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\n\tIf you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.<\/p>\n
\n\tIt\u2019s high noon on a classic sunny LA day, but Austin Butler<\/a> is casting a moody shadow behind the balcony of the El Rey Theatre in Miracle Mile. The lights are dimmed and stage curtains drawn in the historic art deco venue, with no act booked to perform, save for the 34-year-old actor, who\u2019s been dutifully fielding questions from journalists all morning about his new Yves Saint Laurent fragrance campaign.<\/p>\n \n\tDressed in a tight black T-shirt, black jeans and boots, Butler is mid-way through his latest interview when his phone suddenly begins to ring.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh, it\u2019s my gratitude alarm,\u201d he says, apologetically. \u201cI have one set every two hours, and then I need to name three things I\u2019m grateful for.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWhat is he grateful for today?<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m grateful to meet you,\u201d he says in a bluesy bass drawl, while flashing a sly movie star smile that leaves this writer flushed. \u201cI am grateful that we get to be in this cool place. And that the weather is so beautiful today.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tButler has another thing to be grateful for this week, as the actor dances up a storm in a new campaign video for YSL<\/a> Beauty, promoting the brand\u2019s latest fragrance release, MYSLF Eau de Toilette Intense<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tSet to a remix of Billy Idol\u2019s 1961 hit, \u201cDancing With Myself,<\/a>\u201d the new clip follows Butler though a day in his life, from getting dressed after a workout, to driving to a dinner party, to chasing the sunset high in the hills. And yes, there\u2019s plenty of solo dancing from the actor \u2014 from rooftops to rain-soaked streets \u2014 with Butler at his most charismatic, and carefree.<\/p>\n \n\tShot in Mexico City earlier this year and directed by French filmmaker Romain Gavras (best known for directing music videos for M.I.A., Kanye West, and Jay-Z), the commercial offers feel-good vibes that reflect the \u201cfreedom\u201d and \u201cjoy\u201d of the new fragrance, per a release.<\/p>\n \n\tAs YSL Beauty notes, the campaign unites \u201cBilly Idol\u2019s belief in self-expression with Yves Saint Laurent\u2019s defiance of rules,\u201d with a magnetic Butler embracing the \u201cintoxicating allure of modernity and the desire to be oneself.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFor the actor, who has been the YSL Beauty Global Ambassador since 2023<\/a>, the new campaign was a chance to show off his playful side, while collaborating with a director he\u2019s long idolized.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to work with Romain for years,\u201d Butler tells Rolling Stone<\/em>. \u201cHe had this movie called Our Day Will Come<\/a><\/em> and I watched it two days in a row, years ago, when I was 20. So I\u2019d been wanting to work with him for a long time. And he had this idea for a campaign that leaned away from the drama that one could lean into for a fragrance campaign, and instead have fun with music and play,\u201d he says. \u201cSo it was an awesome experience.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNEW RELEASE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tMYSLF Eau de Toilette Intense\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n \n\t\tThe new fragrance is bold and bright, with \u201cmasculine floral\u201d notes mixing with warm woods, citrus, bergamot, and white musk. YSL Beauty says the new formula \u201creveals an extremely long-lasting intensity,\u201d with a freshness that lasts up to eight hours.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\tGratitude checklist fulfilled, Butler sat down with Rolling Stone<\/em> at the El Rey to talk about his new campaign, his favorite musical memories, and why 20 years into his career, he\u2019s got a lot to be thankful for.<\/p>\n \n\tYou\u2019re a YSL Beauty ambassador and doing this commercial for the new MYSLF Eau de Toilette, so is it safe to assume you\u2019re a big fragrance guy?<\/strong> <\/p>\n \n\tYes! My mom had a perfume and my dad had a cologne, and I have vivid memories of like, not even being tall enough to get into the little cabinet that they would keep it in, and wanting to spray my dad\u2019s cologne on.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat is it about fragrances<\/a> that appeals to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI love the whole process, and anytime somebody has a passion and they obsess about that thing, and so, to talk to the perfumiers and smell the fragrances while they\u2019re in development, I really appreciate that. It\u2019s like that documentary, Somm<\/a><\/em> \u2014 you ever watch that? It\u2019s about sommeliers. Oh my gosh, I watched that on a plane and it brought me to tears, to see somebody that passionate.<\/p>\n \n\tI was going to say like, Jiro Dreams of Sushi<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tYes! Yes! [getting animated<\/em>]<\/p>\n \n\tHe just works on rice for years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \n\tExactly!<\/p>\n \n\tHave there ever been campaigns or partnerships that you\u2019ve been offered where it\u2019s obviously not the right fit?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI mean, there have been clothing companies that didn\u2019t\u2026 well, they\u2019re just not my style. And not because they\u2019re bad; they\u2019re just not what I tend to wear. So I try to find what feels authentic to me.<\/p>\n \n\tWould you ever release your own fragrance?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThere hasn\u2019t been a conversation at this point yet, but I mean, I keep an open mind about all things.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat about releasing music? We all heard you sing in Elvis<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n