#taylor swift looking like the stunner she is

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

[lamaisongaga]

        FASHION CREDITS: JAZZ & PIANO SHOW 3.0

Lady Gaga finally returned to Vegas to continue the final 12 jazz & piano residency shows, and brought out an entire new setlist and costumes! Make sure to check out the other looks here and here.

The fashion was put together by Tom Eerebout and Sandra Amador with assistance by Kayla Manjarrez and Gianni Catalina.

The show also came with a handful of new visuals, including this one of LG enjoying a round of poker while wearing a dress Marilyn Monroe herself would approve.

The red sequined plunging stunner with halterneck, column skirt and flower belt detail is from Rodarte's Fall/Winter 2020 collection ($1,827).

In the same visual, she wears this absolutely divine plush black velvet column dress with deep nude illusion mesh panel and rows of pearl necklaces from Russian designer Kamilla Purshie’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection.

Let's get to the show! A label I've been eyeing for some time ever since being loved by the likes of Taylor Swift and Kelly Rowland is Taipei-based Nicole + Felicia who whipped out this fun beaded fringe mini dress for their Bridal Fall/Winter 2020 collection that any showgirl would love.

She topped it off with a new Arturo Rios Faux Grass white feather showgirl headpiece 

Dita von Teese, if you please!

The Always Love You crystal-embellished silver hoop dangle earrings ($396) are made by Laruicci...

Shop:

Laruicci “Always Love You” Earrings ($396.00)

…while the Jimmy Choo metallic silver Anouk stiletto pumps provided the finishing touches.

Lady Gaga then devoured in this custom Prabal Gurung rose gold sunburst pleated silk lamé gown with hand-embroidered crystals and ostrich feather-trimmed cape.

Both her Hyperbola rhodium-plated hoop earrings with crystals in different cuts ($600)...

...and matching Hyperbola open cuff are created by Swarovski.

Shop:

Swarovski "Hyperbola" Earrings ($600.00)

The look was perfectly accentuated with these Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps coated in pink satin!

This was one of the, if not THE look most of you have been flooding my message inbox about.

LG stunned the Vegas crowd (and us) wearing a custom couture Rose Blossom metallic plissé gown by recently-gone-viral designer Robert Wun, whose been part of her wardrobe since 2013!

The silver-tone mixed crystal flower linear drop earrings are by I.N.C. International Concepts exclusively sold at Macy's.

The perfect shoe to complete the red looks of the show are by Christian Louboutin, who created the super fun Hot Chick Psychic metallic red leather slingback pumps ($852).

Shop:

Christian Louboutin "Hot Chick Psychic" Pumps ($852.00)

Another fun Robert Wun moment was this full look based on his Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture collection which went viral!

Signature peplum corset top in a bonded white satin, enhanced with silk taffeta ruching detail on the bust and lace-up back with matching large stole. Paired with a low-waist technical wool skirt with asymmetrical slit pleating details in anthracite.

Styled with a black & white 3D-printed headpiece with stripped coque feathers and long black gloves.

Hot, hotter, GAGA! Our girl twirled around the stage rocking a custom Garo Sparo fiery red showgirl beaded fringe bodysuit dress with hand-stoned crystal pattern and asymmetrical hem, inspired by old Bob Mackie pieces!

If you look closer, you can see that inbetween her fingers shines the Swarovski Hyperbola cocktail ring ($400).

Shop:

Swarovski "Hyperbola" Ring ($400.00)

Hell-o! Gaga brought out the best of Vegas' spirit appropriately decked out in the master of sexy dresswear: Zuhair Murad. And yes, this is the first time!

LG selected a sparkly fringe number fully embroidered in gold sequins and crystals of various sizes from the Lebanese designer's Fall/Winter 2022 Haute Couture collection, inspired by mystical arts, from Tarot and astrology to horoscopes and palmistry, to dispel the concerns of an unsettled age through the allure of their symbols.

She wore this augmented plummet shawl on stage, which was custom-made for her by Christian Cowan!

"Each ostrich feather plume was individually hand dyed to the warm tone of her exact Haus Labs shade of foundation, and curled to achieve a more dimensional effect before being embroidered individually by hand to a crinoline base also custom dyed to be her exact warm tone- all done in-house by our New York Atelier"

One of Gaga's most stunning Vegas-worn headpieces to date is another one-off-one bespoke Arturo Rios! This time: gold lamé leather orchid bouquet with large crystals peeking out between the leaves and buds.

She finished off with her previously-worn Jimmy Choo Anouk metallic gold pointed-toe pumps!

The finale look of the show sees Gaga wearing a bespoke Topo Studio NY plush black silk velvet gown with attached tails to the wrists, embroidered with over 400 cosmic crystals.

The fun feather headpiece with crystallized cap was custom-made for her by Binata Millinery.

For this look she wore Jimmy Choo's Romy black patent leather pointed-toe pumps.

[this-daydream-is-dangerous-13]

Rolling Stone Ranking updates from beloved Rob Sheffield:

169. Say Don’t Go

“I would stay forever if you say ‘Don’t go’ / But you won’t.” A 1989 vault outtake co-written with Eighties hitmaker Diane Warren, “Say Don’t Go” is relatively straight-forward and smooth compared to its peers, with echoes of “Mirrorball” in the tightrope imagery.

Best line: “We’re a shot in the darkest dark.”

92. Suburban Legends

“I broke my own heart because you were too polite to do it”—now there’s a line that sums up a lot of chaotic Swiftian love stories. “Suburban Legends” is a witty yet regretful tune with more of her 1950s fantasies, with Taylor fantasizing about a happy ending to a long-gone high-school romance. Like other 1989 vault tracks, “Suburban Legends” sounds like it would have fit right into Midnights—so many invisible strings between those two albums, in terms of her songwriting.

Best line: “You kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever.”

50. Suburban Dreams

After years of marveling at the great 1989 bonus tracks that didn’t make the album, it’s startling to hear these intense vault tunes that didn’t even make the cut as bonuses. But if Taylor combined the 1989 bonus/vault loosies into a 10-song album of their own, it would add up to 1989’s nastier, cattier, funnier evil sister. “Now That We Don’t Talk” shows off her acerbic wit, especially her staccato vocals when she snipes “it just ended” one petty syllable at a time. Funny to hear her drag “acid rock.” Poor Taylor—one minute you’re on a nice innocent yacht ride, next you’re trapped listening to Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service bootlegs.

Best line: “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock/Or that I like to be on a mega-yacht / With important men who think important thoughts.”

47. “Slut!”

“Slut!” is one of her most hard-hitting vault treasures, up there with “Nothing New” and “Is It Over Now?” It comes from the same place as “Blank Space,” or “Shake It Off,” but lets more of her anger show. As she explains in her new 1989 Prologue, “I had become the target of slut shaming.” She’s trying to trust in a new romance (“in a world of boys, he’s a gentleman”) but all too aware of the world’s misogynistic disapproval, noting, “I’ll pay the price, you won’t.” Yet she resolves, “If they call me a slut / It might be worth it for once.” It’s a sadly pained love song and a scathing satire at the same time, indexing ways that patriarchy corrupts the heart. Can you imagine if she’d dropped this song on people in 2014? But like so much of 1989, “Slut!” was truly ahead of its time.

Best line: “Being this young is art.”

33. Is It Over Now?

These 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault songs are a revelation—4 of the 5 would have been highlights on the original album. But “Is It Over Now?” looms over them all—her greatest vault stunner yet. It sounds like it’s part of a trilogy with “The Archer” and “Labyrinth,” as that spooky synth-drone intro leads into a brooding powerhouse mediation on love and loss. (If we’d heard this song in 2014, it might have been less shocking to hear “The Archer” 5 years later.) Taylor travels back and forth in time, finding different angles to look back at a youthful romance that crashed like a snowmobile. The story is full of blue eyes, blue dresses, red blood, blouses, couches, boats, the jet-set distance of “Come Back…Be Here” and the scarlet letter of “New Romantics” and the NYC coffee of “Holy Ground.” This guy turns on the charm for “unsuspecting waiters,” just like the guy in “All Too Well” charms her dad like a talk-show guest. But it all comes down to a heartbreak that these four blue eyes didn’t want to see coming. What a massive song.

Best line: “Let’s fast-forward to 300 takeout coffees later.”

(I clearly love you besties. The RS mobile experience is the f*cking worst, and this took like an hour of trying to scroll/copy paste to compile. Lol. 😘)

[anythingandeverything1d]

I didn’t know

Harry’s pov:

“Yeah, I quite like that idea lads, I mean its a good way to get our name back out there and celebrate everything we’ve done over the years.” Louis nodded and grinned while looking around the table.

“Yeah I agree, I like that it gives the fans something because I know they are expecting a lot.” 

“Well Liam, I wonder why that is. I mean it’s not like you told them there was going to be something big happening or anything..” 

The guys were all sat around a table discussing the 10 year anniversary as well as a possible reunion. Liam and Louis were bickering about it and Niall was busy on his phone scrolling through fan theories of what fans thought would happen on July 23. Harry was also scrolling through his phone, but he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation at all. You were on his mind. He was thinking about your date the other day. How he had finally, after years of being friends, gotten the courage to ask you out. He was thinking about the way the sun hit your face in the cafe that morning. How you had gone on a 20 minute rant about why she could never find matching socks and therefore had chose 2 completely random mismatched ones to wear. Harry had known you for almost 3 years. He had always loved being around you but a year ago is when it really hit. Every time you walked in the room his heart would speed up, his hand would get sweaty and his attention was glued to you. He loved your smile, the way you blushed when he complimented your outfit, the way you bit your lip when you were contemplating an answer, and especially the way your eyes lit up when you were goofing off and messing around. 

“And then Harry will fly in on a bike and spray the fans with water guns...” Louis noted looking over at Harry. 

Harry’s attention snapped back to the table and he shook his head. “Sorry what?”

“Are you even paying attention to the conversation Harry?” Louis teased.

“I got distracted.” 

“By that girl again? Did you finally ask her out?” Liam laughed.

“Yeah, we had a date the other day.” Harry smiled thinking about it again.

“Look at ya, you're smitten with the girl, what's her name again, (y/n)?”

“Yeah, (y/n)...she’s amazing.”  

“What makes her so amazing then?” Louis questioned.

“She’s just such a good person, and she beautiful, she's always herself-”

“Always herself?”

“Yeah, like on our date she told me she didn’t like tea.”

“Who doesn’t like tea?” Liam asked, his mouth falling open.

“She doesn't, but I don't even care.”

“If I didn't know any better Harry, I’d say you were in love.” 

Harry dropped his head, his smiling growing. “I am...I think I have been but the other day kind of made everything better. I mean just being around her makes me feel all like giddy and warm. It’s something I haven't felt in a long time.”

“Well did ya tell her that?”  Niall asked with a smile.

“No. No of course not. I don’t want to scare her away.”

“Well does she seem ta feel the same way.”

“I don’t know....I can’t even tell if she thinks the date was a date or just like a friends thing...”

“Oi you better clear that one up then Harry.” Louis said with a pat on his back. 

Your pov:

You were laying in bed when your phone buzzed. You picked it up with a smile as Harry’s name popped up. *Care for a visitor this afternoon?* Harry had been hanging around a lot more lately and you had to say you were enjoying it. Though you were a little confused. After almost 3 years of being friends, he never seemed to want to hang out all this much but the two of you had hit it off the other night at dinner. You quickly answered his message sending *of course, come over anytime*  before jumping out of bed and cleaning up. Harry was one of your best friends, so you didn’t really care how clean the apartment was, but you did want to look somewhat presentable since Harry always looked amazing. You settled with a casual outfit and pulled your hair back into a pony tail. Harry has said that he was only 10 minutes out so you wandered downstairs to wait. 

After only 5 minutes of waiting Harry was knocking at the door. He smiled and held out a small bouquet of flowers with a grin. “I never come empty handed.”

“Wow these are amazing, thanks H.” you smiled and took them from his hands, leading him inside to grab a vase. “You had a meeting with the guys today right? How was that?”

“It was good, uh we got some stuff taken care of and ideas were thrown out. I’m not sure what we are going to end up doing but it should be exciting.”

“I’m sure the fans will love anything you put out there.”

“Yeah, they seem to be very supportive.” Harry laughed and smiled at you. “Uh there was something I wanted to talk to you about...”

“Oh yeah?” you looked up surprised. “What’s that.”

“Well....there’s this girl....and I uh...I kind of like her a lot...” 

You couldn’t help it. Your heart dropped a little. You never expected Harry to like you but for years you had hoped by some miracle that things would work out between the two of you. Hearing Harry talk about another girl and how he had feelings, hurt almost as bad as when he said he was dating Taylor Swift... “That’s exciting...” you tried smiling but weren't exactly the happiest.

“Yeah, she's amazing. I mean she's absolutely beautiful. She’s funny, and she thinks I’m funny...”

“You are funny.” You grinned nudging his shoulder.

“She uh, she’s smart, and loyal, and dedicated, and works hard...”

“Wow quite the stunner then is she?” Ugh, do I have to listen to him go on and on about this girl.

“Yeah...she also uh always wears mismatched socks....”

“Hmm...what a weirdo.”

“And uh she doesn’t like tea....” 

Wait a second- you looked over confused. “That’s crazy...I wear mismatched socks and don't like tea either.”

Harry just grinned and nodded. “Yeah...because the girl I’m talking about is you.”

“Wait what?”

“I really like you, actually I really think I’m falling in love with you...”

You opened your mouth to talk but nothing came out. You just stared at him confused. There was no way he liked you. There was no way he found those things about you attractive.. “What?”

Harry blushed and shook his head. “I’m in love with you...I have been for a while...I just didn't know what to say..”

“You're in love with me?”

“Yes.” Harry laughed softly.

“Me?”

“You.”

“Really?”

“Yeah...is it that hard to believe?” Harry looked nervous and you didn’t want that to happen.

“I mean yeah kinda....I thought we were just friends.”

“Oh.” Harry put his head down disappointed and you shook your head.

“No. No. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that I thought you only wanted to be friends...” You laughed and smiled bigger. “I mean I’ve kinda been in love with you for a while.... I just never expected this to actually happen.”

Harry laughed and nodded. “I know the feeling. I never expected to fall for someone who doesn't like tea.”

You moved in closer to him, pressing your lips to his. Butterflies flew all over your stomach, leaving goosebumps up and down your body. “Tea is overrated..”

Harry kissed you back and laughed against your lips. “I’ll change your mind.”

---

Just a short blurb for a request I got.

xoxo

[bananaofswifts]

At the beginning of March, the National’s Aaron Dessner traveled back to the United States from Paris, where he’d been living with his family, to shack up at Sonic Ranch Studio in Tornillo, Texas to work on the next Big Red Machine album with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. Those plans — obviously — soon shifted, as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic set in. Dessner and his family were able to relocate to their home in upstate New York as lockdown orders went into effect, and the musician soon settled into a groove of homeschooling his kids and focusing fully on music in a way he hadn’t in a while, due to the National’s regularly rigorous touring schedule. 

In the middle of what Dessner describes as one of the most productive moments of his career, Taylor Swift called. 

A longtime and avowed fan of the National, Swift asked if Dessner wanted to try collaborating on a few songs remotely. He said of course, and asked if she was looking for anything in particular. He noted that he had plenty of material at the ready, but acknowledged he’d been in a more experimental mood, due to the Big Red Machine sessions; not to mention, Dessner added, he’d never really ventured into the pop world Swift has dominated for well over a decade. She told him to send everything he had. 

“I think she was interested in the emotions that she feels in some of the music that I’ve made,” Dessner tells Rolling Stone.” So I just sent her a folder of things I’d done recently and was excited about. Hours after, she sent back a fully written version of ‘Cardigan.’ It was like a lightning bolt struck the house.” 

Over the next few months, Dessner and Swift crafted the bulk of Swift’s eighth studio album, Folklore, which was released today, July 24th, after being announced the day before. Folklore is yet another mesmerizing musical move from Swift — a shift in sound, style and palette towards a vaster indie sound (à la, of course, the National) that still feels distinctly Swift-ian, as if she’s been making music like this her whole career. Lyrically, too, the record finds Swift playing with character and myth in new ways that — befitting the album’s title — recall the great American folk tradition. 

Dessner wasn’t the album’s only collaborator; Swift wrote several songs with regular producer Jack Antonoff, as well as songwriter named William Bowery, who doesn’t seem to have much of an internet footprint. Vernon also contributed to two songs, singing on one of the album’s many stunners, “Exile,” while Dessner’s brother and National bandmate, Bryce Dessner, helped orchestrate it with a mix of musicians scattered around the globe (none of whom even knew what they were playing on when they recorded their parts).

Dessner spoke with Rolling Stone about working with Swift, their instant chemistry, how the album developed under a thick cloud of secrecy and more.

When Taylor first reached out, did she have a specific vision in mind for the album? 
She was a bit cryptic. I didn’t know that we were actually working on a record for quite a while. It just seemed that she was seeking me out to collaborate. And then we were both feeling very inspired by it. Once there were six or seven songs that we had written over a couple of weeks, she said, “Hey can we talk?” Then she said, ‘This is what I’m imagining,’ and started to tell me about the concept of Folklore. Then she mentioned that she’d written some songs at an earlier stage with Jack [Antonoff], and they felt like they really fit together with what we were doing. It was a very inspiring, exhilarating collaborative process that was almost entirely remote. Very sort of warp speed, but also something about it felt like we were going toe-to-toe and in a good pocket. 

After “Cardigan,” how did these songs develop and do you think she pushed you in any new directions as a songwriter? 
When you’re working with someone new, it takes a second to understand their instincts and range. It’s not really conscious. She wrote “Cardigan,” and then “Seven,” then “Peace.” They kind of set a road map, because “Cardigan” was this kind of experimental ballad, the closest thing to a pop song on the record, but it’s not really. It’s this emotional thing, but it has some strange sounds in it. “Seven” is this kind of nostalgic, emotional folk song. Even before she sang to it, I felt this nostalgia, wistful feeling in it, and I think that’s what she gravitated towards. And “Peace,” that just showed me the incredible versatility that she had. That song is just three harmonized bass lines and a pulse. I love to play bass like that — play one line then harmonize another, and another, which is a behavior I stole from Justin Vernon, because he’s done that on other things we’ve done together. And actually, that’s his pulse, he sent me that pulse and said, “Do something with this.” But when she wrote that song, which kind of reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song over a harmonized bassline and a pulse, that was kind of like, “Woah, anything can happen here.” That’s not easy to do.

So, in the morning I would wake up and try to be productive. “Mad Woman” is one I wrote shortly after that, in terms of sound world, felt very related to “Cardigan” and “Seven.” I do have a way of playing piano where it’s very melodic and emotional, but then often it’s great if whoever’s singing doesn’t sing exactly what’s in the piano melody, but maybe it’s connected in some way. There was just some chemistry happening with her and how she was relating to those ideas.

“Epiphany” was something she had an idea for, and then I imagined these glacial, Icelandic sounds with distended chords and this almost classical feeling. That was another one where we wrote it and conceived it together. She just has a very instinctive and sharp musical mind, and she was able to compose so closely to what I was presenting. What I was doing was clicking for her. It was exhilarating for us, and it was surreal — we were shocked by it, to be honest [Laughs]. I think the warmth, humanity and raw energy of her vocals, and her writing on this record, from the very first voice memos — it was all there. 

Do you think that chemistry might’ve had something to do with her being a National fan, and you being a fan of her music? 
We met Taylor at Saturday Night Live in 2014, or whenever that was that we played and Lena Dunham was hosting. We got to meet her, and that was our first brush with a bona fide pop star. But then she came to see us play in Brooklyn last summer and was there in a crazy rainstorm, like torrential downpour, and watched the whole show and stayed for a long time afterwards, talking to me and my brother. She was incredibly charming and humble. That’s the nice thing about her, and a lot of people I’ve met that have that kind of celebrity. It’s great when you can just tune it out and be normal people and chat, and that’s how that felt. So, we knew that she was a big fan, and we really got into the 1989 album. Our Icelandic collaborator, Ragnar Kjartansson, is a crazy Swiftie. So we’ve kind of lived vicariously through him. I’ve always been astonished by how masterful she is in her craft. I’ve always listened to her albums and put them in this rarefied category, like, “How did she do that? How does anybody do that? How do you make ‘Blank Space?’” There was an element that was intimidating at first, where it just took me a second to be like… Not because I think her music is better than what we’ve done, but it’s just a different world. 

Were there particular songs, albums or artists the two of you discussed as reference points for this album?
“Betty,” which is a song she wrote with William Bowery, she was interested in sort of early Bob Dylan, like Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, I think. “Epiphany,” early on, felt like some weird Kate Bush-meets-Peter Gabriel thing. I think we talked a little about those things, but not a lot. Actually, I think she really trusted me as far as my instincts to where the music would ultimately go, and also the mixing process.  We really wanted to keep her voice as human, and kind of the opposite of plastic, as possible. That was a bit of a battle. Because everything in pop music tends to be very carved out, a smiley face, and as pushed as possible so that it translates to the radio or wherever you hear it. That can also happen with a National song — like if you changed how these things are mixed, they wouldn’t feel like the same song. And she was really trusting and heard it herself. She would make those calls herself, also. 

You mentioned William Bowery — who is he?
He’s a songwriter, and actually because of social distancing, I’ve never met him. He actually wrote the original idea for “Exile,” and then Taylor took it and ran with it. I don’t actually know to be totally honest. 

We’ve been trying to track him down, he doesn’t have much of an internet presence.
Yeah, I don’t fully know him, other than he wrote “Betty” and “Exile” with her. But you know she’s a very collaborative person, so it was probably some songwriter. 

So it’s not an alias for anyone?
No, no, no. I mean, I don’t know — she didn’t tell me there was a “Cardigan” video until literally it came out, and I wrote the song with her [laughs]. So I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure he’s an actual songwriter. She enjoys little mysteries. 

“These are kind of these folkloric, almost mythical tales that are woven in of childhood, lost love, and different sentiments across the record.”

With the National, you and your brother write the music, Matt Berninger adds the lyrics, and then you fuse it — was it a similar process on Folklore?
Taylor is very collaborative in that sense that, whenever she sent a voice memo, she would send all the lyrics and then ask me what I thought. And sometimes we would debate certain lines, although generally she’s obviously a strong writer. So she would ask me if I liked one line, and she would give me alternate lines and I would give her my opinion. And then when she was actually tracking vocals, I would sometimes suggest things or miss things, but she definitely has a lot of respect for the collaborative process and wants whoever she’s writing with to feel deeply included in that process. It was nice, and was a back and forth, for sure. And she would sometimes have ideas about the production if she didn’t like something, especially. She would, in a tactful way, bring that up. I appreciated that, too, since I wanted to try to turn over every leaf, take risks and sometimes get it wrong. That always takes a second, to get over and then you start again. 

You mentioned earlier that once you had six, seven songs, she was able to describe a concept behind the album. I’m curious what that conversation was like. 
She would always explain what each song was about to me, even before she articulated the Folklore concept. And I could tell early on that they were these narrative songs, often told from a different… not in the first person. So there are different characters in the songs that appear in others. You may have a character in “Betty” that’s also related to one in “Cardigan,” for example. And I think that was, in her mind, very, very important. It doesn’t seem like, for this record at least, that she was inspired to write something until she really knew what it was about. And I think I’m used to a more — at least lately — impressionistic and experimental world of making stuff without really knowing what it is. But this was more direct, in that sense. That was really helpful, to know what it was about and it would guide some of the choices we were making. 

Every time she would send something, she would narrate a little bit, like how it fit, or what it was about. And then when she told me about Folklore as a concept, it made so much sense. Like “The Last Great American Dynasty,” for example, this kind of narrative song that then becomes personal at the end — it flips and she enters the song. These are kind of these folkloric, almost mythical tales that are woven in of childhood, lost love, and different sentiments across the record. It was binding it all together and I think it’s personal, but also through the guise of other people, friends and loved ones.

You were working in secret — how did that affect the process? Was that a difficult burden?
It was. I was humbled and honored and grateful for the opportunity and for the crazy sort of alchemy we were having. But it was hard not to be able to talk openly with my usual collaborators, even my brother at first. I didn’t know if I could really tell him, because we normally… Ultimately, he helped me quite a bit, he orchestrated songs. But we always help each other. But eventually, we figured out how to do it. Towards the end of the process, I said to Taylor, ‘I really feel that I need to try a few experiment and try to elevate a few moments on the record because we have time, and we’ve really done a ton of work here, and it all sounds great, but I think we can go even further.’ And then she said, ‘Well what does that mean?’ And I explained how that would work, and the way that we work. Our process is very community-oriented, and we have long-time collaborators that we have a good understanding with. So I was able to say, to my friends, ‘This is a song I’m working on, I can’t send it to you with the vocals, and I can’t tell you what it is, but I can explain what I’m imagining.’ And the same with my brother, he knows my music so well that that was very easy for him to just take things that we were working on, add to that, and do his kind of work. So it was all remote and everyone was in their corner and we were shipping things around. It was incredibly fast because of that, because you didn’t have eight people needing to come to the studio. You had eight people working simultaneously — one in France and one in L.A. and one in Brooklyn. This is how it went, and it was fun. We got there. 

When were you able to tell everyone who contributed that this was the Taylor Swift record, what was their reaction?
You can imagine. I think they realized it was something big because [of] the confidentiality, and they were like, ‘It could only be a few things.’ I couldn’t tell them until, basically, when she announced it. Just in the moments after she announced it, I basically told everyone. I was like, ‘By the way…’ And they were thrilled. Everyone’s thrilled. Nobody seemed mad, everyone was thrilled and honored. Even Justin Vernon had not heard anything else except “Exile,” even though the pulse of that song “Peace,” he gave that song to me. It was important to have it be a surprise, and you know how it can be with someone in her position, with all the speculation, and she’s always under a lot of pressure like that. So it was really important to the creative freedom she was feeling that this remained a secret, so she could just do what we were doing. 

Being such longtime friends and collaborators with Justin, what was it like hearing “Exile” for the first time? His voice and Taylor’s together? 
He’s so versatile and has such a crazy range, and puts so much emotion… Every time he sings when I’m in his presence, my head just kind of hits the back of the wall. That’s the same on this song. William Bowery and Taylor wrote that song together, got it to a certain point, then I sort of interpreted it and developed a recording of it, and then Taylor tracked both the male and female parts. And then we sent it to Justin and he re-did obviously the male parts and changed a few things and also added his own: He wrote the “step right out” part of the bridge, and Taylor re-sang to that. You feel like, in a weird way, you’re watching two of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of our generation collaborating. I was facilitating it and making it happen, and playing all the music. But it was definitely a “Wow.” I was just a fan at that point, seeing it happen. 

Are there any moments that really stick out to you as particularly pivotal in shaping the sound of this record? 
The initial response. When we first connected, and I sent a folder of music and Taylor wrote “Cardigan,” and she said, “This is abnormal. Why do you have all these songs that are so emotional and so moving to me? This feels fated.” And then she just dove into it and embraced this emotional current. And I hope that’s what people take out of it: The humanity in her writing and melodies. It’s a different side to her. She could have been every bit as successful just making these kinds of songs, but it’s so great that she’s also made everything that she’s ever made, and this is a really interesting shift, and an emotional one. It also opens other doors, because now it’s kind of like she can go wherever she wants, creatively. The pressure to make a certain kind of… bop — or whatever you want to call it — is not there really anymore. And I think that’s really liberating, and I hope her fans and the world are excited by that because I am. It’s really special. 

[charliejrogers]

Soul (2020) - Review & Analysis

See? 2020 wasn’t so bad. We got TWO Taylor Swift albums AND two Pixar movies! I joke. 2020 still sucked. Still, it is pretty notable to be getting two Pixar films in the same year. Last time that happened was in 2015 when we got Inside Out (what I thought was a masterpiece) and The Good Dinosaur (and I will die on the hill that more than a visual stunner it was a good movie too!) This year we’ve already had what I consider the functional equivalent of The Good Dinosaur in Onward, a very good, but ultimately light adventure tale of brotherhood. That means my expectations for this film Soul, from Inside Out’s director Pete Docter (also the director of Monsters Inc. and Up) were unfairly high. This was to be the year’s Pixar masterpiece.

It certainly tries to be. It’ a heavier film than Onward, deciding to tackle more existential questions like... “is there a point to life?” and “how do we avoid living a meaningless life?” You know… the stuff you usually see in kids’ movies. And while I am a big proponent of Pixar and recognize it is unfair to call their movies “kids’ movies,” the magic of their films usually derives from their ability to appeal to adults and kids alike. Though I love Inside Out dearly, I know it wasn’t a huge hit with kids, so it will never remembered as fondly as say Wall-E, Finding Nemo, or the seminal Toy Story . I say this because… I’m not even sure who this film is meant for? I really cannot imagine a child enjoying this film, but I’m also not a child so I won’t hold that against the film.

As an adult, however, I only moderately enjoyed the film. What it definitely has going for it is the beauty of the animation. I think The Good Dinosaur was probably still prettier, but that’s only because nature is prettier than city streets. This movie is drop dead gorgeous with environments sometimes indistinguishable from photographs.

Furthermore, the world of this movie is really, really interesting and creative in a way only Pixar could make. Well… sort of. A lot of the film is just our world, New York City to be precise. The movie tells the story of struggling, middle-aged jazz pianist Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) whose day job as a junior high band teacher pays the bills but doesn’t feed his soul. He’s only there at the behest of his mother (Phylicia Rashad). If not for her, Joe would be out there every day auditioning for gigs, trying to make it big and (likely) starving from want of work (though certainly not for want of talent). She’s more elated when Joe gets news he’s being made a full-time faculty member than when he gets a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime gig

But as fate would have it, that gig was what he’d been waiting for his whole life, his chance at the big time, the chance to play alongside a modern day legend, jazz sax player Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). He’s so excited when he gets the gig he can’t keep his eyes on traffic and inadvertently keeps getting himself into danger. Eventually, in his distraction, he actually falls down an open manhole. And he dies.

Yes. You read that correctly. Joe dies like 10 minutes into the movie. It’s really rather jarring tonally, and I feel like his death isn’t made dramatic at all. Something more impactful would make his inevitable resurrection all the more special. This is a studio that made me cry three times in 10 minutes when I first watched Up… they could have done something more here. Instead, the death just happens and we clip along to the next scene. This slightly rushed pacing continues throughout the film and is ultimately my biggest complaint with the movie. For something that tackles very big and heavy themes, it never really gives them time to breathe.

Anyway, the film then starts part 2 of 4. With Joe dead, we now see his soul alone in a vast black nothingness, standing on a bridge towards a bright light (what is referred to as the great beyond). Joe isn’t ready to die – he was just about to have his big break! So he manages to escape from the bridge to the Great Beyond into the world of the Great Before. It’s here that Pixar’s creativity gets to shine the most. The Great Before is the land in which personalities are born. Big Picasso-esque extradimensional figures (all inexplicably named Jerry and all with New Zealand accents) serve as guardians of the little, uniformly blue souls as they go through the “You Seminar” where they engage in various activities in order to become who they will eventually become. The Jerries usher the souls into various pavilions (including selflessness and insecurity as well as self-absorption!) in order to create all of our unique personalities. Apparently, the film sides hard on the nature side of the nature vs. nurture debate.

But the most important part of the seminar is pairing these newly developing souls with a recently deceased soul as a mentor. Together the two are supposed to work together until they find the developing soul’s “spark.” Once a soul gets their spark, they are ready to head to Earth and start life. Some people get their spark, i.e. their inspiration to live, from hearing about their mentor’s great life achievements in “the Hall of You” (mentors runs the gamut from Archimedes to Mother Teresa). Other souls get their spark from time spent in “the Hall of Everything,” where souls can try out various Earth hobbies and find what they will eventually love most in life (whether that’s painting, acting, or in Joe’s case jazz piano).

It’s a clever conceit, and I very much enjoyed my time spent in the colorful world of the Great Before. The movie gains its primary plot here when Joe (who isn’t supposed to be a mentor and should just be on his way to the Great Beyond) gets confused with a recently-deceased, world-renowned child psychologist and accordingly is assigned to be the mentor for a particularly difficult-to-inspire soul, referred to only by the number 22 (Tina Fey). Mentors have tried and failed to give 22 their spark for thousands of year. Ultimately, 22 just doesn’t get the hoopla about Earth and rather just enjoys the routine of their “non-life” in the Great Before. However, they and Joe make a deal. Since whenever a soul gets their spark, they get an Earth pass, if 22 gets their spark, they agree to give their pass to Joe, allowing him to return to his life and allowing themself to stay in the Great Before forever.

That plan doesn’t work. Instead the pair find some “shamans” in a desert within the Great Before who try to perform a resurrection ritual for Joe. This was probably the most creative aspect of this film’s plot. Shamans, mystics, or just serious meditators on Earth can actually have their souls transcend into the spiritual realm, allowing them to interacts with the other spirits who are permanently in the spiritual realm, like Joe and 22. I make special notice to include “serious meditators” because the main mystic/shaman is Moonwind (Graham Norton) who finds zen and therefore access to the spiritual realm by being a sign twirler on a street corner in NYC. But what I love about this aspect of the movie is its explanation that not just serious meditators can transcend to this realm, but actually any human can. Any time anyone gets “in the zone,” like when they get lost in playing music or basketball (or in my case doing physics problems), their soul can transcend up to the spiritual realm. The shamans are only in that they are aware of and can interact with that new reality; the rest of us are not.

However, in a fun, if a little too on-the-nose aside, the main job of the shamans is to return lost souls to Earth. Lost souls aren’t dead, they just belong to people who have become so addicted to something (e.g. greed) that they become soulless while living. The lone example the movie gives is of a hedge fund manager whose soul they manage to return and who subsequently quits his job. I’m sure there are nice hedge fund managers out there… so this joke fell flat for me even if I found the concept intriguing.

So the shamans perform their resurrection ritual. It goes predictably poorly as we’re only maybe 35 minutes into the movie and it can’t end yet. So we enter part 3 of the film where, because of the botched ritual, Joe’s soul inadvertently gets put into a cat and 22’s soul into Joe’s body. The rest of part 3 sees Joe and 22 try to put things back together. All the while, 22 by being in Joe’s body gets to finally experience real life on Earth (including their first experience of the human senses including tasting pizza). They find that they like Earth a whole heck of a lot, finding greatest pleasure in the smallest of things: a leaf falling from a tree, conversation among friends, a child’s hand being held. Plus, by being a naïve soul trapped in an old soul’s body, 22’s interactions with Joe’s family and friends (while Joe looks on in cat form) grants Joe an almost It’s A Wonderful Life type experience. 22 says and does things with Joe’s voice and body that he might never dream of saying, but the result of 22′s fresh take on life is the creation of new and genuine connections with those around him in ways he never had previously.

Of course, it’s not a kid’s movie without some sort of villain. While on Earth, Joe and 22 are being hunted by Terry, another extradimensional figure who serves as the Great Beyond’s accountant. Terry’s not so much a villain as he is a semi-comical plot device. While I appreciate that this movie eschews a true “villain,” I feel like Terry did little to add to this movie’s already very lacking sense of dramatic tension. I would have been perfectly content if they just added more horror and dread to Joe’s sense of loss of life.

Eventually, Terry manages to track down the pair and bring them back to the Great Before where, to everyone’s surprise, 22 somewhere along the way found her spark and now has a genuine Earth pass! She’s ready to live... and for once she’s excited to. That is, until Joe insists that 22 doesn’t deserve the Earth pass (i.e. to live) since they only gained a spark by being him and being in his body. In other words, 22 just got to copy Joe’s spark. So he takes 22′s Earth pass and rejoins life. He even realizes his dream and plays an absolutely outstanding show with Dorothea Williams!

And then feels empty. Earlier in the film, back in the Great Before, Joe got to see his “Hall of You,” that exhibit of his life, and he looking at his life so far decided that if he really stopped living that his life would be meaningless. He worked so hard for one thing for so long (to become a career pianist) and he never got it. Well, flash forward to the end of the movie, having now finally reached his dream, and Joe realizes it didn’t give him the payoff he thought it would. His life still feels empty. I appreciated the film’s quoting David Foster Wallace’s famous “This is water” speech even if it felt a bit hackneyed, and ultimately it serves as the movie’s message. Life isn’t about the big moments; it’s about what’s all around us. “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” John Lennon once sange. Life is the stuff that made 22 so happy… the stuff that gave 22 her spark. She didn’t find a purpose or meaning when she was down on Earth that gave her a spark, she found a joy in falling leaves and conversations.

So with that realization, Joe returns to the Great Before, finds 22 and gives them their Earth pass back. Joe had in effect robbed 22 of the ability to live, and in the end undoes his harmful. But with only one Earth pass between the two of them, if 22 is to live, Joe must prepare for the Great Beyond. Now if you’re expecting to cry somewhere in this last part of the film… think again. As I said earlier, the film kinda clips along through these various story beats, not giving them time to be fully explored to the satisfaction of an adult thinker. And I don’t know about anyone else, but I didn’t feel much of a connection to either Joe or 22. so despite big moments of sacrifice and love, no tears came to my eyes. It’s not that either is unlikeable, but neither is particularly charming.

Some of it, I think, lies with some less than stellar voice acting on the part of Jamie Foxx. I don’t know. Some of his parts just felt phoned in? Tina Fey is adequate as 22, but not a stand-out. And I’m willing to concede too that the movie, the first in Pixar’s canon to focus on a Black character, may not have been made with me a white guy in his 20s as the target audience. Still, I’m not sure that race is particularly relevant to my dissatisfaction. I more think the film’s philosophy is a little jumbled, or maybe I just disagree with it. It seems to tells us that there’s no meaning to life and that the important part of life is enjoying the small things… but that’s a little naïve to say the least. Yes, trees are beautiful and music sounds good, but the movie shies away from the fact that life sucks for so many people. Like so many people. I’m sure poor and beaten down people will not feel comforted if you tell them that living is worth it because falling leaves are pretty.

But at the same time, I don’t want the movie to have argued that every person is “meant” to do something. In fact I think that idea is bullshit, and I like that the film denies this degree of determinism. If you can’t tell, I’m more on the nurture side of nature vs. nurture. But still by creating this world where souls are fully formed individuals prior to incarnation and to deprive them of a purpose feels… well soulless. Though, potentially bleaker, it feels more honest to just say we’re born as a blank slate, in a world devoid of meaning than to say that we are born fully formed into a world devoid of meaning. I would argue the later (and what the film argues) to reflect a darker, crueller world. Especially after watching a show like The Good Place which managed to so creatively and adeptly develop an entire moral philosophy that was relatively easy to understand and was largely agreeable... this feels lacking.

So yeah… I just couldn’t connect philosophically with this world, the film tackles bigger themes than its kid-friendly world seems fully capable of tackling, and despite beautiful visuals, it lags in the sound department, making it hard to really relate to these characters. I know it will find an audience because it’s a superbly made film set in a creative world with a unique premise, but that audience just isn’t me.

**3/4 (Two and three fourths out of four)

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, August 17

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: China’s secret war on America 

Page 2: Aging Angelina Jolie swears off sex -- she’s been celibate since her bitter split with Brad Pitt nearly four years ago and doesn’t care to date again -- there will be no more spicy acting roles for her either 

Page 3: Martha Stewart begs pal Snoop Dogg to find her a guy 

Page 4: Daytime TV queen Ellen DeGeneres’ career crisis is deepening after her show was declared toxic and potential guests are instead racing to her biggest small-screen rival Kelly Clarkson 

Page 5: Ranting Kanye West’s public meltdown may be concerning to the Kardashian family but it’s a boon for their business empire -- it’s brought a lot of attention to a show that’s sinking and will provide a major boost in interest once KUWTK comes back on the air

Page 6: Katy Perry’s life was saved by a hippy-dippy California retreat where followers pummel pillows with a bat -- she attended the Hoffman Institute with fiance Orlando Bloom after struggling with depression and its intensive re-wiring of neural pathways helped her ditch negative habits 

Page 7: Still reeling from her son Benjamin Keough’s suicide Lisa Marie Presley has been slammed with another devastating blow -- her ex-husband Michael Lockwood wants to take their daughters away from her, Dolph Lundgren’s new fiancee Emma Krokdal is not only the same age as his daughter she’s also a dead ringer for the blond stunner Ida

Page 8: Queen Elizabeth kicks Meghan Markle out of the royal family -- Meghan’s airing of dirty laundry is the final straw -- the queen made it very clear that Prince Harry and his son Archie are welcome any time alone 

Page 10: Hot Shots -- DJ Khaled, Brooke Shields, Scott Disick had a fun beach day with his kids Reign and Penelope and their cousins Saint West and North West, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham and son Jack 

Page 11: Olivia de Havilland’s feud with sister Joan Fontaine never died -- what was really behind the Oscar winners’ rivalry, the last time Kathie Lee Gifford saw Regis Philbin 

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Adam Sandler walking his dog Babu on the beach (picture), new Dancing with the Stars host Tyra Banks plans to overhaul the show starting with the judges, Denise Richards could be off RHOBH after sending a cease-and-desist letter to co-star Brandi Glanville about their alleged affair, Gayle King has to keep doing her own makeup on CBS This Morning because the network won’t be bringing back employees due to the pandemic, Tina Turner will never come out of retirement even though she loves the remix of her hit What’s Love Got to Do with It 

Page 13: Family-focused Jennifer Garner is turning down millions for acting roles to keep her focus on being a stay-at-home mom, native Texan Matthew McConaughey is planning to run from Hollywood and run for office in the Lone Star State -- he’s getting a crash course in politics to run for governor 

Page 14: True Crime 

Page 15: Scott Peterson is trapped on death row as COVID-19 rampages through his California lockup and sources fear he is already dying of the killer disease, a new suspect has emerged in the murder of Martha Moxley -- hairs found on Martha’s body may be linked to a suspect being held in a California prison who committed a similar golf-club bludgeoning attack 

Page 17: Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette is signaling she’s writing a tell-all she will use to settle old scores 

Page 18: Health Watch 

Page 20: Celeb’s Life of Leisure -- how they unwind away from the set -- Carrie Underwood, Chris Pratt, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Cruise, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, relax and try these five stress busters

Page 22: Cover Story -- China’s secret war on America

Page 30: Real Life

Page 34: Robert F. Kennedy’s granddaughter Maeve Kennedy McKean had the antidepressant citalopram in her system when she and her son Gideon drowned in April

Page 36: Taylor Swift is looking to get hitched to Joe Alwyn as quickly as possible after having had her fill of bad romances with men like Tom Hiddleston (why do they always mention Tom?), Hollywood Hookups -- Ciara and Russell Wilson welcomed son Win Harrison, Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich engaged, Kate Beckinsale and Goody Grace share love for each other 

Page 38: No stopping Gwyneth Paltrow’s shameless sex talk 

Page 42: Red Carpet Stars -- Gwen Stefani 

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Brooke Burke 

Page 47: Odd List

[rebelsofshield]

Panels Far, Far Away: A Week in Star Wars Comics 9/25/19

A crowded week ends the Age of Resistance, brings the fight to Darth Vader, and dives further into the inner layout of a dark temple. Yup, even when I’m over half a week later, I’m still gonna review Star Wars comics.

Star Wars Adventures #26 written by Cavan Scott and Adam Christopher art by Derek Charm and Megan Levens

Star Wars Adventures doubles down with two new Sequel Trilogy stories this week. Superstar team of Cavan Scott and Derek Charm showcase a lost lesson between Luke Skywalker and Rey and Adam Christopher and Megan Levens guide Tallie Lintra through Wild Space.

I’ve put a lot of praise over the past few years on the creative duo of Scott and Charm. The two have regularly proven a near unparalleled ability to tell creative and visually fun short stories starring Star Wars’ ever expanding pantheon. Their story of Rey and Luke may not be their most striking, but the ability for these two creators to tell fun and true to character narratives stays consistent.

While placing it in The Last Jedi’s chronology is more than a little difficult, “Life Lessons” still provides a fun little character study of its central duo along with lots of requisite action and humor. Charm and Scott manage to nail Luke’s world weariness while still keeping his sense of humor and nagging responsibility for duty and heroics. It manages to be a fun glimpse into Rey and Luke at a key point in their lives while also offering a sea serpent and Chewbacca saving Porgs.

It appears that Tallie Lintra is set to join the likes of Biggs, Porkins, Dac, and dozens of others shortlived pilots who became franchise staples years post mortem. This story of Tallie rescuing a stranded smuggler is surprisingly economical with Christopher plugging a full story into just eight pages. We don’t necessarily get more of Tallie as a character, but it makes for a fun enough tale and opens the door for further adventures later down the line.

Score: B

Star Wars Age of Resistance: Kylo Ren #1 written by Tom Taylor and art by Leonard Kirk

Kylo Ren is one of the most dramatic and thematically rich characters in the Star Wars saga. Whether you want to see him go down as a self-destructive force of evil or redeemed to join the light, the lost son of Han Solo and Leia Organa has carved a path of tragedy and intrigue in his wake. It’s hard to blame Tom Taylor for making three of his eight Age of Resistance titles orbit around Kylo, but now it’s time to give the son of darkness the spotlight.

One of the most inspired aspects of Kylo’s character has always been the insecurity of his own legacy. Star Wars could never replicate a villain of Darth Vader’s gravitas and pathos, so the shadow of this family history became a defining part of his character. “Out of the Shadow” takes this dynamic and spins it into a large scale galactic battleground.

The First Order looks to capture a planet that tested The Empire during its original reign. In particular, the local warlords and their mysterious god proved difficult for Vader himself. Kylo looks to bring this planet to heel while also fulfilling and also exceeding his grandfather’s example.

The resulting narrative is simple but effective. By pairing Kylo with a Stormtrooper that served in the original Imperial army and seeking parallels between both generations of Dark Siders, there is an impressive layering to the story that makes it feel more mythic in scope. Kylo’s struggle with his own legacy won’t be resolved by the end of this comic, but Taylor plots an effective glimpse into his back and forth.

Leonard Kirk succeeds in particular here. Many have complained about some of Kirk’s creative choices when it comes to rendering Adam Driver’s face to the page. Luckily, like his earlier Captain Phasma issue, much of the issue calls for a mostly masked protagonist and lots of large scale and high intensity action sequences. It gives Kylo a larger than life victory that he’s been missing from much of the recent canon.

Finally, after a year in publication, the Age of… maxi series has come to a close. While most of these comics were fun and forgettable, we did get a few stunners along the way and finally got to see more of some of the franchises iconic but less highlighted characters. Hopefully, this opens the lane for more exciting things to come.

Score: B+

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order-Dark Temple #2 written by Matthew Rosenberg and Paolo Villanelli

We are just a little under two months until Jedi: Fallen Order releases on video game consoles. With a new trailer highlighting the games story and gameplay dropping earlier this week hype is starting to build for this long overdue addition to the lengthy Star Wars gaming canon. Luckily, we have Dark Temple to hold us over.

Matthew Rosenberg continues to split the script for this series into two segments. The first taking place in a present sometime after Revenge of the Sith following Second Sisters hunting down of a Jedi holdout and the other following Cere’s adventures on the planet of Ontotho. Now separated from her apparently deceased master and uncovering the hints of a massive conspiracy, Cere finds herself searching for allies and desperate for survival.

As with last issue, Dark Temple offers two disconnected but nonetheless entertaining segments. Paolo Villanelli’s pencils are stellar at capturing in motion action sequences and his depiction of the Second Sister continues to be brutal, swift, and deadly. Visually it’s enough to make these openings exciting even if how they connect to the main story is still mostly a mystery.

Cere on the other hand is still struggling to define herself as a character. Thompson has crafted an intriguing and detailed conspiracy to ravel her up in, but as fun as it is to read, I still can’t help but feel that we are failing to get to know this young woman and what makes her tick. Luckily, Thompson populates the mystery with an enjoyable smarmy villain and a cantankerous droid sidekick that feels classically Star Wars.

Hopefully the less impressive aspects of Dark Temple come together over the next few issues. As of the moment, the plot and art are more than enough to keep me reading, but I would love to get to know more about the woman at the center of this comic.

Score: B

Star Wars Target Vader #3 written by Robbie Thompson and art by Stefano Landini

Writer Robbie Thompson is playing the slowburn approach to our getting to know the galaxy’s newest (sorta) cyborg badass. Each issue of Target Vader so far has slowly teased out the history of Beilert Valance with each giving us slightly bigger glimpses into his past. While backstory is never a substitute for poor characterization or bland dialogue, getting in touch with Valance’s past does help and slowly Target Vader is improving alongside it.

As it stands, most of the regular issues behind this comic remain. Valance and his bounty hunters are for the most part an uninteresting cast of characters and it’s more than a little difficult to get invested in their high stakes hunt of Darth Vader. The big reveal that the rebellion are the Hidden Hand at the end of this comic’s first issue still robs the story of much of its mystery. (There is also the possibility that this was a fakeout, but there hasn’t been info presented in the script to really challenge this reading so far.) The art is serviceable but is often let down by some bland coloring decisions by Neeraj Menon.

There are some of life though. As mentioned earlier, this issue’s opening flashback to Valance’s time in the Imperial military is the strongest of these so far and hints towards an intriguing relationship between him and Darth Vader that will hopefully get fleshed out more down the line. There is also a welcome wrinkle in bounty hunter, Urrr’k. While simply having a sharp shooter badass female Tusken was a great addition to the comic, the idea that she might actually be some sort of imposter or sleeper agent adds a welcome air of uncertainty to the ensemble and spices up an otherwise bland cast of characters.

All in all, there is still some thrill in watching a well laid plan by some galactic scum bring Darth Vader down to their level. Thompson centers the issue around one large trap of a set piece and the result proves fun despite the shaky foundation that is built upon.

We are only halfway through this comic so maybe the story hints that are starting to show themselves will make this story worthwhile. Let’s hope so, because the potential is certainly there.

Score: C+

[lovetheplayers]

Review: Taylor Swift earns her 'Reputation' during Ford Field stunner

The singer displayed a newfound confidence during Tuesday night concert, which included a stirring tribute to Aretha Franklin

Taylor Swift wanted to play the bad girl Tuesday night at Ford Field, but her good side kept shining through.

Swift's Reputation tour brought a sold-out crowd of 40,000-plus to the Detroit Lions' home, and the 28-year-old pop superstar playfully teased her villainous side, incorporating towering snakes into her massive stage show and serving nasty side-eye looks during her opener, the stadium-rattling "... Ready For It?"

But the Taylor Swift of yore, the bright, fun, aw-shucks girl next door, was never far from the surface.

This was especially true when Swift led a stirring tribute to Aretha Franklin about 45 minutes into her set.

“Detroit, last week we lost an irreplaceable force: Aretha Franklin," Swift said. "She did so much for music, she did so much for women’s rights, she did so much for civil rights. She was one of those people, where no matter what you say, no matter what glowing, positive things you said about her, it would be an understatement."

She continued: "Words could never, ever describe how many things she did in her lifetime that made our world a better place. And this is her home."

She then asked for the lights to be cut and for fans to honor Franklin with a moment of silence, which lasted a full minute.

A simple shout-out would have done the trick, but Swift went beyond that with her tribute to the Queen of Soul. And that was indicative of the entire evening, as Swift worked hard to make the stadium show special for the Detroit crowd.

The nearly two-hour concert was Swift's biggest, most convincing show to date. Past tours have seen her placate the audience with speeches about following your dreams and other self-help platitudes, but on Tuesday, Swift displayed a new kind of confidence, one that comes from knowing you can't please everyone all the time, and the freedom that revelation unlocks.

Her 2017 album "Reputation" goes in some bold directions and finds Swift embracing a dark side not visible in her earlier work. That gave her a newly powerful stage presence, and enriched her overall presentation.

It was quite a performance. Swift was helped out by a stunning stage production that included a towering, angled video wall that peaked in the center of the stage. Confetti canons showered the main floor crowd with mini Taylor Swift-branded newspaper clippings, and her stage was lit up with so much smoke and lighting that at several points, the fireworks going off in the background were an afterthought.

The crowd got in on the act too, as fans were given wristbands that flickered in time with the music, a trick Coldplay pioneered during its 2012 tour. The technology has improved to the point where on Tuesday, sections of the audience were lit up in sync with alternating drum parts during "Blank Space," making the crowd the ultimate visual backdrop for Swift.

She was joined by a team of 14 dancers and a six-piece band, but oftentimes Swift was on stage alone. And she worked the stage impressively, whether she was in front of a huge video backdrop of a desert during "Getaway Car" or alone at her piano during the "Speak Now" chestnut "Long Live."

The 24-song set was heavy on "Reputation" material, with all but one song from the album (sorry, "So it Goes...") making the cut.

A few of Swift's older hits, such as "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me," were mashed together early on, and Swift performed "Jump Then Fall" -- a song from 2008's "Fearless" album -- acoustically, for what she said may have been the first time since she wrote it.

She shared warm memories of Detroit concerts past, saying she's performed in Michigan 20 times over the years. (Tuesday was her third time playing Ford Field, following shows there in 2013 and 2015.) She mentioned seeing the faces of fans and watching them change over the years, and she was sincere enough that you believed her.

She flew over the crowd twice, in a basket that looked like something out of "The Wizard of Oz" during "Delicate" and in a snake-shaped cage during "Bad Blood" -- the visual representation of the dual sides of herself that she presented -- and she brought out her openers Charli XCX and Camila Cabello during a fun romp through "Shake It Off" on one of two stages at the back of the stadium.  

(Cabello, who wore a Detroit Lions jersey during her opening set, also acknowledged Aretha Franklin and her passing.)

"Don't Blame Me," was a late-show standout, accented by what sounded like Swift backing up herself on vocal duty.  

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" were mashed together during the closer, while Swift and her dancers performed in front of an on-stage fountain made to look like the front court of a mansion.

It was fitting. Ford Field was transformed into Swift's home for two hours on Tuesday, and she was a more than gracious host. She is welcome to come back anytime.  

Link

[wohq]

*   next   up   is   ...   CHARLOTTE   ‘LOTTIE’   ABIGAIL,   auditioning   for   a   role   of   QUINN   FABRAY   from   NEW   DIRECTIONS.   has   anyone   ever   told   you   you   look   like   emily   alyn   lind   ?   you’re   a   stunner   !   alright   ...   show   me   what   you’ve   got.   i   hope   you’ve   read   the   checklist   rachel   prepared   for   you   ?   great   !   fantastic.   remember   :   if   we   don’t   hear   from   you   within   next   24   hours,   your   audition   will   be   cancelled.   don’t   forget   to   break   a   leg.    

*   (   emily   alyn   lind,   cis   woman,   she   /   her   )   :   audition   sheet   of   …   CHARLOTTE   ‘LOTTIE’   ABIGAIL,   the   NINETEEN   year   old   who's   in   their   SOPHOMORE   YEAR   of   college   at   white   oak's   university.   apparently   when   you   think   of   RED   LIPSTICK,   WAVY   BLONDE   HAIR,   HER   OWN   VERSION   OF   THE   BURN   BOOK,   SPREADING   UNCESSARY   RUMORS,   AND   MISCHIEVOUSLY    CHEWING   BUBBLEGUM,   you're   always   thinking   of   them.   anyways,   i   was   sliding   the   pamphlets   about   glee:   the   musical   &   i   immediately   knew   they   were   in   their   dorm   because   BLANK   SPACE   by   TAYLOR   SWIFT   was   being   blasted   on   the   full   volume.   looking   at   this   sheet,   it   looks   like   they   are   DEFINITELY   AUDITIONING   to   the   play   but   their   first   character   choice   is   QUINN   FABRAY   from   NEW   DIRECTIONS   …   ambitious.   i   guess   i'll   see   how   their   audition   goes.   fingers   crossed.   (    mary,   20,   pst,   she/her   )

[jmsa1287]

A Year in Review: The Best 100 Songs of 2017 (50-1)

The latest entry into my Year in Review feature. Check out The Best 100 Songs of 2017 (100-51) by clicking here. Below, find 50-1!

050. St. Vincent – “New York”

049. Broken Social Scene – “Hug of Thunder”

048. DJDS – “Trees on Fire” feat. Amber Mark, Marco Mckinnis

047. Charli XCX – “Roll with Me”

046. Jens Lekman – “What’s That Perfume That You Wear?”

045. Rita Ora – “Your Song”

044. Fergie – “Enchante (Carine)” feat. Axl Jack

043. MGMT – “Little Dark Age”

042. Blondie – “Long Time”

041. TLC – “Way Back” feat. Snoop Dogg

040. LCD Soundsystem – "call the police”

039. Sampha – “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano”

038. Jessie Ware – “Midnight”

037. Julia Michaels – “Issues”

036. LANY – “Super Far”

035. The Killers – “Run for Cover”

034. Cashmere Cat – “Quit” feat. Ariana Grande

033. Nite Jewel – “2 Good 2 Be True”

032. Tinashe – “Flame”

031. The War on Drugs – “Holding On”

030. Dirty Projectors – “Cool Your Heart” feat. DAWN

029. Kali Uchis – “Tyrant” feat. Jorja Smith

028. Mura Masa – “1 Night” feat. Charli XCX

027. Phoenix – “J-Boy”

026. Terror Jr – “Death Wish”

025. Danny L Harle – “1UL”

024. Lorde – “Green Light”

023. P!nk – “Beautiful Trauma”

022. Pale Waves – “There’s a Honey”

021. Paramore – “Hard Times”

020. Fever Ray – “To the Moon”

019. The xx – “I Dare You”

018. BLACKPINK – “As If It’s Your Last”

017. Cam – “Diane”

016. P!nk – “What About Us”

015. HAIM – “I Want You Back”

014. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Cut to the Feeling”

013. Charli XCX – “Boys”

012. Lorde – “Supercut”

011. Destroyer – “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood”

010. Miley Cyrus – “Malibu”

Miley Cyrus was one of the big pop stars of late to go back-to-basics (think: Lady Gaga's "Joanne," Kesha's "Rainbow"). After capturing the zeitgeist in 2013 with provocative singles like "Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop," Miley stripped things down with her new unplugged country album "Younger Now." That LP's first single "Malbiu" showcases the adult side of Miley, whose voice has never sounded better. A breezy and delightfully sweet ballad - one that never steps into the realm of preciousness - "Malibu" celebrates rekindling a love with effortless but poignant songwriting (she wrote the song in an Uber on the way to a taping of "The Voice," where she serves as a judge) that is also an ode to sunny Southern California.

009. Rita Ora – “Anywhere”

It's been a long, tough road for Rita Ora. She's never released an album in the U.S. (though she has great success in her native U.K.), nor has she had much traction with her previous excellent singles in the States. Unfortunately, that's not going to change with "Anywhere," arguably her best song ever, which has yet to chart in the U.S. Nevertheless, it's a high-quality dance-pop banger and it's the perfect antidote to the vile year that was 2017: A euphoric 3-minute and 35-second form of escapism that comes with one of the best pre-choruses in recent memory.

008. Terror Jr – “Caramel”

Just like the candy, "Caramel," the single from the mysterious pop group Terror Jr, is gooey and sticky. It's a hazy balled that references depression, drug use, gay rights and other hot button issues. Speaking with Thump, singer Lisa Terror said the song is "a reaction to the surreal world in 2017." With a minimal production, "Caramel" lures you in with finger snaps and slinky synths and Lisa's manipulated vocals, resulting in a captivating and hypotonic track.

007. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”

Taylor Swift's latest album "reputation" may be her weakest effort since her 2006 debut, but it still comes with some stellar gems. Produced by Max Martin and Shellback, "Delicate" is one of Swift's sexiest songs to date and her most mature. Here, Swift actually swears and sings about drinking as she cautiously pursues a new love interest - she's simultaneously confident and vulnerable. But what propels "Delicate" into one of Swift's best works is its simple sonic construction; a sensual wall of synths and powerful drums that enter halfway through the song, kicking it into a high-gear emotional drive.

006. Phoenix – “Fior Di Latte”

French band Phoenix's new album "Ti Amo" is an ode to summers in Italy and Italian disco. Its highlight "Fior Di Latte" is a glistening groovy jam. Like the Italian cheese itself, the track is a smooth and airy delight that's straightforwardness about making love under the Italian sun complements the track's song construction. The track builds with vibrant bass and singer Thomas Mars's silky vocals, which eventually gives way to a cataclysmic explosion. From one of indie music's most reliable bands, Phoenix's "Fior Di Latte" is a sensual stunner that bursts with light.

005. Selena Gomez – “Bad Liar”

Selena Gomez has low-key been one of the most reliable pop stars of the 21st century. With huge bangers like "Hands to Myself," "Good For You," "Same Old Love," "Come & Get It" and more, Gomez has slayed the charts with undeniable pop gems. For "Bad Liar," Gomez continues her brand of sultry pop, this time unexpectedly sampling the Talking Heads' 1977 single "Psycho Killer." With a funky bass and Gomez's cooing vocals, "Bad Liar" is cool and clever song; the most daring effort from the star yet, giving hope Gomez has further tricks up her sleeve.

004. Lorde – “Homemade Dynamite”

"Homemade Dynamite" wasn't an immediate favorite from Lorde's sophomore album "Melodrama." Unlike the instant hits "Supercut" and "The Louvre," both brilliant euphoric bops, "Homemade Dynamite" is weird. But over time, the track slowly revealed itself, exploring complex emotions with interesting production and slinky synth-work, courtesy of Jack Antonff. With Lorde's signature whispering, "Homemade Dynamite" is the perfect concoction of all of her best traits: A radio pop song that's bent just a little too much, making it fascinating and innovative while still completely accessible. Awesome, right?

003. SOPHIE – “It’s Okay to Cry”

SOHPIE's "It's Okay Cry" was a coming-out of sorts for the otherwise enigmatic British musician/producer. The song's accompanying music video was the first time SOPHIE made her official appearance, with the camera up close and centered on her. (At the same time, SOPHIE released a press release stating she prefers she/her pronouns.) The song is a queer anthem - a stirring ballad that's restrained for SOPHIE, who's known for her spastic and glitch-y synths. With honest lyrics ("The pain inside increases / It takes more strength to hold it in then to give in and surrender") and a massive buildup that erupts with a thunderous clap, "It's Okay to Cry" hits the reset button, making SOPHIE truly one of the most interesting artists to watch.

002. Kesha – “Praying”

There's no better song than Kesha's "Praying" to be the anthem for the abysmal year that was 2017. Her comeback single took aim at disgraced producer Dr. Lukas, who she accused of sexual assault (he has denied all claims). Kesha has been in court battles with the producer and her record label, forced into a music limbo. But when "Praying" unexpectedly dropped in July, it not only an excellent song that showed off Kesha's vocals, but it was also a battle cry, with Kesha throwing down the gauntlet. It established her as a new musician - the "TiK ToK" party days are behind her (remember, she's dropped the "$" in her name)- and posited her as a pop singer-songwriter. "Praying" isn't scornful or angry. Instead, it's full of hope and forgiveness with Kesha taking the high road: "I hope you're somewhere prayin', prayin' / I hope your soul is changin', changin' / I hope you find your peace," she screams during the song's breathtaking chorus.

001. Lana Del Rey - “Love”

No current pop artist has struggled with today's political climate more than Lana Del Rey. With songs like "National Anthem," lyrics like "Be young, be dope be proud / Like an American," and music videos showing her waving the U.S. flag, the elusive singer built her career from American pastiche. But that changed this year after Donald Trump entered the White House. Not only did she cast a witchy spell on him, but she also banned the American flag from her shows, and penned a track about the threats of North Korea. To say that Del Rey become more aware of her surroundings this year would be an understatement. With "Love," the first single off her excellent album "Lust for Life," the chanteuse gets nostalgic, looking back at the music that propelled her into stardom, and turns the track into an ode to her fans: "Look at you kids with your vintage music/You're part of the past, but now you're the future," she sings over a string arrangement echoing the music from her debut "Born to Die." It's a powerful and earnest song (something rare these days in pop music) where Del Rey winks at the Beach Boys and, most importantly, give hope to her millions of fans: "It doesn't matter if I'm not enough / For the future or the things to come / 'Cause I'm young and in love / Don't worry, baby."

[dawnasiler]

AMAs 2019: The Best Skin, Hair and Makeup Looks on the Red Carpet

At the annual American Music Awards, the biggest names in music get a chance to make a statement on the red carpet—and this year, it was louder than ever!

Among the beauty looks: a retro bob, red eyeshadow and bleached-out eyebrows....

Keep scrolling for all the hair and makeup you need to see!

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Selena Gomez at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Unpopular opinion: Selena had my favourite look of the night! I know this hairstyle wasn't everyone's taste, but I've always love a curled-under retro bob. (Here, I think it really modernizes her almost '80s-inspired dress.) The soft, neutral makeup works well, although her skin finish could be a tad less matte.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Taylor Swift at the 2019 American Music Awards.

I've got more of an issue with Taylor's outfit than her beauty look—what were those boots?! But this could still be better. On the plus side, her skin looks flawless and the matte coral lipstick is gorgeous, even if the lip liner is too obvious. It's her side-swept textured hairstyle that falls flat, or maybe it just doesn't work with everything else going on.

Ciara

Ciara at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Ciara at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Can we take a moment to appreciate Ciara's insane bone structure? Those cheekbones! And her skin just glows, needing what looks like very, very little foundation. The swipe of blue liner under each eye is a nod to her outfit, paired with brown smoky shadow and a cool-toned pink lip. Really nice!

Ciara is wearing: Primer • Eyeshadow in Blood Moon, Jubilee and Vermillion Venom • Eyeliner in Blitz Brown and Blitz Blue

Katherine Langford

Katherine Langford at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Katherine Langford at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Katherine did a very editorial look, rocking what her makeup artist described as "red velvet eyes." The creativity here is amazing! Her eyeshadow doesn't match her dress exactly (which I like), and it diffuses into a blush, which reminds me of Rihanna at the 2017 Met Gala. The little gold beads along her hairline are the perfect finishing touch.

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Dua Lipa at the 2019 American Music Awards.

At first glance, I thought this was Hailey Bieber! I didn't recognize Dua as a blonde—here's how striking she looked with dark hair, so I hope she goes back to that. The high, cheerleader ponytail seems a little dated, but the makeup (or lack thereof) is okay. Maybe her brows were brushed up a little too aggressively.

Constance Wu

Constance Wu at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Constance Wu at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Seeing Constance in space buns was totally unexpected, but I'm here for it. This hairstyle gives her a much more playful vibe than usual. And the makeup has a lighter touch than the last time we saw her, at TIFF. I like the soft metallic liner and coral lip gloss, but perhaps her brow pencil could be ashier.

Lizzo

Lizzo at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Lizzo at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Lizzo went for a '60s-inspired look in shades of peach (even though it was her ridiculously tiny purse that stole the show!). It's all super costumey, but the makeup is actually pretty good. I like how the false lashes are long but soft, framed by a halo of diffused colour and strong brows. However, I'm not a fan of this hairstyle or texture at all.

Lizzo is wearing: Foundation • Concealer • Powder • Eyeshadow in Punk (as contour) • Lip gloss in Snitch (as highlighter) • Eyeshadow in No Shame • Eyeshadow in Guilt Trip, Jet, Hell Ride and Wildheart • Eyeliner in Starfire • Brow pencil in Dark Drapes • Lip liner in 1993 • Lip gloss in Star Stunner

Jameela Jamil

Jameela Jamil at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Jameela Jamil at the 2019 American Music Awards.

I'm not mad about it, but Jameela always looks the same at awards shows. Hair down, bangs, cat eyes and a bold lip—it's only the colours that vary! This time, her eyeliner is super glittery, and the lipstick is a nice juicy berry tone. I guess when you find something that works this well, you don't stray from it!

Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Kelly Osbourne at the 2019 American Music Awards.

It's been years since I've seen Kelly on a red carpet—not since 2015!—and I have to say, she's looking really good. Actually, she might be the only celebrity who actually looks better in bright purple hair! I love how she styled it with bangs and a ponytail with a big bow. And it was smart to stick with warmer peach tones in her makeup.

Kesha

Kesha at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Kesha at the 2019 American Music Awards.

I had no clue this was Kesha, what with her new black hair that looks like she just stepped out of the shower! It's certainly a memorable look, although I wish her hair was slicked back (instead of these helmet-like baby bangs). Makeup-wise, I love that she doesn't hide her freckles, and the exaggerated cat eyes are super fierce.

Jenna Dewan

Jenna Dewan at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Jenna Dewan at the 2019 American Music Awards.

We just saw Jenna at the People's Choice Awards, and this look isn't that different. Instead of a smooth blowout, her hair is textured and parted down the middle. But she stayed in her comfort zone with a muted red lipstick, metallic eyeshadow and loads of blush. She's gorgeous, but it's a little heavy (thanks to the foundation and false lashes) and doesn't feel the most current.

Jenna is wearing: Primer • Foundation • Concealer in Ocher • Powder in Medium

Camila Cabello

Camila Cabello at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Camila Cabello at the 2019 American Music Awards.

I'm all for an au naturel look, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by Camila's ensemble. The extra-long braid is something new, I'll give her that, but we've seen the same tousled bangs and low-key makeup many times before. She needs to mix it up a little!

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Carrie Underwood at the 2019 American Music Awards.

You all know how I feel about Carrie's beauty aesthetic in general, but compared to her last appearance on this blog—at the 2017 Golden Globes—this is an improvement! Her eyebrows are more natural this time, and the eye makeup is a lot more toned down (although I wouldn't expect her to give up her beloved lashes). As usual, though, it's way too heavy overall. Does anyone else think she is doing lip injections now? Compare and contrast!

Halsey

Halsey at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Halsey at the 2019 American Music Awards.

After her girly glam look at the Emmys, nobody was expecting this from Halsey! While the rainbow eyeshadow definitely has some artistry to it that I can appreciate, I don't think anyone really looks good without eyebrows. Maybe it would've worked better if her hair was just slicked back, instead of having these extra crimped pieces.

Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Close-up of Christina Aguilera at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Remember when Christina did a super natural look at the 2018 Billboard Awards? We need more of that and less of... whatever this is. She actually has beautiful skin, but you don't notice it with the distraction of the weird outfit, heavy eye makeup and swollen lips.

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish at the 2019 American Music Awards.

Then we have Billie, who discovered the best way to avoid all this hair and makeup business. The look is Chic Beekeeper!

Who had your favourite (and least favourite) beauty look on this red carpet?

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AMAs 2019: The Best Skin, Hair and Makeup Looks on the Red Carpet syndicated from The Skincare Edit

[spacecapuchin]

dite!Percy and ares!Beth

·      Percy looks pretty and will kick your ass

·      Owns heels and will use them as a weapon (they are celestial bronze capped and tipped)

·      Percy has freckles; they dust the bridge of his nose and cheeks.

·      HE HAS THOSE CHANGEY APHRODITE EYES (but they mainly focus on various greens/blues/slight purples)

·      He has a mean green highlighter that he will use

·      Loves his crop tops, his fav is his ariel purple shell bra top

·      yalll he has charmspeak

·      Unashamed lover of top 100 songs

·      Will sing taylor swift while fighting monsters

·      Annabeth is a 250% badass

·      She is RIPPED

·      like more ripped than percy (he totally thinks is sooo hot)

·      She's fit in both contexts

·      A+ strategist who also looks like the bomb.com

·      SHE HAS GOT AN UNDERCUT

·      she let's percy shave designs into it

·      he puts in waves, greek patterns, or just pretty lines

·      It took percy 4 days and winning 30 fights for annabeth to allow percy to do her makeup and hair

·      plesantly surprised when dite cabin didn't go all out and go full on instagram brows, cut crease, contour

·      she got a natural eye and a bold lip

·      she looked good

·      like really good

·      she has since then warmed up to the concept of makeup just to make percy a bumbling stuttering mess again

·      do they have nicknames?

·      you betcha

·      Beth is stunner/knockout (bc she is pretty but can fight you)

·      Perce on the other hand

·      He's stuck with pretty boy/scallop brain

·      Although he may seem insulted he loves the name

·      YOU KNOW THEM COUPLE WORKOUTS?????

·      they own them

·      campers gather to watch them workout

·      they look badass

·      percy is the human weight who reads fashion magazines while beth LIFTS

·      Both are skilled in multiple weapons, but percy still prefers a sword and annabeth still prefers her dagger

·      OK HOW DID THEY GET TO CAMP

·      percy comes around the same age-ish

·      like 12 turning 13

·      His camp entrance isn't as extreme as in canon

·      It involves a hellhound

·      Beth comes to his rescue

·      He literally falls head over heels... he tumbles down half-blood hill

·      QUEUE YOU DROOL IN YOUR SLEEP

·      at the campfire percy is claimed

·      In a rose-quartz glow the campfire is lit up and a shimmering dove flies around

·      gasps are heard people look at the source of the light

·      he looks like muffin fudging royalty

·      he's wearing a flowing floor-length ivory chiton

·      a delicate rose gold laurel is on his head

·      (collective oh schist he's really hot)

·      things die down and after two days and a lot of love confessions percy starts rocking his normal clothes again

·      ripped jeans and a crop top or a oversized tucked in shirt

·      (they are totally flannel buddies)

·      everyone expects them to be at each other's throats

·      they get along surprisingly well

·      AFTER A FEW LONG LONG YEARS OF PINING

·      thalia and luke, who kind of take over the whole HOO role initiate the final battle

·      Some other demigod went bad, i couldn't choose which one of my children to throw under a bus

·      THEY FIGHT TOGETHER AND DEMOLISH HORDE AFTER MONSTER HORDE

·      but the silena/clarisse happened

·      they are both heart-broken

·      but they soldier on

·      until finally it's over

·      exhausted they all head back to camp

·      they help out at the infirmary bc beth can help with the grunt work

·      percy has an eye for small details

·      he helps out with stitches and other stuff

·      many weeks later they lie together on half-blood hill

·      right where percy fell on his way into camp

·      "i fell head over heels for you right here"

·      "you fell straight into my heart"

·      they were practically dating since day one

·      all is fine and dandy till luke goes missing

·      but that's for another day

[gethealthy18-blog]

30 Celebs With Stunning Short Hairstyles

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/30-celebs-with-stunning-short-hairstyles/

30 Celebs With Stunning Short Hairstyles

Anjali Sayee Hyderabd040-395603080 June 19, 2019

Rihanna, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lawrence, and Taylor Swift! These are just a few celebs who have embraced short hair. Gone are the days when a woman cutting her hair short was a big deal. Now, it’s the biggest hairstyling trend in the world. Get ready to make yourself over with the help of some celebs. Check out these stunning short hairstyles sported by some world class stunners!

30 Celebs WIth Stunning Short Hairstyles

1. Layered Bob

Elsa Pataky shows us how to flaunt a bob like a queen! The layered bob looks chic and works, no matter what the event. If you really want to take your hairstyle up a few notches, opt for this layered bob. Feather out the ends of the layers to make your hair look thicker. Style it in waves or light curls to achieve a breezy look.

2. Asymmetrical Bob

Rose Byrne shows us that some hairstyles never go out of fashion. Blonde is a versatile color that looks good with anything. The asymmetrical bob, on the other hand, is not as versatile. It works well with thin faces. If you have wide cheeks or a round face, keep your hair shorter than your chin.

3. Cute Pixie

Miley Cyrus brings us an uber cute pixie cut! When in doubt, go for a pixie cut. It looks great on women of all ages. The sharp layered bangs draw attention to your eyes and cheekbones.

4. Full Bangs Blunt Cut

Rose Byrne looks absolutely stunning in this retro blunt cut. But blunt haircuts are tricky, especially with short hair. So, pair it with full bangs to balance out the look. This will make your face look slimmer and your hair look thicker.

5. Side Lifted Hair

Sometimes, a comb can be a girl’s best friend. If your pixie had feathered layers, and it is now grown out, you can lift it to add some style. Spritz on some hairspray all over your locks to keep them in place.

6. Pulled Back Hair

A small pull can go a long way in terms of a hairstyle. If you want a slick look, comb your hair back with some mousse but make sure to add height to it. If you want a messy look, do the same thing with your fingers instead of a comb and use some light mousse to make it look more natural instead of damp.

7. Moussed Hair

Need to jazz up your regular pixie or bob style? Go the Hollywood way with some mousse, just like Ruby Rose. Apply mousse to your hair and comb it back. The mousse will keep your locks in place for a long time.

8. White Blonde

Michelle Williams truly owns the platinum pixie cut! If you want an edgy style, go for a complete platinum look. It will contrast beautifully with brown roots. This color combination works well with cool undertones.

9. Fluffy Pixie

Keira Knightley slays with this pixie cut. This fluffy pixie is a great way to make your hair look fuller. It’s got style and edge, while also staying true to the elfian pixie look.

10. Spiky Pixie

Revamp your pixie cut with some spikes and a blonde makeover, Miley Cyrus style! The champagne tips are accentuated with some dark roots. If you have hazel eyes, the golden tips will bring out the golden flecks in your eyes.

11. Slick Side Parting

Part your hair on one side and let it be. This hairstyle will flaunt the thickness of your locks while adding some style to an overgrown pixie. I also love the “wet hair” vibe of this pixie.

12. Flicked Out Ends

Ruby Rose really rocks these short haircuts! Flicked out ends can help frame your face and add dimension to your locks. They also make your face appear longer and slimmer. They go especially well with deep brown hair.

13. Curly Bob

Rose Byrne knows how to own the red carpet! Blonde hair and curls go hand in hand to create an ethereal hairstyle. There are many ways you can achieve these curls, both with and without heat. You can use heat styling tools, like a curling iron or hot rollers, or sleep on damp pinned curls.

14. Golden Deep Side-Swept Hair

Everything about Jennifer is gold – her personality, her acting, and her lovely blonde locks! The color that has every woman in the world spiraling for more. Opt for deep side-swept hair with heavy layers whenever you’re not sure about what to do with your hair. It looks super stylish and is a huge time saver.

15. Classic Lob

Julianne Hough shows us why blondes are said to be the life of the party. When you want to go short with your hair but are worried about the risks, go for a lob. It’s a safe bet but still looks stylish.

16. Braided Blue Highlights

The curly bob is a versatile and cute hairstyle. Take a page out of Ruby Rose’s lookbook and style your curly bob in a crown braid. Pair this look with a chic blazer and red lipstick, and you’re good to go.

17. Slick Bob

Here’s Rose Byrne once again showing us why she is a queen! This look is clearly a winner. The light to dark ombre, glossy hair, and simple yet perfect tuck behind the ear show us why a bob is anything but boring.

18. Curly Mohawk

P!nk knows how to rock and roll with her hair. Curls are always in fashion, and nothing is edgier than a mohawk. So, why not combine their forces to create this stunning hairstyle? It is perfect for women who love to celebrate their hair.

19. No Parting Pixie

Jennifer Lawrence is one stylish woman! She owns short hairstyles like a goddess. Celebrate yourself with this stunning pixie with no parting. Without a parting, the focus is retained on your facial features and jawline.

20. Pinned Pixie

Shutterstock

Kristen Stewart is bringing back some bold moves from the past! This ‘80s inspired look is making a huge comeback with Insta-bloggers sporting bobby pins in a bunch of colors to add a pop of color to their pictures.

21. Dirty Blonde Highlights With A Deep Brown Bob

Shutterstock

Oval faces are long, wide, and symmetrical. This hair color blend is perfect for framing it. Opt for light blonde highlights at the tips, while keeping your roots dark. This will add depth to your locks.

22. Curled Mohawk

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Kristen Stewart is the queen of the pixie cut! She knows how to rock a new pixie with style. Curl your bangs with a round brush, some mousse, and a blow dryer to mimic this flawless look.

23. Dark-Rooted Hair

Julianne Hough is one stunning beauty. Dark-rooted hair can make you look like her. This hairstyle helps frame your face and add depth to your hair. The dark roots give the illusion of thicker hair and a longer face.

24. Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights

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Ruby Rose was made for short hair! The blonde highlights and wavy styling add a gorgeous sunkissed vibe to her brown hair. This is the perfect short hair look to sport to the beach.

25. Red Carpet Bob

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Emma Watson is truly a goddess! If your short hair is growing out, get it cut in a slick bob. Then, highlight it with a strawberry blonde shade and let it shine. Don’t forget to pin up those long side-swept bangs!

26. Modern Bowl Cut

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Batwoman is here to the rescue! This bowl cut look may seem a bit ridiculous, but it is trending big time right now. Go for it if you want to sport something totally cool and whacky.

27. Glamorous Mohawk

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The mohawk is one of the best modern punk looks you’ll ever find. Use gel or mousse to create this look. This is especially great for anyone who wants to let go of their girl-next-door and embrace their inner rebel.

28. Wavy Gelled Hair

See how stunning Ms. Hough looks with this cut? You can achieve this look with a curling iron, hairspray, lots of gel, a comb, and your fingers. Yes, it’s that simple! Curl your hair and apply hairspray to it to set in the curls. Then, apply some gel to give it that wet look. Comb your hair back gently, making sure not to disrupt the curls. Run your fingers through the front to finish off the look.

29. Faux Side Cut

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The stunning Kristen Stewart shows us how to rock short hair like a boss. This pixie and sidecut style is out of this world. Go for this style if you want a more androgynous look.

30. Messy Lob

Messy hair is all the rage right now. Just play around with your lob to make it look messy. If your bob has grown out, cut it into choppy layers. Style it in waves to make your hair look more voluminous and uber chic. 

Hope these celebrities have inspired you to cut your locks short! Which actress’s style do you want to emulate? Comment below and let us know!

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Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/celebs-with-short-hairstyles/

[makistar2018]

Review: Taylor Swift earns her 'Reputation' during Ford Field stunner

Adam Graham, The Detroit News Aug. 29, 2018

The singer displayed a newfound confidence during Tuesday night concert, which included a stirring tribute to Aretha Franklin

Taylor Swift wanted to play the bad girl Tuesday night at Ford Field, but her good side kept shining through.

Swift's Reputation tour brought a sold-out crowd of 40,000-plus to the Detroit Lions' home, and the 28-year-old pop superstar playfully teased her villainous side, incorporating towering snakes into her massive stage show and serving nasty side-eye looks during her opener, the stadium-rattling "... Ready For It?"

But the Taylor Swift of yore, the bright, fun, aw-shucks girl next door, was never far from the surface.

This was especially true when Swift led a stirring tribute to Aretha Franklin about 45 minutes into her set.

“Detroit, last week we lost an irreplaceable force: Aretha Franklin," Swift said. "She did so much for music, she did so much for women’s rights, she did so much for civil rights. She was one of those people, where no matter what you say, no matter what glowing, positive things you said about her, it would be an understatement."

She continued: "Words could never, ever describe how many things she did in her lifetime that made our world a better place. And this is her home."

She then asked for the lights to be cut and for fans to honor Franklin with a moment of silence, which lasted a full minute.

A simple shout-out would have done the trick, but Swift went beyond that with her tribute to the Queen of Soul. And that was indicative of the entire evening, as Swift worked hard to make the stadium show special for the Detroit crowd.

The nearly two-hour concert was Swift's biggest, most convincing show to date. Past tours have seen her placate the audience with speeches about following your dreams and other self-help platitudes, but on Tuesday, Swift displayed a new kind of confidence, one that comes from knowing you can't please everyone all the time, and the freedom that revelation unlocks.

Her 2017 album "Reputation" goes in some bold directions and finds Swift embracing a dark side not visible in her earlier work. That gave her a newly powerful stage presence, and enriched her overall presentation.

It was quite a performance. Swift was helped out by a stunning stage production that included a towering, angled video wall that peaked in the center of the stage. Confetti canons showered the main floor crowd with mini Taylor Swift-branded newspaper clippings, and her stage was lit up with so much smoke and lighting that at several points, the fireworks going off in the background were an afterthought.

The crowd got in on the act too, as fans were given wristbands that flickered in time with the music, a trick Coldplay pioneered during its 2012 tour. The technology has improved to the point where on Tuesday, sections of the audience were lit up in sync with alternating drum parts during "Blank Space," making the crowd the ultimate visual backdrop for Swift.

She was joined by a team of 14 dancers and a six-piece band, but oftentimes Swift was on stage alone. And she worked the stage impressively, whether she was in front of a huge video backdrop of a desert during "Getaway Car" or alone at her piano during the "Speak Now" chestnut "Long Live."

The 24-song set was heavy on "Reputation" material, with all but one song from the album (sorry, "So it Goes...") making the cut.

A few of Swift's older hits, such as "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me," were mashed together early on, and Swift performed "Jump Then Fall" -- a song from 2008's "Fearless" album -- acoustically, for what she said may have been the first time since she wrote it.

She shared warm memories of Detroit concerts past, saying she's performed in Michigan 20 times over the years. (Tuesday was her fourth time playing Ford Field, following shows there in 2011, 2013 and 2015.) She mentioned seeing the faces of fans and watching them change over the years, and she was sincere enough that you believed her.

She flew over the crowd twice, in a basket that looked like something out of "The Wizard of Oz" during "Delicate" and in a snake-shaped cage during "Bad Blood" -- the visual representation of the dual sides of herself that she presented -- and she brought out her openers Charli XCX and Camila Cabello during a fun romp through "Shake It Off" on one of two stages at the back of the stadium.  

(Cabello, who wore a Detroit Lions jersey during her opening set, also acknowledged Aretha Franklin and her passing.)

"Don't Blame Me," was a late-show standout, accented by what sounded like Swift backing up herself on vocal duty.  

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" were mashed together during the closer, while Swift and her dancers performed in front of an on-stage fountain made to look like the front court of a mansion.

It was fitting. Ford Field was transformed into Swift's home for two hours on Tuesday, and she was a more than gracious host. She is welcome to come back anytime.  

The Detroit News

[ajmaljsr-blog]

Top 10 Most Beautiful Female Singers

Every single female artist are known for their voice and tone. Many are acknowledged as it were since they set the phase ablaze just by being there. They would rather be on the front of a stunner magazine than behind a receiver in a show. We have aggregated a rundown of vocalists that are incredible artists as well as known for their excellence which is clearly an or more in the field of fame. These are top ten most lovely female vocalists on the planet.

 10. Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is an American vocalist, musician and on-screen character. As the victor of the fourth season on American Idol in 2005, Underwood rose to acclaim. Conceived in 1983, the 34 year old vocalist is thought to be a fruitful big name in her classification. She is an creature sweetheart and a veggie lover who quit eating meat at 13 years old since she couldn't bear eating one of her own creatures! Catch her on Instagram @carrieunderwood.

 9. Beyonce

 Beyonce is an American artist, lyricist and performing artist and I for one know her not on account of her melodies but since of the child knock pictures that became famous online over the web. She rose to popularity in the late 1990's as the pioneer of the gathering Destiny's Child. She has sold more than 100 million records as a performance craftsman all through her vocation. Beyonce is a characteristic delight with a hourglass assume that is justified regardless of the consideration that she gets. Beyonce @beyonce.

  8. Ariana Grande

By and by, Ariana has been on the news for stuff other than her looks and tunes yes we are discussing the Manchester show impact. She has a sweet voice and pretty face that is magnificently supplemented by an excellent figure. In the supposition of numerous, Ariana Grande ought to be on the second number after Taylor Swift however the number of votes that we have expedite her the seventh place on our rundown. Her latest show in Manchester was met by a heartbreaking suicide besieging that executed more than 50 honest individuals and harmed numerous. It is too awful that this blessed messenger face will be related with something as awful as this eternity. Catch her on Instagram @arianagrande.

 7. Jackie Evancho

 To the extent her music profession is concerned, the afamed vocalist has created three Bulletin 200 best ten introduction and a gold and a platinum collection too. Jackie is broadly acclaimed as an American established hybrid artist. She has an uncommon voice and individuals cherish her tunes. She is delightful with dark colored hair spinning about her round pretty face. Her unmistakable green eyes and sweet grin radiate a smoothness that can infrequently be related with the glitz world. Catch her on Instagram @officialjackieevancho.

   6. Shakira

 Shakira is a Colombian artist, musician, artist, record maker and choreographer. How she observes time to be wonderful among this shocks us. Her confront radiates a characteristic gleam which makes her look warm and affable. Her facial articulations are very guiltless. We have frequently observed her with negligible or no cosmetics which demonstrates that she is normally blonde and delightful. Not exclusively is Shakira delightful, she sings astounding melodies as well. Shakira's Whenever Wherever, is our undisputed top choice! She is on Instagram @shakira.

 5. Demi Lovato

 Demi had her presentation on Barney and Friends. She is a vocalist that is accepted to be delightful both within and outside. Individuals hold her in high regard for talking up against harassing and revealing to her account of how she had been tormented. Over the years, Lovato's voice has turned out to be better and develop since she gave her presentation on Barney. She is cherished by her fans for being well mannered. Catch her on Instagram @ddlovato.

  4. Avril Lavigne

 Avril like Swift, is wonderful back to front. With her genuine voice, wonderful dressing sense what's more, wonderful tunes, Avril rules the hearts of numerous. A regular blonde with brilliant hair, delicious looking lips and sharp eyes-Lavigne is lovely outwardly as well as is a really beautiful individual we have listened. She is "genuine" in a fake glitz world. Lavigne is effectively included in philanthropy and furthermore has her own particular apparel, extras and fragrance line. Did you realize that she astounded a school understudy once and after that sang for the entire school in the assembly room for nothing! She is comfortable three! Catch her on Instagram @avrillavigne.

 3. Katy Perry

Katy Perry helps us to remember Snow White with hair as dull as midnight, enormous green eyes and skin as white as snow. She is a popular artist and a model. Despite the fact that she is in her 30s, she is thin as a secondary school young lady however yet has an incredible fan following. Katty has had an awful record for being unfaithful to her significant other and however we don't care to peep into the individual existence of stars-we can't however enable it since they to sparkle such a great amount in the open we do infrequently need to take a gander at their own lives. Her Instagram @katyperry.

  2. Selena Gomez

 Selena Gomez is a model, an artist and a performer. She has progressed significantly in a little traverse of time given her age. Gomez has a regular Latino look with long dark hair, olive skin and long eyelashes that make her eyes look perfect. She sounds precisely the same on livestage as she does in her collections that are recorded so she doesn't utilize auto condition that makes us like her significantly more. Gomez has those superbly pure looking looks that never give away her age. In spite of the fact that it is awesome to see her with an arrangement of various demeanors in light of the fact that for the most part her face has all the earmarks of being that of a snobthough she is not one! Her association in terrible outrages in any case, do diminish her similarity with numerous. In any case, Gomez takes the second place on our rundown. Selena Gomez on Instagram @selenagomez.

  1. Taylor Swift  

                            They say that Taylor Swift merits the main place on this rundown since she is a truly excellent individual. Does she have a pretty face, as well as has a pretty heart. Her melodies have touched a large number of individuals and her state of mind and identity has impacted much more. Individuals send their supplications towards Taylor Swift over the web. They venerate those blonde hair and almond formed pretty eyes. Catch her @taylorswift.