a year ago, and I doubted we’d even finish. Some days I doubt the world will still exist. But it’s here now, almost complete, and I’m just grateful. And I’ll admit, I’m a film nerd first, more than a music historian. I’m obsessed with narrative — writing lyrics that actually say something. We were purposeful about the social commentary, politics, and philosophy in these songs. I hope people listen and raise an eyebrow in a good way. **That’s what I’ve always loved about y’all — the lyrics. I don’t think people give you enough flowers for how smart and clever they are, especially the political ones. Like on “A-OK (Everything’s Perfect),” wasn’t there even a line about Omarosa?** **David:** Yeah! Lisa and I spent long hours on that stuff, not stopping until we knew the lyrics would leave a mark. **Lisa:** We actually wrote something similar when we posted the album artwork, saying how we’ve been looking inward and at the world around us. The album is a mix of reflection — personal and global. We’ve never made music that wasn’t also commentary on what we see. What I love about working with David is how fearless it feels. We’re not afraid to say things. A lot of artists hesitate to speak politically, but for us, it’s in the lyrics — we don’t have to spell it out in interviews. I remember doing laps in my pool in the Valley, it was 110 degrees, and David called saying, "We need another song." I was literally melting, watching the news, thinking, __What do I even write about?__ The world felt apocalyptic, and that energy seeped into the music. But there’s also self-reflection and perspective in it. **David:** There’s a song on the album called “It’s Exhausting,” which kind of puts me on blast. It’s me looking down the barrel — confronting myself and the world I grew up in. We talk about America, white privilege, limousine liberals, everything. I just hope people are surprised by the substance behind it, even as they’re pulled in by the pop of “Fourth Strike” with King Kylie. ### > See on Instagram ### **Your music is so interesting, because on the surface it seems almost plastic and bubblegum — but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it hits deep.** **David:** Yeah, we’re riding the song like a Trojan horse. That’s the mission here — sneaking real substance inside something shiny. Hopefully, we fulfilled it. **Well, I think that’s all I’ve got to ask you guys. I’m such a huge fan of you guys. You’re like The Beatles to me.** **Lisa:** Oh, okay — so who’s Paul and who’s John? **David:** [laughs] Yeah, exactly. But thank you, Ivan. That means a lot. It’s crazy — most of our friends are self-funded indie artists like us, and it’s hard out here. The music industry right now is full of haves and have-nots, especially in pop. So it really means something to hear that, because even before this Kylie moment, we’ve always put our hearts into what we do. We’ve never worked this hard on a project — truly. The blood, sweat, and tears are all in this one. So the fact that this Kylie crossover is happening now, and we get to share it with people like you, it’s just… we’re lit up right now. We’re hyped. And this interview is part of that moment. We really appreciate you. **Lisa:** Yeah, and we appreciate that you were covering us before Kylie blessed us again. You did “Puppy Eyes,” and we still talk about that. We really appreciate the support — hopefully we all ride into the sunset of success together. ### _Photography byColin Tilley _

We all remember where we were in 2016. The “ _Glosses by Kylie Jenner_” commercial had just dropped — a hyper-saturated, honey-lit vision of Jenner's “King Kylie” era — and there was this song in the background that sounded so new, so effortless, that the internet decided it had to be her. The mystery voice was breathy and detached, wrapped in bubblegum production and soft menace. Within hours, theories spread: Jenner had a secret pop project. Jenner was the singer. Jenner had become _Terror Jr_. She hadn’t — but in a way, she had. ### That Glosses clip didn’t just launch a beauty product; it accidentally launched a band. The song, “ _3 Strikes_,” was the first thing David Singer-Vine and Lisa Vitale ever made together. At the time, they didn’t even have a name. A mutual friend, director Colin Tilley, played their demo for Kylie while shooting the commercial, and she immediately wanted to use it. Overnight, Terror Jr became a myth before they were even a group — an internet rumor with a SoundCloud link. “I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this,” Lisa of Terror Jr tells __PAPER__. “People are always like, ‘I loved you guys before Kylie.’ And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then.” Nine years later, the story finally loops back on itself. Jenner — now reclaiming her _King Kylie_ persona — officially appears on Terror Jr’s new single “ _Fourth Strike_.” It’s a wink at the past and a reclamation of it: the voice that was once mistaken for hers now shares the mic with the real thing. For Terror Jr, the collaboration isn’t just nostalgia bait; it’s a reminder of what they do best — sneaking real emotion inside glossy pop. “We’re riding the song like a Trojan horse,” David says. “That’s the mission — hiding substance inside something shiny.” The track arrives alongside an upcoming album, __The Terror Jr Album__ , a body of work that pushes their hyper-synthetic sound toward something more personal, political, and cinematic. In 2016, they were the mystery. In 2025, they’re the reveal. We caught up with Lisa Vitale and David Singer-Vine ahead of the King Kylie release to talk pop myths, politics, and the full-circle chaos of being the band that accidentally launched a Kardashian-adjacent conspiracy — and how they turned it into art. ### ### **Y’all ready for the Kylie event tonight?** **David Singer-Vine:** Oh, wow. That’s like asking, are you ready to fly? You know when you’re a little bird about to spread your wings? You never really know until it happens. **Lisa Vitale:** I feel like I’m jumping out of the nest, not sure if I’ll fall on my face or fly into the sky. **David:** But no, I don’t want to assume too much. We did FaceTime with her, and she’s very chill. Over my career, I’ve worked with all kinds of people. Like ten years ago, I did a session with 50 Cent, and he literally just sat in the corner writing lyrics on a piece of paper. These people you build up in your head as mythic or untouchable are often just normal. Kylie’s the same — sweet and grounded. So yeah, I feel ready for the Kylie event. **Take me back. How did this all start? How did the idea come about? Because with “Three Strikes,” I remember the Kylie Cosmetics moment, when everyone thought it was her voice. That was such a buzzy internet thing. So how did “Fourth Strike” actually happen?** **Lisa:** In a lot of ways — not to use TikTok language — but we really did manifest this. We’d been joking about Kylie being on a song for years. We always hoped it would happen, but didn’t know if it ever would. When it finally did, it was surreal. We were like, there’s no way this is real. **David:** We actually took the past year off to focus on our new album. We felt like we were drifting from what mattered most to us — making music we’re proud of, that feels timeless and not just a flash-in-the-pan TikTok thing. During that time, my childhood best friend, director Colin Tilley, reached out. He’s the one who originally played “Three Strikes” for Kylie back in the day while shooting her first lip-gloss commercial. At that point, Lisa and I had just started conceptualizing Terror Jr — we didn’t even have a song out yet. Kylie heard the demo and immediately said, let’s put it in the video. That was essentially the inception of Terror Jr — alongside Kylie Cosmetics. We’ve always loved the lore of people thinking Kylie was Lisa. But this new song felt like divine timing. Colin hit me while we were deep in album mode and said, "Hey, I’m shooting Kylie’s anniversary campaign. Let’s get a new Terror Jr song in there." Kylie could’ve chosen anyone, but she said yes. She thought it would be cool for both of us. That’s how “Fourth Strike” happened. It also brought together people from my past. Colin looped in our other childhood friend, Niles Hollowell-Dhar — who I used to make music with as The Cataracs and who now goes by KSHMR. It felt like my two musical worlds merging, right as Kylie was launching her own music. It’s all these pop-culture threads colliding in one moment. **So Terror Jr wasn’t actually formed before the Kylie Cosmetics video dropped?** **David:** Nope. We didn’t even have one song. **Lisa:** We had just started writing together. Kylie heard a loose demo that ended up forcing us to finish it for her commercial. **Wow, I didn’t know that.** **David:** Yeah, nobody does. You might be the first person to actually really inquire. **Lisa:** I feel like there’s a Mandela Effect around this, because people are always like, “I loved you guys before Kylie.” And I’m like, that’s impossible — we were born in a Kylie commercial. But a lot of people swear they were listening to us before then. ### ### **It** _**_is_**_**a Mandela Effect! That’s so crazy. Were you guys in the studio with her for this one? Did you actually have face time with Kylie?** **David:** For this, yeah. Well, not in person, but we did have real FaceTime with her. I actually love how it came together. She wanted to do it her way, and we just wanted her to be comfortable. She had her friend Carter, who’s a music guy, bring a mobile studio to her. She brought in a songwriter she wanted to work with, crafted her verse, and sent everything back and forth with us. She’d record, clean up some things, tweak vocals. She was really involved. For me, it was charming to see because I remember how terrifying it is to record for the first time. And again, she didn’t have to do this. She could’ve worked with any group bigger than us. This was pure fun for her. We just went back and forth until it felt right. On release night, we all FaceTimed again and just talked feelings, how proud we were, how at peace we felt. That’s what matters. Whatever happens next is out of our control. **So you’ll actually meet her tonight?** **David:** Yeah, as long as the Uber doesn’t crash. LA’s a dangerous place to drive! **Lisa:** Or we don’t get tackled the second we walk out of it. **I saw that King Kylie received over 2.2 million Spotify artist profile views following the release of “Fourth Strike.” That’s kind of crazy.** **David:** It is! There are famous people, and then there’s Kylie Jenner. We knew her reach was massive, but doing this song, we felt it. Lisa and I have been doing this for almost a decade, and this track made us feel like a brand-new group again. It’s rare to capture that lightning twice, and it’s directly because of her — her association, her energy, her willingness to be openly linked with us. **She knows what’s good. I feel like she has great taste.** **Lisa:** I mean, we think so. I might be biased, though. **Do you have any intel on her personal music taste? Like what she listens to?** **David:** I just remember back in the day she’d help break artists. If Kylie featured you in something, you’d instantly pop off. I don’t remember all the names, but it was a thing. So yeah, the taste is there. She’s got influence. **Let’s talk about your upcoming album,**_**_The Terror Jr Album_**_**. It feels like such a return to form. What’s the vibe with this new record?** **David:** First off, we’d love to send it to you after this. Just keep it safe until November 7. We’re in the final stretch, tweaking mixes and mastering. I’m manic toward the end—I keep hearing tiny things I want to fix. But honestly, I’m so proud. Last night I had a dance party in my bathroom when I was supposed to be asleep. As a songwriter, I’m proud of the craft. My housemate, who’s also the executive producer, has become family. It’s been a sonic family between him, Lisa, and me. We started this a year ago, and I doubted we’d even finish. Some days I doubt the world will still exist. But it’s here now, almost complete, and I’m just grateful. And I’ll admit, I’m a film nerd first, more than a music historian. I’m obsessed with narrative — writing lyrics that actually say something. We were purposeful about the social commentary, politics, and philosophy in these songs. I hope people listen and raise an eyebrow in a good way. **That’s what I’ve always loved about y’all — the lyrics. I don’t think people give you enough flowers for how smart and clever they are, especially the political ones. Like on “A-OK (Everything’s Perfect),” wasn’t there even a line about Omarosa?** **David:** Yeah! Lisa and I spent long hours on that stuff, not stopping until we knew the lyrics would leave a mark. **Lisa:** We actually wrote something similar when we posted the album artwork, saying how we’ve been looking inward and at the world around us. The album is a mix of reflection — personal and global. We’ve never made music that wasn’t also commentary on what we see. What I love about working with David is how fearless it feels. We’re not afraid to say things. A lot of artists hesitate to speak politically, but for us, it’s in the lyrics — we don’t have to spell it out in interviews. I remember doing laps in my pool in the Valley, it was 110 degrees, and David called saying, "We need another song." I was literally melting, watching the news, thinking, __What do I even write about?__ The world felt apocalyptic, and that energy seeped into the music. But there’s also self-reflection and perspective in it. **David:** There’s a song on the album called “It’s Exhausting,” which kind of puts me on blast. It’s me looking down the barrel — confronting myself and the world I grew up in. We talk about America, white privilege, limousine liberals, everything. I just hope people are surprised by the substance behind it, even as they’re pulled in by the pop of “Fourth Strike” with King Kylie. ### > See on Instagram ### **Your music is so interesting, because on the surface it seems almost plastic and bubblegum — but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it hits deep.** **David:** Yeah, we’re riding the song like a Trojan horse. That’s the mission here — sneaking real substance inside something shiny. Hopefully, we fulfilled it. **Well, I think that’s all I’ve got to ask you guys. I’m such a huge fan of you guys. You’re like The Beatles to me.** **Lisa:** Oh, okay — so who’s Paul and who’s John? **David:** [laughs] Yeah, exactly. But thank you, Ivan. That means a lot. It’s crazy — most of our friends are self-funded indie artists like us, and it’s hard out here. The music industry right now is full of haves and have-nots, especially in pop. So it really means something to hear that, because even before this Kylie moment, we’ve always put our hearts into what we do. We’ve never worked this hard on a project — truly. The blood, sweat, and tears are all in this one. So the fact that this Kylie crossover is happening now, and we get to share it with people like you, it’s just… we’re lit up right now. We’re hyped. And this interview is part of that moment. We really appreciate you. **Lisa:** Yeah, and we appreciate that you were covering us before Kylie blessed us again. You did “Puppy Eyes,” and we still talk about that. We really appreciate the support — hopefully we all ride into the sunset of success together. ### _Photography byColin Tilley _

tldr: an attempt to reduce the _terror reporting_. **There is no longer a curl bug-bounty program.** It officially stops on January 31, 2026. After having had a few half-baked previous takes, in April 2019 we kicked off the first real curl bug-bounty with the help of Hackerone, and while it stumbled a bit at first it has been quite successful I think. We attracted skilled researchers who reported plenty of actual vulnerabilities for which we paid fine monetary rewards. We have certainly made curl better as a direct result of this: **87 confirmed vulnerabilities and over 100,000 USD** paid as rewards to researchers. I’m quite happy and proud of this accomplishment. I would like to especially highlight the awesome Internet Bug Bounty project, which has paid the bounties for us for many years. We could not have done this without them. Also of course Hackerone, who has graciously hosted us and been our partner through these years. Thanks! ## How we got here Looking back, I think we can say that the downfall of the bug-bounty program started slowly in the second half of 2024 but accelerated badly in 2025. We saw an explosion in AI slop reports combined with a lower quality even in the reports that were not obvious slop – presumably because they too were actually misled by AI but with that fact just hidden better. Maybe the first five years made it possible for researchers to find and report the low hanging fruit. Previous years we have had a rate of somewhere north of 15% of the submissions ending up confirmed vulnerabilities. Starting 2025, the confirmed-rate plummeted to below 5%. Not even one in twenty was _real_. The never-ending slop submissions take a serious mental toll to manage and sometimes also a long time to debunk. Time and energy that is completely wasted while also hampering our will to live. I have also started to get the feeling that a lot of the security reporters submit reports with a _bad faith attitude._ These “helpers” try too hard to twist whatever they find into something horribly bad and a critical vulnerability, but they rarely actively contribute to actually _improve_ curl. They can go to extreme efforts to argue and insist on their specific current finding, but not to write a fix or work with the team on improving curl long-term etc. I don’t think we need more of that. There are these three bad trends combined that makes us take this step: the mind-numbing AI slop, humans doing worse than ever and the apparent will to poke holes rather than to help. ## Actions In an attempt to do something about the sorry state of curl security reports, this is what we do: * We no longer offer any monetary rewards for security reports – no matter which severity. In an attempt to remove the incentives for submitting made up lies. * We stop using Hackerone as the recommended channel to report security problems. To make the change immediately obvious and because without a bug-bounty program we don’t need it. * We refer everyone to submit suspected curl security problems on GitHub using their _Private vulnerability reporting_ feature. * We continue to immediately _ban and publicly_ _ridicule_ everyone who submits AI slop to the project. ## Maintain curl security We believe that we can maintain and continue to evolve curl security in spite of this change. Maybe even improve thanks to this, as hopefully this step helps prevent more people pouring sand into the machine. Ideally we reduce the amount of wasted time and effort. I believe the best and our most valued security reporters still will tell us when they find security vulnerabilities. ## Instead If you suspect a security problem in curl going forward, we advise you to head over to GitHub and submit them there. Alternatively, you send an email with the full report to `security @ curl.se`. In both cases, the report is received and handled privately by the curl security team. But with _no monetary reward offered_. ## Leaving Hackerone Hackerone was good to us and they have graciously allowed us to run our program on their platform for free for many years. We thank them for that service. As we now drop the rewards, we feel it makes a clear cut and displays a clearer message to everyone involved by also moving away from Hackerone as a platform for vulnerability reporting. It makes the change more visible. ## Future disclosures It is probably going to be harder for us to publicly disclose every incoming security report in the same way we have done it on Hackerone for the last year. We need to work out something to make sure that we can keep doing it at least imperfectly, because I believe in the goodness of such transparency. ## We stay on GitHub Let me emphasize that this change does not impact our presence and mode of operation with the curl repository and its hosting on GitHub. We hear about projects having problems with low-quality AI slop submissions on GitHub as well, in the form of issues and pull-requests, but for curl we have not (yet) seen this – and frankly I don’t think switching to a GitHub alternative saves us from that. ## Other projects do better Compared to others, we seem to be affected by the sloppy security reports to a higher degree than the average Open Source project. With the help of Hackerone, we got numbers of how the curl bug-bounty has compared with other programs over the last year. It turns out curl’s program has seen more volume and noise than other public open source bug bounty programs in the same cohort. Over the past four quarters, curl’s inbound report volume has risen sharply, while other bounty-paying open source programs in the cohort, such as Ruby, Node, and Rails, have not seen a meaningful increase and have remained mostly flat or declined slightly. In the chart, the pink line represents curl’s report volume, and the gray line reflects the broader cohort. Inbound Report Volume on Hackerone: curl compared to OSS peers We suspect the idea of getting money for it is a big part of the explanation. It brings in real reports, but makes it too easy to be annoying with little to no penalty to the user. The reputation system and available program settings were not sufficient for us to prevent sand from getting into the machine. The exact reason why we suffer more of this abuse than others remains a subject for further speculation and research. ## If the volume keeps up There is a non-zero risk that our guesses are wrong and that the volume and security report frequency will keep up even after these changes go into effect. If that happens, we will deal with it then and take further appropriate steps. I prefer not to overdo things or _overplan_ already now for something that ideally does not happen. ## We won’t charge People keep suggesting that one way to deal with the report tsunami is to _charge_ security researchers a small amount of money for the privilege of submitting a vulnerability report to us. A _curl reporters security club_ with an entrance fee. I think that is a less good solution than just dropping the bounty. Some of the reasons include: * Charging people money in an International context is complicated and a maintenance burden. * Dealing with charge-backs, returns and other complaints and friction add work. * It would limit who could or would submit issues. Even some who actually find legitimate issues. Maybe we need to do this later anyway, but we stay away from it for now. ## Pull requests are less of a problem We have seen other projects and repositories see similar AI-induced problems for pull requests, but this has not been a problem for the curl project. I believe for PRs we have better much means to sort out the weed with automatic means, since we have tools, tests and scanners to verify such contributions. We don’t need to waste any human time on pull requests until the quality is good enough to get green check-marks from 200 CI jobs. ## Related I will do a talk at FOSDEM 2026 titled Open Source Security in spite of AI that of course will touch on this subject. ## Future We never say never. This is now and we might have reasons to reconsider and make a different decision in the future. If we do, we will let you know. These changes are applied now with the hope that they will have a positive effect for the project and its maintainers. If that turns out to not be the outcome, we will of course continue and apply further changes later. ## Media Since I created the pull request for updating the bug-bounty information for curl on January 14, almost two weeks before we merged it, various media picked up the news and published articles. Long before I posted this blog post. * The Register: Curl shutters bug bounty program to remove incentive for submitting AI slop * Elektroniktidningen: cURL removes bug bounties * Heise online: curl: Projekt beendet Bug-Bounty-Programm * Neowin: Beloved tool, cURL is shutting down its bug bounty over AI slop reports * Golem: Curl-Entwickler dreht dem “KI-Schrott” den Geldhahn zu * Linux Easy: cURL chiude il programma bug bounty: troppi report generati dall’AI * Bleeping Computer: Curl ending bug bounty program after flood of AI slop reports * The New Stack: Drowning in AI slop, cURL ends bug bounties * Ars Technica: Overrun with AI slop, cURL scraps bug bounties to ensure “intact mental health” * PressMind Labs: cURL ko?czy program bug bounty – czy to koniec jako?ci zg?osze?? * Socket: curl Shuts Down Bug Bounty Program After Flood of AI Slop Reports Also discussed (indirectly) on Hacker News.

Contributed by fangly _**Source:  www.tumblr.com **License: All Rights Reserved. _ _The Unbidden_ , front cover [More info on ISFDB] In 1975 and 1976, Pyramid Books published American editions of three collections of horror stories by British author R. Chetwynd-Hayes that had previously been published in the UK: _The Unbidden_ (February 1975), _Cold Terror_ (March 1975), and _Terror by Night_ (June 1976). The cover art is by Polish-American artist George Ziel. The typographer is uncredited. The titles and back cover taglines use **Bordonaro Vampire**. The front cover taglines, author’s name, and blurbs on the back covers use **Weiss**. The smaller bits like the publisher’s name and serial number and price use **Trade Gothic** (or maybe the largely identical News Gothic). _**Source:  archive.org **License: All Rights Reserved. _ _Cold Terror_ , front cover [More info on ISFDB] _**Source:  archive.org **License: All Rights Reserved. _ _Cold Terror_ , back cover _**Source:  www.amazon.com **License: All Rights Reserved. _ _Terror by Night_ , front cover [More info on ISFDB] _**Source:  www.ebay.com **Arbor Home (edited). License: All Rights Reserved. _ _Terror by Night_ , back cover _**Source:  x.com **License: All Rights Reserved. _ This post was originally published at Fonts In Use * * *

Der Hauptverdächtige des mutmaßlich vereitelten Terror-Anschlag auf ein am 9. August 2024 geplantes Konzert von Taylor Swift im Wiener Ernst-Happel-Stadion ist laut Gutachten schuldfähig. Es wird weiter ermittelt.