#listen big time rush got a new song + music video after eight years i think i'm allowed to lose my mind on main

[we-are-inevitable]

modern art // javid (ch. 1)

A/N: hi !! so some of you may remember an old songfic i did in march of last year, titled ‘modern art’ after the song “IDK You Yet” by Alexander 23. well, i’ve always thought that that one shot would work great as a stand alone fic, and here we are! i have ch. 1 edited and SO MUCH of it as changed- like, for example, the fic is a chapter fic now !! regardless, i hope you guys like this !!

WARNINGS: depression, anxiety, self-deprecation, past addiction, mentions of addiction, just general Bad Times- pls be mindful when reading !! it’s just very Not Happy rn ADDITIONAL INFO: all characters are in their mid-twenties in the fic. oh also this is probably important but it’s a soulmate au !!

Read On AO3!

tag list: @bound-for-santa-fe @wannabecowboypunk @shippingcannons @yahfancyclamwiththepurlinside @smallsies @deliciouspeachpirate @newsies-is-my-erster 

Jack doesn't know what’s going on with himself, but he knows that he could really use his soulmate right about now.

They’ve communicated before. Never verbally, and never enough to reveal who they were. Perhaps they are both just... dealing with some unspoken fears, dealing with the worry of rejection sitting heavy in their chests. Perhaps they both like this mystery- the uncertainty that came with the notes scrawled across their bodies in a handwriting that isn’t their own.

Or perhaps they just aren’t ready to take the plunge. To grow up and face the harsh fact that, as soon as they meet, wherever and whenever that may be, a new chapter of their life will unfold. Consume them. Change anything and everything they’ve ever known or held dear.

They had been braver when they were children, that much was true. Jack remembers staying up late often, writing notes on his skin and watching in awe as the replies appeared. He remembers the giddy rush of trying to quickly wash off the ink on his wrist when they ran out of space to talk, and, oh, how they talked. There were school days when Jack would go to class exhausted, feeling like he’d been walking through quicksand for miles on end, but all of it had been worth it. The exhaustion he felt had been worth being able to talk to them until two, three, four in the morning. Sometimes he regretted it, of course, but only because it was harder for him to focus in class. Never because he was upset at them.

He could never be upset with them.

Even now, Jack remembers a lot about his soulmate. They liked music. They knew how to play the piano. They were into a few video games, even some that Jack had never played, and said that they always tried carrying a book with them wherever they went. Jack remembers that, as a younger kid, they liked Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, but also liked analyzing Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe and a bunch of other fancy authors that Jack had never even heard of. They were intimidatingly smart, and sometimes, would carefully correct Jack’s grammar whenever he misspelled a word or something- but they were never mean about it, they were just… there. A steady presence that he could count on.

Fifteen year old Jack dreamed of finding them one day. But now, twenty-five year old Jack is losing hope.

He can’t exactly help it. For starters, he and his soulmate haven’t communicated in… well, shit, it had to be nearly a year. Maybe nine months or so, but there’s no way to tell for sure, and even then, their conversations since reaching adulthood have been dull, for lack of a better word. A few positive comments here, a ‘have a good day’ there- it’s all so mundane, and neither of them can be blamed for it. They both have busy lives- or, well, Jack does, at least. His job as a graphic designer is hard enough on its own, but the added pressure of doing freelance work and commissions on the side has been eating away at him for weeks, coupled with debilitating self-doubt and lack of motivation for… anything.

Saying that he’s overwhelmed is the understatement of the century.

There is always another design, another client, another meeting, another deadline, another sleepless night as he stares at a blank canvas and prays for a spark of inspiration from whatever God is listening. Usually his inspiration comes from the world around him- his friends, city life, even the quiet confines of his apartment, but right now... Jack is stuck. He had holed himself up in his room days ago, trying and failing to get out of bed every morning when the time came to work- and thank God that the majority of his work could be done from home. His boss was understanding, too, to an extent.

Still, though, there’s a constant heavy weight on his chest that prevents him from moving most days, and he’s lucky if he even gets up long enough to shower or eat or do literally anything aside from lie in silence and count the cracks in his ceiling.

Nothing had happened to him recently to bring this on, from what he can tell. Jack has always been the happy-go-lucky leader, the man with a plan, the guy who always knew just what to say to motivate others into doing the best thing for themselves, but when that responsibility is reflected back onto himself, Jack feels helpless. There are words waiting to be said, sketches waiting to be drawn, designs waiting to be sent to clients… yet Jack lies there, motionless in his room for three days before he even has the energy, the willpower, to pull back his curtains and allow the sunlight to shine through. There is so much he wants to do, so much he needs to do, but he can't bring himself to do any of it.

In all twenty-five years of his life, through all of the things he’s been through, the ups and downs and foster homes and graduations and birthdays and funerals and therapists and rehab facilities and whatever the fuck else life decided to throw at him, Jack has never felt so worthless, so… lonely. His closest friends are all moving on with their lives. Many have already found their soulmate, have settled down and hidden their rowdy, rambunctious pasts behind skeletons in a closet. They’d all gotten their adventures done and over with in high school and college, and most are moving onto bigger and better things in life. They have careers. Families. Some have children, others have pets, a few have an insane amount of plants to care for.

All have seemingly left Jack behind in the dust.

No one told him when to flip the switch.

No one told him when he had aged out of adventure.

Now, they would never say it, but Jack knows. He knows. Saturday hangouts and trips to the bar had been replaced by Sunday church services and playdates for the kids. Rather than hearing yelling from his living room after his friends had all been teetering just on the edge between tipsy and fucked up, Jack hears the news, and documentaries, and podcasts, and the ghosts of a past life that he still seemed to be desperately clinging on to.

Katherine had been the one to tell him that he needed to grow up, though she didn’t put it in such a blunt manner. No, she’s just.... gently urging him to find a bigger apartment, or buy matching furniture from a place that is not a thrift store, or purchase dishes that weren’t of the plastic Walmart brand. She says it was because she wants to see him in a more professional, "adulty" lifestyle, but he knows it’s really because she can see that he’s a mess.

Deep down, Jack knows she’s right. She’s always right.

He just can’t help but feel cemented in place, dreaming of the past while dreading the new future ahead of him.

Jack never asked to feel so broken for no reason. All of the hope and optimism he had felt as a teenager was gone, lost in a sea of uncertain plans and shitty jobs and bill extensions and canvases dropped onto the floor with no rhyme or reason. And, yes, maybe Jack would look dramatic to someone who didn’t know his situation, but Jack knows what dramatic feels like. Dramatic feels like watching his best friend, Charlie, belt onstage in front of a backdrop that he helped create for the school play. Dramatic feels like laughing at the top of his lungs while walking through a random gas station at two in the morning, joined by Race and Al, all while higher than a kite. Dramatic feels like driving to the outskirts of the city with Katherine, climbing onto the roof of an old building and screaming about all of their stress, their anxiety, their insecurities, just to have some form of emotional release.

Dramatic doesn’t feel like sadness. It’s not supposed to.

Not for Jack.

He had been so… so happy, as a teenager. Proud and defiant and carefree. He was the kind of guy to skate and smoke weed in Central Park until midnight and take a math test at eight in the morning the next day. He was the kid who stood on a table in the cafeteria and came out as bisexual to everyone around him, just because of a dumbass bet that he didn’t even get paid for. He was the boy who wasn’t at all good in an academic sense, but who always knew how to talk himself out of trouble, who always came up with the most ridiculous- or most believable- lies to cover his ass when he needed it, who was always the class favorite, the teacher’s pet without meaning to be.

Jack had felt on top of the world back then, but now he’s struggling to even get off of the ground. The longer time goes on, the more lost Jack feels inside his own life. He feels like something was missing, something big. Something bigger than himself.

When his mother was alive, which now felt like lifetimes ago, she would often echo this old wives’ tale about how it’s best to find your soulmate while you’re younger, just to save them- and yourself- the pain of being alone for a long time. Jack had always kind of believed her; logically, he knew it was true, but he had always told himself that it wouldn’t happen to him. That he would be fine alone, though it wouldn’t be ideal, and that he would have plenty of time for soulmates after he got out and made a name for himself.

He’s starting to think, though, that maybe she was right. Maybe Jack had waited too long to make a move, to make contact again, because now, he just feels nauseous even thinking about it.

Don’t get him wrong, he knows the negative effects of self deprecation and not taking his own mental health seriously, he’s been to rehab before, blah, blah, blah, but, fuck, how could he put his soulmate through something like this? This fucked up state of mind he has now. Jack can’t even imagine talking to Katherine about this, and Katherine had been his best friend for over a decade. He can’t just meet his soulmate now- it’s been too long, he’s too messed up, they won’t like him, they’ll hate him for not trying hard enough, and Jack will just end up alone again, wasting away in his bedroom because no one fucking cares. No one cares. He has nobody.

That’s not true. He has Medda, his mom, his savior, his impulse control, but the thought of telling her that everything is acting up again makes him want to scream. He has Tony, but Tony has Al, and Tony and Al have a kid- a sweet little five year old girl who calls Jack ‘Uncle Jackie’ and takes no shit from anyone. He has Katherine, but Katherine has her soulmate- this dude named Darcy, who Jack doesn’t have much of an opinion on because they just met, like, a month ago, and Jack hasn’t exactly been emotionally ready for a hangout session between the three of them. He also has Charlie, and Charlie has certainly seen him in worse times- like when Jack was kind of hooked on pills for the entirety their freshman year of college- but Charlie has grad school to worry about and Charlie would hate him if he bothered him with this.

Still, there are other people who would listen, probably. He could easily talk to Elmer, or Romeo, or Specs, or Jojo or Finch or Sean or a fucking therapist but that’s just it, isn’t it? If he talks, he burdens, and Jack Francisco Kelly would rather run himself into the ground than be a burden anyone.

So, he makes a vow.

He makes eye contact with his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He’s gripping onto the sink, holding on for dear life, as he stares into his own sunken eyes. He takes in his appearance. Damp, messy hair, falling down to cover his forehead. Pale skin, which isn’t normal at all. Dark circles have taken their place around his eyes, and his smile- one of his favorite things about himself- is… nonexistent.

Distantly, Jack registers himself dumping a full bottle of ibuprofen into the sink. And then, he does the same thing with the bottle of melatonin from his medicine cabinet. The valium follows. He lets the water run for a long time. It's not that he doesn't trust himself- he'd done so, so good in rehab, and he doesn't even feel urges that often anymore- but it's better safe than sorry, especially since he's like... this.

This is not the Jack Kelly he’s used to anymore. This is not the Jack Kelly he wants to be.

But this Jack Kelly is the one who vows not to reach out. The one who vows to only answer when his soulmate is ready, and maybe not even then.

He doesn’t have to wait long, though.

Not when a heart appears on the back of his hand the next morning.

It’s there when Jack wakes up, and, honestly, it almost brings Jack to tears- but not necessarily for happy reasons. Sure, Jack wants to be happy. Who wouldn’t be happy after seeing something like this? A lopsided heart drawn in red ink, right on the back of his left hand- it was the definition of a symbol, of a romantic gesture, and Jack wants so badly to write back, to strike up conversation, to draw a goddamn heart, but… he can’t.

He can’t, and that’s horrible of him, and he knows it.

Right now, though… Jack can’t even work up the courage, the energy, to call his mom.

His soulmate, whoever they are, is going to have to wait.

[nonstoplover]

some kind of beautiful ~ Tom Holland (song drabble)

my masterlist │my song drabbles

song used as inspiration: tyler ward ft. lindsey stirling ~ some kind of beautiful

words: 3.3K

approximate reading time: about 15 mins

a/n: i listened to this song and got struck by a wave of inspiration lmao i love tyler and lindsey (and oh my gosh that music video o.O), this song is just adorable and i immediately imagined this with my baby Tom so here you go. i hope you enjoy xx

The headlights cast a warm yellow beam on the road ahead of Tom as he drives in complete darkness. Earlier it was probably raining as the asphalt sparkles underneath the ray of light, something that doesn't surprise him anymore. Whenever he's driving north to see his girlfriend, it's almost always like this. In England, rain is something that comes a permanent part of your life, Tom learned that early.

He suppresses a yawn, raising a hand from the steering wheel for a moment to rub his eyes, then changes the song that's playing from the speakers. A familiar tune immediately fills his ears, and his lips curve into a wide smile. It's their song.

His mind fills with memories of her and the previous exhaustion he felt is long gone. It doesn't matter anymore that he just attended a premiere of his newest movie last night. It doesn't matter anymore that he got up early to jump on the first plane and fly home, then got into his car right away and set off towards Liverpool immediately without a single moment to rest.

He just has to see her. He has to tell her that he wants them to move in together. It's all that has been in his mind for the past week or so, and he knows he has to tell her about it before he goes absolutely crazy. He prepared all the most perfect reasons in his mind, so she just can't say no. And it's way more important than something that could be talked about in a text conversation.

Whenever he's away from her - and for some unknown reason, especially this last time - he misses her non-stop. Her scent. Her touch. The glimmer of her eyes whenever she looks at him, and only him. The way her lips curve into a smile. The sound of her angelic laugh in his ears. The taste of her lips against his. The delicate, feather-like touches of her fingers against his skin. How peaceful she looks when she's asleep in his arms. How happy she makes him just by existing.

He remembers clear as day the first time he saw her, three years back in a café in London. Looking at her made the entire world fade out in his eyes and he still can't comprehend how on Earth he got so lucky that the only empty table was right beside hers. He accidentally heard what she and the other girl at the table - her sister she was visiting, as Tom later found out - talked about and apologetically joined in the conversation with his opinion on the matter. Two and a half hours later Tom left for a meeting with her number saved in his phone.

Within fifteen minutes he had already asked her if she'd wanted to meet with him with a bold and cheeky text, which then led to them spending as much time together as possible throughout the following eight days she stayed in London - with Tom's job and (y/n)'s primary reason, being with her sister in the way. Then she went back to Liverpool and took a part of Tom with her.

They kept in touch, texting every waking moment, driving everyone around them mad with the constant typing and smiling at screens. And a month later Tom drove up north for the first time, visiting her for the weekend. He asked her to be his girlfriend. She said yes. And they have been in a long distance relationship ever since. It was hard, but whenever they could see each other, it made it worth it.

And now he's going to take it to the next step - asking her to move to London.

His cheeks are hurting from the wide smile that stays fixed for the entire drive as he now drives down familiar streets, leading to her. He pulls into the first parking spot he catches sight of around her apartment block, stops the engine and rushes out of the car, right towards the front door without even glancing at his watch to see how late it is.

Tom takes the stairs two at a time, not slowing his speed for one second until he's right outside her door. He presses the switch of the doorbell, then leans forward, supporting himself with his palms on his knees to catch his breath. From inside he hears the soft padding of feet growing louder, then the key clattering in the lock and eventually the door opens.

(y/n) gasps as her eyes take in those very familiar soft, brown locks. "Tom?" She lets out in question.

The mentioned boy raises his head and their eyes connect right away without difficulty and the dark brown sea of his irises sparkle with a new excitement.

"Hi," he breathes out, getting lost in her sight and smell and sound. She's wearing a plain tank top and a pair of pastel sweatpants, no makeup covering her natural beauty, her hair up in a messy bun, and Tom just knows that he made the right decision driving here first thing after landing.

"What the hell are you doing here?" (y/n) crosses her arms in front of her chest, suddenly overly aware of the fact that Tom is wearing a suit whilst she's in her comfiest clothes, looking messier than ever. "You were at the premiere in LA just last night!"

"I know," he lets out a chuckle. "I drove here as soon as I landed."

"You what ?!"

"Now are you going to let me in or am I gonna spend the entire night out here in the corridor?"

"Sorry," the girl's eyes widen in realisation and she takes a step to the side to let him in.

Tom waits until the door closes back behind him, shrugging off his suit jacket in the meantime and stretching his arms as (y/n) secures the lock again. Then as soon as she turns back towards him, he grabs her waist with both hands, pulling her flush against his body.

"I missed you," he mumbles, lips almost touching hers.

"I missed you too, crazy," she whispers back, a small smile lighting up her whole face as her arms slowly snake around his shoulders and neck.

Tom wastes no time to dive in, catching her mesmerizing, inviting strawberry coloured lips in a searing kiss. Then another one. And another. He just can't get enough. And when (y/n) finally tries to move out of his touch, placing her palms against his chest to gently push him away, his raspy voice breaks the silence again.

"I know I've already kissed you like, ten times, but just like another ten, please."

As that sweet, heartwarming, angelic giggle leaves her mouth, he goes right back in, continuing to pepper her with kisses, this time not stopping at her lips, instead moving all around her face.

"Stop! Tom, stop!" (y/n) wiggles to escape from the ticklish touch of his lips against her skin, but the muscles in his arm tense and keep her there effortlessly.

A minute later Tom eventually stops and leans back, arms loosening around her torso, but it's not like he already had enough - quite the opposite actually, but he knows she's getting overwhelmed.

"Come on, you big teddy bear, let's get you changed, then I'll give you some food," (y/n) moves a hand behind her back to lace her fingers with his, then makes her way further inside the apartment.

Arriving to the bedroom, she lets go of his hand so he can swiftly go to the bathroom whilst she rummages out the hoodie and the pair of sweatpants he left at her place during one of his stays from her closet, and then when they meet up again, Tom pulls (y/n) in for yet another lingering kiss.

With a playful roll of her eyes (y/n) moves out of his touch again, then helps him undo the buttons of his shirt, pushing it down his shoulders before reaching out for the newly found hoodie and handing it to him.

"Get dressed, I'll be in the kitchen," she pecks Tom's cheek before placing the white shirt down on the chair on her way out, trying to leave it as smoothed out as possible.

She swiftly moves around the small kitchen, starting to make a couple sandwiches and a cup of hot tea for Tom - eventually finishing it with his help -, then they sit down on the couch in the living room and she watches him eat. At first she asks him questions about the premiere and he tries to answer, but given that his mouth is almost always filled with food, they soon give up and change the topic so instead of Tom, (y/n) tells about her past two days.

When he finishes eating and places the now empty cup and plate on the coffee table, they are finally able to cuddle, something the both of them have been waiting for ever since Tom has arrived. Their limbs are tangled and his arms are wrapped around her body in a way that makes her feel safer than ever. (y/n) clings into the material of the hoodie as if she's afraid this is all just a dream, one that she doesn't want to end. Her face is buried in his chest and his face is buried in her hair and they both feel like a whole again after a long time of not seeing each other.

The sound of two relieved sighs break the comfortable silence of the living room at the exact same time, signaling how they are still in sync. Nothing has changed.

"(y/n)?" Tom speaks up a couple minutes later.

"Yeah?" Her sleepy voice mumbles back.

"I've been thinking," he pauses, trying to shake the sudden nervousness that he can feel sweeping in his veins. "I wanted to talk about something."

"Yeah?" (y/n) asks again, but this time much more awake, and Tom can feel her body tensing up under a millisecond before she moves a bit further from him to be able to look at his face.

"I think... well, you know, it's not like we're rushing into anything, it's been three years already, but... I've been thinking and came to the conclusion that in my opinion you should move to London. To my place."

The last part of his speech comes out so rushed that it sounds like one long word, and as soon as his voice fades out he already feels much calmer and better. The tension in (y/n)'s body loosens immediately, a slowly forming smile breaking the worried expression on her face, but still she doesn't say a word which makes Tom fall back into the nervosity and he opens his mouth to continue.

"You know, actually, I thought about everything. You should quit your job," Tom jabbers before a frown appears on his forehead and he halts to think back to what he's just said. "Okay, that sounded pretty bad, but you've already talked about wanting to quit it and find something else because you don't like it, and so I thought maybe you should find that something in London so we could be together 24/7. Or maybe I can find some job for you to do on the set of my following movies, or whatever you like, really, I just-"

"Shhh," (y/n) raises her hand to press her fingers softly against his lips in order to stop his slur. "If you would just stay quiet for a moment, please."

She watches with a small grin as his eyes widen and he shuts his mouth, nodding and making a motion with his hands as if he's zipping his lips shut.

In the new silence, the girl can finally let her thoughts wander around in her mind, finding pros and cons to his suggestion. And it's not like she hasn't thought about moving to London so many times before. Her sister's there, Tom's there, and even her family lives in Birmingham, so it's not like she would be further away from them either. And she can't deny the fact that in London there are much more job opportunities for her to find, and a much better chance to find something she actually loves and enjoys. Now she just has to say yes.

What are you waiting for?!, the small voice shouts impatiently inside her head.

She takes a deep breath and looks back in the warm brown orbs that are still watching her with the same adoration as they have been the entire night. "Okay," she mumbles.

Tom's body goes rigid, the fingers that have been subconsciously caressing the small of her back freeze in place, pressed into her skin. His eyes widen even more than before, and he gapes like a fish that's out of the water. "Okay?" He breathes back, afraid that he heard something wrong.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about it too. It'd be nice to move in with you," she sheepishly answers, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Are you serious?" Tom exclaims - a bit too loud and high pitched to his liking, but he's just unable to contain his sudden excitement.

"Yes, I am."

They beam at each other, feeling overwhelmed with love before (y/n) lets out a giggle, shaking her head lovingly at the boy in front of her. "But you're still crazy for driving such a distance while being so exhausted."

"I might be, but I couldn't bare another moment without you," Tom shrugs and before the girl could exclaim against his cheesiness, he swiftly places his hands on her cheeks, pulling her in for a kiss.

When they both run out of breath, they go back to the previous cuddling position, staring out into the distance at particularly nothing as they discuss the new plan more rationally. Tom feels like his heart might burst from the joy and love he's feeling at the moment, he's sure he's the happiest person on the planet.

"What do you think, how long will it take for you to pack everything up?" Tom tilts his head, glancing down at the (y/h/c) haired girl.

"Uh, great question. I have no idea," (y/n) grunts as her eyes travel around the room, already dreading the amount of time it will take her.

"We can start it tomorrow. I'll help."

"Tomorrow?" She lets out a giggle. "You really want to rush this so much?"

"Of course, I've been dreaming about this for too long now, I just want it to happen like right now."

(y/n) shakes her head before leaning up to press a chaste kiss against his jawline. "We can start tomorrow, if you'd like..."

"Nice," he grins wide.

A minute of silence comes over the flat, both of them deep in their thoughts about the near future before Tom speaks up again.

"I have a couple things to do in London during next week, but on Friday I'll come back and help you finish packing and then we can drive back together. For the last time," he mumbles, dreamily staring off in the distance, possibly seeing his words form an imagined picture in front of his inner eyes. "So, during the week you should continue packing and arrange moving out with the landlord and I'm gonna properly clean my place so it'll be ready for you and your stuff."

(y/n) takes a breath and opens her lips to give some corny answer, but before any sound could leave her, Tom continues phrasing his thoughts.

"And then when you pack everything out, we can go and buy new things together. I mean, you can decorate the whole house any way you'd like to. And then it'll officially be ours..." Tom's voice swiftly trails off as he hears a quiet sniffle.

He leans back a bit, loosening his embrace on (y/n)'s body before placing his fingers under her chin to gently make her look up at him. With almost no resistance he can lift her head and his eyes are suddenly able to take in the teary, glistening pair of (y/e/c) eyes and damp stains on the skin of her cheeks.

"Hey, are you crying?" He whispers, worry filling his mind and heart.

(y/n) sniffles again and another teardrop escapes one of her eyes, rolling down before Tom reaches out with his thumb to stop it midway. "No, I'm impersonating a fountain," she snorts, a small giggle leaving her lips. "Yes, I'm crying, dumbass."

Tom just rolls his eyes at her sarcastic answer before pulling one hand back from her body so he could fish a tissue out of his hoodie's pocket and hand it to her. "And why are you crying?"

"Because what you just described is the exact thing I've been dreaming of since I was a kid," (y/n) admits while gently pressing the material under her eyes to dry them before blowing her nose in a clearly unromantic way that makes both of them let out a short laugh.

"Ahw, darling," Tom smiles at her, pressing a peck on the now dry skin of her cheeks. "I'm glad I can make it happen."

"Me too," she grins.

They stare in each other's eyes with intense adoration, communicating through the sparkling shades and colours.

"But like there's no need to plan everything in our future tonight, let's just cuddle for now and enjoy the moment," (y/n) speaks up after a couple minutes with a chuckle. "Though you can continue planning tomorrow when we'll be packing, if you want."

Tom responds with a chuckle similar in amount of happiness, only a bit lower in tone.

"Okay. I like the sound of that," he answers before snaking his hands securely around his girlfriend's body and standing up with her in his arms.

(y/n) lets out a small squeal, immediately gripping his biceps in hope of some kind of support as if it would help if she was about to fall. Tom makes his way to the small bathroom and places the girl down on her own feet so she can start her night routine. They can barely keep a straight face as they brush their teeth, knowing that it's actually going to be an everyday thing pretty soon now.

When he finishes, Tom leans back against the sink, watching the love of his life with an amused look in his eyes as she effortlessly makes her way around the small room, reaching to the different shelves for all the skincare products she uses. Their eyes meet every once in a while, making (y/n) blush and let out a giggle from the intensity of his eyes.

It eventually doesn't take long until she's ready to sleep as well and Tom moves his arms around her once more, lifting her up in the air. (y/n) instinctively wraps her legs around his lower body, placing the palms of her hands on the back of his neck.

Reaching the bed, Tom pulls the duvet back with one hand then gently places the girl down on the mattress. He climbs in right behind her after the shortest moment and immediately wraps his arms tightly around her.

"Good night, love," he mumbles in her hair, enjoying the feeling of its smell fill his nose and lungs.

"Good night, Tom," she whispers back. "I love you."

She only pauses for a second in-between the two sentences, but by the time the last word leaves her lips, she can already feel Tom's body going limp and his breaths become more steady and rhythmical as he finally let go and drifted off to sleep, exhaustion completely taking over him as soon as he lets it. Being beside her, he subconsciously knows that he can finally let his guard down again.

.::the end::.

my masterlist

[tangledstarlight]

it’s me, here again. with another jatp 5+1 this time it’s for flynn tho! this one comes with a special shout out to @nerdyleafeon​ and insteadofjust_invisible (on ao3, if you have a tumblr hmu and i’ll link it!!) for their suggestions for flynn and her putting other people first and her watching julie struggle to pick up music. i kinda tried to incorporate both?

(as a wee disclaimer: i don't think flynn has depression, i think she just pushes all her own feelings aside so often in favour of someone elses that they're bound to all come bursting out at some point. (and this is totally me projecting because i too burst into tears on my friends once because i'm terrible at expressing my own emotions) BUT if you read it as her having depression that is fine too!!and if anyone ever wants to talk because they're sad/lonely/lost/whatever, my inbox on here or discord is always open if people want to talk. bottling things up is never good, especially given the current global situation. don't be afraid to talk to someone 💕)

ANYWAY!!! it’s 5+1 flynn centric and hope people like it!!! 

also on ao3 (link in replies)

trigger warnings! death mentions (because they’re ghosts (also her mother is yknow. dead)), mild swearing, references to depression.

one.

It had been an accident.

The two of them had been playing, running around the house and jumping on the sofas - even though they knew they weren’t allowed to - and throwing pillows at each other and giggling loudly. Flynn had ducked down, holding her middle as she laughed when a pillow had sailed past her left shoulder. Going off course and knocking a vase of flowers off the windowsill and smashing on the floor.

Tears had immediately started gathering in her little sister's eyes and Flynn jumped straight into action. She’d never been able to stand when someone started crying.

“It’s okay! Don’t worry, you just stay on that side of the room. I’ll get the broom,” she jumped off the sofa, biting her lip as she inspected the mess and mentally adding paper towels to her list of things to get, before turning to run out of the room.

Only to skid to a stop, eyes wide as she found her mom stood in the doorway. Arms crossed over her chest, glasses pushed up into her hair, single eyebrow raised and head tilted in the way that Flynn knew meant big trouble.

Like, no ice cream trouble.

“What’s going on here? And why is Bailey standing on the table?” Her eyes go from looking at Bailey directly to the flowers on the floor, a pool of water slowly making its way towards the rug through the obstacle course of vase shards.

Flynn knows that there’s no way to avoid or get out of this, someone is getting in trouble and getting no ice cream after dinner, and she can still see Bailey’s big scared eyes in her head. So she shifts from foot to foot and makes a split second decision without thinking about it.

“It’s my fault! We were playing and I accidentally hit the vase and I told Bailey to get on the table so she wouldn’t get hurt or her socks wet and I’m sorry! I was going to clean it up,” the words rush out of her in almost one breath and she’s panting a little at the end.

For a moment her mom just looks at her, a look that says she knows that’s not the whole truth, but Flynn doesn’t back down. She stands a little bit taller, tries to make herself seem more grown up, but being eight years old and wearing mismatched socks with a green tutu, it's hard to be taken seriously.

“It wasn’t Bailey's fault mom,” she stands by her story and, seeming to realise it, her mom just sighs, uncrossing her arms and running one over her face.

“Okay. Okay, go get the broom. And some paper towels.” She calls after her, because Flynn had heard the first ‘okay’ and started moving again, heading to the kitchen in search of tools.

When she got back to the living room her mom was kneeling next to the broken vase, carefully picking up the bigger pieces and putting them on an old magazine she’d pulled off the table while Bailey hovered on the other side of the room, her eyes still wide.

Flynn shot her a smile, hoped it was reassuring and went to help her mom. Handing paper towels over when asked and carefully picking up the flowers, one by one.

“You know this means no ice cream, don’t you?” Her mom said eventually, when the broken vase was cleared away and all that was left was a very shiny spot of wood.

Flynn looked up at her and found her mom already looking back, giving her one final chance to come clean about her sister's part in the accident, she thinks. But Flynn just nods her head, shrugging both shoulders as she holds damp tissues in both hands. Missing out on ice cream for one night is worth it if Bailey doesn’t get in trouble or start crying.

“I know. Sorry, again.” She adds, tugging her lips into a small apologetic smile. For the mess, maybe a little for lying too. Her mom just sighs, but she smiles too, brushes some of Flynn’s hair out of her face and starts to stand up.

“Go put that in the bin. And no more jumping on the sofa!”

two.

Some days, and she couldn’t explain why, were just bad days.

There wasn’t really any explanation for it, Flynn just got kind of sad.

Kind of lonely.

Kind of quiet.

It felt like her head was too loud and her heart was too empty. And there was a gaping hole in her gut and that the world was spinning on a slightly different axis to her.

Everything was just a little off balance and she needed to hold on to something to steady herself.

It was a strange feeling. Like there was too much of her and too little all at the same time.

That she wanted to curl up in her bed and cry, but that she also wanted to sit with her friends and laugh because there wasn’t really anything wrong with her.

It was the kind of day that she just couldn’t explain to anyone without sounding weird. Or like she was asking for attention. Which she wasn’t. She didn’t want people’s sympathy or attention or special treatment. She just– she was sad .

And it made no sense because she didn’t have anything to be sad about.

Her family was still whole and together, unlike Carrie’s. She knew her mom loved her, knew that her dad would be picking her up after school, knew that her sister would watch all the music videos she wanted with her. She knew that when she got home all her family would be there.

Her family weren’t scheduling their lives around doctors appointments like Julie’s. They weren’t worrying about test results or medical bills or how much time there might be for them to do all the things they wanted to do. There was no dark cloud hanging over their lives.

So how could Flynn be sad when her life wasn’t all that bad?

There was no darkness lurking in the corners of her house or quite over the breakfast table. Things were fine. Her life was happy .

And yet. It was a bad day.

It was a bad day, but Julie and Carrie were having worse days. So Flynn did what she always did. She pushed down her feelings of being too lonely, too quiet, too loud, too much. She put a smile on her face, wrapped an arm around both of the girls and made a fool proof plan of fun for the afternoon.

Her bad day would pass. It always did. And until it did she could pretend everything was fine. That she was happy. That there wasn’t anything wrong. Because there wasn’t. Not really.

three.

Flynn had never been to a funeral until the day she’d gone to Mrs Molina’s. Anytime she’d worn an all black outfit before it had been a fashion choice. Or for Halloween. Or a performance for school.

There’s a black dress that hangs in the back of her wardrobe now, and everytime she sees it, Flynn feels a little sick.

She gets the same sort of sick feeling every time she sees Julie sitting in the back of the music classroom. Eyes down, hair in front of her face, notebook unopened. The first few weeks Flynn hadn’t been too worried.

No one had really been too worried.

Because everything was still fresh and real and new. No one had pushed her. No one had thought she wouldn’t come back to music eventually.

Because she was Julie and it was music.

But then it’s been five months and Flynn is still looking at Julie, eyes on the ground, hair hiding her face, notebook in her bag. She comes into the classroom, sits in the back, shakes her head when Miss Harrison asks if she’s ready.

Flynn  knows that she’s still not been in the studio garage, because she is still watering the plants, and the piano has a fine layer of dust and there’s a song still unsung on top.

Julie hasn’t played or sang or hummed a note in six months. She’s falling apart a little bit at a time.

And Flynn doesn’t know how to help.

Doesn’t know what to say or to do or how hard to push. It’s a fine line, she knows, between forcing her before she’s ready and letting the silence drag on too long. Flynn just doesn’t know where the line is.

(A part of her worries, a small part in the back of her mind that’s always ready to pop in unasked, that maybe Carrie would know what to do. Maybe Carrie, who had known Julie, had known Mrs Molina, all her life, would have been able to help in a way that Flynn isn’t.)

She’s walking into the music room one day at lunch, looking for her hat that she’s 73% sure she left on her chair when she comes to a stop in the doorway. Because Julie is sitting at the piano, the lid up and her fingers hovering over the keys. There’s a furrow between the other girls eyes and even from this distance Flynn can see there are tears running down her cheeks.

Flynn bites her lip and backs out of the room. Her hat will still be there later and this isn’t a time to push Julie.

By month seven when even Miss Harrisons patients is starting to wear a little thin, Flynn starts to make plans. Ways to help Julie play again. Or even listen to music again.

She decides to start small.

A walk along the beach where she knew that busker Julie liked always played.

Maybe they’d stop by that little music shop on the way home because Flynn needed to pick up some new strings.

Maybe drop some hints about a band they both liked going on tour.

Without even realising it Julie will be surrounded by music again and realise how much she misses it.

“Come to the beach with me on Saturday?” It’s the first thing she says when she sits down at lunch. Julie looks up from her sandwich, brows drawn together but there’s a hint of a smile.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope!” Flynn pops the ‘p’ and smiles wide (she’s making up for all the half smiles and no smiles that Julie gives out these days, she makes hers bigger, wider, gives them out more often. She knows when things get better Julie will repay the favour), stealing a few grapes from the plate in front of Julie and popping them in her mouth.

“Guess I’ll see you at the beach on Saturday then.”

The day starts out good.

They lounge round the beach, build terrible sandcastles and laugh at the tourists trying to take artistic shots in front of the sea. Then, at exactly 12:15 the busker arrives and sets up, starts playing his usual list of classic 80’s and early 2000’s bops. Flynn nods her head along with one of her favourites and watches from the corner of her eye as Julie gets a far away look in her eyes, fingers stilling where they’d been running through the sand.

They stay for a little longer, the busker playing through three songs before Julie lets out a shaky breath and turns to look at her, eyes a little watery but smiling that half smile she’s gotten so good at.

“Lunch?” She asks, head tilting and pointing over her shoulder in the vague direction of their favourite lunch spot.

“Sure. Oh! Hey, I need to stop by a store on the way, is that okay?”

“That’s fine,” and Julie is already stuffing her towel in her bag and dusting sand off her shorts.

They’re half a block away from the store when Julie seems to realise just where they’re headed, and Flynn can tell because her steps seem to get a little slower and her fingers clutch at her bag a little tighter. By the time they’re stood outside the little second hand music shop – Ron’s Relic Records, they’d never met Ron himself, but his record collection was definitely full of relic’s as far as Flynn could tell – Julie’s fingers have grown pale from where she’s holding her bag strap and her lip is clamped between her teeth.

“I’m– I’ll wait out here. Don’t want to drag sand through Ron’s,” Julie bites her lip, eyes looking up at the worn sign of the store and avoiding the old posters and ticket stubs displayed on the windows. Flynn swallows the sigh she wants to let out, and stops herself from commenting how there’s already sand covering the carpet. Instead she nods and gives her friend a thumbs up.

“Sure! I’ll be quick!”

Ten minutes later and Flynn is exiting the shop to find Julie leaning against the wall with her eyes staring straight ahead.

So maybe the music store hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but that was okay, Flynn had more plans, more tricks, more ideas. Shouldering her bag and plastering a smile on her face she comes to a stop next to Julie.

“Okay, lunch now!” And they start walking, idly small talk that feels awkward and Flynn doesn’t know how to fix that either. “You’ll never guess what I saw in the shop, you remember th–” but Julie cuts her off before she can even finish her sentence or her master plans can be put into action.

“Flynn I think I’m gonna head home. Not feeling too great.”

Flynn knows she’s lying, can see it in her eyes. Julie has always been a terrible liar, her face gives everything away, and normally Flynn is always glad to see her try, unless she’s lying to her. Then she just finds it rude.

“Are–” Flynn starts, but cuts herself off when she looks at Julie properly. At the red eyes, the chapped lips, the death like grip she has on her bag.

It’s possible, Flynn rationalises, that she’s pushed too hard today. She wants Julie to find joy in music again, but she doesn’t want to force it. So she takes a deep breath and links their arms together, squeezing her forearm.

“Okay. Hey, do you think your dad will make us pancakes, since we’ve not had lunch?”

“Probably,” Julie nods, her voice a little quiet but Flynn’s pretty sure she can hear the relief in it too. Relief that Flynn isn’t going to make her talk, relief that she can go home and that Flynn is coming too, relief that for now, the subject of music is being paused.

It’s only been seven months after all, Flynn doesn’t think you can put a timetable on something like this. So she’ll keep trying and supporting and holding her hand.

One day, Julie Molina will play again, and Flynn is going to be there to see it.

four.

The thing is, after seeing Julie and her ghosts perform, Flynn realises that there’s something special about them.

And it’s more than just the fact that they got her to sing again after a whole year of silence. It's more than the chemistry that is undeniable between Julie and Luke. It’s more than the way people have flocked to support them.

They’ve made her smile again. Really, truly, fully smile. Wide and happy and full of light in a way that Flynn hasn’t seen her smile in well over a year.

(They’ve got her to sing and play and smile in less than a month when Flynn hadn’t even managed to get a hum in a year. She’s trying not to think about that.)

So yeah, they might be ghosts.

And they can’t be seen without Julie or playing music.

And sure there’s the whole ‘can’t touch anyone’ thing.

And being in their band means Julie is off the market, music wise.

But Julie is smiling and singing and writing songs and playing again. And if the price of that is Double Trouble being left behind, well, Flynn supposes she can deal with that.

Even if it sucks.

Because Double Trouble, it was going to be their thing . They were going to be amazing and spectacular and way better than Dirty Candi. They were going to write awesome songs and produce the coolest music videos and tour all around the world.

Double Trouble had been the dream since they were six years old.

A part of her, a small yet loud part of her, was shouting about how unfair it all was. That Carrie could be a bitch to them but still have a kickass group. That Julie could not play for a year but somehow stumble into a ready made band with ready made chemistry.

And what did Flynn get? Nothing.

The leftover scraps of a childhood dream.

She’s not sure what to do with the scraps either. Does she put them together and hope there’s enough left for a solo act? Hope she can take the concept and find her own band? Hope that maybe one day the ghosts will pass on and Double Trouble can raise from the ashes?

Okay, so that last hope was mean and maybe a little dark. She didn’t want to get her band with Julie just because she’d lost three people important to her.

The thoughts nag at her for days, though. The what if’s and the hopes and the mean thoughts. She’s outside the garage, trying to push them into the back of her mind and put on a smile for when she walks in there. She can already hear the faint sounds of instruments tuning and then the low murmur of voices joining.

“Is Flynn coming today? She was going to show me how that Ticking Tok thing worked.'' That was Reggie’s voice, she could tell (when had she learnt to tell their voices apart anyway?). And there, faintly but becoming stronger she could hear Luke replying.

“She said she was, right? Because I’ve got this cool new song idea I want her to look at, there’s this part in the chorus that I think she’d be perfect for.”

Flynn thinks he says something else, she can hear Julie replying, Alex laughing. But she can’t make out any of the words because she’s so caught up on the idea that they were waiting for her.

That they wanted her help with something, had plans that involved her.

And she remembers then, that there’s something magical about Julie and her boys. And that maybe Double Trouble wasn’t meant to be, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t part of the band.

In fact it made her a pretty important part of the band, given that she was one of two people who could actually be seen by people all the time. Plus, she was the only one with any kind of social media following, so really, they would be lost without her.

This time, when she puts a smile on her face it doesn’t feel forced and she suddenly feels more relaxed then she has in weeks.

Pushing open the doors Flynn is greeted by Alex sitting at his drums as Luke waves a notebook at him while he plucks idly at the strings of his guitar and Julie has her phone out, trying to explain something to Reggie that just has him looking confused.

“I’m here, the party can begin!” She declares, grinning at them even as she flips her hair over one shoulder. And they grin at her, all four of them and Flynn feels bad for ever hoping for a day that the three ghosts would pass over.

five.

Flynn isn’t trusting by nature. She’s careful with who she loves and lets into her heart. Not out of any real past hurt or trauma, she’s just cautious.

She has to be cautious, because Julie opens her heart – and home, apparently – to anyone. She’s trusting and forgiving and so damn kind that Flynn, well, Flynn has to keep her guard up in case it all falls apart.

It’s why she’s always got an eye on the way Luke looks at Julie when he thinks no one is watching – and it’s awfully handy that they’re becoming visible and tangible randomly now, because she can keep an even better eye on things – and it’s not because Flynn thinks he has bad intentions.

But he’s a ghost and Julie isn’t, and if someone is getting hurt badly in this scenario it’s going to be Julie.

And Flynn made a promise a long time ago that she’d not let Julie get hurt if she can help it. She couldn’t stop the pain when her mom died and she couldn’t help when music seemed to leave her and she couldn’t halt any of the tears when Carrie said what she said.

But maybe she could stop an impending heartbreak before it got too bad. And then they played The Orpheum and could be touched and sometimes seen and Flynn really got to know them and realised that a heartbreak was coming one way or another. She couldn't protect Julie from that.

She could, however, protect her from Carrie.

Julie might have been able to take Carrie’s apology, her peace offering, her attempts at making amends and forgive. But Flynn still remembers crawling under the covers with Julie, the two of them crying and holding hands and whispering all their worries. Mrs Molina had been there to help pick up the pieces, to hug them and make them laugh and blow off steam with loud music.

There’s no Mrs Molina now, and Mr Molina has always tried to find the middle ground in their fights, even when they were kids and now Carrie is sitting across from her at the dining room table while they wait for the others.

They look at each other, neither wanting to be the first to look away, to break eye contact. It’s awkward in a way that Flynn rarely feels awkward.

Because she doesn’t know what to say.

Because she doesn’t know how to act.

Because she doesn’t know how Julie can let go of the past so easily despite knowing everything that she does.

Carrie spent two and half years being a total bitch to them both. Rude and obnoxious and unhelpful at every turn. Like they hadn’t been friends for nearly ten years when she’d brought it crashing down around them.

“You’re staying for the rehearsal?” Flynn forces the question past her lips, tries for civil and polite and making an effort. Because Julie has tried to forgive her and they were friends once, best friends, and maybe there’s a chance they can be something like that again.

“Julie said it was okay. There was a song they wanted to show me? I think Luke said it one my dad stole, but they perform it better.” And she says it so casually ‘one my dad stole’, like it’s no big deal that he profited off of stolen work, that Flynn has to clench her jaw to keep from saying something mean.

She’s glad she does, because then she notices the way Carrie is fiddling with the edge of the table cloth, the way she’s lowered her gaze and, when she replays the words, the way she stuttered, just a little on the word ‘dad’ .

So maybe Carrie has changed, Flynn decides. Or maybe change is the wrong way to put it, maybe she’s just reverted back.

Back to when they were thirteen and over excited and jumping around her living room until Flynn’s mom had come in to tell them off, Carrie had dropped immediately, eyes down cast and biting her lip.

Back to when they were ten and Julie’s mom had dropped them both off at school and Carrie had been sad and she’d told her hesitantly about how her mom had left .

Back to when they were six and the first thing anyone said to her on her first day of school was that ‘I like your bag! Do you want to be friends?’ and Carrie has pulled her over to where Julie was colouring on the floor.

“It’s probably because they have so much time to practice. They’re so lucky, not having to go to school,” it’s an attempt at a joke, small and only half true. But it’s an offering.

Flynn’s eyes are still on Carrie so she notices the moment the other girl looks up, the slight sparkle in her gaze and the way her lips twitch, just a little. Accepting the offering.

“I mean, they are dead, I’m not sure that’s considered lucky.”

And then they’re talking, bantering, laughing. The conversation is a little stiled sometimes, a little awkward in the words unsaid. But it’s a conversation.

Flynn hasn’t forgiven her, not the way Julie has, not the way the boys seem to have. Because Flynn can still remember all the pain that Carrie had caused and she’s not ready to forgive her of that just yet. But she’s willing to try. For Julie. For Carrie. Even a little for herself.

So she pushes all her anger down and talks to her ex-best friend. But she keeps her guard up, because she let Carrie in once and it ended in ruin and she’s not about to be the fool who let it happen twice.

+one.

She’s not sure what happens. One minute she’s going about her day, school and homework and deciding if posting the new Julie and the Phantoms youtube video should be now or at the weekend, and yeah she’s not having a good day, but she doesn’t think it’s a bad day either. Nothing strange or unexpected happens. It’s just– it’s a day.

And yet. One second she’s fine, the next she’s crying.

She’s sitting on the sofa in the studio garage, waiting for Julie to finish with her own homework, idly scrolling through her phone when Alex poofs in with Luke hot on his heels.

He’s smiling, happy and excited after a date with Willie from what she can gather. He’s talking so fast and hands waving in the air and Luke is watching it all with an easy smile and occasional nod. Luke sits himself down next to her (bumping his shoulder against hers because they can do that now apparently at will and it’s only a little strange, knowing she’s sitting so close to a ghost she can feel the heat coming from him, and how is this boy always so warm when he’s dead ?), shooting her a wink as he turns his attention back to Alex and Flynn can’t help but smile, eyebrows raising as she too watches the blonde.

Flynn doesn’t know if she’s ever seen him so excited. So at ease.

“–and he just, he jumped right over this bench! It was so cool Luke, he’s so cool! He tried to show me how to– Oh! Hey Flynn,” Alex cuts himself off, finally seeming to notice that she’s sat there and gives her an awkward wave with his hand that’s still half up in the air.

“Hey Alex, good date, huh?” She can’t help but tease him a little, wagging her eyebrows and pulling her lips into a sly smile. And then Alex is blushing, scratching at the back of his neck and avoiding her eyes, making noncommittal sounds. She would be worried she’d said something wrong but she can feel Luke laughing next to her.

“It was uh– yeah, yeah a good date,” he’s biting his lip and still not looking at her, but Flynn can see a small smile trying to tug at his lips as he turns away, pretending to find something in the jumble of clothes piled next to the piano.

“It was their first ‘official’ date,” Luke whispers next to her, his eyes still trained on Alex’s back and there’s such joy in his words that Flynn can feel herself tearing up.

And she doesn’t know why this sets her off.

Why seeing Alex, coming back from his first official date with another ghost, so happy and full of excitement, and seeing the way Luke is just radiating joy for his friends happiness.

Why this sets her off crying.

One second she’s fine, the next she’s sobbing and Alex is spinning around so fast his hat falls off and Luke is gaping at her in a kind of horror that might be funny any other time.

“I– I–” She tries to say something, but she can’t get the words past her lips. They keep getting stuck in her throat as another sob tears through her and her eyes are blurred by tears and her hands are shaking, she knows that because her phone slips from between her fingers, making a soft thud on the rug.

“Go get Julie,” she thinks that’s Alex, she can’t quite tell. But she can hear the tell tale sign of a ghost poofing out and then a pair of arms and carefully wrapping around her shoulders and she’s crying into a denim jacket. So, Alex then, definitely Alex.

“Hey, hey it’s okay. Shush, it’s okay,” he keeps saying it over and over, his voice gentle and calm and Flynn lets herself cry. She hears the door open, hears feet rushing in, hears someone let out a soft gasp.

“What happened?” And that’s Julie, Flynn would know Julie’s voice anywhere. It’s a bit like a beacon, a light source in the dark, she could hear Julie’s voice and follow it home. Lifting her head up from where it’s been resting on Alex’s shoulder she tries to spot her friend and doesn't have to look far because Julie is crouching in front of her, concern all over her face and wide eyes.

It just makes Flynn cry harder.

Because she doesn’t want to upset her friend. She doesn’t want her to worry or panic or think that there’s something wrong. Because there’s not. Nothing is wrong. Her life is perfectly fine. And yet she’s crying uncontrollably on a sofa into a ghosts shoulder.

There’s an awkward moment where Alex gets up and she’s left alone on the sofa and her head feels like it’s going to fall and then Julie is there, and her arms are around her and she’s letting Flynn collapse on her.

Holding her up and together. Just the way Flynn has always tried to hold her up and together.

She doesn’t know how long she cries for.

When she finally gets some control over her own emotions, her eyes, her breathing, Flynn lets out a long and shaky breath. There’s a wet patch on Julie’s jumper, and she knows her face must be a mess of mascara and eyeliner.

Julie passes her a tissue, waits until she’s wiped her face as best she can, and then exchanges it for a bottle of water. Flynn drinks and keeps her eyes closed the whole time.

“Where–” She croaks out, throat still sore from crying and she swallows, opens her mouth to try again but Julie seems to know what she’s trying to ask.

“I sent them inside to help Carlos with his maths homework. Reggie is surprisingly good with numbers,” there’s a teasing tone in her voice and Flynn doesn’t have to be looking at her to know there’s a smile on her face too.

They sit in silence for a while, Flynn drinking her water, Julie passing her tissues, a question hanging in the air.

“I just–” Flynn starts, takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut. She’s not sure how to even explain any of this. She doesn’t even really know why she started crying. When she opens her eyes again and blows out a breath, she shuffles back a little from Julie so she can pull her legs up onto the sofa and cross them under her. Through it all Julie sits patiently and waits. Flynn almost wants to cry again.

“Sometimes, and I mean, like rarely. It’s not a big deal or anything. And mom took me to the doctors and they said it wasn’t a big deal either so, it’s just. Y’know. It’s just that– that sometimes I get sad. That the world gets too much and I’m just– I’m not enough. For the world. Or you,” she shrugs, fingers pulling apart the tissue in her hands and looking somewhere over Julie’s left shoulder. “And it makes no sense really, because nothing all that bad has happened to me, y’know? There’s nothing really for me to be sad about.”

She can see Julie opening her mouth, her eyes widening and getting ready to say something but Flynn stops her, finally making eye contact again and shaking her head quickly.

“No, no don’t. It’s true. Because I haven’t lost my mom and my family is happy and Bailey always covers for me if I spill soda all over the floor and I’m not dead unlike three people we know. My life is fine . But sometimes I just– I just get sad, Jules. And normally it’s fine, it passes and every things fine. And then today, Alex was just, he was so happy y’know? And so was Luke. And they’re dead, but they’re out there, being happy ! And I’m alive and I just felt so sad today and it’s stupid because there’s nothing to be sad about .”

Flynn doesn’t think anything she just said made sense, but it’s too late to take any of it back now. The words are out in the world and Julie heard them all. Dropping her head into her hands Flynn lets out a groan, her fingers gripping on to her braids and pulling lightly. And then Julie’s hands are on top of hers and gently detangling her fingers until she’s holding her hands.

“Flynn, look at me,” her voice is gentle, holding the tone that she usually reserves for when Carlos comes home sad about losing a baseball game. It’s also the tone that she knows no one can say no to. So Flynn lifts her head, shaking it a little as she looks at her best friend.

“Your feelings are a big deal Flynn. And it’s not stupid. You can’t help the way you feel, it’s okay to feel sad,” Julie squeezes her hand slightly, lets one go so she can wipe at tears Flynn hadn’t even noticed were falling again. “Just because you haven’t– you don’t have to have some big tragic event in your life to deserve to be sad. You’re allowed to just...be.”

“But–” Flynn starts, though she’s not sure what she wants to say, which is maybe for the best because Julie cuts her off by grabbing her other hand again and pulling both up to place a kiss on her knuckles.

“No buts. If you want to be sad, you can be sad. But you have to tell us, otherwise– we can’t help if we don’t know Flynn. And as funny as Luke’s reactions are when he sees a girl crying, I’d rather it just be when our favourite character dies on a tv show, not because you’ve burst into tears out here.”

And that startles a laugh out of her, a little watery and raspy, but it’s a laugh and she smiles at Julie, this time squeezing her hands.

“He really doesn’t know how to handle a crying girl does he?”

“No! He’s so dramatic about it too–” If Julie was going to say anything else it was cut off by the sound of someone letting out an indigent ‘hey!’ and then three ghosts were standing in front of the sofa, Alex and Reggie holding back laughter while Luke was wearing his frowny-pouty face, arms crossed.

“We weren’t listening, but that’s just rude! I so do know how to handle it when people cry!”

It starts an argument, about twenty-five years without a hug and sneaking into rooms when they were teenagers and how he’d been the first to hug Julie after The Orpheum. But Flynn is only half listening, because Julie is still holding her hands, and Alex has nudged her out of the way so he can sit down on her other side and Luke and Reggie have brought their little discussion closer.

She’s surrounded by them all, and yeah it’s still a bad day but maybe she doesn’t have to handle them alone anymore.

[walterfilmmemorabilia-blog]

8 Great Black Jazz Musicians

BY BILL REED

In the first half of the 20th Century these eight, great black jazz musicians, who helped to create one of America’s unique contributions to the musical canon, come alive in the wonderful posters, photographs and promotional pieces that are part of Walter Films’ collection of African Americana. Jazz, a music genre that originated in the African American community, is known for its soulfulness and complex musical variations.

MILES DAVIS

BACKGROUND

One of the greats in the pantheon of African Americana is Miles Davis (seen above). Davis picked up the trumpet at age 13. Before it was all over, he’d won just about every honor and glory a jazz musician can achieve, including six Grammys and numerous best-selling albums. The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted ten of his releases, including 1949’s Birth of the Cool, and, from a decade later, Kind of Blue. *

The groundwork above and much more was laid down when, in 1944, he relocated to New York City. He soon became part of the wellspring of the new jazz sound, known as be-bop. His contemporaries included the likes of bandleader Billy Eckstine, alto sax giant Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

Before long, Davis became well-known enough to start up his own small music group. It included name musicians, like Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey. Its descriptive title . . . “The New Sounds.”

ON THE WAY UP

In rapid order came two record contracts. The first was with the noteworthy Prestige outfit, followed by a mainstream affiliation with none other than one of THE big three record labels, Columbia.

THE “IG TIME

There are far too many highpoints to address here; however, two of which cry out are the album Kind of Blue (1959), which became the most significant selling jazz album of its day, and the Miles Davis- [arranger] Gil Evans big band trilogy: Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain. One of his major European engagements included a period of early ‘50s residency in France where he was awarded the rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jean Cocteau, and conducted an affair with singer Juliette Greco.

FINAL DAYS

Davis’ later years were filled with many health issues resulting in the musician’s death at the relatively young age of 65. Inasmuch as this WalterFilm photo of Davis does not seem to appear in other known jazz collections, it should be regarded as rare.

SARAH VAUGHAN

TWO LEGS UP

No doubt about it. The numbers one and two female jazz vocalists in the golden age of the art form were Ella, Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Three-quarters of a century later, that still — more or less — holds true.

Along the way, there were many memorable recordings, and the winning of countless awards, including four Grammys.

Though Sarah came along a decade-or-so later after Ella, like “First Lady of Song” Fitzgerald, she got a head start by winning the historic talent contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater.

One of her very earliest sides, “Lover Man,“ (1945) found her backed by Charlie “Bird” Parker (also in this WalterFilm collection) and Dizzy Gillespie. Several decades later, France’s Michel Legrand made a recording with Vaughan. He remarked of her, “She sings from the stars.”

Not long after completing her final recording in 1990, “Sassy,” as Vaughan was lovingly nick-named, passed away.

DUKE ELLINGTON

There is little question that Duke Ellington was the most famous, respected, charming, talented, elegant figures of the jazz musician and “beyond category” a definition oft-used to describe him.

The elegance of this WalterFilm poster gives some sense of how much admiration his label, Victor, accorded him. The Master had been primarily with that label from 1924 onward, with stops along the way at Columbia, Capitol, and Bethlehem records.

Flash forward to the end of his life (in 1974), and Ellington had created music for just about every form of show business, including theatre and film.

The Duke once claimed that the only reason he kept his band together was so that he could hear what his imaginary musical notes on paper sounded like in real-time. A hang-up for which we, his listeners, are eternally grateful.

This retail store advertisement (above) does not appear to have been recycled into any other Victor placement, i.e. catalogs, record jackets, etc., which would make it doubly rare.

NANCY WILSON

RIGHT OUT OF THE STARTING GATE

Born in Ohio, jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson, after much performance time on the road, arrived in New York City in 1960. She soon signed with Capitol Records. Right off, she had the good fortune to record with the label’s stars Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing.  Both recordings were hits. It probably helped in marketing Wilson that she was exceptionally attractive.

Wilson would have a successful career with Capitol, lasting from that start in ‘60 to 1971. She would also have success on TV–with her own show, in nightclubs, jazz festivals, etc. Her honors were many, including multiple Grammys and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.  She continued to perform and record with other labels until 2011. It was then that she remarked: “I’m not going to be doing it anymore, and what better place to end it than where I started, in Ohio” –– her last professional engagement.  She died in 2018.

CHARLES MINGUS

VERSATILITY PERSONIFIED

It was a long row to hoe for this master musician, from the ‘40s L.A. Central Avenue Swing-to-Bop crossover scene. Eventually, however, he could be found starring at the likes of major Japan concert halls.  In 1971, he even recorded an album while performing there.

TRACKS RECORD

Mingus had first recorded in the early 1940s. The overall sound was much like swing stars of that era, such as Benny Goodman. However, a Mingus 78 rpm disc from just a few years finds this player/composer/arranger thoroughly ensconced in the bubbling bop cauldron.

Later in his career, Mingus could be found versatile enough to be performing with players from any era. An example: an early Sixties trio of Mingus, vibist Red Norvo and guitarist Tal Farlow.

WAY TOO SOON

Although Mingus died at 56, ��his name remains high on the list of jazz greats. Two major documentaries attest to this.

MUSICAL INTEGRATION

In addition to his significant seven-decades-long career as a jazz musician, bandleader, vibes player, African-American Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) is also remembered for another undertaking. In 1936 he helped Benny Goodman tear down the walls between white and black musicians in  “live” performances.

Years later, Hampton observed: “The Benny Goodman Quartet made it possible for Jackie Robinson to get into major league baseball. This was such an important development that we just cannot fluff it off or forget about it.”

This re-formatted groundbreaking Goodman Quartet would end up playing at the likes of the Waldorf-Astoria.

Of interest is the number of awards Hampton received along the way, including the National Medal of Arts and several Honorary Doctorates.

Somewhat ironically, Hampton’s big band ended up lasting even longer than Goodman’s. It has the distinction of giving jazz vocal stars Betty Carter and Little Jimmy Scott their first big.

CHARLIE PARKER

FAST FORWARD

Starting in the mid-Thirties, alto saxophonist Carlie Parker found himself inspired by the swing era likes of Ellington and Basie. But not for long. It would not be stressing things too much in calling this Kansas City, Missourian, “the man who invented modern jazz.”

Parker has received numerous forms of tribute, including documentaries, biographies, and stage productions, with one of the most well-regarded being the big screen docudrama, Clint Eastwood’s Bird.

As noted in the description of the press kit herein for director Clint Eastwood’s daring work, the film “remains one of the few classic movies about jazz.”

Sadly, Parker dies at the implausibly early age of 34. One can only wonder how he would have developed artistically if he had been given more time. Parker is a prime example of The Good Die Young.

COUNT BASIE

ON THE T.O.B.A *

Starting in show business, pianist Count Basie worked as a back-up player on the historic black vaudeville circuit, the Theater Owners Booking Association *. Eventually, these musical meanderings landed him in Kansas City, Missouri. It was there, in 1935, that he founded his first big band, which would endure for the next half-century.

Basie didn’t leave his Jersey home (and place of birth) entirely behind; he would become widely known as “The Kid from Red Bank.” It stuck with him for the rest of his life.

However, a few of the noteworthy Basie instrumentalists and singers who gained early-on professional experience include Lester Young and Freddie Green, and songsters, Joe Williams and Jimmy Rushing.

The Count was especially popular with Jewish comedians, namely Jerry Lewis (Cinderfella) and Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles).

WALTER FILM’S AFRICAN AMERICANA COLLECTION

WalterFilm.com offers a range of African-American Cultural History that celebrates the achievements of black actors, black artists, black musicians, black athletes, black politicians, and other members of this country’s African-American Community. To see the extensive vintage original collection click on this link; African-American Collectibles and Black Memorabilia,

OUR GUEST AUTHOR

BILL REED

Bill Reed is a journalist and writer whose articles on show business, the arts, and popular music have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Rolling Stone, the San Francisco Examiner, International Documentary, and Japan’s Swing Journal. Among his books are: Hot from Harlem: Profiles in Classic African-American Entertainment, Brains as Well as Feet, Early Plastic: A Memoir, and Shared Air: My Six-Decade Interface With Celebrity. He as also worked as a video jack-of-all-trades for the Criterion Collection, and produced many jazz recordings for SSJ Records, Japan. More: https//musicians.allaboutjazz.com/billreed

Blog is originally published at: https://www.walterfilm.com/8-great-black-jazz-musicians/

It is republished with permission from the author.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24th February 2019

Top 10

After one week off the top, Ariana Grande’s “7 rings” replaces her own song as done to “7 rings” the week before, for its fourth week at #1, and Ariana’s fifth consecutive week at the top.

This means “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” by Ariana Grande is down a spot to number-two.

“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi hasn’t moved at number-three.

“Giant” by Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man is up two spaces to number-four.

Mabel’s “Don’t Call Me Up” hasn’t moved at number-five – you know, it was a good idea to make one of the least busy weeks on the chart the week in which the BBC completely messes up the structure of their Top 40 online presentation, by making the single art so large for no reason, and making you not able to specify and filter by climbers, fallers and new entries, which I feel is somehow to make me do more work for these episodes. I’ve been slacking, I guess, and the BBC wants me to write notes.

“Dancing with a Stranger” by Sam Smith and Normani is down two spots to number-six.

Post Malone’s “Wow.” hasn’t moved at number-seven.

Up two spaces this week to number-eight is Billie Eilish with “bury a friend”.

Oh, and we have a new top 10 entry, not a new arrival, but the first ever top 10 entry for NSG and Tion Wayne, as their song “Options” is up three spaces to number-nine. Congratulations, the song’s actually pretty decent.

Oh, and “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max is up a spot to #10.

Climbers

There weren’t many climbers this week, but the ones we do have are pretty massive, with “Advice” by Cadet and Deno Driz continuing up 22 spaces to #14 off Cadet’s tragic passing in a car accident, “Just You and I” by Tom Walker bouncing up 11 spaces to #19 thanks to Walker’s album release, “i’m so tired...” by LAUV and Troye Sivan also up 11 spots to #22, and finally, the continued rise for “Thotiana” by Blueface, up 17 positions to #23 thanks to a remix featuring Cardi B, and more buzz surrounding Blueface’s name recently. Do you think any of his other songs will cross over? I doubt it.

Fallers

Now this is a different story. “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus is down eight spaces to #17, “Hello My Love” by Westlife is down five positions to #24 (I’m just surprised it’s lasted this long anyway), “MIDDLE CHILD” by J. Cole is down 11 spots to #28 (It’ll rebound next week due to the video), “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee is down six to #29 (Likely at the end of its run), “Swan Song” by Dua Lipa is down eight to #32 (And is somehow still having more longevity in its success than the film it was made to promote), “Gun Lean” by Russ (splash) is down 13 to #33 (Let’s hope this goes away as quick as possible), “Psych Out!” by AJ Tracey is down 16 to #34 (Album hype wearing off), “Undecided” by Chris Brown is down 10 to #35, “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille is down five to #36, “Without Me” by Halsey is down 11 to #39, and, sadly, “a lot” by 21 Savage featuring uncredited guest vocals from J. Cole is down 11 to #40.

Dropouts

“Who Do You Love?” by the Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds of Summer is out from #34 (Let’s hope this goes away forever, it’s pretty worthless), “Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein and the Weeknd is out from #35 (Once again, this song is pretty trashy, let’s keep it out for as long as possible), “Nights Like This” by Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign (Currently serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession) is out from #38, and, finally, “Thursday” by Jess Glynne is out from #39.

Returning Entries

Now, we only have one returning entry, which is “Think About Us” by Little Mix, with a remix featuring Ty Dolla $ign, which returns to #26 thanks to a video, which I haven’t seen, but do you think Ty Dolla $ign is in it? I’m not sure if they would have pre-recorded it when Ty Dolla $ign wasn’t serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession, or rushed it because they realised that the one hit from this album, “Woman Like Me”, isn’t coming back now and they have to quickly see if they can grab another hit off of this cycle. Anyways, for the first time in what feels like ages, we have a quick and easy new arrivals section, as there’s only three, so let’s get this done.

NEW ARRIVALS

#37 – “365” – Zedd and Katy Perry

The big comeback single for Katy Perry, with production from Zedd, is called “365”. No wonder this isn’t doing well in America, naming your song after random numbers is barely ever a good idea, even if it has thematic relation to the song’s lyrics. This is Katy Perry’s 26th UK Top 40 single (Which is really impressive) and Zedd’s tenth. Now, I’ve liked Zedd for a while, ever since that song “Stay the Night” with Hayley Williams – I still stand by how his first two albums are pretty great for their genre and that it’s some of the best electro- and dance-pop to come out of the 2010s – but ever since he got a resurgence in America with “Stay”, he’s really been sticking to that formula and it’s getting really tiring to keep up with him. I hated “Starving” and have thought everything he’s released since is pretty in “The Middle” but hopefully this collaboration with Katy Perry can be diff—nope.

It starts with a pretty ugly synth sound that acts as a pitched-up bass with some pathetic percussion building up Katy Perry’s breathy voice until we get to the drop, which is nonexistent. When we get to the second verse, it’s the same with some added tweaks that I actually kind of like, such as the multi-tracked vocal harmonies, but it quickly transitions into that painfully un-catchy chorus, and a post-chorus using “Hey!” backing group vocals because why not? Then that bloody clock ticking sound appears that’s been so typical of Zedd this past year or two under some autotuned Katy Perry vocal samples twisted to make some remnant of a melody, because Zedd really likes clocks. Even stuff like “The Middle” was articulated and had layers, while this just feels like a lazy attempt to get Katy Perry in the spotlight again, and so far, I’m not entirely sure if that’s worked.

#16 – “Kitchen Kings” – D-Block Europe

D-Block Europe is a British and European hip-hop collective hailing from South London and lead by Young Adz and Dirtbike LB (Some of the worst names in rap? More likely than you think!). They had a hit once before with “nASSty” a few months ago and that was awful, so I’m not exactly excited to see them back, although again, it’s a collective, it might be an entirely different set of artists for their recent song about “Kitchen Kings”, which I’ll admit is a somewhat clever and catchy way of saying you cook and sell drugs, but we shouldn’t care because we immediately recognise the nasal, childlike voice of who I believe is Young Adz and realise that even if they are selling drugs, they can’t convince us that they are because they’re not intimidating or at least make any attempt at sounding hard like Dave or Fredo. There are couple pretty synths covering Adz in the intro, specifically his hilariously awful “Skrrt” ad-libs that he just keeps on doing and elongating until the chorus, which has some pretty bad bass mixing and emotionless repetition of “Mm-hmm” to replace any attempt at wordplay. Adz’s verse is actually pretty funny, not on purpose mind you, due to once again the pitched-up ad-libs, including those skrrt-skrrts and a voice crack in his falsetto “Kitchen, girl” backing vocal. Oh, and the last line about how losing money that he would usually be covered by his drug-selling is “Flipping hell”, or something of that sort, is delivered awfully. The second guy’s verse is painful, and evidently he was so offbeat that they had to completely get rid of the beat for his verse, getting rid of the percussion and bass, or at least all of its punch, by filtering it and causing those empty pauses in his verses which are just autotuned vocal riffs feel so much more pointless. This is amateur, so I can’t exactly be that hard on it, but it still shouldn’t be charting in the top 20.

#12 – “Please Me” – Cardi B and Bruno Mars

And now we have the highest-charting new arrival here, which is already a top five hit in the US, by some of the biggest names in popular music, both of which were behind one of my favourite hits of the year, “Finesse” (The remix, of course). This is Bruno’s 18th top 40 hit in the UK and Cardi’s tenth to reach this height. Does this have nearly as much fun, bombast and charisma as their last hit together? Yes, in the vocal track, at least. Bruno Mars’ performance here is amazing, albeit mixed oddly with a bit too much reverb while we have these pretty 90s synths oddly being put against dated trap synths that sound straight out of a Tay Keith sample pack, as well as a stunted trap skitter that puts a halt to all of the fun that we could be having with the intricate synth work, Bruno Mars’ great multi-tracked vocals and Cardi B’s groovy verses with enough interesting lines and even ad-libs, but the pre-chorus is janky and Cardi isn’t exactly a great singer (Although she doesn’t sound awful here and I do like her hyping up of Bruno in the chorus). It takes a darker turn in the bridge which is a bit abrupt and unnecessary, and Bruno crooning “Twerk it on me slowly” isn’t exactly something I wanted to hear, so it’s safe to say this is disappointing right now, but it could grow on me. What’s sad is that this relatively mediocre R&B track is by far the best pick here.

Conclusion

Yeah, that means Cardi B and Bruno Mars get Best of the Week for “Please Me”, but I’m not sure how much that’s actually deserved yet. Worst of the Week goes to D-Block Europe for “Kitchen Kings” because, well, just listen to it. See you next week.

[berrycakeness]

It’s the blog post you’ve been waiting for…

So there are a couple of reasons why it’s taken me so long to blog about my birthday:

1) My Birthday celebrations were extended excessively (I still have two more outings planned). I wanted to encapsulate all events into one post.

2) Work has been relentless, and the last thing I’ve had motivation for is to write.

Anyway, ignoring the fact I have a chocolate workshop and a cocktail night to look forward to, I shall start at the best place – the start.

“I turned 30”

I had a nightmare the night before, and slept awfully on my birthday too. Either I was seriously affected by the ageing process or I think too much. I expect the latter, now off to frantically Web M.D the first.

Nothing much else has changed. I’m definitely however less likely to be the youngest person in the room. Bouncers will stop asking for ID and I’ll start drinking tonic water. Slimline obvs. As I have a fair few (older) friends who have long passed through to their 40’s or have recently levelled up, I think everything’s gunna be alright. (Name that tune, not too hard..).

I have developed an awareness of younger people more so than ever. I know for certain I’m that twat who reminds people of our age difference, but since I’ve realised recently that they teach GOOGLE DOCS in schools and not trusty ol’ Microsoft office, I now understand the generation gap. Now off to frantically join the Google learning centre. Oh my, ‘the’ and ‘google’ should never sit side by side in a sentence. Ever.

My first event was a great kick off to the new decade. Annie treated me to a wonderful set of presents. I received my sparkly new ipad case after a day of shopping and a wonderful 9 course dinner with champagne. Yes, 9 courses. Mitz and Nolwenn joined us and we stuffed ourselves with the finest of yum. We didn’t take photos, we were being too sociable for that. Of course that means I don’t have anything to share from the experience other than the memory of fine dining and wanting every dinner to taste amazing forever more. The venue was Eight Club Moorgate, a private club that has opened up it’s doors to us common folk. I recommend it highly, but definitely midweek. We had the best table in the house and were served by very attentive staff. The company was perfect, and I will remember the night for a long time to come. Thank you ladies for a fabulous evening.

 A very berry cocktail. Or two.

Next? Hmm. What was next…*checks diary, facebook and whatsapp*

I think it was my actual birthday, which I always try to spend with my parents as y’know, they gave me life and apparently I owe them some of my very valuable time every now and then. Valuable time I must add that I could spend watching shit on Netflix. Ah I’m joking, I’d be asleep instead.

Just before that though, I went to work. I try to go to work on my birthday as otherwise I’d just sit alone doing not much all day. Stevie gave me a traditional Edinburgh breakfast of a bottle of Irn Bru and a chocolate croissant (She’s a posh scot really), and around halfway through the day I was presented with a card and a balloon. Eventually my real present was given to me a few days after the day which was a beer tour! I’ve yet to cash in my vouchers so one of you lucky people will get to come with me. Unless I can go twice…ha.

SCOTLAND!

LAD LAD LAD LAD

My birthday dinner was our traditional family pasta that my dear mother makes so well. It’s a variety of vegetables in tomato sauce with the all important ingredient of bacon. And a side of garlic bread. Home comfort is what I needed the most, and I throughly enjoyed my time. Got some cash from the folks (make it raaaain), a switch game from Tom, Annie had already given me my presents and nothing from Lewis. A promise of a present was given, and I waited patiently (more to come).

My birthday weekend was prebooked many months prior, not particularly for my birthday but I’m counting it. C2C festival!

  Yes, I’m a little bit country. Ok, maybe a bit more than a little. Leaky, Lewis (still without present, attempted to make me want a cowboy hat) and I started the weekend with a bit of booze, and a lot of music. My first festival of the year (second was a beer festival), we swayed, bopped and did a bit of a jig in our seats to a few of our favourites and some new favourites. That list includes: Old Dominion, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Luke Combs, Little Big Town, Lindsay Ell and Lukas Nelson, who happens to be in a rock band but also happens to be Willie Nelsons son. Leaky almost died of boredom listening to EmmyLou Harris and disappeared to (I assume) cry halfway through.

So that’s the first week of March out of the way, and this post is beginning to become a novel. Still, I shall prevail and continue to make you wait for my birthday party verbiage.

Di, Stevie and I went out midweek and I made Di drink a glass of limes.

Boozing on a weekday

Limey goodness

The party. See, I didn’t make you wait too long.

I didn’t spend too much time with party prep this time, but as tradition dictates I took a day off to bake and to get some posters printed, but mostly enjoyed my day off drinking buckets of coffee. The theme was fancy dress, because I’m annoying like that. The fancy dress theme was musicians, which confused a few people. Apparently musicians write their own music, and so I was limiting the choice to people who were dead or too current. Regardless, I stormed ahead.

There’s not much to write about, so I will leave the pictures to tell their own story. However, it was a fantastic party and I was so glad to have lots of different friends from various walks of live attend.

Yearly photo with the flatmate

Crime busters of the sea..

Slash was supposed be swearing, but peace got in the way.

Mr and Mrs Cash, with their dearest little Ring o’fire

Cowgirl and the Dandy.

Bowiecarter

Bowiecash

Bowietracy

Where’s your Stash, Johnny Cash?

Siblings + Johnny Cash.

Moby no dick?

Midst performance of Believe.

HEY BRITNEY! Madonna ft Britney

Dollybowiecher

Bettecherbowie

Madonnabowiechercarter

Boobs propping up the keys nicely there. Apparently chord playing.

Laughing Cherbowie, pretty June!

Queen Cherbowie

Selfie

Selfie

Selfie

Give a girl a headpiece and a boy some boot covers and all of a sudden they’re fashionistas.

BetteMichael

Costumes off, no idea who these people are

Shark attack!

The datties face pull in town.

Dancing in the ring of fire, with a can of Stella.

Even inflatable monkeys need a drink

Beat that drum

I mustache you a question.

Duckface!

You’re a wizard, Harry.

BetteSlash

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE

A lap dance, with a can of stella.

Dolly Sharkton goes to bed

Alright, I had about 6 different costumes but it was my birthday (month) and I could do what I wanted to do. (Name that tune, adapted to past tense). The intention was to start as Bowie and morph into Cher. Once Cher, I was to change my wigs periodically throughout the night. However, I rushed it and did it throughout the song “Believe” to much comic relief. There are a couple of videos, and as much as I would love to post them I can’t do that to myself. If you’re particularly intrigued and happen to be a friend, get me drunk and I’ll show you from a distance of at least 5 paces.

Leaky and I took the next day slowly recovering by mostly stuffing our faces.

At some point, we had work drinks to celebrate my birth. We ran up a healthy bar tab and got suitably tipsy. I chose the Draft House – Chancery Lane as it’s very close to the office and they have one of my favourite ales on tap. For the life of me, I cannot remember it’s name but I know that it is Australian, and is rather citrus tasting. Diana attacked Matt and he left soon afterwards. I walked Di to Charing Cross as she cannot be trusted to walk alone anymore (I’ve made it a regular excuse to walk more steps of an evening – not that she’s drunk every time..) and got home later than I really should on a Thursday evening.

The reservatation was literal.

Matt attack!

That weekend was pure indulgence. Annie, Mitz, Nolwenn and I spent a weekend in a Spa in the cute town of Stratford upon Avon. Not only was it exactly what I needed, but it left me wanting even more. I need the extravagance of being pampered on a daily basis, but girl got bills to pay. Another fantastic weekend was enjoyed by all, again, thank you ladies!

Timeline wise, we’re now near to the end of March. Let us skip forward a little bit to April where I spent an evening in POTIONS CLASS.

But just before that, on Annies Birthday (8th April) Lewis gave me my present! Some great Rick and Marty merch.

Back to POTIONS CLASS. Yes, Mitz and I were given robes and a wand, and a shit ton of mysterious liquids to make the magic happen. The cynics of you may believe it was simple chemistry but that’s what they want you to believe. #fakenews

Cocktails were made and consumed in a small basement in the middle of the slightly less magical area of London – Dalston. If you’re interested, it’s called the Cauldron and it’s definitely worth a trip. A wonderful birthday present, and I felt like a true Hogwarts student. Just don’t buy their house cocktails, they were terrible. Seriously, the worst I had ever tried, except for their gin concoction and their shooter. Urgh. But otherwise, probably the best thing related to Dalston

Stir potions

From blue to purple!

Brewing with Mitz

Magical booze tree

Smoking shooters

.

Then, Jackie had been messaging me for weeks trying to get a date in the diary the diary that I kept forgetting about, but mostly being too busy with sleeping to have time for. However, we agreed a date and I made my way to Angel (my favourite part of town) for brunch at Dead Dolls House. As I had not asked Jackie any questions, I was surprised to be asked whether I wanted to start drinking straight away or until she arrived. Yes, bottomless mimosas and a very yummy brunch indeed. After our two hours of boozing, we slipped next door to sing our hearts out at Lucky Voice. I took some convincing (I think Jackie said “Ah come on, let’s do it” and then I had to convince her when we were informed of the cost of hiring “Jacks it’s the same cost of a round of drinks, it’s nothing” Note, I sometimes call her Jacks, but mostly Jackie. It depends on my mood, but I always wonder if she notices…*waves*

Despite our protests, we both walked into the room, shooed away the guy who gives you the microphone and tells you how everything works (being lucky voice, half of it never works) and sang for a good 90 minutes. Walking out at 4pm being now relatively sober and it being sunny was quite disconcerting. Jackie then treated me to some ice cream (I know it’s a bore, its just for my throat. I need a layer of protection) and overall, it was the perfect birthday day I could have hoped for. Jackie knows me well! So thank you ma’am.

And I suppose, that’s about it. Thanks to everyone who took part, you have made it a good one xxx

Every now and then I fall apart It's the blog post you've been waiting for... So there are a couple of reasons why it's taken me so long to blog about my birthday:

[onestowatch]

Q&A: YouTube Stardom, ‘Wonderland,’ and the Teenage Years with Jasmine Thompson

The ever-evolving world of the Internet and social media have given rise to platforms for singers and musicians all over the world to display their passion for music. YouTube, in particular, has helped us discover incredible talent, whether it be through original music or covers of our favorite songs.

16-year old Jasmine Thompson began uploading covers to YouTube when she was just 10 years old. Since then, her pure yet powerful vocals have garnered the attention of over 2.8 million YouTube subscribers and over 6.5 million monthly Spotify listeners. The numbers are impressive, but the music speaks volumes. Her recent EP, Wonderland, has proved that she has a maturity beyond her years in both the quality of her music and lyrical content.

Thomspon just wrapped up a tour with Astrid S, and we had the incredible experience of hearing just how naturally beautiful Thompson’s voice is IRL. We were also fortunate enough to chat with the young singer before the show, and her sweet yet confident personality is certainly reflective of her singing. 

OTW: How has touring with Astrid S been? Are you excited for tonight and to play in L.A.?

Jasmine Thompson: I’m just so happy. I’ve been to so many new places over the past two weeks, it’s been incredible. Astrid’s whole team is super lovely. It was my first time in Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Minneapolis, and I’m going to San Francisco and Santa Ana for the first time next week. It’s been amazing. It’s honestly been a really cool, intimate feel as well. We’ve been playing a lot rooms just with people who are there to listen to music, and all the crowds so far have been really lovely.

OTW: That’s amazing! What’s your favorite city out of the new ones you’ve been to?

JT: I really liked Minneapolis. It felt like it was very music-based. After we finished the show in Minneapolis, my brother and I—my brother’s on tour with me at the moment—were walking around, and we saw a venue opposite that was doing another gig. We went to like this electronic music show. It was crazy. So I liked Minneapolis, and Chicago. Chicago was so beautiful. I love it there.

OTW: Let’s go back a bit to when it all started on YouTube. What prompted you to start uploading videos?

JT: I was watching a lot of YouTube videos when I was younger and I’ve always really enjoyed music. I’ve been learning music since I was eight, I think, like properly getting into piano lessons and singing lessons. When I was around 10, I was watching a lot of YouTubers, and I loved watching cover artists and people playing piano and singing. I wanted to try it out, and I just did it. It didn’t feel like a big deal. It was more just like, I’ll film it and upload it and see what happens, and everyone was really supportive, so I continued to do it.

OTW: You said that you didn’t feel like a big deal, but was music always your main passion? Did you want to be a singer at 10 years old?

JT: I’ve always loved music. I’ve always just wanted to make music and I liked learning piano and singing. I went to a theater school where we had singing lessons every week, and we had drama lessons and dance lessons. I’ve always wanted to do something creative. Uploading to YouTube didn’t feel like a big deal. It wasn’t like, “This is what’s going to start my career.” It was more like, “This seems fun, so let’s do it.” It’s mainly just that I really enjoy music, so I wanted to do it.

OTW: When did you start writing your own music?

JT: When I was quite young as well. I think I was eight or nine. As soon as I got chord shapes on the piano, I started writing.

OTW: Writing at a young age, where do you draw inspiration from, and has that changed for you as you’ve grown older?

JT: I think it’s always stayed the same for me. I like writing songs about stories that I’ve heard or stories that have happened to me. I was quite an emotional child as well. Even when I was eight, I was really sensitive to other people’s issues, even like in movies. Now I write about things that actually happen to me and more experiences like that. I remember one of the first songs I released was based on a fairy tale.

OTW: What was it like going from putting out covers to putting out your original music?

JT: That was a lot scarier. I wasn’t rushing to put out original stuff because I wanted to wait for the right time. It’s a lot more personal, and if I write it, I’m more precious about putting it out. I already know a cover is good because I’m passionate about a song, and other people seem to be passionate about it as well. Say I cover a Bruno Mars song, and it’s a popular song, it’s popular because it’s good. I feel safe in covering it, whereas with my song, no one’s heard it yet, and I don’t know if it’s terrible or not (laughs). Eventually, I just started putting out original music.

OTW: So now you have original music out. Can you talk about your newest EP, Wonderland? What was the inspiration behind it?

JT: It all started with the song, “Wonderland.” I was using Pinterest all the time. It’s really handy for forming ideas, so I was forming an idea for a video called “Wonderland.” It was all about my mates and I going around London, and I just chose photos that I thought represented what my mates and I do back home. The video was all about walking around London, messing around being teenagers, but also about having a lot questions. When you’re around my age, there’s a lot of stuff that’s like, “What do we want to be when we’re older?” Of course I want to be a singer, but what kind of person do I want to be? All of my friends are having the same questions as well, especially because they’re choosing the next colleges they want to go to, or what they want to study more, or what job they want to get in the future. The board gradually grew into something that was super creative and fun and artsy, but also quite sad. I wrote the song “Wonderland” based on the video. After that, I sent the song and ideas to my label, and they suggested we build an EP around it. I was like, “Oh yeah, true. That would be a good idea” (laughs). I went through all of the songs I’d been saving up for the past year or so, and I saw how this song and that song and this song relate to “Wonderland” and how I can build a story around it.

OTW: How was shooting the video for “Wonderland?”

JT: It was really fun! I really enjoyed. It was the first time I shot a music video with my actual friends. It was shot in places my mates and I actually go to. We shot it on film, and it was just really cool. We basically just had a camera crew follow me and my mates around London. They didn’t tell us to do anything. They were just filming us and captured little moments.

OTW: With the different pathways you and your friends are taking, of course you’ve had an amazing experience pursuing music, but is there anything you feel you’ve missed out on?

JT: It’s obviously a different way to grow up and experience your teenage years, but I’ve definitely gained a lot more from it. I’ve been able to travel so much, and it’s been incredible to have so many experiences. The only thing that I miss is being at home, to be honest. And if I wasn’t doing it now, hopefully I’d be doing it in five years or so, but I’d rather start early, and I had the opportunity to when I was younger. I think I’m spending the whole of October at home, and I’m excited to just go home and to see my friends as much as possible. It balances out. I spend my time working, and I spend time at home.

OTW: What are the differences for you in uploading covers versus writing your own original music?

JT: I still treat them in the same way. For covers, I’ll only choose a song that I actually like, whether it’s the lyrics or melody. I like to do both very simply, just on piano and sing it. With my own songs, I’ll write a melody and lyrics and write on the piano, and it’ll turn into a song. I think I’m more precious about my own songs because I have to spend more time thinking about it. With a cover, the lyrics and melody are already done for me.

OTW: What are your plans for the near future?

JT: I’m definitely going to try to release more music. I’ve been playing an unreleased song on the tour so far, and that’s been really fun. I think we’re releasing more music videos soon. When I go home, I’m going to spend a lot of time writing. I love writing in London. I’m going to go see some producers and writers I love working with and do some more songs.

OTW: Are there any people in particular you want to collaborate with?

JT: I’d love to collaborate with Avicii. He’s definitely someone I’d love to try singing on a track with. I really like his music. There’s a lot of people in London I love, like Tom Misch.

OTW: Finally, who are your Ones to Watch?

JT: A lot of London crowds, like Will Heard, Zak Abel, and Mura Masa, who’s massive now. And Billie Eilish. She’s incredible, it’s ridiculous.

[flauntpage]

Your Friday Morning Roundup

Put aside the protests and the Zeke Elliott situation, actual NFL football returned last night. And it was fun to watch if you hate the Patriots.

The Andy Reid-led Chiefs took care of the defending Super Bowl champs, 42-27. That’s the most amount of points the Pats have given up under Bill Belichick. And Reid did a really good with time management? Weird world.

Anyway, Alex Smith, who could be entering his last year as the team’s starter with Patrick Mahomes behind him, went 28-for-35 with 368 yards passing and four touchdowns. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt had himself a night after fumbling his first carry in the NFL. He ran for 148 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown, and also caught five passes for 98 yards and two scores. He set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage in the first game of his career with 239. The Eagles play the Chiefs in KC next Sunday.

Tyreek Hill made seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, but left the game in the fourth quarter with cramps.

Star safety Eric Berry was carted off the field after suffering an Achilles injury. Looks like it could be a tear.

#Chiefs coach Andy Reid said star S Eric Berry has a potential Achilles tear. They'll know more tomorrow… but horrible news after a big W.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2017

Tom Brady went 16-for-36 with 267 yards passing, and Mike Gillislee scored all three of New England’s touchdowns on 45 yards rushing.

Andy Reid put up 42 points and 536 yards on the Super Bowl champion Patriots. My god. Next week should be fun.

The Roundup:

Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie held an impromptu press conference where he discussed clickbait, Kelly Green jerseys (better happen), and having dinner with Andy Reid.

The Eagles also unveiled their new hype video for the season. Thumbtack. Thumbtack. Thumbtack. Kyle ranked all the yearly hype videos. If you give a crap, here’s mine:

5. 2016 (solely because it included St. Joe’s Prep, my high school’s (La Salle) archrival

4. 2014

3. 2015

2. 2017

1. 2013

Tim McManus went on a car ride with Carson Wentz and asked him a few questions.

Zach Ertz is going to break out this year, finally, and more valuable fantasy advice from fantasy guru Jim.

Alshon Jeffery’s cleats are fire.

These are the personalized "AJ XIII Cleats" Alshon Jeffery will be wearing this weekend #Eagles http://pic.twitter.com/mkqweL0uWy

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 7, 2017

He also won’t chirp at Josh Norman on Sunday.

Finally, check out Sean’s first Eagles Mailbag post.

—

Some not-so-good news regarding Joel Embiid from Howard Eskin on 94 WIP yesterday:

“He’s not ready for five-on-five play, according to the Sixers. But what I understand is, his agent wants a new contract before he — remember he’s eligible to get a new deal. Now, if you’re the Sixers you can’t give him a max deal until you see that he can play, how many games he can play during the season.

“But my understanding, part of the reason that they’re saying — whoever it is that is saying that he’s not ready for five-on-five play, is because — and Joel Embiid, I don’t think worries about the money, but they listen to their agents. And the agent wants a new contract.”

Brett Brown on WIP – article from Liberty Ballers – said Eskin’s report is BS.

Training Camp will take place from September 26 until September 29 in Camden. One practice per day.

Amir Johnson said some more promising things about Ben Simmons after a community event at the Strawberry Mansion PAL Center:

Was going back over Amir's comments from today.

There was also this: "I truly believe that Ben is going to be the future of this league."

— Brian Seltzer (@brianseltzer) September 7, 2017

Did we see a glimpse of a new red jersey yesterday? Our good friend Conrad Burry made some predictions:

Took a stab at some predictions…I actually don't mind the wacky art deco font. Maybe it'd be alright if they re-drew it cleaner. http://pic.twitter.com/KASlHlRLMS

— Conrad Burry (@conradburry) September 7, 2017

To add to the intrigue, CEO Scott O’Neil gave some input about the funky 70s wordmark in a Tweet two years ago:

I actually like those u? https://t.co/S9Nh0UY6TR

— Scott O'Neil (@ScottONeil) April 17, 2015

EuroBasket updates:

FINAL: 107 – 69

Saric – 22MIN / 18PTS / 10REB / 3AST

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) September 7, 2017

Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey) got a rebound in eight minutes of play in Turkey’s loss to Latvia.

—

The Phillies played a game last night as well. They lost to the Nationals 4-3.

Odubel Herrera extended his hit-streak to 20 games, and Jorge Alfaro hit his second big league homer. Aaron Nola gave up three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings.

Phillies and Nationals do battle again tonight at 7:05. Jake Thompson takes the mound for the Phils against Max Scherzer. God bless.

Scott Kingery and Tom Eshelman were the recipients of this year’s Paul Owens Awards, given to the team’s top minor league player and pitcher.

Meanwhile, former pitcher Brett Myers has a new music video. Not gonna lie, he’s kind of good. Him and Kyle had a weird Twitter exchange:

Thanks… wasn’t bashing you (really). Just not my scene. The song itself isn’t bad

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

Maybe u should come down and hang and see how we have a good time then u might change ur mind

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

Can we talk about the girl in the Yankees shirt though?

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

I didn't like that either but I don't tell them what to wear…she was actually there to keep an eye on my youngins while we shot the video

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

Fair enough.

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

By the way it's at 2300 views and climbing..I just released it at 11pm last night but thanks to u it's gonna keep going up! Seriously thanks

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

By the way just to correct u on the Military issued Belgium Malinois…the dog is actually a German Shepherd…he wants to meet u http://pic.twitter.com/FlYi8vnPF9

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

He should take that as compliment!

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

No he doesn't he's not Belgium he's German! lol Shepherds are larger than the malinois

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

—

The Flyers officially announced their training camp would open up next Friday in Voorhees. A complete roster is attached.

—

Villanova head coach Jay Wright unveiled Nova’s tribute patch to Rollie Massimino.

In honor of those who came before us… http://pic.twitter.com/xskiNw3AdC

— Jay Wright (@VUCoachJWright) September 7, 2017

—

In other sports news, the Cleveland Cavaliers officially introduced Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic after acquiring them from Boston. Sam Hinkie also broke his short Twitter silence, retweeting “Isaiah’s” Players Tribune piece:

Real talk. So good. https://t.co/FvWBekIsdL

— Sam Hinkie (@samhinkie) September 6, 2017

Roger Goodell says he’s not a “football expert” on a show nobody watches. I’m not kidding on that second part either:

Source (who or may not be based in Bristol, Conn): The debut of FS1's "First Things First" had a 0.0 rating in 46 out of 56 metered markets.

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) September 6, 2017

Oregon’s football uniforms for Saturday that were designed by young cancer survivors is fantastic.

"I really think that this is the most important uniform Oregon has ever worn." – Todd Van Horne, Nike Creative Director #StompOutCancer http://pic.twitter.com/8jXgHBObgG

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) August 24, 2017

The Browns continue to Brown:

UPDATE: Myles Garrett has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. His status will be updated in a couple weeks. http://pic.twitter.com/YvBM4HXnPc

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 7, 2017

Officially, #Browns coach Hue Jackson says S Calvin Pryor is being released for "an "internal matter." Crazy, days before the opener.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2017

Free agent kicker Josh Brown has been suspended six more games for domestic violence. He was suspended for one game last year.

Lenny Dykstra is trying to get with Lena Dunham, apparently.

Ohio State will wear LeBron Soldier cleats for their game against Oklahoma Saturday night.

An African World Cup qualifier is getting replayed after a referee from the match was issued a lifetime ban by FIFA.

Tweet of the year:

Should've named it Hurricane Roberto Aguayo. Would've missed Florida wide right and sailed right into the Atlantic

— LiTiRilla (@LiTiRilla) September 5, 2017

—

In the news, the lawsuit that wanted parking on the Broad Street median has been thrown out and can’t be refiled. Great move by the judge.

Meek Mill explains how much Allen Iverson meant to the city of Philadelphia.

Equifax says about 143 million customers may have been affected by a cyberattack.

Kyle: FUCK EQUIFAX. Seriously. Fuck them. You lose the social security information for HALF of America? Worse, three of their executives sold their stock the days before this came out. How is that legal? The whole credit industry is such a farce. I spent a full year before we bought our new house playing their game, trying to get my credit one level up to save on my mortgage. Opening new lines of credit – I didn’t need – and strategically making purchases and paying them right away all because an algorithm liked it. Worse, there are multiple algorithms depending on the type of credit you’re seeking, so the number you get in your report isn’t what most creditors see unless you pay more for the industry-specific scores – which I did – adding to the mysterious nature of it all. Who would’ve thought that a few agencies having the most important data for all functioning adults in the country could be dangerous? Now some hacker has all of my info – and yours, too! – and Equifax just shrugs about it. Meanwhile, God help you if you missed a student loan payment in 2014 and want a good mortgage rate. Seriously, fuck them. Fuck that whole industry.

Amazon is looking for a location for their second North American headquarters. Mayor Jim Kenney, with puns, has one suggestion:

We think Philadelphia would be a PRIME location for Amazon that would make people SMILE! Look forward to submitting a proposal! https://t.co/l60Wn5BVdg

— Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) September 7, 2017

Your Friday Morning Roundup published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[suerusselldj]

Don Cheadle Talks Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA.” Video, Being the Original Kung Fu Kenny

Spoil me - I'm a DJ and I'm cute!

After releasing his new album DAMN. and delivering a huge headlining set at Coachella, Kendrick Lamar dropped the stunning new video for “DNA.” The clip, directed by Nabil and the Little Homies, stars Don Cheadle as a police officer who interrogated Kendrick before rapping the song. Throughout the video, Kendrick is dressed in a Kung Fu Kenny costume—an homage to Cheadle’s character from Rush Hour 2. Today, Cheadle spoke to Pitchfork over the phone about his appearance in the video, how he had two days to learn the lyrics, the ad-libbed dialogue from the video, his text conversations with Kendrick, the time he offered Kendrick an acting job, and how he only just figured out that he’s the inspiration behind Kung Fu Kenny. 

Pitchfork: You obviously learned the trumpet for Miles Ahead. How did you prepare to rap in a Kendrick video?

Don Cheadle: Well, it was a very different process. I didn’t have to figure out how to play anything like I did for Miles Ahead. As opposed to about eight years to try to figure out the movie and get ready for that, I had two days to get ready for the video. Kendrick just hit me out of the blue and just said, “Hey man, I’m going to do this video, do you wanna be in it?” And I said, “Yeah, sure.” And then he said, “Do you want to know what the part is?” He was like, “Yeah, you’re gonna come in and play a cop, and you’re interrogating me, and then you’re just gonna spit my rap.” I was like, “Uh OK, you know you’re like the best rapper in the world, so what are you talking about.” He sent me the lyrics and was like, “You just have to get this much of it down,” which was like half of it [laughs]. I was like, “Are you gonna have a teleprompter?” And he said, “No, it’s gonna be fine.”

So I crammed like we have to do as actors. It’s tricky, because it’s not a linear process. His thought process is not linear. That was probably the trickiest part of it—to figure out how thoughts led to each other. As a human being, he’s pretty normal and straight ahead, but when you listen to his rhymes, he’s constructing ideas in ways that are not immediately understandable. It takes a deep dive to kind of figure out why one verse creates the other verse and what it comes out of and all of that. So it’s tricky to memorize because it’s so specific to the way he thinks. But then when we got in there, we really just started playing. We just started improvising, really.  

It’s crazy that you only had two days, I wondered if you had this album weeks before everybody. 

No. I literally had that song. They sent me that and said, “Can you do it?” And they sent me a couple of video clips of him literally just sitting in a trailer, just kind of moving. They said, “We want you to get his movements, ’cause you’re kind of going to be mirroring him at some point.” So they sent me a couple clips of the way he moved and him doing the rhyme, just really casual and laid back. And then we showed up and it happened really fast because they had the entire rest of that video they had to shoot with cars and all of that stuff. So we just kind of improv’d it. The cameras moved around a lot. Nabil, who directed it, was just really clever about how to cover it. We did it like five or six times and that was it. 

The part where you ask if he knows what “DNA” stands for—was that something you came up with or was that Kendrick?

That was me. He just said, “You’re a cop, and you’re going to be messing with him and getting in his face. So just fuck with him.” So I said, “OK, well this would be a pretty fucked up thing to say” [laughs]. So I just improv’d all the dialogue, everything I said. I did it once, and after we finished it, Kendrick was like, “Yeah, say that again. Say exactly that. Do that one again.”

Did you see that Geraldo criticized Kendrick again?

Kendrick sent that to me. It’s just hilarious. It’s like, “Wow dude, you don’t have anything better to do? That’s not your lane, bro.”

You introduced Kendrick’s amazing performance at the Grammys last year. What was it like being right there?

It was amazing, and again, it was a complete surprise. I was walking the red carpet and everybody was saying, “Have you seen it? Do you know what he’s going to do?” And I was like, “No.” It did not disappoint. Right before I announced it, they stuck me somewhere—I had to go stand somewhere before I walked on stage—and Robert Glasper just happened to be standing in front of me. Neither one of us knew, and as soon as it was over, he just turned around and looked at me, and we just stared at each other for 10 seconds. Like, “What did we just see?” Incredible.

Did you already know Kendrick before then?

Dre had connected us because I wanted to use Kendrick in some project I was doing—his music, for sure. I maybe wanted him to try his hand at acting, which he was very reticent to do at that time. He didn’t feel like that was his lane and said he wasn’t ready. I really appreciated that, because a lot of people are like, “Yeah, I’ll do it,” just because they want that shine. He was like, “Nah, I don’t do anything unless I know I can do it.” But we just stayed in touch from that point on. We texted, “Hey what’s happening,” he’s like, “oh I’m on tour, I’m working on this music.” I’d be somewhere and I’d get a text just out of the blue saying, “what’s up big bro, what’s happening.” So we just kind of stayed in touch like that over a couple years, and then a month ago, he said, “Oh I’m gonna do this video, do you wanna do it?”

What’s your take on the second half of the video? It shows this much more varied life than Geraldo or whoever is saying Kendrick represents. What’s your take on what the video means?

I loved it. I love the whole video. Like I said, to me, he is real. He’s just real and straight-up and honest and truthful and generous to the degree that he lets you in. He lets you see the cracks in the armor. He lets you see his insecurities and all that stuff. It’s just rare to have any kind of artist do that—especially a hip-hop artist. He’s kind of the anti-hip-hop artist in that way.

What thoughts do you have about the rest of the album?

I haven’t heard it! I didn’t even know that I was the Kung Fu Kenny model. I didn’t know that until the next day. He got that from my character in Rush Hour 2. He was like, “Duh!” He texted me like, “Dude are you serious? You didn’t know that?” I totally forgot about that. I’ve been working too long, I didn’t even remember that.

He’s dressed like your character, right?

Yes! When he hit me, before the video, he said, “The video, it’s gonna be here, and I’ve got a little surprise for you.” I was like, “Cool.” So I showed up, I did the thing, then I left, and I did not put it together. Then I went to Coachella and saw him perform, and I saw the video before the thing and still didn’t figure it out. And then I went on Twitter and someone had randomly tweeted, “Don Cheadle is the original Kung Fu Kenny.” I went, “Wait a minute, I did play a character named Kenny who did kung fu and spoke Chinese.”

And I texted Kendrick and was like, “Hey man, am I the inspiration for Kung Fu Kenny? Because I’m going to say I am whether I am or not.” He was like, “Fam, that was the surprise. So, surprise!” Oh shit! I feel stupid now. I wonder what he was thinking the whole two days when we were together and I hadn’t said anything about it. He was like, “What’s wrong with this dude? Is he senile? Does he hate it? Is he not a fan?” It was obvious. Now, when you say it, it’s obvious. 

You talked about Kendrick and Kamasi Washington while you did press for Miles Ahead, and you worked with Robert Glasper. How do you find new music?

Through them. It’s kind of like how Joseph Campbell talked about how he became a scholar. I’m not saying I’m a scholar, but he’d read all the people he liked and then he’d go and read all the people that they read. Then he’d read that person and see who that person read. That’s kind of how it is. I look at the people that Rob has worked with. You look at the tracks and see who the people are. You find them and what their music is and who they’ve worked with. It just kind of works like that. Christian Sands, Christian McBride, Walter Smith III, Kamasi Washington—all these young cats that are really doing it now. And the guys who have still been doing for a long time. I still listen to Wynton [Marsalis], who I love. 

Are we going to see you rapping again anytime soon?

[Laughs] I have no plans, but never say never.

[Read More ...]

IN MY Dreams

[ricardosousalemos]

Don Cheadle Talks Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA.” Video, Being the Original Kung Fu Kenny

After releasing his new album DAMN. and delivering a huge headlining set at Coachella, Kendrick Lamar dropped the stunning new video for “DNA.” The clip, directed by Nabil and the Little Homies, stars Don Cheadle as a police officer who interrogated Kendrick before rapping the song. Throughout the video, Kendrick is dressed in a Kung Fu Kenny costume—an homage to Cheadle’s character from Rush Hour 2. Today, Cheadle spoke to Pitchfork over the phone about his appearance in the video, how he had two days to learn the lyrics, the ad-libbed dialogue from the video, his text conversations with Kendrick, the time he offered Kendrick an acting job, and how he only just figured out that he’s the inspiration behind Kung Fu Kenny. 

Pitchfork: You obviously learned the trumpet for Miles Ahead. How did you prepare to rap in a Kendrick video?

Don Cheadle: Well, it was a very different process. I didn’t have to figure out how to play anything like I did for Miles Ahead. As opposed to about eight years to try to figure out the movie and get ready for that, I had two days to get ready for the video. Kendrick just hit me out of the blue and just said, “Hey man, I’m going to do this video, do you wanna be in it?” And I said, “Yeah, sure.” And then he said, “Do you want to know what the part is?” He was like, “Yeah, you’re gonna come in and play a cop, and you’re interrogating me, and then you’re just gonna spit my rap.” I was like, “Uh OK, you know you’re like the best rapper in the world, so what are you talking about.” He sent me the lyrics and was like, “You just have to get this much of it down,” which was like half of it [laughs]. I was like, “Are you gonna have a teleprompter?” And he said, “No, it’s gonna be fine.”

So I crammed like we have to do as actors. It’s tricky, because it’s not a linear process. His thought process is not linear. That was probably the trickiest part of it—to figure out how thoughts led to each other. As a human being, he’s pretty normal and straight ahead, but when you listen to his rhymes, he’s constructing ideas in ways that are not immediately understandable. It takes a deep dive to kind of figure out why one verse creates the other verse and what it comes out of and all of that. So it’s tricky to memorize because it’s so specific to the way he thinks. But then when we got in there, we really just started playing. We just started improvising, really.  

It’s crazy that you only had two days, I wondered if you had this album weeks before everybody. 

No. I literally had that song. They sent me that and said, “Can you do it?” And they sent me a couple of video clips of him literally just sitting in a trailer, just kind of moving. They said, “We want you to get his movements, ’cause you’re kind of going to be mirroring him at some point.” So they sent me a couple clips of the way he moved and him doing the rhyme, just really casual and laid back. And then we showed up and it happened really fast because they had the entire rest of that video they had to shoot with cars and all of that stuff. So we just kind of improv’d it. The cameras moved around a lot. Nabil, who directed it, was just really clever about how to cover it. We did it like five or six times and that was it. 

The part where you ask if he knows what “DNA” stands for—was that something you came up with or was that Kendrick?

That was me. He just said, “You’re a cop, and you’re going to be messing with him and getting in his face. So just fuck with him.” So I said, “OK, well this would be a pretty fucked up thing to say” [laughs]. So I just improv’d all the dialogue, everything I said. I did it once, and after we finished it, Kendrick was like, “Yeah, say that again. Say exactly that. Do that one again.”

Did you see that Geraldo criticized Kendrick again?

Kendrick sent that to me. It’s just hilarious. It’s like, “Wow dude, you don’t have anything better to do? That’s not your lane, bro.”

You introduced Kendrick’s amazing performance at the Grammys last year. What was it like being right there?

It was amazing, and again, it was a complete surprise. I was walking the red carpet and everybody was saying, “Have you seen it? Do you know what he’s going to do?” And I was like, “No.” It did not disappoint. Right before I announced it, they stuck me somewhere—I had to go stand somewhere before I walked on stage—and Robert Glasper just happened to be standing in front of me. Neither one of us knew, and as soon as it was over, he just turned around and looked at me, and we just stared at each other for 10 seconds. Like, “What did we just see?” Incredible.

Did you already know Kendrick before then?

Dre had connected us because I wanted to use Kendrick in some project I was doing—his music, for sure. I maybe wanted him to try his hand at acting, which he was very reticent to do at that time. He didn’t feel like that was his lane and said he wasn’t ready. I really appreciated that, because a lot of people are like, “Yeah, I’ll do it,” just because they want that shine. He was like, “Nah, I don’t do anything unless I know I can do it.” But we just stayed in touch from that point on. We texted, “Hey what’s happening,” he’s like, “oh I’m on tour, I’m working on this music.” I’d be somewhere and I’d get a text just out of the blue saying, “what’s up big bro, what’s happening.” So we just kind of stayed in touch like that over a couple years, and then a month ago, he said, “Oh I’m gonna do this video, do you wanna do it?”

What’s your take on the second half of the video? It shows this much more varied life than Geraldo or whoever is saying Kendrick represents. What’s your take on what the video means?

I loved it. I love the whole video. Like I said, to me, he is real. He’s just real and straight-up and honest and truthful and generous to the degree that he lets you in. He lets you see the cracks in the armor. He lets you see his insecurities and all that stuff. It’s just rare to have any kind of artist do that—especially a hip-hop artist. He’s kind of the anti-hip-hop artist in that way.

What thoughts do you have about the rest of the album?

I haven’t heard it! I didn’t even know that I was the Kung Fu Kenny model. I didn’t know that until the next day. He got that from my character in Rush Hour 2. He was like, “Duh!” He texted me like, “Dude are you serious? You didn’t know that?” I totally forgot about that. I’ve been working too long, I didn’t even remember that.

He’s dressed like your character, right?

Yes! When he hit me, before the video, he said, “The video, it’s gonna be here, and I’ve got a little surprise for you.” I was like, “Cool.” So I showed up, I did the thing, then I left, and I did not put it together. Then I went to Coachella and saw him perform, and I saw the video before the thing and still didn’t figure it out. And then I went on Twitter and someone had randomly tweeted, “Don Cheadle is the original Kung Fu Kenny.” I went, “Wait a minute, I did play a character named Kenny who did kung fu and spoke Chinese.”

And I texted Kendrick and was like, “Hey man, am I the inspiration for Kung Fu Kenny? Because I’m going to say I am whether I am or not.” He was like, “Fam, that was the surprise. So, surprise!” Oh shit! I feel stupid now. I wonder what he was thinking the whole two days when we were together and I hadn’t said anything about it. He was like, “What’s wrong with this dude? Is he senile? Does he hate it? Is he not a fan?” It was obvious. Now, when you say it, it’s obvious. 

You talked about Kendrick and Kamasi Washington while you did press for Miles Ahead, and you worked with Robert Glasper. How do you find new music?

Through them. It’s kind of like how Joseph Campbell talked about how he became a scholar. I’m not saying I’m a scholar, but he’d read all the people he liked and then he’d go and read all the people that they read. Then he’d read that person and see who that person read. That’s kind of how it is. I look at the people that Rob has worked with. You look at the tracks and see who the people are. You find them and what their music is and who they’ve worked with. It just kind of works like that. Christian Sands, Christian McBride, Walter Smith III, Kamasi Washington—all these young cats that are really doing it now. And the guys who have still been doing for a long time. I still listen to Wynton [Marsalis], who I love. 

Are we going to see you rapping again anytime soon?

[Laughs] I have no plans, but never say never.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 16th September 2018

Pretty uninteresting week on the charts today so maybe this episode might be short. I hope not but on the weekend you’ll be getting BLAST TO THE PAST so maybe Snoop Dogg will be a bit more interesting and provide me with some more material. Anyway, top 10.

Top 10

“Promises” by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith stays still at the number-one spot, and if that’s not a pretty apt depiction of the charts this week, I don’t know what is; that song feels like it lasts 10 times the actual length.

Also not moving is “Eastside” by benny blanco, Khalid and Halsey, at the runner-up spot, an equally worthless song.

We have a debut at number-three today, fuelled by the YouTube streams (it’s probably only here because they have recently started to count on the UK Singles Chart) and YouTube memes. That song would be “I Love It” by Lil Pump and Kanye West featuring additional vocals from Adele Givens. I’ll talk about this song more when we get to the new arrivals.

At number-four, we have a one-space increase for “Body” by Loud Luxury and brando, and I’m not exactly bothered by that, although a closer look at the lyrics reveal them as pretty... dodgy.

Talking about dodgy men, we have “Taste” by Tyga and Offset moving up three spots to number-five.

“Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille has gone up nine spaces to enter the top 10 at number-six, for some reason.

“Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B is also up three spots to number-seven.

Oh, remember the three Eminem songs we had in the top 10 last week? Well, they’re still there, and now they’re consecutive. “Fall” featuring Justin Vernon is up a spot to number-eight... why?!

“Lucky You” featuring Joyner Lucas is down three spots to number- nine.

Finally, “The Ringer” is a whopping six spaces down to number-ten. Oof.

Climbers

There is only a single climber here. Yeah, yikes, it was quite boring here. Other than the top 10 and a couple small climbers for songs by Freya Ridings, Jess Glynne and a couple others, that aren’t worth mentioning, we have “Be Alright” by Dean Lewis moving up eight positions to #27. Nice song.

Fallers

We don’t even have much of these... there are quite a lot of fallers at about one space or two down but otherwise, yeah, there are just a few worthwhile decreases here. “Shotgun” gets its streaming cut in half as part of a chart rule, forcing it down 14 spaces to #17, “In My Feelings” by Drake featuring City Girls is collapsing down the charts, with a whopping 14-spot decrease right to #21, whilst “Rise” by Jonas Blue and Jack & Jack is down eight positions to #32, as is “Solo” by Clean Bandit and Demi Lovato down to #36. There are also two five-spot falls for “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer and “Jackie Chan” by Tiesto and Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone, down to #30 and #38 respectively.

Dropouts & Returning Entries

We don’t have all too many big dropouts this week, but there are a lot of smaller ones that were pretty expected like “If You’re Over Me” by Years & Years out from #34, “Ring Ring” by Jax Jones featuring Mabel and Rich the Kid from #37, “LO(V/S)ER” by AJ Tracey off the debut from #38, “Only You” by Cheat Codes and Little Mix from #39 and “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME” by the 1975 from #40 (please, stay out!).

As for returning entries, we have “This is Me” by Keala Settle and the Greatest Showman Ensemble because it can’t leave the freaking charts apparently to #40, as well as that confusingly-credited “Ay Caramba” song by Fredo, Young T & Bugsey and their weirdly-titled record label Stay Free Get Lizzy back to #39.

IN MEMORIAM

“What’s the Use?” – Mac Miller featuring Snoop Dogg, Thundercat, Dam-Funk and Syd

I’m sure you all know of Mac Miller’s tragic death on September 7th due to what I believe is a drug overdose. I was never a massive fan of his music, his lazy flow never appealed to me and personally his production could be hit-and-miss. At 26 though, a clearly great talent with a lot of musical growth and potential, who touched a lot of peoples’ hearts with his songwriting, being lost, is awfully sad, and one of the recent musical deaths I’ve actually taken to heart and cared a great deal for, enough to check out more of his stuff at least. I’m not covering the song that charted on the UK Singles Chart – it didn’t get into the top 40, and I’m rather indifferent on it – so, instead, I figured I’d talk just a little bit about one of my favourites off of Swimming, “What’s the Use?” featuring uncredited vocals from Snoop Dogg, Thundercat, Dam-Funk and Syd. The track, produced by Pomo, also the man behind Anderson .Paak’s “Am I Wrong” (one of my favourite songs of the decade), has some of the essential elements of synth-funk, with a smooth falsetto vocal from Mac Miller in the hook, a freaking great bassline, and really pretty synths serving as the base for the handclaps that perfectly encapsulate Mac’s lyrics and performance – they’re not energetic, in fact, they’re just kind of there... with very little effort or charisma, like Mac’s vocals, where he’s clearly hopeless and careless about what he’s singing about, which is, shocker of the century, drug addiction, which he has since grown numb to, and it’s just become part of the routine. Oh, and I love how is flow is ever slightly off throughout, it adds a more natural touch. Thundercat’s bridge is pretty heavenly too, and the ever-so-subtle Snoop Dogg vocals are quirky and do their job well; if you add Snoop Dogg to a track, you will most likely never fail, he just has too much charisma to ever ruin a song, I love him for that. Great track, check it out. Rest easy, Mac.

NEW ARRIVALS

#31 – “RAP DEVIL” – Machine Gun Kelly

Okay, so, I’ve heard “KILLSHOT”. Eminem, basically on auto-pilot, still destroyed Kelly, and that’s because Kelly doesn’t seem to be able to stir up the anger that is clearly being felt from how Em’s disappointed him as a fan (trust me, I’ve been there) in any way that seems visceral or even interesting compared to Eminem’s thirsty verse in “KILLSHOT” that even Em sounded bored recording. The beat is actually pretty good, with the simple guitar strumming being covered by a lot of distortion and some skittering trap percussion, as with Ronny J’s typical style, but it’s pretty effective, especially when the distortion and drums cuts out in the intro and bridge. Meanwhile, Kelly has an autotuned hook where he rhymed “let’s talk about it” with itself, petty and moronic references to how Eminem’s beard is weird and how he’s named after confectionary (really, Kelly? That’s the best you could come up with?), an admittedly nice delivery at some points (especially during the “f**k the Rap God, I’m the Rap Devil” passage, where he flows pretty nicely and the lines are actually pretty hard; not hard-hitting but work very well with Kelly’s aggressive and faster style), backing vocals desperately trying to prove anything Kelly says is worth listening to by repeating “facts!”, and finally, how the real Slim Shady can’t stand up. Yeah, that’s a hilariously pathetic line, not in concept but how the beat cuts out for such an uninteresting line, and that’s how he ends the second verse. It’s pretty funny, but the song itself? Not exactly worth it. Sorry.

#15 – “Electricity” – Silk City and Dua Lipa

So, this is a song featuring vocals from Dua Lipa, and partly written by Mark Ronson, Florence Welch and Diplo. Recipe for success, right? Well, not exactly, but it’s awful at all, in fact I’d argue it’s pretty damn good for what it is. Yes, it’s a tad underwritten, but do these dancefloor-filler house tracks need much of that to be fun, energetic bops? No, of course, they don’t, and this song succeeds in being just that, with some beautiful vocals from Dua Lipa, who proves to be a perfect base for the deeper pitch-shifted vocals in the drop, and a pretty nice piano melody, with a great bassline to boot, as well as some pretty interesting vocal samples in the bridge that appear alongside some cloudy synths. Much like the last song I reviewed by EDM producers that featured Dua Lipa, “One Kiss”, it’s a good song, but it’s not anything I’m able to really talk much about. It’s not void of any discussion, and I expect this to stick around on the charts for a while (at least in the UK), but it doesn’t exactly give me much material. Oh, and the outro with the “woo-hoo!” ad-lib and the funky guitar strumming is such a great ending, albeit slightly unfitting. It’s alright and I’d definitely recommend it for someone looking for these types of tracks, but that’s as much as I can say about it.

#3 – “I Love It” – Lil Pump and Kanye West featuring Adele Givens

This is “I Love It”, a song presumably taken from both Pump and Kanye’s upcoming albums, featuring a sample (and a video cameo) from comedian Adele Givens, and a video featuring Kanye and Pump being trapped in blocky ROBLOX suits and overly-large shoes while following Givens, dressed somewhat like an angel, in a grey hallway, that premiered at the Pornhub Awards, which Kanye creatively directed. Can’t make this up, folks.

The song that was pretty blatantly rushed last minute so that the video would serve any purpose, and in an attempt for Kanye to get some more chart success after how ye performed, is also pretty humorous, actually, and it’s not like it’s all that terrible, either. It’s got a nice enough bassline – possibly stolen from T-Pain but that’s besides the point -  but that’s all it has, and I’m not over exaggerating all that much here; other than the percussion and the vocals, starting off with a decent enough introduction from Adele Givens, sampled from a Def Jam comedy special, that is actually kind of funny to be fair to Givens here, but then it continues down the road to an awful feature from Lil Pump, where he ditches his yelling for a more melodic, autotuned style as he croons about how his girl is such a hoe and he loves it. That’s completely fine, until he talks about telling her cousin that he’s with her, and then banging that cousin, or her sister as he’s apparently oblivious because he does so much Xans or whatever, and then, in shock and pure disgust, he exclaims what I’m pretty sure is the ROBLOX death sound and the beat cuts out to show his genuine anger at how “she take lines”. I thought you loved her (or her cousin, or her sister) because she was a freak, what’s wrong with her taking cocaine? Man, I didn’t think I’d be able to find plot holes in a Lil Pump song this easily considering the lack of even trying for any substance in the subject matter but anyway, after Pump makes up some words, shouts out both London and Smokepurrp and repeats the chorus again, we get a skit from Kanye which is just there to fill out the runtime... as is the mind-numbing repetition of “I’m a sick f**k, I like a quick f**k, whoop!” After about four or five takes at the line, he starts rapping about how if you perform oral sex with him, he’ll buy you a sick truck... and he delivers on his promise, Kim got a green Mercedes-Benz back in August. To be fair to Ye here, he puts more effort in comedic delivery than Pump, so some of his lines can actually pass off as at least partly humorous, like “How you start a family? The condom slipped up”. And after a few filler lines that rhyme “hoe s**t” and “more s**t” with itself two or three times, Kanye’s done and basically the song’s done. It’s really not worth your time unless you’re watching the video. The official clean version on Spotify is somehow even more incompetent than the song though, it’s bloody hilarious.

Conclusion

Best of the Week goes to Silk City and Dua Lipa for “Electricity”, because at least they tried, and Worst of the Week goes to Kanye West, Lil Pump and Adele Givens for “I Love It”. I like all three of these guys, I just wish they were able to come out with something more worth my time combining all their strengths. See ya next time!

[flauntpage]

Your Friday Morning Roundup

Put aside the protests and the Zeke Elliott situation, actual NFL football returned last night. And it was fun to watch if you hate the Patriots.

The Andy Reid-led Chiefs took care of the defending Super Bowl champs, 42-27. That’s the most amount of points the Pats have given up under Bill Belichick. And Reid did a really good with time management? Weird world.

Anyway, Alex Smith, who could be entering his last year as the team’s starter with Patrick Mahomes behind him, went 28-for-35 with 368 yards passing and four touchdowns. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt had himself a night after fumbling his first carry in the NFL. He ran for 148 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown, and also caught five passes for 98 yards and two scores. He set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage in the first game of his career with 239. The Eagles play the Chiefs in KC next Sunday.

Tyreek Hill made seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, but left the game in the fourth quarter with cramps.

Star safety Eric Berry was carted off the field after suffering an Achilles injury.

Tom Brady went 16-for-36 with 267 yards passing, and Mike Gillislee scored all three of New England’s touchdowns on 45 yards rushing.

Andy Reid put up 42 points and 536 yards on the Super Bowl champion Patriots. My god. Next week should be fun.

The Roundup:

Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie held an impromptu press conference where he discussed clickbait, Kelly Green jerseys (better happen), and having dinner with Andy Reid.

The Eagles also unveiled their new hype video for the season. Thumbtack. Thumbtack. Thumbtack. Kyle ranked all the yearly hype videos. If you give a crap, here’s mine:

5. 2016 (solely because it included St. Joe’s Prep, my high school’s (La Salle) archrival

4. 2014

3. 2015

2. 2017

1. 2013

Tim McManus went on a car ride with Carson Wentz and asked him a few questions.

Zach Ertz is going to break out this year, finally, and more valuable fantasy advice from fantasy guru Jim.

Alshon Jeffery’s cleats are fire.

These are the personalized "AJ XIII Cleats" Alshon Jeffery will be wearing this weekend #Eagles http://pic.twitter.com/mkqweL0uWy

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 7, 2017

He also won’t chirp at Josh Norman on Sunday.

Finally, check out Sean’s first Eagles Mailbag post.

—

Some not-so-good news regarding Joel Embiid from Howard Eskin on 94 WIP yesterday:

“He’s not ready for five-on-five play, according to the Sixers. But what I understand is, his agent wants a new contract before he — remember he’s eligible to get a new deal. Now, if you’re the Sixers you can’t give him a max deal until you see that he can play, how many games he can play during the season.

“But my understanding, part of the reason that they’re saying — whoever it is that is saying that he’s not ready for five-on-five play, is because — and Joel Embiid, I don’t think worries about the money, but they listen to their agents. And the agent wants a new contract.”

Brett Brown on WIP – article from Liberty Ballers – said Eskin’s report is BS.

Training Camp will take place from September 26 until September 29 in Camden. One practice per day.

Amir Johnson said some more promising things about Ben Simmons after a community event at the Strawberry Mansion PAL Center:

Was going back over Amir's comments from today.

There was also this: "I truly believe that Ben is going to be the future of this league."

— Brian Seltzer (@brianseltzer) September 7, 2017

Did we see a glimpse of a new red jersey yesterday? Our good friend Conrad Burry made some predictions:

Took a stab at some predictions…I actually don't mind the wacky art deco font. Maybe it'd be alright if they re-drew it cleaner. http://pic.twitter.com/KASlHlRLMS

— Conrad Burry (@conradburry) September 7, 2017

To add to the intrigue, CEO Scott O’Neil gave some input about the funky 70s wordmark in a Tweet two years ago:

I actually like those u? https://t.co/S9Nh0UY6TR

— Scott O'Neil (@ScottONeil) April 17, 2015

EuroBasket updates:

FINAL: 107 – 69

Saric – 22MIN / 18PTS / 10REB / 3AST

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) September 7, 2017

Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey) got a rebound in eight minutes of play in Turkey’s loss to Latvia.

—

The Phillies played a game last night as well. They lost to the Nationals 4-3.

Odubel Herrera extended his hit-streak to 20 games, and Jorge Alfaro hit his second big league homer. Aaron Nola gave up three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings.

Phillies and Nationals do battle again tonight at 7:05. Jake Thompson takes the mound for the Phils against Max Scherzer. God bless.

Scott Kingery and Tom Eshelman were the recipients of this year’s Paul Owens Awards, given to the team’s top minor league player and pitcher.

Meanwhile, former pitcher Brett Myers has a new music video. Not gonna lie, he’s kind of good. Him and Kyle had a weird Twitter exchange:

Thanks… wasn’t bashing you (really). Just not my scene. The song itself isn’t bad

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

Maybe u should come down and hang and see how we have a good time then u might change ur mind

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

Can we talk about the girl in the Yankees shirt though?

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

I didn't like that either but I don't tell them what to wear…she was actually there to keep an eye on my youngins while we shot the video

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

Fair enough.

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

By the way it's at 2300 views and climbing..I just released it at 11pm last night but thanks to u it's gonna keep going up! Seriously thanks

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

By the way just to correct u on the Military issued Belgium Malinois…the dog is actually a German Shepherd…he wants to meet u http://pic.twitter.com/FlYi8vnPF9

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

He should take that as compliment!

— Kyle Scott (@CrossingBroad) September 7, 2017

No he doesn't he's not Belgium he's German! lol Shepherds are larger than the malinois

— Brett Myers Music (@BackWoodRebel39) September 7, 2017

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The Flyers officially announced their training camp would open up next Friday in Voorhees. A complete roster is attached.

—

Villanova head coach Jay Wright unveiled Nova’s tribute patch to Rollie Massimino.

In honor of those who came before us… http://pic.twitter.com/xskiNw3AdC

— Jay Wright (@VUCoachJWright) September 7, 2017

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In other sports news, the Cleveland Cavaliers officially introduced Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic after acquiring them from Boston. Sam Hinkie also broke his short Twitter silence, retweeting “Isaiah’s” Players Tribune piece:

Real talk. So good. https://t.co/FvWBekIsdL

— Sam Hinkie (@samhinkie) September 6, 2017

Roger Goodell says he’s not a “football expert” on a show nobody watches. I’m not kidding on that second part either:

Source (who or may not be based in Bristol, Conn): The debut of FS1's "First Things First" had a 0.0 rating in 46 out of 56 metered markets.

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) September 6, 2017

Oregon’s football uniforms for Saturday that were designed by young cancer survivors is fantastic.

"I really think that this is the most important uniform Oregon has ever worn." – Todd Van Horne, Nike Creative Director #StompOutCancer http://pic.twitter.com/8jXgHBObgG

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) August 24, 2017

The Browns continue to Brown:

UPDATE: Myles Garrett has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. His status will be updated in a couple weeks. http://pic.twitter.com/YvBM4HXnPc

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 7, 2017

Officially, #Browns coach Hue Jackson says S Calvin Pryor is being released for "an "internal matter." Crazy, days before the opener.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2017

Lenny Dykstra is trying to get with Lena Dunham, apparently.

Ohio State will wear LeBron Soldier cleats for their game against Oklahoma Saturday night.

An African World Cup qualifier is getting replayed after a referee from the match was issued a lifetime ban by FIFA.

Tweet of the year:

Should've named it Hurricane Roberto Aguayo. Would've missed Florida wide right and sailed right into the Atlantic

— LiTiRilla (@LiTiRilla) September 5, 2017

—

In the news, the lawsuit that wanted parking on the Broad Street median has been thrown out and can’t be refiled. Great move by the judge.

Meek Mill explains how much Allen Iverson meant to the city of Philadelphia.

Equifax says about 143 million customers may have been affected by a cyberattack.

Kyle: FUCK EQUIFAX. Seriously. Fuck them. You lose the social security information for HALF of America? Worse, three of their executives sold their stock the days before this came out. How is that legal? The whole credit industry is such a farce. I spent a full year before we bought our new house playing their game, trying to get my credit one level up to save on my mortgage. Opening new lines of credit – I didn’t need – and strategically making purchases and paying them right away all because an algorithm liked it. Worse, there are multiple algorithms depending on the type of credit you’re seeking, so the number you get in your report isn’t what most creditors see unless you pay more for the industry-specific scores – which I did – adding to the mysterious nature of it all. Who would’ve thought that a few agencies having the most important data for all functioning adults in the country could be dangerous? Now some hacker has all of my info – and yours, too! – and Equifax just shrugs about it. Meanwhile, God help you if you missed a student loan payment in 2014 and want a good mortgage rate. Seriously, fuck them. Fuck that whole industry.

Amazon is looking for a location for their second North American headquarters. Mayor Jim Kenney, with puns, has one suggestion:

We think Philadelphia would be a PRIME location for Amazon that would make people SMILE! Look forward to submitting a proposal! https://t.co/l60Wn5BVdg

— Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) September 7, 2017

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