#and there’s a north american tour scheduled for next may

[stingyslegslookweird]

HELL YES

DEATH GRIPS IS ONLINE

[louisupdates]

The Habit He Can’t Break, 1/4

IQ 123 | Gordon Masson | 9.11.2023

Usually, when an act completes a world tour, they come off the road for an extended period to rest, record new material, and then typically two or three years later, the wheels are set in motion for an album, released, promo, and tour dates.

Louis Tomlinson did not get that memo.

His first solo tour ran late due to the pandemic restrictions, meaning that by the time it concluded in September 2022, his second album, Faith in the Future, was scheduled to drop and tickets for the associated tour were ready to go on sale.

“This tour went on sale late October or November - basically a year in advance,” explains agent, Holly Rowland, who represents Tomlinson alongside Alex Hardee, internationally, while Wasserman Music colleagues, Marty Diamond and Ash Mowry-Lewis do likewise for North America. 

Despite that quick turnaround between tours, Rowland reports that ticket sales for the current tour are going very well indeed. “The first leg went through Scandinavia before doing the Baltics and Eastern Europe – Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece – places that most people, especially arena-level acts, don’t really go. And the second leg, which is more mainland Europe, started 2 October.”

The tour is big. Very big for just a second outing in his own name. 

Between May and July this year, Tomlinson played 39 dates in the US and Canada across a mix of amphitheaters, arenas, pavilions, and stadiums. In August, he returned to Europe, where he currently is in the midst of another 39 dates in arenas across the continent and the UK, which will take him to 18 November. Then, in early 2024, the Faith in the Future tour goes to Australia for two outdoor dates in Melbourne and Brisbane, before he takes the show to the country’s biggest indoor venue, the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

And, as IQ went to press, Louis Tomlinson released dates for a return to Latin America in May 2024 for a mix of indoor and outdoor shows, including stadia, across Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay.

“We’re going to Australia and part of Asia early next year,” states artist manager Matt Vines of London-based Seven 7 Management. We then go into Latin America in May and June. And then we’ll handpick a selection of festivals next summer, before we draw the line on the campaign at the end of the summer.”

Rowland comments, “The tour before obviously was a Covid tour where the dates had to be chopped and changed. The positive aspect of that was that we were able to upgrade venues where that made sense. But it was really nice to start from scratch on this tour to make sure the routing was all going in the right direction.”

Back to You

Playing a major role in shifting that ticketing inventory is a network of promoters also enjoying Tomlinsons rising star.

“On this tour, it’s mainly Live Nation – we use a lot of the One Direction promoter,” explains Rowland. “But for Greece, we used Honeycomb Live, Charmenko did Romania, 8 Days A Week promoted the three shows in the Baltics, All Things Live did Finland, Fource are doing Orague, it’s Gadget in Switzerland, Atelier in Luxembourg, and when we get to the UK, it’s SJM, and MCD in Ireland.”

With a total of 39 European dates, Rowland split the outing into separate legs, scheduling a break after Scandinavia, the Balkans, Baltics, and Athens, Greece, and another after mainland Europe, ending in Zürich, Switzerland. 

“It’s a perfect ratio, if I do say so myself,” she laughs. “It was right to split it up – 39 dates is a long, long tour, especially with the American tour throughout the summer being 11 weeks! We made sure to schedule days off, for everyone to recharge their batteries.”

In Spain, Nacho Córdoba at Live Nation promoted Tomlinson’s shows in Bilbao, Madrid, and Barcelona, and reports sell-outs at each of the arenas involved. 

“When Louis was last here, it was three days before the pandemic shut everything down in Spain. In fact, I think he played the final show before the market closed because of Covid.,” says Córdoba.

“Last year, Louis organized his Away From Home Festival in Fuengirola, and that also sold out, so we know he has a big following in Spain, and we also know that Spanish fans are super loyal. So, on this tour we sold out 7,000 tickets at Bilbao Arena Miribilla, 13,600 tickets at Wizink in Madrid, and 11,200 at Palau St Jordi in Barcelona.”

Already looking forward to Tomlinson “and his fantastic team” returning on the next tour, Córdoba believes it will be important to see what happens with the next album – and Tomlinson’s expectations – before making any plans. 

“The most important thing is to keep the fans happy and keep the momentum building with Louis,” he states. “I am a big fan of the arenas, because the atmosphere at his shows was incredible. So, rather than look at going bigger, it might be a case of looking at other arenas in other markets. Whatever he does, we cannot wait to have Louis back in Spain.”

Stefan Wyss at Gadget abc Entertainment in Switzerland promoted Tomlinson when he visited Zurich’s Hallenstadion on 23 October and explains that he previously played the city’s Halle 622 venue on the first tour.

Recalling the debut solo outing, Wyss tells IQ, “At first, we announced a mid-size theatre club show, 1,800-capacity, but it sold out instantly. Then we moved it to Halle 62, which is 3-500-cap and that also sold out immediately, so it was a really big success. 

“They’ve invested a lot in the production of this current tour, and it’s doing really strong numbers, so that’s why we decided to go to the arena this time around, where we set a mid-size capacity of 7,000, which is good for a small market like Switzerland, especially because he’s coming back just one year later and playing a much bigger show.”

Wyss adds, “He’s kept the ticket prices reasonable – and he never wants to do any gold circle or VIP tickets. I think that’s why he’s so close to his fans, because it’s not about maximising profits. Another reason for his success is that in addition to attracting a mainstream audience, he’s also getting the music lovers because he’s just a very good songwriter and has brilliant songs.”

Wyss also notes that with many young fans typically arriving the day before the concert, the responsibility to look after them is extended. “We set up toilets, we have security overnight, we give water away. It’s part of the organization that we will take care of the fans.”

Fresh from announcing 12 dates across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay, promoter Fabiano Lima De Queiroz at Move Concerts reports that Tomlinson will visit a mix of arenas, as well as stadiums in Santiago, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires, during his May tour.

“Our first tour with Louis was supposed to be in 2020 and we’d booked half arenas everywhere – 5,000–6,000 capacities,” he informs IQ. “Louis was one of those acts who connected very well with the fans during the pandemic, so when we shifted the dates, first to 2021, and then to 2022, we ended up selling out and having to upgrade in certain metropolitan markets.”

2/4, 3/4, 4/4

[dailytomlinson]

Faith In The Future Tour (Behind The Scenes) for IQ

Full interview with Matt Vines, tour promoters, agents and more people involved in the making of the tour under the cut:

Usually, when an act completes a world tour they come off the road for an extended period to rest, record new material, and then typically two or three years later the wheels are set in motion for an album release, promo, and tour dates. Louis Tomlinson did not get that memo. His first solo tour ran late due to the pandemic restrictions, meaning that by the time it concluded in September 2022, his second album, Faith In The Future, was scheduled to drop and tickets for the associated tour were ready to go on sale. 

“This tour went on sale last October or November ‒ basically a year in advance,” explains agent Holly Rowland, who represents Tomlinson, alongside Alex Hardee, internationally, while Wasserman Music colleagues Marty Diamond and Ash Mowry-Lewis do likewise for North America.

Despite that quick turnaround between tours, Rowland reports that ticket sales for the current tour are going very well indeed. “The first leg went through Scandinavia before doing the Baltics and Eastern Europe ‒ Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece ‒ places that most people, especially arena-level acts, don’t really go. And the second leg, which is more mainland Europe, started on 2 October.”

The tour is big. Very big for just a second outing in his own name.

Between May and July this year, Tomlinson played 39 dates in the US and Canada across a mix of amphitheaters, arenas, pavilions, and stadiums. In August, he returned to Europe, where he is currently in the midst of another 39 dates in arenas across the continent and the UK, which will take him to 18 November. Then, in early 2024, the Faith In The Future tour goes to Australia for two outdoor dates in Melbourne and Brisbane, before he takes the show to the country’s biggest indoor venue, the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. 

And, as IQ went to press, Tomlinson released dates for a return to Latin America in May 2024 for a mix of indoor and outdoor shows, including stadia, across Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. 

“We’re going to Australia and part of Asia early next year,” states artist manager Matt Vines of London-based Seven 7 Management. “We then go into Latin America in May and June. And then we’ll handpick a selection of festivals next summer, before we draw the line on the campaign at the end of the summer.”

Rowland comments, “The tour before obviously was Covid tour where the date had to be chopped and changed. The positive aspect of that was that we were able to upgrade venues where that made sense. But it was really nice to start from scratch on this tour to make sure the routing was all going in the right direction.” She reports, “We’ve done nearly 16,000 tickets in Amsterdam, and 14,000 in Paris, which I think just underlines his credibility as an artist and his growing reputation among fans.”

Playing a major role in shifting that ticketing inventory is a network of promoters also enjoying Tomlinson’s rising star.

“On this tour, it’s mainly Live Nation ‒ we use a lot of the One Direction promoter,” explains Rowland. “But for Greece, we used Honeycomb Live, Charmenko did Romania, 8 Days A Week promoted the three shows in the Baltics, All Things Live did Finland, Fource are doing Prague, it’s Gadget in Switzerland, Atelier in Luxembourg, and when we get to the UK, it’s SJM, and MCD in Ireland.”

With a total of 39 European dates, Rowland split the outing into separate legs, scheduling a  break after Scandinavia, the Balkans, Baltics and Athens, Greece and another after mainland Europe ending in Zurich, Switzerland. 

“It's a perfect ratio, if I do say so myself,” she laughs. “It was right to split it up ‒ 39 dates in a long, long tour, especially with the American tour throughout the summer being 11 weeks! We made sure to schedule days off, for everyone to recharge their batteries.”

In Spain, Nacho Córdoba at Live Nation promoted Tomlinson’s shows in Bilbao, Madrid, and Barcelona and reports sell-outs at each of the arenas involved. 

“When Louis was last here, it was three days before the pandemic shut everything down in Spain. In fact, I think he played the final show before the market closed because of Covid,” says Córdoba. 

“Last year, Louis organised his Away From Home festival in Fuengirola, and that also sold out, so we know he has a big following in Spain, and we also know that Spanish fans are super loyal. So, on this tour we sold out 7,000 tickets at Bilbao Arena Miribilla, 13,600 tickets at WiZink in Madrid, and 11,200 at Palau St Jordi in Barcelona.”

Already looking forward to Tomlinson “and his fantastic team” returning on the next tour, Córdoba believes it will be important to see what happens with the next album ‒ and Tomlinson’s expectations ‒ before making any plans.

“The most important thing is to keep the fans happy and keep the momentum building with Louis,” he states. “I am a big fan of the arenas, because the atmosphere at his shows was incredible. So, rather than look at going bigger, it might be a case of looking at other arenas in other markets. Whatever he does, we cannot wait to have Louis back in Spain.”

Stefan Wyss at Gadget abc Entertainment in Switzerland promoted Tomlinson when he visited Zurich’s Hallenstadion on 23 October and explains that he previously played the city’s Halle 622 venue on the first tour.

Recalling that debut solo outing, Wyss tells IQ, “At first, we announced a mid-size theatre club show, 1,800-capacity, but it sold out instantly. Then we moved it to Halle 622, which it 3,500-cap, and that also sold out immediately, so it was a really big success.

“They’ve invested a lot in the production of this current tour, and it’s doing really strong numbers, so that’s why we decided to go to the arena this time around, where we set a mid-size capacity of 7,000, which is good for a small market like Switzerland, especially because he’s coming back just one year later and playing a much bigger show.”

Wyss adds, “He’s kept the ticket prices reasonable ‒ and he never wants to do any gold circle or VIP tickets. I think that’s why he’s so close to his fans, because it’s not about maximising profits. Another reason for his success is that in addition to attracting a mainstream audience, he’s also getting music lovers because he’s just a very good songwriter and has brilliant songs.”

Wyss also notes that with many young fans typically arriving the day before the concert, the responsibility to look after them is extended. “We set up toilets, we have security overnight, we give water away. It’s part of the organization that we will take care of the fans.”

Fresh from announcing 12 dates across Argentina, Brazil (x 3), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Pery, Paraguay, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay, promoter Fabiano Lime de Queiroz at Move Concerts reports that Tomlinson will visit a mix of arenas, as well as stadiums in Santiago, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires during his May tour.

“Our first tour with Louis was supposed to be in 2020 and we’d booked half arenas everywhere ‒ 5,000-6,000 capacities,” he informs IQ. “Louis was one of those acts who connected very well with the fans during the pandemic, so when we shifted dates, first to 2021, and then to 2022, we ended up selling out and having to upgrade in certain metropolitan markets.”

“In Santiago, for instance, we’d sold out two full arenas of 13,000 cap, but then the government declared that for mass gatherings the numbers needed to be limited to 10,000 people.”

Rather than let fans down, Move added a third date, which again ended up selling out. “I remember being on a night plane from Miami, while Matt Vines was flying in from Dallas, and we were both using the aircraft wi-fi to negotiate via text for that third show,” says Queiroz. “It was an interesting way to confirm putting the third date on sale, just three days before the actual show!” 

He adds, “We’re taking a big bet on this tour when it comes to the number of cities and the capacities of the venues, but we’re hoping for the best and we’ve gone out strong. We feel that the artist is in a good moment and that the latest album has just created more interest, so we’re looking forward to when he arrives in May.”

Further north, Ocesa will prompte three dates in Mexico, including a stadium show at the F1 circuit, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, deepening Tomlinson’s footprint in that crucial North America market. 

Meanwhile, in Tomlinson’s homeland, Jack Downling at SJM is promoting seven UK dates in November at arenas in Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton, Cardiff, London, and Birmingham, which will round out the European leg of the tour.

“SJM has done every show Louis has been involved with, including all the One Direction arena and stadium shows,” notes Dowling, adding that on the first tour, the London show was originally pencilled in as a Roundhouse, then two Roundhouse shows, before finally being upgraded to Wembley Arena.

“This time, The O2 arena show in London will be sold out, while all the others have passed the expectations of where we wanted to be on this tour. In fact, when the UK dates were announced, it ranked as the fourth most engaged tour on social media in SJM’s history ‒ his fans are just nuts.”

But Downling also reports that the fanbase for Tomlinson is expanding. “The demographics are pulling not just from pop but also from indie rock now.”

Downling adds, “Louis really looks after his fans. On the last tour they did a deal with Greggs {bakery chain} to give free food to the people waiting in line, as some of them camped out for days in advance.”

Ensuring his fans are looked after properly is the number-one priority in Tomlinson’s live career. 

Noting that Tomlinson’s audience comprises mainly young women and girls, Rowland reveals that, at the artists’s insistence, a safety team has been added to the tour to ensure everyone that attends his shows is looked after. “Thry manage all the safety within the shows for the fans,” she explains. “They came in for the Wembley show last year and have been with us ever since ‒ they’ve been beneficial to the running of the tour.”

“When he played in South America, some of his fans were camping outside for a month. So we have a responsibility to look after them. Coming to a show should be a safe space, it’s where they find joy, and we have a responsibility to protect that.”

Manager Vines comments, “One issue we came up against almost all last year was crushing and fans passing out. We adopted a system where we could communicate with fans, who could hold up a mobile phone with a flashing red-and-white sign if they were in trouble but then we’d see them all popping up.”

“I don’t know whether some of that was a hangover of the pandemic where fans just weren’t used to being in venues. But we experienced a number of situations where hydration and temperatures in venues became an issue. I know Billie Eilish went through similar issues.”

With Tomlinson determined to meet a duty of care towards his fans, Vines says that the team now sends a “considerable advance package” to promoters ahead of their tour dates. “Our safety team goes into venues in the morning and basically ensures that a number of different things are in place ‒ making sure that water is given to the fans, where the water comes from, and at what points in the show it happens.”

And on the crushing phenomena, he reports, “We’ve worked out how many fans it’s safe to have without a secondary barrier. So we instruct promoters to have certain barriers in place to relieve that pressure and avoid crushing.”

He adds, “I get detailed incident reports after each show, which lets myself and my management team know exactly what happened, and so far on this tour, we haven’t had any issues with crushing or hydration, which is fantastic.”

Production manager Craig Sherwood is impressed by the way the tour has pivoted to protect the ‘Louies’. “The welfare officers are vital for the young girls who are aged from, I guess, 14 upwards. They can get dehydrated and malnourished pretty quickly if they are camping out for days, so it’s important that we look out for their wellbeing,” says Sherwood.

Citing the extremes that the Louies will put themselves through in an effort to secure themselves prime positions at the front of the stage, Sherwood recalls, “The first show on our US tour was in February, and it was freezing, but we found out that girls had been camping out on the pavement for five days. It’s crazy, as we know these young girls are coming from all over the world to see Louis.”

However, Tomlinson’s connection with those fans is evident in the level of merchandise sales at each show. “It’s a huge part of our business,” says Vines. “In America, we averaged about $36 a head, and it’s not much shy of that in Europe ‒ we’ve set a few national records in terms of spend per head. But we spend a lot of time on merch plans, and we do venue-specific drops and give it a lot of care and attention, as it’s a really important element of Louis’ business.”

Making sure that the Faith In The Future tour delivers Tomlinson to his growing legion of fans, PM Sherwoord’s long association with artist manager Vines made him the obvious choice when the artist first began his solo career.

“I remember doing a lot of promo dates around the UK and US before we started touring properly,” says Sherwood of his work with Tomlinson. “In fact, one of the first shows I remember doing with Louis was in Madrid when he played in a stadium, and I could see it was a taste of things to come.”

The partnership between Sherwood and Vines is crucial.

“In terms of the show growing, our biggest challenge is keeping costs down, because we’re extremely cautious on ticket pricing,” says Vines. “We don’t do dynamic pricing, we don’t do platinium ticketing, we don’t do paid VIPs, we don’t increase ticket prices on aisle seats ‒ all those tricks that everyone does that most fans don’t know about: we don’t do any of those.”

“So, when it comes to the production side of things, we need to be incredibly careful. But I’ve been working with Craig for a decade, and he knows the importance of trying to keep costs as low as possible. For instance, we’ll run the show virtually a number of times so Louis can watch it with the show designer, Tom Taylor, make comments and tweak things. Then we’ll go into pre-production. But we try to do as much in virtual reality as possible before we take it into the physical world.”

Sherwood states, “Basically, we started out with two or three trucks, but now we’re up to nine, and things seem to be getting bigger day by day.”

Thankfully, Sherwood has amassed a vastly experienced crew over the years, allowing them to handle even the most unexpected scenarios. “I’ve been touring since the dawn of time, but the core crew I work with now have been together since about 2010, and I trust them implicitly, so I leave it up to them who they hire, as long as they think I’m going to like them, and they’ll get along with everyone. So far, it has worked well,” Sherwood reports.

And that veteran crew has dealt with some terrifying weather extremes on the current tour, including a show at Red Rocks in Colorado where the audience were subjected to a freak storm with golf ball-sized hailstones injuring dozens of people.

Elsewhere, the crew has had to act quickly when the threat of high winds in Nashville caused problems on that outdoor run. “We didn’t want the video screens blowing about above the heads of the band, so it must have been amusing for the audience to see us taking them down,” Sherwood reports.

Indoors in Europe, the environment has been more controllable. The production itself involves an A-stage set 180 degrees across the barricades, although Sherwood says that on occasion a catwalk is also used by the performers.

“It’s a great lighting show and fantastic for audio, as we have a phenomenal front-of-house sound engineer ‒ John Delf from Edge Studios ‒ who makes life very easy for the rest of us,” says Sherwood. He also namechecks Barrie Pitt (monitor engineer), Oli Crump (audio system designer), Tom Taylor (lighting designer), Sam Kenyon (lighting technical director), and Torin Arnold (stage manager), while he praises Solo-Tech for supplying the sound, and Colour Sound Experiment (CSE) for taking charge of lighting video, and rigging equipment.

Indeed, CSE has ten personnel out with the Faith In The Future tour. “We have eight screens on the road ‒ six on stage plus two IMAGS that we use wherever appropriate,” the company’s Haydn Cruickshank tells IQ.

“We need to tweak the rigging on a daily basis, as we move to different venues, but other than that it’s a fairly smooth process thanks to Craig Sherwood. He is old-school and planned and worked on the production very far in advance, which is a great scenario for all involved. Craig is definitely one of our favourite production managers to work with.”

Garry Lewis at bussing contractors Beat The Street is also a fan of PM Sherwood.

“Craig split the European tour into different runs. So, from Hamburg to Zurich, we had two super high-decker 12-berth buses for the tour party and two 16-berth double-deckers for the crew,” says Lewis. “After the show in Athens, we still have the two super high-deckers, as Louis loves them ‒ he prefers to spend time on the bus, rather than in hotels ‒ but we also have two 12-berth super high-deckers for the crew, as well as another crew 16-berth double-decker.”

Lewis continues, “We’ve worked with Craig for a good few years, and we have a great relationship with him. He plans everything way in advance, so it means it’s all very straightforward for us with no issues. So, we use single drivers for each bus, except on the longer runs or when our drivers are scheduled for prolonged breaks, and then we’ll fly in extra drivers as needed.”

With the production travelling to Australia in early 2024, before shifting to Latin America, Andy Lovell at Freight Minds is gearing up to become involved with Tomlinson once again.

“We did the Central and South America dates on the tour last year, and onto Mexico,” says Lovell. “It was very challenging back then as we were still coming back from Covid, and various systems and infrastructure were in pieces. But it all went well in the end, as we kept an eye on things and worked on it every day to make sure we had solutions to everything that was thrown our way.” 

Lovell continues, “Things on this tour kick in early next year for us. Historically, Australian services were quite reliable, as we could use any number of airlines. But post-pandemic, the number of long-haul flights still aren’t as frequent as they were. As a result, the production is being reverse engineered with the budget being worked out before we can see what we can afford to take as freight, and then we try to plan accordingly.”

“Similarly, in Central and South America there are still just a fraction of the flights operating, compared to pre-Covid, so that makes it very challenging. If there aren’t the flights to handle the gear, then you have to start looking at chartering aircraft, or alter your schedule, and that can become very expensive, very fast.”

With everyone working on the artist’s behalf to make sure the tour remains on track, being able to call on such experienced production experts is paying off on a daily basis.

Sherwood notes, “There are a few back-to-back shows over long distances that occasionally mean we don’t arrive at the next venue until 11am, rather than 6am. But we’ve never failed anywhere to open the doors on time, so we know we’re capable of getting things done, even if we have a late start at mid-day.”

Such dilemmas are not lost on agent Rowland. “It’s not so much the routing, it’s more like the timings, because Louis does have two support acts, so the show starts at 7 o’clock, and then when we’re done, we need to load out to get to the next show in good time for loading in the next morning and soundchecks, etc.”

Nonetheless, Sherwood admits that he loves the trickier venues and schedules. “Because I’m a dinosaur, I relish anything that makes things difficult or awkward for us on the production side of things,” he says. “I think everyone on the crew looks forward to challenges and finding the solutions to problems.”

Having amassed millions of fans through his association with One Direction, Tomlinson very much has a ‘pay it forward’ attitude to music and is building a reputation as a champion for emerging talent, wherever he performs. 

“He’s a great advocate for alternative music,” says manager Vines. “Louis realises that he’s in an incredibly privileged position in terms of what he can create in terms of awareness. He loves alternative music and indie music, and he understands how hard it is for that music to be heard. But we have this amazing platform where we can put these bands in front of these audiences as a showcase that allows them to build these authentic new audiences. It’s a hude part of his love of music, wanting to help younger bands.”

Rowland agrees. “He took an act called Andrew Cushin ‒ a very new artist ‒ on the road in America with him as his support, and he’s doing the same for Europe. Louis is a fan and is championing his career.”

Indeed, Tomlinson’s A&R skills have knock-on effects for his agent, too. “He asked me to confirm the Australian band Pacific Avenue as support for his Australian tour last year. The music was great and they didn’t have an agent, so now I’m representing them!” says Rowland.

As the European tour speeds toward its conclusion, agent Rowland is enjoying every minute of it.

“It’s incredible ‒ they’ve really stepped things up,” she says, fresh from seeing the show in Athens and Paris. “They’ve got 6 hanging LED screens on the stage, and the whole production just looks polished and professional.”

And Rowland is especially excited about next year’s Latin America dates, which will deliver her first stadium shows as an agent.

“The return to Latin America is going to be huge ‒ Louis is playing arenas and stadiums in South America and Mexico: 15 shows in 11 countries,” she says.

Vines is similarly enthused. Harking back to the Covid situation, when a show would go on sale, sell out, be postponed, and then rescheduled in a bigger venue, Vines says, “For example, in Chile, originally the show was scheduled at a 5,000-cap, half-capacity arena in Santiago. And what we ended up doing was three nights at 10,000-cap in that same venue.”

Vines contends that Tomlinson’s work ethic is outstanding. “He loves his fans, and he loves performing for them, it’s as simple as that,” he says. “He just loves being on the road and seeing how the songs connect live. In fact, the second album was very much written with the tour and live shows in mind ‒ ‘This song could work live,’ ‘This one will open the set,’ ‘This is the one we can do for the encore.’”

Another element to Tomlinson’s psyche has been his decision to visit places off the usual tour circuit. 

“Louis has a real desire to perform to fans in markets that are often overlooked,” says Rowland. 

Manager Vines explains that while the Covid-delayed first tour allowed them to upgrade venues pretty much everywhere, “On this tour, we’re a bit more competent on venue sizes, but we still speculate a little bit in different territories. In Europe, for example, we’ve gone into the Baltics and a number of different places to test the markets there, while in America, we are looking at A and B markets but also tertiary markets as well ‒ we go to places where people just don’t tour in America, just to see what the reaction is. That was something that very much interested Louis ‒ to play in front of people who don’t normally have gigs in their town. So there’s been a lot of experimentation on this tour in terms of where we go and what room to play.”

That concept is something that Vines has employed before. “I manage a band called Hurts who were pretty much overlooked by the British radio system and we have spent 15 years building a business outside of the UK. And that was built on going to play at those places where people didn’t normally go. They built to multiple arena level in Russia, for instance.”

“If you can build fanbases in lots of different places, you have festivals that you can play every summer, as well as youring those places. It allows you to have more consistency over a number of years, by having more opportunities.”

Such a strategy found a convert in Tomlinson. Vines tells IQ, “Louis also is extremely fan-focused in everything that he does. He comes at it from a perspective of ‘I want to take the show to them,’ meaning he’s always more willing to take the risky option to try something out.”

And the results? “It’s a combination,” concludes Vines. “There have been a couple of places where we now understand why tours don’t go there. But there are more places where it’s worked incredibly well. For example, we enjoyed incredibly good sales in Budapest. And overall, it’s allowing us to get a clearer idea, globally, of where the demand it, which will help us when we go into the next tour cycle.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 16, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 17, 2023

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has been on a tour of visits with European leaders. On May 13 he met with Pope Francis, who offered help finding the Ukrainian children kidnapped by the Russians and returning them to Ukraine, and with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The next day he met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz before flying to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron. On Monday, Zelensky made a surprise visit to the United Kingdom, where he met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen awarded the Ukrainian people and Zelensky the Charlemagne Prize “for their fight for freedom and democracy against the unjustified Russian war of aggression. This award underscores the fact that Ukraine is part of Europe and that its people and its government—headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—support and defend European values, and therefore deserve encouragement to enter swiftly into accession negotiations with the European Union.” Leaks linked to Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira have revealed a dynamic landscape. On the basis of those leaks, on May 13 the Washington Post reported that Zelensky’s calm public demeanor is different from his private positions, which have called for a much more aggressive stance toward Russia. On May 14 the Washington Post reported on a leaked document revealing that Yevgeniy Prigozhin had offered in January to tell Ukraine where Russian forces were positioned if it would pull back from the front in Bakhmut, where Prigozhin’s Wagner Group mercenaries were getting pounded. On Sunday, as Zelensky was receiving promises of more European support, Ukraine said it had captured more than ten key Russian positions near Bakhmut. Last week, Germany announced its largest aid package to Ukraine since the war began—a package of nearly $3 billion—and U.S. Abrams tanks arrived in Germany ahead of schedule for training Ukrainian troops. Rumors are swirling about the health of Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, one of Putin’s key allies, who has not been seen recently and has skipped important public events. In July, leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will gather in Vilnius, Lithuania, to discuss strengthening the organization’s defenses against Russia, and the relationship of NATO to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the European Council have been hosting peace talks between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan after Russian peacekeepers have become ineffective. And U.S. Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Richard Verma is currently on a trip to Poland, Moldova, and Romania to “emphasize the United States’ commitment to our European Allies and partners, Transatlantic security, and our shared democratic values” even as Russia seeks to destabilize Moldova. Elections in Turkey have produced a runoff between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Kilicdaroglu has promised to move Turkey closer to Europe than would Erdogan, who has swung toward Russia and authoritarianism. Turkey is a member of NATO, and Erodgan has ruled it for two decades, eroding its democracy. Opponents of Erdogan have coalesced behind Kilicdaroglu, who is popular enough that he managed to get within striking distance of Erdogan despite the leader’s attempt to rig the vote. Expert on Turkish foreign policy and fellow at the Brookings Institution Asli Aydintasbas told Jared Malsin and Elvan Kivilcim of the Wall Street Journal: “A Turkey that tilts a little more toward Europe or NATO, even if it’s not a full pivot, that would be a huge change for the global balance of power, particularly with Russia’s war on Ukraine.”

U.S. senior officials are in Detroit this week for one of a series of meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a group of 21 countries with nearly 40 percent of the global population— almost 3 billion people— and nearly 50 percent of global trade.  APEC members account for more than 60 percent of U.S. goods exports and seven of our top ten overall trading partners. Hosting APEC this year was supposed to show “U.S. economic leadership and multilateralism in the Indo-Pacific and highlight the direct impact of international economic engagement on prosperity here in the United States,” an illustration of the Biden administration’s outreach in the Indo-Pacific.  But just as Biden’s attempts to counter Russia and China and shore up democracy globally are bearing fruit, he has to cut short his visit to Australia and Papua New Guinea, where he was scheduled to travel after this weekend’s meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) in Hiroshima, Japan. The G7 is a forum of the leaders of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada, along with the European Union, to discuss economic and governmental policies. The debt ceiling crisis is forcing Biden to come home early rather than continue to strengthen ties in the region. Today, more than 140 leaders of the biggest U.S. companies published an open letter to the president and congressional leaders “to emphasize the potentially disastrous consequences of a failure by the federal government to meet its obligations.” They noted that when the government approached a default in 2011 under similar circumstances, the U.S. lost its AAA bond rating (which it has never regained), the stock market lost 17% of its value for more than a year, and “Moody’s reported that the heightened uncertainty from this crisis resulted in 1.2 million fewer jobs, a 0.7 percentage point higher unemployment rate, and a $180 billion smaller economy than it otherwise would have—dire impacts that occurred without an actual default.” House Republicans, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), are refusing to raise the debt ceiling, which is a limit to how much money the Treasury can raise to pay existing obligations, in order to extract budget cuts they cannot get through the normal process of legislation. While Republicans claim to be concerned about spending, it is notable that they have flat-out refused to help reduce the deficit by closing tax loopholes that would raise $40 billion. They also refuse to consider any measure that would raise taxes, focusing solely on spending cuts. Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity, a group funded by billionaire Charles Koch, has rolled out an ad campaign putting pressure on Biden and Democratic senators in the battleground states of Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin to give in to Republican demands rather than insist on the same clean debt ceiling Congress passed three times under Trump.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[influencermagazineuk]

Shakira Scraps Chicago Tour Date, Shifts North American Tour Dates to Bigger Theaters

Global pop star Shakira canceled her long-awaited performance in Chicago scheduled for Dec 14. Tickets holders of the United Center event may be eligible for a full refund following the major change in course in her tour plans. The singer will now play in much larger North America stadium venues instead of arenas from now on. The "Hips Don't Lie" star, meanwhile explained to fans why the decision came out of the blue by calling attention to her comments on the United Center's website: "The production of my show is also now so much larger and unlike anything I've done before.". "As a consequence, we're moving my North America tour to arenas and the dates to May 2025, right after my Latin American tour. Getting excited—cities and dates will be announced on Monday (Oct. 21)." This is for the time being the big push for the Colombian megastar. His concerts, as they say, are sure fusions of high energy performances, beautiful choreographies, and spectacular visual effects. Going from arenas to stadiums simply means that the production will be bigger and more spectacular and therefore needs roomier venues to capture the scope of the show. For Shakira's North American audience, that means the most opulent and sensational experience yet. After all, she ranks among the world's most popular artists. Yeoman 1st Class Donna Lou Morgan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons While this has many thrilled at the news, fans in Chicago will be disappointed to learn that the city did not make the updated list for the tour. Even though the tour is being canceled, Shakira's statement shows that she is preparing for one unforgettable tour in 2025 where she will take her performances to some of the biggest stadiums across the continent. The singer updated her Instagram page with the new tour dates; still, some cities were left out during the remainder of 2019, and fans are hoping there's still a chance for these cities, including a Chicago stop, to be added later for some reason not yet clear. Shakira's tour venues upgrade typifies the growing trend of artists holding performances in stadiums rather than concert halls, the major appeal is larger audiences, but also a kind of atmosphere that creates shared excitement and spectacle. Artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have recently made such shifts too, and so Shakira is joining that league, further cementing her status as an international pop icon capable of filling such mammoth spaces. Fans from all over North America who were hoping for her to play in smaller venues may be forced to change their plans to see her in a stadium. For fans who are obviously disappointed with the cancellation of her Chicago show, some consolation can be offered with full refunds; the promise, however, of no rescheduled date leaves many fans with the hope that she will eventually play the city. According to reports, the tour will precede her Latin American leg, which will wrap just ahead of her North American leg launching in May 2025. Given Shakira's lively history replete with dynamic and emotionally charged live performances, it comes as no surprise that her next tour should only get even more impressive in terms of stage production and energetic shows. Other cities for the tour will be announced soon, and Shakira's fans are eagerly awaiting news about what this pop star has up her sleeve. Chicago, so far, isn't on the list of cities the tour will be visiting; however, given what's happening so far, it is already apparent Shakira will be bringing her A-game for what is bound to be perhaps her most significant tour to date. As hype over the 2025 stadium shows builds, one thing for sure is that the new chapter in Shakira's touring career is one for the ages. Read the full article

[nanas-45]

Metropolitan Opera: Memahami Klasik dan Inovasi di Pusat Seni New York

Located at the heart of New York City's Upper West Side, the Metropolitan Opera, affectionately known as "The Met," stands as a testament to America’s rich operatic history. Nestled within Lincoln Center, The Met has been an emblem of classical music and grand opera since 1883, when it was founded as a vibrant alternative to the Academy of Music. Today, under the management of Peter Gelb and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met continues to captivate audiences with its eclectic and diverse productions.

A Bold Beginning: The Birth of an Opera Empire

The Metropolitan Opera was born out of necessity—New York's wealthy elite were eager to establish their own prestigious opera house. In 1883, they succeeded with the opening of a new venue on 39th and Broadway, which would later become known as the "Old Met." From that day forward, the opera world in the U.S. would never be the same. The Met’s inaugural season was a brilliant success, with performances of Charles Gounod's Faust dazzling audiences. Over time, the Met grew into a cultural beacon, providing world-class performances across genres—from 19th-century Bel canto to avant-garde 21st-century Minimalism.

A Journey Through Time

After decades of innovation and expansion, the Met moved to its current home at Lincoln Center in 1966, solidifying its place as North America’s largest classical music organization. The company's annual schedule, which once featured 27 different operas from September to May, has evolved into a highly anticipated cultural staple in New York City. Productions span a vast range, from timeless classics to experimental contemporary pieces, giving audiences an extraordinary variety of operatic experiences.

The Met’s Star-Studded Company

What sets the Met apart is its ensemble of world-class performers. Featuring a symphony orchestra, chorus, and children’s choir, the company brings together some of the finest soloists and conductors from around the globe. Many singers establish long-standing relationships with the Met, returning season after season until their retirement, while others have their careers launched through the Met’s prestigious young artists programs.

Historic Tours and Global Influence

Since its early days, the Met has maintained a rich tradition of touring the U.S., bringing opera to audiences far and wide. From major American cities to lesser-known cultural hubs, the Met has made opera accessible to all, even continuing its tours until the late 1980s. Notably, its regular performances in Philadelphia and Cleveland brought opera to life in communities where it otherwise wouldn’t have flourished.

A Glimpse into the Past: The Mapleson Cylinders

An intriguing piece of the Met’s history lies in the Mapleson Cylinders, a collection of Edison cylinder recordings made between 1900 and 1904. These recordings, which captured snippets of live performances, offer a unique acoustic window into the early days of the Met. Today, these cylinders are treasured for preserving the voices of legendary singers such as Jean de Reszke and Milka Ternina.

The Met's Evolution: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Over the years, the Metropolitan Opera has seen many phases—from its grand beginnings in the 1880s, through its "Golden Age" in the early 1900s, to its modern-day embrace of new productions and technology. The Met’s annual broadcasts, live-streamed performances, and innovative new productions keep it at the forefront of global opera.

The Met continues to adapt and thrive, standing tall as a symbol of timeless art and cultural evolution. Whether you’re a lifelong opera fan or someone just discovering the beauty of classical music, the Met offers something truly special.

So, next time you find yourself in New York, don’t miss the chance to experience a performance at the Met—a living piece of American and world history.

[skillstopallmedia]

Peter Gabriel's tour will stop in Montreal and Quebec

Seven years after his time on the Plains of Abraham and at the Bell Center with Sting, Peter Gabriel will be performing in Montreal and Quebec next September. Posted at 10:32 The former member of the group Genesis revealed the dates of his North American tour on Tuesday i/o, which he will begin in Europe in May. Five concerts are scheduled in Canada, including September 8 at the Videotron…

[so-idialed-9]

7 Masterpost

Uses of 7 (and 7 in groups of 4, 7x4 = 28) by Harry and Louis. I will continue updating this post with new 7s. Updated 7.14.24.

"Harry Styles joins James Corden and Louis Tomlinson" headlines on 7.14. First Larry public appearance in 7.5 years - the Euros VIP box, with photos. Articles imply they connected off-camera. July 14, 2024

Harry wore the peace ring to perform at HSLOT on September 7, 2021. The ring is seen as a commitment ring or symbol of Louis' and Harry's relationship. Some theorize they trade it back and forth when they meet up. He doesn't wear it again until exactly a year later, September 7, 2022

Louis covered 7 by Catfish and the Bottlemen, which starts out with the word Larry, in every show on LTWT22, for the first time again on the final show of the North American FITF Tour 7/29/23 in Forest Hills NY and calls extra attention to it, at AFHF 2023, and at FITFWT Barcelona 10/6/23 the day photos were published of H in London wearing the shared Umbro jumper

I Will Survive at Coachella 2 (4.23.22) was 7 years after 1D performed it in Manila - as a celebration of the Elounor stunt BUA

Harry uses his hands to display the number 7 for Pleasing and bonus! The nails are in 4 colors, 6.30.22

Late Night Talking mv has the private, real relationship as a man in a blue shirt with 4 7s on his sleeves, premiered 7.14.22

7 in the back of Louis' blue sun/sol azul tour shirt for Brisbane 1, 7.19.22

Harry scored the crowd a 7 at singing Kiwi at HSLOT Krakow, 7.19.22

7 years in the Aussie The Project interview for Louis, 7.20.22

7 in Louis' Australian Today interview - the interviewer mentions its been 10 years since he's been on the show and he responds it's been 7 years since the band toured there, 7.21.22

Harry posted 7 on IG of this bts photo for HSLOT Krakow, posted 7.20.22

John Delf’s Louis Tomlinson Changeover playlist on Spotify was updated to remove 28 songs and add 7 songs.  7.30.22

7 of the John Delf LT Changeover playlist songs are also on HSLOT’s pre/post-show playlist. 7.30.22

LT2 vinyl has 7 tracks on each side from the Amazon 'leak' 8.11.22

LT2 Amazon vinyl release scheduled for 11.11.22, 28 months after Louis announces Syco contract end

L and H saw Ed Sheeran in Manchester where Lego House was the 7th song on the setlist. All Along lyrics are "we saw Ed in Manchester, I held you while he played."

Bonus! Lego House is an exit song twice for LTWT22, and one of those times is the day HS3 is released.

Louis' Bigger Than Me promo reel features this image of 7 Louis photos and 7 28's, and Louis with a green eye. 8.31.22

Louis' friends and family referencing the number 7 on social media

September 7, 2022, Harry wears the peace ring to perform at MSG

Louis' F1 playlist released Sept 7, 2022 has 7 by Catfish and the Bottlemen and the Arctic Monkeys' 505, which had a chorus referencing 7 9.7.22

Helene Horlyck posted an IG photo with Louis and Lottie at Taylor Swift's party. It was taken post-Haylor stunt on May 19, 2015. Helene captioned it 7 year hop with orange hearts. 9.9.22

Harry's diamond ring has 7 stones

"All Of Those Voices" premieres at 7 pm local time everywhere, 3.22.23

Louis gets 4 finger tattoos, making the number of tattoos on his hands 7. 4.5.23 His two ring fingers are the 8/♾️ and pyramid/🔺️

Louis covers Arctic Monkeys' 505 on FITF tour, about wanting to get back to your lover waiting in a hotel room, even if it takes a 7 hour flight, starting 5.2023

Louis sings and dances to 7 Nation Army to celebrate his team's birthday, FITFWT Woodlands TX, 7.8.23

Z8/28 on the saddle of Harry's horse in the Daylight mv, released 7.19.23

77 days between the mv release of Late Night Talking and Sept 28, and 77 days between Sept 28 and Daylight mv release.

Louis switches up his setlist for the final show of the North American FITF tour leg in Forest Hills NY by singing 7 again with the intro "I don't want to introduce the next tune, but I don't really know how to close this without her. Enjoy the next tune!" 7/29/23

Louis sings 7 again at Barcelona for the UK FITF tour leg, the same day photos appear of Harry (from 10/5/23) wearing the infamous boyfriend Umbro shirt, 10/6/23

Louis' website is updated to celebrate Faith In the Future One Year On; the source code includes a massive 369 (made out of 3s, 6s, 9, and colons) that begins on line 7, 11/11/23 thank you to @wendersfive for the addition!

Plus let's not forget all the twisted DNA strand sunburst/kiwi clothing/checkered flag shit

But don't stop now! Bring on the cryptic numerology, drive us insane please - we love it.

At this point, with the 28 and 4 7s and 369, the only numbers they haven't claimed are 1, 5, and 0.

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

A Moment's Surprise--Chapter 3

Whether it's called an accident or the fates of the universe, you and Calum find yourselves taking on the next level of your relationship: parenthood.

Reader (Gender Neutral) X Calum. Multi-chapter Series.

Series Note: Across this series, pregnancy is discussed thoroughly. While I have made this series specifically a reader insert and have done my best to avoid coding for cis women, I am taking this moment to acknowledge that this content may not be suitable for every reader. I want to acknowledge even if I've been careful some things (like uteri) are still mentioned and if that causes you discomfort please DO NOT read this. You may keep scrolling (as there is a read more) / skip this as necessary.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Epilogue

Chapter 3

“Okay, so,” Joy starts, glancing up from the rim of her glasses.  It took two months for Joy to get things straightened out enough to come out for the remainder of your pregnancy. And you’re glad for it as now more bouts of morning sickness and fatigue riddled your days. “We’ve got the baby registry together, correct?”

You nod. “Yes. Just heard back from Calum yesterday about the things he wants to add. We had to go with the second rocking chair. Calum--well, we won’t get into that,” you laugh, running a hand over your slight bump. At eighteen weeks, you weren’t showing too much, but you knew. 

Joy laughs at your comment. “He’s just nervous.” 

Calum wanted everything baby related with the highest safety ratings. You wanted things that would help promote motor skills and other development milestones. It was a struggle sometimes not only just to disagree but to also have hefty time zone differences. When difficult conversations had to be had, Calum’s day was ending as yours was just beginning and yours was ending just as his was ending. Text wasn’t the platform for these conversations either. There were a lot of early morning calls. 

Joy took special care not to intervene in those conversations nor to take sides. Her go-to line was, “All I need is a happy grandbaby.” And currently, though Joy is letting you know that Calum’s particular current quirk is because of fear, it’s not a malicious rebuttal to you. Because you know if Calum were to get huffy about your desires, Joy would simply state you just want to raise an independent and confident child. The street with Joy goes two ways. 

“I know he is,” you return. “So am I.”

“Being nervous is natural. Nothing wrong with it. But if the registry is super set, then we should be a bit more at when do you want the baby shower? I think I have Calum’s tour schedule here somewhere.” She shuffles through the pages you printed down for you. You’ve easily pulled up the schedule from the saved document on your desktop but you wait for her to find it in her pile. Though Joy was quite comfortable with technology, she still prefered her paper files. 

Once Joy finds it, you skim over your screen.“Biggest chunk of time off is between the North American leg and the Australia dates.”

“There’s a show in September right?” Joy asks. 

“Yeah, I have a date for later that month.” Joy hums writing something down in her notebook off to the side. You tack on, “Looks like there’s time too in July and August.”

“You want the baby shower a little closer to the due date. Let’s look into September or October.”

You nod. “Didn’t know that.”

Joy laughs. “Neither did I before Mali. But I think you two should talk more about that. I just want to put it on your radar.”

“I’m going to run the poor man ragged,” you tease. 

“The only way to make sure he’s okay is to ask him. Besides, he did put you in this position. I love him, but let’s be honest.”

You snort at Joy’s tease. “I’m going to let that one stay between us,” you state. 

“Fair enough. But truly having a baby is no easy feat and it is tiring from start until finish in all sorts of new ways as they get older. But you two will always have me.” 

You know Joy is right. Things would obviously be slightly easier if Calum wasn’t touring. But in the end, this is the timing that’s been handed to the both of you. In the end, this is the decision that you two agreed on. 

From her spot at the dining room table, Joy spots the time. She pushes up from the kitchen table. “What do you want for lunch, dear? There’s leftovers, but I can cook too if there’s anything in particular?”

“Can you make those breaded chicken tenderloins again?” you ask, turning in the chair a little. 

Joy grins. “Of course. Salad too?”

“Fine, Mom,” you laugh. Joy wags one finger up over her shoulder at you, like she’s agreeing with your teasing job. Your phone buzzes and you turn back to glance at it. 

How’s today? It’s a text from Calum. 

You free?

The response to your text is a call lighting up your phone. You answer the request for a FaceTime call and a moment later you can see Calum’s face filling the screen. “Hey, babe,” he says with a smile. “Hi, Mum!”

“Hey,” the two of you echo back at him. Joy laughs just a little as you ask, “What time is it for you?”

Calum glances off to the side for a moment as the cacophony of shouts interrupts through the line. He moves to somewhere slightly quieter, the slight shake of his phone alerts you to the movement. “Show just ended an hour ago or so, we’re closing in around midnight I’d reckon. How are you?”

“Good, today’s been a nice day. Chickadee hasn’t raised too much hell.”

“Glad to hear it. I did some more research on the floor beds and I will say I do like the idea of it. Just take it slow with me. I don’t want my Pumpkin growing up too fast,” Calum states. 

“Once I’m done growing them, I’ll give them the memo,” you tease. 

Calum’s tuft of laughter is soft. “I had a bummer thought which is why I called instead of just texting.”

It’s bad. Whatever it is, it is bad for Calum to even mention it to you. “Uh oh, what’s the bummer thought?”

“I’m realizing how close your due date is to the Oceania tour dates.”

“Cal, it’s just an estimate.”

“I know,” he returns. “But still. The thought that I could make the choice to continue shows and you’d go into labor without me there--it scares me. I don’t want to miss that.”

The fates really were up to the gods, but you understand the fear. With the timing of everything, you were looking at the first week of November as your due date. However, as your doctor mentioned, due dates weren’t perfect. It was briefly considered given Calum’s touring schedule if the two of you should go more for elective C-section. The risks and the fact that any more pregnancies later in life would also have to be delivered by a C-sections halted the conversations early in their tracks. 

“We’ll keep hoping things line up,” you offer. 

“There still is time, yeah,” Calum nods. 

“Do you want a distraction or just to sort of vent?” you ask. While you want to help Calum, you know sometimes it’s just about the emotional release more than anything else. 

Calum shakes his head. “Distraction. There’s time to pout later.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Love, I’m the one that got you pregnant so you don’t have to apologize.”

“I was an enthusiastic and willing partner too in this so…,” you point out, foregoing the urge to tell Calum that Joy made the exact same joke earlier. Calum laughs in return. “But that’s not the actual distraction. Baby shower is.”

“Isn’t this like…way too early?”

“You’re the one that’s touring, mister. We have to work around your schedule.”

“Okay, okay, you’re right. You’re trying to plan in advance for the date?”

You nod. “Yes. Momma Joy has informed me that closer to the due date is better. You have the show in late September. But we could do it before or in October. I think my concern is that you actually have time on your breaks to relax.”

“We’ve got a little one to prepare for. Not too many breaks will be just relaxing with me being gone on tour.”

It’s a fact you had grown intimately familiar with as more doctor’s visits lined up and more things seemed to pile up for the house. “My uncle’s visiting when the Mexico leg starts up to help with the heavy lifting for Joy and I, so there’s that thankfully.”

Calum hums at the news. “That’s a relief, truly. I was worried. There’s that shelf to be taken down and the bed.”

“Trust me Joy wouldn’t let me think of trying to take those down. I think quite literally if the thought crossed my mind, she’d give me the look.” You attempt to recreate the quite stern glance Joy no doubt perfected over the years. Calum laughs, the skin around his eyes crinkling at the action. “Not trying to witness that more than necessary.”

“It’s not a fun look to receive. You know it’s not because she’s angry, just disappointed and it’s ten times worse. But I’m 90% sure that the September gig is on a Saturday. But let’s aim for a date range of one week before and one week after?”

You nod, taking one of the pens residing on the table and making a note. “Sounds good.”

“Monday for you, what will basically be Tuesday for me, is your next appointment correct?”

“Yes.”

Calum hums to signal him hearing you. “I need a bump update soon.”

You pop your head up. The slight drop is his voice being all too familiar to your ears. Without alerting Joy, you scramble to find your headphones. All you do is signal to Calum to give you a moment and then you scurry as quickly as you to the backyard. When the house turns to sunlight and Calum spots the white resting inside your ears, he exhales. “Do you know how hard it is? You’re so…god,” he sighs. 

“You did say I’d be hot pregnant. I just wasn’t expecting this.”

 You watch as his head drops into the wall behind him. He grazes his teeth over his bottom lip as if the thought is still lingering in his mind. 

“Fuck,” he hums and then takes just a second to shake his head, an action to clear away some of the thoughts. “It’s like, yes, absolutely would love to make love to you--no question. But also, I want to hold your bump you know? Just talk to the little one, be there to force you to sit down and take it easy.”

“There’s a break in a week,” you offer it gently, but even Calum catches the slight hitch to your voice. 

“I need it. I need you,” he whispers. “And like, I don’t mean it solely like that, sexually. I mean it is just as plain as it sounds. I think I’m driving the guys and the rest of the crew insane.”

“Soon, love. There are some perks to pregnancy.” You seal the sentiment with a wink. 

“Oh, don’t do that to me. You’re stirring an already boiling pot.”

With a playful shrug, you grin. “Maybe I’m looking to boil it over.”

“I know a spot for that,” he returns with a laugh. His name is called from somewhere off to the side and Calum catches more of it than you. He exhales deeply. “Getting rounded up. So--I’ll double check the September show, we’ll look for venues for the baby shower, and you’re sending me a bump picture as soon as you can.”

“Yes, yes, and, definitely.”

“Love you and let Pumpkin know I love them too. And Mum.”

You nod. “I will let all parties know.”

___________________________

You and Joy sit at the dining room table but both of you are clearly more attuned to the front door than anything else. Joy asked Calum early in the week if he wanted her to pick him up but the thing that worried Calum was that if fans spotted Joy then they’d have questions about why she was in the States. If those questions started he’s sure that it wouldn’t be super long until they started questioning where you’d gone or what was going on with you. Though you weren’t active much at all on social media in terms of actually posting things, anything you did post would be subject to close scrutiny. Neither you or Calum truly wanted to announce the pregnancy as it alone was already a lot to work with given the tour at this particular moment. It was subject to change, but right now it felt too new and too fragile to be announced to the public. 

So you and Joy stayed home, letting the car that the band always had pick him up and drop him off at home. But the two of you are waiting and waiting. Your leg bounces as you break apart the same piece of cookie into smaller and smaller pieces. You flick your gaze over to the door. Duke is also posed on the couch, head positioned in the direction of the door as if he knows exactly what everyone else is waiting for. A smile crosses your face and then you look back down at the plate. 

When you look up again, Joy is smiling over at you. You know she knows. “Joy, don’t look at me,” you laugh, covering your face. 

“I’m glad he has you,” she says instead. “And though, I was hoping I’d get to see you two going down the aisle before this and I won’t let him get away with that so easily, I’m really really glad he has you.”

It did seem, sometimes when you thought about it, that things were happening too in ways that you hadn’t anticipated. “Life has a funny way of working things out.”

She nods. “That it does.” Her phone chimes and she pushes up just a little to check in. “Oh Mali, the earth is still spinning,” she chuckles mostly to herself. To you, she asks, “Have you thought about baby names?”

“Shit!” you exclaim. How’d you forget to look at names? Why wasn’t that the first thing on your mind? 

Joy grins. “Hey, no. There’s time. You’ve got many things on your mind. That’s why I’m here. Give me some of those things, dear. I’m not going to be spending a year out here for nothing.”

“A year?” you ask. You thought she was just saying until Calum’s tour finished. 

“Yeah. You thought I’d just up and leave to the other side of the world without spending a few months with my grandbaby. Oh, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Joy--that’s your whole left you’ve put on pause. What do you mean?”

She shakes her head, a brighter smile lighting up her face. “Sweetheart, my whole life is right there.” She points to your abdomen. The gesture turns grander to the house around you. “Right here. I only dreamed of my children getting opportunities like this. We lived paycheck to paycheck and there were plenty of nights where I stayed up trying to crunch numbers. My kids have surpassed everything I could conceive of for them. I get to grow older, watch them grow up. Spoil grandbabies. That sounds a lot like life to me.”

“When you put it like that, yeah it does,” you nod. You take a quick second to wipe your cheeks. “Joy, I know I say it like five thousand times a day, but I appreciate you being here. Like a lot. When I found out I was pregnant, I felt like I was underwater and I’d forgotten how to breathe. I still feel like that sometimes. But I need it. I know I asked for it--the help. But it’s like you expect a certain level of help but I don’t know. It just means a lot. I’m babbling and I don’t know what else to say but thank you.”

“You’re beyond welcome, hon. Now, please actually eat the cookie before I do. I’ve already had three. No more.”

You pop a piece into your mouth even with a watery smile. “Yes ma’am.” 

Duke pops, front paws resting on the couch arm rest and lets out a bark. He goes like he’s going to leap from the couch, but you’re quick to pop up from the seat. “What is it?” you ask. You know Duke can’t answer, but still the question falls easily for your lips. 

Not too soon after the question falls, there’s the distinct click of the door unlocking. You continue to the couch to help Duke down. The door opens up and Calum with backpack and suitcase in hand stands on the other side of the door. His smile is brilliant after landing his gaze on you. You reach out to pull the suitcase further inside. “I got it,” he laughs, but you don’t stop realizing that you don’t quite have the breath to talk gazing up at Calum. Duke is steadily barking at his feet and Calum is quick to pick up the small dog. “Hey, I’m back, buddy. Missed me?”

“Aye, the man of the hour,” Joy comments, before briefly kissing Calum on his cheek. 

“Hi, Mum,” he returns, giving her a quick hug. You catch Joy’s voice but can’t hear the exact words she passes along to Calum. He flicks his gaze over to you and a small blush takes over his cheeks. “Mum, please.”

“I only speak the truth,” she returns and takes Duke from Calum. “We’ll give you two some privacy. But I mean it, son.”

“I know you do,” Calum sighs, slipping the backpack from his shoulders. 

The moment Calum turns back to face you, you slide yourself up to his chest, arms encasing his waist. You burrow your head into his sternum. His shirt holds the smell of the airport’s lingering scent and beneath it is the faint hint of nicotine. The heaviest edge that dances in your nose is his own natural musk. It’s all just Calum in your arms. 

“Hey,” he whispers, arms wrapping around your shoulders. 

Calum’s left before. It happens. You’ve always known how to handle the distances that his job sometimes takes him. It could be the constant flux of hormones, or the fatigue that seemed to be settling in deeply at every turn for you. But the embrace you share with Calum sends a wave of emotion through you. The tears sting at first, for just a moment and then the wave breaks the dam. You shake into his chest. 

“It’s okay, baby,” Calum states. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m just glad you’re back. And I’m horny. And I’m hungry,” you answer.

Calum’s chuckle shakes through his chest and yours. “We can tackle all of those, I promise.” He takes half a step back. Tears are slipping down your cheeks but you’re smiling and it gives him a prompt to smile too. His thumbs swipe gently at your cheeks. “I know you’re going to holler at me about taking an actual break, but this weekend, just the two of us are going to take a little drive up the coast okay.”

“The weekend’s like your whole break?” It’s not really, but the weekend would be a third of this break. 

“And I’d always want to spend it with you.” Calum’s palms are warm against your cheek, long fingers almost wrapping around to the back of your head as he cradles your face. 

“This weekend, up the coast?” 

Calum nods. “I promise it’s nothing crazy. Just a little getaway.” Your silence lingers, eyes darting across his face. The tears have slowed. “It’ll take care of one of those issues you listed off earlier.” 

Your laughter falls easily when Calum sends a wink your way. “Will there be time for baby names?”

“Absolutely,” Calum agrees. “I’ve already been thinking of some ideas.”

“I’m so behind on that front.”

“No, you’re doing other things. Like trying to redo the guest room, putting together the registry, thinking about the baby shower. You’ve still got your job too. There’s only so many hours in the day, love.”

You tuck yourself back into Calum’s chest and nod at his statement. You miss his scent. It left the sheets after the third wash. There’s still some shirts and occasionally you dress his pillow in one but it’s not the same. Nothing is better than Calum right here in front of you. His lips are gently against the top of your head. There’s no rush as the two of you remain in the embrace. 

Calum takes it upon himself to fix you and Joy dinner. As he cooks, he takes small breaks to rest a hand on your growing stomach. It’s a reminder--the physical reminder that all the long calls and mornings spent browsing too many parents and baby websites is actually for something. Over the sizzle of the pans and through the laughter of you and Joy, Calum’s sure he’s floating. He’s sure none of it is real and yet, when you walk behind him, your hands brush over his lower back, he’s reminded that it is all real.

Tagging: @carma-fanficaddict @one-sweet-gubler

[hldailyupdate]

LOUIS TOMLINSON WILL be spending most of the upcoming year on the road thanks to an extensive world tour supporting his sophomore studio album Faith in the Future, set for release on Nov. 11. The singer has scheduled dates for the North American leg for next summer, slotting 39 shows ahead of the European stretch of concerts he announced last month.

“Really really excited to finally announce the North America tour,” Tomlinson wrote on Twitter. “These songs were created for these moments and I can’t wait to share them with you!”

The North American portion of the Faith in the Future world tour will begin on May 26 in Uncasville, Connecticut, with a show at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Tomlinson will make stops in Toronto, Cincinnati, Columbus, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Seattle, Berkeley, Las Vegas, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Boston, and more. The tour will conclude on July 29 at Forest Hills Stadium in New York.

Tickets for the North American leg go on sale Friday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. local time.

Tomlinson largely geared the creation of Faith in the Future toward elevating his concerts with high-energy rock anthems, like the previously released singles “Bigger Than Me” and “Out of my System.”

“It was my first moment of excitement making this record, and where it felt we were on to something which honors the live show,” Tomlinson said in a statement about the latter single. “I realized from doing those live shows what it means to my fans and how everything I do is bigger than me. It’s almost a coming of age for myself and putting opinions about myself to the back of my mind and thinking about what it potentially means for other people.”

Rolling Stone on Louis’ upcoming tour. (10 November 2022)

[accidentalharrie]

Craig wrote about Harry and I’m paywalled and also scared. 😭

Oh, don't be scared! I think it's a very fair review - even if I have minor quibbles with it.

The last time Harry Styles released an album, the rollout did not go as planned. One morning, the British singer-songwriter and erstwhile One Direction member was a guest on The Howard Stern Show, where he answered questions about his love life and performed songs off his late-2019 sophomore album, Fine Line. The next, he was on an unplanned break in the States, where an explosion of COVID-19 infections forced businesses and venues to close. Styles wisely canceled a spring 2020 North American tour out of caution; that March, for the first time in a long while, the singer found himself taking inventory of relationships neglected during his tenure in the boy band, which released an album every year between 2011 and 2015 and spent many of the intervening months on the road. It seemed as though Styles would initially maintain a similar pace in his solo career as the spring 2017 release of his self-titled debut dovetailed with the summer rollout of Dunkirk, the Christopher Nolan film in which Harry starred as an Allied soldier in the 1940 Battle of France. COVID broke the cycle of recording, releasing, promoting, and touring; Harry put work on pause and hung out with friends, using the unexpected break in his schedule to be more present in the lives of the people he cares about most.

We’ve heard the next bit a bunch: The music Harry Styles made when he got back into a groove took a profound interest in rest and getting off the grid with loved ones. Stars are just like us: exhausted. New works from radio’s heavy hitters map out their quarantine wellness routines. Escapism is the core theme of Lorde’s Solar Power. Quiet time inspired Taylor Swift’s return to acoustic songs and rustic scenes over folklore and evermore. Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is, among many things, a monument to the peace that logging off the apps can bring. Harry’s House, the third Styles album, follows suit. Its chief concerns are primarily physical, often carnal. Harry’s House is your quintessential spring release, a batch of bubbly, funk-inflected jams celebrating the bodily and emotional pleasures that new romance entails, an account of party nights and delicious eats and late-night heart-to-hearts. Five years into his solo career, the former boy-band star has settled into a precarious public life, sharing certain things while leaving the rest to the imagination. He’s left the door open to the idea that he’s sexually fluid while modeling gender-fluid fashions in concerts and magazine profiles; he’s also making cishet bros jealous while jet-setting with Olivia Wilde. (Performing 1D’s boyfriend pep talk “What Makes You Beautiful” and then backing Shania Twain on “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” at Coachella last month might have been the apex of Styles’s delicate balance of hetero romanticism and signified queerness, if it’s fair to call it that since he avoids labels.) Harry’s House offers a peek at the couple’s unique version of domesticity but doesn’t let us poke around past the foyer.

The record’s chief interests are food, drinks, sex, drugs, travel, and companionship. Opener “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” announces many of these themes in a curt first verse: “Green eyes, fried rice / I could cook an egg on you / Late night, game time / Coffee on the stove, yeah.” The late-album highlight “Keep Driving” feels like zipping through a friend’s camera roll and catching a glimpse of something you may not have intended to see: “Passports in footwells / Kiss her and don’t-tells.” The difficulties of a long-distance relationship are alluded to but not always elaborated on in any great depth. Deep in the lead single “As It Was,” Harry drops a line — “Leave America, two kids follow her” — that can’t be about anything other than dating Wilde, a New York native and mother of two. Elsewhere in the album, Styles keeps the sentiments broad and vague enough to be relatable to literally anyone pining for their significant other. The refrain from the effervescent “Daylight” — “If I was a bluebird / I would fly to you / You’d be the spoon / Dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you” — is just as effective when you’re waiting for someone across town to come home from work as when you’re missing someone who lives in another continent. Tumult stalks the margins of this life as “Keep Driving” cruises past riots in the States, and “As It Was” points to changes in the world it never names. Harry’s House is true to the experience of this decade in the ways it shores itself up from the troubles outside its door and focuses on improving the relationships inside. But the lyrics seem almost deliberately breezy and quaint, blowing by images they don’t expound on like scenery racing past your car during a road trip. Styles’s carefully cultivated coyness keeps us ever at arm’s length.

But it’s this slipperiness that makes Harry’s House a real treat for the ears. Something the album handles incredibly well is recalibrating the sound underneath the singer’s vocals and lyrics. His self-titled solo debut was a big pivot, a hearty embrace of folk and lad rock from a performer who’d always delivered those sounds with a hefty side of pop accessibility. Tracks such as the wounded “Ever Since New York” and the stately “Sign of the Times” repositioned Styles as a student of Mick Jagger and David Bowie, rock stars who stormed the pop charts and challenged conventional masculinity in the ’70s. Some of that classic-rock spirit carried over to Fine Line; “Golden” approximated Fleetwood Mac so neatly that it was no surprise to see Styles joining Stevie Nicks to sing the Tom Petty parts of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” at the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in which she was inducted as a solo artist. (Rock elders love Harry. He’s friends with Nicks and Mick Fleetwood. Jagger paid the singer a hilariously withering compliment this month, saying they’re friends, and he sees a lot of himself in Styles, but adding that he doesn’t think the younger star has nailed all the moves.) But Fine Line was just as interested in radio hits: Situating the poppy “Watermelon Sugar,” “Adore You,” and “Lights Up” early in the track list announced that this wasn’t just another straightforward rock album. Harry’s House strikes a new balance, keeping one foot firmly planted in the pop-rock tradition as the album explores modern sounds in alternative and indie pop, juggling radio fare and intriguing grooves.

The band in residence for Harry’s House is the same one from his first two projects. Multi-instrumentalists Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson are the primary players and producers. Their interplay gives depth to the songs while Styles skirts across the surface. Funk-pop jams such as “Sushi” and “Late Night Talking” serve up quirky sounds and arrangements while the singer lingers in his upper register, signifying a huge crush as much through lilting melodies and soaring falsettos as through any overt proclamations about his feelings. Confections such as “Daylight” and “Grapejuice” take after the saccharine songs Paul McCartney made during the Wings years. Harry’s House feels a bit like McCartney’s Back to the Egg, a wide-ranging collection of ideas that don’t necessarily work all the time but leave you impressed by the ways the players have challenged themselves. You also catch a whiff of guys like Benny Sings and Omar Apollo and Rex Orange County, singer-songwriters whose playfulness as musicians results in albums that skate between styles from one song to the next. Scan the credits to Harry’s House and you’ll spy Dev Hynes playing cello on the exquisite “Matilda,” John Mayer and Ben Harper pitching in guitar lines, and legendary bassist and sometime Mayer sideman Pino Palladino performing limber low end on “Daydreaming,” a flip of a Brothers Johnson song. The rest of Harry’s House goes to the ’80s pop recidivism expected from a big-deal pop star in the era when Justin Bieber and the Kid Laroi’s “Stay,” the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears,” and Coldplay’s “Higher Power” circle the sounds of Kenny Loggins’s “Danger Zone” and A-ha’s “Take on Me.”

The mix of ’70s rock, ’80s New Wave, ’90s folk, and 21st-century bedroom pop feels inspired if imperfect. It seems as though Styles is still working out how to be himself, where his art needs to go, and how much to tell us about the life he leads outside it. Harry’s House gives us flashes of that world but also tries to make it as relatable as an album of songs about dropping everything to fly around the planet and hang out with TV and movie star Olivia Wilde could possibly be — though the way the lyrics achieve this is often to lean heavily into cliché: “It’s not the same as it was,” “’Cause baby, loving you’s the real thing,” “Baby, you were the love of my life, whoa,” “I can’t get you off my mind.” “Matilda” makes these lines feel slight, reminding us of the sensitive depth he’s capable of. The song — which offers a darker, more adult spin on the reassuring message of “What Makes You Beautiful” as Styles tells someone who’s been through a lot in the past that it’s fine to cut toxic people out of the picture — has a weight to it that Harry’s House is frustratingly uninterested in. (To be fair, though, “Matilda” fits neatly into the larger story: Home is wherever you make it and whomever you make it with.) When this album bucks cliché, it is delightfully wild. The drug references — “cocaine, side boob” — suggest there’s a lot we’re not being told, but they’re strewn about like everything else, a stream of images not unlike a savvy tastemaker’s Instagram account. We can use that, though. Every album doesn’t have to talk about coping mechanisms and therapy and mass death and political disorder. It’s warm out, and a rubbery bass line in a carefree bop has its place.

[louisupdates]

Giant Rooks with superstar from One Direction on tour

WA.DE

By: Markus Hanneken

Created: 25.04.2023 | Updated: 04/25/2023, 10:39 am

[Translated from German]

Hammer upgrade for the Giant Rooks in the USA: In addition to their own performances, the band will play there in the supporting program of Louis Tomlinson. Like superstar Harry Styles, the singer of One Direction has long been successful solo.

Hamm/Berlin - With understandable enthusiasm, the Giant Rooks have announced the next career coup: The musicians from Hamm will open nine concerts of Louis Tomlinson's US tour in July 2023. If that doesn't tell you anything: Tomlinson is one of the five members of the former British hit band One Direction. Others are Liam Payne and Harry Styles, who now fills entire stadiums with his own music.

For the German quintet, the shows with Tomlinson will be by far the largest they have played in North America so far. The locations can accommodate up to 13,000 visitors. In Germany, too, Tomlinson will play in the largest concert halls this year.

Giant Rooks on tour: Concerts postponed

Due to the support tour, however, some of the booked own performances had to be postponed, two fall completely into the water. Special feature in Boston: The Giant Rooks now play there on the 24th, 25th and 26th. July three times in a row: twice with Tomlinson and once alone.

It was not until the end of March that it became known that the Giant Rooks will also perform at the huge cult festival Lollapalooza in Chicago during their North American tour. In the run-up to the release of the new album, in the hometown of Hamm on the 16th. May, a club concert on the schedule.

All previous appearances of the Giant Rooks in Hamm:

21. April 2014: Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gymnasium, festival "Rock against right"

12. September 2014: Radbod Cultural District, Open Day/Summer Festival

7. February 2015: Maxipark, workshop hall (support from "Bubasack")

2. August 2015: Maxipark, Nabu Anniversary Festival

11. September 2015: Kubus Youth Center (Festival)

18. September 2015: Hoppegarden

24. June 2017: Creative quarter Heinrich Robert (as part of the "extra shift")

25. February 2017: Maxipark, workshop hall

9. March 2019: Maxipark, Festhalle

[wrestlingisfake]

Forbidden Context

Lost in all the hoopla over the Forbidden Door pay-per-view is that there are probably many AEW fans who don't understand what all the fuss is about. I think people like me, that were already New Japan fans before AEW launched, can easily lose sight of that. So I figured I'd offer some backstory.

AEW might not even exist if not for the 2014 partnership between Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Over the next five years, the two companies co-promoted shows and exchanged talent. ROH benefited from the influx of world-class talent, and New Japan gained exposure in the North American market. In particular, NJPW's Bullet Club faction really hit it off with Western audiences. By the end of 2016, Bullet Club had a full-time presence in the US, with the Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Hangman Page, and Cody Rhodes all under contract with ROH.

The success of the NJPW/ROH alliance led to the idea of running bigger shows in the US. However, ROH seemed content to stay small, and NJPW was slow to begin touring the US on its own. In 2018, Cody and the Bucks took the initiative and promoted their own show, All In. NJPW and ROH contributed to the show, but the three wrestlers assumed the financial risk of booking a 10,000-seat venue. The instant sellout of All In attracted Tony Khan's attention, and also inspired NJPW and ROH to announce their own official supershow, G1 Supercard, scheduled for April 2019.

By January 2019, it became clear that Kenny Omega, the Bucks, Cody, and Page were in talks with Tony Khan to launch AEW. Although their contractual obligations were completed, the AEW side hoped to continue working with both NJPW and ROH as an expansion of the existing alliance. Fans generally assumed that would be the case, and hoped to see any and all of their favorite NJPW performers on AEW.

But New Japan officials were skeptical that AEW would succeed. With G1 Supercard already locked in, NJPW doubled down on its commitment to ROH, and gave AEW the cold shoulder. Relations between New Japan and AEW were very strained throughout 2019. Unfortunately, the NJPW-ROH relationship also suffered after G1 Supercard. With their hottest acts leaving for AEW or staying in NJPW, ROH fell into a steep decline.

Nevertheless, Chris Jericho had separate contracts with both AEW, where he won their men's world title in November 2019, and NJPW, where he was booked to face Hiroshi Tanahashi in January 2020. On December 23, 2019, Tanahashi remarked that if he beat the AEW champion then "the forbidden door" (禁断の扉, kindan no tobira) would be opened between the two companies. Jericho secured Khan's permission to incorporate that remark into the storyline, and referenced "the forbidden portal" in a promo. Tanahashi lost to Jericho, dashing hopes of more NJPW-AEW interactions. But the forbidden door took on a life of its own in fantasy booking and various interpromotional crossovers.

Jon Moxley also has separate AEW and NJPW contracts, which created a tough situation in 2020. The pandemic prevented him from defending New Japan's US title in Japan, and his AEW deal prevented him from appearing on a US-based NJPW show. The two sides finally came to terms for a Jon Moxley vs. KENTA feud in February 2021, with a tag team match on AEW Dynamite and a title bout on NJPW Strong.

Throughout 2021, we've seen a handful of New Japan wrestlers appear on AEW programming, and we've seen a handful of AEW wrestlers show up on NJPW Strong. But the question remained, when would we get a full-scale AEW-NJPW crossover featuring all the top guys from both rosters? And not just the US-based New Japan guys, but the real tippy-toppy guys in Japan! Fans wanted the spectacle of Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi coming to America, like back in NJPW/ROH days, but on the grander scale AEW could provide. And now, at last, we have a date and a location.

If you're a new fan who wasn't around for all that history, the Forbidden Door show may not sound like a big deal. But for everybody that lived through it, it's taken seven years to get to this point. We've made it through WWE trying to sign up all the best NJPW/ROH talent for NXT. Through the bad blood between AEW and New Japan. Through the visa restrictions that wrecked New Japan's US shows in early 2020. Through the Wednesday Night Wars, and WWE's attempts to form an exclusive partnership with New Japan. Through the death (and rebirth?) of ROH. Through (most of) the global pandemic. It's finally happening, and it's been a long time coming.

[twentythousandvolts]

Skrillex From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Skrillex Skrillex in 2011 Skrillex in 2011 Background information Birth name Sonny John Moore Born January 15, 1988 (age 33) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Genres EDM[1]brostep[2]dubstepelectro houseEDM trap moombahtonpost-hardcore Occupation(s) DJrecord producermusiciansingersongwriter Years active 2004–present Labels AtlanticBig BeatOWSLAAsylummau5trapSumerian Associated acts From First to LastJack ÜDiploDog BloodBoys NoizeForeign BeggarsEllie GouldingHikaru UtadaZedddeadmau5IncubusJustin BieberPoo BearTHEY. Website skrillex.com Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer and songwriter. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and in Northern California, he joined the American post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead singer in 2004, and recorded two studio albums with the band (Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count, 2004, and Heroine, 2006) before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007.[3][4] He began his first tour as a solo artist in late 2007. After recruiting a new band lineup, Moore joined the Alternative Press Tour to support bands such as All Time Low and The Rocket Summer, and appeared on the cover of Alternative Press' annual "100 Bands You Need to Know" issue.[5]

After releasing the Gypsyhook EP in 2009, Moore was scheduled to record his debut studio album, Bells, with producer Noah Shain. He ceased production of the album, however, and began performing under the name Skrillex, distributing the My Name Is Skrillex EP for free download on his official MySpace page. Subsequently, he released the Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites EP in late–2010 and More Monsters and Sprites EP in mid–2011, both of which have since become moderate commercial successes. On November 30, 2011, he received five Grammy Award nominations at the 54th Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and won three: "Best Dance/Electronica Album", "Best Dance Recording", and "Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical".[6] On December 5, 2011, the BBC announced that he had been nominated for their Sound of 2012 poll.[7] On December 12, 2011, he was also named MTV's Electronic Dance Music Artist of the Year.[8]

Skrillex has won eight Grammy Awards, more than any other electronic dance music artist.[9] Skrillex has collaborated with Diplo and Boys Noize to form the groups of Jack Ü and Dog Blood respectively. It was announced on Moore's 29th birthday, he reunited with From First to Last and released a single named "Make War". In 2017, Skrillex produced and mixed 8, the eighth studio album by rock band Incubus.[10] In July 2017, Skrillex released another single featuring debuting solo artist Poo Bear.[11]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 From First to Last 2.2 Dog Blood 2.3 Jack Ü 2.4 2004–2007: From First to Last 2.5 2008–2013: Solo career and extended plays 2.6 2014: Recess 2.7 2016–present: Collaborations and return to From First to Last 3 Influences 4 Personal life 5 Discography 6 Filmography 7 Awards and nominations 7.1 Grammy Awards 7.2 Kids Choice Awards 7.3 MTV Video Music Awards 7.4 Annie Awards 7.5 DJ Magazine top 100 DJs 7.6 Electronic Music Awards 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Early life Moore lived in the Highland Park neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles,[12][13] but was brought to the Forest Hill neighborhood of San Francisco at the age of 2, where he attended elementary school. At the ages of 9 and 10, Moore attended a boarding school in the Mojave Desert LV, but eventually moved back to Northern California. Both of his parents were Scientologists.[14][15] He was adopted at birth by family friends of his biological parents and did not find this out until he was 15.[16] By the time he was 12,[citation needed] his family moved back to his birthplace of Northeast Los Angeles. There he enrolled in a private academy school specializing in arts, the school used some of L. Ron Hubbard's teachings.[17] Later he was home schooled at the age of 14 due to bullying. In 2004, he learned he was adopted[18] and dropped out of the program when he was 16.[19][20] While a young teenager in Los Angeles, Moore would attend punk gigs in Mexican American neighborhoods in East and South Los Angeles, and later at electro club raves in the downtown's Silver Lake and Echo Park neighborhoods.[21][22]

Career From First to Last

Skrillex's logo Main article: From First to Last From First to Last is an American post-hardcore band based in Los Angeles Area and Tampa, Florida. The band is composed of lead vocalist Moore, lead guitarist Matt Good, rhythm guitarist Travis Richter, bassist Matt Manning, and drummer Derek Bloom.[citation needed]

Dog Blood Main article: Dog Blood Dog Blood, a side project by Skrillex and Boys Noize, was formed in 2012. Their debut single, consisting of the songs "Next Order" and "Middle Finger", was released on August 12, 2012, on Beatport and iTunes. The song "Next Order" managed to top Beatport's Techno chart.[citation needed]

Jack Ü Main article: Jack Ü Jack Ü is a duo made up of Skrillex and Diplo. Jack Ü's debut performance took place at the Mad Decent Block Party in San Diego on September 15, 2013, which is a nationwide tour that record label Mad Decent puts together to showcase different artists signed to the label.[23] Diplo announced the project by releasing the Mad Decent Block Party lineup with Jack Ü playing at multiple stops on the tour. After some guessing by many of who Jack Ü was, Diplo finally came out to reveal that "Jack Ü ... means Skrillex and Diplo together".[23]

2004–2007: From First to Last

Sonny Moore in 2008 In 2004, Moore contacted Matt Good of From First to Last about playing guitar for the band on their debut album. After flying out to Georgia, Moore was heard singing by three studio producers, Derrick Thomas, Eric Dale, and McHale Butler, and was then made lead singer, with Good playing guitar. In June 2004, Epitaph Records released the band's first full-length record with their new bandmate, Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count. After performing on several successful tours, two being the Vans Warped Tour and Dead by Dawn tour, they began recording their second album, Heroine with producer Ross Robinson. The album was released in March 2006 on Epitaph. With high record sales once again, the band found themselves part of many successful tours, until Moore started suffering vocal problems, causing the band to resign from several tours. After going through a successful vocal surgical procedure, Moore informed the band he would be permanently resigning to work on a solo career. FFTL's last show performed with Moore was in their hometown of Orlando at The House of Blues while touring with Atreyu.

Moore announced he had left From First to Last to pursue a solo career. He then launched a Myspace page displaying three demos ("Signal", "Equinox", and "Glow Worm"). This led to Moore's first performance since his leaving From First to Last. On April 7, 2007, alongside harpist Carol Robbins, Moore played several original songs at a local art building. After months of releasing demos via Myspace, Moore played on the Team Sleep Tour with a full band. The tour also featured supporting acts Monster in the Machine and Strata. Moore made several demo CDs available on this tour, limited to about 30 per show. These CDs were tour exclusive and were packaged in "baby blue envelopes", each with a unique drawing by Moore or bandmate.[24]

2008–2013: Solo career and extended plays

Skrillex in 2012 In February 2008, Alternative Press Magazine announced the second annual AP Tour, with All Time Low, The Rocket Summer, The Matches, and Forever the Sickest Kids, as well as Sonny Moore. The tour started in Houston, Texas on March 14 and went through North America, ending in Cleveland, Ohio on May 2, with the majority of the shows being sold out. All bands playing the tour would be featured on the cover of Alternative Press Magazine's annual 100 Bands You Need to Know special, and would be interviewed on the Alternative Press Podcast. During this tour, Moore's line-up consisted of Sean Friday on drums, Christopher Null on guitar, and Aaron Rothe on keyboards. On April 7, 2009, he released Gypsyhook, a digital EP, which featured three songs and four remixes. Also included was "海水" ("Kaisui"), a Japanese version of "Mora". Physical copies of the EP were available at his shows. After going on tour with Innerpartysystem and Paper Route and opening for Chiodos on their European tour, Moore performed at Bamboozle on May 2. He performed on Bamboozle Left's Saints and Sinners stage on April 4. He toured with Hollywood Undead in April 2009 performing under the band name Sonny and the Blood Monkeys, with Chris Null (electric guitar), Sean Friday (drums, percussion, and beats) and Aaron Rothe (keyboards, synthesizers, programming, and turntables). Moore has stated that the album Bells will not be released.[25]

In 2008, Moore began producing and performing under the alias Skrillex at clubs in the Los Angeles area.[26] The name, according to Moore, has no meaning and was "a stupid old online AOL screen name".[27] Previously, he had been known on the Internet as Twipz.[28] On June 7, 2010, Moore released his official Skrillex debut EP, My Name Is Skrillex as a free download.[29] Moore provided programming and vocals for UK metalcore band Bring Me the Horizon on their third studio album, There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret.[30] Later in the year, Sonny began a nationwide tour with deadmau5 after being signed to mau5trap recordings and released his second EP, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.

(L to R:) Porter Robinson, Zedd, and Skrillex performing at SXSW on March 16, 2012 Moore kicked off the "Project Blue Book Tour" in 2011 with support from Porter Robinson, Tommy Lee and DJ Aero as well as appearances from Sofia Toufa for a new song, "Bring Out the Devil". Skrillex unveiled several new songs on this tour including "First of the Year" (formerly known as "Equinox"), "Reptile", and "Cinema" (remix of a Benny Benassi track). "Reptile" was featured in the TV commercial for Mortal Kombat 9, and "First of the Year (Equinox)" is featured on More Monsters and Sprites, his follow-up EP and remix companion to Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. In April 2011, Spin premiered "Get Up", an exclusive new track from Korn that was produced by Skrillex. Korn made the track available for free download via their Facebook page.[31] On April 15, 2011, KoRn joined Skrillex on stage for his set at Coachella 2011. On April 18, 2011, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEA) development studio Naughty Dog released a trailer[32] for the multiplayer component of their PlayStation 3 game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, featuring "Kill EVERYBODY" from Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.

In June 2011, "More Monsters and Sprites" was released on Beatport, an EP consisting of three original tracks, including "First of the Year (Equinox)" and two versions of his original track "Ruffneck". The track "Ruffneck Bass" had been leaked on the internet months prior which used the same sample as in the new "Ruffneck" tracks on the EP. Skrillex released a music video for "Rock n' Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)" on his official YouTube page on June 20, 2011.[33] On August 17, 2011 Skrillex announced his label, OWSLA.[34]

Skrillex performing live at the 2011 Ottawa Bluesfest "The label's first releases will come from Bristol-based dubstep producers KOAN Sound, electro-house newcomer Porter Robinson from North Carolina, singer-songwriter Alvin Risk, and San Francisco-based M Machine (formally Metropolis)."[35] Skrillex released a music video for "First of the Year (Equinox)" via Spin.com on August 19, 2011. In late August 2011 it was released that he would be appearing Knife Party's first release, collaborating on "Zoology", a Moombahton style track. A preview was released on YouTube. In late September 2011 he created the track "Syndicate" as promotion for the video game of the same name. Kaskade's 2011 album Fire & Ice features "Lick It", a collaboration between Kaskade and Skrillex. The video for Skrillex's song "First of the Year (Equinox)" appears on the first episode of the Beavis and Butt-head revival.

On November 8, Skrillex stated that he intended to release an album, Voltage. Skrillex gave fans more info about Voltage in RockSound Magazine after a photoshoot for the cover and doing an extensive interview on his tour.[36] For unknown reasons, however, the album was never released, however on December 21, 2011, Skrillex unveiled the Bangarang EP for a Beatport release on December 23, then on August 12, 2012, his new side-project formed with Boys Noize called Dog Blood released an EP called Next Order/Middle Finger. On November 6, 2012, Skrillex released a limited edition triple vinyl box set.[37] Skrillex composed the song "Bug Hunt" for the 2012 animated film Wreck-It Ralph, as well as making a brief cameo as a DJ in the film's first act, and in December 2012, "Make It Bun Dem" is used in as a looped variant during the single-player mission 'Kick the Hornets Nest' in the video game Far Cry 3. He composed the score for Spring Breakers with Cliff Martinez.

2014: Recess Skrillex confirmed at a show in January 2013 that he would release a new LP in the summer.[38] On January 2, 2013, Skrillex released his 7th EP, Leaving, on the OWSLA subscription service, Nest IV.[39] He later released the single "Try It Out" with Alvin Risk.

On March 7, 2014, an App titled "Alien Ride" was put up on Apple's App Store which contained a secret folder with 11 hidden objects and a countdown ending March 10 at 6:30EST. Moore's website was updated with the App's picture on the front page and it was later revealed the folder contains Google Play and iTunes url's which eventually were revealed to be 11 new songs available to stream that comprised his debut LP, titled Recess. The album was made available for pre-order at midnight and was released on March 18, 2014.

2016–present: Collaborations and return to From First to Last Skrillex was getting into the K-pop industry by collaborating with the girl group 4Minute. On January 25, 2016, Cube Entertainment released the tracklist and individual teaser images for the members. The first track, "Hate", was composed and arranged by Skrillex.[40]

On January 15, 2017, Moore tweeted "Happy Birthday" with a link to a new From First to Last song which featured Moore on vocals.[41] He later joined the band in Emo Nite LA for the first time in nearly a decade.[42] In 2017, he released the songs "Chicken Soup" with Habstrakt, "Would You Ever" with Poo Bear, "Saint Laurent" with DJ Sliink and Wale and "Favor" with Vindata and NSTASIA.

In July 2018, Skrillex teased fans by collaborating with Missy Elliott on a snippet nicknamed "ID", a release date for the single has yet to be announced.[43]

On October 8, 2018, Skrillex uploaded a photo to Twitter showcasing a collaboration between him and English DJ and producer Joyryde, later posting a video teaser of the song to Instagram.[44][45] The collaboration, "Agen Wida", was officially released on October 19, 2018.[46][47] On October 24, 2018 on Instagram, he previewed the song "Arms Around You", a collaboration featuring XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, Maluma and Swae Lee. The full single was released on October 25, 2018.[48]

Skrillex, Poo Bear, and Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada collaborated on "Face My Fears", an opening song for the video game Kingdom Hearts III. The single was released on January 18, 2019.[49][50]

On July 18, 2019, Skrillex released a two-track EP, Show Tracks, consisting of "Fuji Opener" featuring Alvin Risk and "Mumbai Power" featuring rapper Beam.[51][52]

Influences Moore has cited Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails[53] and the Doors[54] as early influences. Moore stated in an online interview that he is a longtime fan of Warp, a label whose roster includes notable electronic artists such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher.[55] In an interview for Daft Punk Unchained, a 2015 documentary about the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, Moore said he was first exposed to electronic dance music after attending the duo's highly praised 2006 Coachella set.

Personal life In a 2015 interview, Moore stated that although his parents practiced Scientology, he does not. He explained that music consumes most of the time he could theoretically devote to religion.[14] His mother died in June 2015.[15]

Discography Main article: Skrillex discography Studio albums Recess (2014) Filmography Let's Make a Spaceship (2014) Moore partnered up with Red Bull to produce a documentary titled "Let's Make a Spaceship". It premiered on October 11, 2014, at 10 p.m. CT at the ACL Festival after his headline performance.[56] His performance and documentary, and others' performances are available for stream at Red Bull TV's website.[57]

Awards and nominations Grammy Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2012[58] Himself Best New Artist Nominated "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" Best Dance Recording Won Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites Best Dance/Electronica Album Won Benny Benassi featuring Gary Go – "Cinema (Skrillex Remix)" Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Won "First of the Year (Equinox)" Best Short Form Music Video Nominated 2013[59] "Bangarang" Best Dance Recording Won Bangarang Best Dance/Electronica Album Won Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix) Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Won 2016[60] "Where Are Ü Now" (with Diplo and Justin Bieber) Best Dance Recording Won Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü (with Diplo) Best Dance/Electronic Album Won 2017[61] Purpose (as a featured artist, producer & engineer) Album of the Year Nominated "Purple Lamborghini" (with Rick Ross & Beat Billionaire) Best Song Written for Visual Media Nominated 2019[62] "Midnight Hour" (with Ty Dolla Sign & Boys Noize) Best Dance Recording Nominated Kids Choice Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2017 Himself Favorite DJ/EDM Artist[63] Nominated MTV Video Music Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2012 "First of the Year (Equinox)" Best Electronic Dance Music Video[64] Nominated Best Visual Effects[65] Won 2013 "Breakn' a Sweat" Best Visual Effects[66] Nominated 2015[67] "Where Are Ü Now" (with Diplo featuring Justin Bieber) Best Visual Effects Won Best Art Direction Nominated Best Editing Nominated Song Of The Summer[68] Nominated Annie Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2013 Wreck-It Ralph Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production[69] Won DJ Magazine top 100 DJs Year Position Notes Ref. 2011 19 New Entry [70] 2012 10 Up 9 2013 11 Down 1 2014 9 Up 2 2015 9 No Change 2016 9 No Change 2017 16 Down 7 2018 21 Down 5 2019 21 No Change 2020 15 Up 6 Electronic Music Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2017 "Purple Lamborghini" (with Rick Ross) Single of the Year[71] Nominated See also List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists

[hlupdate]

Variety’s Grammy-nominated Hitmaker of the Year goes deep on the music industry, the great pause and finding his own muses.

“We’ll dance again,” Harry Styles coos, the Los Angeles sunshine peeking through his pandemic-shaggy hair just so. The singer, songwriter and actor — beloved and critically acclaimed thanks to his life-affirming year-old album, “Fine Line” — is lamenting that his Variety Hitmaker of the Year cover conversation has to be conducted over Zoom rather than in person. Even via videoconference, the Brit is effortlessly charming, as anyone who’s come within earshot of him would attest, but it quickly becomes clear that beneath that genial smile is a well-honed media strategy.

To wit: In an interview that appears a few days later announcing his investment in a new arena in his native Manchester (more on that in a bit), he repeats the refrain — “There will be a time we dance again”— referencing a much-needed return to live music and the promise of some 4,000 jobs for residents.

None of which is to suggest that Styles, 26, phones it in for interviews. Quite the opposite: He does very few, conceivably to give more of himself and not cheapen what is out there and also to use the publicity opportunity to indulge his other interests, like fashion. (Last month Styles became the first male to grace the cover of Vogue solo.) Still, it stings a little that a waltz with the former One Direction member may not come to pass on this album cycle — curse you, coronavirus.

Styles’ isolation has coincided with his maturation as an artist, a thespian and a person. With “Fine Line,” he’s proved himself a skilled lyricist with a tremendous ear for harmony and melody. In preparing for his role in Olivia Wilde’s period thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” which is shooting outside Palm Springs, he found an outlet for expression in interpreting words on a page. And for the first time, he’s using his megaphone to speak out about social justice — inspired by the outpouring of support for Black people around the world following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.

Styles has spent much of the past nine months at home in London, where life has slowed considerably. The time has allowed him to ponder such heady issues as his purpose on the earth. “It’s been a pause that I don’t know if I would have otherwise taken,” says Styles. “I think it’s been pretty good for me to have a kind of stop, to look and think about what it actually means to be an artist, what it means to do what we do and why we do it. I lean into moments like this — moments of uncertainty.”

In truth, while Styles has largely been keeping a low profile — his Love On Tour, due to kick off on April 15, was postponed in late March and is now scheduled to launch in February 2021 (whether it actually will remains to be seen) — his music has not. This is especially true in the U.S., where he’s notched two hit singles, “Adore You,” the second-most-played song at radio in 2020, and “Watermelon Sugar” (No. 22 on Variety’s year-end Hitmakers chart), with a third, “Golden,” already cresting the top 20 on the pop format. The massive cross-platform success of these songs means Styles has finally and decisively broken into the American market, maneuvering its web of gatekeepers to accumulate 6.2 million consumption units and rising.

Why do these particular songs resonate in 2020? Styles doesn’t have the faintest idea. While he acknowledges a “nursery rhyme” feel to “Watermelon Sugar” with its earwormy loop of a chorus, that’s about as much insight as he can offer. His longtime collaborator and friend Tom Hull, also known as the producer Kid Harpoon, offers this take: “There’s a lot of amazing things about that song, but what really stands out is the lyric. It’s not trying to hide or be clever. The simplicity of watermelon … there’s such a joy in it, [which] is a massive part of that song’s success.” Also, his kids love it. “I’ve never had a song connect with children in this way,” says Hull, whose credits include tunes by Shawn Mendes, Florence and the Machine and Calvin Harris. “I get sent videos all the time from friends of their kids singing. I have a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old, and they listen to it.”

Styles is quick to note that he doesn’t chase pop appeal when crafting songs. In fact, the times when he pondered or approved a purposeful tweak, like on his self-titled 2017 debut, still gnaw at him. “I love that album so much because it represents such a time in my life, but when I listen to it — sonically and lyrically, especially — I can hear places where I was playing it safe,” he says. “I was scared to get it wrong.”

Contemporary effects and on-trend beats hardly factor into Styles’ decision-making. He likes to focus on feelings — his own and his followers’ — and see himself on the other side of the velvet rope, an important distinction in his view. “People within [the industry] feel like they operate on a higher level of listening, and I like to make music from the point of being a fan of music,” Styles says. “Fans are the best A&R.”

This from someone who’s had free rein to pursue every musical whim, and hand in the album of his dreams in the form of “Fine Line.” Chart success makes it all the sweeter, but Styles insists that writing “for the right reasons” supersedes any commercial considerations. “There’s no part that feels, eh, icky — like it was made in the lab,” he says.

Styles has experience in this realm. As a graduate of the U.K. competition series “The X Factor,” where he and four other auditionees — Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson — were singled out by show creator and star judge Simon Cowell to conjoin as One Direction, he’s seen how the prefab pop machine works up close. The One Direction oeuvre, which counts some 42 million albums sold worldwide, includes songs written with such established hitmakers as Ryan Tedder, Savan Kotecha and Teddy Geiger. Being a studious, insatiable observer, Styles took it all in.

“I learned so much,” he says of the experience. “When we were in the band, I used to try and write with as many different people as I could. I wanted to practice — and I wrote a lot of bad shit.”

His bandmates also benefited from the pop star boot camp. The proof is in the relatively seamless solo transitions of at least three of its members — Payne, Malik and Horan in addition to Styles — each of whom has landed hit singles on charts in the U.K., the U.S. and beyond.

This departs from the typical trajectories of boy bands including New Kids on the Block and ’N Sync, which have all pro ered a star frontman. The thinking for decades was that a record company would be lucky to have one breakout solo career among the bunch.

Styles has plainly thought about this.

“When you look at the history of people coming out of bands and starting solo careers, they feel this need to apologize for being in the band. ‘Don’t worry, everyone, that wasn’t me! Now I get to do what I really want to do.’ But we loved being in the band,” he says. “I think there’s a wont to pit people against each other. And I think it’s never been about that for us. It’s about a next step in evolution. The fact that we’ve all achieved different things outside of the band says a lot about how hard we worked in it.”

Indeed, during the five-ish years that One Direction existed, Styles’ schedule involved the sort of nonstop international jet-setting that few get to see in a lifetime, never mind their teenage years. Between 2011 and 2015, One Direction’s tours pulled in north of $631 million in gross ticket sales, according to concert trade Pollstar, and the band was selling out stadiums worldwide by the time it entered its extended hiatus. Styles, too, had built up to playing arenas as a solo artist, engaging audiences with his colorful stage wear and banter and left-of-center choices for opening acts (a pre-Grammy-haul Kacey Musgraves in 2018; indie darlings King Princess and Jenny Lewis for his rescheduled 2021 run).

Stages of all sizes feel like home to Styles. He grew up in a suburb of Manchester, ground zero for some of the biggest British acts of the 1980s and ’90s, including Joy Division, New Order, the Smiths and Oasis, the latter of which broke the same year Styles was born. His parents were also music lovers. Styles’ father fed him a balanced diet of the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and Queen, while Mum was a fan of Shania Twain, Norah Jones and Savage Garden. “They’re all great melody writers,” says Styles of the acts’ musical throughline.

Stevie Nicks, who in the past has described “Fine Line” as Styles’ “Rumours,” referencing the Fleetwood Mac 1977 classic, sees him as a kindred spirit. “Harry writes and sings his songs about real experiences that seemingly happened yesterday,” she tells Variety. “He taps into real life. He doesn’t make up stories. He tells the truth, and that is what I do. ‘Fine Line’ has been my favorite record since it came out. It is his ‘Rumours.’ I told him that in a note on December 13, 2019 before he went on stage to play the ‘Fine Line’ album at the Forum. We cried. He sang those songs like he had sung them a thousand times. That’s a great songwriter and a great performer.”

“Harry’s playing and writing is instinctual,” adds Jonathan Wilson, a friend and peer who’s advised Styles on backing and session musicians. “He understands history and where to take the torch. You can see the thread of great British performers — from Bolan to Bowie — in his music.”

Also shaping his musical DNA was Manchester itself, the site of a 23,500-seat arena, dubbed Co-op Live, for which Styles is an investor and adviser. Oak View Group, a company specializing in live entertainment and global sports that was founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015 (Jeffrey Azoff, Irving’s son, represents Styles at Full Stop Management), is leading the effort to construct the venue. The project gained planning approval in September and is set to open in 2023, with its arrival representing a £350 million ($455 million) investment in the city. (Worth noting: Manchester is already home to an arena — the site of a 2017 bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert — and a football stadium, where One Love Manchester, an all-star benefit show to raise money for victims of the terrorist attack, took place.)

“I went to my first shows in Manchester,” Styles says of concerts paid for with money earned delivering newspapers for a supermarket called the Co-op. “My friends and I would go in on weekends. There’s so many amazing small venues, and music is such a massive part of the city. I think Manchester deserves it. It feels like a full-circle, coming-home thing to be doing this and to be able to give any kind of input. I’m incredibly proud. Hopefully they’ll let me play there at some point.”

Though Styles has owned properties in Los Angeles, his base for the foreseeable future is London. “I feel like my relationship with L.A. has changed a lot,” he explains. “I’ve kind of accepted that I don’t have to live here anymore; for a while I felt like I was supposed to. Like it meant things were going well. This happened, then you move to L.A.! But I don’t really want to.”

Is it any wonder? Between COVID and the turmoil in the U.S. spurred by the presidential election, Styles, like some 79 million American voters, is recovering from sticker shock over the bill of goods sold to them by the concept of democracy. “In general, as people, there’s a lack of empathy,” he observes. “We found this place that’s so divisive. We just don’t listen to each other anymore. And that’s quite scary.”

That belief prompted Styles to speak out publicly in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As protests in support of Black Lives Matter took to streets all over the world, for Styles, it triggered a period of introspection, as marked by an Instagram message (liked by 2.7 million users and counting) in which he declared: “I do things every day without fear, because I am privileged, and I am privileged every day because I am white. … Being not racist is not enough, we must be anti racist. Social change is enacted when a society mobilizes. I stand in solidarity with all of those protesting. I’m donating to help post bail for arrested organizers. Look inwards, educate yourself and others. LISTEN, READ, SHARE, DONATE and VOTE. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

“Talking about race can be really uncomfortable for everyone,” Styles elaborates. “I had a realization that my own comfort in the conversation has nothing to do with the problem — like that’s not enough of a reason to not have a conversation. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve been outspoken enough in the past. Using that feeling has pushed me forward to being open and ready to learn. … How can I ensure from my side that in 20 years, the right things are still being done and the right people are getting the right opportunities? That it’s not a passing thing?”

His own record company — and corporate parent Sony Music Group, whose chairman, Rob Stringer, signed Styles in 2016 — has been grappling with these same questions as the industry has faced its own reckoning with race. At issue: inequality among the upper ranks (an oft-cited statistic: popular music is 80% Black, but the music business is 80% white); contracts rooted in a decades-old system that many say is set up to take advantage of artists, Black artists more unfairly than white; and the call for a return of master rights, an ownership model that is at the core of the business.

Styles acknowledges the fundamental imbalance in how a major label deal is structured — the record company takes on the financial risk while the artist is made to recoup money spent on the project before the act is considered profitable and earning royalties (typically at a 15% to 18% rate for the artist, while the label keeps and disburses the rest). “Historically, I can’t think of any industry that’s benefited more off of Black culture than music,” he says. “There are discussions that need to happen about this long history of not being paid fairly. It’s a time for listening, and hopefully, people will come out humbled, educated and willing to learn and change.”

By all accounts, Styles is a voracious reader, a movie lover and an aesthete. He stays in shape by adhering to a strict daily exercise routine. “I tried to keep up but didn’t last more than two weeks,” says Hull, Styles’ producer, with a laugh. “The discipline is terrifying.”

Of course, with the fashion world beckoning — Styles recently appeared in a film series for Gucci’s new collection that was co-directed by the fashion house’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, and Oscar winner Gus Van Sant — and a movie that’s set in the 1950s, maintaining that physique is part of the job. And he’s no stranger to visual continuity after appearing in Christopher Nolan’s epic “Dunkirk” and having to return to set for reshoots; his hair, which needed to be cut back to its circa 1940 form, is a constant topic of conversation among fans. This time, it’s the ink that poses a challenge. By Styles’ tally, he’s up to 60 tattoos, which require an hour in the makeup chair to cover up. “It’s the only time I really regret getting tattooed,” he says.

He shows no regret, however, when it comes to stylistic choices overall, and takes pride in his gender-agnostic portfolio, which includes wearing a Gucci dress on that Vogue cover— an image that incited conservative pundit Candace Owens to plead publicly to “bring back manly men.” In Styles’ view: “To not wear [something] because it’s females’ clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes. And I think what’s exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn’t have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred.”

But acclaim, if you can believe it, is not top of mind for Styles. As far as the Grammys are concerned, Styles shrugs, “It’s never why I do anything.” His team and longtime label, however, had their hearts set on a showing at the Jan. 31 ceremony. Their investment in Styles has been substantial — not just monetarily but in carefully crafting his career in the wake of such icons as David Bowie, who released his final albums with the label. Hope at the company and in many fans’ hearts that Styles would receive an album of the year nomination did not come to pass. However, he was recognized in three categories, including best pop vocal album.

“It’s always nice to know that people like what you’re doing, but ultimately — and especially working in a subjective field — I don’t put too much weight on that stuff,” Styles says. “I think it’s important when making any kind of art to remove the ego from it.” Citing the painter Matisse, he adds: “It’s about the work that you do when you’re not expecting any applause.”

[tessandscottforever18]

How Camila Cabello Advocates for the Planet and People Everywhere

When you think of Camila Cabello, you likely think of the confident pop star who holds the world at her fingertips. After all, she’s a powerhouse in the global music scene, snapping up music awards for dance hits like “Havana” and “Señorita” year after year.

But focus only on her music career and you may miss out on Cabello’s personal side, the one you can glimpse not only in the cute videos she and boyfriend Shawn Mendes share on social media, but also when she uses her platform to speak out on global issues, encouraging others to take action for the good of the world.

At the beginning of 2020, for example, Cabello was gearing up for her Romance Tour — scheduled to take place in countries throughout Europe and North America in support of her second studio album, Romance. But as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, Cabello canceled the tour.

"We can't start rehearsals without putting people at risk and with so much up in the air with no real and definitive end in sight, I feel this is the responsible thing to do," she wrote in an Instagram post.

Instead, Cabello participated in Global Citizen’s Together At Home Instagram Live concert series, encouraging fans to take action and help stop the spread of the coronavirus. She and Mendes performed together, connected with fans to ask how they’re doing while social distancing, and even discussed proper handwashing technique.

“This is a crazy time, and we're all going to come out of this together, we're going to pull through, and we're going to try and connect and make each other smile in the meantime,” Cabello said.

A month later, in April 2020, she and Mendes joined Global Citizen's One World: Together At Home global broadcast special to honor frontline health care workers, performing a cover of "What a Wonderful World."

When she’s not releasing new albums, starring in the new Cinderella film, or taking over the streets of LA with an impromptu musical number, Cabello is just a regular person who knows the importance of doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, to generate real change in the world.

That’s why she’s joining Global Citizen Live, a once-in-a-generation, 24-hour global event on Saturday, Sept. 25, and performing in New York City’s Central Park as part of our campaign to defend the planet and defeat poverty.

And by advocating for sustainability, as well as demanding equity for people everywhere, Cabello wants to normalize taking action for her fans, too.

How Camila Cabello Defends the Planet

The pop singer knows that climate change is a serious threat to all people — and that the most vulnerable among us are going to suffer unless we do something to curb our CO2 emissions.

That’s why she’s taken it upon herself to pay attention to how her individual choices impact the environment. She also uses her voice to uplift eco-warriors around the world who are educating the public on the climate crisis.

The fashion industry generates at least 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, from manufacturing to disposal. But as long as consumers continue supporting fast fashion, these numbers aren’t going to go down and can have devastating consequences.

Cabello took to TikTok to share her love of sustainable practices, featuring a pair of Allbirds tennis shoes. Allbirds are crafted from eucalyptus tree fiber and Brazilian sugarcane.

"Shoutout to my new Allbirds, a sustainable shoe brand,” she captioned the video. “Not an ad, I just love sustainable clothing."

With a loyal fan base and massive platform, Cabello’s ability to spread the news about eco-friendly clothing items can influence people around the world to pay attention to their own consumer choices. But she also uses her social media clout to support the work of world-renowned climate activists.

In 2017, Cabello tweeted at followers to tune in to An Inconvenient Special, a televised town hall that featured former United States Vice President Al Gore in conversation with young people about climate change. Connecting the climate crisis to her home city of Miami — which is especially vulnerable to extreme weather events — Cabello raised awareness about the TV special to engage Global Citizens in climate action.

Outside of caring for the planet and all of its inhabitants, Cabello takes action on other issues affecting people around the world. She starts by advocating for herself, speaking up about the importance of mental health and how she’s learned to heal.

Advocating for Mental Health Awareness

Amid months-long lockdowns, social distancing regulations, and a shared grief as the world mourns over 4.5 million people lost to COVID-19, the pandemic has taken a serious toll on mental health.

Celebrities like Cabello have the opportunity to speak up about taboo subjects like mental health that don’t get enough attention due to stigma and ignorance. By sharing her own struggles with mental illness, Cabello has chosen to advocate for others and let them know that it is OK to not be OK.

“Before lockdown I was burnt out. I was living with a really high amount of anxiety. It was too much and it was not sustainable. I felt like I was running with a broken leg but I wasn’t really listening to how I felt,” she said during an interview with Page Six. “I know now I have to take care of myself. No one is going to know when I’ve reached a limit other than me, so I have to take care of myself in that way.”

The singer has also made a point to advocate for others. She teamed up with nonprofit Movement Voter Fund to launch the Healing Justice Project, an initiative that provides funds for mental health and wellness resources to support youth activists and organizations making the world a better place.

Cabello shared the work of the 10 grassroots organizations on Instagram to introduce the project earlier this year.

“These organizers work tirelessly to create a positive impact, but the work can be exhausting,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “Over the next few months, these incredible activists are going to come on my page to share about their work and how they are prioritizing self-care and healing during these really challenging times.”

A Role Model for Girls Everywhere

Utilizing her platform for good has always been a central part of Cabello’s fame. Her hard work and social impact make her an ideal role model for young women, which is why it was an easy decision to cast her in the new Amazon film adaptation of Cinderella.

In this adaptation, the princess is looking for more than marriage; she's a talented clothing designer who wants to travel the world. Determined, hard-working, and passionate, Cabello’s Cinderella focuses less on love and more on living the life she truly desires, fighting gender stereotypes to inspire girls.

Cabello also understood the responsibility her role held, particularly as a Cuban Mexican American woman playing a traditionally white and blonde character.

“We’ve never seen that representation before,” Cabello said in an interview. “It’s just an honor.”

The singer has had to battle judgments from others concerning her looks and personal life. But she hasn't stayed silent or let the haters influence her self worth. Instead Cabello consistently stands up for herself to show women and girls that they are beautiful and worthy in their own right.

After fatphobic headlines and comments targeted Cabello’s body shape, she posted a video on TikTok to remind people that “being at war with your body is so last season.”

“I am grateful for this body that lets me do what I need to do,” she said in the video. “We are real women with curves and cellulite and stretchmarks and fat, and we gotta own that, baby!”

No matter where her career trajectory takes her — from promoting her solo albums to representing women in movies and on stage — Camila Cabello won’t forget to advocate for others on today’s most pressing global issues.

That’s why she’s taking the stage with other all-star musicians and activists in New York on Sept. 25 for Global Citizen Live.

Join Cabello in taking action to defend the planet here.