#bc this being pointed out + the recent taylor swift thing has given me new life (and i don't even like taylor swift tbh)

[coulsonlives]

I'm seeing people call the neighborhoods in the new Barbie movie 'car-centric dystopias' and I am HERE FOR IT, GO OFF CHAMPS

[allsassnoclass]

I would LOVE to see your re-did personal refernce album lists for right now and overall. fall out boy slaps and 5sos is lucky they rank as highly for both of us bc fall out boy is just. the best

oh boy you asked and I sure do like talking about my opinions on music so

First of all let’s talk about the three that show up in both lists, just to get that out  of the way:

These three albums will just always be my favorites, at any given moment.  I could listen to them at almost any time

Youngblood by 5sos: I love this album so much, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why.  Nothing about it particularly stands out, but I listen to it all the time and it’s so so so good.  I love the vocal performance (except for a few instances where I really wish Luke enunciated a bit more), I love the instrumental performance, and I do feel like it’s a relatively cohesive album as far as vibe goes.  They picked the correct colors for it, and even the songs that I’m not a huge fan of I feel still contribute well to the album as a whole.

Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy: Fall Out Boy is and always will be my favorite band.  This is a very nostalgic album for me, because it’s the album that got me in to Fall Out Boy, but it’s just got some absolute killer songs, and I like how it starts with “The Phoenix” and ends with “Save Rock and Roll” (with an ELTON JOHN FEATURE like....... it blows my mind).  I feel like I’m coming home every time I listen to Fall Out Boy but most especially with this album.

Infinity on High by Fall Out Boy: again, I just love FOB a bonkers amount, and I think objectively this is one of their best albums.  There is not one song on here that I would skip.  It gets bonus points for “You’re Crashing, But You’re No Wave” which is their most underrated song, and all of the other ones are equally as good.  It feels cohesive while each song remains unique.

Now on to the list for my best albums of all time:

The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance: I genuinely believe that this album is objectively the best album of the 2000s.  MCR is full of really, really talented musicians, and every time I listen to this album I find some little musical riff or tidbit that I’m discovering for the first time.  The underlying theme of death and regret is unique and they do so much with it!!!  Songs are interesting and not repetitive, while still being catchy.  The energy of the album is insane, and it carries almost all the way through without any dips or duds.  Lyrical content is 10/10, musical content is 10/10, entire album is amazing.

Night Visions by Imagine Dragons: when I was in like 9th grade this album would not leave my CD player I would just come home and go up to my room and turn on the CD as I do my homework.  So this one also has a lot of nostalgia, but tbh Imagine Dragons is just a great band and this is just a great album.  Can’t pinpoint why but it’s just the truth.

California 37 by Train: this one also is a very nostalgic album, because I used to be a super super big fan of Train, but tbh this album is one of my go-to albums for washing dishes or when I’m in the car with my family and they won’t let me play one of my current favorites.  It’s funky! The songs are nice!  “Drive By” and “When the Fog Rolls In” are genuinely two really good songs in my opinion, and “Mermaid” and “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” are so fun!!!

Collide With the Sky by Pierce the Veil: This is a very cathartic album.  it’s got some great songs on it, it feels cohesive, that darling you’ll be okay in “Hold On ‘Till May” feels like a sigh of relief after the journey of the album and the emotion and screaming

honorable mention: I almost put Harry Styles by Harry Styles instead of Collide With the Sky, because it’s also a killer album.  The running theme of longing for communication is ace, I love how gentle it is and then how there are some bangers on it, and it felt like such a genuine, authentic album.

Now on to my best albums of right now:

Neotheater by AJR: As far as albums go, this is such a great example of how albums are meant to be made, which is absolutely delightful for me because I think a lot of people have lost the art of the album.  Like, in order to get the full experience you have to listen to the full thing, specifically in order, because the songs each sample each other and then you get the full journey from “Next Up Forever” to “Finale” (and the fact that those are the bookends and they all drop the name of the album and they have the choir in them I could talk about those two songs for hours probably!!!!).  The theme of fear of growing up and you get the transition from being afraid of it to looking forward and feeling ready for what comes!!!!! as a senior in college I relate so hard. unfortunately sometimes some of the songs don’t hit right at all times, which is why this one is not on my top 7 of all time list :(

Wake Up, Sunshine by All Time Low: this is the perfect album for where ATL is at right now.  The music is a skillful blend of their old sound and new musical developments, the songs are all so fun, it feels mature while still being authentic, do not get me started on Basement Noise I WILL cry that is a threat!  “Trouble Is” is one of their best songs like there’s genius behind that!!! And not to be divisive but “Pretty Venom (Interlude)” is my favorite off the album and I approve of where it is placed on the album.  I think it’s a nice little breath and break within the high energy of the rest of the album so you can recharge for the rest of it, and I think “Monsters” leads right into it thematically.  They really outdid themselves with this album.

Folklore by Taylor Swift: this is just a Mood a Vibe she really did something here!  her lyrics are very good, I love how important the idea of stories are to this album and how each song is a snapshot of a different story (or a different perspective).  it’s a really pleasant listen

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers: I am going to be honest this was just me throwing a dart at a few things I’ve recently listened to, and there are a lot of other albums that could go in this spot.  However, I have been listening to songs off of Punisher a lot lately and it’s got me feeling some type of way, like no one will ever fully understand me yet Phoebe does.

honorable mentions: as I said, lots of albums could have been #7 right now, so I’m giving a shout out to Future Hearts by All Time Low, the Hadestown Original Broadway Cast Recording, Boreas by the Oh Hellos (even though that’s just an EP).

I did this while talking on the phone to my family so it may not be as coherent as I would have liked but here are the lists and some explanations

[onestowatch]

Q&A: Nina Nesbitt Might Be The Britney Spears of our Generation

Already off to an impressive start to 2018, which includes numerous sold-out tour dates and amassing upwards of 100 million streams to date, Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt is just getting started. Nesbitt’s vibrant voice is derived from her musical influences Britney Spears and Whitney Houston, and her rapid growth as an artist only further contributes to her confident classic pop style. Her flair for catchy pop and R&B blended with her own confessional songwriting has gathered fans such as Chloe Grace Moretz and Taylor Swift, who included ‘The Best You Had’ on her “Favorite Songs Playlist.”

Earlier this year, Nina Nesbitt partnered with Spotify for their Louder Together program to record the first ever collaborative Spotify Single Original called “Psychopath” with fellow Ones To Watch Sasha Sloan and Charlotte Lawrence. 

Fresh off her summer tour supporting Jesse McCartney, Nina released a brand new single, “Loyal To Me,” which was inspired by the “independent-women spirit of the 90s and is a self-help to dating.” She plans on releasing a full-length album in early 2019.

Ones to Watch recently chatted with Nina Nesbitt to chat about her musical journey, Spotify’s Louder Together program, post-tour plans, and more. Read more below and be sure to catch the rising songstress on her upcoming fall tour with MAX:

10/4, Neumos, Seattle, WA 10/5, Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver, BC 10/6, Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR 10/9, Holy Diver, Sacramento, CA 10/10, Slim’s, San Francisco, CA 10/11, Voodoo Room @ House of Blues, San Diego, CA 10/12, The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA 10/13, El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 10/16, The Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ 10/17, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM 10/19, The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT 10/20, Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO 10/23, Scoot Inn, Austin, TX 10/24, Bronze Peacock @ House of Blues, Houston, TX 10/25, Cambridge Room @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX 10/26, Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah’s Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 10/27, Delmar Hall, St. Louis, MO

OTW: Let’s start from the very beginning. Why music? What made you realize music was path you wanted to pursue?

NN: It’s something I have loved doing ever since I was a kid. I was the only child--I had a lot of spare time by myself, and so my parents often times encouraged me to do something that I enjoy and that is creative. I did a lot of art, story writing, and music. Music was my favorite thing out of all the creative arts. Eventually, I put my stories into music and so I started songwriting. It’s something I never thought I could do as a career but I really enjoyed it. Suddenly, one day, I ended up doing it as a career I guess and earning a living from it, and it kind of just stuck.

OTW: How have you grown musically and personally since you’ve released your first EP “Live Take” in 2011?

NN: I’m from a little small village in Scotland, which is very far from the music industry and anything else, so the only opportunity I had was to buy an acoustic guitar and put my music out that way. There were no studios or really any other artists that I could work with. I really liked acoustic music and once I got signed, I moved to London. I feel like the move was key to my sound and style changing and just overall growing as a person. Coming from a small place to one of the biggest cities in the world is a culture shock. You have to grow up. You get to know a lot of different characters as people, and you figure out how things work a bit more. I think that’s what personally matured me. And musically, I had the chance to collaborate with so many amazing people like writers and other artists that have influenced my music. I have a studio set up as well where I produced “The Moment I’m Missing.” I wrote all of the new album there.

OTW: Which of your songs took the longest to write and why?

NN: “The Best You Had.” I had the lyrics, “It’s crazy that you’re moving on so fast but baby it’s okay if I am still the best you had,” in my notebook for a good six months. I was really pleased with that line but kept trying to get it into a song. It means a lot to me. Those lyrics have been in about five different songs that never came out. I kept persevering with it and one day, I was in the studio with my friend Jordan, who I write quite a lot with, and we played these chords, and the song literally wrote itself within twenty minutes. I’m glad I kept trying to better it because I wasn’t happy with it before. It was a nightmare to write but in the end, it was actually one of the easiest songs.

OTW: What has it been like supporting the Jesse McCartney tour?

NN: Great! So many different audiences from what I’m used to playing to. I wasn’t familiar with his music until before the tour.  All my friends absolutely love him, but I never had Nickelodeon as a kid so I never knew about him. He’s great. He knows how to work the stage. He’s so lovely.

OTW: Do you have any traditions you like to do pre-show/on tour?

NN: I try to stay healthy but in America, it’s impossible because you have so much space here. Like sometimes the drive is 10 hours some days and the only thing available is fast food, so I’m just enjoying being unhealthy. My tour ritual for this tour is to enjoy food and eat as much as I can.

OTW: Most memorable moment from your music career so far?

NN: There’s quite a lot of different memorable moments especially because I’ve been doing this for about six to seven years. I would have to say playing to ten thousand people at festivals -- that’s something I’ll never forget. “The Best You Had” got over 30 million streams, which is a really crazy number to me. It was so unexpected. I signed an independent deal with a label, a very casual record deal, just to put out songs that I like, and then suddenly I had over 30 million streams, I’m on a billboard in Times Square with Spotify, and all these things just happened so fast which I’m so grateful for. I feel like a lot of times you only get one shot as an artist and so I feel blessed.

OTW: What’s a city you’d like to someday perform in?

NN: Tokyo. I’m obsessed with Japan and I’ve never been. I’ve been to Hong Kong. I’m really obsessed with Asian culture because it’s so different from British culture. I’ve heard from other artists that go there just have the most amazing time.

OTW: We love your recent release “The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change.” What does that song mean to you?

NN: That song was released because it was on a TV show, Life Sentence. That one is part of a collection of songs and represent a journey from start to finish. For example, “The Moments I’m Missing” is the intro track, and it’s about losing yourself and feeling lost. The middle point is “Somebody Special” because you feel like you’ve found your worth again and remember who you are. The last one is “Sun Will Come up, The Seasons Will Change,” and it sums up the whole album for me as a concept and represents the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m hoping people listen to it and take what they want from it. It’s also the message I keep with me in life. Nothing is permanent. Whatever you’re going through whether it’s really shit or really great, don’t take anything for granted. Don’t think your life will be like this forever. If you’re having a bad day, just remember things keep changing all the time.

OTW: What is the first thing you’re going to do once you return home post-tour?

NN: Give my dog a big hug. I’m also shooting a new music video the day I get back.

OTW: Wow! Can you tell us about that?

NN: Yes! I’m really excited for the video I’m shooting because I think it’s going to be something people won’t expect.

OTW: We can’t wait to see it. “Psychopath” was the first ever collaborative single from Spotify’s ‘Louder Together’ program. What was it like being a part of that with Sasha Sloan and Charlotte Lawrence?

NN: It was great! I’ve never actually collaborated with other female artists before and I think like for so long, we’ve been conditioned to think that other females are competition -- don’t work with them, don’t support them. And it’s like come on, we can all have space here to put out music. I think Spotify has done given girls a platform, especially girls in pop. They put you on so many playlists to get your streams up, which means more people come to the gigs, and it really helps. This collaboration was really cool because I’m a big fan of both of them and Sasha is an amazing song writer and Charlotte is an amazing new artist. It’s cool to get in a room with like-minded females that also do pop and understand what we do on a daily basis.

OTW: Who are some of your Ones to Watch artists?

NN: So later this summer, I will be touring with Lewis Capaldi, who I think is amazing. He’s Scottish. He’s great. I think he’s going to do really well and everyone should check him out.

[pedrospascalls]

everlore group plot 

quick about:

the point of this plot is to be messy, and the plot lines do not need to always follow those lines. it’ll be fun to create even more lines of connections and relationships that can be explored in various ways.

most of them met through being “nick kids.” they were all on nickelodeon television shows as teens during the same time frame and would attend events together and were the “it” kids back then. they all supported each other through the trials and tribulations of being childhood stars.

everybody should be around 30 to 35

you do not need to know taylor swift’s music in order to be part of this. i definitely think you should read the lyrics to the specific song your character is based on to get a better feel [and encourage everlore listening bc those albums are beautiful].

its going to be a little confusing right now because names haven’t been placed, as well as timelines! the plot is open for interpretation of when these certain important plot points happened! there will probably be a lot of overlap of feelings involving other people too and other plot points we can make up and explore!

cast of characters:

james - kelly carmichael (31, dylan o’brien, olivia)

betty - maybe whitmore (33, holland roden, zoe)

this is me trying - 

august - 

champagne problems - briar jacobsen (32, brie larson, kayla)

illicit affairs - 

gold rush - 

exile - kasper sinclair (32, lucas bravo, cassibod)

long story short - april hawkins (jane levy, allison)

coney island - 

the story starts on nickelodeon. james and betty were cast in nickelodeon tv show and immediately became best friends. they were both new in the industry and were shot into childhood stardom because of the network. as they grew up, they never once faltered in their friendship. but they also began to realize that their childhood crushes were much more than that. although they never admitted it to each other. they always danced around their feelings, and let them hide deep, down inside of them. the two made lots of promises to each other but as they grew up, those promises became harder and harder to keep. when they finally left the network, betty’s post-nick career took off and she moved to nashville to pursue her music career. betty and james’s feelings for each other remained unspoken.

while betty was away, james grew closer to august. august had been on another nickelodeon show and the two had run into each other many times at events and parties and always had a connection. the only problem was that this is me trying also always had a thing for august. the two were always a will-they-wont-they and had gotten close many times, but this is me trying was never in the right mindset for it all. they were slowly spiraling and august didn’t want to risk getting her heart broken. this is me trying ended up in rehab multiple times post-nickelodeon and it wasn’t until recently that they started to get their life back together.

so when james and august started dating, this is me trying had to watch from an arm’s length as their best friend began dating the one person that never left their brain. but instead of focusing on winning august back, this is me trying to ignore them entirely in hopes of the feelings disappearing and so that they wouldn’t spiral again [besides, replacing one addiction with another is a disaster waiting to happen]. 

betty returned to los angeles due to more job prospects and her music career taking off her time on the east coast was fun, but she was desperate to return to what she knew...and to james. riddled with anxiety of admitting her feelings, she showed up at james place one night only to have august open the door. ouch. she retreated quickly, although it wasn’t long before betty would see them again as the nickelodeon kids had formed such a tight knit group.

after all of this betty has found solace in illicit affairs, the best friend/cousin/up for interpretation of james. its a secret, and there are no true feelings there, but it is better than admitting the truth and dealing with their own issues. illicit affairs has had the biggest crush on gold rush since before they could remember, but gold rush has never given them the time of day [or realized it]. part of them thinks that sneaking around with betty might make gold rush notice them in a different light, but gold rush’s brain is too focused on their fling with coney island to even realize what’s going on.

champagne problems and exile had been dating for a few years. their romance was a whirlwind of passion, as the two of them were quite opposites but somehow fit like a puzzle. everybody knew of exile’s plans to propose to champagne problems at an extravagant party. except it didn’t go as planned, and champagne problems panicked and said “no” and fled the scene immediately after, leaving exile in pain and with no understanding of what went wrong.

champagne problems has been close with this is me trying since being on the same show during nickelodeon days and was the first person they went to when turning down exile’s proposal. they never understood why until the proposal, and how a) they aren’t ready for marriage but b) might have feelings there they aren’t sure about. they do love exile, but what if this deep connection with this is me trying is meant to be more? but what if it isnt? why did champagne problems say no anyway.

fast forward to a bit later, and exile is now making an attempt at dating long story short to ease the pain they still feel. both of them know it doesn’t quite fit, but its better than being alone. long story short is still reeling from the pain of their sudden break up with coney island. they both didn’t want to break up, but it felt inevitable as coney island had gotten a job on broadway/was going on tour/whatever you want, and long story short felt like they wouldn’t have worked out [based on fear more than fact]. fast forward six months, and coney island has returned to los angeles because of a new acting gig...and they want long story short back and using gold rush to try and make them jealous.