#Jenny Sparks debuted today.

[dearweirdme]

sigh https://twitter.com/lrtendencias/status/1697094916378137071?s=46

Hi anon!

So this is what the article translates as to me:

"Will BTS's Taehyung talk about BLACKPINK's Jennie on 'You Quiz'? V from BTS will appear on the program 'You Quiz On The Block' this September 6, and his participation sparked a series of speculations about the topics he will address.

BTS's Taehyung continues promotions for his solo debut after releasing two tracks as part of his album 'Layover'. The visual of the most important group in South Korea today, recently became a trend not only for his musical skills, but also for the alleged relationship he has with Jennie from BLACKPINK.

Will you talk about this romance in your next interview? Will V mention Jennie? This speculation went viral due to an article that a controversial Korean journalist posted on his website. "In particular, there is anticipation as to whether he will bring up the dating rumors with BLACKPINK's Jennie, which caused a stir in the media for a while. He is also expected to talk about his individual activities aside from BTS, as well as his future plans during his military hiatus. ", is read in the post of the communicator. The content of the interview and the program in its entirety is unknown, but what is presumed is that the artist would not talk about the BLACKPINK singer, since for this they would have to have the permissions of their agencies and anticipate the reaction of both fandoms. , ARMY and BLINK.

BTS's Taehyung on 'You Quiz': schedules The transmission of this program will be given by the signal of the tvN chain, this September 6 at 8:45 p.m. m. according to South Korean time. Check below the hours that will be handled in Latin American countries."

Words to notice here are "speculations", "anticipation", "content is unknown", "presumed". In short, they know nothing. The 'needing permission of their companies' also goes against the actual statement of the companies which was "it's the artist's personal life". So all in all, nonsense and just a stirring of fandom to gain clicks.

I highly doubt Tae will mention anything about Jennie, in fact... I find it more likely he will say something to shade the whole thing.

[thekeytoz]

Do Your Favorite TV Shows and Movies Inspire Your Fashion Like Gen Z?

Television series and films have seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, especially for Gen Z. Their extensive exposure to television has made it a potent influence on their everyday existence, extending to their fashion preferences. Notably, during the pandemic, television and movies emerged as vital sources of inspiration, breathing new life into people's wardrobes. On social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, showcasing outfits inspired by beloved films and TV series has evolved into a thriving trend. Let's dive into some of the prominent shows and movies that are currently shaping the fashion landscape.

Gossip Girl (Then and Now)

Gossip Girl, upon its debut, reshaped fashion inspiration, replacing traditional sources with a focus on the younger generation in New York City. The show spanned various styles, from Blair's preppy look to Serena's bohemian style and Jenny's edgy designer outfits. Now, iconic character-associated fashion pieces are available in stores, highlighting the show's impact on the younger generation.

Friends

Friends has emerged as an iconic source of 90s fashion inspiration, encapsulating the essence of the era through its characters' distinct styles. The sitcom's characters not only influenced clothing choices but also left an indelible mark on hairstyles, with 'The Rachel' haircut enjoying a Gen Z revival. These vintage styles have found new life in today's fashion scene and have even made appearances in shows like Euphoria, which we will get into next.

Euphoria

Euphoria offers a fresh perspective on fashion, with each character showcasing a unique and expressive style. The show serves as a vibrant canvas for today's youth to discover their identities through clothing. It not only reflects individual personalities but also draws inspiration from past fashion eras, seamlessly blending styles from different decades into their wardrobe choices. Euphoria epitomizes the essence of fashion for Gen Z, significantly impacting contemporary trends and providing individuals with a sense of bold liberation.

Emily in Paris

Emily in Paris sparked a fashion revolution with its main character's style evolution. As Emily adapts to the world of French fashion, the show leaves a profound impact on how millennials and Gen Z individuals dress. It rekindled the enchantment of French fashion influencing American style. Emily's bold, chic, and colorful wardrobe inspired viewers to elevate their own fashion choices, and her distinct style has left an indelible mark on the wardrobes of many.

Sex and the City

Sex and the City has maintained its status as a fashion icon, primarily influencing Millennials rather than Gen Z. The fashion showcased in the series empowered women to express themselves more freely through clothing. Each character's distinctive style connected with viewers, and many found relatability in at least one character's fashion choices. The show encouraged people to embrace fashion as a source of joy, offering a refreshing perspective that significantly impacted Millennials' and Gen Z's perception of everyday fashion.

Stranger Things

Stranger Things, a Gen Z favorite, is a show not only for sci-fi enthusiasts but also for fashion enthusiasts. It has had a profound impact on the fashion world by bringing back the iconic trends and styles of the 80s. Key pieces from the show, such as the boys' hand-knit sweaters and high-waisted jeans, have become fashion staples. On TikTok, a trend had emerged where creators assemble outfits inspired by the show's characters, perfectly encapsulating the show's aesthetic in modern wardrobes.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

The newest show out of the bunch, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a show adored by tweens, teens, and even adults. The show's main character, Belly, wears outfits that effortlessly embody the charming coastal aesthetic. Belly's on-screen style is primarily characterized by cute and casual fashion choices, featuring elements such as graphic tees, floral-print swimsuits, and snug sweaters. Certain TikTok videos have gone viral after sharing "The Summer I Turned Pretty finds" at Hollister while styling character-inspired outfits from the show using Hollister brand clothing.

In the end, the fusion of TV and fashion is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of style. As Gen Z continues to lead the way, we can expect even more exciting fashion moments inspired by the small screen. So, keep your eyes peeled for the next big trend, because, in the world of Gen Z fashion, the possibilities are as endless as the episodes of your favorite TV show.

Check back soon for even more Gen Z trend alerts. See you soon!

[animalfactbookseries]

New Children's Book Series by Jenny Schreiber | Animal Fact Book Series

Are you looking for a new way to bond with your child and inspire them to explore the wonderful world of the animal kingdom? Look no further than Jenny Schreiber, author of the newly released ‘Animal Fact Book Series’. Her charming books are about incredible animals who have extraordinary illustrations that will thoroughly charm both children and parents alike. Read on to find out why Jenny Schreiber has brought something special to the world of children's books!

Jenny’s first book was illustrated by Klarice Southwick, “Sparkle the Sun Bear”  Kids love bears and in this book, they'll be introduced to Sparkle the sun bear from Asia. Sometimes known as the Honey Bear. Excellent full-color illustrations reveal details all about how sun bears live. Perfect for beginning and young readers. Includes simple text and large, engaging illustrations on every page.

Jenny’s second book invites young readers to explore the remarkable world of Freddy the Flamingo – a Water Nymph from sunny Florida! Kids can get up close and personal with this exotic creature through Klarice Southick's beautiful full-color illustrations which bring each page alive. With “Freddy the Flamingo,” children will discover why flamingos are so captivating for all ages.

Jenny has been on a creative streak, releasing one new book each month since her debut "Sparkle the Sun Bear". Her third and most ambitious work yet is an illustrated story called “Piper the Polar Bear” - taking readers along as Piper embarks on an epic journey through polar bear-dom! Did you know that these majestic creatures are actually among some of planet Earth's largest bears? Get ready to explore this icy world with Jenny and find out why it deserves your admiration.

“Chester the Fuzzy Chipmunk” was Jenny’s fourth book! Join him in the forest for a one-of-a-kind adventure, packed with lively facts about chipmunks. Perfectly tailored to engage preschoolers through first graders learning how to read, this captivating story is filled with delightful illustrations sure to keep young readers enthralled as Chester sleeps, talks, or chatters away while gathering nuts, seeds, and flower buds.

Jenny's fifth book is one that kids won't want to miss! With the adorable Paige - a clever panda bear who loves exploring the bamboo forest, children can follow along as she discovers amazing facts about pandas. From what they eat and where they sleep to how we can use their peace-loving ways to make our own world a better place, this fun reader will help youngsters learn in an engaging way with its vivid illustrations and easy-to-read text. Don’t let your little ones be left behind when it comes to discovering more about these cuddly creatures.  Get a copy of “Paige the Panda Bear” today!

Jenny’s latest book is a wild ride! Join “Larry the Frilled-Neck Lizard” and your little ones on an unforgettable journey of discovery in Australia. From blending into nature to running around on two legs, kids will love learning about this unique species through captivating graphics and engaging stories. This amazing adventure is sure to spark their curiosity for wildlife - so buckle up ‘cause it's gonna be one heckuva fun time with good old matey: Larry!

If your kids are interested in the animal kingdom, these books will be a hit! Your little ones can wow their friends with fascinating facts about creatures from around the globe. And you won't have to worry - they'll want to read them again and again. So stock up on some educational fun for everyone by adding these reads to your cart today – everyone wins!

Find out more and buy the books at: https://authorjennfoster.com/jennyschreiber/

Author box: 

Introducing the new children's book series by Jenny Schreiber - the Animal Fact Book Series. Bears, lizards, and chipmunks make up this series of educational and entertaining books for kids! For more information visit: https://authorjennfoster.com/jennyschreiber/

[wackapedia]

Lucky Star

Soulmate au! Yoongi x idol reader where corporations fuck things over as usual. slightly dystopian warnings: mentions of blood, murder but not so graphic, angst 1.7k You were leaning upright inside a containment in the middle of the ridiculously bright room of the facility. The rough material of medical scrubs rubbing against your skin while several wires and tubes are connected to your body. As the containment tilts to make you lie horizontally. "Commencing cryogenic stasis" The gentle robotic voice alerts. you close your eyes and remember the events of the past week. "ProtoGen Inc. has been the world's leading resource developer for modern technology. From Smartphones, Appliances, Transportation, and Medical Technology. ProtoGen is also partnering with Yong-Soon Farms to create Genetically-modified livestock, to fill the global supply. Today, ProtoGen takes on the entertainment industry as we launch the world's first Artificially-Enhanced girl group. Please welcome, Lucky Star!" The curtains rise to reveal three girls standing with perfect posture. The crowd jumbles to get a clear view, flashing their cameras boldly to the three girls. The camera flashes would blind a normal person, but the Lucky Star Girls were nowhere near normal. You and your groupmates bow simultaneously. "Hello! We are Lucky Star!"

---------- "'ProtoGen Inc., debuts world's first AI-Enhanced girl group' whatever the fuck that means," Taehyung reads the headline of an article as he scrolls through his pad, slurping his soggy cereal. "Are they aliens?" Jungkook asks, peeling his third hard-boiled egg for the day. "I'm pretty sure we haven't discovered alien life yet, Kook..." Jimin sighs from the kitchen. "That's what they want you to think!" Namjoon continues to read the article, squinting over Taehyung's shoulder while unknowingly spilling his orange juice down the younger's Gucci trousers as Jimin talks Jungkook out of the thought of meeting aliens in the near future. This was the scene that greets Yoongi as he descends the stairs. "What's going on?" He asks, heading straight to the coffee machine. "Aliens!" Jungkook enthusiastically answers. Too enthusiastic at 8am. "That AI girl group just debuted." Namjoon fills in. "Called Lucky Star". "Okay, what does that have to do with aliens?" "Nothing! Jungkook here was just being imaginative!" Jimin continues to buzz with Jungkook talking over him. Yoongi sighs as he finishes preparing his coffee and heads back upstairs to his home office. "Whatever." He mutters, leaving them to continue reading the article and discuss alien life. "Local K-Pop fans continue to protest for the girls' human rights despite- AHH HYUNG! YOUR JUICE!!" Taehyung finally realizes the coldness seeping through his thigh, seeing a large orange stain on his outfit. ---------- Immediately after your first live performance in a music awards show, you meet other idol groups queueing up for the stage. A girl you know as Jennie glares at Yue who glares back at her with hostility. You were escorted to your private dressing rooms where the CEO of ProtoGen himself waited. "How did we do, chief?" May, the main dancer asks as soon as she enters. "It was good..." Chairman Han answers, putting down the tablet after scrolling through the articles about Lucky Star. "But not good enough." "Excuse me? You programmed us to perfection and you think we weren't good enough?" Yue, the leader and the most developed speaks up. Her android programming allowed her to quickly learn from her surroundings, allowing her to have some form of a freewill. "Leave us." Chairman Han addresses the group of wardrobe and makeup assistants, leaving you three with him and the programming director of the Lucky Star project. The door opens just as you caught a glance of the group of men marching toward the backstage. One of them stops and makes eye contact with you, his cat-like eyes freezes you in place and the familiar mark on top of his wrist causes your heart to skip a beat. And then the door shuts again. A robotic freewill is considered as a paradoxical flaw in programming. A resultant factor of several integral aspects that can not be substituted without compromising the quality of the output. You learned this during your time at the facility at a young age, picking up IT jargon while they infused the enhancement serum into your system. Contrary to what most believe, the Lucky Star girls are actually part human. May was human, farmed and fertilized in a test tube. Yue was the least human. You witnessed how she was constructed in the facility for over 20 years. She was considered as the most developed among all humanoid robots in existence. You were a normal human, born 25 years ago, injected with all sorts of chemical enhancements, but still human enough to don a soulmate mark on the top side of your wrist. You are witnessing how technologically advanced Yue is when she sharply talks back to Chairman Han who was verbally abusing her about her lack of energy during the performance. "You were created to entertain, and yet here you are, presenting a mediocre performance, shaming my company in a pitiful excuse of a performance!" The chairman's heavy hand lands on Yue's artificially manufactured cheek. There was an awkward silence before Yue pushes the chairman against the mirrored wall of the dressing room, cracking it against the Chairman's skull. The programming director moves to stop her but his efforts are futile when Yue drives the narrow edge of a contour brush through the chairman's head. Blood stains Yue's glittery costume. ---------------- Hoseok animatedly reviews their performance as he leads the group to their assigned dressing rooms. Jin laughs at how Jimin almost slipped at the stage. All seven of them are halted in their steps when a crowd of paramedics gather at one of the dressing rooms. "What happened?" Namjoon asks a personnel of ProtoGen Medical as a mortuary trolley gets dragged out of the room. "Oh my god did someone die?" Jungkook loudly questions, earning him a 'Shut up' from his hyungs. Namjoon gets ignored by the personnel as they were escorted away from the crime scene. Yoongi clearly remembers seeing you in the room minutes before their performance and wonders if you're okay. "ProtoGen Ceo Han Sung-Hoon dies of Heart Attack" Jimin reads the headline of an online article the morning after the music awards. "We all know that's not what happened." Taehyung replies. "We shouldn't speculate..." Namjoon comments. "Big Hit warned us not to get involved." "What? We were the only ones who saw the medics last night!" Yoongi answers, scrolling through the pictures from last night's event, trying to spot anything peculiar. He pauses at the group photo of that AI-enhanced girl group, his eyes zero-ing in on a familiar mark on your wrist. "Which is why they asked us not to get involved." Namjoon stresses again. "We wont get involved if they tell us what happened!" Jungkook states. Just then, their manager walks up to the dining area, overhearing the maknae's sentiments. "Sit down. I'll tell you what happened." The manager declares, causing all seven to settle down. ------------ "Commencing cryogenic stasis" The gentle robotic voice alerts. White smokes of gas fill the chamber, causing your eyes to water despite tightly shutting them. Your panicked heartbeat erratically rattles your chest, feeling the sense of claustrophobia despite being in the spacious chamber. ProtoGen has decided to put down the Lucky Star project after last night's event. Yue has been dismantled into particles the moment she arrived in a crate in the facility. Her programming became too much to control, causing her to go on a murder spree at the dressing room last night. She annihilated Chairman Han and May. Before she choked the air out of you, she asked you to join her in taking the fame and be the most popular artist. This was her only motivation as she was programmed to be an artist. You politely declined, explaining to her that you were not a humanoid like her, to which she did not understand. She tightens her grip on your neck before she was shut down by the programming director who eventually bled out and died. The ProtoGen staff immediately answered to the situation, cleared up the place and dealt with the media. You were brought to the facility to where the board of directors decided to have you placed in cryogenic freeze until they found a way to separate the flawed formula of the serum in your system. The glass window of the chamber fogs up. Your vision becomes blurry and the engine noises become muffled as you sink into cryo-stasis. and then it stops. The Cryo chamber tilts to an upright position but doesn't unlock. a group of people in labcoats enter the room, escorting a group of men who gather around you. One of them immediately positions himself  directly in front of the glass window. ---------- "You have two minutes." Doctor Sharp lets all seven of them in the room. Yoongi immediately knocks on the closed chamber, desperate to see you awake. "Hey y/n.. Its me.." He shows you his soulmate mark through the fogged up glass. He notices a spark of recognition in your eyes, encouraging him to go on. "I'm sorry there's no way for me to get you out of here. But when you come out, I'll find you. I may have to take up another form in the next life, but you'll still be you. So I'll come find you, okay?" Yoongi stutters but continues to make the most out of his last minute, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry it had to end this way. But it isn't really the end..." "Your time is up. Please leave the room peacefully while you can." ---------- You look up to the man who you remember to be one of the idols from last night's event. He tries to tell you something but all you can hear is his muffled unintelligible voice through layers of metal and plexiglass. He shows you his soulmate mark which was identical to yours. You smile. He continues to talk with tears in his eyes and all you could do was to wander your eyes on his face, hoping to dream of him for the next 50 years of cryo-stasis. He is eventually escorted out of the room, and the chamber tilts back to continue the process. You peacefully close your eyes and inhale the sleeping gas as years of sleep take over you. ---------- "BTS Spotted leaving ProtoGen facility after Lucky Star project shutdown" Taehyung quietly reads the headline as Namjoon reads over his shoulder. "Such a shame Yoongi-hyung found and lost her in such a short time..." Namjoon sighs.

[cafedisco3]

BOY’S CRY

Before sharing his story with the world and becoming one of the most important artists of our time, Frank Ocean was a high school graduate in New Orleans scouring for jobs to pay for studio time to record his potential projects. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc across the region, provoking Ocean’s move from New Orleans to Los Angeles, California. It was in California that Frank eventually found his opening into the music industry. Landing a songwriting deal, he began ghostwriting for many of the biggest artists we know today: Justin Bieber (“Bigger”, 2008) and Beyoncé (“I Miss You”, 2009). In 2009, he started working with Odd Future, specifically Tyler, the Creator - one of his best friends, who played a pivotal role in encouraging him to continue writing songs, but for himself. Through Odd Future, Frank was able to meet Producer, Tricky Stewart who eventually introduced him to an American Record Label: Def Jam Recordings. Though this deal was meant to serve as his platform for releasing music, out of frustration he released his first mixtape, nostalgia, ULTRA, for free download on Tumblr. Frank explained that he was frustrated with the label for not being supportive of his efforts after signing. Regardless of the heightened tension in Frank’s relationship with the label, this mixtape ignited the spark of his fame to follow. Frank’s pilot success with this mixtape allowed his standing to grow tremendously, eliciting feature requests from A-listers such as Jay-Z and Kanye West, but for the most part, Frank remained highly selective with his craft and unwaveringly loyal to Tyler and Odd Future. 

This origin story is only the tip of the elusive iceberg that is Frank Ocean. Since before the days of nostalgia, ULTRA, Frank has been selective with his public interactions. Once a ghostwriter for pop stars and then a secret weapon among Odd Future’s large roster, playing the background seemed to come naturally to him. However, the star within him proved too bright to contain. Still, since his rise in stature, rather than outwardly embracing the fame that was guaranteed, he chose instead to remain guarded with his art and protective of his image. Over time, this has allowed him to meticulously reveal himself on his own terms, using his art as a way to give insight into his identity. It was only when speculations about his sexuality began to circle through the hip-hop and pop community prior to the release of his debut studio album, channel ORANGE, that the once-guarded artist decided to become candid in a way he never previously attempted; on his Tumblr, through an open letter to his fans titled Thank You, Frank went on to reveal his bisexaulity:  

Credit: http://frankocean.tumblr.com/post/26473798723

I don’t think I’m exaggerating in the slightest when I say that this letter was a beautiful, poetic exemplification of love. In typical Frank fashion, it wasn’t an overt admission of anything, because there isn’t anything to admit. We are who we are, and according to Frank, that is “human beings spinning on blackness”. According to Frank we are a lot more alike than we are different, regardless of our race, cultures or sexual identity. He chose to focus on what makes us all similar as humans, and if he revealed or confirmed something about himself that wasn’t clear to you in the process, then so be it. His sexuality wasn’t the point of the letter. The letter was about empathy and love. The letter was about being human. In an era were child-suicide rates were increasingly linked to homophobia and transphobia, especially in black and latino communities, Frank used his story to humanize those who had been historically demonized. 

This letter birthed a chapter for Frank’s influence. When channel ORANGE arrived that following summer, these feelings of self-discovery through heartache and unrequited love reverberated all throughout the tracklist. The album itself was named after the summer detailed in his letter, the summer during which he first fell in love with another man. Frank dropping this album and his Thank You letter was powerful, valiant move. He cut through the lingering homophobia of the time and crafted a tale of perseverance and acceptance. This album allowed me, someone with completely different experiences, to appreciate his journey. He successfully detached himself from the increasingly materialistic world of the music industry and turned his art into statements that effectively captured the current state of the human condition.

There are two songs off of channel ORANGE that I believe are worth highlighting. The first is “Bad Religion”: 

Taxi driver Be my shrink for the hour Leave the meter running It's rush hour So take the streets if you wanna Just outrun the demons, could you He said "Allahu akbar", I told him don't curse me “Bo Bo, you need prayer,” I guess it couldn't hurt me If it brings me to my knees It's a bad religion This unrequited love To me it's nothing but a one-man cult And cyanide in my Styrofoam cup I can never make him love me Never make him love me Love It's a bad religion To be in love with someone Who could never love you I know Only bad religion Could have me feeling the way I do

This is a story of longing, of internal conflict and crippling self-doubt. With no one to turn to, Frank resigns to confessing his deepest, most closely guarded truths in the backseat of a taxi, and his thoughts betray the confidence that many of his fans may have prematurely branded him with. These confessional thoughts instead show him in his most fragile state, one in which he seems internalize years of homophobic rhetoric. The stigma that homosexaulity or sexual fluidity is a sin, is amoral, and requires prayer and absolution is so deeply ingrained in society that Frank doesn’t even flinch when the taxi driver basically tells him to pray away his desires. Instead, he chooses grasp onto the suggestion, wondering if maybe he should find a way to detach himself from the unrequited love that has brought him so much pain - whether through religion or drugs. This song is a heart-wrenching discussion of the internal struggle felt by Frank throughout the journey detailed in his letter. Frank’s lyrics expertly navigate self-hate and heartbreak, and his execution features a stunning vocal performance that evokes a deep, soulful pain that feels universally applicable to all humans. 

The second song of importance would be “Forrest Gump”: 

I wanna see your pom poms from the stands Come on, come on My fingertips, and my lips, they burn From the cigarettes Forrest Gump you run my mind boy Running on my mind boy Forrest Gump I know you Forrest I know you wouldn't hurt a beetle But you're so buff, and so strong I'm nervous Forrest Forrest Gump My fingertips, and my lips, they burn From the cigarettes Forrest Gump you run my mind boy Running on my mind boy Forrest Gump I saw ya game, Forrest I was screamin' run 44 But you kept runnin' past the end zone Oh where'd you go Forrest Forrest Gump

If “Bad Religion” - and “Thinkin’ Bout You” before it - were subtle allusions to his bisexuality, “Forrest Gump”, the penultimate track on channel ORANGE, would be the unabashed coming out party. In this song, Frank beautifully covers the timeless love story from the film, Forrest Gump, but through Jenny’s perspective - one that he clearly relates to on a visceral level. In the movie, Jenny and Forrest don’t end up together - but neither did Frank and his love at 19 years of age. In a very literal sense, Forrest Gump is used as a metaphor for a man running away from Frank - referring to the different paths taken by him and the man he fell in love - and this story is another example of unrequited love. But it’s uptempo nature and Frank’s equally light singing paints it in a much different light than “Bad Religion”. Here, there is no self-doubt and he seems to believe the experience of the fling was worth it. It’s the bright result of having grappeld with his emotions throughout the album’s more dark spots. This is essentially Frank fully submerging into his new lifestyle that he explains in his letter as being “a free man”. Similar to his letter, Frank is grateful for the man he fell in love with, regardless of the outcome. 

Despite this album being such a bold statement on his part, highlighting him as an artist that will stand the test of time, I’ve always felt as if its slow and melancholic vibes represent a shyer, younger Frank Ocean. Since releasing his letter and reinventing himself as a free man, the outward projection of his confidence has considerably escalated. Four years after channel ORANGE the fans were finally given a second and third album, simultaneously: Endless and Blonde. I personally cherished these albums, not expecting any new music for yet another few years, but just as I was getting used to the idea of no new Frank music, he released a single on his Beats 1 radio show, Blonded Radio: Chanel. Chanel was released in March 2017, and I can’t think of any way to describe the start of the song, besides epic:

My guy pretty like a girl And he got fight stories to tell I see both sides like Chanel

See on both sides like Chanel

��The Undefeated’s online music review of this song describes these first few lyrics in the following manner: “The boastful first few bars of Ocean’s new song might be the coldest, gayest, and most securely masculine flex in the history of rap. Elegant and mellow, the song’s lyrics read as a deliberate ode to duality and non-heteronormative binaries - an ambition, that since the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, is sorely missed in black music”. Whether I’ve convinced you or not, I truly believe Frank Ocean is an icon. He has made tremendous strides through his music and personal life and his consistently made choices that have positively influenced millions. As a visionary and genius, he’s stood out not only as a singer, but as a writer, a visual artist, and an activist. 

Credit: https://www.gq.com/story/frank-ocean-is-peerless

[wazafam]

Candace Rice has been a Floribama Shore fan-favorite since her debut in the reality series' first season in 2017, and we're about to share plenty of fun facts about her life. Whether she is storming out of the house or sparking dating rumors, Candace has kept Floribama fans on their toes. Candace Rice has a lot going on, whether she's filming for the reality show or enjoying life off-camera.

Candace Rice lights up the Floribama coast with her effervescent personality that fans can't get enough of. Candace's fun-loving nature makes her the life of the party, and her good-spirited disposition helps her to deescalate conflicts between feuding roommates when she has to. Although fans may think they have gotten to know Candace well over her 4-season stint on Floribama Shore, some fans don't know a lot about her life away from MTV.

Related: Floribama Shore: Gus Smyrnios' Age, Height, Job, Instagram & More

Candace Rice was born on December 29, 1992, in Memphis, Tennessee. This means that Candace has the same zodiac sign as Capricorn Floribama Shore roommate, Kirk Medas. who is currently 29 years of age. In addition to sharing a Sun sign, 28-year-old Candace shares the same height as her co-star. Both reality stars measure in at 5'8". Candace has a prestigious career today, but she grew up in a financially unstable household. She learned how to work hard from an early age. According to her Candace Rice LinkedIn profile, the popular celeb attended The University of Memphis from 2012 to 2015. At the University of Memphis, Candace majored in Communication and Media Studies. Candace went on to pursue a career in entertainment. Before starring on Floribama Shore, Candace landed a few TV gigs, from Christmas specials to an appearance on Fear Factor. See her on IG below:

Since she started filming Floribama Shore, Candace has ventured out of the reality TV world to scripted television. In 2018, Candace starred in the TV series short, "Wade's World". In 2020, she was featured in several episodes of #Washed, a web series starring singer and actor Terilisha from The Circle. Beyond television, Candace can be found expanding her social media empire. Her @thisiscandacerenee Instagram has over 350,000 followers, including Jersey Shore's Jenni "JWoww" Farley. On Instagram, Candace shares memories from Floribama Shore. She also posts stunning selfies and promotes her body care brand, Yaaganix. On TikTok, she has 27,100 followers and has claimed over 31,000 likes. Finally, Candace can be found on Twitter at @pimpfrydrice, where she has accumulated 65,200 followers and over 9,000 tweets.

Although Candace has claimed to be single this year, there is talk that she is exploring a relationship with co-star Codi Butts. They've flirted consistently on the show, but they were determined to maintain a strictly platonic relationship on camera. Recently, rumors of Codi and Candace's romance have surged, due to a photo that @code_eye10 shared on April 14. See that photo above. The subject of his post (every Floribama Shore cast member is on Instagram) is Codi kissing Candace on the forehead while she hugs him. While fans wait for Candace to confirm or deny the rumors, Codi's Instagram post seems like a strong indicator that Candace is off the market.

Candace is a constant source of entertainment on reality television. Her life off-camera is full of fascinating facts. Candace has used her legendary hustle to rise from humble beginnings to reality TV stardom. Whether Candace's future includes a romantic relationship with Codi or another 10 years on Floribama Shore, fans will surely be tuning in.

Next: Floribama Shore: Why Gus Smyrnios Claims The Show Is Exploiting Him

Sources: @thisiscandacerenee, @pimpfrydrice. @code_eye10

Floribama Shore: Candace Rice's Age, Height, Job, Instagram & More from https://ift.tt/3uPwNLu

[finishinglinepress]

FLP BOOK OF THE DAY: The Fever Poems by Kylie Gellatly

TO ORDER GO TO: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/the-fever-poems-by-kylie-gellatly/

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Kylie Gellatly is a poet living in Western Massachusetts. Kylie’s poetry has appeared in Iterant Magazine, Petrichor, La Vague Journal, Literary North, Feral, SWWIM, and Malasaña. She is the Poetry Editor of Mount Holyoke Review and the Book Reviews Editor of Green Mountains Review. Kylie is a Frances Perkins Scholar at Mount Holyoke College and has been awarded the Factory Hollow Press Scholarship to the Juniper Writing Institute and has received two fellowships to the Vermont Studio Center.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR The Fever Poems by Kylie Gellatly

“These poems know a great deal about beauty and violence: ‘twenty years / was about as much good as / circling / a black eye’. Kylie Gellatly shows us what vividness is, how it lives in our shapes, our pain, our imaginary (and real) selves: ‘man taken / to be a trench / that might have been a cannon ball’. This poetry composes musics with silences. It is both a song and whisper, an erasure and exhalation. It is both a journey across us, and inward: ‘the ship was the rib of reason / […] the ship was beginning to be an alarm / the ship was right there on the floor while this book was written.’ Herein history is envious of a dreamscape. And yet: the dream aspires to be dailiness, and fears it. Which is to say: this is a book of fevers the likes of which you feel most familiar with, yet have not seen before. Recognize yourself in them.”

–Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf Republic

“Musical and deeply felt, these poems—untitled and running wild—chase down the heart. No tangible space is without the immaterial here. The Elements are resilient, and I feel pushed and pulled by them. Gellatly’s debut book is beautiful, haunted and mystical. Her poems are like ‘the strange contrast between death and dawn,’ and ‘the fool’s divine spark / forever coming loose’ in the reader’s hands.”

–Bianca Stone, author of The Möbius Strip Club of Grief

“In Kylie Gellatly‘s The Fever Poems, water is silk that rubs against the night. Events are figments of the speaker’s imagination and graves shape time. Extremely contemporary in their fixation on illness, isolation, and anxiety, these poems spill down and across the page like slate off a cliffside. There is an unwavering generosity to the introspection of this speaker: through her eyes, floating ash becomes ‘hundreds of baled papers, bent up like two bears dancing.’ This is a collection that understands and beautifully, painfully relays that what we have—with each other, with the land—is ‘the last of the last.’”

–Taneum Bambrick , author of Vantage

“‘I was sore at heart,’ writes Kylie Gellatly in The Fever Poems, and the reader is invited into a sprawling, curious, visionary, deeply empathetic, epic debut. Her poems shine goldly in the space between elemental earth—salt, rock, wind, weather—and the human, conscious choice of living. With echoes of Jorie Graham and W. S. Merwin, Gellatly navigates the complexities of language, ‘a pledge made / into paper / weathered / in our hands,’ ‘choked with the monsters of parentheses’. This is a collection for our time of pandemic, uncertainty, and an urgent need for a revision of our relationship with the natural world—Gellatly recognizes the swinging pendulum of power between the earth’s force and human interference, and, without castigation, illuminates us.”

–Jenny Molberg, author of Refusal

“Kylie Gellatly’s The Fever works like a ship, navigating the tempests of our fragile moment. The poems enact a wandering/wondering through fire and fog, investigating meaning through a naturalist’s lens, balancing an elemental pull with the fierce heat of being human. This collection is an invitation to a sensorial meditation, one where fever is less a symptom of sickness than a door to discovery.”

–Erin Adair-Hodges, author of Let’s All Die Happy

#flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry

[disappearingground]

Something Borrowed, Something New: The Perfect Union of Jenny Lewis and Elvis Costello

Filter Magazine November 22, 2008

Something Borrowed, Something New: The Perfect Union of Jenny Lewis and Elvis Costello

By Chris Martins

He strides into the room seeming impossibly tall and endlessly poised. In a silk scarf and all black, he looks as sharp as his wit has ever been, and downright Dickensian, as if the word “doff” was invented solely for use in reference to the hat sitting on his head. At 54, he’s got the perfect dappling of salt-and-pepper scruff, which frames a pair of lips in a perpetual mischievous grin, ever the unambiguous counterpoint to those trademark square-framed specs. Elvis is in the building—Costello, of course—and it’s enough to keep Jenny Lewis on her toes.

Well, somewhat. She’s sitting, currently, getting a light dusting of blush before the next round of photographs with her avuncular counterpart, but her dainty feet are neatly propped by a pair of light brown pumps. Los Angeles’ favorite daughter, our eternal indie darling regardless of her record label, is rightly stunning in a red dress and feathered cap, and as Lewis moves through the room, she hardly disturbs the air. Whether this is out of respect to the dust or due to an innate grace is unclear, but to not stare—at either of this pair—is to miss history in the making.

The duet is nothing new to music. Neither is the appearance of an elder statesman on the album of a young star for posterity, nor the reverse for the sake of a little shined-up sparkle. But when a legend with three decades and 34 albums to his hallowed name is coaxed out of retirement by the sheer energy experienced in a day of studio time with an inspired young songwriter, momentousness abounds. Last October, Costello told MOJO magazine he wasn’t “of a mind to record any more,” that the MP3 had “dismantled the intended shape of an album” and that fans could hear him live or not at all, essentially.

But on April 22, Costello sneaked out his 35th album, and a few days later issued the following via his website: “Some of you may have heard rumours of an album called Momofuku… [which] came about because of an invitation I received from Jenny Lewis to sing on her upcoming record.” He’d changed his mind. “That’s what I do,” he added. “The record was made so quickly that I didn’t even tell myself about it for two weeks.” His story only added to buzz surrounding an unnamed Lewis solo album reportedly recorded in organic and speedy contrast to Rilo Kiley’s 2007 LP, Under the Blacklight. Costello’s record was effectively a carry-over of Lewis’ January session, and he’d named it after the inventor of Cup Noodles because “all we had to do… was add water.”

Acid Tongue is now out, and it could be Lewis’ most immediate work yet. An all-analog rock and roll record that sears as much as it sways, the follow-up to 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat trades in the alt-country scenery for further breadth and depth. Its sound is richer—a soulful mix of Southern-Gothic stomp, saturated balladry and campfire strum—and its inspiration digs deeper, with Lewis putting her pretty croon to use against the messy topics of sex, drugs, love, travel, illness and family. Sometimes she sings in character; in other moments, she’s addressing the very people recording with her: live-in beau Johnathan Rice, who co-wrote much of Acid Tongue; or her father, Eddie Gordon, a harmonica virtuoso estranged from Lewis until his recent cancer diagnosis reunited them.

Likewise, Costello’s Momofuku sounds refreshed, thanks in no small part to Lewis’ rag-tag gang. Though a few of her guests (Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward, and Rilo’s Jason Boesel among them) had evacuated Van Nuys’ Sound City Studios by the time Costello arrived, the “vocal supergroup” that lent his record so much of its particular vigor is also the core lineup behind Acid Tongue: Lewis, Rice, Dave Scher (Beachwood Sparks), and Jonathan Wilson (formerly of Eisley), along with Costello’s bassist Davey Faragher. Momofuku is another sound entry in Costello’s post-millennial rock catalogue, seething with the attitude and urgency he’d rediscovered with 2002’s When I Was Cruel. His own band, The Imposters, might have something to do with that as well: keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas have been playing with Costello since 1978—though not without the occasional break or falling out.

Truth be told, Costello has been threatening retirement since he was 26, according to his own liner notes for the Rykodisc reissue of 1981’s Trust (though when asked about it today, he asks back: “Did I say that?”). And more than their mutual passion for detailed narratives, heartful ballads and, now, double drummers (read on), Costello and Lewis share the kind of creative restlessness that can make or break a career. They approach each record anew, band members be damned; she pushed on by the persistent fear that one day her well will run dry, and he without enough time in the day to tend to the flood.

Will Costello quit? Not likely. He’s touring like a teenager these days, has a variety show debuting on Sundance Channel, and is finishing up a new album with T-Bone Burnett. Will Rilo Kiley split? It doesn’t matter. Lewis remains, and anyway, that’s a subject for another article at another time.

As we sit down to talk in one of the odd little atriums that dot a large woodsy yard, Elvis Costello removes his hat, while his unflagging cool and smirk remain. At his left, sharing a small divan, Jenny Lewis appears more petite than usual and a little bit nervous, despite the fact that she’s directly responsible for Elvis’ return to the studio. It’s hard not to marvel at the sight.

A conversation with Elvis Costello and Jenny Lewis

The beginning is a fine place to start… How did you two meet? Elvis Costello: It was mainly the doing of Tennessee Thomas [drummer for The Like]. The Imposters and I were down in Mississippi recording The Delivery Man, and Pete Thomas said his daughter had hipped him to [Rilo Kiley’s 2004 album] More Adventurous. He played me the record and I thought it was fantastic. [To Lewis] I think I got your number and called you.

Out of the blue? Jenny Lewis: Oh, yeah. My phone rang and I didn’t recognize the number. I picked it up and it was Elvis. I truly thought it must have been some sort of mean prank. Costello: I was in this cottage I was renting right by the woods where Faulkner used to walk. It was quite a good spot and I had a lot of time to listen to records. I became a fan, and when Jenny made her first solo record…it was a different world. The storytelling on that album is amazing.

So you instantly thought, “This young talent needs to be in my new music video.” Costello: [Laughs] We filmed the “Monkey to Man” video in L.A., at the old Ambassador Hotel, and I thought it’d be funny if Jenny walked across the set like she’d gotten lost while on a Universal Studios tour. Lewis: The awkward walk-by. Clutching my purse. Sweat on my brow. Costello: We’d decided the video would be populated by girls in bikinis and people in monkey suits. It was very tasteful; we were going for the feminist vote.

…And then one day in January, Jenny called you? Costello: And then it was fun for the whole family. I was at home in Vancouver and The Imposters’ bassist Davey Faragher—he lives in Southern California and was in the studio with Jenny—called and asked if I would sing a song on her new record. Lewis: And I emailed you a clip of myself, Johnathan Rice and a puppet doing “Carpetbaggers.” Costello: Obviously, I was being asked to do the puppet’s part. I told ’em I loved the song, but I thought I would sing it differently than the puppet.

So you flew out to record. At what point did you decide to stay and make a record? Costello: I didn’t stay actually. We cut “Carpetbaggers” in three takes, and the band didn’t have anything planned for the rest of that day. So I said, “Maybe we can cut something of mine.” I had two songs—“Go Away” and “Drum & Bone,” which I’d written literally the night before—and we just laid them down, Jenny and I in that little vocal booth, I’m playing rhythm guitar with a line out to the hallway, she’s reading the lyrics off a piece of paper. And I couldn’t believe it—she nailed every line. Lewis: I was thinking, “This is your big shot, kid, don’t blow it.” Costello: I had decided I was done with recording. Everything I’d have to do after the release of a record was making me miserable, but working with them reminded me of the bits that I liked. A week later, back in Vancouver, I called everybody up and said, “That was too good—let’s do it again.” That’s when the vocal group came together. Davey is the only person in The Imposters who can sing, and with The Attractions, I used to track myself for all the vocals. These guys were coming up with killer parts, and the will to do them, at 11 p.m. We made the record in six days, with the same live feeling as Jenny’s. Lewis: I was so impressed with your pace. Is that how you’ve recorded in the past? Costello: I think bands make more of a meal of it now because they can. We’re all guilty of it. I recorded Spike [1989] in four cities [Dublin, London, New Orleans, Los Angeles]; I had a ridiculous budget. But it’s gone around in one big circle—my first record [My Aim is True] was made in just 24 hours of studio time. The second album [This Year’s Model] took 11 days. We thought we were being decadent taking three weeks for Armed Forces, and with Imperial Bedroom, we were making our big statement in the studio, hiring harpsichords and glockenspiels: “Let’s take six entire weeks!” Now you hear of bands spending six months on a single.

Acid Tongue was done at an impressive clip as well, Jenny. What inspired you to make that record in only three weeks’ time? Lewis: I think everything I do is a reaction to the thing before it. Having come out from under the polished intention of Under the Blacklight—which took quite a bit longer—I just wanted the vibe to run the show. I was finally able to connect with a band and have it go down like a live performance. It was really liberating. Costello: There’s nowhere to hide in that room. When you listen to Acid Tongue, there’s nothing there. It’s just a voice and a couple of instruments, and it works perfectly. The more you went on with the record, the more confidence you seemed to gain. To open with “Black Sand”… it’s the kind of confidence that marks great records. You know, “How could they open with that? That’s ridiculous!” But soon you can’t live without it.

You’re both artists who have continued to surprise us over the years, approaching each album with different angles, different sounds and, often, different bands. Is creative restlessness part of what makes a great—or at least an enduring—artist? Costello: I think too much is made of it—like it’s some sort of puzzle where eventually the pieces will all fit and there’ll be this big, smiling picture of Jenny going, “I told you so.” The reality is: that was just the way the artist was feeling at that moment, and now you’re in danger of missing what’s actually being said and the genuine feelings that are in those songs. It’s a trap that journalists fall into, which funnily enough never comes up with groups that have a strong, signature sound. It just doesn’t occur to anybody to compare their records: “This one’s got all those things that we already love!” Lewis: All I know is that I just tend to get a little bored and I like to try new things. And, really, anything is good subject matter for a song. But I don’t think that quality is exclusive to “the good artist.” Costello: Van Morrison has a signature sound, for instance, but he’s a singular artist. I don’t know that there’s one better way to do it. When I was younger, I was guilty of being more confrontational for the sake of getting attention, saying things like, “We’re here to completely ruin your life!” [Laughs] It’s true there was some dull music out there and we were coming along with a bit of attitude—trying to get it right, where just playing was really the thing—but tearing others down wasn’t the intention.

Neither of you have shied away from expressing the deeply personal on record, and you’ve dealt with an array of reactions to your public persona, from fan adoration to being dissected by the press. How does one stay level through all this? Costello: It’s true that since the mid ’60s, people have based their songwriting more overtly on their life’s experience than, say, Ira Gershwin did. In his day, they wrote songs that faded to black when the stickier subjects of love—physical love in particular—came up. But with people like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, that started to change. That was passed on to the next generation, then the next generation, then to me, then to Jenny, and we’re writing about these things that are increasingly raw. Fair or not, people associate you with these songs, and to whatever extent that you’re putting your experiences in there, your mistakes are in public view. Your heart is broken, the band splits, you find a new way to go in life, you have a drug problem, you sober up. There’s a fascination with human frailty and an entire industry that makes entertainment out of it. I got disenchanted when I was younger, but then I realized that’s just show business, and show business is based on the Menudo principal: They kick you out of the band when you’re 18 and get someone else to appeal to the 11-year-old girls who, in turn, hit 15 and peel off to go to the new thing. That’s not real life. Lewis: I’ve just started, over the last couple of years, to receive feedback in that way, as well as from people that assume songs are about them, and it’s all very uncomfortable. I still don’t know what to make of it, and I try not to acknowledge it. I’d rather just write songs without having to think about where they’ll end up or who will be offended. Costello: I’ve gone through my less glorious periods and other times where I’ve felt on top of the world, but it’s important to remember: You’re not living in real time by writing songs. Even if you think you’re writing the honest diary of your love affair, you’re not—you’re writing an edited version of it. Otherwise the album would be 20-years long.

So, 2003’s North, for instance… Costello: North is a very specific album about recognizing the end of one way of living and the beginning of another, but it’s a song-written explanation of what it felt like to go through that. It’s not the same thing, and it certainly doesn’t take into account the feelings of the other people involved. Art is selfish; it’s not a democracy, not even in a band. But if you’re smart, you take the best of what people bring you—to a collaborative form like recording, for instance. I was just the beneficiary of that, when Jenny said, “Why don’t we get Tennessee in here to play with Pete?” Lewis: The fantastic father-daughter drumming duo. Costello: I never knew that was going to sound so good. Next thing I knew, we had a record. And you know, Tennessee joined us onstage at the El Rey in Los Angeles after we played the Hollywood Bowl with The Police. I’ve been turning around to see Pete playing behind me for 30 years, and I look back that night and see him and his daughter. I’ve known her since she was born but, more than being a matter of pride, it just sounded fantastic. [To Lewis] Thank you for that.

Which is your favorite song from each other’s new album? Lewis: “Go Away,” because it was the first. Costello: “Godspeed,” because it’s got such beautiful melody and mood. I was startled the first time I heard it. I also love the long, multi-parted songs like “The Next Messiah,” and I think “Sing a Song for Them,” the up-tempo one at the end of the album, is tremendous. And of course, “Carpetbaggers,” because we got to do that together. I also like the other version of it that we cut—a live take with the double drummers …

So basically, you like everything, including the outtakes. Costello: “Godspeed” is definitely my favorite, but I’m attracted to ballads, so you’re asking the wrong guy. I mean, I really love ballads—more than any other kind of music. Lewis: I actually wasn’t going to include “Trying My Best to Love You” because I was worried about Acid Tongue being too ballad-heavy—I wanted it to rock more than Rabbit Fur Coat—but Elvis was so set on it being on the record that I included it.

Elvis, were you impressed with Jenny’s use of double entendre for the album title? Costello: [Laughs] Old habits die hard. F

[mastcomm]

‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ … and to Fans Hungry for More

When “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” debuted on Netflix in 2018, it seemed like just the latest title in its “Summer of Love” promotion. There was “Set It Up,” “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” and “The Kissing Booth.” But “To All the Boys” quickly proved to be a phenomenon.

The main character, a Korean-American high schooler named Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor), won over audiences who saw themselves mirrored in her life and mixed heritage. There was a surge of thirst for the internet’s newest crush, Noah Centineo (playing Lara Jean’s love interest, Peter Kavinsky). Sales for Yakult, a Japanese yogurt drink, increased after being featured in several scenes, and by Halloween, Twitter was overloaded with images of costumes inspired by Lara Jean.

“To All the Boys” became one of Netflix’s “most viewed original films ever,” with many fans watching it repeatedly, according to Variety. If the streaming service, which selectively releases audience numbers, is to be believed, more than 80 million subscribers caught the rom-com. The company also cited Instagram data to show the film’s impact: Condor’s follower count jumped from about 100,000 to 5.5 million, while Centineo’s increased from 800,000 to 13.4 million.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” clearly seemed to tap into an unmet demand. Now, the team behind the first film is hoping its sequel, “P.S. I Still Love You,” will too when it premieres on Feb. 12.

Based on Jenny Han’s best-selling 2014 novel of the same name, the first movie followed Lara Jean as she is forced to confront her emotions when private love letters she penned are sent to her past crushes — and to her current one, her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh (Israel Broussard). While navigating the mayhem that ensues and trying to make Josh jealous, she ends up in a fake relationship with Peter, a popular but kindhearted jock. It’s not long before the fake relationship leads both to develop real feelings.

Casting the Vietnamese-born newcomer Condor as the endearing Lara Jean opposite Centineo (of “Charlie’s Angels” and “The Perfect Date”) resulted in palpable chemistry that certainly helped fuel the success of “To All the Boys.”

Condor said in an interview that she thought the excitement around the original stemmed from its wholesome, uplifting love story: “You kind of feel better after you watch it. You feel joy, and I think there’s something to be said about, right now, today, you kind of have to actively seek joy.” Centineo similarly saw the film as comfort food. “Chicken soup for the soul, baby. That’s what we want.”

But the film’s popularity was also driven by more tangible factors. For one, there had been a noticeable lack of successful film rom-coms for years. Movies like “10 Things I Hate About You,” “She’s All That” and “Drive Me Crazy” were staples of the late 1990s and the early 2000s, but that was the last time the teen rom-com was really prevalent on the big screen; “To All the Boys” was a rom-com for a new generation.

And it injected new life into the genre with its diverse cast of characters. Condor’s casting was seen as a win for Asian-American audiences, who had seen several Asian characters morph into white ones in recent screen adaptations. (See the controversies surrounding “Doctor Strange” and “Ghost in the Shell.”)

LeiLani Nishime, a professor of communications at the University of Washington, said Asian-Americans usually show up only “in certain kinds of genres” like sci-fi or family dramas “but things like detective films or rom-coms, you didn’t see a whole lot of Asian-Americans.”

The movie was a (partial) answer to the underrepresentation of such characters. Han said, “We’ve seen a certain type of rom-com many times, and I have never seen an Asian-American girl as the lead of a rom-com. So I think being able to experience the first blush of first love through her eyes, it felt really new and sparkly.”

“To All the Boys” was also released the same week as “Crazy Rich Asians,” and the combination of both films propelled a surge of interest in Asian-American romances onscreen. These two rom-coms of course couldn’t solve the lack of representation, but they did prove that Asian-American audiences wanted to see more of themselves onscreen.

In“P.S. I Still Love You,” once again adapted from Han’s romance novel series, the budding relationship between Lara Jean and Peter continues. But the onscreen antics are further complicated when another one of Lara Jean’s past crushes (and letter recipients), John Ambrose — played by Jordan Fisher — re-enters her life. With John, Lara Jean’s first love, in the picture, she has another dream guy to consider. John, unlike the suave, popular Peter, is both bookish and charming. What transpires is a love triangle that will probably spur an online battle of internet crushes.

“The truth of the matter is, when you have someone like Jordan Fisher up against anyone else, his competition should be afraid, very afraid,” Centineo said, “because he is charismatic, he is extremely intelligent, extremely articulate and more than anything, he’s just a kind human being and soul. And he knows how to cook.”

While Centineo said he knew that some viewers wouldn’t be thrilled with a rival love interest, he added that it made for a more compelling narrative. “When dealing with a franchise, especially one that was as successful as the first film, you really want to follow up with something that isn’t just exactly what the audience would want,” he said. But the romantic chaos will give fans endearing moments from Lara Jean that include stress baking and a “Cinderella” scene where everything comes to a head while she’s clad in a ball gown.

The sequel is filled with the same chemistry between Condor and Centineo that once sparked rumors they were dating. Despite that speculation, the two actors say they had just formed a tight bond. (Condor has been with her boyfriend, Anthony De La Torre, for more than four years).

“Acting with Noah is very, very easy, so, it doesn’t take a lot for me to love his heart and his mind,” Condor said, adding, “If people believe that we’re together or they want us to be, I think that means we did our job as actors.”

Centineo also noted that when they met they “were both in very similar places in our lives and we bonded on the pain that we were both experiencing.”

“P.S. I Still Love You” is about more than just romance, though. Just as one of the screenwriters, Sofia Alvarez, didn’t want the first film to be “about a girl who was in love with her sister’s boyfriend,” the second film follows Lara Jean as she explores what it “means to be vulnerable once you’re actually in that relationship and dealing with the other person as opposed to just thinking about being in a relationship with them.” Ultimately, Condor said, that will lead to more challenges for viewers. “The audience is going to be more frustrated at Lara Jean than they will be at the boys,” she said.

“P.S. I Still Love You” is part of a larger Netflix plan. Both Condor and Centineo said they wrapped filming on the final entry in the trilogy in August. While details about the third installment were limited, one of the producers, Matt Kaplan, said that the film centers on “Lara Jean and Peter dealing with what life is like when you have to start to make more adult choices, like going off to college and figuring out how to navigate bigger, more adult conversations about relationships.”

But the team behind the franchise thinks it will reverberate beyond the initial releases. Alongside films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Always Be My Maybe,” Condor said she hoped the “To All the Boys” movies would inspire more rom-coms to take Asian-American representation into consideration. “I think Asian-American actors have really kind of harnessed their power and they are trying to step into the space with confidence,” she said. “I am so proud to even be a little part of a movement that I hope is not just a movement, but is a very long forever process.”

And the producer Kaplan envisions the “To All the Boys” films becoming part of the rom-com canon, Kaplan said: “I hope that the franchise will resonate in a way that lasts for generations, and that kids can look back at these movies and Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky can kind of be known in history as one of these really charming romantic comedy couples.”

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[haleyfury]

You know those blurbs that say The Hunger Games meets The Fault in Our Stars meets Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones meets Outlander meets Stranger Things? Okay, so maybe you haven’t seen that exact synopsis, but books blurbs tend to use other books or media that will entice readers to pick up said book. Today’s Top Five Wednesday is all about mash-ups that would make me want to pick up a book.

“A mix of Jenny Colgan’s Meet Me at the Cupcake Café and Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”

The similarities don’t end in the authors’ first names. While I’ve predicted a To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before spinoff series following Kitty, I’d love to have a book with an NA-aged Lara Jean opening up her own bakery! Anyways, I’d love a mash-up of Meet Me at the Cupcake Café and To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before with a character with a family as great as Lara Jean’s and opens her own bake shop like Issy, who also has a great support system.

“A mix of Sex and the City and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl”

Okay hear me out on this one. I want a mash-up of Sex and the City for its female friendship and four best friends alongside Cath’s passion as a fangirl and love for the Simon Snow series. Now picture four best friends and fangirls living in New York City, going to book stores, cookie dough cafes, author events, and more together. How awesome would that be??

“A mix of Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone and Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie”

Moxie does feature female friendship, but I’d love a book where two female best friends, like Sloane and Emily (expect without the whole disappearing thing), team up together and spark a feminist revolution in their town during the summer. Because summer contemporaries are EVERYTHING.

“A mix of The Devil Wears Prada and Ashley Poston’s Geekerella”

Okay this is definitely my most out there mash-up, but it can work as such: A girl begins working for a food truck connoisseur in hopes of getting a recommendation for a top-notch culinary school. Add in working for her boss being not such a piece of cake and a cute Harry Potter fan of a guy stopping by everyday, and my pre-order would already be in!

“A mix of Hart of Dixie and Emery Lord’s The Start of Me and You ”

I enjoyed Hart of Dixie for its small-town, Southern charm and I feel like that setting would mesh really well with a book like The Start of Me and You. After facing some personal struggles, girl enters for small Southern town for a fresh start and relationship opportunities.

Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.

Today’s T5W topic and my own anticipation for some 2018 releases has made me consider what mash-ups have inspired me to add books to my TBR. Below are some of my anticipated 2018 releases whose mash-ups made me immediately add it to my TBR shelf on Goodreads.

Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Mash-up: “Chopped Teen Tournament and Kids Baking Championship”

Food Network’s Baking Championship series is among my favorite TV shows, and I especially loved this past season of Kids Baking Championship (reminder that I still need to try and make a unicorn cake). I also like putting on Chopped while I’m writing, so once I got to this mash-up, I knew I was sold. The book follows Rosie and Henry as they attend a prestigious cooking program in Paris who must cook like never before while sparks fly between them.

Love & Other Carnivorous Plants by Florence Gonsalves

Mash-Up: “For fans of Becky Albertalli, Matthew Quick, & Ned Vizzini

Okay I admit that Becky Albertalli alone sold me on this mash-up, but I did enjoy Matthew Quick’s Silver Linings Playbook a few years ago. The book has been described as a darkly funny debut about a 19-year old student at Harvard who’s been consumed by love and grief. SIGN ME UP FOR ALL THE COLLEGE-AGED PROTAGONISTS

Would you be into some of the above mash-ups? What are some of your own? Share in the comments!

Top Five Wednesday: Ideal Mash-Ups & Anticipated Mash-Ups You know those blurbs that say The Hunger Games meets The Fault in Our Stars meets Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter meets…

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10 books to read during the #MeToo era

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In the #MeToo era, both men and women are being encouraged to speak out against sexual misconduct and in favor of greater equality. And learning other people's stories and perspectives can provide a sense of comfort, understanding, and encouragement as we work toward a better future for everyone in society.

Standout works of powerful fiction and intimately personal essays, both old and new, have the power to educate, spark discussion, and above all, inspire participation in movements for equality across all ages.

SEE ALSO: 10 books by black authors that are shaping our conversation about race

Here are 10 books by women that explore some of the most important issues facing society today, from sexual assault and the value of sharing your voice to the intersections of the many identities we may hold true.

Image: Random house

Letter to My Daughter

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou had one child, a son. But in Letter to My Daughter, the author, poet, professor, and civil rights activist speaks to the daughter she never had — a daughter she sees in millions of women all around the world. Angelou passes along inspirational life lessons and advice she’s found useful over the years. She recalls encounters with significant people in her life, memories of growing up, poems, lighthearted stories, and more. At a time when so many people are eager to make a difference in the world, Angelou's 2008 work remains critically relevant.

Image: National Geographic Society

In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules 

Karen Karbo

Karen Karbo’s In Praise of Difficult Women is the book to read whenever you’re looking for encouragement to take a risk. Sharing the stories of 29 history-making women across all industries, the book serves as a reminder that “being difficult,” or standing up for your own beliefs and working to inspire change, can lead to an incredibly fulfilling life. The book imparts life lessons and advice gleaned from 29 very different women — from Frida Kahlo and Elizabeth Taylor to Carrie Fisher, Hillary Clinton, Amy Poehler, Shonda Rhimes, and more.

Image: Little, Brown and Company

Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything

Aly Raisman

Raisman’s debut autobiography gives the world a deeper look at what it takes to become an Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast. The now 23-year-old shares intimate details of her life — from obstacles she’s bravely overcome and the ways she's dealt with body shame over the years to how she learned to develop confidence and self-love. 

Raisman, who bravely spoke out against former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar in 2017, revealing that he'd sexually assaulted her during treatment sessions for years, has become a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement. In Fierce she further touches upon her experiences with Nassar, sharing how she first came to understand his behavior was wrong. Raisman's book includes inspiring photographs, journal entries from her younger years, and advice for all those seeking strength.

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color

Edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa

This feminist anthology is full of essays by women of color who explore the nuances that come with intersecting identities. These woman break down race, class, sexuality, and gender, and examine how those factors inform their feminism. It’s a collection of important perspectives that all too often get brushed aside in mainstream conversations about women. Published in 1981, this book continues to be an essential read for anyone wanting to arm themselves with the powerful thoughts of some radical women. 

Image: Plume

You Don't Have to Like Me: Essays on Growing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding Feminism

 Alida Nugent

"Feminism" can be a loaded word. Author Alida Nugent does a beautiful job of breaking down her own feelings about the term in a collection of essays about exactly what the title says: growing up, speaking out, and finding feminism. Nugent is funny and approachable in her writing, making serious topics easily digestible and compelling through her analysis and philosophy on life. 

Sour Heart

Jenny Zhang

In her debut story collection, Sour Heart, Jenny Zhang shares a perspective we rarely get a chance to explore in mainstream texts. Her stories are glimpses into the lives of Chinese immigrants who, all women, navigate their intersectional identities and their new lives in the United States. These coming-of-age stories are raw and not for the faint of heart — and they're incredibly necessary to read. 

Image: Crossing Press

Sister Outsider

Audre Lorde

Sister Outsider is a book for any and every generation. Scholar, acclaimed activist, and queer luminary Audre Lorde’s collection of essays and speeches has a transformative power that links together the intricacies that come with the crossroads of race, gender, class, and more. This book, originally published in 1984, manages to consistently remain fresh; it's a staple for an inclusive and intersectional bookshelf. 

Image: Farrar Straus Giroux

Speak

Laurie Halse Anderson 

Laurie Halse Anderson’s 2001 novel tells the powerful story of Melinda Sordino, a freshman struggling to find herself in a challenging new high school environment. After Sordino is raped by an upperclassman at a party and calls the police, she becomes ostracized by her fellow classmates. Anderson takes readers on the teen's difficult journey, highlighting struggles that face young men and women who want to be heard, the trauma of sexual assault, and the importance of sharing your voice. In 2004 the novel was made into a film starring Kristen Stewart.

Image: Haymarket Books

Men Explain Things to Me

Rebecca Solnit

This book isn’t long, but it packs a powerful punch in its forthright look at how men and women communicate and the problems that have risen from traditional gender roles in our society. Rebecca Solnit is powerful and clear in her message throughout her essays, and she imbues our misogynistic culture with a fresh and empowering perspective. Plus, there’s an essay that inspired the ever-popular term “mansplain.” You’ll read about marriage equality, violence against women, feminism movements, and more — but don’t worry, you might chuckle a bit, too.

Image: Plume Books

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman

Anne Helen Petersen

Anne Helen Petersen might be one of the most brilliant writers around when it comes to penetrating the curtain around celebrity. In Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud, she does so through the lens of feminism, looking to the women in Hollywood who are smashing boundaries, those “unruly” ladies in the public eye who we love and/or hate, and examining everything from why we feel that way to the unfair double standards placed upon such women. It’s a book perfect for this moment, as women of the entertainment industry take charge of conversations regarding sexual violence and gender equality with the #MeToo movement and Time’s Up. 

WATCH: Woman makes an epic solo world tour on a motorbike

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Tribeca Film Festival:  An April Industry Tradition

The Tribeca Film Festival –  one of the most highly-anticipated industry events in New York –  takes place this April 19-30.  Now in its 16th year, the Festival is a platform for creators and community members to demonstrate how film, culture and art affect the city and world in which we live. Its broad and eclectic programming includes presentations of full-length films, documentaries, shorts, TV premieres, virtual reality projects and new online work.  The festival also brings together some of today’s top filmmakers through its Tribeca Talks series. This year several New York-based films that participated in the New York State Film Tax Credit Program will be showcased throughout the Festival. These films, which shot and did their post-production work here, made a significant economic impact in New York State with approximately $16.6 million in spending and creating an estimated 1,483 hires.

“We program films from all around the world but there is always something special when we premiere movies that are shot and post-produced right here in New York,” said Tammie Rosen, Tribeca Film Festival’s Executive Vice President of Communications & Programming.

In addition to all the film screenings, the finalists in the I LOVE NEW YORK @ Tribeca Student Film Competition will be announced during the festival.  College students enrolled in film programs throughout New York State were invited to pitch their ideas for a short film. Eleven finalists will be selected and will be given a $5,000 stipend to shoot their film. Those films will be judged by a celebrity panel and the final winner will receive a $15,000 scholarship, a DSLR camera, film-editing software and an all-expense paid vacation in New York State. The New York-based films listed below that participated in the tax credit program, have been selected to screen during this year’s festival: Aardvark, directed and written by Brian Shoaf. (USA) World Premiere. While battling her own anxieties, therapist Emily Milburton (Jenny Slate) spends her time listening to other people’s problems. Her professional and personal worlds collide when Emily’s newest patient, Josh Norman (Zachary Quinto), walks through her door. Mentally ill and experiencing hallucinations, Josh harbors complex feelings for his estranged brother, Craig (Jon Hamm). Things begin to get interesting when Emily falls for Craig. With Sheila Vand, Tonya Pinkins, Marin Ireland. The Boy Downstairs, directed and written by Sophie Brooks. (USA) World Premiere. Zosia Mamet stars  as Diana, navigating the rite of passage of every single New Yorker: the search for an apartment. She seemingly finds a jewel of a home until realizing her downstairs neighbor is the ex whose heart she broke. Like a true New Yorker, she keeps the apartment. With Matthew Shear, Deirdre O’Connell, Sarah Ramos, Diana Irvine. The Dinner, directed and written by Oren Moverman. (USA) North American Premiere. Two brothers, Congressman Stan and caustic former teacher Paul, are locked in sibling rivalry and are forced to come head to head over a dinner with their wives. As the two couples (Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan and Rebecca Hall) sit down to dine, their dark family secrets are dragged out and onto the table along with the main course, in this adaptation of the Herman Koch bestseller. With Chloe Sevigny. An Orchard release. Keep the Change, directed and written by Rachel Israel. (USA) World Premiere. In a support group for adults living with autism, David—a smooth talker struggling to hide his disability—meets a woman with similar learning challenges, and they quickly forge an intimate bond. Starring a cast of nonprofessional actors on the autism spectrum, Keep the Change details an underrepresented community with authenticity, optimism and humor. With Brandon Polansky, Samantha Elisofon, Nicky Gottlieb, Will Deaver, Jessica Walter, Tibor Feldman. Love After Love, directed by Russell Harbaugh, written by Russell Harbaugh, Eric Mendelsohn. (USA) World Premiere. The world of a mother and her two adult sons feels emotionally untethered following the death of their family’s patriarch. Andie MacDowell, Chris O’Dowd, and James Adomian deliver searing performances in this absorbing story of a family losing and regaining their equilibrium in the wake of loss. With Juliet Rylance, Dree Hemingway, Gareth Williams. My Art, directed and written by Laurie Simmons. (USA) North American Premiere, Narrative. For cultured artist Ellie (Laurie Simmons), age really isn’t anything but a number. Unhappy with where her career has gone, the single New York City socialite flees Upstate to recharge her creative spark away from the city’s various distractions. There, she attracts the romantic interests of three men and figures out what she wants from life—even though she’s 65 years old. With Lena Dunham, Robert Clohessy, John Rothman, Josh Safdie, Parker Posey, Blair Brown, Barbara Sukowa. ***My Friend Dahmer, directed and written by Marc Meyers. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Before Jeffrey Dahmer became one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, he was a teenage loner. Conducting grisly experiments in a makeshift backyard lab, Jeff was invisible to most, until his increasingly bizarre behavior unexpectedly attracted friends. Based on the cult graphic novel, My Friend Dahmer chronicles the origins of the man, the monster…the high school senior. With Ross Lynch, Anne Heche, Dallas Roberts, Alex Wolff, Tommy Nelson, and Vincent Kartheiser. ***Participated in the New York State Post-Production Credit program One Percent More Humid, directed and written by Liz W. Garcia. (USA) World Premiere. Catherine (Julia Garner) and Iris (Juno Temple) are childhood friends home from college for a hot New England summer. As they attempt to enjoy parties and skinny-dipping and the usual vacation hijinks, a shared trauma in their past becomes increasingly difficult to suppress. As the wedge between the friends grows, they each pursue forbidden affairs to cope. With Alessandro Nivola, Maggie Siff, Philip Ettinger, Mamoudou Athie. Permission, directed and written by Brian Crano. (USA) World Premiere. Anna (Rebecca Hall) and Will (Dan Stevens) are the definition of long-term monogamy, and with great careers, an impending marriage, and a potential new home, things couldn’t be better. But after a close friend’s joke about her non-existent sexual experience hits too close to home, Anna proposes to Will an experiment to broaden their horizons without sabotaging their relationship: to try an open relationship—together. With Gina Gershon, Francois Arnaud, Morgan Spector, David Joseph Craig, Jason Sudeikis.

Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis. (USA) World Premiere. 14-year-old Ulysses is a shy and effeminate teen being raised in the Bronx by his strict Aunt Rose. He finds escape in a rich fantasy life of music and dance, and soon with a vibrant transgender youth community called Saturday Church. Damon Cardasis’ directorial debut is a rousing celebration of one boy’s search for his identity. With Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia. Super Dark Times, directed by Kevin Phillips, written by Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski. (USA) North American Premiere, Narrative. Teenagers Zach and Josh have been best friends their whole lives, but when a gruesome accident leads to a cover-up, the secret drives a wedge between them and propels them down a rabbit hole of escalating paranoia and violence in Kevin Phillips’ atmospheric ‘90s-set mystery-thriller. With Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, Elizabeth Cappuccino, Max Talisman, Sawyer Barth, Amy Hargreaves.

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‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ … and to Fans Hungry for More

When “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” debuted on Netflix in 2018, it seemed like just the latest title in its “Summer of Love” promotion. There was “Set It Up,” “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” and “The Kissing Booth.” But “To All the Boys” quickly proved to be a phenomenon.

The main character, a Korean-American high schooler named Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor), won over audiences who saw themselves mirrored in her life and mixed heritage. There was a surge of thirst for the internet’s newest crush, Noah Centineo (playing Lara Jean’s love interest, Peter Kavinsky). Sales for Yakult, a Korean yogurt drink, increased after being featured in several scenes, and by Halloween, Twitter was overloaded with images of costumes inspired by Lara Jean.

“To All the Boys” became one of Netflix’s “most viewed original films ever,” with many fans watching it repeatedly, according to Variety. If the streaming service, which selectively releases audience numbers, is to be believed, more than 80 million subscribers caught the rom-com. The company also cited Instagram data to show the film’s impact: Condor’s follower count jumped from about 100,000 to 5.5 million, while Centineo’s increased from 800,000 to 13.4 million.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” clearly seemed to tap into an unmet demand. Now, the team behind the first film are hoping its sequel, “P.S. I Still Love You,” will too when it premieres on Feb. 12.

Based on Jenny Han’s best-selling 2014 debut YA novel of the same name, the first movie followed Lara Jean as she is forced to confront her emotions when private love letters she penned are sent to her past crushes — and to her current one, her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh (Israel Broussard). While navigating the mayhem that ensues and trying to make Josh jealous, she ends up in a fake relationship with Peter, a popular but kindhearted jock. It’s not long before the fake relationship leads both to develop real feelings.

Casting the Vietnamese-born newcomer Condor as the endearing Lara Jean opposite Centineo (of “Charlie’s Angels” and “The Perfect Date”) resulted in palpable chemistry that certainly helped fuel the success of “To All the Boys.”

Condor said in an interview that she thought the excitement around the original stemmed from its wholesome, uplifting love story: “You kind of feel better after you watch it. You feel joy, and I think there’s something to be said about, right now, today, you kind of have to actively seek joy.” Centineo similarly saw the film as comfort food. “Chicken soup for the soul, baby. That’s what we want.”

But the film’s popularity was also driven by more tangible factors. For one, there had been a noticeable lack of successful film rom-coms for years. Movies like “10 Things I Hate About You,” “She’s All That” and “Drive Me Crazy” were staples of the late 1990s and the early 2000s, but that was the last time the teen rom-com was really prevalent on the big screen; “To All the Boys” was a rom-com for a new generation.

And it injected new life into the genre with its diverse cast of characters. Condor’s casting was seen as a win for Asian-American audiences, who had seen several Asian characters morph into white ones in recent screen adaptations. (See the controversies surrounding “Doctor Strange” and “Ghost in the Shell.”)

LeiLani Nishime, a professor of communications at the University of Washington, said Asian-Americans usually show up only “in certain kinds of genres” like sci-fi or family dramas “but things like detective films or rom-coms, you didn’t see a whole lot of Asian-Americans.”

The movie was a (partial) answer to the underrepresentation of such characters. Han said, “We’ve seen a certain type of rom-com many times, and I have never seen an Asian-American girl as the lead of a rom-com. So I think being able to experience the first brush of first love through her eyes, it felt really new and sparkly.”

“To All the Boys” was also released the same week as “Crazy Rich Asians,” and the combination of both films propelled a surge of interest in Asian-American romances onscreen. These two rom-coms of course couldn’t solve the lack of representation, but they did prove that Asian-American audiences wanted to see more of themselves onscreen.

In“P.S. I Still Love You,” once again adapted from Han’s romance novel series, the budding relationship between Lara Jean and Peter continues. But the onscreen antics are further complicated when another one of Lara Jean’s past crushes (and letter recipients), John Ambrose — played by Jordan Fisher — re-enters her life. With John, Lara Jean’s first love, in the picture, she has another dream guy to consider. John, unlike the suave, popular Peter, is both bookish and charming. What transpires is a love triangle that will probably spur an online battle of internet crushes.

“The truth of the matter is, when you have someone like Jordan Fisher up against anyone else, his competition should be afraid, very afraid,” Centineo said, “because he is charismatic, he is extremely intelligent, extremely articulate and more than anything, he’s just a kind human being and soul. And he knows how to cook.”

While Centineo said he knew that some viewers wouldn’t be thrilled with a rival love interest, he added that it made for a more compelling narrative. “When dealing with a franchise, especially one that was as successful as the first film, you really want to follow up with something that isn’t just exactly what the audience would want,” he said. But the romantic chaos will give fans endearing moments from Lara Jean that include stress baking and a “Cinderella” scene where everything comes to a head while she’s clad in a ball gown.

The sequel is filled with the same chemistry between Condor and Centineo that once sparked rumors they were dating. Despite that speculation, the two actors say they had just formed a tight bond. (Condor has been with her boyfriend, Anthony De La Torre, for more than four years).

“Acting with Noah is very, very easy, so, it doesn’t take a lot for me to love his heart and his mind,” Condor said, adding, “If people believe that we’re together or they want us to be, I think that means we did our job as actors.”

Centineo also noted that when they met they “were both in very similar places in our lives and we bonded on the pain that we were both experiencing.”

“P.S. I Still Love You” is about more than just romance, though. Just as one of the screenwriters, Sofia Alvarez, didn’t want the first film to be “about a girl who was in love with her sister’s boyfriend,” the second film follows Lara Jean as she explores what it “means to be vulnerable once you’re actually in that relationship and dealing with the other person as opposed to just thinking about being in a relationship with them.” Ultimately, Condor said, that will lead to more challenges for viewers. “The audience is going to be more frustrated at Lara Jean than they will be at the boys,” she said.

“P.S. I Still Love You” is part of a larger Netflix plan. Both Condor and Centineo said they wrapped filming on the final entry in the trilogy in August. While details about the third installment were limited, one of the producers, Matt Kaplan, said that the film centers on “Lara Jean and Peter dealing with what life is like when you have to start to make more adult choices, like going off to college and figuring out how to navigate bigger, more adult conversations about relationships.”

But the team behind the franchise thinks it will reverberate beyond the initial releases. Alongside films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Always Be My Maybe,” Condor said she hoped the “To All the Boys” movies would inspire more rom-coms to take Asian-American representation into consideration. “I think Asian-American actors have really kind of harnessed their power and they are trying to step into the space with confidence,” she said. “I am so proud to even be a little part of a movement that I hope is not just a movement, but is a very long forever process.”

And the producer Kaplan envisions the “To All the Boys” films becoming part of the rom-com canon, Kaplan said: “I hope that the franchise will resonate in a way that lasts for generations, and that kids can look back at these movies and Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky can kind of be known in history as one of these really charming romantic comedy couples.”

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