#I LISTENED TO LOVER DURING FIRST LOCKDOWN!!!

[djarinova]

oh reputation stadium tour my beloved

[arkhammaid]

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ DEFINITIONS OF MUSIC.

fandom. formula one

pairing. charles leclerc x professional pianist fem!reader (fc: none)

about. y/n y/l/n is one of the celebreties who has gone viral during lockdown. when she publishes her first album, she raises a few eyebrows with a featured artist

content warnings. social media au, not edited/proofread

notes. this is a very self-indulgent fic... so you all better love it or else 🫵

YOURUSERNAME AND 3 OTHERS

liked by zendaya, hanszimmer and 14'083'874 others

yourusername and 3 others we're proud to announce the album DEFINITIONS. each of the 26 original composed pieces embrace the title itself, the feeling of these words. they're defined by our language and passion, a gift from us to you.

yourusername so happy our baby is finally out, thank you adrian, charles and jamie, for this partnership. i couldn't have done this without you!

hanszimmer This is music.

charles_leclerc And it's finally here! I had so much fun working on this, thank you @/yourusername for allowing me to be part of your project🥰

jamieduffyy absolutely incredible!! stream definitions now!!!

zendaya I'm sobbing over the whole alphabeth, who would've thought... this is 🤯🤯

user holyyyyy shittttttt

user 26 SONGS??? AND MOST OF THEM ARE OVER 4 MINS LONG WE'RE GETTING SPOILED FR

haileybieber listening this on repeat and still getting shivers, this is incredible work 💗

user the butterfly effect is so real here...

⤷ user if you told me i'd follow this one tiktoker because she went viral with her piano only to become a fan of men who drive in fancy circles...

⤷ user SO I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S NOW AN F1 FAN??

user sobbing over nepenthe on repeat

user CHARLES WITH LEMAN?? HELLO??? AND THEN ALSO PHILOCALY??? MY MAN STAND UP AND STOP WRITING LOVE LETTERS

⤷ user what.

⤷ user for the love of god, please look up what the words mean... charles really thought he was slick with this one

⤷ user oh my god.

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Y/N Y/L/N SHOCKS MUSIC WORLD WITH CLASSICAL ALBUM AND FEATURED ARTISTS! FIVE PIECES OF THE 26-PIECE ALBUM ARE IN THE INTERNATIONAL CHARTS. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 'DEFINITIONS'.

From Viral TikToker to Record Holder, Y/n brings Classical Music back in Trend.

By Sara Ristan | Published February 24, 2024

If you know anything about music, you know the current trends. Pop and Rap is what the current generation likes, with a few outliners. From the very beginning, Y/n seemed to be one of them as well. Her first release, 'A Sailor's Wish', has been trending along with 'Solas', by her fellow artist Jamie Duffy for many weeks.

Her other composed pieces never hit the same numbers, that was until she released a full album. 'Definitions' has 26 original composed pieces, mixed with piano and full orchestra. It's an album full of masterpieces, fully deserving the high praise it has been receiving the past few days.

Every piece in the Album is named after a rare word, each one of them beginning with a letter of the Alphabet. Most of them were composed by Y/n herself, her signature moves regognizable, if you're familiar with her music. If you wish to read a full analysis of the whole album, click here.

Notable, besides the mindblowing compositions, are also the featured artists. We have Adrian Berenguer, Charles Leclerc and Jamie Duffy- each of them well known in their niche. What has raised eyebrows however, is that unlike Adrian and Jamie, Charles himself. He's an athlete, a Formula One driver in fact and very well known. While his fans knew about his releases, singles and even an album with Sofiane Pamart, no one was prepared for the partnership with Y/n.

Especially the titles of the pieces, two of them speaking about love, one is even titled as 'Leman', which means lover. Are these two trying to give us hints?

Beside that, five of the 26 pieces are currently in the charts, having already gathered millions of streams within days. Absolutely mindblowing!

click to read more

CHARLES_LECLERC

liked by yourusername, zendaya and 3'099'738 others

charles_leclerc P1 in Driver Championship Standings, P1 in International Charts, P1 in your heart... I love you, mon amour

yourusername ugh, ugly sobbing crying rn, no one talk to me

yourusername i love you too you sap

⤷ charles_leclerc Guilty hehe

⤷ charles_leclerc Doesn't stop me from loving you, cherié

⤷ yourusername i never told you to stop

jamieduffy fucking finally

zendaya @/tomholland2013 why don't you write you love songs for me??

⤷ tomholland2013 you're the one who sings?

user WE WON!!! Y/N NATION WE FUCKING WON

user if you squint you can see me fucking dead BECAUSE WTF IS THIS THEYRE ACTUALLY TOGETHER I CAN NOT IM DEAD OH MYGOOODDDDDD

⤷ user lmao felt

user now we know how charles even agreed to y/n asking for a collab... he has always been down bad for her

⤷ yourusername you're so right

⤷ user OH MY GOD???

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taglist. @keyz-writes , @obsidianjewel , @aimixx , @themercyverse , @lem-hhn , @lupicalbestwolf , @akiraquote , @lpap , @lilypadlover , @adorablezhui , @peqch-pie , @namgification

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE TAGLIST? please send a non-anon ask to be added to the taglist. taglist can be general taglist (all fandoms and all works), fandom taglist (all works within the fandom), series (all works for specific series) or nsfw taglist (all nsfw works and all fandoms).

crossed off tags mean i can't tag you!

ARKHAM MAID 2024

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics that are hidden gems - amazing fics that have been a bit overlooked and as of the time I made this rec have less than 200 kudos - as requested in an ask that Tumblr has whisked into the abyss. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis/Harry -

💎 Into the Weeds by kair0sclerosis

(M, 87k, small town au) With the help of the captivating bartender, Louis, who he can’t seem to stop daydreaming about, and his enchanting group of friends; Harry remembers what it is to be alive. This is a story about small-town secrets, found family, queer identities, and the battle between fight and flight.

💎 don't be afraid to love (and love again) by localopa / @voulezloux

(E, 83k, angst) the one where louis is trans and afraid, harry is cis and brave, and being 100% yourself is easier said than done.

💎 When the Lights Go Out by thelarenttrap / @antidotetogo

(E, 79k, F1 au) In its near eighty years of existence, Formula 1 has never had an out gay driver. In 2017, Harry Styles signs a contract with Scuderia AlphaTauri alongside his childhood friend and competitor, Louis Tomlinson. The next decade of their careers is some of the most tumultuous press--on and off the track--Formula 1 has ever seen.

💎 Your A-Team, Your Endgame by @silverkiiwii

(E, 70k, reality show au) a Next In Fashion au where Louis and Harry are partnered in the competition but they do not get along when they have to if they want to win. Full of fashion, banter, misunderstanding and a whole lot of making each other blush.

💎  Suddenly Last Summer by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 44k, mystery) Suddenly he has someone who listens to him and cares about what he thinks. Someone who really sees him. But their happily ever after is forever marred by an incident at a party during Labor Day weekend, and Louis is left with a choice to make.

💎 Train Tracks and Porcelain by @jaerie

(E, 41k, historical circus au) Shadows were forming into people and things and, there in the middle of it, Louis watched the humongous head of an elephant emerge from a box car right in front of his eyes. Or a Water For Elephants inspired AU

💎 Mind of Stone by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

(M, 41k, mythology au) He needs to find a way back home, and then figure out what the fuck happened at the bar tonight.

💎 time to buy and time to lose by 5sexualhomos / @hogwartzlou

(T, 25k, time travel) Over the years, Harry’s father has played many pranks on him, but this is a whole new level. Where did he even come up with this idea? An AU based on the movie About Time.

💎 From Christiania with love by @sweariwouldnt

(NR, 18k, friends to enemies to lovers) It's Louis' first field training day as a future police officer. It doesn't quite go to his plan. Or, maybe, it goes exactly to some bigger plan.

💎 Camboy on Lockdown (series) by @reminiscingintherain

(E, 12k, camboy Louis) While Louis was working on the final draft of his thesis for his Master's, the world went into lockdown around him without him realising. Now he's trapped in student accommodation, and needs a way to earn some money...

💎 it's time to find your wings again by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 12k, prison guard Louis) His fascination for supernatural creatures had turned into something most closely resembling loathing over the years, due to the many stories of their evildoing, and although he still doesn’t believe in hanging them for their crimes, he does believe in keeping the town safe.

💎 Heart of a Lion (With Metal in His Teeth) by graceling_in_a_suit

(M, 8k, sci fi) Harry is an Android. Louis is his target: a revolutionary leader trying to free his people.

💎 Grow as We Go by @larryatendoftheday

(T, 7k, breakup) a fic about growing up and choosing each other.

💎 But he talks like a gentleman by fondlelarry / @fondofstyles

(NR, 7k, humor) “I had a few too many drinks, ate a bad kebab, rang a bunch of doorbells till someone let me in, vomited in his toilet, stole his orange juice and crashed on his sofa. He woke me up with breakfast though, so I’d say it’s alright.”

💎  What we parted ways with by louisismycat / @liminalkittyfics

(M, 6k, exes) Alpha Harry is surprised to see omega Louis at his matchmaker’s cocktail party for millionaires. Years ago when they were together, Louis loathed schmoozefests with rich people.

💎 Pretty and Preposterous by @brightlyharry

(NR, 5k, neighbors) Harry donates a copy of Pride and Prejudice to his little free library. He never expects what comes next.

💎 old macdonald had a farm by vintagehistories / @adoredontour

(NR, 5k, animal direction) Louis is a hedgehog, Harry is a fish, Niall is a parrot, Liam is a golden retriever, and Zayn is Zayn. It’s a crazy twenty-four hours.

💎 Dirty Diana by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

(E, 3k, kink) In the month leading up to his 30th birthday, Harry writes to his confidante Diana every day, sharing his fantasies about Louis.

💎 Pussy Juice by @homosociallyyours

(M, 3k, girl direction) While she manages to dodge the bar's "special" drink, the Pussy Juice shot, she can't avoid the feelings that come up when her former teacher (and teen crush), Louis joins her and her friends for the night.

💎 the blue never-ending sky by @justanothershadeofblue

(T, 3k, epistolary) “Arizona?” Louis asked, and Harry made an affirmative noise from his position on top of his twin bed. “Wouldn’t know, would I?”

💎 Harry, That Kills People by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 2k, organized crime/crack) If there’s one thing that Harry hates, it’s getting his clothes dirty. If there’s one other thing that Harry hates, it’s murder.

💎 As Luck Would Have It by @justalittlelouislove

(T, 2k, humor) We've all experienced the trials and tribulations of technology. Louis is sabotaged by a bit of unhelpful autocorrect, but maybe luck is on his side after all.

💎 If I Can't Have You by Janie_17

(T, 2k, fwb) After Harry turns him down, going out for Karaoke is the last thing Louis wants to do, but his friends are persuasive. When Harry shows up with Nick Grimshaw in tow, his evening goes from bad to worse. But will his choice of song manage to turn things around?

💎 Needle by @nouies

(NR, 666 words, fantasy) “You didn’t deserve this,” he muttered between hiccups. “She didn’t have the right.”

💎 Insomnis by @kingsofeverything

(NR, 500 words, science fiction) Harry’s been having trouble sleeping. Louis makes everything better.

- Rare Pairs -

💎 Eight Days by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 22k, Liam/Louis) Louis and Liam got hitched in Vegas, completely forgot about it for more than a decade, and it comes back to bite them. Sort of.

💎 You Are A Song by @lululawrence

(NR, 3k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) To Louis, Nick felt like poetry in motion. He was a bit of chaos surrounding Louis’ otherwise monotonous days, and Louis was quickly becoming addicted.

💎 get my kicks like you by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 3k, OT5) “Wait,” Liam had said. “You all jerked it at Niall’s?”

💎 Ink on Your Fingers, Ink on My Skin by Layne Faire / @laynefaire

(E, 1k, Zayn/Liam) Liam gets tattoos for the thrill of it.

[herejusttosufferalong]

Alright, fellow patrons of the WH, listen up! Coffee and pancakes on me! Let me give yall some words of comfort? Wisdom? From a veteran of the Tomdaya War of 2019-2020.

People like to look at Tomdaya’s relationship as a paragon of the perfect, most romantic costars to friends to lovers story when they have gone through their own messy shit. Tomdaya nation had their own version of Papgate, arguably way worse than Luke and A papgate because Tom was actually holding hands with the person. Tom then also was biding time with another person during lockdown, even “soft” launched her by posting a pic of her on IG, quite literally right before going back to filming with Zendaya again. 

Zendaya also did her own petty shit by publicly dating someone the total opposite of Tom, someone he also had met during the times he was on the Euphoria set. (The pic of all three of them will continue to haunt the fandom). Went on a birthday vacation with him to Greece. Went to his mother land of Oz. Got papped kissing him in New York. Even referred to him as her “best friend” during an awards show (that was the one that really did me in LMAO).

Things were looking BLEAK. But FORTUNATELY they rekindled their relationship (as the fandom expected them to lmfaooo and I’m sure some people on set tried to parent trap them) and became stronger than ever, and imo moreso than when they first got together before breaking up. 

The point is, we can try to rationalize what’s happening right now all we want, but like it’s been brought up many times, humans are messy and complicated and don’t act in the most rational ways, even when they are clearly in love with someone. And this being compounded by your every move being dissected by the public, they’ll stubbornly do the opposite of what we expect them to do. But if the feelings are that strong and true, they eventually figure their shit out. We really just have to let them do it at their own pace, as frustrating as it can be to witness from the outside looking in. All we can do is just send them good energy, support and hope that they do AND I BELIEVE THEY WILL I’VE SEEN THIS FILM BEFORE!!! 

💜🥃

[salternateunreality2]

Time Travel AGSZC AU (AKA 2-for-1 whump hammer on Sefikura) - Opening

from the @strayheartless archives <3

Sephiroth and Cloud are fighting and jump into the past, but doing so knocks Jenova’s hold loose on both of them, and reduces Cloud's enhancements, so now they're in the middle of the desert outside of Midgar, Cloud is dying of injuries because his healing factor is gone, and Sephiroth is a mess of guilt and horror at what he's done.

Their sudden appearance is noticed by the Turks, who fly out with Genesis and Zack to see what's up. They see their lovers, Cloud a bloody heap, surrounded by Tsurugi's pieces, Sephiroth on his knees casting healing spell after healing spell, completely disheveled and unresponsive.

Zack: SEPH?! What- CLOUD?!?! GENESIS!!! 

Genesis dives in immediately, shoving Sephiroth aside when he realizes he's just casting wildly. Sephiroth slumps, his arms barely supporting his torso, hair a wild mess around him as he stares at the ground with unfocused eyes, heedless of his own (albeit minor) wounds. Zack runs up with Genesis and tries to get Sephiroth to make eye contact. Nothing's getting through to him though, so Zack just works on healing Sephiroth's wounds. 

Genesis is concentrating hard. Eventually, he gets Cloud close enough to stable and starts yelling at the Turks to help. Under his direction, Reno, Rude, and Zack finish what they can on Cloud, wrap him up, and strap him to a stretcher.

Genesis: Sephiroth. I don't know what's going on, but you are going to listen to me and you are going to get up and get in that helicopter. Now. 

Sephiroth drags himself up, Zack supporting him, and they get on while Reno and Rude secure Cloud. He can't look at any of them. He can't think. He can barely breathe. He feels their questions, but he can't make sense of the words. Following orders is the best he can do. 

—--

Hojo is at the landing pad when they touch down, hearing that Sephiroth might be injured and unresponsive. Cloud is removed first, Zack and Reno running alongside his stretcher, giving the medical team an update. 

Genesis: Sephir- 

Hojo: Sephiroth! Come ou- GURK! 

Sephiroth is securely strapped into a helicopter seat one second, and the next, his hand is crushing Hojo's throat, lifting him off the ground, Masamune through his gut. Then in the next second, before even Genesis can do anything, Hojo is on fire and hurtling over the edge of the building, his screams only croaks through his crushed windpipe. Everyone stands in silence, mouths agape, when suddenly, Sephiroth jumps after him. 

Genesis: SHIT. Call Hewley and a lockdown! 

Rude nods and calls it in, and Genesis starts making his way down the side of the building only a little more safely than Sephiroth did.

What he finds at the bottom is horrifying; a smoldering mess of deformed humanoid sludge with a sword through it, and Sephiroth with broken legs from his landing, leaning on the sword, glaring at the mutated sludge. No civilians are hurt, and fortunately, everyone is standing back. 

Genesis: Sephiroth? 

No response. 

Genesis: Sephiroth, you're hurt. 

Nothing. 

Genesis: Sephiroth, I'm walking to you now. I'm going to put my arm around you, and you will come with me calmly. Mission complete. Do you understand? 

Nothing. Then, a slight nod and grunt. 

Genesis carefully grabs him around the waist, forcing Sephiroth to lean on him while lifting his entire body with one arm. Genesis barks at the onlooking SOLDIERs, Turks, and infantrymen to "clean that up" and "get that door open" as he takes Sephiroth in through a side entrance, then to a service elevator. Angeal runs up as they're waiting for the elevator. 

Genesis: Angeal, take his other side, we're going to the SOLDIER clinic. 

Angeal: *nods and obeys, trusting Genesis implicitly*

They reset Sephiroth's bones so they heal correctly, and he doesn't make a sound. That's normal for him, sure, but not even a huff or a hitch of breath comes out during the whole process, which would have a normal man screaming.

He can't look at them. It hurts too much. The betrayal is too much. How he hurt them is too much. What he did to Cloud and Zack... Sephiroth stays in his shell.

Meanwhile, Zack is pacing as the medics work on Cloud. He's ready to jump in at any second if they ask; his magic power is strong as a SOLDIER, though he's not as talented of a mage as Cloud, Genesis, or Sephiroth. Then Cloud starts seizing.

There's not much they can do, just keep him on the gurney, protect his IVs, and tilt him on his side to prevent choking. But it calms down eventually, and they get back to work.

Finally, Cloud is wrapped like a mummy, blood in one IV, medicine in another. They try a mako drip since his file says he is enhanced, but it makes the seizures start up again, so they turn it off. Zack is left alone with Cloud, watching his breath fog up his oxygen mask, holding his hand, shaking and crying quietly.

Then Zack gets a call. From Cloud.

[taylor-on-your-dash]

WRITING OF FOLKLORE & EVERMORE TIMELINE

“I used to put all these parameters on myself like, ‘How will this song sound in a stadium? How will this song sound on radio?’ If you take away all the parameters, what do you make? And I guess the answer is... folklore.”

December 18, 2019: Taylor records my tears ricochet. On folklore: long pond sessions, she confirms that my tears ricochet was the first song written for TS8 and she knew right away that it would take the 5th spot on the track list.

“I found myself being very triggered by any stories, movies, or narratives revolving around divorce, which felt weird because I haven't experienced it directly. There's no reason it should cause me so much pain, but all of a sudden it felt like something I had been through. I think that happens any time you've been in a 15-year relationship and it ends in a messy, upsetting way. So I wrote "My Tears Ricochet" and I was using a lot of imagery that I had conjured up while comparing a relationship ending to when people end an actual marriage. All of a sudden this person that you trusted more than anyone in the world is the person that can hurt you the worst. Then all of a sudden the things that you have been through together, hurt. All of a sudden, the person who was your best friend is now your biggest nemesis, etc. etc. etc. I think I wrote some of the first lyrics to that song after watching Marriage Story and hearing about when marriages go wrong and end in such a catastrophic way. So these songs are in some ways imaginary, in some ways not, and in some ways both. It’s definitely one of the saddest songs on the album. Picking a ‘Track Five’ is sort of a pressurized decision but I knew from day one this was probably going to be it. It’s a song about karma, about greed, about how somebody could be your best friend and your companion and your most trusted person in your life and then they could go and become your worst enemy who knows how to hurt you because they were once your most trusted person. Writing this song, it kind of occurred to me that in all of the superhero stories the hero’s greatest nemesis is the villain that used to be his best friend. When you think about that, you think about how there’s this beautiful moment in the beginning of a friendship where these people have no idea that one day, they’ll hate each other and try to take each other out. I mean, that’s really sad and terrible.”

March 5-12, 2020: Band rehearsals for Lover Fest. The band rehearsed 32 songs and Taylor sings on a few.

March 11, 2020: Taylor lands in LA. She'll stay there for the whole lockdown until May 22nd.

March 19, 2020: The state of California issue a stay-at-home order. The lockdown starts. During the Eras Tour, Taylor says that she started writing songs with Jack soon after. It's possible that illicit affairs and august were two of the first songs, as Taylor confirmed that august was the first song she wrote for the Love Triangle. This first version of august doesn't include the bridge.

[Taylor about illicit affairs] This was the first album that I’ve ever let go of that need to be 100 percent autobiographical because I think I needed to do that. I felt like fans needed to hear a 'stripped from the headlines' account of my life and it actually ended up being a bit confining. Because there’s so much more to writing songs than just what you’re feeling and your singular storyline. And I think this was spurred on by the fact that I was watching movies every day, I was reading books every day, I was thinking about other people every day. I was kind of outside my own, personal stuff. I think that’s been my favorite thing about this album: that it’s allowed to exist on its own merit without it just being, ‘Oh, people are listening to this because it tells them something that they could read in a tabloid’. It feels like a completely different experience.

[Taylor about august] In my head, I’ve been calling the girl from ‘august’ either Augusta or Augustine. What happened in my head was: ‘cardigan’ is Betty’s perspective from 20 or 30 years later, looking back on this love that was this tumultuous thing. I think Betty and James ended up together. So in my head, she ends up with him but he really put her through it. ‘august’ was obviously about the girl that James had this summer with. She seems like she’s a bad girl, but really she’s not. She’s a really sensitive person who fell for him and she was trying to seem cool and like she didn’t care because that’s what girls have to do. And she was trying to let him think that she didn’t care, but she did and she thought they had something very real. And then he goes back to Betty. So the idea that there is some bad, villain girl in any type of situation who ‘takes your man’ is a total myth because that’s not usually the case at all. Everybody has feelings and wants to be seen and loved. And Augustine…that’s all she wanted.

[Taylor] I was really excited about "August slipped away into a moment of time/August sipped away like a bottle of wine." That was a song where Jack sent me the instrumental and I wrote the song pretty much on the spot; it just was an intuitive thing. And that was actually the first song that I wrote of the "Betty" triangle. So the Betty songs are "August," "Cardigan," and "Betty." "August" was actually the first one, which is strange because it's the song from the other girl's perspective. It would be safe to assume that "Cardigan" would be first, but it wasn't. It was very strange how it happened, but it kind of pieced together one song at a time, starting with "August," where I kind of wanted to explore the element of This is from the perspective of a girl who was having her first brush with love. And then all of a sudden she's treated like she's the other girl, because there was another situation that had already been in place, but "August" girl thought she was really falling in love. It kind of explores the idea of the undefined relationship. As humans, we're all encouraged to just be cool and just let it happen, and don't ask what the relationship is—Are we exclusive? But if you are chill about it, especially when you're young, you learn the very hard lesson that if you don't define something, oftentimes they can gaslight you into thinking it was nothing at all, and that it never happened. And how do you mourn the loss of something once it ends, if you're being made to believe that it never happened at all?

Taylor had previously written down the phrase ‘Meet me behind the mall’ in her phone years ago, wanting to write it into a song.

April 17, 2020: Lover Fest is cancelled. Taylor writes mirrorball and this is me trying shortly after.

MIRRORBALL

On folklore there are a lot of songs that reference each other or have lyrical parallels and one of the ones that I like is the entire song 'this is me trying' then being referenced again in ‘mirrorball,’ which is, ‘I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try’. Sometimes when I’m writing to an instrumental track I’ll push ‘Play’ and I’ll immediately see a scene set and this was one of those cases. I just saw a lonely disco ball, twinkly lights, neon signs, people drinking beer by the bar, a couple of stragglers on the dance floor. Sort of a sad, moonlit, lonely experience in the middle of a town you’ve never been. I was just thinking that we have mirrorballs in the middle of a dance floor because they reflect light, they are broken a million times and that’s what makes them so shiny. We have people like that in society, too. They hang there and every time they break it entertains us. And when you shine a light on them it’s this glittering, fantastic thing. But then, a lot of the time when the spotlight isn’t on them they’re just still there, up on that pedestal but no one is watching them. It was a metaphor for celebrity but it’s also a metaphor for so many people. Everybody has to feel like they have to be ‘on’ for certain people. You have to be different versions of yourself for different people. Different versions at work, different versions around friends. Different versions of yourself around different friends. A different version of yourself around family. Everybody feels that they have to be in some ways duplicitous and that’s part of the human experience. But it’s also exhausting. And you learn that every one of us has the ability to become a shapeshifter. But what does that do to us?

THIS IS ME TRYING

“I’ve been thinking about people who are either suffering through mental illness, addiction or who have an everyday struggle. No one pats them on the back every day but every day they are actively fighting something. There are so many days that nobody gives them credit for that and so, how often must somebody who’s in that sort of internal struggle wanna say to everyone in the room: ‘You have no idea how close I am to going back to a dark place.’ I had this idea that the first verse would be about someone who is in a life crisis and has just been trying and failing in their relationship, has been messing things up with people they love, has been letting everyone down and has driven to this overlook, this cliff, and is just in the car, going, ‘I could do whatever I want in this moment and it could affect everything forever.’ But this person backs up and drives home. The second verse is about someone who felt like they had a lot of potential in their life. I feel like there are a lot of mechanisms for us in our school days, in high school or college, to excel and to be patted on the back for something. And then a lot of people get out of school and there are less abilities for them to get gold stars. Then you have to make all these decisions and you have to pave your own way. There’s no set class course you can take. I think a lot of people feel really swept up in that. And so I was thinking about this person who is really lost in life and then starts drinking…and every second is trying not to.”

March/April 2020: the lakes was also done remotely, but written before Taylor started collaborating with Aaron, placing it between March and April 2020:

[Taylor] “We’d gone to the Lake District in England a couple years ago. In the 19th century you had a lot of poets like William Wordsworth and John Keats who’d spend a lot of time there. And there was a poet district, these artists that moved there. They were heckled for it and made fun of for being these eccentrics and kind of odd artists who decided that they just wanted to live there. I remember thinking, ‘I could see this.’ You live in a cottage and you got wisteria growing up the outside of it…of course they escaped like that. And they had their own community of other artists who’d done the same thing. I’ve always, in my career since I was probably about twenty, written about this cottage backup plan that I have. I have been writing about that forever. I went to William Wordsworth’s grave and just sat there and I was like, ‘Wow. He went and did it.’ And you kept writing but you didn’t subscribe to the things that were killing you. And that’s really the overarching thing that I felt when I was writing folklore: I may not be able to go to The Lakes right now – or to go anywhere – but I’m going there in my head. The escape plan is working.”

[Jack] On one of my favorite songs on folklore, “The Lakes,” there was this big orchestral version, and Taylor was like, “Eh, make it small.” I had gotten lost in the string arrangements and all this stuff, and I took everything out. I was just like, “Oh, my God!” We were not together because that record was made [remotely], but I remember being in the studio alone like, “Holy shit, this is so perfect.”

This version of the lakes was released on folklore's first anniversary.

April 24, 2020: For his birthday, Aaron Dessner goes on an Instagram Live where he plays a bunch of songs including “Gaite” aka “happiness” and “Stella”, like his daughter, aka “invisible string”

April 27-28, 2020: Taylor contacts Aaron Dessner and asks him to work with her. He sends her a folder of instrumental tracks he had recorded over the years. The first one that inspires Taylor is called “Maple” which will become cardigan. She sends back a voice memo, and right after, she posts a selfie on Instagram with the caption “Not a lot going on at the moment”. What a troll.

[Taylor] The song is about a long lost romance, and why young love is often fixed so permanently within our memories. When looking back on it, why it leaves such an incredible mark and how special it made you feel; all the good things it made you feel, all the pain that it made you feel... The line about feeling like you were an old cardigan under someone's bed, but someone put you on and made you feel like you were their favorite.

[Aaron] That’s the first song we wrote. After Taylor asked if I would be interested in writing with her remotely and working on songs, I said, “Are you interested in a certain kind of sound?” She said, “I’m just interested in what you do and what you’re up to. Just send anything, literally anything, it could be the weirdest thing you’ve ever done,” so I sent a folder of stuff I had done that I was really excited about recently. “cardigan” was one of those sketches; it was originally called “Maple.” It was basically exactly what it is on the record, except we added orchestration later that my brother wrote. I sent [the file] at 9 p.m., and around 2 a.m. or something, there was “cardigan,” fully written. That’s when I realized something crazy was happening. She just dialed directly into the heart of the music and wrote an incredible song and fully conceived of it and then kept going. It harkens back to lessons learned, or experiences in your youth, in a really beautiful way and this sense of longing and sadness, but ultimately, it’s cathartic. I thought it was a perfect match for the music, and how her voice feels. It was kind of a guide. It had these lower register parts, and I think we both realized that this was a bit of a lightning rod for a lot of the rest of the record.

[Taylor] “The quality that really confounded me about Aaron’s instrumental tracks is that to me, they were immediately, intensely visual,” Swift wrote in an email. “As soon as I heard the first one, I understood why he calls them ‘sketches.’ The first time I heard the track for ‘Cardigan,’ I saw high heels on cobblestones. I knew it had to be about teenage miscommunications and the loss of what could’ve been. I’ve always been so curious about people with synesthesia, who see colors or shapes when they hear music. The closest thing I’ve ever experienced is seeing an entire story or scene play out in my head when I hear Aaron Dessner’s instrumental tracks.”

Aaron Dessner shared a screenshot from when Taylor sent him back cardigan.

April 29-30, 2020: Taylor writes seven and peace. seven is the only song that was entirely recorded at Long Pond.

SEVEN

[Aaron] This is the second song we wrote. It’s kind of looking back at childhood and those childhood feelings, recounting memories and memorializing them. It’s this beautiful folk song. It has one of the most important lines on the record: “And just like a folk song, our love will be passed on.” That’s what this album is doing. It’s passing down. It’s memorializing love, childhood, and memories. It’s a folkloric way of processing.

PEACE

[Taylor] “I think this is a song that is extremely personal to me. There are times when I feel like with everything that’s in my control, I can make myself seem like someone who doesn’t have an abnormal life and I try that every day. It’s like, 'How do I make my friends, and family, and my loved ones not see this big elephant that’s in the room for our normal life?' Because I don’t want the elephant in the room. If you’re gonna be in my life I feel like there’s a certain amount that comes with it that I can’t stop from happening. I can’t stop from you getting a call in the morning that says, ‘The tabloids are writing this today.’ I can’t help it if there’s a guy with a camera two miles away with a telescope lense taking pictures of you. I can’t stop those things from happening. And so this song was basically like, ‘Is it enough? Is the stuff that I can control enough to block out the things that I can’t?' So it makes me really emotional to hear this song.

[Taylor] To know that a lot of people related to it who aren’t talking about the same things that I’m talking about. They’re talking about human complexity. It’s about someone who you wanna provide with peace, someone you love, so you want them to have as much peace in their life as possible and reconciling the fact that you might not be their best option for that. But is it still a deal they wanna take?

[Taylor to Paul McCartney] peace is actually more rooted in my personal life. I know you have done a really excellent job of this in your personal life: carving out a human life within a public life, and how scary that can be when you do fall in love and you meet someone, especially if you’ve met someone who has a very grounded, normal way of living. I, oftentimes, in my anxieties, can control how I am as a person and how normal I act and rationalize things, but I cannot control if there are 20 photographers outside in the bushes and what they do and if they follow our car and if they interrupt our lives. I can’t control if there’s going to be a fake weird headline about us in the news tomorrow.

[Aaron] “I wrote this, and Justin provided the pulse. We trade ideas all the time and he made a folder, and there was a pulse in there that I wrote these bass lines to. In the other parts of the composition, I did it to Justin’s pulse. Taylor heard this sketch and she wrote the song. It reminds me of Joni Mitchell, in a way — there’s this really powerful and emotional love song, even the impressionistic, almost jazz-like bridge, and she weaves it perfectly together. This is one of my favorites, for sure. But the truth is that the music, that way of playing with harmonized bass lines, is something that probably comes a little bit from me being inspired by how Justin does that sometimes. There’s probably a connection there. We didn’t talk too much about it [laughs]. The song “peace” — when she wrote that, it was just a harmonized bass and a pulse. She wrote this incredible love song to it that’s one vocal take.”

May 2020: Taylor and Aaron spend the entire month writing all the songs on folklore.

EXILE (FT. BON IVER)

Taylor and William Bowery, the singer-songwriter, wrote that song initially together and sent it to me as a sort of a rough demo where Taylor was singing both the male and female parts. It’s supposed to be a dialogue between two lovers. I interpreted that and built the song, played the piano, and built around that template. We recorded Taylor’s vocals with her singing her parts but also the male parts. We talked a lot about who she thought would be perfect to sing, and we kept coming back to Justin [Vernon]. Obviously, he’s a dear friend of mine and collaborator. I said, “Well, if he’s inspired by the song, he’ll do it, and if not, he won’t.” I sent it to him and said, “No pressure at all, literally no pressure, but how do you feel about this?” He said, “Wow.” He wrote some parts into it also, and we went back and forth a little bit, but it felt like an incredibly natural and safe collaboration between friends. It didn’t feel like getting a guest star or whatever. It was just like, well, we’re working on something, and obviously he’s crazy talented, but it just felt right. I think they both put so much raw emotion into it. It’s like a surface bubbling. It’s believable, you know? You believe that they’re having this intense dialogue. With other people I had to be secretive, but with Justin, because he was going to sing, I actually did send him a version of the song with her vocals and told him what I was up to. He was like, “Whoa! Awesome!” But he’s been involved in so many big collaborative things that he wasn’t interested in it from that point of view. It’s more because he loved the song and he thought he could do something with it that would add something.

[Taylor on exile] “Exile was a song that was written about miscommunications in relationships, and in the case of this song I imagine that the miscommunications ended the relationship - that they led to sort of the demise of this love affair. And now these two people are seeing each other out for the first time and they keep miscommunicating with each other, they can’t quite get on the same page, they never were able to. So even in their end, even after they’ve broken up they’re still not hearing each other, so we imagined that the beginning of it would be his side of the story, second verse would be her side of the story, and then the end would be sort of them talking over each other and not listening to the other, sort of like an argument. Yeah, I’m really stoked about how it turned out because it really does seem like this sort of tragedy of two people, two ships passing in the night.”

[Joe Alwyn] Alwyn doesn’t consider himself a musician or songwriter and insists that he is, in fact, an awful singer. He was merely “messing around” on the piano when Swift heard and walked over, intrigued. He had been singing the fully formed first verse to the song that became “Exile.”. “It was completely off the cuff, an accident,” he says, shrugging. “She said, ‘Can we try and sit down and get to the end together?’ And so we did. It was as basic as some people made sourdough.” I’d probably had a drink and was just stumbling around the house. We couldn’t decide on a film to watch that night, and she was like, ‘Do you want to try and finish writing that song you were singing earlier?’ And so we got a guitar and did that. I press him on this point — he wrote an entire verse to a Taylor Swift song without trying? “Who doesn’t walk around the house singing?” he asks. I explain that it’s unusual for hit songs to spring forth like that from non-musicians’ heads. He says he wasn’t trying to write to Swift’s personal sound but had been listening to a lot of the National.

[Aaron] It was Taylor’s idea to approach [Justin Vernon]. I sent him Taylor’s voice memo of her singing both parts, and he got really excited and loved the song and then he wrote the extra part in the bridge.

INVISIBLE STRING

[Taylor] When I first heard the track that [Aaron] sent me I thought, ‘I have to write something that matches it’. And pretty quickly I came upon the idea of fate. ‘Cause sometimes I just go into a rabbit hole of thinking about how things happen and I love the romantic idea that every step you’re taking, you’re taking one step closer to what you’re supposed to be, guided by this little invisible string. I wrote it right after I sent an ex a baby gift and I just remember thinking, 'This is a full signifier that life is great!'

[Aaron] That was another one where it was music that I’d been playing for a couple of months and sort of humming along to her. It felt like one of the songs that pulls you along. Just playing it on one guitar, it has this emotional locomotion in it, a meditative finger-picking pattern that I really gravitate to. It’s played on this rubber bridge that my friend put on [the guitar] and it deadens the strings so that it sounds old. The core of it sounds like a folk song. It’s also kind of a sneaky pop song, because of the beat that comes in. She knew that there was something coming because she said, “You know, I love this and I’m hearing something already.” And then she said, “This will change the story,” this beautiful and direct kind of recounting of a relationship in its origin.

MAD WOMAN

[Taylor] [“mad woman” has] these ominous strings underneath it and I was like, ‘Oh, this is female rage.' And then I was thinking the most rage provoking element of being a female is the gaslighting that happens. For centuries, we were just expected to absorb male behavior silently. And oftentimes, when we – in our enlightened and emboldened state – now respond to bad male behavior or somebody just doing something that’s absolutely out of line and we respond, that response is treated like the offense itself. There’s been situations recently with someone who’s very guilty of this in my life and it’s a person who makes me feel (or tries to make me feel) like I’m the offender by having any kind of defense to his offenses. It’s like I have absolutely no right to respond or I’m crazy. I have no right to respond or I’m angry. I have no right to respond or I’m out of line. So [Aaron] provided the musical bed for me to make that point that I’ve been trying so hard to figure out how to make…How do I say why this feels so bad?

[Aaron] That might be the most scathing song on folklore. It has a darkness that I think is cathartic, sort of witch-hunting and gaslighting and maybe bullying. Sometimes you become the person people try to pin you into a corner to be, which is not really fair. But again, don’t quote me on that [laughs], I just have my own interpretation. It’s one of the biggest releases on the album to me. It has this very sharp tone to it, but sort of in gothic folklore. It’s this record’s goth song.

EPIPHANY

[Taylor] I remember thinking, ‘Maybe I wanna write a sports story.’ Because I had just watched The Last Dance and I was thinking all in terms of sports, and winners, and underdogs. But actually, what I had been doing really frequently up until that point was I had been doing a lot of research on my grandfather who fought in World War II at Guadalcanal, which was an extremely bloody battle. And he never talked about it. Not with his sons, not with his wife. Nobody got to hear about what happened there. So my dad and his brothers did a lot of digging and found out that my granddad was exposed to some of the worst situations you could ever imagine as a human being. So I kind of tried to imagine what would happen in order to make you just never be able to speak about something. And when I was thinking about that I realized that there are people right now taking a twenty minute break in between shifts at a hospital who are having this kind of trauma happen to them right now, that they probably will never wanna speak about. And so I thought that this is an opportunity to maybe tell that story. I often feel that there have been times in my life where things have fallen apart so methodically, and I couldn’t control how things were going wrong, and nothing I did stopped it. I just felt like I’d been pushed out a plane and I was scratching on the air on the way down. I just felt like the universe was doing its thing. It was just dismantling my life and there was nothing I could do. And this is a weird situation where – ever since I started making music with [Aaron] – I felt like that was the universe forcing things to fall into place perfectly and there’s nothing I could do. It’s one of those weird things that makes you think about life a lot. This lockdown could’ve been a time where I absolutely lost my mind and instead I think this album was a real floatation device for both of us.

[Aaron] For epiphany, she did have this idea of a beautiful drone, or a very cinematic sort of widescreen song, where it’s not a lot of accents but more like a sea to bathe in. A stillness, in a sense. I first made this crazy drone which starts the song, and it’s there the whole time. It’s lots of different instruments played and then slowed down and reversed. It created this giant stack of harmony, which is so giant that it was kind of hard to manage, sonically, but it was very beautiful to get lost in. And then I played the piano to it, and it almost felt classical or something, those suspended chords. I think she just heard it, and instantly, this song came to her, which is really an important one. It’s partially the story of her grandfather, who was a soldier, and partially then a story about a nurse in modern times. I don’t know if this is how she did it, but to me, it’s like a nurse, doctor, or medical professional, where med school doesn’t fully prepare you for seeing someone pass away or just the difficult emotional things that you’ll encounter in your job. In the past, heroes were just soldiers. Now they’re also medical professionals. To me, that’s the underlying mission of the song. There are some things that you see that are hard to talk about. You can’t talk about it. You just bear witness to them. But there’s something else incredibly soothing and comforting about this song. To me, it’s this Icelandic kind of feel, almost classical. My brother did really beautiful orchestration of it.

BETTY

[Aaron] This one Taylor and William wrote, and then both Jack and I worked on it. We all kind of passed it around. This is the one where Taylor wanted a reference. She wanted it to have an early Bob Dylan, sort of a Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan feel. We pushed it a little more towards John Wesley Harding, since it has some drums. It’s this epic narrative folk song where it tells us a long story and connects back to “cardigan.” It starts to connect dots and I think it’s a beautifully written folk song.

[Taylor] I just heard Joe singing the entire fully formed chorus of ‘betty’ from another room. And I was just like, ‘Hello.’ It was a step that we would never have taken, because why would we have ever written a song together? So this was the first time we had a conversation where I came in and I was like, 'Hey, this could be really weird, and we could hate this, so because we’re in quarantine and there’s nothing else going on, could we just try to see what it’s like if we write this song together?' So he was singing the chorus of it, and I thought it sounded really good from a man’s voice, from a masculine perspective. And I really liked that it seemed to be an apology. I’ve written so many songs from a female’s perspective of wanting a male apology that we decided to make it from a teenage boy’s perspective apologizing after he loses the love of his life because he’s been foolish.

[James] has lost the love of his life basically and doesn't understand how to get it back. I think we all have these situations in our lives where we learn to really, really give a heartfelt apology for the first time. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody really messes up sometimes and this is a song that I wrote from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy. I've always loved that in music you can kinda slip into different identities and you can sing from other people's perspectives. So that's what I did on this one," the superstar explained of the song's premise, before revealing, "I named all the characters in this story after my friends' kids... and I hope you like it!

[Joe Alwyn] I’d probably had a drink and was just stumbling around the house. We couldn’t decide on a film to watch that night, and she was like, ‘Do you want to try and finish writing that song you were singing earlier?’ And so we got a guitar and did that.” Initially, Alwyn didn’t want his name credited, anticipating that what he describes as the “clickbait conversation” would distract people from actually listening to the music. So he went by William Bowery as a nod to his music-composer great-grandfather and the Manhattan street.

[Taylor] With ‘betty,’ Jack Antonoff would text me these articles and think pieces and in-depth Tumblr posts on what this love triangle meant to the person who had listened to it. And that’s exactly what I was hoping would happen with this album. I wrote these stories for a specific reason and from a specific place about specific people that I imagined, but I wanted that to all change given who was listening to it. And I wanted it to start out as mine and become other people’s. It’s been really fun to watch.

THE LAST GREAT AMERICAN DYNASTY

[Taylor] When [Aaron] sent me the track to ‘the last great american dynasty’ I had been wanting to write a song about Rebekah Harkness since 2013, probably. I’d never figured out the right way to do it because there was never a track that felt like it could hold an entire story of somebody’s life and moving between generations. When I heard that [the track] I was like, ‘Oh my God, I think this is my opening. I think this is my moment. I think I can write the Rebekah Harkness story!' It has that country music narrative device.”

[Aaron] I wrote that after we’d been working for a while. It was an attempt to write something attractive, more uptempo and kind of pushing. I also was interested in this almost In Rainbows-style latticework of electric guitars. They come in and sort of pull you along, kind of reminiscent of Big Red Machine. It was very much in this sound world that I’ve been playing around with, and she immediately clicked with that. Initially I was imagining these dreamlike distant electric guitars and electronics but with an element of folk. There’s a lot going on in that sense. I sent it before I went on a run, and when I got back from the run, that song was there [laughs].She told me the story behind it, which sort of recounts the narrative of Rebekah Harkness, whom people actually called Betty. She was married to the heir of Standard Oil fortune, married into the Harkness family, and they bought this house in Rhode Island up on a cliff. It’s kind of the story of this woman and the outrageous parties she threw. She was infamous for not fitting in, entirely, in society; that story, at the end, becomes personal. Eventually, Taylor bought that house. I think that is symptomatic of folklore, this type of narrative song. We didn’t do very much to that either.

[Taylor] “Anyone who's been there before knows that I do 'The Tour,' where I show everyone through the house. And I tell them different anecdotes about each room, because I've done that much research on this house and this woman. So in every single room, there's a different anecdote about Rebekah Harkness. If you have a mixed group of people who've been there before and people who haven't, [the people who’ve been there] are like, "Oh, she's going to do the tour. She's got to tell you the story about how the ballerinas used to practice on the lawn.” And they'll go get a drink and skip it because it's the same every time. But for me, I'm telling the story with the same electric enthusiasm, because it's just endlessly entertaining to me that this fabulous woman lived there. She just did whatever she wanted.”

Dessner and Swift were working intensively and at high speed throughout 2020, so much so that on one occasion the producer sent the singer a track and went out for a run in the countryside around Long Pond. By the time he got back, Swift had already written ‘the last great american dynasty’ and it was waiting for him in his inbox.

Late May/Early June 2020: Taylor sends Aaron the last two folklore songs, the 1 and hoax.

[Aaron] “the 1” and “hoax,” the first song and the last song, were the last songs we did. The album was sort of finished before that. We thought it was complete, but Taylor then went back into the folder of ideas that I had shared. I think in a way, she didn’t realize she was writing for this album or a future something. She wrote “the 1,” and then she wrote “hoax” a couple of hours later and sent them in the middle of the night. When I woke up in the morning, I wrote her before she woke up in LA and said, “These have to be on the record.” She woke up and said, “I agree” [laughs]. These are the bookends, you know?It’s clear that “the 1” is not written from her perspective. It’s written from another friend’s perspective. There’s an emotional wryness and rawness, while also to this kind of wink in her eyes. There’s a little bit of her sense of humor in there, in addition to this kind of sadness that exists both underneath and on the surface. I enjoy that about her writing. The song [began from] the voice memo she sent me, and then I worked on the music some and we tracked her vocals, and then my brother added orchestration. There are a few other little bits, but basically that was one of the very last things we did. [Hoax] is a big departure. I think she said to me, “Don’t try to give it any other space other than what feels natural to you.” If you leave me in a room with a piano, I might play something like this. I take a lot of comfort in this. I think I imagined her playing this and singing it. After writing all these songs, this one felt the most emotional and, in a way, the rawest. It is one of my favorites. There’s sadness, but it’s a kind of hopeful sadness. It’s a recognition that you take on the burden of your partners, your loved ones, and their ups and downs. That’s both “peace” and “hoax” to me. That’s part of how I feel about those songs because I think that’s life. There’s a reality, the gravity or an understanding of the human condition.

[Taylor on the 1] I think, ‘I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit, been saying 'Yes' instead of 'No’ has a double meaning. Opening the album with that line applies to the situation that this song is written about where you’re updating a former lover on what your life is like now and trying to be positive about it. But it was also about where I am creatively. I’m just saying ‘Yes’, I’m just putting out an album in the worst time you could put one out, I’m just making stuff with someone who I’ve always wanted to make stuff with, as long as I’ve been a fan of The National. I’m just going to say 'Yes’ to stuff and it worked out.

[Taylor on hoax] The word ‘hoax’ is another one that I love. I love that is has an ‘x’ and the way it looks and sounds. I think with this song being the last one on the album it kind of embodied all the things that this album was thematically: confessions, incorporating nature, emotional volatility and ambiguity at the same time, love that isn’t just easy. And it’s the most symbolic and poetic thing, listing all these things that this person is to you. That line, ‘You know it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart’ – anyone in my life knows what I’m singing about there but everybody has that situation in their life where you let someone in and they get to know you and they know exactly what buttons to push to hurt you the most. That thing where the scars healed over but there’s still phantom pain. I think the part that sounds like love to me is, ‘Don’t want no other shade of blue but you. No other sadness in the world would do.’ To me that sounds like what love really is. Who would you be sad with? And who would you deal with when they were sad? And like, gray skies every day for months, would you still stay?

[Aaron] We didn’t talk about [the meaning of the album] at first. It was only after writing six or seven songs, basically when I thought my writing was done, when we got on the phone and said, “OK, I think we’re making an album. I have these six other ideas that I love with Jack [Antonoff] that we’ve already done, and I think what we’ve done fits really well with them.” It’s sort of these narratives, these folkloric songs, with characters that interweave and are written from different perspectives. She had a vision, and it was connecting back in some way to the folk tradition, but obviously not entirely sonically. It’s more about the narrative aspect of it. I think it’s this sort of nostalgia and wistfulness that is in a lot of the songs. A lot of them have this kind of longing for looking back on things that have happened in your life, in your friend’s life, or another loved one’s life, and the kind of storytelling around that. That was clear to her. But then we kept going, and more and more songs happened. It was a very organic process where [meaning] wasn’t something that we really discussed. It just kind of would happen where she would dive back into the folder and find other things that were inspiring. Or she and William Bowery would write “exile,” and then that happened. There were different stages of the process.

May 21, 2020: As stated in the folklore: long pond sessions, Taylor started recording the vocals on this day. She also finishes august while in the vocal booth.

[Taylor] In my head, I’ve been calling the girl from ‘august’ either Augusta or Augustine. What happened in my head was: ‘cardigan’ is Betty’s perspective from 20 or 30 years later, looking back on this love that was this tumultuous thing. I think Betty and James ended up together. So in my head, she ends up with him but he really put her through it. ‘august’ was obviously about the girl that James had this summer with. She seems like she’s a bad girl, but really she’s not. She’s a really sensitive person who fell for him and she was trying to seem cool and like she didn’t care because that’s what girls have to do. And she was trying to let him think that she didn’t care, but she did and she thought they had something very real. And then he goes back to Betty. So the idea that there is some bad, villain girl in any type of situation who ‘takes your man’ is a total myth because that’s not usually the case at all. Everybody has feelings and wants to be seen and loved. And Augustine…that’s all she wanted.

She previously had written down the phrase ‘Meet me behind the mall’ in her phone years ago, wanting to write it into a song.

May 22-June 5, 2020: Taylor leaves LA and goes to Upstate New York to touch up some vocals (Betty), and shooting the photoshoot at Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' house. She also records Carolina at Long Pond. The song was recorded in one take using only instruments available before 1953.

[EW Interview] “I had this idea for the [Folklore album cover] that it would be this girl sleepwalking through the forest in a nightgown in 1830 [laughs]. Very specific. A pioneer woman sleepwalking at night. I made a mood board and sent it to Beth [Garrabrant], who I had never worked with before, who shoots only on film. We were just carrying bags across a field and putting the bags of film down, and then taking pictures. It was a blast. I'd done my hair and makeup and brought some nightgowns. These experiences I was used to having with 100 people on set, commanding alongside other people in a very committee fashion — all of a sudden it was me and a photographer, or me and my DP. It was a new challenge, because I love collaboration. But there's something really fun about knowing what you can do if it's just you doing it.”

[About Carolina] About a year & half ago I wrote a song about the story of a girl who always lived on the outside, looking in. Figuratively & literally. The juxtaposition of her loneliness & independence. Her curiosity & fear all tangled up. Her persisting gentleness & the world’s betrayal of it. I wrote this one alone in the middle of the night and then Aaron Dessner and I meticulously worked on a sound that we felt would be authentic to the moment when this story takes place. I made a wish that one day you would hear it. here The Crawdads Sing is a book I got absolutely lost in when I read it years ago. As soon as I heard there was a film in the works starring the incredible Daisy Edgar-Jones and produced by the brilliant Reese Witherspoon, I knew I wanted to be a part of it from the musical side. I wrote the song “Carolina” alone and asked my friend Aaron Dessner to produce it. I wanted to create something haunting and ethereal to match this mesmerizing story.

June 5, 2020: The Inner Circle posts the Oxford definition of the word folklore: “The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.” adding “Taylor, your secret is safe with us.” later that day.

June 16, 2020: The Inner Circle posts the Oxford definition of the word cardigan: “A knitted sweater fastening down the front, typically with long sleeves. (Taylor, your secret remains safe with us. Here at the IC we are anxiously awaiting your big reveal)”

June-July 2020: During June and possibly early July, Aaron and Jon Low mix and master the album. It's a complicated process.

[Aaron] If there was trouble it started to be because of track counts. I probably only used 20 percent of what was actually recorded, ’cause we would try a lot of things, y’know. So, eventually the sessions got kinda crazy and you’d have to deactivate a lot of things and print things. But we got used to that. [...] I think the main thing was I wanted her vocals to have a more full range than maybe you typically hear, because I think a lot of the more pop oriented records are mixed a certain way and they take some of the warmth out of the vocal, so that it’s very bright and it kinda cuts really well on the radio. But she has this wonderful lower warmth frequency in her voice which is particularly important on a song like ‘seven’. If you carved out that mud, y’know, it wouldn’t hit you the same way. Or, like, ‘cardigan’, I think it needs that warmth, the kind of fuller feeling to it. It makes it darker, but to me that’s where a lot of emotion is.

[Aaron on the mixing process] In some instances, the final mix ended up being the never bettered rough mix, while other songs took far more work. “‘cardigan’ is basically the rough, as is ‘seven’. So, like the early, early mixes, when we didn’t even know we were mixing, we never were able to make it better. Like if you make it sound ‘good’, it might not be as good ’cause it loses some of its weird magic, y’know. But songs like ‘the last great american dynasty’ or ‘mad woman’, those songs were a little harder to create the dynamics the way you want them, and the pay off without going too far, and with also just keeping in the kind of aesthetic that we were in. Those were harder, I would say.

[Mixer Jon Low] In the beginning it did not feel real,” recalls Low. “There was this brand new collaboration, and it was amazing how quickly Aaron made these instrumental sketches and Taylor wrote lyrics and melodies to them, which she initially sent to us as iPhone voice memos. During our nightly family dinners in lockdown, Aaron would regularly pull up his phone and say, ‘Listen to this!’ and there would be another voice memo from Taylor with this beautiful song that she had written over a sketch of Aaron’s in a matter of hours. The rate at which it was happening was mind blowing. There was constant elevation, inspiration and just wanting to continue the momentum. “We put her voice memos straight into Pro Tools. They had tons of character, because of the weird phone compression and cutting midrange quality you just would not get when you put someone in front of a pristine recording chain. Plus there was all this bleed. It’s interesting how that dictates the attitude of the vocal and of the song. Even though none of the original voice memos ended up on the albums, they often gave us unexpected hints. These voice memos were such on a whim things, they were really telling. Taylor had certain phrasings and inflections that we often returned to later on. They became our reference points. “Taylor’s voice memos often came with suggestions for how to edit the sketches: maybe throw in a bridge somewhere, shorten a section, change the chords or arrangement somewhere, and so on. Aaron would have similar ideas, and he then developed the arrangements, often with his brother Bryce, adding or replacing instruments. This happened fast, and became very interactive between us and Taylor, even though we were working remotely. When we added instruments, we were reacting to the way my rough mixes felt at the very beginning. Of course, it was also dictated by how Taylor wrote and sang to the tracks.”

[Jon Low on the mixing process] Throughout the entire process we were trying to maintain the original feel. Sometimes this was hard, because that initial rawness would get lost in large arrangements and additional layering. With revisions of folklore in particular we sometimes were losing the emotional weight from earlier more casual mixes. Because I was always mixing, there was also always the danger of over mixing. “We were trying to get the best of each mix version, and sometimes that meant stepping backwards, and grabbing a piano chain from an earlier mix, or going three versions back to before we added orchestration. There were definitely moments of thinking, ‘Is this going to compete sonically? Is this loud enough?’ We knew we loved the way the songs sounded as we were building them, so we stuck with what we knew. There were times where I tried to keep pushing a mix forward but it didn’t improve the song — ‘cardigan’ is an example of a song where we ended up choosing a very early mix.

July 2020: While folklore is being finished, Taylor continues to write songs. The first two songs, that at first seem like Big Red Machine songs, are dorothea and closure.

[Aaron] A lot more of [evermore] was made from scratch. After Folklore came out, I think Taylor had written two songs early on that we both thought were for Big Red Machine, “Closure” and “Dorothea.” But the more I listened to them, not that they couldn’t be Big Red Machine songs, but they felt like interesting, exciting Taylor songs. “Closure” is very experimental and in this weird time signature, but still lyrically felt like some evolution of Folklore, and “Dorothea” definitely felt like it was reflecting on some character.

[Aaron on closure] Vernon provided the grainy beat that kicks off ‘closure’, one of two tracks on evermore that started life as a sketch for the second Big Red Machine album. “It was this little loop that Justin had given me in this folder of ‘Starters’, he calls them. I had heard that and been playing the piano to it. But I was hearing it in 5/4, although it’s not in 5/4. ‘Closure’ really opened everything up further. There were no real limits to where we were gonna try to write songs.”

In the Billboard interview above, Aaron says he thinks that Taylor wrote them after folklore was released, while in the Rolling Stone one he says they were written while finishing up the folklore mixes.

“I think I’d written around 30 of those songs in total,” Dessner recalls. “So when I started sharing them with Taylor over the months that we were working on Folklore, she got really into it, and she wrote two songs to some of that music.” One was “Closure,” an experimental electronic track in 5/4 time signature that was built over a staccato drum kit. The other song was “Dorothea,” a rollicking, Americana piano tune. The more Dessner listened to them, the more he realized that they were continuations of Folklore‘s characters and stories. But the real turning point came soon after Folklore‘s surprise release in late July, when Dessner wrote a musical sketch and named it “Westerly,” after the town in Rhode Island where Swift owns the house previously owned by Rebekah Harkness.

Dorothea is the only evermore song to have been recorded at Taylor's home studio in LA, she left LA 3 days after the release of folklore so Occam's razor, I'm guessing that the RS interview is the correct one and dorothea and closure were written in late June/early July, while the Folklorians were finishing up the album.

July 24, 2020: folklore is released, after being announced the day before.

August 6-18, 2020: To celebrate how well folklore was received, Aaron composes an instrumental track called Westerly, named after the town in Rhode Island where Taylor owns Holiday House. Taylor writes willow on it, then sends a voice memo to Aaron.

[Voice Memo] “Here's the Westerly one, written in Westerly!”

[Aaron] And I, sort of in celebration of Folklore, had written a piece of music that I titled “Westerly,” that’s where she has the house that she wrote “Last Great American Dynasty” about. I’ll do that sometimes, just make things for friends or write music just to write it, but I didn’t at all think it would become a song. And she, like an hour later, sent back “Willow” written to that song, and that sort of set [things in motion] and we just started filling this Dropbox again. It was kind of like, “What’s happening?”

There are so many stories I could share. When I sent Taylor the music for our song 'willow' — I think she wrote the entire song from start to finish in less than 10 minutes and sent it back to me. It was like an earthquake. Then Taylor said, 'I guess we are making another album.'

I liked opening the album with ['willow'] because I loved the feeling that I got, immediately upon hearing the instrumental that Aaron created for it. It felt strangely witchy, like somebody making a love potion, dreaming up the person that they want and desire, and trying to figure out how to get that person in their life. And all the misdirection, and bait and switch, and complexity that goes into seeing someone, feeling a connection, wanting them, and trying to make them a part of your life. It’s tactical at times, it’s confusing at times, it’s up to fate, it’s magical. It felt a bit magical and mysterious, which is what I want people to feel going into an album that was a collection of these stories that were going to take them in all kinds of directions. I just wanted to start them off with a setting of the vibe.

August/September 2020: Taylor writes no body, no crime, possibly while in London.

[Taylor] Working with the HAIM sisters on 'no body, no crime' was pretty hilarious because it came about after I wrote a pretty dark murder mystery song and had named the character Este, because she’s the friend I have who would be stoked to be in a song like that. I had finished the song and was nailing down some lyric details and texted her, 'You’re not going to understand this text for a few days but... which chain restaurant do you like best?' and I named a few. She chose Olive Garden and a few days later I sent her the song and asked if they would sing on it. It was an immediate 'YES.'

[Aaron] Taylor wrote that one alone and sent me a voice memo of her playing guitar — she wrote it on this rubber-bridge guitar that I got for her. It’s the same kind I play on “Invisible String.” So she wrote “No Body, No Crime” and sent me a voice memo of it, and then I started building on that. It’s funny, because the music I’ve listened to the most in my life are things that are more like that — roots music, folk music, country music, old-school rock & roll, the Grateful Dead. It’s not really the sound of the National or other things I’ve done, but it feels like a warm blanket. Taylor had specific ideas from the beginning about references and how she wanted it to feel, and that she wanted the Haim sisters to sing on it. We had them record the song with Ariel Reichshaid, they sent that from L.A., and then we put it together when Taylor was here [at Long Pond]. They’re an incredible band, and it was another situation where we were like, “Well, this happened.” It felt like this weird little rock & roll history anecdote.

[Aaron] [We realized evermore was going to end up being another album] after we’d written several songs, seven or eight or nine. Each one would happen, and we would both be in this sort of disbelief of this weird alchemy that we had unleashed. The ideas were coming fast and furiously and were just as compelling as anything on Folklore, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. At some point, Taylor wrote evermore with William Bowery, and then we sent it to Justin, who wrote the bridge, and all of a sudden, that’s when it started to become clear that there was a sister record.

September 16- 23, 2020: Taylor and Jack go to Upstate New York to record the Long Pond Studio Session. She writes 'tis the damn season there on the 17th. Afterwards Taylor stays a few more days to record the bulk of the evermore vocals: willow, champagne problems, gold rush, 'tis the damn season, tolerate it, no body no crime, coney island, ivy, long story short, marjorie, closure, evermore, and it’s time to go.

After the Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, [Taylor] stayed for quite a while and we recorded a lot. She actually wrote 'tis the damn season when she arrived for the first day of rehearsal. We played all night and drank a lot of wine after the fireside chat — and we were all pretty drunk, to be honest — and then I thought she went to bed. But the next morning, at 9:00 a.m. or something, she showed up and was like, “I have to sing you this song,” and she had written it in the middle of the night. That was definitely another moment [where] my brain exploded, because she sang it to me in my kitchen, and it was just surreal. That music is actually older — it’s something I wrote many years ago, and hid away because I loved it so much. It meant something to me, and it felt like the perfect song finally found it. There was a feeling in it, and she identified that feeling: That feeling of... “The ache in you, put there by the ache in me.” I think everyone can relate to that. It’s one of my favorites.

[Aaron] She stayed after we were done filming and then we recorded a lot. It was crazy because we were getting ready to make that film, but at the same time, these songs were accumulating. And so we thought, “Hmm, I guess we should just stay and work.”

CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS

[Taylor] Joe and I really love sad songs. He started that one and came up with the melodic structure of it. I say it was a surprise that we started writing together, but in a way it wasn’t cause we had always bonded over music and had the same musical tastes. He’s always the person who’s showing me songs by artists and then they become my favorite songs. ‘champagne problems’ was one of my favorite bridges to write. I really love a bridge where you tell the full story in the bridge. You really shift gears in that bridge. I’m so excited to one day be in front of a crowd, when they all sing, ‘She would’ve made such a lovely bride, what a shame she’s fucked in the head’. Cause I know it’s so sad, but it’s those songs like ‘All Too Well’. Performing that song is one of the most joyful experiences I ever go through when I perform live, so when there’s a song like ‘champagne problems’ where you know it’s so sad… I love a sad song, you know?

GOLD RUSH

During the willow live stream premiere, Taylor revealed that “gold rush” is Jack's favourite song and that it takes place inside a single daydream where you get lost in thought for a minute and then snap out of it.

[Jack] gold rush was a pretty different sound than what was on folklore. Even the movement in the chorus and some of the chord changes, they're very outside of the realm for what we've done together. We have different processes. Sometimes we sit in a room, sometimes she'll send me a song, sometimes I'll send her a track. That was one where I had the track going. And she did the classic thing where you send it to her, and a very short time later, she sent back a voice note with all of these brilliant ideas of what the song is.

'TIS THE DAMN SEASON

[Aaron] '‘tis the damn season' is a really special song to me for a number of reasons. When I wrote the music to it, which was a long time ago, I remember thinking that this is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made, even though it’s an incredibly simple musical sketch. But it has this arc to it, and there’s this simplicity in the minimalism of it, and the kind of drum programming in there, and I always loved the tone of that guitar. When Taylor played the track and sang it to me in my kitchen, that was a highlight of this whole time. That track felt like something I have always loved and could have just stayed music, but instead, someone of her incredible storytelling ability and musical ability took it and made something much greater. And it’s something that we can all relate to. [Note: The instrumental Aaron is talking about is called Ingrid and was written in 2013 when his daughter Ingrid Stella was born. It was released in 2018 on the album Songs Without Words.]

TOLERATE IT

[Taylor] When you watch a film or you read a book and there’s a character that you identify with, most of the time you identify with them because they’re targeting something in you that feels that you’ve been there. That’s why we relate to characters. When I was reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier I was thinking, ‘Her husband just tolerates her. She’s doing all these things, trying so hard to impress him and he’s just tolerating her the whole time.’ There was a part of me that could relate to that because at some point in my life I felt that way. So I ended up writing this song ‘tolerate it’ that’s all about trying to love someone who’s ambivalent.

[Aaron] When I wrote the piano track to 'tolerate it,' right before I sent it to her, I thought, 'This song is intense.' It’s in 10/8, which is an odd time signature. And I did think for a second, 'Maybe I shouldn’t send it to her, she won’t be into it.' But I sent it to her, and it conjured a scene in her mind, and she wrote this crushingly beautiful song to it and sent it back. I think I cried when I first heard it. It just felt like the most natural thing, you know? There weren’t limitations to the process. And in these places where we were pushing into more experimental sounds or odd time signatures, that just felt like part of the work.

CONEY ISLAND

[Taylor on coney island] “The story behind writing Coney Island - Aaron Dessner had sent me this track that he had created with his brother Bryce and I wrote the lyrics and the melody with William Bowery. I think I might have been coming from a place of somebody who’s been in a relationship for decades and wakes up one day and realizes that they have taken their partner completely for granted. So whether you wanna look at it from the perspective of somebody who’s in a new relationship or very long-standing relationship, I think it just really speaks to if people are trying to communicate but they’re two ships passing in the night, they’re trying to love each other but their signals are somehow missing each other - I just found that really interesting... and yeah, we’re really proud of this one. There were elements of it that immediately reminded me of Matt Berninger‘s vocal stylings and his writing, and I kind of targeted some of the lyrics of the second verse to sound sort of like what he might do - cause I hoped that he might sing on it. Because, you know, we already had two members of The National on the song, with Aaron and Bryce. So we got our wish and Matt sang on this song. I think he did an amazing job, I’m such a huge fan of the band and I’m really honored this was able to come together with The National.”

[Aaron on coney island] One key track on evermore, ‘coney island’, features all of the members of the National and sees Swift duetting with their singer Matt Berninger. “My brother [Bryce] actually originated that song,” says Aaron Dessner. “I sent him a reference at one point — I can’t remember what it was — and then he was sort of inspired to write that chord progression. Then we worked together to sort of develop it and I wrote a bunch of parts and we structured it. Taylor and William Bowery [the songwriting pseudonym of Swift’s boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn] wrote ‘coney island’ and she sang a beautiful version. It felt kind of done, actually. But then I think we all collectively thought — Taylor and myself and Bryce — like this was the closest to a National song. Dessner then asked the brothers who make up the National’s rhythm section, drummer Bryan and bassist Scott Devendorf, to play on ‘coney island’. Matt Berninger, as he often does with the band’s own tracks, recorded his vocal at home in Los Angeles. “It was never in the same place, it was done remotely,” says Dessner, “except Bryan was here at Long Pond when he played. It was great to collaborate as a band with Taylor.”

MARJORIE

[Aaron] “Taylor’s family gave us a bunch of recordings of her grandmother,” Dessner explains. “But they were from old, very scratchy, noisy vinyl. So, we had to denoise it all using [iZotope’s] RX and then I went in and I found some parts that I thought might work. I pitch shifted them into the key and then placed them. It took a while to find the right ones, but it’s really beautiful to be able to hear her. It’s just an incredibly special thing, I think.”

EVERMORE

[Taylor] When Joe wrote the piano, I based the vocal melody on the piano, and we sent it to Justin, who then added that bridge. And Joe had written the piano part so that the tempo speeds up, and it changes. The music completely changes to a different tempo in the bridge. And Justin really latched onto that, and just 100% embraced it and wrote this beautiful sort of... The clutter of all your anxieties in your head, and they're all speaking at once. And we got the bridge back, and then I wrote this narrative of, 'When I was shipwrecked, I thought of you.' That sort of thing, where there was this beacon of hope, and then in the end, you realize the pain wouldn't be forever.

IT'S TIME TO GO

[Taylor] it’s time to go is about listening to your gut when it tells you to leave. How you always know before you know, you know?

Aaron Dessner, Jon Low, Stine Dessner and Taylor at Long Pond in September 2020.

October 6, 2020: Taylor and Paul McCartney get to chat for Rolling Stone. Taylor softly references tolerate it, ivy and willow.

Swift: I was reading so much more than I ever did, and watching so many more films. McCartney: What stuff were you reading? Swift: I was reading, you know, books like Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, which I highly recommend, and books that dealt with times past, a world that doesn’t exist anymore. I was also using words I always wanted to use — kind of bigger, flowerier, prettier words, like “epiphany,” in songs. I always thought, “Well, that’ll never track on pop radio,” but when I was making this record, I thought, “What tracks? Nothing makes sense anymore. If there’s chaos everywhere, why don’t I just use the damn word I want to use in the song?”

October 14, 2020: Jason Treuting records the glockenspiel on willow. (I got this date form the original willow stems)

October 28, 2020: Bryce Devendorf records the percussions on willow. (I got this date form the original willow stems)

October/November 2020: Aaron goes to see Justin Vernon in his home studio in Wisconsin, where they work on the album. Aaron writes the instrumental sketch to right where you left me before going on this trip.

[Aaron] I went to see Justin at one point — that’s the one trip I’ve made — and we worked together at his place on stuff. He plays the drums on “Cowboy Like Me” and “Closure,” and he plays guitar and banjo and sings on “Ivy,” and sings on “Marjorie” and “Evermore.” And then we processed Taylor’s vocals through his Messina chain together. He was really deeply involved in this record, even more so than the last record. He’s always been such a huge help to me, and not just by getting him to play stuff or sing stuff — I can also send him things and get his feedback. We’ve done a ton of work together, but we have different perspectives and different harmonic brains. He obviously has his own studio set up at home, but it was nice to be able to see him and work on this stuff.

November 4, 2020: Taylor shoots the evermore cover, the Red TV cover, and the EW photos. (I got this date from an insider)

November 7, 2020: Taylor films the willow music video. (I got this date from an insider)

November 20, 2020: Aaron records the bass on willow. (I got this date form the original willow stems)

November 25, 2020: Taylor is at Marcus Mumford's studio called Scarlet Pimpernel to finish evermore. They record vocals for two new songs, happiness and right where you left me, they touch up the vocals for coney island, they record Joe's piano on evermore the song, and Marcus records backing vocals on cowboy like me. She possibly stays more than one day.

Taylor has mentioned that you recorded “Happiness” just a week before the album was released. Was that something you guys wrote, recorded, and produced all at the last minute, or was it something you’d been sitting on for a while before you finally cracked the code? There were two songs like that. One is a bonus track called “Right Where You Left Me,” and the other one was “Happiness,” which she wrote literally days before we were supposed to master. That’s similar to what happened with Folklore, with “The 1” and “Hoax,” which she wrote days before. We mixed all the tracks here, and it’s a lot to mix 17 songs, it’s like a Herculean task. And it was funny, because I walked into the studio and Jon Low, our engineer here, was mixing and had been working the whole time toward this. And I came in and he’s in the middle of mixing and I was like, “There are two more songs.” And he looked at me like, “…We’re not gonna make it.” Because it does take a lot of time to work out how to finish them. But she sang those remotely. And the music for “Happiness” is something that I had been working on since last year. I had sang a little bit on it, too — I thought it was a Big Red Machine song, but then she loved the instrumental and ended up writing to it. Same with the other one, “Right Where You Left Me” — it was something I had written right before I went to visit Justin, because I thought, “Maybe we’ll make something when we’re together there.” And Taylor had heard that and wrote this amazing song to it. That is a little bit how she works — she writes a lot of songs, and then at the very end she sometimes writes one or two more, and they often are important ones.

[Taylor on cowboy like me] Take yourselves back to 2020, and I put out folklore, and I just kept writing. I thought, 'Let me make a sister album to folklore and call it evermore.' And so I started immediately. Aaron, Jack, and I were just writing remotely. And the challenge at the time was trying to figure out how to record things. Most studios were completely shut down due to Covid, understandably. I could not find a studio, essentially. So Aaron is like, 'Let me call around to see if there is anyone who is cool, and nice, and generous, and might be willing to offer up their home studio, if we do the right amount of testing, we're totally locked down, and quarantined.' And I was like, 'Okay, please, I really hope someone comes through.' And so he calls me ,'I have really really good news. Marcus Mumford said that you could record at his home studio.' So I first of all, I am so excited that he's saving us, because without this trip, we wouldn't have recorded five or six of the songs on evermore, which came from me getting in a car, driving six hours out into the country past thousands of beautiful sheep, to Marcus Mumford's beautiful house where he has a studio. So I got to do this, we get there, and the whole time I'm thinking, 'Okay, wouldn't it be so cool if he would sing on something?' Because I'm such a Mumford & Sons fan. I just think he's brilliant and has one of the most gorgeous voices in the world. So I'm like, 'Will he sing something, please?' But I didn't want to be weird about it, so I'm like, 'I wonder if fate will have him wander into the studio at the right time.' So sure enough, we're recording a song, and he wanders in at the perfect time and just kind of started humming a harmony. And I turned to him as if I hadn't been thinking of it the whole time, and I was like, 'Oh! You sound really good on that harmony! I wonder if you might sing on this song?' And he said, 'Yep, I would love to!' So essentially, because of Marcus Mumford we have a lot of the songs that probably we wouldn't have been able to put out evermore as quickly as we did. And we also have a gorgeous harmony on a song called 'cowboy like me.'

[Aaron] The music for happiness is something that I had been working on since last year. I had sang a little bit on it, too — I thought it was a Big Red Machine song, but then she loved the instrumental and ended up writing to it.

[Taylor] right where you left me is a song about a girl who stayed forever in the exact spot where her heart was broken, completely frozen in time.

Taylor at Scarlet Pimpernel Studios, and a signed sheet with cowboy like me lyrics which Taylor gave to Marcus Mumford.

December 3 & 4, 2020: Aaron works on willow for the final time, recording some synthesizers. (I got this date form the original willow stems)

[Aaron] On evermore, I would say willow was probably the hardest one to finish just because there were so many ways it could’ve gone. Eventually we settled back almost to the point where it began. So, there’s a lot of stuff that was left out of willow, just because the simplicity of the idea I think was in a way the strongest. It almost felt like a dare or something. We were writing, recording and mixing all in one kind of work stream and we went from one record to the other almost immediately. We were just sort off to the races. We didn’t really ever stop since April.

[Low] The final mix stage for evermore was “very short. There was a moment in the final week or so leading up to the release where the songs were developed far enough for me to sit down and try to make something very cohesive and final, finalising vocal volume, overall volume, and the vibe. There’s a point in every mix where the moves get really small. When a volume ride of 0.1dB makes a difference, you’re really close to being done. Earlier on, those little adjustments don’t really matter.

December 11, 2020: evermore is released.

With folklore, one of the main themes throughout that album was ‘conflict resolution’, trying to figure out how to get through something with someone, or making confessions, or trying to tell them something, trying to communicate with them. evermore deals a lot in endings of all sorts, shapes and sizes. All the kinds of ways we can end a relationship, a friendship, something toxic and the pain that goes along with that.

I have no idea what will come next. I have no idea about a lot of things these days and so I've clung to the one thing that keeps me connected to you all. That thing always has and always will be music. And may it continue, evermore.

[smoooothoperator]

What A Shame

07: Sad Beautiful Tragic

Driver! Charles Leclerc x Singer! OC (Juliette Morelli)

Exes to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Childhood Sweathearts

Summary: they realize their feelings, but the hard part is admitting them

Words: 2.1k

warnings: fluff, angst?? lot of tears, Mattia (he needs a warning, yeah), flashbacks are on italics

Official Playlist

Masterlist

previous part | next part

a/n: well well well!!!! here you have!! remember that there's only a chapter left. tell me your theories!!!

Every interaction is very welcomed!!!!

🏎️

How, in less than an hour, I found the words I wanted to say? I only needed to hear her sing, I only needed to hear her sing the song she wanted to be played at our hypothetical wedding.

"I just heard the most beautiful wedding song ever" she said while she threw herself on my bed, looking up at the ceiling with a big smile on her lips.

"Oh? Surprise me" I chuckled looking how she grabbed her phone.

The song started to play and I just had to look at her waiting for her voice. I know that she loves a song she heard recently when she already memorized it in less than a few hours. 

"It's beautiful" I nodded while hearing it.

"Imagine it at our wedding" she gasped sitting on the bed.

We always knew both of us were going to get married. Our families knew it the first time we met at school, how we played to be a couple, how we made weddings in our backyards. We were soulmates, and soulmates shouldn't be separated.

"I'm already picturing it" I smiled looking at her. "And that's a yes. Is definitely added  to the bucket list"

I know I love her. I always had. All those years without her were so hard. I only needed three months to know that I made a big mistake, listening and doing what Ferrari said. 

"If you want to become a champion you should focus on the team and only the team" Mattia frowned looking at me. "What you did during the lockdown, playing on the internet, was a bad distraction"

"And what did you want me to do! I couldn't get out of my house, for god's sake!" I exclaimed. 

"Well, train more! Focus more! Because it's obvious that playing games won't make you a world champion" he said mad, placing both of his hands on the table in front of me. "Focus on Ferrari"

"I have a life, Mattia" I frowned. "I have a family, I have a girlfriend. I have friends!"

"Well, then maybe you shouldn't have a girlfriend" he said.

"What?! Are you crazy?" I exclaimed, getting up off the chair. This is getting out of hand.

"Break up with her. She's distracting you" he said. "If you want the seat next season, break up with her. Or else you won't be here anymore"

Threats. Everything was a threat. If I did something they didn't approve of, they gave me an ultimatum. I was their golden boy, they put a lot of money for me. 

They were my childhood dream.

And I did what they told me to do. I did everything. I was their puppet, someone they could use to have more attention, more sponsors, more fans. They used me to be back on top of everyone. 

"Charles" Carlos called me, making me focus back on the wedding. 

It's already finished. Everyone was standing up and clapping, watching how the newlyweds kissed.

I missed all the wedding just because I was locked in my mind. Shit.

"You have to sign the papers" he whispered to me and I just smiled weakly at him, walking towards Pierre and sighing. 

"You were distant during the ceremony" he whispered, handing me the pen. "Are you okay, mate?"

Just as I was going to answer, Juliette started playing the piano again. She started to sing again. 

"I'll talk to her" I whisper, signing the paper and looking at him. "I'll tell her the truth, even if that makes her hate me more"

Pierre just smiled and hugged me, patting my back and holding me tight. He knows I need all the support I can get. He knows how much this means to me.

"I'm sorry I spaced out all the ceremony" I sighed. 

"I'm not mad" he smiled. "She was looking at you"

🎤

The moment I waited the most all year. Summer trip. I always went somewhere with my family, they promised me this year we will go to Italy.

"Mommy, how long until we arrive?" I asked, hugging the plush cat. "I want to show Cha the new plushie I bought for his little brother!"

"Soon, honey" she smiled looking back at me. 

Summer trips with the Leclerc family were always funny. Since we were neighbors we planned the summer trips together, just because Charles and I never wanted to be away from the other.

Italy was beautiful, we both had so much fun. The backyard of the villa our families rented was so big that we could run free around.

"Cha!" I exclaimed, jumping out of the car, watching my best friend running towards me.

"Juls!" he smiled, hugging me. "I missed you, wifey!"

"I missed you too" I smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Wait, wait, since when are you two married?" his older brother and his friend Jules us, making him hug me tighter.

"We did it on the last day of school" Charles said proudly. "So none of you two would take her away from me! She's mine!"

"Okay, okay" Lorenzo laughed. "you better keep it that way, you don't want to make Juliette sad, right?"

"No! She'll never be sad! I promise" he nodded looking at me, holding my hand and linking out pinkies.

He made so many promises and broke them. He promised he would never make me sad, that he would never break my heart, that he would marry me.

I sighed, playing the last note of the last song and looked down at the keys. I wanted to get up, to walk out of the church and avoid that conversation with him. 

I want to be mad at him. I really want to, but I'm so tired of that. I'm so tired of fighting, of lying to myself. 

So I just gave up. I let the tears fall down my eyes during the wedding. I let my eyes look at him while they said their vows. I let myself think about us again, about our promises. I let my mind read him, looking into his eyes and talking with him only with our eyes.

He regrets things, he's scared, nervous. 

When I saw him walking towards me after everyone left the church, I just smiled weakly, defeated.

"I don't want to argue" he said, making me nod. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I... Juliette, you are the love of my life... And right now is like if we were the worst enemies out there"

It made me chuckle softly. Yeah, maybe we made a show with our two arguments, one last night and another this morning.

"I'm tired" I sighed looking at him, hugging myself. "I... I don't recognize us"

"Can we please talk as two grown adults, please?" he asked me, taking another step closer to me. 

I nodded and sighed, watching how he smiled weakly and nodded too. He took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

"But" I interrupted him before he could open his mouth. "Can we please do that after everything is done? I just... I don't want to ruin their day, Charles. I don't want to be more emotional that I'm already am"

"Promise me you'll dance with me" he asked. "Promise me you'll save a dance with me and we'll talk as long as we need it"

I took a deep breath and nodded. I felt his hand on mine and I just felt shivers running up my back. I missed his touch, how warm his hands were.

"Just don't stare at me while I sing on their first dance" I whisper looking at our hands. 

"I can't promise you anything" he whispered. I sighed and nodded, him letting go of my hand. 

"I... I guess I'll have to get out. There are photographers so..." I sighed looking up at him. "I don't think it's a good idea if we walked out together"

"Yeah, you are right" he nodded, nervous.

I sighed and grabbed all my things, walking out of the church and immediately facing the media. I just smiled, posing for some pictures and immediately walked away back to the villa.

I tried to not think about Charles, not wanting to have high hopes. I just want this day to end and go back home, where everything seemed normal. 

"Juliette!". Lando. "Hey, wait!"

I sighed and look back at him. No, I can't repeat it. Charles is here, I don't want to fight anymore.

"Lando, hey" I sighed. 

"You sang amazing" he smiled walking next to me. "You really made me cry"

"Oh... Thank you" I sighed. "Look... About last night"

"I know. One night stand" he nodded. "But hey, we could be friends, you know?"

I looked at him and sighed. I felt Charles' eyes on me again and I felt the shivers again. 

"Look... You are nice and all, but you are not my type" I sighed. 

I smiled weakly and kept walking, making myself get lost on the streets of the village just to have time to think.

"Juliette!" he called me. 

I turned around and sighed. Charles followed me, he walked behind me.

"Charles..." I sighed.

"They threatened me" he said, walking closer to me. "They didn't like that I did nothing during the lockdown. That I didn't train. That my first season in Ferrari was nothing. They wanted me to fight, to focus. To leave everyone to the side"

"What?" I frowned. 

"Mattia wanted me to live only for Ferrari" he mumbled. "He obliged me to break up with you. To leave my friends. To not date anyone nor be involved in rumors. They used me as a puppet to have more followers, making promises that I would take the team back to the top"

I looked at him and swallowed thickly. Now I understand why he was nervous that night. Why his eyes were red. 

"Juliette..." he whispered, closing the big distance between us, just standing a few feet apart. "I went to your shows. To your first show, I was there, on top of the stadium and watching you how you sang and danced"

"Why did you never call me?" I mumbled, feeling tears in my eyes. "Why did you never text me?"

"Because my publicist had a copy of my sim card" he whispered, holding my hands. "He controlled my media, what I should post and when. Who I followed and who followed me"

I looked at him. He was crying. He was crying and letting all his feelings get out. I missed him, how fragile he let himself be when he was with me.

"I missed you, Juliette" he whispered. "Every second, every hour, every day of my life. I missed you so much and it killed me that I could never be near you because they had eyes everywhere"

I swallowed thickly and did what my body needed to do. I just hugged him, I just held him close to me.

"I tried to find you" he whispered in my neck. "I tried to contact you but I was so afraid of you pushing me away again..."

"Oh, Charles..." I mumble rubbing his back. "I..."

Can't. I can't.

"It hurt so bad" I whispered. "It... The day you left me was the most painful day of my life. I could handle the pain of all those nights hearing you cry, holding you until you fell asleep in my arms. I could handle watching you fall apart and hearing your heart break when Jules and your father died. But... That night was like if you died to me"

"Juliette" he whispered, holding me tighter. He's here.

"I waited for you" I whisper. "A day, a week, months... But you never called"

"I wanted to call you" he whispered. "I... Valerie. Valerie was the only way I had of knowing how you were. She got me all the tickets, she made sure that you were alright"

"What?" I frown. "Valerie?"

"She wanted us together, Juliette" he whispered, pulling away and looking at me, cupping my cheek. "He wanted us back together, she threatened me so many times about telling you everything I did for you. And... God, I know I disappeared for ten years, but if you give me another chance I promise you that I'll never leave"

"Charles..."

"I'll never leave you, Juliette Morelli" he whispered, wiping away my tears. "I promise. I know that I broke so many promises. But... Please, give me another chance"

"Give me time" I whisper. "I need time"

taglist

@lestappenloverr @racinggirl @roni-midnights @livster @kakorrhaphiphobia @starkeyellow @ru-kru

[macontheweb]

Hey Mac! Spotify recently threw a song by the National my way, which made me listen to a few more and man, this is good.

I know you like them too so I thought I'd come by and ask what your personal faves by them are 👀🙏

Hey Alex! Ooh I love that you're enjoying them so far. Thank you for giving me the space to talk your ear off about one of my favourite bands!! I feel like every time I go down the rabbit hole with The National I discover a few more faves, but I'll try to keep this manageable for a tumblr post lol.

I Need My Girl

The National's lead singer Matt Berninger called it "the most direct, earnest love songs we’ve ever written." It's so simple - a song about a man yearning for his wife - but it gets me every time. I know you love a moment of slow, sweet melancholy, so I think you'll like it too.

Mistaken For Strangers

This one reminds me of the friend who introduced me to The National. When he got drunk he would always point to his own jacket during the "showered and blue-blazered" line. In a song about losing friends, what a thing to remember one of the great friendships of my life while listening to it. </3

Day I Die

Speaking of that friend, I went to my first National gig with him. At the time, I didn't really know any other tracks apart from this one, Guilty Party and I Need My Girl, but I'd latched onto this song because it made me Feel Things about a situationship I'd been in a couple of years earlier. When they launched into this live, it was so electric. "Don't do this / I don't do this to you" still makes me want to scream.

Bloodbuzz Ohio

I'm a great lover of The National's lyrics. There might come a point where you're listening to them and you have to stop what you're doing because a line hits you in a place you never thought you'd be hit at like...three pm on a Wednesday. For me, one of those lyrics is from Bloodbuzz Ohio: ""I still owe money to the money to the money I owe / I never thought about love when I thought about home." Maybe my second favourite song they've ever written.

Slow Show

A song for the socially anxious - it's about being out somewhere and just wishing you were home with a person you loved and could feel truly comfortable with. Also, I have been known to make this song about my blorbos at every available opportunity.

Apartment Story

As much of a sweet little love song as The National has ever turned in, and a love letter to happy domesticity. Has a very 'us against the world' vibe.

Graceless

Hands down my favourite song. Its exploration of depression and meds is still unrivalled by anyone imho. I spent the worst parts of the COVID lockdowns blasting this in my living room, and when they performed it at my local gig, I cried buckets.

(Very) honourable mentions:

Guilty Party

England

This Is The Last Time

Afraid of Everyone

Brainy

Don't Swallow the Cap

About Today

Terrible Love

Phew, okay! I'm sure that's way more than you were asking for. Enjoy anyway, my friend ❤️

[ask-emile-sdv]

we should go on a date! i know a great spot: the epic the musical livestream tomorrow night (i wrote this as of 8/28) (im not indoctrinating you into my obsession i swear) (please dont call me a theater gay my partner already does TvT) you can hear calypso go ALL WE COULD WANT HERE ALL WE COULD NEED HERE or telemachus going I KNOW LIFE AND FAITH ARE SCARY BUT I WANNA BE LEGENDARY or even zeus singing. zeus's main song is very zeus btw but god games isnt just zeus's song its a song where he gets his kids and wife to be pit against athena its p cool (APHRODITE YOUR LITTLE HIGH AND MIGHTY ODYSSEUS CLAIMS TO LOVE HIS MOTHER BUT LET HER DIE OF A BROKEN HEART HE WAS BUSY FIGHTING MORE LIKE BUSY SPITING THE CYCLOPS LET HIM FEEL THE PAIN THAT HIS MOTHER FELT AND ROT) augh uh. one sec. lemme actually do smth coherent

EPIC: The Musical is an Odyssey retelling and adaptation made by a young man Jorge "Jay" Rivera-Herrans. It started out during lockdown because he had another musical he was working on but due to COVID restrictions it made him and his then-crew unable to continue working. During COVID, however, he wanted to make another musical. And so, for over four years now, he has been writing, casting, and recording EPIC: The Musical. It is a musical sectioned into sagas, five of which being in the first act and the other four being delegated to the second. There have been six sagas released thus far, with the Wisdom Saga, the seventh saga, being released on Friday, August 30th.

Jay has explicitly stated in his videos about the creative process that he takes heavy inspiration for how he conveys plot points and the like from anime and video games, more heavily the latter as he is attempting with EPIC to create a musical that feels like a video game. The way he does this is by giving each saga a boss battle, each with such powerful music to match. In Poseidon's "Ruthlessness" he preaches to Odysseus the true meaning of this world: ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves, a message that sums up the entire theme of the musical and that is repeated throughout. In Zeus's song titled "Thunderbringer" it repeats his brother's preaching but he didn't explicitly tell him, more showed him by forcing him to choose between making it home to his son and wife--something he said he'd trade the world for in the second song--or saving his crew that had just mutinied moments before. And by the end of the musical, Odysseus has internalized every boss battle and we get to watch him become the final boss from the perspective of those who tried to wrong him and that are getting punished for their actions. By the end of the musical, Odysseus is a heavily changed man and the final song is titled "Would You Fall In Love With Me Again" which is a song to his wife, Penelope. She shows up often in the musical, not often physically, but often pops up because Odysseus proclaims that all he wishes to do is to see his wife and son. Jay assigned each character an instrument, and while I cannot recall each off of the top of my head, Penelope's instrument is a viola. In act two, when we hear the song "Suffering" we can hear something is off because yes this is her voice, but her viola is missing. That minor detail is enough to set off alarm bells in many a fan's head, and it did!

Back to the end of the musical, we get to see a reunion between two lovers, but only after what is a reunion for one and a first meeting for the other--the song between Odysseus and Telemachus, his son. It is one of the most heart-wrenching songs in the musical, just the snippets are enough to move to tears. Odysseus's assigned instrument is a guitar, and for the first time in a while, it is a quiet tune that plays on the guitar used in that song. Just that guitar alone hurts to listen to, at least for me. Anyway, I've waffled on more than enough! Sorry for the ramble, wanted to do something a bit fancier than what i tend to do.

I’m sorry- a date?!

Well- uh- I don’t think we’re THAT close!!!

But… Greek Mythology sounds cool I guess. Even if I’m not really a musical guy. Besides, someone has to look after you, hm?

I GUESS if I have time I might listen…. Only because I don’t have anything to do!

[lucyqueenofchaos]

Hi! I'm new here :)

My name is Lucy and I am a Twitch Streamer. I'm 22 years old, and I live in Aotearoa New Zealand. I have been streaming since September 2021, and achieved Affiliate status in October 2021. I stream Overwatch 2 three times a week - Quick Play with my community on Mondays and Wednesday, and Ranked/Competitive on Saturdays. I enjoy meeting people through the game, and making wonderful new friends throughout the Oceanic streaming community. I have a wide and varied community, with regular viewers tuning in from all around the world. I want to tell you a little about me, because I've never had the chance to really to properly introduce myself to the internet.

I'm a lover of all things fandom - in fact back in 2015 - 2018 I ran a very successful fandom blog right here on Tumblr. I am currently enjoying the newest season of Doctor Who, at the same time as finishing my complete Criminal Minds rewatch in preparation for the newest season. I spend a lot of time playing Overwatch 2, but I also enjoy playing Fortnite, Detroit: Become Human, Sea Of Thieves and more! In my spare time I'm also quite partial to playing some Pokemon: Go - it's a highly addictive game. Last year I got back into reading when I purchased a kindle for myself. If there's one thing I'll never regret, it's the purchase of my kindle! It comes everywhere with me, and I also enjoy writing reviews over on Goodreads. I am currently reading The Assassins Blade, as I am doing a full reread of the Maasverse. Throne Of Glass is my comfort series, but back in the day my comfort series was Maximum Ride (still is if I'm being honest). AJR are my favourite band, but I do enjoy listening to some Taylor Swift sometimes too. In 2022 I was lucky enough to see AJR live on their OK Orchestra tour - and I was even front row! That concert was my first ever, and I will cherish those memories forever.

I am privileged enough to have the amazing combo of Autism and ADHD, and this shapes the way I stream. I have built my community from the ground up with the intention of creating a safe space for other gamers who may share some of my struggles and experiences, and for those who haven’t as well. I enjoy fostering a sense of belonging and love for all within my community. I am legally blind, and this also colours the way I play. As a disabled gamer, I am an advocate for accessibility, whether that be by redesigning user interfaces, or going through all the accessibility options within a game with my community. I am a very transparent streamer, and never hide my struggles from my community. Quite recently I had to take quite a bit of time off streaming and playing Overwatch due to health issues that resulted in an invasive surgery 3 weeks ago. Less than a week later, I was back and better than ever - although my competitive playtime for this season is a bit lower than it should be due to missing the first few weeks of the season. But don’t worry, I’m not rusty at all! I’ve spent every spare minute since I returned teaching myself new skills and brushing up on my old ones!

I began streaming during the second full scale Covid-19 Lockdown in Aotearoa, as a way to stay in touch with some of my friends better. I began by streaming Fall Guys and Slime Rancher, but slowly branched out and tried every single video game I could get my hands on. I had spent my whole life being told that video games were for boys, and so when I realised the internet had become my playground, I tried every single game I could. I eventually realised I enjoyed playing Fortnite and when Overwatch 2 released, my community requested that I try it. My first week was one to remember - I had no idea what was going on, and had never played an FPS before. I was very overwhelmed, but my community cheered me on. The more I played Overwatch, the more I realised that I had finally found my place in the gaming world. It wasn’t long until I switched my branding away from being a variety streamer and made Overwatch 2 my sole focus. My community loved it, and I haven’t looked back since.

My favourite part of playing Overwatch 2 (and what constantly keeps me on my toes) is the counter play. Nothing thrills me more than to see my opponent play Widowmaker and give me a chance to play Sombra, or the chance to switch onto Zayra because the enemy tank has gone D.Va. Win or lose, I always have a good time - as a good friend once told me, a loss for me is a win for someone else. That being said, the thrill of winning and knowing that my team were better coordinated is always a rush! I love this game for its ever changing meta, which has forced me to expand my hero pool over the years. I went from only playing Soldier 76, to playing Sombra, Echo, Baptiste, Ana, Zayra, D.Va, Pharah and more. I also really enjoy the social aspect of Overwatch 2. Whilst the OW2 match chat is famously toxic, there are some truly fantastic people out there. I will admit, I do also enjoy coming up with great insults and jokes when someone is rude in the chat!

I'm starting this blog to give myself a place to write and share my thoughts in more depth. Nobody wants to hear me babble on about consumerism or some really niche book for hours on stream, Instagram is all about photos, and Twitter doesn't give me enough characters to bother. So here I am, back on the first social media platform I ever used. I've always wanted to have a proper blog, so I'm going to give it a go. If you have any tips or feedback, or topics you want to see me write about - let me know and I'll do my best to cover them!

If you've read this far, thank you. I'm just a girl, chasing her dreams across the internet - hoping to make some friends along the way. I can't wait to see where this takes me! My Twitch <3 My Instagram ^-^ My Twitter :3 My TikTok :D

[dimpledpran]

8 Shows to Get to Know Me

I was tagged by the lovely @talays-portkey and @i-got-the-feels​ !

1. Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010) I think this was the first show that i actually tried to watch as it was airing. I still remember waiting for 10pm every Friday, whether everyone else was awake or not. I think I watched all the way from Season 1-4, until it stopped airing on our local channel. 

2. Glee (2009-2015)  Honestly this was my introduction to the English music scene. I did not grow up listening to English songs, so my initial playlist was basically Disney Channel artists and Glee covers. As a music lover, I just enjoyed listening to their takes of the songs. I think I stopped watching somewhere during Season 3, and only did the Cory tribute episode after that.

3. Teen Wolf (2011-2017)  This was the first show that I started reading fanfics for. Well I started reading before I watched it, but Sterek stole my heart. I was very into the series, to the point that I watched Season 3B in one night because I had to find out what happened. Dumb me thought it was a good idea to start a new season at 8pm at night. I stayed up through the night, and texted my friend at 6am to yell about the whole thing. And they replied that it is too early to be awake to scream about it. “What do you mean wake up and watch it. I haven’t slept yet” So yeah. Stiles is my baby, and I will protect him with my life.

4. The Untamed (2019)  My friend recommended this to a few of us during covid lockdown, and I am very glad she did. It really opened me up to a whole new world. This show had such a grip on me. To the point that I started a new side blog for it, and learnt how to make edits for it. I got to know so many incredible people through the network cos of this show. It was such a brilliant show! The plot is so intricate! It has angst and heartache and amazing costumes and stunning sets and a cast who honestly killed it. Definitely a show that I would recommend to everyone. 

5. Bad Buddy (2021-2022)  Obviously I can’t go without talking about BB here. Have you seen my blog URL? Till BB, I never watched a show as it was airing. I usually wait for it to end and then binge, or start watching it just in time for the finale. But I kept seeing gifs on tumblr and it made me want to check it out. And boy am I glad I did it. It was such a fun experience to watch it live and scream on a weekly basis. For some reason the hold that this show has on me seems to be lifelong? I have no complaints though. I am still enjoying all the BB brainrot. Pran is my baby. I have never related to a character as much as I relate to him. He is so precious to me. And this show just blends angst with humour and a touch of reality so well. I am making it my personal mission to read through every Patpran fic on AO3. This show made me want to try writing. I cannot explain how much this show means to me. A definite must-watch as well!

6. Arivaan (2019-2020)  So my sister told me that this is my kind of show and made me watch it. I started it while she was halfway through, and finished it way before her. It was right up my alley. The whole premise is about trying to identify a serial killer who has been murdering women, and leaves an origami paper crane behind. There is a police officer who manages to find these clues and tries to identify him, but the killer disappears and due to personal issues he end up leaving the force. Years later the killer is back and he somehow gets roped into it again, but his partner is now leading the case, and is finding out things that he doesn’t really want to. And I really enjoyed the way it was taken, and the I am really hoping that there will be a Season 2 for this. 

7. Paava Kadhaigal (2020)  Honestly no show has made me as mad as this has, and that is totally the point. (Although I am totally gonna be ignoring the second episode. That does not exist to me) It is an anthrological series, with 4 3 episodes touching on different hard topics/issues prevalent in society. The way it was taken , the music, THE CAST, EVERYTHING WAS BRILLIANT!! I had to pause it and just scream on twitter to release all the frustration that this brought up. Which means it really did its job well. I have not watched this series  since the first time, but trust me when I say I remember every detail because it has such a lasting impact. Especially the first and the last. I was bawling.  NOTE: This can be very highly triggering, so please do check out the synopsis before you watch it. Or feel free to hit me up with any questions, or just scream about it if you do check it out. 

8. 3 Will Be Free (2019)  Insane plot with amazing characters with so much depth. Loved that each character was so complex. There is no character that is purely good or bad, like it was so real, and you feel for them all equally. This really set a standard that no other show has reached so far. I need another series like this. And of course anyone who put Tay Tawan in funky suits gets a plus from me. Also more female characters need to have guns!!

Honorary Mentions: Mindhunter: This would have been number 8, if it wasnt cancelled!! The casting directors for this deserve all the bonuses for how creepily identical the actors look to the actual serial killers! It was so interesting to try and get into the head of the serial killers and understand why they did what they did. LOVED IT!!! Until We Meet Again: This used to be my favourite BL series until Bad Buddy took over. I loved Fluke’s effortless acting. He is brilliant. And I love the whole concept of reincarnation and finding you soulmate. And this did it so well with the angst and touch of humour and romance. And of course TeamWin stole my heart. 

Theory Of Love: Honestly, wasn’t that much of a fan the first time I watched it. But the redemption arc is so goood, that I felt so much for Khai the second time I watched it. That train station scene just lives in my head. So for rewatch factor, this deserves a honorary mention.

The Good Place, Word Of Honor, We Best Love, Stranger Things, RE:Mind

Tagging: @highwarlockkareena , @eohachu , @markpakin , @fangrui , @fuujiikaze , @gege @seawherethesunsets @gaiamochi (no pressure)

[mbcorvo-author]

Some weeks ago I had the inspiration of trying to write a short story in a similar style (and in particular, the same vibe!) to WTNV, so I started writing down some ideas I had and then expanded one of them.

I'm not entirely happy with this (also because I had no clue on how to convey the tone used by the speaker), but I'm at least glad to have been able to write anything at all after a long time of not writing any short stories or drabbles!

TW: mentions of gore & body horror

Platform 4

You're tuned to channel 13.13, hello!

Today our scheduled program starts with a message from the Town Council, and the message is as follows: "The Council alerts all residents and people currently staying in the village that the local railway station does not have a "platform four". Anyone who meets someone claiming to have gotten off the train at the fourth platform has to contact the railway authorities as soon as possible: they will direct you to the decontamination facilities for check-ups. If you have found yourself at the fourth platform, or know someone that found themselves at the fourth platform, you must surrender them and/or yourself to the railway authorities that will arrange isolation and containment. DeadRiver's train station has only three platforms. There is no platform four." And this was the message from the Town Council.

On another note, talking about the council, DeadRiver is pleased to wish you a happy hundredth-something birthday Arthur! And many happy returns! Even if Arthur already knows how to return. Arthur always returns.

Now another reminder for our kind listeners: please, refrain from trekking in the Beechgrove locality as we are close to the annual Fae festival! The Folk doesn't like tourists during their annual festival. But don't worry: they'll hold another one - open to all creatures - in the upcoming months, so stay tuned to receive updates on the local events!

We received some updates on the Platform Four situation... It seems that the railway police have already brought three people safely into containment, while a fourth one quote-unquote "just melted into a puddle of a red bubbling substance as soon as it got dragged into the facility". Well, that's quite an unusual thing uh? But I don't think it's worse than that case - some time ago - when people started rotting spontaneously and turning into a corpse in a state of advanced decomposition in a matter of seconds. That was a nasty year! Tourism season was at its lowest that year... Not that I think that's a bad thing since it's tiring having to explain how the village works to outsiders... But DeadRiver is a renowned esoteric outdoor touristic location and the Town Council doesn't want to risk losing the money brought to the village by hikers, bikers, cultists, cottage-core lovers, worshipers of the demonic and city people wanting to breathe fresh country air to decompress after a stressful work week sitting at their office's desk! Hm. Reminiscing about the Year of the Rotting made me crave beef jerky. I leave you now with the commercial break, meanwhile, I'll go get something to eat~ Preferably jerky.

-- Welcome back to Radio DeadRiver! There's another update from the train station. Currently, the railway police have put on lockdown a dozen of people-adjacent beings who affirmed to have been at Platform Four and other people-adjacent beings that got close to them. The first three mentioned earlier have already melted into undefined puddles during their stay in the containment facility. We will update you as soon as we get other news from the train station!

Some listeners messaged our station, alarmed by the number of deer carcasses spotted around the village. No, there's no wolf pack, bear, chupacabra or genetically mutated wolverine-badger-mongoose lycanthrope roaming around: don't worry! What you saw is one of those uh- brands of fucked up deers. Like the Muntjack deer - y'know, the ones which have many holes on their face to smell and trigger trypophobia - who live in the nearby forest. Sometimes they get down in town in search of food. So, don't worry: if you spot them, just leave them alone since they will awaken and scuttle away as soon as night falls! And remember to keep your trash bins and homes securely closed!

Let's now return like an urban-line train to our railway situation. I'm receiving a message through the telegraph with some updates. Let's see what's going on! Mh... aha! Uhm... So, it appears that even the other people-adjacent beings turned into unclassified goo while in containment, but the science guys still don't know how that could've happened. But they are doing their best by analyzing the varied puddles of goo. Town Council adds, in a separate message, that they believe it's the Government's doing... and even if I disagree with the Town Council's words, I'm legally bound to repeat what they say.

Oh! The telegraph is pinging me with a new update... Okay, it appears that the melting might have been caused by a "disconnection between the people-adjacent beings and the railway's electric grid, as the grid supplied the beings' internal electromagnetic field that helped them maintain their form". Well, at least they know what they are doing now! I'm not sure if I have grasped the concept, I'm a humanities person, but that explanation sounded like a very relevant thing! Honestly, you could talk to me about uh- I don't know, maybe how the thermodynamic laws work and I would silently nod and smile while, in my head, I'll be climbing a rotating Penrose staircase. But I'm going off the rails.

Another update came through. It appears that the authorities found a way to deal with the Platform Four beings and the goo for which they are made. That's great news, my guys! Looks like they are already close to finding a solution!

We also tried to reach the current supervisor of the railway authorities present at the train station to ask for some declaration of sorts about the event. Something we could share with you all to keep you informed and safe. The Supervisor replied that there is no fourth platform in DeadRiver train station, and because there isn't any fourth platform, there isn't anything happening related to that. "Nothing to worry about, nothing that we're allowed to know about", he said. Well! It's good to know that there isn't anything to worry about!

Sadly for you, listeners, our time is up! Don't forget to tune back into channel 13.13 tomorrow for your dose of local news! See ya next time, bozos!

[semperintrepida]

10 12 20

Hey hey!

10. how has writing positively impacted your mental health or overall mood?

I'd say the positive impact has been tremendous, especially during the pandemic. I wrote a lot during that first year of COVID lockdown. (I joke that Kyklos is my pandemic novel and it really is, even though it's not specifically about a pandemic.)

While I don't do self-inserts, there's a part of me in every character I write. Exploring the minds of fictional characters is my way of answering questions I have about myself and other people. Some people go to therapy; me, I've been to therapy, and writing is like my homework, thinking about situations and letting characters act them out, in a safe, fictional way.

12. What’s your perfect environment to create/write?

At home in a quiet room. On rare occasions, I need to listen to a playlist for a particular WIP to help set that day's writing mood, but I've got to be at home to be most productive.

20. What’s the greatest gift you’ve gotten from your writing?

Answered over yonder, but it occurs to me that I probably should have said "real-life friends and lovers"... But then again, only half those lovers would still qualify as a gift. 🤣

[deep fic writer asks]

[independentartistbuzz]

Kellie Loder shares a sweet love story about an old flame on “When It Comes to You”

There is something truly captivating about the multi-genre Canadiana artist Kellie Loder (they/them). Loder is a passionate storyteller and accomplished songwriter (Songwriter of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards, first runner up on Canada’s Got Talent 2022, and 2012 JUNO nominee) with a voice that conveys warmth and power. Their unrivaled lyrical brilliance is honest and vulnerable in ways that make the music feel deeply personal.

Loder’s highly anticipated fourth studio record is set to drop in 2024. Elevating themselves to new heights, the upcoming album is a stunningly crafted masterpiece with stories of love, heartbreak, life and transitions. “When It Comes to You,” the album’s lead single gives listeners a glimpse of the pure authenticity of one of Canada’s most promising and celebrated songwriters. 

“When It Comes to You” was written during the height of lockdown, when Loder reconnected with an old lover. After all those years, it took a global pandemic to discover that they felt the same things for her that they felt years ago.

“This is not an album I wrote all at once with intention,” Loder explains. “It’s simply a collection of songs I chose from a pool of many others I’ve written over the years… After choosing them, they seemed to tell a story on their own. It’s about the experience in the transitions of life, love, and connection with the self and others.”

[ryupioupiou]

Hey, thanks for the tag!

(I will quote fanfictions but will add links to them when I have the time, I am at work.. eeeeh I am bored and always wqiting for damn thing to compile don't judge!)

11 People's Hiccstrid Preferences You Want to Get to Know Better

Last Hiccstrid Fic You Read: tbh it's hard to say bc I am jumping from fic to fic. I have two phones (one that serves as a tablet) and there are quite a few open tabs on A03. But the latest was The Imposter by Harrypanther I think.

Favorite Hiccstrid au (Modern, High School, Spy, College, Hogwarts, etc) and favorite fic in that genre: hmmm I do love canon compliant, canon divergent but I admit I do love Modern au as well. There are beautiful gems! I utterly agree with the modern AUs given already. But I shall add mine as well.

- The Treasure of Eyja Nott by Harrypanther

This one has a special place in my heart (my history on AO3 shows quite an alarming number of visits for this fic). Why? One, it's awesome imo. Two: during lockdown in 2020, the fact it was updated twice a week on the same days gave me something to look forward to, and quite honestly, let me keep track of what DAY IT WAS because all days were the same. I would go nuts when the day of new chapter arrived, that was crazy.

-> Kitty cat cafe by @katergator84. The title says it all, teeth rotting cuteness

-> The Upside of Heartbreak by @triumphantfury . I said it! Bwaha. Nah seriously this fic is so awesome that poor author has to bear my completely stupid headcanons xD.

-> Come Fly with me and it's sequel by @katergator84, utterly awesome as well and parachute instructor Hiccup? Me likey !

-> @sanfangirl, if you like Behind the Mask, I would suggest If, by Harrypanther. ModernAU, High School and enemy to lovers. Really good.

-> Same author: Face Value or Oh Yes you can!

-> Not one of them by @shipmistress9 is a gem as well. Drama, motorcycles, friendship, hot times (hehe), really nice to read.

-> My way or the hard way, by lulurkan101. Modern, and kinda special mission AU? Not that hiccstrid though, but it's a very nice fic!

-> Spring break by Paranymph

There are too many awesome authors seriously how do you do that ?!

Latest Hiccstrid Bookmark on AO3: Persephone, by sunflowerb (AO3 name). I read it on AO3 first, A few days later I wanted to bookmark it but I have no idea what happened, I couldn't find it anymore and was kinda bummed about it even though I recently re-read it on fanfiction.net. so as soon as I read this post and discovered it was available on AO3 again I bookmarked it XD.

Last 3 Hiccstrid Authors You've Read:

Uh... Harrypanther, wilderwestqueen and shipmistress

Favorite Hiccstrid Trope (i.e. friends-to-lovers, idiots-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, strangers-to-lovers, love-at-first-sight, angst . . . the list goes on): hmmm depends on my mood. Sometimes I am more into slow burn, sometimes i love established hiccstrid. I don't have a favourite one.

About love at first sight, I would suggest

-> When Lightning Strikes by @seagreen-meets-grey. It's really, really great!

-> I also love when they don't follow all the steps, like Unexpected by @drakaina-amore64

-> soulmates AUs because why not. So I am gonna recommend Drawn to you by @katergator84, and Happily Never after by @vala411. I have another one in mind but unfortunately I don't know the title and the author.

-> And If I fall, by @seagreen-meets-grey.

-> arranged marriage. My companion by Wikelia, The long and winding road to love by GravityBeam.

I realize it's more AU than tropes ? Oh well...

Song That Makes You Think of Hiccstrid: hum I am gonna be honest, when I listen to music, I am more focused on melody than lyrics, unless someone tells me to really focus on the lyrics. So it's not going to be songs. But there are musics by Two steps from Hell that make me think of Hiccstrid, or httyd in general. Star sky is me picturing Hiccstrid on a night flight. I have others in mind but I need to listen to them to get the titles right, but two steps from hell is an orchestra I recommend if you want to read fantasy books.

Favorite Canonverse Fic: I dont really have any favourite canonverse fics. They are mostly canon divergent.

But....

-> The Bet, and Serenade (katergator) are quite nice hehe.

-> Not a stupid idea by Stefwrites

-> seasonal changes by goodsunshine.

-> moments like this by the_dragon_cheese_lady

-> To (sweetly) hold by @apollonious

-> Red wine, morning bread by A_Professional_Protagonist

-> Motherhood by ride_on_wings

I have others in mind but same, the titles and author escape me T_T

Favorite Canon-Divergence Fic: hard to choose between

Persephone, the Phantom of the arena by @aleteia-ff and The gift of Power by TriumphantFury.

Also The Blacksmith's Apprentice, Dark Valkyrie by HarryPanther.

I love canon divergence too. I love canon, and I love when people explore other options as well. Hiccup leaving Berk during HTTYD1 is my favourite canon divergence. It's always interesting to see alternatives. Even if I love the original content. That's why I love fanfictions so much.

Hiccstrid Fic That Deserves More Recognition (don't they all): all of them?

Favorite Hiccstrid Series: favouriteS because you already realized I can't have a favouritE.

-> Hiccstrid's arranged marriage bliss by GravityBeam. Pure cuteness and fluffness so sweet I can't handle it like an adult.

-> Domestic Hiccstrid by Vala411. Completely awesome really. A lot of mayhem and family in there.

-> Ripped. By @tysonrunningfox. Because. Just. BECAUSE. GO. READ. THE. SERIES for cheese's sake!

-> Paranormal investigator Hiccup, By HarryPanther

As I said, it's really HARD to chose ONE favourite. Because there is no podium in my mind. And most depends on my mood so yeah I just cannot give you just ONE! I could go on recommending a lot of fics but I am supposed to be working rn and er... yeah.

Also I tag @hiccstridshipper19, @evilwriter37, @tysonrunningfox, @seagreen-meets-grey

11 People's Hiccstrid Preferences You Want to Get to Know Better

Last Hiccstrid Fic You Read: Reconciliation by @heathenvampires

Favorite Hiccstrid au (Modern, High School, Spy, College, Hogwarts, etc) and favorite fic in that genre: I love modern aus the most (as they included high school and college and spies and the like) but it's too hard to choose one favorite. 😅 I guess I would go with @harrypanther's Behind the Mask, @katergator84's Walls We Build, and @triumphantfury's Wrapped in Red although it was painful to choose that over Upside of Heartbreak

Latest Hiccstrid Bookmark on AO3: Gravity by @weepynymph

Last 3 Hiccstrid Authors You've Read: @hiilikedragons or CuriosityRedux, @heathenvampires (HeathenVampires), and

Favorite Hiccstrid Trope (i.e. friends-to-lovers, idiots-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, strangers-to-lovers, love-at-first-sight, angst . . . the list goes on): uhhh, I love all of these, but I guess I'll go with slowburn, because I like to torture myself? One amazing slowburn-on-high-heat Hiccstrid fics that had me screaming at them to kiss from chapter one was @whathappenedtomyweekend's It's Just A Spark I'm so worried I'm going to read another fic and then go oh shit this one's my new favorite but oh well

Song That Makes You Think of Hiccstrid: 2step by Ed Sheeran. IDK I just think it kinda perfectly protrays how much Hiccup appreciates Astrid's ability to help him out of his dark holes

Favorite Canonverse Fic: Okay so Here's Hoping isn't exactly canonverse but the extraordinary @hiilikedragons apparently has a better grasp on Hiccstrid and their kids than Dreamworks so it's practically canon in my mind

Favorite Canon-Divergence Fic: Persephone by @thatsnicebutimmarried (I don't think I'll ever try to not mention that wonderful genius)

Hiccstrid Fic That Deserves More Recognition (don't they all): The Lady Knight I'm kidding I swear Hiccup in a Flash I'm sorry but I am so obsessed with this fic and it's unfinished but so good and worth it. Also Thor Help Her. I believe I've mentioned this fic before but I don't have any of you messaging me about the steamy hot tension so I'll keep recommending it. One fic that blows my mind each time I read is Do Flight Simmers Dream of Inflight Emergencies? and I guess I'll stop there but there are so many more

Favorite Hiccstrid Series: if not in this world, then in the next by @impracticable-dreamer literally this is a priceless gem and I can never forget it

tagging: @ryupioupiou @triumphantfury @katergator84 @mialicassi @sorushing @per4mancecheck @limesandcoconuts @hiccstridshipper19 @athingofvikings @shipmistress9 and @bi-bi-want-dragon but feel free to participate even if you aren’t tagged!

(yes this is pretty much an excuse to gush over some of my favorite hiccstrid content and endeavor to get more recommendations)

[manicoutput]

Remember the winter of 2020. I started listening to rap like tyler kanye after eminem and old shit

I listened to biggie a lot, remember when i listen to him on those loud ass speakers back when i prepared this party in the warehouse

Then lockdown i always listened to mbdtf, wtt, ksg, all the Kanye, the weeknd, tyler stuff

I intantly fell in love with kanye when i got my airpods at christmas and listen to his stuff at my grandparents place during the present giving thing

Then i played bully once with a video on tthe side explaining how the collage drop out was made

It made me feel so great to understand the genius of kanye and later the weeknd

Them in the summer afterwards i once listened to cudis first project when my father had guests at in his garden and i had open windows, thinking about life and cudi hit way to hard haha

That all was during the amazon music to Spotify transition when when i must have listened to hours on hours of thise artists.

I used to have this one playlist with like 200 albums in it lol

Then in the summer i started jogging daily and always played this one Weeknd song when i was finished with my route and i sprinted the way back to the house

Then i played sea of thieves with aaron till like 11pm

Wow such a vibe

And then i had this chance the rapper style playlist for the whole summer ...that must have also been the time i started nofap

I worked out daily haha

Sometimes we had to send those workout videos to the pe teacher

Then like 2021 i introduced kids see ghosts to my dad and he loved it

I remember seeing him come back from work listening to the album on the phone and i was like AYO GET YOURSELF SOKE HEADPHONES AND DON'T RUIN YOUR FIRST LISTEN

I got him to that point cause he once saw a video with his favorite car and it had mr rager by cudi playing in the background and when he heard it playing by me he was 'OMG I love that song it's like an anthem for us celica lovers haha'

To this day his favorite project is man on the moon 2 i think

He was real open to the rest of the scene afterwards, even came to a kendrick concert with me

[01.12.2022]