Nicole Bloomgarden: Bloom Theory and Becoming in Real Time

Photographer + Creative Director Olivia "LIT LIV" Morgan | Stylist Chanti Walker

Nicole Bloomgarden popped onto the social media scene with an easy-going presence, masculine sapphic style, and accurate cultural commentary. Her deadpan and dry humor makes her approachable, which is also reflected in the sunny and ethereal sounds from her new album, Bloom Theory Vol: 1, releasing on May 4th. “For rising queer creators, Nicole has been a big mover for the community, expanding into music and acting. This is a creative that is going to have longevity,” said Olivia Morgan, Creative Producer and Photographer of the project.

Bloomgarden’s voice is silky and refreshing as she sings the very lesbian line of “distance don’t matter” in a teaser on her social media. Her album moves through situationships, discomfort, the queer experience, and the emotional space in between. “People say I don't look like the music I make. I think I exude more masculine energy than I actually am. I would say I'm pretty balanced at 50-50; my music brings in a more feminine energy.”

At 25, she introduces Volume 1 as a marker of where she is, not a conclusion, but a recognition of patterns becoming clearer over time. While social media may be her entry point, music is where she feels most aligned. The idea of balance, especially within attachment and relationships, sits at the center of this moment in her life. With this release, Bloomgarden leans into letting go of control, creating space for listeners to feel seen in their own way.

The shoot leans into a more controlled, stripped-back version of Bloomgarden, for Olivia Morgan, that approach is intentional, rooted in capturing the moments most people overlook and building images that rely on subtlety rather than excess. “The way a subject looks into the lens, a head tilt or hand gesture, a posture, all can contribute to an emotional pull into the photo,” she explains.

What unfolds through the series is a side of Bloomgarden that extends beyond what most people are used to seeing. Known publicly for humor and commentary, the shoot makes space for something quieter and more layered. Morgan notes that during the process, moments of conversation and music revealed how multifaceted she is, pointing to a depth that doesn’t always come through in shorter, digital formats.

That intention carries into the final images. In one frame, Bloomgarden stands in a fur look, hand grazing the collar, composed but assertive. “That’s a stance like she’s ready for the next level,” Morgan says. It’s a subtle shift, but a clear one, capturing not just where she is, but where she’s headed.

For Bloomgarden, Bloom Theory feels less like something to define and more like something she’s moving through in real time. There’s a level of self-awareness that comes with where she is right now, recognizing patterns and sitting with change without forcing clarity too soon. As she puts it, this stage of life is when “you start noticing patterns you’ve been going through your whole life,” and that awareness doesn’t come quietly, it brings confrontation, growth, and a different kind of emotional weight.

That shift carries into how she approaches relationships, especially the balance between holding on and letting go. Rather than choosing one or the other, she leans into the tension between both, describing it as “finding the happy medium between letting go of attachment and attaching,” a space where connection can exist without control.

Music becomes the place where all of that lands. Not in a way that feels constructed, but in a way that reflects what she’s experiencing as it happens. “Everything is authentic,” she says, grounded in real moments and real emotion, allowing her to reshape those experiences into something that can live beyond them.

And that’s what defines this moment for her. Less about presenting a finished version of herself, and more about allowing the work to reflect where she is as it’s happening. “Letting go of control and stepping into faith,” she says, shifting the focus away from perception and toward what the work gives back.

Editorial Team

Photographer and Creative Director Olivia “LIT LIV” Morgan, Producer Nandi Dion, Gaffer Alex Eaker, Key Grip Temi Okotieuro, Production Same Page Productions, Assistant Yehloi Reyes, Production Assistant Anthony Anderson, Props Master Jen Lazquez, Movement and Pose Director Imani Monet, Stylist Chanti Walker, Styling Assistant Najib Omar, Retouching Kylie Hull

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