#do i think billie deserved a grammy as well? yes

[kaijubluu]

beyonce deserved her grammy idec

[seeingivy]

random method acting thoughts + asks

correct. you are absolutely correct. AND I THINK I MENTIONED THIS A FEW TIMES but every time I feel like method acting drama is unrealistic I remember that nicki minaj exists and sleep well at night. MEGAN DEFENDER FOR LIFE

trust. we've got a tweets heavy chapter. and her comeback tweet is so petty I don't even know how we got here but we're here

WAIT UR SO RIGHT. casual E charm around her neck and she's just like yeah what? no i'm not dating him what are you talking about (yes, she is)

thank you so much ☹️ i've been having the worst week (for two weeks in a row) and kind words like this mean so much to me. the headspace has not been the most fun space to be lately (and sometimes I worry that reflects in what I wrote) but i'm glad that it's made you happy and given you that feeling of love. that's all I could hope for and it almost makes me teary eyed that some shred of that is still there even when i'm not feeling the best 💌

here are my random thoughts:

connie has the online presence of tik tok user @/nmillz. like him single handedly reviving all in my head (flex) by fifth harmony (PLEASE TELL ME YOU'VE SEEN IT) is the funniest thing ever and even the way he talks/what he talks about reminds me of method acting connie 😭

this is so random but mentally in my head, I associate some of the characters with like real celebrities and influencers in terms of aesthetic and vibe, which i've seen some readers do which is so interesting cuz our picks are never the same

like y/n in my head is olivia rodrigo coded. like her having a specific brand (very romantic, lovey dovey) when she was on disney channel (and maybe was asked to lean into really hard) as opposed to guts/sour which is so.....emotional/ jealously/rock that's kind of the vibe I get from that character (or at least where we are headed)

historia in terms of aesthetic/character is sabrina carpenter and taylor swift. sabrina carpenter in terms of aesthetics/looks (she is very much the beauty standard, the dream girl, nonsense outros) and in terms of character is taylor swift? like she's a relatable but there's a part of her that's always going to be untouchable (for taylor that's just cuz I think she's a billionaire/very detached from reality, but for the character that just stems from being so deep in the whole industry type thing that she kind of forgets what matters sometimes)

gabi in general reminds me of billie eilish, in terms of where her character will go. I wanted to include the real life hate that gabi as a character got in the show into the story, but I also feel like that hate sometimes is given to billie eilish. to the point where when she wins grammy's she's apologizing bc she feels like she doesn't deserve it, but at the end of the day...she's one of the most talented artists in our generation? what was I made for? bad guy? happier than ever? they were all phenomenal. gabi can be a great actress but she'll never feel like it!

sukuna and y/n give zendaya and timothee vibes. eren and lana give bradley cooper and emma stone in the variety actors on actors interview.

falco and gabi are walter scobell and leah sava jefferies in terms of dynamic and vibes. I will die on this hill.

eren and y/n are andrew garfield/emma stone (ref: she was like a shot of espresso), danielle galligan/calahan skogman (ref: matching tattoos), daisy ridley jones/paul mescal (ref: undeniable SOMETHING)

hyla just has kardashians/nicki minaj level audacity. like kim wearing a purple dress and posting a story w/ speak now...nicki minaj ai generated diss track like that's her.

[trollprincess]

*sigh* Okay, as an awards show junkie, I really need to respond to this.

“The thing that keeps getting rereleases and big awards” makes it sound like nobody’s paying attention to the other music on the soundtrack, which is bullshit. It currently has sixteen nominations with seven wins listed on Wikipedia page. “What Was I Made For?” has eleven wins with *thirty-six* nominations, most of them still listed as pending. “I’m Just Ken” is nominated for one Grammy. “What Was I Made For?” is nominated for FIVE, not just “Best Song Written for Visual Media.” It’s nominated for Best Record AND Song of the year. It is going to win the Oscar, barring the Academy awarding parody, which it so rarely does.

The video for “I’m Just Ken” has 3.7 million views on YouTube. The video for “What Was I Made For” has 98 MILLION. AND it’s nominated for a Grammy.

By almost *every fucking measurement,* “What Was I Made For” is THE major song from “Barbie.” It is *incredibly* true to form, though, that “I’m Just Ken” gets at most half the accolades by almost every single metric and yet is being complained about as getting MORE attention.

Also, just personally, and if it makes me a bad feminist then I don’t care, but “I’m Just Ken” is fun and silly and a lot more enjoyable to belt out in your car, and I wish people would stop treating it like it completely torpedoes whatever feminist message people might have gleaned from the movie. (Which, I think it’s okay that the feminist message in it is so basic? Because not everyone is like so many of us terminally-online folks writing graduate-level feminist analysis on every piece of media we devour. Some people are just going to the movies to see “Barbie” because it’s Barbie. Some people seeing “Barbie” are literal children who maybe need the entry-level feminism before they move on to the hardcore stuff.)

Do I love the song? Yes, it’s fun! Do I want to see Ryan Gosling perform it at the Oscars? Oh, yes, please, I wish Jack Black was nominated for “Peaches,” too. The Oscars could use more funny moments they didn’t script within an inch of their lives. Do I want to win? Oh, God, no. “What Was I Made For” deserves to win and it’s going to win and I think even Ryan Gosling would be like, “What the fuck is wrong with you people?” if it DIDN’T beat “I’m Just Ken” and give it to Billie and Finneas.

… ahem. That may have been on my chest for a while. But I know the Oscars way too well so all of this - *gestures towards The Discourse* - is making me want to eat ground glass.

RYAN GOSLING "I'm Just Ken" wins Best Original Song at the 29th Annual Critics' Choice Awards (January 14, 2024)

[watchyourbluesturngolden]

go big or go home

this was a request from @kk2016

Hi!! could you write about being pregnant with Harry but no one knew so you guys show up to the Grammys together and everyone can see your baby bump through your dress?

here is the link to the dress you’re wearing. I have no idea if this is a good option, I’m terrible with fashion :) but I thought it was cute! If you hate it, definitely just imagine something else :)

warnings: pregnancy

word count: 2.8k

It wasn't exactly hard to hide a pregnancy during a pandemic. You barely left the house, and if you did, you weren't recognized. The one time you and Harry had been spotted, you had only been 4 months along and were wearing an oversized sweater. So it was safe to say this baby was your family's little secret.

Harry knew, of course. He had been the first person to know (after Anne and the doctor who confirmed the pregnancy). You had got around to telling the rest of your families after the first trimester was over. The "inner circle," as you liked to call it, were the few people who were aware. This consisted of your parents, Anne, Gemma, Harry's band, Jeff and Glenne. That was it. Neither of you were wild on the idea of Harry's entire fanbase knowing, so you kept it under wraps as best you could.

Which, once again, wasn't hard to do. You didn't even have to go out for groceries; they could be delivered. You could buy everything for the nursery online and have it sent directly to your front doorstep. You and Harry had stayed inside for the better part of the past seven months.

However, there was one event coming up that you absolutely refused miss out on. The Grammys. At first, Harry thought you should stay home. He was worried you would get sick, and how it might affect the baby. He was worried about his fans finding out. He was worried he wouldn't win and he would have to see your disappointed face right next to him.

Of course, you were not about to let this happen. You assured him you wouldn't get within six feet of anyone besides him. You wouldn't shake anyone's hand or hug anyone. You would wear two masks, if it would make him feel safer. You would shower in hand sanitizer. You really didn't care what you had to do; you were not going to miss this night.

"Harry, I swear to God, if you keep giving me that terrified look..."

"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, dragging a hand over his face. "I'm allowed to be a little apprehensive. This really isn't a good idea, I think it might be best if you just stay home. I just-"

"Absolutely not," you spun around, placing your hands on your hips. "I'm going to be there, in person, so I can watch my husband become a Grammy winner."

"You can watch from here!" He argued. "Plus, that way, you don't have to walk around all night. I know your feet have been bugging you, and-"

"Don't use this pregnancy against me!" You threw your head back, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm not," he said, stepping closer and resting his hands on your belly. "I just want you to be safe. You and our little girl."

"I know," you brought up your hand to brush along his cheekbone. "And we will be. I'm not going to get close to anyone. I'm not going to touch anything. I'm going to have two masks on the entire night. Harry, there won't be anyone safer than me this whole night. I promise."

"I just..."

When he didn't finish his sentence, you leaned in to meet his eyes. "What are you really worried about?"

"Lots of things," he murmured. "Besides the literal plague? I'm worried about people finding out and being cruel. I don't want to deal with that, and I don't ever want you to be exposed to it. I'm worried something bad will happen, and it'll be all my fault for letting you come along. And... I'm worried you'll be disappointed if I don't win." His last sentence was so quiet you barely heard it, but it still made your heart ache.

"Baby..." You said quietly, your voice sad. You ignored his other two worries for now, because this one was clearly the most important to deal with. “You think I'll be disappointed in you?"

He nodded, looking at his hands on you instead of meeting your eyes. "Everything I do, it's all for you. You and her. What if it's not enough? What if I fail?"

"Harry," you kept your hands on his face, directing him to look at you. "I will never, ever be disappointed in you. You are amazing, in everything you do. Understand? I personally think you will be a three time Grammy winner at the end of the night-" he grinned at this- "But even if you're not, I will still be so incredibly proud of you. I will always, always be proud of you, and I will always love you. Okay?"

He didn't move, but you used your grip on his face to nod his head up and down. His smile grew bigger, and he grabbed your wrist gently. He turned his head to kiss your palm, sighing softly before he pulled away.

"I love you so much," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me feel better. You always know exactly what to say."

You shrugged with a small smile. "I'm just amazing, I think."

"I think so too."

-----

You were sitting on the couch, dressed in your normal quarantine clothing. Hoodies. Sweatpants for him, leggings for you. Why would you get dressed up for a virtual acceptance ceremony?

You bounced excitedly as they announced "Adore You" as one of the nominations for best music video. Harry smiled when you gripped his arm.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," he admitted.

"Well, you're just a ray of sunshine today," you huffed. "Here it comes!"

"And the Grammy goes to... Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, and WizKid."

You slumped back slightly, patting his arm.

He laughed lightly at your reaction. "She deserves it."

You nodded. "Not to be mean to you, but yeah, she definitely does."

-----

As the hours wore on, you could tell Harry was getting more nervous.

"It's just- it's my first performance in a while. What if it's not good?"

"Harry," you grabbed his face again. "It will be amazing. Yes?"

Again, he didn't respond. Again, you had to physically move his head up and down in a nod. Again, this made him laugh. It was a small gesture, but you could tell it helped calm him down at least a little bit.

"There's one thing we haven't talked about," he pulled away from you, going through his drawers to find his socks.

"What's that?"

"Your outfit."

You shook your head. "I already picked my dress." You pulled out the garment bag, unzipping it to show him. It was fairly simple; you didn't want to overshadow him on his big day.

He smiled. "It's beautiful."

You nodded. "We're going to look so hot together."

"Couple of the year, I think."

"We might break the internet. Seriously. You're wearing a leather jacket with no shirt and I'm pregnant. Twitter is going to explode."

He laughed again, pulling you into his arms. "Are you sure you're ok with everyone knowing? It might not be good, people's reactions can be really-"

"You do realize they will have to find out at some time, right? You can't exactly hide a child forever."

"I know," he sighed. "I just like living in our little bubble, where it's only me and you who know."

"And your mom. And Gemma. And my parents. And Sarah, and Mitch, and Adam, and Ny, and Charlotte, and Jeff and-"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point," he chuckled. "But you know what I mean."

"I do," you nodded. "And I'm ok with people knowing. Besides, it'll blow over soon. I can just stay off socials until it does."

Harry sighed again. "I wish you didn't have to. I wish people would just..."

"Treat people with kindness," you grinned. "Maybe they don't know. Maybe you should tell them to do that sometime."

He rolled his eyes playfully, pulling away from you. "You're funny."

"Hilarious, I know."

"I have to get ready," he sighed. "One last try- are you sure you don't want to stay home?"

"Not a chance," you smiled. "Now shoo so I can get dressed."

-----

His hands were shaking as he opened the door of his dressing room. You gripped his arm tighter, trying to remind him you were here for him.

"Everything's going to be ok," you said softly.

He nodded, but his hands still shook.

"I'll be right offstage, you can look at me if you get nervous," you reminded him. "This might not be the time, but I'm, like, really excited to see you perform."

"Yeah?" He gave a small smile.

You nodded. "It's been a while since I've been able to see that. And you look... very nice in this outfit."

"Very nice, huh?" He laughed. "What a compliment."

"I do have a way with words," you grinned.

"Always," he leaned his forehead against yours. "Now what was it you said earlier? Shoo, so I can get dressed."

"I'll be just offstage," you reminded him one last time, blowing him a kiss as you stepped out of the room.

-----

You couldn't take your eyes off him for the entire performance. He was worried for no reason, because he was incredible. He was born to do this, you could tell.

You cheered louder than anyone else when he finished, earning a cheeky smile from him. As soon as he could get away, he ran over to you and enveloped you in his arms.

"I told you you'd be amazing," you whispered.

He nodded, wearing the biggest smile you'd seen in days. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"I didn't do anything," you laughed.

"No, I couldn't have done it without your moral support," he clarified.

"Right, moral support," you nodded seriously before breaking into a smile again. "But really, that was amazing. You're perfect."

"That's all you, love," he returned the compliment, turning back around to watch Billie performing. He kept his arm around you, though. The camera panned to you a few times during the different performances, and you knew by this point the viewers at home had seen your bump. Your dress wasn't very tight fitting, but you were almost 8 months along. You were sure social media was exploding by now.

You didn't have to worry about that though, not yet at least. You had a few more hours of calm.

-----

Harry's nerves had apparently returned once you got to the table. His hand was gripping yours even tighter than before and his leg bounced constantly. You placed your hand on his thigh, trying to calm his frantic movements. His eyes went to yours, and you could tell he was smiling under his mask.

"It will be fine," you reminded him. "Everything will be ok. You already did the hard part, remember?"

He nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Right. And soon, we can go home, and sit on the couch, and eat ice cream."

"Exactly," you smiled. "And I can get back in my leggings and not get dressed again for the next 6 months."

He laughed at this, and his grip on your hand loosened. He still kept hold of you, but you could tell he wasn't so nervous anymore.

"Ok, shh, they're announcing it now," you said excitedly.

Harry looked down, apparently seized with nerves again.

"And the Grammy goes to... Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles."

His eyes went wide, and your face split into a giant grin. He reached his arm out to grab yours, almost like he didn't believe what had just happened.

He pulled his mask off, standing up. He took your hand, gesturing for you to stand too, so of course you obliged. He pulled you against him, and you could feel how fast his heart was beating. When he pulled away, you smiled up at him.

"I knew you would win," you said softly, still beaming. "Now go!" You gave his shoulder a gentle push toward the stage.

"Wow, um..." He blew out a breath, looking at you before he spoke again. "To everyone who made this record with me, thank you so much. This was the first song we wrote after my first album came out, during a day off in Nashville, and I just want to say thanks to Tom, Tyler, Mitch, and everyone... Rob Stringer, and everyone at Colombia, my manager Jeffery, who has always nudged me to be better and never pushed me, thank you so much. I feel very grateful to be here, thank you. All of these songs are fucking massive, so thank you so much, I feel very honored to be here among all of you, so thank you so much. And I want to say-" he looked at you again, a smile of adoration crossing his face. "Most importantly, thank you to my wife. Y/N, I love you more than anything else on this planet, and I couldn't have done any of this without you. You make it all possible, so... thank you to the light of my life, and of course our daughter." His eyes went wide at the last sentence, like he hadn't planned to say that. He looked around nervously before he quickly made his way back to his seat.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that, it slipped out-"

You shook your head, taking his hand. "It's ok, don't worry about it," you smiled. "I'm so proud of you."

He put his mask back on, but it didn't hide the happiness on his face.

-----  

Once everything was over and you had both climbed into the car to go home, it seemed to really hit him.

"I won a Grammy," he said in disbelief, looking down at the award in his hands.

"You won a Grammy," you repeated with a big smile on your face. "Grammy winner Harry Styles."

"Yeah," he looked back up at you, his eyes still wide. "That's... insane."

You nodded. "And very impressive. And I'm so proud of you."

He smiled, scooting closer so he could put his arm around you. "Grammy winner Harry Styles... and his amazing wife."

"And their amazing daughter," you added, placing his other hand over your stomach. "Feel that? She's been kicking all night. She's excited for you."

He grinned, before his face dropped back into one of concern. "Are you sure you're ok with what I said? I really didn't mean to, I just got caught up, it-"

"Baby," you stopped him. "I promise, it's ok. Besides, everyone knew the minute I walked in there."

"Right," he nodded. "Has your phone been blowing up?"

You shrugged. "I turned it off. Should we check?"

"I'm a little nervous," he admitted.

"I'm gonna do it." You fished your phone out of your purse, eyes widening when you saw how many notifications you had. From every possible app. Congratulations texts, excited DMs, missed calls, and then there were the mentions. There were well over a hundred on your lockscreen alone.

You cleared all of them, deciding to open Twitter and see how bad it was. You were very pleasantly surprised.

"harry's daughter" was #1 on the trending page, and "harry in leather" was right behind it. Clicking on the first one, you found several GIFs of the terrified look on Harry's face when he accidentally made the announcement. You smiled, but scrolled further. Hundreds of fans were typing in all caps, apparently very excited that Harry was going to be a father.

"You're right, we broke the internet," he grinned, looking through his own timeline. "I've seen my bare chest more in the last five minutes than my entire life before this."

"What a power couple we are," you laughed. "We got the top two trending spots."

"What an accomplishment," he joked.

You scrolled for a few more minutes, still yet to see a negative message. "You were worried for nothing, babe. They're all very excited for us."

"I see that," he grinned. "They've also named our baby for us, and somehow know her zodiac sign."

"Oh, wonderful," you laughed. "But really, it could have been worse."

"Definitely," he nodded. "Well, that's one way to announce a pregnancy. On live TV in front of the entire nation."

"Yeah, you know, go big or go home."

"Exactly."

Closing Twitter, you moved on to Instagram. You gasped when you saw the first picture on your feed. "Sarah posted her bump! Now we can be baby buddies in public, not just in secret."

Harry smiled, turning off his phone and pulling you closer to him.

"omg, baby buddies :)" you commented. Within seconds, Sarah had liked the comment and replied with "they will be best friends😊"

With that, you turned off your own device and leaned into his side. "What a good night. Aren't you glad I came with you?"

"I am," he admitted. "Very glad. Thanks for being stubborn."

"Always."

[esinclvir]

˛ ⠀ * ⠀ ★ ⠀  MADELYN CLINE  .   CIS  WOMAN  .  SHE/HER      ⧽ ⠀ have  you  seen  the  786  latest  post  ?  sources  say  they  have  some  serious  dirt  on  the  child  of  a  big  time  MOVIE  PRODUCER/DIRECTOR  AND  SUPERMODEL  .   they  haven’t  revealed  who  it was  yet  but  my  best  is  on  ELEANOR  SINCLAIR  !  ever  since  that  last  update  about  how  she  WAS  HAVING  HER  DRUG  DEALER  SNEAK  DRUGS  INTO  HER  REBHAB  FACILITY  i  don’t  put  anything  pass  them  .  i  mean  ,  these  celebrity  kids  are  just  out  of  control  .   they  do  whatever  they  want  ,  whenever  they  want  and  are  ungrateful  in  the  process  !!  i  mean  take  ELLE  for  example  ,  they’re  a  TWENTY-THREE  year  old  SINGER  AND  REALITY  TV  PERSONALITY  ,  and  what  did  they  do  to  get  there  ?  have  famous  parents  !  like  hello  ,  just  because  you  WERE  NOMINATED  FOR  SIX  GRAMMYS  AND  WON  FOUR  FROM  ONE  ALBUM doesn’t  mean  you  actually  deserved  it  .   i’m   glad   the   786   is   taking   them   down   a   notch   .   it’s   about   time   someone   does   .    ❪      shan  .  22  .  est  .  she/her  .  billie eilish  .     ❫ 

hello , besties ! i’m shan , how’re yall livin ? i know i’m pretty late with getting this out , but whew i’ve had the craziest schedule the last few days ! either way i couldn’t be more excited to get to know all of yall + your characters ! i have a google doc linked below ( it also has some wanted connections at the botom of the doc ) but i figured i’d also put some bullets below , you know , a little tldr; moment going on ? anywho , i have the next two days off so expect me to be around :) with that said if you’d like to plot give this a like or just shoot me a message on discord ( killatrav#5428 )

★     𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐂 .    ★    𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐒 .   ★

born in frankfurt , germany to a big time movie producer/director + supermodel ( think steven spielberg + gisele bündchen ) 

being the youngest + only daughter in the family set elle up to be rather spoiled by her parents, something that immediately put a wedge between her + her brother . 

miami became her official home when she was two once her father finished up production on a movie set in germany . 

her childhood was pretty normal , well as normal as a spoiled rich kids life could be. the only true normalcy she had was not having cameras shoved in her face , she was afforded genuine privacy which is not something every celebrity child can say .  

school was a serious matter in the sinclair household , so it was good that elle took to learning + behaving in class well . always top of her class + raved about by her peers + teachers alike . 

at fifteen her parents separated for a few months , her dad + brother moving to los angeles while herself + her mom stayed in miami . elle did not take well to living in a broken home . 

a month in her mom went on a work trip to italy , leaving her fifteen year old [brokenhearted] daughter in a empty mansion alone . it was the perfect recipe to send elle down the wrong path . she started partying + neglecting school . 

first she turned to excessive drinking then when the drinking didn’t do much to numb the pain she turned to drugs , pretty much anything she could get her hands on ( although she had a preference toward cocaine + xanax ) . 

once her mom returned home it didn’t take long before elle’s dirty little secret was aired out . a mother should never find their child overdosed , but that’s exactly what happened . 

the golden child veil was now shed + with the realization that their daughter was falling apart her father moved back home to miami . 

the family may have been back together but what they didn’t realize was elle would never be the same . 

the joyful little girl who could do no wrong was replaced with a sad girl haunted by her own addiction for years to come . she was rather good at putting on a good face though + playing up the jovial rich girl role she’d known for so long . 

her singing career began when she was just sixteen ( against her parents wishes , knowing their daughters struggles , the last thing they wanted was for her to be in any sort of hollywood industry ) . her first album took off + her career has been on an incline ever since ( she has billie eilish as a career claim - i’ll have a detailed career timeline posted soon ) . 

at eighteen she took her public career to the next level when she agreed to do a reality television show ( ex. keeping up with the kardashians vibes ) , the show still films today + has been one of the more popular shows on tv + netflix . 

she is someone who enjoys being famous although many would say it is to her detriment as her addiction has only gotten worse as she’s grown older + more famous . 

she has had three stints in rehab that are known to the public, although, she’s actually been to rehab a total of four times in her life . 

she was released from her latest stint on september eighth of this year ( yes, she’s only been out + about for a week now )

she lives in key biscayne with her two dogs benji ( a black lab ) + molly ( a tan pembroke corgi ) . 

hobby wise she loves partying , brunch , poetry ( really just writing in general ) , surfing , shopping + cooking/baking . 

some of her favorite tv shows are queen of the south , mind hunter , american horror story , big mouth + 60 days in . 

personality wise ? she is kind , fun-loving , smart + extremely rational but also have a sarcastic streak + has never been the best when it comes to emotions , honestly she comes off rather cold + distant when it comes to both her emotions as well as others . she’s not very good at sympathizing with others despite her being such a friendly person . 

as of now that’s all i got , aside from what’s in her bio ( which is really just all this info more in depth ) !

[chemiste]

Voicemail. ~part 3~

a/n : final part!!!!!!!!! aaaaaaaaaa, thank you so much to everyone who’s been supporting this little story, it’s made me so happy to see the positive response from everyone <3

mah masterlist 

part 1 part 2

“The nominations are,” The camera paned into the crowd,

“Billie Eilish - Everything or Nothing.”

“Dua Lipa - Freaky Monday.”

“Harry Styles - FineLine.”

“Y/N L/N - The Journey Goes On.”

“And the Song of the Year goes to…..”

“The Journey Goes On!”

You couldn’t believe it, you won.

Applause filled the room, Shawn turned to you with a big smile on his face, standing up to help you up the stairs in your long dress. You took his arm and climbed up, totally in awe of what was happening.

The model handed you the Grammy and led you to the podium to speak. You looked up to the crowd who was still congratulating you. Scanning the sea of people, you looked out to all the faces, Billie, Hailee, Harry.

Harry.

He looked so happy, back in his red suit, cheering for you.

“Thank you everyone, you don’t know how much this means to me. I’ve dreamed about this since I first started scribbling out songs on spare napkins at a diner. Everyone that was nominated deserves this award as much as I do, so please a big round of applause for them,” you paused to clap.

“I—This song was something I wrote a while ago,” you glanced up, looking at Harry for a moment and then back to the crowd.

“The reason I decided to put it out now was because I’d finally came to terms with myself and realized that when something doesn’t work out, you have to keep going, you need to move forward because, the journey will always go on and you have to be able to meet it. You have to trust things will work out in the end. Life is easy, it’s the people that make it complicated.”

You smiled, “But… sometimes it leads you back to where you started, to who you started with. And you have to be willing to take that leap of faith and hope everything works out. This award just goes to so that others struggle with that as well and I’m happy to have made something we can all listen and relate to. My fans mean everything to me and I wouldn’t be here with out them, so a big thanks to them. Thank you.”

Stepping away from the podium, you gave one final thank you and headed backstage, red dress flowing behind you. You did a few interviews about the Grammy, then headed out to change and go to the afterparty.

                                                ...............

“Girl I’m so happy for you!” 

Hailee exclaimed as she climbed into the limo with you, heading to the club. 

You both had changed and were looking marvelously delicious. Hailee had opted for a shiny pastel pink dress with a leg slit and matching heels. 

You chose a more versatile outfit, going with a pink wide pant suit with a large slit down the center of the top. You moved your shoulders around, seeing how the top moved. 

“I hope this boob tape holds, I’d really like the only news about me tomorrow to be about my win, not my nipples.” 

You said to Hailee who bursted out in laughter. 

“You’ll be fine, but I wanted to ask, are you gonna talk to H?” She inquired. 

You sighed, “Yeah, I think so.”

She gave you side hug, resting her head on your shoulder, “ everything will work out the way it’s supposed to, don’t worry.”

                                                 ..................

The party was full of life when you entered, the music at full blast and a swarm of bodies dancing in the center of the room. 

Hailee grabbed your hand and head down the stairs to the main flooring from the balcony you had entered on. She pushed through the sweaty bodies to get to the bar. 

“One gin and tonic please!” 

She called over the music to the bartender. 

“You want anything?” 

Asked the man pouring your friend’s drink. 

You shook your head, “No, I’ve got to stay sober, thanks!” 

You both moved over to a long couch, sitting down and scanning the party goers. 

“Do you see him yet?” 

“Uh....Yeah! There he is.” 

You glanced to where Hailee was looking and saw Harry, dolled up wearing white pants and a Micky Mouse sweater.

Okay, time to talk.

You felt a hand on your shoulder, “Go get e’m.”

Smiling at Hailee, you took a breath and got up, walking over. 

He looked so calm while chatting with Mitch. It almost made you hesitant to go over, but then his guitarist saw you and poked the singer, nodding towards your direction. 

His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of you coming over and met you half way.

��H-Hi Y/N.”

“Hi Harry, c-can we talk?”

He nodded and you led him out of the main dance room and into a side hallway, much quieter and less crowded.

“So I wanted to say—“

“I’m really sorry its—“

You both let out a small laugh, noticing how tense you both were at the prospect of talking.

 He gestured to you, “You go first.” 

You cleared your throat, “Well, I just wanted to ask you about, ya know, the songs. The one you sang at the award ceremony, it was beautiful.”

“It was for you.”

You took a sharp breath, leaning against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

“Why?”

“Because I needed you to know, that I knew what I did.”

You chuckled, tears filling your eyes, you swallowed and looked the man before you, the one trying to what? Apologize?

“Harry, that voicemail—“

“Was a mistake and I’m truly sorry about it.”

“Who were you with?”

He looked at you a quizzical look, “huh?”

“I said, who were you with? Who would you have been saying that for?”

“Oh,” he fidgeted, playing with the rings on his hand, “I—I don’t really remember, I was really drunk so it’s all fuzzy.”

You hummed, biting the inside of you lip, trying to determine if his was trust worthy.

“I didn’t listen to the extra songs you sent me, but I saw the titles.”

You tugged on the sleeve of your suit, taking a breath. 

“Did you listen to the others..”

You shook your head, “Uh, no but I read the lyrics.”

“Oh, yeah, t-that’s good.”

“Did you really want to marry me.”

His shot up not expecting the question but answering immediately, “I still do.”

Well that was a shock.

“What?”

“I’ve never stopped loving you, Y/N.”

The tears that you had been holding in started to stream down your face, you grabbed him by the jaw, looking him straight in the eye.

“Then marry me.”

His eyes widened, looking at you like you’d grown two heads.

“What?”

You smiled through your tears, finally taking your hand off him and wiping away the stray drops.

“I said, marry me, prove me wrong. You still love me right?”

He nodded, still a bit dumbfounded.

“A part of my heart has always been with you Harry, and I think you can get the whole thing back. I think you’ve always had this hold on me and I just needed some time to figure that out for myself.”

“You forgive me?”

You sighed, “We all make mistakes and you’ve apologized for what happened, so the best things we can do is to move on I think, and plus, actions speak louder than words, so if you marry me, I’ll know you’re being honest.”

You continued, “I know it’s a shock but I think we’ll make it work. We’re supposed to be together, I don’t know why, but I truly believe that, I really do.”

A large grin broke out across his face, making his dimples appear. He pulled you in closer, your foreheads resting against each other’s.

He glanced at you and it was like something changed, a quick glance to your lips solidified your suspicions. Slowly, you both crept closer, waiting with baited breath, understanding that this moment would change everything.

Then you felt his lips on yours, and everything seemed to fall back into place.

He was soft, warm, and still tasted faintly of the strawberry chapstick he wore. You molded together, the years of being apart fading away and only this moment in time mattering to either of you. After a few more light pecks, he pulled back.

“Are you sure Y/N? It’s a big step—“

“But it needs to be done, I want that song Mrs. Styles on the radio asap.”

He chuckled, “Yes ma’m.”

“Harry?”

“Yes?”

“I never stopped loving you too.”

                                                 ........……

Y/NUpdates tweeted :

OH MY GOD, MRS.STYLES WAS JUST RELEASED AND I THINK MY SOUL IS GONE! IT GOT TO BE Y/N HUMMING AT THE END RIGHT?!?!?!

Harryishot352 tweeted :

I’m living for the fairy tale that is Harry and Y/N, the broke up for 3 years, then love songs were leaked, then he sang a new song for her at the Grammy’s (we all know its for her, they fuckin matched) and now a few months later we’re getting THIS GEM that is MRS. STYLES!

Vogue tweeted :

Congratulations to the rumored newly-weds, Y/N L/N and Harry Styles, or should we say, Y/N Styles! A song was just released this morning at 12am out of the blue, seemly answering the question everyone had been asking and now creating so many more! Have the two singers tied the knot? If so, when? And most importantly, we need pictures!!!!! Go to our website for more!

Hailee Steinfeld tweeted :

Congrats babe! @y/nl/n and @harry_styles wishing you so much happiness

Shawn Mendes tweeted :

@y/nl/n can I be the flower girl?!?!

                                                      .…............

:chatter in the beginning, like a voicemail:

“what are you doing love’?”

:“just smiling”

“why?”

“because I have you in my life.”

The sun in the mornin’

Shining down on us

Asleep under the covers

Holding hands and keeping each other’s trust

Oh… I’m gonna make this a safe place for you I say

Oh… whenever you’re scared, you can’a come runnin’ my way

Always…

My love, you light up my world…..

My darling, I promise I’ve learned…

I’m gonna take care of you, for the rest o’ my days

Cherish this moment, your love is in my… dna

Oh… I’m gonna make this a safe place for you I say

Oh… whenever you’re scared, you can’a come runnin’ my way

Always…

You keep me grounded, whenever I’m lost and soundless

You give me the reason to keep on believing my dreams are boundless.

You know the words to our life’s song,

You sing it with me, it makes me strong.

For your eyes only

I give you my heart

For your eyes only

I give you my heart

You’ll always be with me

We’ll never be apart

For your heart only

For my heart only

:laughter:

“stop it that tickles!”

“you’re such a goofball H!”

“i love you mrs. styles,”

“i love you too harry.”

<3

i hope y’all enjoyed :)

mah masterlist

[noramoya]

CHRIS LACY, In The Violet Reality. AUGUST 29th 2020.

“Yes, you read that right. There’s a difference between “greatest” and “best.” Merriam-Webster defines “greatest” as “remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness.” They also define “best” as “one’s maximum effort.”

With that said, it makes perfect sense to say Thriller is Michael Jackson’s “greatest” for changing the way we hear and see music. Smooth Criminal is his “best” because we see the King of Pop at the peak of his powers. Some of you agree with me. Others might think I’ve got one brain cell running laps in my head. (If you’re in that second group, hear me out.)

PASSING THE TORCH:

“Michael grew up a huge fan of Old Hollywood movies and Broadway theater. During his Grammy Legend speech in 1993, he said, “I remember [when Janet and I] were little, I used to ask her to be Ginger Rogers while I was Fred Astaire.”

After moonwalking into history books on Motown 25, Jackson got a phone call the next day, from his childhood hero. (“Oh, come on,” was his first reaction.) “You’re a hell of a mover. Man, you really put them on their asses last night,” Astaire told the future King of Pop. “It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life,” Jackson gushed, “and the only one I had ever wanted to believe.”

Shortly before Astaire passed away from pneumonia in June 1987, he said, “I didn’t want to leave this world before meeting my successor. Thank you, Michael.” It was as if Smooth Criminal was the short film he was born to make”.

A MASTER AT WORK:

“As a song, “Smooth Criminal” is an epic crime drama that steals a page from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. An unknown man breaks into a woman’s apartment. We don’t know why he’s there or if she will live to tell about it. On paper, that might sound like Michael’s character is a peeping Tom. But what does that make us, the audience? We’re listening to him — watching them!

He attacks each verse with a gruff rasp, spitting out words like shrapnel, and his soaring falsetto weeps over the chaos below. (“Annie, are you OK? / Will you tell us that you’re OK? / There’s a sign in the window / That he struck you — a crescendo, Annie!”) One of the fascinating parts of Michael’s work was the way he turned his torture into music that made the whole world dance. With ghostly keyboard swells and spidery basslines, “Smooth Criminal” sweeps you into its clutches before pouring its dark charms on the dance floor and casually tossing a lit match. On a filmmaking level, Smooth Criminal is a nine-minute highlight reel from the first frame to the last. I mean, what’s not to love?

•MJ flicks a coin across Club ‘30s into a neon–lit jukebox. •He showcases a dance style, inspired by ‘The Band Wagon’ (1953) and Looney Tunes animation. •MJ shoots a thug with a revolver through a brick wall near the staircase ! •His supersonic spin on the bar room table before the window shatters... •MJ makes jaws drop around the globe with an anti-gravity gangster lean ! •He unloads a Tommy gun on Mr. Big’s troops who are hot on his heels.

We’re watching a master at work. Yet all we wanna do is line him up against Thriller and make sure he loses. Why can’t people realize that you can enjoy one without tearing down the other ?! While MJ was a fierce competitor, he knew how stacked the deck was. “You can always say, ‘Aw, forget Thriller,’” he wrote in his 1988 book, Moonwalk. “But no one ever will.”

EMBRACE DEBATE:

You’re still not convinced, huh? OK then, let’s do this ! “Without Thriller, there’s no Smooth Criminal”. If that’s the case, then there’s no Thriller without Billie Jean, Beat It, or anything else he did before that. Are we celebrating which came first, or which did it the best? “People are still playing ‘Thriller’ every Halloween because of Mike.”

As a song, I agree it’s a must-hear every October. Here’s the thing, though: Some forget that Quincy Jones asked Rod Temperton to write “Thriller.” Some of Michael’s critics believed Jones and his “killer Q posse” of collaborators were the driving force behind ‘Off the Wall’ and ‘Thriller’. Please don’t get me wrong: They deserve endless praise for taking our favorite hits to the next level. At the same time, Michael was more than a “song-and-dance man.” “Smooth Criminal” proves that his pen game could spark head-bobbing and hip-shaking motions of approval. “All that moaning and groaning in the middle of Smooth Criminal is weird”... I felt the same way until I realized he and the Club 30’s patrons are mourning for Annie. Music and dance were Michael’s release from emotional prisons. Take ‘Black or White’s “Panther Dance”, for example. He took a bold chance with his Art, grieving with victims of racism and prejudice. But the reality of being black was too much for TV, so he made a “shortened version” of the film. “Yeah, well, Thriller made it into the Library of Congress. That’s how influential it was.” True, and Smooth Criminal is the centerpiece of his 1988 feature film, Moonwalker, and a Sega video game of the same name. But the influence doesn’t end there. “Michael always said, and not just to me, that Smooth Criminal was his favorite piece,” longtime choreographer Vincent Paterson shared in a 2013 interview with Clash. “To me, Michael saying it’s his favorite piece is kind of evidenced by so many things that originated in Smooth Criminal, you know: the band around the arm, that kind of hat, the white coat. He took on that persona of the Smooth Criminal character and carried it on for almost the rest of his life.”

FINAL THOUGHTS:

“Life has taught me there’s no such thing as war between the humble and the humble. Civil debates aim to progress ideas and not rush to conclude that one side is right, and the other is wrong... If you love blockbuster pop, you can and should love them both. At the same time, Art should always be examined, re-examined, and challenged.

•Thriller is the greatest piece of musical theater ever made for a pop song. Bar none.

•Smooth Criminal is the ultimate Michael Jackson spectacle. It’s one of the many reasons why the King of Pop will never lose his crown.”

[thelasttime]

lana del rey got snubbed in the grammys too

yes she DID, norman f*cking rockwell was a great album but i also do think that billie eilish deserved all her wins because WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? was a fantastic album as well

[tocinephile]

The Morning After - The Year the Oscars Got it (mostly) Right Edition

The 92nd Academy Awards kicked off looking an awful lot like the Grammy’s with a splashy musical performance by Janelle Monae and Billy Porter, the first of a night’s performances/presenters/commentary designed to include all the groups it seemingly excluded in it’s nominees list. Meant to poke fun at themselves or a gesture delivered a little too overt and a little too late? Either way, I think in the end, the artistry of the South Korean-made foreign language film that swept the night’s awards won one back for every group that was overlooked.

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite took home awards for Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature, Best Director, and Best Picture, making it the first South Korean film to win in all these categories.  To do it all in a single evening is astounding.

Here’s a look at all the winners of the night:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best Picture:

“Ford v Ferrari” — Walt Disney “The Irishman” — Netflix “Jojo Rabbit” — Fox Searchlight “Joker” — Warner Bros. “Little Women” — Sony Pictures Releasing “Marriage Story” — Netflix “1917” — Universal/Amblin Partners “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — Sony Pictures Releasing “Parasite” — Neon (WINNER)

Most deserving win of the night!!!  Of course many of us hoped Parasite could be the underdog to win it all, but a more realistic prediction to win would be 1917. Thrilled to be wrong on this one. 

Also, while I liked 1917 (more for its execution than story), even if Parasite had not been in the mix, I would have been rooting for The Irishman to win.

Lead Actress:

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet” Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”  Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”  Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”  Renée Zellweger, “Judy” (WINNER)

I am also in full agreement with this category and with Renee sweeping this category this awards season as well.  

I have not seen Harriet, but if Renee hadn’t been in the race, Charlize would have been the best of the bunch.

Lead Actor:

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”  Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”  Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”  Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” — (WINNER) Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Again, no question this was the right winner. If only every win didn’t mean we’d have to roll the dice to see what kind of acceptance speech we’d have to endure... While I didn’t appreciate being chastised for adding milk to my coffee, Joaquin closed out his remarks by quoting his late brother River and I thought that was beautiful.

Director:

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”  Todd Phillips, “Joker”  Sam Mendes, “1917”  Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”  Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite” — (WINNER)

Another category that I thought the Academy would give to Sam Mendes, but nonetheless put my bets on Bong Joon-ho.  Some big competition in this category (except Phillips... sorry, I’m not saying he’s bad, but he has yet to prove to me he’s a contender).

Original Song:

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4”  “I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman” —  (WINNER) “I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough”  “Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2”  “Stand Up,” “Harriet”

Talk about a year of forgettable film songs. I think I left the room for every one of these performances except Elton’s. Did I miss anything?

Original Score:

“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir —  (WINNER) “Little Women,” Alexandre Desplat  “Marriage Story,” Randy Newman  “1917,” Thomas Newman  “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” John Williams 

As part of the montage for this category, the orchestra accompanies with each film’s original score. This segment, as they proudly pointed out, was being conducted a female for the first time in Oscar history (I’d like to shallowly add that she was also wearing the most amazing gold jacket to do it!). Now I don’t know if she also arranged it or whether she was just conducting, but I have to say, I don’t think the arrangement did the scores any justice whatsoever. 

Luckily they were not being judged on this particular performance, and Hildur Guonadottir once again took home the accolade for Joker. I agree with this win. Little Women and 1917 also had impressive scores.  Marriage Story didn’t particularly catch my attention, and while Star Wars’ themes will always be among my all time favourites, The Rise of Skywalker wasn’t particularly outstanding out of the saga.

Best International Feature Film:

“Corpus Christi,” Jan Komasa “Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov  “Les Miserables,” Ladj Ly  “Pain and Glory,” Pedro Almodóvar  “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho — (WINNER)

If anyone else had won we would have rioted right?

Makeup and Hair:

“Bombshell” — (WINNER) “Joker” “Judy”  “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”  “1917” 

Got this prediction correct, while not the most obvious frontrunner perhaps, a lot of subtle effort was put in to transform cast into their characters.

Visual Effects:

“Avengers: Endgame”  “The Irishman”  “The Lion King”  “1917” — (WINNER) “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” 

It’s naive of me, but seeing 1917 win for Visual Effects almost takes away from my appreciation of the film in some ways because in my head, I’d still like to think of all films outside of fantasy and sci-fi as largely real. I know it’s not the case and that even your average period drama is created largely with effects these days, it can’t help but ruin the magic a little.

Also I had guessed Avengers: Endgame would win.

And we all think that The Irishman is on this list for de-aging technologies alone right?

Film Editing:

“Ford v Ferrari,” Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland — (WINNER) “The Irishman,” Thelma Schoonmaker  “Jojo Rabbit,” Tom Eagles  “Joker,” Jeff Groth  “Parasite,” Jinmo Yang 

This entire list is on par with each other I think, with Ford v Ferrari just edging out the rest. Also the editing is what made the film so dynamic, there was little room for a bad cut, whereas the others might have little bit more room to err.

Many might disagree but I think Little Women should have been considered in this category.  The film’s editing choices was one of its main criticisms, but I think it actually made the film much more dynamic and differentiated it from previous adaptations.  (If only they’d used a bit more of The Irishman’s aging/de-aging effects)

Cinematography:

“The Irishman,” Rodrigo Prieto “Joker,” Lawrence Sher “The Lighthouse,” Jarin Blaschke  “1917,” Roger Deakins — (WINNER) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Robert Richardson

Agree! Cool camera work in 1917 for sure.

Sound Mixing:

“Ad Astra”  “Ford v Ferrari”  “Joker”  “1917” — (WINNER) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Um ok, if you’re going to split the sound categories between two films.  I would’ve said Ford v Ferrari for both.

Sound Editing:

“Ford v Ferrari,” Don Sylvester — (WINNER) “Joker,” Alan Robert Murray  “1917,” Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate  “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Wylie Stateman  “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Matthew Wood, David Acord 

Agree. Hopefully everyone who wanted to see this film caught it in theatres, the sound was a huge contributing factor to the enjoyment of this film.

Supporting Actress:

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”  Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” — (WINNER) Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”  Florence Pugh, “Little Women”  Margot Robbie, “Bombshell” 

Little surprise when Laura Dern swept this category, even though I maintain she wasn’t better than the rest. That said, I’m not sure who I would pick in her place, I say share the love between Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson, and Florence Pugh (yes, I just said Amy March should get an oscar... I see the irony of this too)

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“In the Absence,” Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam  “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone,” Carol Dysinger — (WINNER) “Life Overtakes Me,” Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas “St. Louis Superman,” Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan  “Walk Run Cha-Cha,” Laura Nix 

I didn’t see any of the shorts this year, my bad.  The winner sounds hella interestering!

Best Documentary Feature:

“American Factory,” Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar — (WINNER) “The Cave,” Feras Fayyad  “The Edge of Democracy,” Petra Costa  “For Sama,” Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts  “Honeyland,” Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov 

I only saw American Factory and The Cave and I actually liked The Cave better.  That said I felt strongly that American Factory had the edge, for starters it was backed by the Obamas’ production company. I didn’t love American Factory but I do feel it’s a timely piece that shows two sides of the story, inevitable prejudices based on what we’ve become conditioned to physically, mentally, socially, and also how important it is that we try to overcome or build a bridge to find solutions for the greater good. 

Costume Design:

”The Irishman,” Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson  “Jojo Rabbit,” Mayes C. Rubeo  “Joker,” Mark Bridges  “Little Women,” Jacqueline Durran — (WINNER) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Arianne Phillips 

For a historical drama, I really didn’t find the costumes of Little Women to be that spectacular (I’m having visions of The Age of Innocence when you say Best Costume), though a part of me knows the period films win more often than not. While I think Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is strong contender, Jojo Rabbit should have won.

Production Design:

“The Irishman,” Bob Shaw and Regina Graves  “Jojo Rabbit,” Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova  “1917,” Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales  “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Barbara Ling & Nancy Haigh  (WINNER) “Parasite,” Lee Ha-Jun and Cho Won Woo, Han Ga Ram and Cho Hee

Yes! Once Upon a Time was a bit overrated (sorry Quentin) but this was one category where it really deserved to win, from the western sets, film studio lots, to the wardrobe and streets of the 60′s, lots of fun and spirit captured in the production design.

Best Live Action Short Film:

“Brotherhood,” Meryam Joobeur  “Nefta Football Club,” Yves Piat  “The Neighbors’ Window,” Marshall Curry — (WINNER) “Saria,” Bryan Buckley  “A Sister,” Delphine Girard 

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Irishman,” Steven Zaillian  “Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi — (WINNER) “Joker,” Todd Phillips, Scott Silver  “Little Women,” Greta Gerwig  “The Two Popes,” Anthony McCarten 

I love that Taika Waititi is an Oscar winner. Also shouts to Greta Gerwig for making Little Women almost tolerable in her script! The Two Popes could not have been an easy adaptation either. Now can a comic book expert please tell me, how much of Joker is really from existing stories in comics, and how much was filled in by the writers? I understand why it was an adapted screenplay, but I feel like material like this almost completely open to interpretation and could easily be written anew as an original screenplay.

Original Screenplay:

“Knives Out,” Rian Johnson  “Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach  “1917,” Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino  “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, Jin Won Han —  (WINNER)

Just for fun, my ranking of the original screenplay nominees from best to alright:

1) Parasite, 2) Knives Out, 3) Marriage Story, 4) 1917, 5) Once Upon a Time

Animated Short:

“Dcera,” Daria Kashcheeva  “Hair Love,” Matthew A. Cherry — (WINNER) “Kitbull,” Rosana Sullivan  “Memorable,” Bruno Collet  “Sister,” Siqi Song 

I keep hearing great things about this short!

Animated Feature:

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” Dean DeBlois  “I Lost My Body,” Jeremy Clapin  “Klaus,” Sergio Pablos  “Missing Link,” Chris Butler  “Toy Story 4,”  Josh Cooley — (WINNER)

I clearly didn’t watch any animated films this year because I didn’t even know there were new How to Train Your Dragon and Toy Story films released.

Supporting Actor:

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”  Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”  Al Pacino, “The Irishman”  Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”  Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — (WINNER)

Overall, if Brad Pitt sweeping this category means I get to hear at least one great speech per awards, then I’m ok with this. My personal ranking:

1) Al Pacino, 2) Joe Pesci, 3) Tom Hanks, 4) Brad Pitt, 5) Anthony Hopkins.  I had to debate over Pacino and Pesci’s performances, I feel like this is one of the best problems in the world.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prior to the start of the show, I made a mess of notes about who I thought would win, who I thought should win, and shared my Oscar Pool Picks which were based on a mix of the two... My Oscar pool are an extremely knowledgeable bunch, and with 18/24, it only put me in a 3-way tie for third place (there were also three winners who split the winnings), I need to move back to the baby leagues!

If you were following my Twitter (or care to check in hindsight...@palindr0me) I also shared a little additional commentary and photos of some of my favourite dresses of the evening. 

My personal top 3 moments during the Awards Ceremony were:

1) Every time Parasite won an award - Give this man all the statues he wants! lol

2) Billie Eilish’s rendition of Yesterday (I wish this was an actual recorded track so I could play it over and over)

3) When Eminem took the stage at the end of a montage to perform “Lose Yourself” and my phone exploded with all these messages of “ Whaaat is happening???” LOL! Believe me friends, I was as confused as you were.

Aaand, that’s a wrap on awards season! Looking forward to a new year and new decade in film!

[fearlessredloveest1989]

Look I say it every year at this point. Yes, I’m disappointed Taylor wasn’t nominated and didn’t win more. But the Grammys aren’t always about the best music it’s about changing tides, an industry and promotion. And it’s about good music.

Scrolling through the winners they are all well deserved. Billie and Finneas are killing it, they made moves and made an album that had people’s jaws on the floor from the second it dropped. It was promoted right for the win and she is on the cutting edge of pop with a young audience behind her. That’s what the Grammys wanted when they voted Taylor in 2010 and that’s what they wanted now. Old Town Road, also majorly deserved... making moves and changing tides with the majority support of the public. Lizzo, Tyler the Creator, etc. all just so deserving. Speechless was my pick of a song from the second I heard it. I could go on. So yes, I do think Lover as a song should have won, but no I wasn’t expecting it to. And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t surprised at all when the album wasn’t nominated, I know I’ve said that back when nominations came out, but I’ll just repeat it.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Live Picks: 6/15-6/17

Self Defense Family

BY JORDAN MAINZER

This weekend sees Taste of Randolph, an unexpectedly good booking at Winnetka Music Festival, and as usual, lots of good club and outdoor theater shows.

6/15: Bitchin Bajas, Hungry Brain

We’re big fans of local experimental heroes Bitchin Bajas here at SILY. They’ve given great, organ, synth, guitar, and woodwind-heavy sets at Pitchfork Music Festival and the MCA, and their most recent album Bajas Fresh was one of our favorites of last year. They’re on quite the streak, their self-titled record and collaboration with Bonnie “Prince” Billy preceding Bajas Fresh, cementing the band as one of the most forward-thinking in the country, let alone Chicago. They continue to do their thing at Hungry Brain tonight.

Local guitarist/synth master Sam Wagster opens.

6/15: Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboyQ, & Ab-Soul, Hollywood Casino Ampitheatre

To Pimp a Butterfly. Untitled Unmastered. DAMN. Besides Young Thug, Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar (ed. note: It feels so good to type that) is the only person to appear on all of SILY’s year-end lists. That says more about Lamar being prolific than anything else, not to take away from the quality of his art. In addition to being a master storyteller, he’s the best live performer in hip hop today. To see him alone is essential. To see him along with his fellow TDE label-mates is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

SZA, one of the best breakouts of last year, occupied our #17 spot with CTRL. Contributor Lauren Lederman described it as “an album that explores the electricity, the beauty, the messiness, and the self-consciousness of present-day relationships” as well as “a close examination of modern sex and romance that doesn’t hold back.” Judging solely from her Grammy performance, she should have the vocal chops to bring a headline-worthy performance, permanent damage aside.

Blank Face LP, the fourth album from ScHoolboyQ, was his best. It didn’t have any obvious standouts like “Hands on the Wheel”, one of the best rap songs of the decade (though the Kanye West-featuring “That Part” comes close). But it was more cohesive than his previous records, and decidedly darker, going through his scars with less humor than before. He announced last year that he would release yet another album, which still doesn’t seem to be quite done. Apparently, he recorded around 50 songs for it. Hopefully, he’s whittling it down to the best, showing more curatorial restraint than the aforementioned previous “That Part” collaborator. 

I’ve always felt somewhat bad for Ab-Soul. The rapper’s breakout, 2012′s Control System, was sort of left in the TDE/Black Hippy dust when Lamar and ScHoolboyQ released bigger records (though I’ll take Control System over Habits & Contradictions any day). He’s followed it up with inferior albums that are still good but therefore finds himself billed 5th here. If you’re going to this, be sure to arrive early to catch this heady MC.

Rappers Jay Rock and Lance Skiiiwalker and singer SiR also open.

6/15: Brandi Carlile, Chicago Theatre

Alt-country folk rocker Brandi Carlile has been releasing great records since 2005, when she released her self-titled debut. 2007′s The Story had a title track anthem that found its way onto films and TV shows, as well as a low-key emotional centerpiece “Turpentine”. In 2009, she released the Americana-tinged Give Up The Ghost Americana-tinged and followed it up with the gospel-infused Bear Creek in 2012. Her last two, 2015′s The Firewatcher’s Daughter and 2018′s By The Way, I Forgive You were steps down as a whole but still had great songs, namely singles “Wherever Is Your Heart” and vocal powerhouse performance “The Joke”. While her set should be heavy on the new record, she’s an incredible talent, seemingly able to conjure the weariness that pervades her best songs on a dime when performing live.  

Americana duo The Secret Sisters open.

6/15: Low Cut Connie, Winnetka Music Festival

Low Cut Connie’s new album Dirty Pictures Pt. 2 is a lot like their other albums: retro and emotive, sometimes for the sake of it. But the live show of Adam Weiner and company continues to be the main draw for seeing them--including their plethora of classic covers. They play at 7:00 P.M. at the BMO Harris stage.

6/16: Asleep at the Wheel, Old Town School of Folk Music

Austin-via-Paw Paw country band Asleep at the Wheel combine traditional western swing with Texas country. Lately, they’re known for their tribute albums to Bob Willis and The Texas Playboys, the most recent record released in 2015. Not to say the band doesn’t have great original music--they’ve been releasing records since the early 70′s, and have about 30 to their name. Take a listen to “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read” and “Miles and Miles of Texas”. 

6/16: Alison Krauss, Ravinia

While her soundtrack performances and Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Robert Plant was what got her noticed beyond the oft-insular world of Americana, Alison Krauss is a great bluegrass singer and musician even when performing solo or with her band Union Station. While last year’s Windy City wasn’t necessarily up to snuff with her classics, it was still a solid entry in her ever-expanding catalog.

Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel opens.

6/16: Self Defense Family, Beat Kitchen

Self Defense Family is one of the more varied and ambitious bands to come out of this recent batch of emo bands. Their 2014 album Try Me was notable for half of its duration being due to a 40-minute interview with porn actress Angelique Bernstein, wherein she talks about the abuse she’s received over the years. (It was like the most interesting This American Life episode ever.) Later this month, the band will release Have You Considered Punk Music and have so far released the title track and "The Supremacy of Pure Artistic Feeling", a track that sees vocalist Patrick Kindlon reflect on the isolating nature of creativity and his decade-plus of music making. Both new tracks are typical of the band--wiry, emotional, and slow-burning.

Brooklyn experimental metal band Sannhet and local post-rockers RLYR open.

6/17: Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Jay Pritzker Pavilion

We previewed Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters at Riviera back in February. Here’s what we had to say about them then:

“At this point, pretty much anybody who vaguely pays attention to guitar music knows about Robert Plant’s full-fledged transition from classic rocker to old folk fogey–Raising Sand, his collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, won them Album of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards. But lesser known and just as solid are Plant’s two albums with his new-ish band The Sensational Space Shifters, 2014′s Lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar and last year’s Carry Fire, which allowed Plant to bend beyond the traditions of rock, bluegrass, or folk, incorporating elements of Arabic and North African influence into his arsenal. Luckily, however, for Zeppelin fans, Plant tends to mix beloved rock radio classics in with his newer material, overall making for a set that exudes old school songwriting, familiarity, and warmth whether you’ve heard the new songs or not.”

Chicago favorite Jon Langford opens.

6/15-6/17: Taste of Randolph

Avoid the bros and the overpriced food. Go for the music. Taste of Randolph has its best lineup in years. Headliners include guitarist/singer-songwriter Trevor Hall and goofy soul revivalist Mayer Hawthorne on Friday, Chicano Batman and soul singer Allen Stone on Saturday night, and The Devil Makes Three and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real on Sunday night (which seems odd considering how much overlap there probably is within their respective fan bases).

With last year’s Freedom Is Free, Chicano Batman found their deserved audience, playing at major music festivals and one late night TV. (It was our #41 album of last year.) There are synths, organ, and guitars aplenty, but nothing can surpass the Latin rhythms and enthusiasm of front-man Bardo Martinez. They’ll make Randolph Street the place to be for the first time in a long time on Saturday night.

When we previewed their Concord Music Hall show in January, we lamented the lack of an original material Devil Makes Three album in years. Thankfully, they’ve now announced Chains Are Broken and have debuted the upbeat, funky “Paint My Face”, which they’ll play among I’m A Stranger Here and Redemption & Ruin favorites.

Forget their film soundtracks with Neil Young--it’s Promise of the Real’s self-titled album with Lukas Nelson (Willie’s son) last year that was their best. They should play lots of that album on Sunday night, though Nelson did co-produce Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born remake (and play his backing band). Maybe they’ll throw off the foodie crowd with some musical numbers. (I doubt it.)

Everything Everything also play Sunday. While we found last year’s A Fever Dream more smart than enjoyable, it’ll be thrilling to hear live performances of the title track and “Night of the Long Knives”. The band also released an EP earlier this year, including songs like the skittering, catchy, and yes, overcooked “Breadwinner” and the subtle, soft, chugging ballad “The Marina”.