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olsenmyolsen · 9 months ago

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Dinner with Scarlett, Brunch with Geneva, and a Tracklist with Fans

Part 42 of On The Inside With Elizabeth Olsen

Word Count: 6.6K

masterlist

Elizabeth and Y/N head to Scarlett's house for dinner and a chance to meet someone new. Later, brunch with Geneva ends with a follow on Instagram.

Scarlett POV

"What are you laughing about?"

I look up from my phone to see Colin holding our baby boy, Cosmo.

"Lizzie and Y/N at the premiere." I look down at my phone and miss the confused look Colin has on his face. "You're laughing at our friends?"

He walks into my home office and looks over my shoulder as Cosmo babbles. "Look." I hold my phone up to him to show him a series of tweets about Y/N's phone wallpaper.

"No way!" Colin says in disbelief.

I nod and snicker as I look at a few more tweets before turning my phone over.

"So what's up?" I turn in my chair and look at my husband and son. The latter giggles as I poke his tummy.

"Not much," Colin says. "Coz and I were just missing Mom." He looks down at our son in his arms. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

Cosmo just smiles.

"Well, Mom is right here!" I blow a kiss to Colin and Cosmo. "But Mom is busy. She has to get ready for a meeting!"

"With Kate?" Colin asks, earning a nod. "With our Sephora launch and starter kit, it's just a lot of expanding."

Colin begins to walk to the office door. Humming to Cosmo. "I shouldn't be too much longer!" I say only to revive a laugh. "Scar, it's fine. Take as long as you want. I was coming to hang out and to remind you that Jess Parker is coming over tonight."

I freeze in my tracks and look away from my open laptop.

"No, Liz and Y/N are coming over tonight..."

Colin tilts his head. But he has a look that I hate to see.

He might be right.

"Are you sure?" Colin asks. I nod. "Here, I'll call Lizzie." I grab my phone and find Lizzie's contact. I place her on speaker and wait as the sound of ringing fills the room.

I look up, and Colin looks from his phone. He's texting someone.

Jess. He mouths.

"Oh, Hey, Scarlett!" I hear Lizzie's voice, and just by the tone, I can tell she's smiling.

"Hey, Lizzie! How are you and the rockstar!? Did you see the news??" I smirk and swivel in my chair.

"Yeah, no, I saw Y/N's wallpaper."

I laugh. Y/N's totally gonna get it later from me and Lizzie.

Wait, that sounded dirty.. but I mean... have you seen those two?

"Hey, so sorry to call right after your premiere, but I was just wondering if you and Y/N were still on for dinner?"

"Yeah, of course, we're still on for dinner! Why did something come up?"

I look up to Colin. "Umm.." He flips the phone to face me, and I see a text exchange between him and my friend Jess. With the words: "Yep, I'll be there!"

"Shit," I say. "Shit?" Lizzie repeats back. "No! No.. Sorry! I- I double booked."

"Huh?" Lizzie says, making me quietly laugh. "I double booked dinner tonight with you and Y/N and my friend Jess Parker."

The other side of the line goes quiet.

"Jess Parker? The Jewelry maker? She's your friend?" Y/N speaks up for the first time all call.

"Yes?" I answer, unsure of where this is going, but I quickly find out when Lizzie brings the phone closer to her mouth.

"Scarlett Ingrid Johansson, do you mean to tell me you are friends with Jess Parker, and this has never come up? Not once? You've never once thought to introduce her to her very fashionable friend! Someone who walks the red carpet with you!"

"And me!" Y/N pipes up again.

I gulp. It's clear I've made a mistake.

I look up to Colin only to find him gone. The door to my office closed.

"I- uhhh..."

Before I can even say or think of any words to say, it's like in a blink of an eye, somehow I've time traveled, and I'm in a long sundress while I carry Cosmo to answer the front door for our first guest of the evening.

My long-time friend Jess Parker.

In a way, she's been like a sister to me. Sorry, Vanessa. But we've always been close. Not many people know that the reason I took the role in The Nanny Diaries was because of her.

And while living across the pound for some odd years, she has always been a sound support system. But now that she's back in New York after a long 18 months, it'll be nice to catch up. Oh, and to warn her that she's famous no matter how little she believes me.

I mean, Lizzie and Y/N want a piece of her work, apparently.

Oh shit, that means I have to warn Jess about them coming over too.

But before I can say anything, I'm pulled into a side hug by Jess just before she scoops up Cosmo from me. For a baby who normally screams his head off when someone new takes him, he remains quiet.

"You look so good!" Jess says as she takes her shoes off and looks back at me. Her English accent still on her tongue.

"You too!" I easily reply as I look her up and down. "Love the top!" Jess gives a little shake of her head that says, "eh."

She never was the best about compliments. Her and Lizzie are the same that way.

"So Scar, do you wanna tell me why you were trending earlier?"

Liz POV

Y/N and I are about to arrive in front of Scarlett's when Y/N looks up from her phone with a smile. "What's up?" I ask.

"I just can't believe it's almost here."

I can see on Y/N's phone that she just read an email from her label, which probably led to Y/N thinking about her livestream tomorrow night.

"Is the studio set up?" I question her about the set up the label put together for Y/N. Basically, the idea for the cover of the album started when Y/N had a dream about her and I on a beach flipping tarot cards.

Hence the original name of the album: tarot cards on the beach.

She described it as the most nerve-racking dream she has ever had, and I'm still unsure why.

But when she woke me up to tell me about it. I remember being cranky in the moment but ultimately happy for her.

Duh.

She then immediately got into contact with her old friend Cyrus and had the label commission a giant canvas of what the album would look like. It's going to be revealed live for the first time at midnight tomorrow, followed by Y/N sharing the tracklist.

I can only imagine her smiley, cute face when she sees the finished product.

Y/N nods. "Yeah, that's what the email was about. They have everything ready to go."

"Even the cards and CD's?" I raise an eyebrow. "Even the cards and CD's." She states.

Following the tracklist reveal, the studio wants Y/N, aka hex, to autograph specially made tarot cards that will go into the CDs for the first 500 people that preorder.

I promised to massage her hands for as long as she wanted after it was done.

"What?" Y/N asks, making me realize that I've been staring at her face. Her perfect face. "Do I have something on my face? Because I know you told me not to snack at the hotel, but I still did it."

I laugh and pretend to wipe crumbs off her lips before leaning in and kissing her.

"You're perfect."

"You're still cheesy." She says. "Learned it from you," I reply and look down at her outfit.

Since it's dinner with Scar, we didn't decide to go clits to wall decked out like we would if it was the twins. We know Scar and Colin are busy with baby Coz, so the fewer clothes that could get messy, the better.

Wait- basically, what I'm saying is that we're just going as cute casual! I'm in brown boots, jeans, and a long black sleeve, while Y/N is wearing wide-ankle khakis, her vans, and a long maroon button-up.

I wasn't sure about the outfit, but she picked it out, and knowing Y/N, she'll be trying to color with Rose anyways, so who cares.

"I like what you're wearing." I look back up to Y/N's eyes and slowly lean in. She does the same until our lips touch again.

"I think the label will push for an August release," Y/N says as she leans her head on my shoulder. "It's still summer, but I was expecting July."

"August is still good, right?" I ask, unsure of what Y/N really wants. "It is." She says. "I think I'm just ready to start some shows because every time I think about performing, I wanna throw up."

That's right.

She's going to be on the road sooner rather than later.

"Well, I'll be there with you," I say and hold her close. But Y/N chuckles, confusing me. "What?" She leans up and fiddles with the ring on her right hand. "I know you'll be there, and I love that, but I know you, and I don't want you to put off filming for me."

I look at her as if she doesn't see through me.

"What do you mean?" I look away from her eyes and clear my throat. "Liz..." She sighs. "I know about Azazel reaching out to you." I found her eyes, and they light up. "We both know I will probably be on the road if people want me to be. So please take any offer that comes your way. I'm mar- I'm in love with Elizabeth Olsen, the greatest Emmy-winning actress of our generation. Not Elizabeth Olsen, the-"

"Y/N." I stop her. "I get it." She leans in and kisses my nose, making me giggle. "Thank you." She says.

The car rolls to a stop in front of Scarlett's, and before Y/N moves away from me, I thank her for always being supportive and caring.

She said, "No, you." before jumping out of the car while laughing.

Y/N POV

"Oh shoot. Should we have brought wine or chocolates or anything?" I turn to Liz just after ringing the doorbell. She looks back at me with a look that says yes.

Shit.

"We should go." I turn my heels to walk away, but Liz grabs my arm and spins me around. "I think it's too late for that." We both know that, but it's not confirmed until the door swings open, and instead of a short blonde greeting us, it's an even shorter blonde.

"Auntie Lizzie!" Rose runs and jumps out of the doorway to Liz's legs with arms outstretched but stops when she sees me. "Auntie Y/N!" She squeals, making me smile.

Her and I are entirely different with one another since our first meeting.

But just like that, Lizzies runs as favorite aunt ends. I see the defeat on her face as the scorned look in her eyes washes over mini Scarlett and I, but- wait, what did Rosie say?

"Huh, Rose?" I ask as I bend down the child by my side. "I said you have to meet my favorite Auntie ever, JP!"

I look at Liz, who looks back to me. Who the hell is JP??

"Rose!" All three of our attentions turn to Mama Bear Scar as she steps out of the house to take Rosebud from me and place her on the ground. "How many times have I told you not to open the door?"

Rose hangs her head. Clearly, knowing that she shouldn't open the door without an adult present. "But I know it was Auntie Lizzie and Y/N." Rose cries.

Scarlett gets onto her knees in front of her daughter. "Rosie, look at me." Rose turns her head to look at her mother. Liz and I watching this interaction like statues. "I know that you know it was them. And that, yes, they are safe people, but still, it is better to be safe than sorry. I'd hate for anything to happen to you." Rose nods. "I love you." Scarlett pulls her daughter close and smiles when a smaller, quieter "I love you too." happens.

Rose pulls out of the hug and looks at her mom. "Can I hang out with Auntie Liz and Y/N?" She asks, earning a nod from Scarlett. "Yes, you can."

And just like that, I have Rose by my side as she points at every little thing in the hallway as if I've never been here before.

"Is that a chatterbox I hear?" Another woman's voice surprises Liz and me as we enter the kitchen. As soon as our eyes see the person, we immediately remember. "Auntie JP! Look, I brought friends!" Rose smiles proudly and makes a grand gesture with her arms.

"I see that!" Auntie JP, aka Jess Parker, says as she comes up and makes a goofy face at Rosie before turning to Liz and I. "Hi!" She says as she extends her hands to Liz first. "It's nice to meet you finally." Jess smiles widely at Liz as Liz returns the greeting.

Rose watches the interaction with glee as Jess turns to me. "You must be Y/N." She extends her hand to me as well before leaning closer to whisper: "Scarlett, let it slip that you have a huge crush on her."

Immediately, I groan and turn around to the older woman, but she puts her hands up. "Hey, look at Twitter and tell me what's true!" I roll my eyes away to see Colin laughing as he fixes Liz a drink. "Yeah, yeah, keep laughing, Jost."

I narrow my eyes before Rose grabs onto Jess and I. "I want to show you my new coloring book! It's in my room!" Liz turns her head at this. "Can I come, Rose?" Rose thinks before walking away. "No, thank you."

As comedic as Rosie is, I see Liz's face falls. So, instead of having Rose pull Jess and me away, I crouch down to her. "Hey, Rosie, how about you go grab all your art supplies and books, and we can color them at the table before we have to get ready for dinner. How does that sound?"

Rose thinks and agrees before pouting a little. "Can you see my room later, too? I got some of new toys of momma."

Jess crouches next to me and nods to encourage Rose. "That sounds great." Rose nods and runs to grab her things.

"Drink?" Colin asks as I turn around. "Yes, please," I say as I stand by my girlfriend sitting at the kitchen island. "Damn, I can't believe I'm old news now." Liz jokes as Scarlett brings in baby Cosmo. "I doubt that," I say as I kiss the top of her head. Liz shrugs. "You and Jess seem to have it pretty covered."

From the tone, I can tell there's more under the surface.

But before anything can spill from my mouth, Scarlett hands me a babbling baby boy. "Carefully, he's rigged to blow any minute." I grimace but hold Cosmo steady. "Gee, thanks." Scarlett winks at me. "Want me to talk to her?" Scarlett asks Liz in regards to Rosie. Liz lightly laughs and shakes her head. "She's a kid. She's fine."

Scarlett gives a flat smile as Colin places a drink before me and Jess across the island.

"Be honest..." Scarlett starts. "How many pictures of Natasha do you have on your phone?"

I sigh. "I don't know. Enough to have a folder..." I shrug. This only makes Scarlett smile wider. "Can I see?" She wiggles her eyebrows. "I'd die before I let that happen."

Scarlett looks me up and down. "Put me in a red wig, and I think you would."

I look around the room and see no help on the defense. My girlfriend sips her drink, knowing that she'd rather sit with jealously than engage in between Scarlett and I.

"So Lizzie..." Jess speaks up. "You had a movie premiere today, and now you're here? Slumming it with us? What's up with that?" Scarlett watches her friend tease effortlessly with a smile, and as my girlfriend answers, I watch Scarlett's eyes shift from one friend to the other.

I had no idea Scarlett even knew of Jess Parker, but looking at them side by side, I can see a similarity between them.

I tune into the conversation just as Liz speaks my mind. "Well, what about you, Miss Jess Parker! Word has it closed up shop, but after eighteen months, you're here slumming it with us! I had no idea Scarlett, and you were so close! I mean, I know you designed the Infinity Gauntlet piece Scar wore at the Endgame premiere, but..." I chime in. "We could've used your jewelry on the red carpet earlier this week."

"And tonight!" Scarlett makes a point.

Jess smiles and takes a sip of her Moscow mule. "Basically, I missed home."

"New York?" I question. Jess nods. "I was overseas with my Dad and stepmom, taking time off to find myself." Scarlett pipes up as she wraps an arm around Jess. "A horrible ex who never have to speak about ever again." Jess nods and gags. "The worst. But yes, now I'm back home. Close to Scar again-"

"I'm sorry." I interrupt. "How long have you and Scarlett known each other?"

Scarlett takes the question.

"We grew up together." This information shocks Liz and I, but my mouth works faster than I can stop the words. "Cool. And you never meant to mention this??"

"Babe-" Liz tries to stop me while laughing. "Liz, we could've been wearing Jess Parker this entire time! Do you know how hot you would've looked with a Scarlet Witch Crown!"

I shake my head to make my thoughts pure again.

Everyone laughs, including Cosmo, as he spits up disgusting me just as Rose enters the room, pretending to laugh like she knew what was going on. "Got 'em!" She says as she holds up her supplies and books.

"That's great, Rose! We'll meet you at the table." Rose happily turns to the table at Jess' words as Scarlett takes her baby from me.

"Well, rumor has it the shop might be open again." Jess makes a face to Liz and I as she sips on her drink with a grin before joining Rose.

"Oh, she's fun!" Liz says as she turns back to Scar and Colin. "Fun, huh?" I'm quickly met with a green-eyed glare. "Noted," I say as I take my drink to color with Rose and Jess.

"Wow, Rose!" I say as she is coloring a picture of The Black Widow. Jess coloring in Hawkeye. "I didn't know you had an Avengers book!" Rose looks up at me with an are you serious look. "Yeah." She says before handing me a page. "You can do this one."

It's a picture of The Scarlet Witch.

"I tried asking for it, but she wanted you to color it so you could give it to Aunt Lizzie," Jess says with a smile while also doing a pretty good impression of Rose that the child ignores. I look up at her and laugh.

"Thank you, Rose." I turn to the small blonde. "No problem." She replies.

"Hey, Rosie?" I say as I pick up a red colored pencil. "Yeah?" She looks at me. "I can do this picture, but I think Aunt Lizzie would really appreciate it if you made something for her that was an original piece."

Rose looks away as she thinks before grabbing a blank piece of paper. Paper that looks like she easily took it from a copier somewhere in this house. "Like flowers? She's pretty like flowers."

"Yeah. That's a good idea, Rose."

Pretty like flowers.

I immediately store that line in my head for another day.

As Rose gets to work on a 2-D paper bouquet for my girlfriend, I look up and see Liz fully engaged in a conversation about whatever Colin is talking about.

My eyes travel down her face to her hands.

"Hey, Jess?" I whisper before looking her way. "Yeah?" She whispers back with a smile. "Could I have your number?" Jess widens her eyes a bit before looking in the direction of the other adults. "That's kinda bold of you, don't ya think?"

I give her a confused look before hearing my own words. "Oh my god, no." I continue whispering. "I heard a rumor that maybe your shop was open."

Jess makes an ah sound. "Yeah, and?" I take one last look up at Liz before turning to Jess.

"I'm thinking about a ring."

Jess' lips immediately curl up into a wide smile as she can't help it. "Omg yes!" She jots down her number on a piece of paper, and tears off the strip before tossing it to me. I quickly shove it into my pocket before anyone else can notice.

No one does, but the only person in between us. Rose.

I think nothing of it before remembering that kids talk about anything and everything, and my name and a ring would spill at some point.

"You're getting a ring?" She asks at kid volume, but luckily, no one else heard. "Yes," I whisper. "I want to get Aunt Lizzie a ring, but no one else can know about it." I plead with my eyes at the sweet little Rose.

She nods her head. "Okay." She says innocently enough as her red colored pencils makes contact with the page.

"Legos," She says moments later. "Legos?" I question, indirectly forcing Rose to grace me with her presence. "Legos for the secret."

Jess watches the shake-down happen.

I slowly nod. "Legos," I repeat, unaware that Liz and Scarlett were joining us at the table. "Legos! We're talking about Legos?!" Scarlett asks as she kisses her daughter's head before looking over Jess' drawing. "Yeah! Auntie Y/N said she's going to get me legos once the school year is over!"

Suddenly, all eyes are on me.

"If it's okay with you, Scar," I say as Jess holds back a laugh. Who knew kids were this scary!! Scarlett shrugs. "Sure. We love legos!"

"Legos! We're talking about Legos?!" Colin asks as he enters the room with a freshly changed Cosmo. "Old news, Jost, keep up!" Jess says, making me laugh as Liz sits down next to me.

"Ooh, now, who is this!" She grabs and holds up my colored page of her Marvel character. "I don't know, but she looks pretty hot!" I jump my eyebrows up as I get a playful eye roll back.

"Please, we all know who you really want." Scarlett bites back as she smirks at me.

God, damn Johansson and that smirk.

Dinner came and went with much harassment from Scarlett and her endless run of jokes. While funny, my cheeks might've been painted red by the end. Although I know for a fact she wasn't joking when she said she had a Black Widow suit upstairs.

I'm pretty certain my hand was going to break from how hard Liz was holding me.

Anyways, conversations flowed well, and Colin talked to Liz and me about SNL with Benedict this weekend and how fun that'd be. I then realized that I'd be in the same room with Benedict and how I would restrain myself from trying to get him to say penguin.

I also told Liz she should try hosting SNL, which was tabled for another time.

Jess also talked about how she'd love to make jewelry for Liz and me and our upcoming events—so stay tuned for that. _

"Babe, there's no way you're still jealous after last night!"

Liz scoffs as she pulls on the handle to the restaurant, letting me through first. "Jealous?" She scoffs again. "Who said I was jealous?"

"Me!" I point to myself with my thumb. "All because sweet little Rosebud wanted to sit next to me. Hang out with me. Only talk to me! All last night! You got stuck with a gassy Cosmo." I say with glee as we see William and Geneva stand up from their table in the corner of the restaurant to greet us. "Yeah, because Legos were promised. Oh, and let's not forget about Scarlett's friend!" Liz says as her jaw tightens. "And yes, Jess Parker was very nice. I'm glad Scarlett introduced the two of you. Being chatty and all." Liz says as she waves her hand around, and I know I'm immorally pushing the buttons here. Especially when I say. "Pretty, too."

Liz turns to me, and even through her sunglasses, I can see her glaring at me. "Stop, okay. Fine. Let's say I was jealous, but I have no reason to be right now because I'm Geneva's favorite."

I nod my head and agree. "Yeah... for now." I smugly say as I pass her to greet William first while she hugs Geneva before we switch. "Y/N, sit here!" Geneva pulls out the chair to the right of her. "Okay!" I say with a smile as I turn back to Liz to see her flummoxed.

She wasn't expecting that, but being the polite angel she is, she graciously pulls out the chair and sits across from Geneva.

"Hey, you two are matching!" William points out to Liz and Geneva, who are both wearing their LA Dodgers hats. "Yeah!" Liz says as she removes her sunglasses to glance at me. "I knew I had to match with Geneva today! You know..." She glances. "Had to make someone jealous."

Geneva laughs as she sees me roll my eyes.

William notices, too, but chooses not to comment on it.

"Oh. I hope it's alright, but I ordered a round of coffee for the table. I don't know what you two might've gotten up to last night."

Liz and I thank William and let him know that he's definitely speaking to the two most homebodied people who just so happen to have a certain celebrity status. This makes Geneva laugh again before asking Liz about her garden.

Liz happily answers any question Geneva has, and the conversation flows from one topic to another.

The waitstaff come by periodically, and it's always funny to see the different looks from the surrounding customers as they recognize us.

I know I saw a few phones take some pictures; it's annoying, but that's the life I want to have. It comes with a price. But anytime I did catch someone snagging a pic, I made sure to glare their way.

Not for me or Liz. But for Geneva. She's 15. She doesn't need to be posted all over the internet, first off. And secondly. I'm sure her being pictured with Elizabeth Olsen and myself would bring a particular stress she doesn't need.

"So, Geneva, how was the camping trip?" Liz finally asks the one question I know she has been keeping in her back pocket. And just like Liz said, Geneva's face lights up. "Oh my God, I have to show you pictures. It was so cool!"

As Geneva picks up her phone and begins scrolling, mine begins vibrating in my pocket. I think about checking, but I ignore it and choose to remain present in the conversation as Geneva's phone gets handed to me.

I lean over closer to Liz and begin swiping to the left on her photo album titled 🌲 Oregon Trip 🌲

"Oh my gosh, look at that one!" I say as we swipe by a selfie of Geneva at the top of a waterfall. "That's a stunning picture! Where is that?" Liz says as she looks up to Geneva, but her finger points to an object in the picture.

It's an LA Dodgers hat.

I nudge Liz with my leg under the table before handing Liz the phone to reach mine as it starts vibrating again.

"Sorry," I say to the group as I check the Caller ID: Bo.

"Shit," I say before looking at Geneva. "Sorry." She shrugs. "That's fine. I curse, too. Fuck. See?" She says deadpan before breaking out into a smile, making me and Liz laugh while her dad scolds her. "Honey, don't do that." She shrugs again.

"Who is it?" Liz asks as my screen goes black. "It's Bo." I think he's calling me back to give me the final word on what the album will be titled." I sigh. "I don't think the studio likes the I keep pushing back." Liz brings her hand gently onto my arm before rubbing it up and down. The action, while comforting, reminds me that we're not alone.

"Sorry. Geneva, you were saying?" I question, but William stops me. "Hey, if you have an important phone call, we're more than happy to wait or let you take it." I shake my head. "I don't want to be r-" Before I can finish my sentence, my phone starts vibrating on the table.

"Take it," Liz says to me with a pointed look. William nods in agreement. "Go! Don't worry, I'll have more photos to share!" Geneva smiles at me before focusing on her chocolate chip pancakes. "This place is always so good." She looks to her dad.

"Go." Liz practically shoves me out of my seat with love and care. I nod to the table and let them know that I'll "be right back." As I answer the phone.

"Hey, Bo!"

"You know I called you two other times."

"Uh oh, someone's cranky," I say as I wave to the hostess who waved at me. Good thing Liz didn't see that.

I hear Bo grumble on the other side of the call as I exit the restaurant and begin walking around the parking lot.

"I'm not cranky." He says. "Well then, let me guess, someone got Decaf this morning?" I know I hit the nail on the head when he doesn't immediately quip back. "Come on, who's your favorite!" I tease with a smile.

"Anyways..." He starts making me awww. "Would you like to know what happened in the meeting a few minutes ago, or should we keep joking around?"

Liz POV

As I look back from the hostess waving at Y/N, I'm met with the smirk of a 15-year-old.

"Does that happen a lot?" She asks before stabbing a strawberry with her fork. "Does what happen?" I ask, pretending to be clueless. "Girls throwing themselves at Y/N." Geneva dramatically falls onto the table.

William clears his throat as a warning to Geneva just in case she's crossing a line. But she's not. Because. "No. It doesn't."

Geneva makes a questioning hum.

"Okay, I'll bite. What?" I ask, tilting my head. But the teen just smiles and smirks again.

"Okay, Wanda." She takes a sip of her water. "I was just saying that you had a certain look of jealousy in your eye. I mean, I get it hex is very attractive-" "Geneva."

"Dad." She mocks back. "Elizabeth knows." I breathe out. "For the last time, it's Lizzie." I chuckle. "And yes, I do know. But that doesn't mean every girl throws themselves at Y/N."

(A/N: They do)

Geneva puts her hands up in surrender. "I was just saying." William leans over and apologizes for his daughter in a very teasing way, making Geneva defend herself, leading to her and her dad playfully arguing.

It's cute, but it does make me think about my father. It's been months since I've seen him or spoken to him, and yet I wonder what he's doing right now. I know he misses me, but is he truly sorry?

Y/N has moved on from how he treated her, but I can't.

He hurt me and someone I love—bottom line.

"Elizabeth?" Geneva pulls me out of my thoughts. "It's Lizzie." She smiles back, loving this back-and-forth we have. "Sorry." She makes a very sarcastic gesture as she rolls her eyes. "Lizzie?"

"Yes?"

"D-do you think.. Do you think Y/N would follow my Instagram?"

Okay, maybe Y/N IS everyone's favorite.

"I just love you and her so much. And since you don't have any social media anymore, it'd be really cool! Plus, I love her music! And we are all forming this fanfic kinda bond right now, so it seems like-" I hold my hand to let Geneva catch her breath.

I take a glance at William, who shrugs.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind, but try asking her." Geneva nods and grabs her phone. "Okay!" She immediately gets up and runs out to speak to Y/N.

"Oh wait, Geneva.. I didn't... mean now... she's gone."

"And then there were two." William laughs as he leans back into the wooden chair of the restaurant. Rubbing the grey hairs, he has under his neck. "How long do you think she'll be?"

"I was just about to ask you." I chuckle while William smiles before leaning forward with his elbows on the table. He clears his throat before taking a full of coffee.

"This is a lovely place you and Geneva picked. I've never been here before." I say as my eyes dart around the fun interior. "Yeah. Geneva and I have been coming here since she was about 2." My eyes widen a bit. "Oh wow!"

William nods. "Course, she only remembers it only being just the two of us."

Oh!?

"There was someone else before?" I cautiously ask. Curiosity getting the best of me. William nods again. "Clara. Geneva's mother." There's sadness as he says her name.

"Excuse me for asking. But has she passed?" William doesn't take offense and only offers a shake of the head. "No." He sighs. "I don't think anything will kill that woman." Again, he rubs his shaven beard. "She's not in our lives."

"Oh.. By choice?" He nods. "Ours." Referring to him and Geneva. "Geneva has always been a bright girl. Smarter than me. Funnier than most. She's the type not to be afraid to show off what makes her, her."

I nod along to his words and smile. It's true. I barely know this father and teenager, but everything he's saying is true.

William takes a breath and sniffles as he continues speaking. "Clara did not like that. Especially when Geneva was discovering who she is." I raise my eyebrows and make an ahh noise.

"I used to work a lot more than I do now, so I was blind to it."

I tilt my head and bring my body forward against the table. When William moves his face upward, I can see the light of the morning sun bounce off the water in his eyes.

I hesitate to ask... "Did she ever-?" William stops me before I can finish. "She never laid a hand on her. But the verbal assault was enough." A shaky breath escapes him. "What kind of parent does that?" He asks me.

Once again. I can't help but think of my father.

"It only got worse when Geneva was brave enough to come out and tell us that she was gay." William clears his throat again. "And maybe another reason she did it was to show she wasn't going to change. Or maybe she did it because she truly thought it would change Clara."

William sighs with a shrug.

"Of course, I accepted her, and I thought my wife did too..." He shakes his head. Still hurt. "But one week later, she was trying to send our tween off to a conversion camp."

He pauses.

"I never looked at the person I married the same way after that." He picks up the napkin in his lap and runs it over his nose as I blink away the tears in the corners of my eyes. "I had a point when I started this, I promise." William cracks. "I could tell." I light-heartedly joke back. He smiles.

"Geneva is one hell of a kid. One in a million. And she likes you and your girlfriend. And hell, for some reason, it looks like you like us too." I smile and nod. "And she may look tough as nails, but she's still a kid, at least to me. My girl." He says. "So please be careful with her."

I nod with a sniffle."I can promise you that Y/N and I only want to be the best for her." I take a second. "She's a brave kid. She helped me be brave, too."

William smiles.

"Jesus..." I ran a hand through my hair. "It sounds like we're adopting her." William belly laughs at that.

Y/N POV

"They pushed. They want it to be like a real debut album. And since this is more than an EP, they're making you go self-titled. hex." Bo says on the other side.

I sigh. This isn't the worst, and I know I should be grateful for this opportunity. So I breathe out and smile. "Okay. Timetable?" I ask.

"Late Summer," Bo says as he looks at a stack of papers in front of him. "August."

I turn around when I feel the eyes of someone on me. I quietly laugh when I see an out-of-breath Geneva.

I quickly wave to her as she waves back.

"And did they say anything about a tour?" I raise an eyebrow with interest.

I hear Bo go quiet.

"Ten shows to start. With you going self-titled, your livestream tonight and if depending on your sales once released, they'll add more."

I nod to his words, but I hate the roadblocks I have placed in front of that I must maneuver to please men in suits.

"But you get to pick where you want the tour to start."

It makes me smile because I instantly think about my Dad and where to play. "Nashville. Anywhere you can fit me."

When the call ends minutes later, Geneva politely holds her phone out to me, and I press follow.

Saturday Morning May 7th

Billboard Today "Fans of newcomer hex showed up in force just after midnight last night to see the drop for the tracklist to the artist's debut album. The livestream, which many thought was going to be small, was watched by over 200,000 people. Oh, and what about the songs, you ask? It looks like the album is going to be a solid eleven songs. But just before signing off, hex let it slip that there may be more in the future. Deluxe album, maybe?"

PopCrave "Artist hex debuted their tracklist for their debut album hex last night to awaiting fans. Check out the photo below from the livestream!" photo

MusicStarsNow "In a series of tweets starting with a profile picture change. Artist hex shows fans who missed last night's livestream the painting of the album cover commissioned by a friend of the artist Cyrus Wilcott. Followed by eleven tweets. Each one being a track title with short information about the song. However, the final tweet only contained the song title. Other than that, no release date has been given, but we hope for a summer release!"

Twitter

A/N: Hey, everyone. Sorry, this took a while! But it's here now with a lot going on! The next chapter will probably skip to the time the album drops. So see you next time! I hope you enjoyed it! Be safe, and drink some water!

Also, below is the real tracklist Fake album. Real songs. ________________________________

Track#. Track Name . (Real Artist)

________________________________

hex by hex . 1. Too Bad . (King Princess)

2. My Silver Lining . (First Aid Kit)

3. Nashville . (CMAT)

4. The Last One . (First Aid Kit)

5. Hospital . (Madison Cunningham)

6. Oh Wasn't It Fun . (hex)

7. Graves . (Hand Habits)

8. Always, Joni . (Trousdale)

9. Big Time . (Angel Olsen)

10. Leaning On You . (HAIM)

11. Wishful Thinking . (Gracie Abrams)

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newmusickarl · 6 months ago

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Mercury Music Prize 2024: Ranking The Contenders

My favourite time of year has arrived – the season of the Mercury Music Prize. Back in July, the twelve albums nominated for the 2024 prize were revealed and, as ever, served up a highly diverse and eclectic list of some of the best British and Irish music released over the last 12 months. Each of these nominated records is now vying for the prestigious title of Album of the Year, the overriding criteria for which has greatly deviated throughout the award’s history.

In terms of the competition, last year felt like a big watershed moment. With myself and many others previously writing off the jazz nomination as soon as the annual shortlist is announced, Ezra Collective’s pleasantly surprising victory set a new precedence for the prize – any album can win. Not only that, but this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist presents arguably the most open contest for some years, making it almost impossible to predict. But hey – let’s try and predict it anyway!

As I do each year, I’ve now listened to all 12 albums and tried to rank them based on what I think are their chances of winning. To be clear, this is not a “Worst-to-Best” countdown – this ranking is based solely on how likely I think they are to win the overall prize.

To determine this, I’ve considered:

The impact and artistic achievement attained by the album

The popularity of the artist

The level of critical acclaim the album has received

How similar albums have fared over the years

All clear? Good!

Without further ado, here’s my final thoughts and analysis on this year’s nominees.

12. Lives Outgrown by Beth Gibbons

The debut solo album from the Portishead frontwoman is an absorbing work, a heavy listen that can be tricky to love at first but will eventually win you over. It’s certainly won the critics over too, becoming one of the most positively reviewed albums of the year thus far.

So why bottom of the list? Well for me, Beth has several factors working against her. Firstly, she’s a well-established artist who wouldn’t gain much from earning Mercury Prize recognition this late into her career. Secondly, and most importantly, she’s a former Mercury Prize winner, having lifted the trophy with Portishead’s Dummy back in 1995.

There’s only ever been one two-time winner in the prize’s history (PJ Harvey for those wondering) and at this juncture in her career, I personally don’t see Beth becoming the second person to achieve this feat – particularly given the strength of some of the debutants on this year’s shortlist.

11. Bad With Names by Corto.alto

Having already been so familiar with a lot of the records on this year’s shortlist, this debut from Glaswegian multi-instrumentalist Liam Shortall has been my favourite discovery through this year's prize. Recorded in his bedroom, it’s a mesmerising collision of jazz and electronic music that is genuinely unique and pulls you back in for repeated listens.

However, why it is so far down on my list is mainly due to Ezra Collective winning the prize last year. Whilst this album from Corto.alto isn’t solely a jazz project, of all the records on the list it is the one that falls the most into that genre. While Ezra Collective historically bucked the trend last year of jazz records never prevailing and winning the overall prize, another longstanding trend is that Mercury Prize wins rarely come from the same genre in back-to-back years. So, with a jazz record taking home the trophy last year, it makes me think the judges will go in a different direction in 2024.

10. On Purpose, With Purpose by Ghetts

The fourth studio album from the acclaimed, MOBO-award winning rapper, On Purpose, With Purpose is an ambitious project that showcases Ghetts' prowess for strong storytelling and cutting social commentary. It also features a stacked list of collaborators, including Mercury Prize alumni Kano and Sampha.

Now Ghetts is one of the few artists on this year’s shortlist who has been nominated for the Mercury Prize previously, having been shortlisted for the 2021 prize with Conflict of Interest. While recent history would suggest this could work in his favour (Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka both won on their second and third times of trying), I feel this is a weaker effort compared to Conflict of Interest. Not only that but it seems fans and critics agree, with this album one of the lowest scoring on review aggregate site albumoftheyear.org. With this being the case, this is one I am filing under unlikely to win.

9. Early Twenties by Cat Burns

Talk about sneaking in there – this debut album from British singer-songwriter Cat Burns was released on the 12th of July this year, the final day for eligible entries into the 2024 prize. Obviously the judges would have listened to it before that date though, and they were clearly taken in by the record’s uplifting pop melodies and soul-baring lyricism.

Now, there actually isn’t too much working against Cat Burns when it comes to winning the overall prize. It is a debut album which always fair well and she’s also had good success in recent years with critic-led awards, having come fourth in the BBC Sound of 2023 and earning three Brit Award nominations just last year.

However, with the late release date you do wonder if the album would have had chance to make an impact on the judging panel in the same way as some of the other records on this list. Additionally, the album hasn’t had too long to make an impact culturally on the wider music world either, which leads me to think this is another album that is unlikely to prevail.

8. Who Am I by BERWYN

Like Ghetts, British rapper, producer and songwriter BERWYN is another artist who has been on the shortlist before, having also been nominated in 2021 for his impressively raw mixtape, Demotape/Vega. Now back with what is being billed as his debut studio album, WHO AM I is a powerful force that is as lyrically spellbinding as it is emotionally impactful.

However unlike Ghetts, BERWYN for me actually has a lot pulling for him. Again it’s another debut, he’s a previous nominee and rap records have typically done well in recent years (see wins from Little Simz, Dave and Skepta). So why is it only 8th on the list I hear you ask? Well, I think it simply boils down to there being some stronger records on this list that you can argue are more deserving. Whilst a BERWYN win (or a BER-WIN if you want to be cheesy) is certainly possible, my gut tells me its also improbable given the strength of the field.

7. Black Rainbows by Corinne Bailey Rae

A record that made my own year-end list back in December finishing an impressive 16th, Black Rainbows is one of the most acclaimed albums on this year’s shortlist. Inspired by an exhibition on Black history by artist Theaster Gates at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, the album is a mesmerising collage of eclectic sounds that range from soul and R&B to frantic garage rock and sprawling electronica.

Corinne is also a previous nominee, having had her sophomore record The Sea shortlisted for the 2010 prize. Given the love and acclaim Black Rainbows has received too, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Corinne announced as the winner on the night.

However given the other nominees, my gut instinct says the judges may favour a newer artist, with Corinne almost in the same category as Beth Gibbons as already being too well established at this point. Whilst a Mercury win would certainly be deserving, my instincts are telling me this likely won’t be Corinne’s year.

6. When Will We Land? by Barry Can’t Swim

An album I’m personally a massive fan of and would love to see win tomorrow night. When Will We Land, the debut from Scottish musician and producer Joshua Mainnie AKA Barry Can’t Swim, is a vibrant and joyous experience like no other. Filled with a globe-trotting mix of sonic influences and textures, it is an incredible debut that has cemented Barry Can’t Swim as a household name in the electronic music world over the last year.

Now much like jazz albums, electronic records are good at getting nominated, but rarely do they win. In fact, you have to go all the way back to James Blake’s win in 2013 for Overgrown to find the last triumph from the popular genre. So not only is an electronic record long overdue a win, Barry’s debut has had such an impact in the space, not just for him but for the genre on the whole, it would be a well-received victory.

That said, as much as I would love Barry to walk away the overall prize winner, I think his chances are sadly fewer than some of the others on this year’s shortlist.

5. Silence Is Loud by Nia Archives

We’re into the real contenders now and this debut from record producer, DJ and singer-songwriter Nia Archives is certainly in with a chance. Heralded for its groundbreaking fusion of Jungle and Britpop with sincere lyricism at the heart, it’s an album that is truly unlike any other released in 2024.

With Nia such a trailblazer and pioneer for this Jungle revival that British music is now seeing, not just bringing the genre back to the fore but moving it forward as well, you have to wonder if Nia will get the nod in the same way Skepta won in 2016 for Konnichiwa. While that was arguably not the best record on the shortlist that year, it seemed like the judges were keen to recognise Skepta’s impact on the British rap and grime scene, helping to really bring it to a worldwide audience. I could easily see this reasoning repeated and with Nia’s record a debut too, it’s definitely one of the frontrunners in this very open contest.

Again, the only thing working against a Silence Is Loud win is the impact and quality of the others on the shortlist.

4. Brat by Charli XCX

An album that needs no introduction at this point. Let’s face it, has there been a British record in the last five years – or even decade - that has had as big of a cultural impact, in such a short space of time too, than Charli XCX’s Brat?

Although only released in June, the album has already cemented itself as one of the defining albums of 2024, and indeed the 2020s. From the iconic green artwork that has inspired festival fashion to instantly iconic lyrics entering the internet zeitgeist, to even politicians using the album’s lore in their political campaigns - the last few months have truly been a “brat summer”.

As we look ahead to tomorrow, Brat is currently the bookie’s favourite to take home the prize. In any other year, I would discount Charli simply for being too commercially successful and the judges tending to favour lesser-known artists when it comes to granting the overall prize. While I still ultimately think that will be the case, there is also a part of me that thinks the judges may see the impact of Brat and think it would be crazy to not award it the title of Album of the Year. In addition to this, Brat has received extreme acclaim too from critics, so it would be an incredibly popular win.

Back in 2006, Arctic Monkeys had the fastest-selling debut album ever at that time and as a result, would go on to win the Mercury Prize that year. Commercially successful albums winning when they’ve achieved cultural significance isn’t unheard of throughout the history of the Mercury Prize, so don’t be surprised if Charli walks away with it tomorrow - despite being one of the biggest popstars on the planet right now.

3. Prelude To Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party

Speaking of fast-selling debuts, upon it’s release back in February, Prelude To Ecstasy became the UK's biggest first week-selling debut album in nine years. Considering the buzz surrounding it, this came as no surprise as there are few bands as vehemently discussed as The Last Dinner Party. Yet in many ways they still feel slightly underappreciated, often criticised for the wrong reasons. When you focus on the musicianship of the record itself, there are few debut albums as anthemic, as dazzling and as accomplished as Prelude To Ecstasy.

Much like Brat, The Last Dinner Party’s debut feels like one of the defining records of the last 12 months and although also commercially successful, you could see the critic darlings crowned the overall winners for that reason. They are also less established than Charli, so may feel like a compromise as they are still technically a “new” artist. However, you also feel the judges may recognise awarding the London quintet the overall prize may sadly have an adverse effect, leaving them prone to more criticism and intense scrutiny from their naysayers.

This again makes me think the judges will ultimately go in a different direction, but personally I think this record deserves all the praise and awards in the world. Without a doubt, one of the year’s finest albums.

2. This Could Be Texas by English Teacher

Into the top two then and now we have arrived at the two albums I think have the best chance of winning the overall prize tomorrow. One is a choice of head, the other is a choice of heart.

If I’m going with my head, everything points me in the direction of this debut album from rock quartet, English Teacher. Hugely acclaimed, particularly by the British music press, it’s an album that has captivated due to it’s soaring originality, poetic lyrics and broad eclecticism. In fact, when you look at the genres that typically make up the Mercury Prize shortlist each year – rock, jazz, electronic, pop, soul, R&B, folk, punk and post-punk – This Could Be Texas has a little bit of all of that.

This for me is a record tailor-made to win the Mercury Prize. It is a debut album, from a band that is still up-and-coming, that would benefit massively from the greater exposure, and an album which will surely tick a lot of boxes for the diverse music tastes on the judging panel.

It’s also interesting to note that there is a strong Leeds/Bradford contingent on this year’s shortlist, with a quarter of the artists nominated heralding from the area – which makes me think the winner is likely to come from one of those three albums. So, if you’re a betting person and are still trying to decide where to put your money, my head says English Teacher’s debut is the album to back.

1. Crazymad, For Me by CMAT

But that is what my head says, my heart says something different. While a good part of me thinks English Teacher is the one to prevail tomorrow, the one I am really rooting for is Crazymad For Me by Irish singer-songwriter, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson – AKA, CMAT.

Having finished as my 12th favourite Album of 2023, it’s a record that I still find myself frequently returning to almost a year later. In fact, if I was to redo that list today, it would be in the Top 5. This is because with each new spin it feels more and more like a modern classic, with songs like California, Rent, Where Are Your Kids Tonight and, of course, Stay For Something, all timeless in nature.

It’s not just me with a great affection for this record either. It’s another album that has seen huge love and acclaim over the last year, even getting nominated for the Irish Choice Prize back in March. Which brings me onto another important point regarding CMAT’s album within wider Mercury Prize folklore, and that is the fact that an Irish artist is still yet to win the overall prize. That’s right, despite plenty of nominations throughout the 30+ years it has been granted, an Irish artist is still yet to take home the coveted Album of the Year title.

So, with a jazz record finally winning in 2023 and bucking the long-standing trend, surely it is time for an Irish artist to be recognised as the overall winner. At a time as well where Irish music is thriving – just look at recent albums from the likes of Fontaines D.C., Kneecap, Sprints, NewDad and The Murder Capital, to name just a few – it feels like the right time. With CMAT’s incredibly infectious and warm personality, as well as her clear love for music, performing and mastering her songcraft, I couldn’t think of a more deserving person and artist to make this little piece of history.

That’s my thoughts anyway ahead of the annual ceremony tomorrow night; I guess we’ll soon find out as always just how close – or not close – I was with my predictions. Best of luck to all the artists and as ever, I look forward to watching!

Watch the 2024 Mercury Prize be presented on BBC Four tomorrow night from 8pm.

#new music #best new music #album recommendation #album of the year #mercury music prize #mercury prize #CMAT #the last dinner party #charli xcx #nia archives #corinne bailey rae #beth gibbons #berwyn #english teacher #barry can't swim #cat burns #ghetts #corto alto

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