There's an essence of Marmite on the island of Ibiza, growing stronger and more forceful as each summer rolls by. I'm not talking about the distinct brown food paste with a smell so powerful it'll make you want to run and hide from your kitchen cupboards for this is something far greater than spreadables. It's Paris Hilton.
2013 saw the 34 year old heiress turned model-actress-singer-fashion-designer-reality-TV-star and occasional dog walker finally tick a monumental achievement at the top of every DJ's bucket list - a residency in Ibiza. This news wasn't to many people's liking and there was huge controversy around the announcement - not surprising considering her stupendous £1.6 million salary for hosting just four nights. Just like eating a full tub of Marmite in one go, it's enough to make you sick!
Aside from the initial anger, aggression and occasional crying posts from surrounding media and DJs mainly affiliated with Ibiza; everyone found a way to live with the residency as, in all honesty, we didn't think it would survive. And oh, how very wrong we were. Recently it was announced that Paris will return to Ibiza in 2015 with her gigantic foam cannon for another season of Foam & Diamonds.
It's fair to say Paris has progressed on the island over the last two seasons: starting with a four week Wednesday night residency back in 2013, she's now taking over Amnesia's Main Room whilst Matinee will control The Terrace for an incredible nine week Saturday night residency this year. Whether you love her or hate her, it's pretty evident that she's in demand on the Balearic clubbing scene.
In a recent interview for Yahoo's Style Sessions, Paris Hilton admitted "I feel like I was basically born a brand... at a very young age I decided I wanted to be the Paris Hilton brand" and so she did. Aside from the 44 stores she has worldwide, she also began a 'Paris Hilton Pop-Up' in all the Amnesia Ibiza stores on the island to sell her handbags and accessories.
Mixmag called her a 'wannabe' and Deadmau5 said it was "insulting as f*ck", but Paris has found surprising support from the likes of Cadenza icon Robert Dietz who said "I've just seen people complaining about Paris Hilton coming to the island... So what? Cheese has always been part of Ibiza! It's never harmed or affected the underground scene on the island. There's still so much space for us, so let them do their stuff and we can do ours". Maybe we should cut her some slack? After all, Ibiza is a cake big enough for all. Unless you're Steve Aoki.
Reviews of the residency have been mixed over the last two seasons, with most events generally selling out and photos seeming to depict a lot of happy dancers and a shedload of foam. Last year an Ibiza source for The Sun said "The crowds do seem to enjoy it but most are too off their faces to care that she's simply pressed play on a Beyonce megamix". On the flipside, a review by Ibiza Spotlight said Paris was more inclined to play Sebastian Ingrosso, Calvin Harris and Icona Pop and was fully in control of the decks (not playing a CD like some would believe).
Now collaborating with Matinee for the next season of Foam & Diamonds, it'll certainly be interesting to see how the glitter princess party concurs with a brand that defies sexual boundaries in their productions. I know when I'm in the White Isle for I'll certainly make a trip to Amnesia just to see what all the fuss is about. As Paris once said "some girls are just born with glitter in their veins", maybe it's my time to let mine pour out on the dancefloor in front of the princess herself.