#there's quite a lot of talk in musical discussion spaces about the new trend for movie producers and marketing teams to make a movie

[no-passaran]

"We need more weird art" you can't even handle musicals because the story is told through music and dance

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #142: A Formidable Album (5/21/21)

So... how 'bout that album release week?

There's so much to cover; the release of nine new songs, the hype that's building for the World's Best Band to return to the stage, and (if we're able to come up for air) the massive speculation of what the future brings for our band.

I'm gonna get right into it, laying out my thoughts regarding this bold new album and covering all the most notable news from the week. I'll be sharing my (mostly) positive opinions about Scaled and Icy under the Read More line; I hope they're the start of a fun conversation with all of y'all who have stuck around through this last year.

Scaled and Icy Review

First, my general thoughts on the album: It's good! Really good. Do I think it's a no-skip like Vessel or a cohesive piece of art like Trench? Absolutely not! But it's also not the potential misfire that I worried that we might be getting when I first heard "Saturday" (more on that later); I think all of the songs are at least good, and some of them are downright great tracks that hold up with anything else that our band has ever released. It is also indisputably very different, but I think that generally works pretty well. Many of the songs evoke '60s rock or Britpop sounds and structures that you can tell Tyler is still trying to navigate, but I think he does a very solid job at adapting them to suit his strengths- namely his lyricism and knack for melody- rather than change to suit them. Unfortunately, this does result in a bit of square-peg-in-round-hole syndrome at times; most of the rap verses on the album feel like they're here just to fulfill an obligation to fans who would be mad if they weren't here, and most of the songs that use them are the weakest ones in the project.

"Good Day" plays a major role in getting the rest of the album to work as well as it does. Its gradual ramp-up, introducing the sound that will be used throughout the rest of the album. Its playfulness belies its message about how one can project a somewhat false optimism for oneself in the midst of tragedy: the type of dark stuff in a bright package that Tyler is so so good at. It's perhaps not an instant classic, but I am excited to see how it comes across when it's eventually used as a show-opener. 9/10

I've of course already discussed "Shy Away"; an anthemic, inimitably catchy track that I just wish had a bit more going on under the hood. Still going to be so good to hear thousands of voices scream "An 'I LOVE YOU' that isn't words!" someday. 9.5/10

"Choker" definitely took a little bit to grow on me. I think part of that was a bit of disappointment from over-inflated expectations and the environment I was in when I first heard it. With further listens, I fall more and more in love with the melody of the song... well, most of it. Like the rest of this album, the biggest weakness in the song is when Tyler tries to tick the box of having a rap verse; it just feels really out of place, unfinished, and almost amateurish, and it doesn't end the song on the note that it really should. Without it, it'd be one of my favorites on the album; with it, "Choker" is a solid 8.5/10.

Speaking of unfinished-sounding songs really hurt by their rap verse: "The Outside". There's a definite something to the vibe of the song, but that seemingly nonsensical verse is one of the two weakest parts of the entire project for me. The way the song meanders only adds to the feeling that there wasn't as much energy and attention paid to it compared to other parts of the project. It's pretty easily my least favorite track on Scaled and Icy, and the only one I might regularly skip. I've also seen plenty of people saying it's the best song on the album, so please tell me why I'm wrong! 6.5/10

"Saturday", as mentioned above, had me really nervous about this album. Like "Choker", it's grown on me a bit since I first heard it, in part because it fits better with the context of the rest of the album. However, this one really does feel undercooked lyrically and overreliant on the novelty of using a disco-inspired sound that seems to chase trends more than almost any other TØP track. The inclusion of that very sweet audio clip from Jenna boosts the song in some ways, but also adds to the disappointment in others; there are many other songs on this project that would be more worth surrendering time watching Friends. Thankfully, those come next. 7/10

"Never Take It" is fascinating. I never thought I'd hear a Rolling Stones-style song from Tyler Joseph featuring a gd guitar solo of all things, and it actually sounds pretty great. However, I also predict that this song will see some of the greatest critical scrutiny out of all the songs on the album. The lyrics seem to be Tyler's criticism of the media for playing up division in our society, but he's extremely vague when discussing which entities are spreading said division and ultimately recommends that people "educate yourself, but never too much". I'll be honest: maybe it's the fact that it sounds like something my dad would listen to, but it feels like this would get tons of play on Fox News. Since it makes specific reference to the events of last summer, it's hard not to feel like song is at least partially inspired by Tyler's brush with cancellation last year. Maybe I'm reading too deeply into it, but those reservations come from the song's lack of specificity, which is an issue of songwriting more than politics. They hold me back from truly loving a song that still manages to be one of the most exciting the band has ever put out. 8.5/10

"Mulberry Street" seems like the perfect realization of the entire album's intended tone. It is so pleasant, so lush while also simply produced, full of great lyrics, metaphors, and imagery. It really brings the whole project together, even if it's missing That One Line to really move this up to the top tier of the canon. 9.5/10

"Formidable" is the best song on the album and one of two songs I would truly rank in the top tier of the band's canon. Extremely pleasant and brimming with well-crafted lines to make your heart swoon. Jenna (and Rosie) is (are) a lucky gal(s). Or is it about Josh? Who's to say? 10/10

"Bounce Man" is just plain wild. I think Tyler's smuggling someone to Mexico to escape the feds? The playfulness of it all really covers up any frustration I might have with the clarity; it makes it clear that there's not really stakes here, just vibes. 8.5/10

"No Chances" sees the album take a turn that I'm sure the Reddit Clique is going to have an absolute field day with; it and "Redecorate" both sound quite different from the rest of the album and evoke enough elements of Trench to make me think that's it's actually possible that all this 'SAI is Propaganda' stuff might actually have something to it... until I actually pick apart the lyrics, then I'm even more confused. The song has some of the best rapping on the album, though that's not saying much (the feng shui line is a groaner right out the gate) and the gentle pre-chorus is really pleasant. I still haven't made up my mind on whether the chorus is effective or just plain goofy. This one might get worse or better on repeat listens, impossible to say for now. 7.5/10

"Redecorate" rounds out the album by opening with a Clancy quote (Tyler, you bastard), firmly setting this as a coda to Trench more than the album we just listened to. The rest of the song is really storytelling, with Tyler describing a bunch of people who are struggling deeply. The idea of "redecorating" here stands for how they are faced with the option to clean and resort their own spaces and lives or leave that to their loved ones to do after they're gone. By the time it gets to the album's name drop, you begin to wonder how much of this is potential autobiographical of the last year. It's moving stuff, a callback to some of the great strengths of the band's discography. 10/10

If I average those scores all up, this project ranks below almost every album among the Pilots discography on my rating scale, very narrowly edging out Self-Titled. That's still a very solid 8.6. Scaled and Icy is a very good album on first listen. We'll see how I feel about it after having a little more time to sit with it, but I've rambled enough: let's move through the rest of the week's news.

Other News

Of course, there was a lot else going on this week! To accompany the release of "Saturday", Zane Lowe over at Apple Music dropped an interview with Tyler. As usual, Zane did a pretty solid job of getting to the heart of the craft and the creation process. However, Tyler also wound up skirting a lot of the questions to just talk more about how much he loves being a dad, which makes me happy; if the cost of getting a little less attention and mental energy devoted to the music is that little girl getting all of his attention, that's honestly preferable for me.

The album rollout is not even close to over. Later today, the concert will be streamed live. It's our first real performance that we've gotten from the band since 2019, but the previews that we've seen have completely exceeded any of my expectations, and really anything that we've seen from the band. It appears that they've transformed the entire arena (which I think is the ol' Schott at Ohio State) into a whole TØP world, with different sets laden with Easter eggs and a cast of backup dancers. If the website can hold up to the traffic (and I acknowledge that might be a big ask), this could really live up to Tyler's promise of this being the best livestreamed concert ever.

Oh, and this guy dyed his hair pink.

What a time to be a fan. Catch you all tomorrow.

Power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[passionate-reply]

This week on Great Albums: a fresh look at quite possibly the 80s’ most hated band, A Flock of Seagulls! Spoiler: their music is good, people in the 90s and 00s were just mean. If you want to find out more about how having the absolute best hair in the business ended up backfiring on these poor sods, look no further than my latest video. Or the transcript of it, which follows below the break!

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’m going to be diving into a discussion of quite possibly the most derided and lambasted music group of the 1980s: A Flock of Seagulls. With a strange name, a perhaps painfully stylish aesthetic, and equally trendy and of-the-moment music, that was, for a time, inescapable in popular culture, their legacy forms a perfect target for the ridicule all popular things must face in due time. But even moreso than that, I think A Flock of Seagulls have become not only a punchline in and of themselves, but also a summation of everything that was dreadful and excessive about the early 1980s, with its “Second British Invasion” of synthesiser-driven New Wave. I can think of no better example of this kind of abuse than a famous line from the 1999 comedy film, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The film is largely a love letter to the 1960s and its Mod aesthetics, and the protagonist, a super-spy unfrozen from this era in time, dismisses the history and culture of the 1970s and 80s as nothing more than “a gas shortage, and A Flock of Seagulls.” But at the time of this writing, we’re about as far away from Austin Powers as the film was from the release of this album, the band’s 1982 debut LP, so I think it’s been long enough that we can start to re-evaluate A Flock of Seagulls’ rightful place in music history.

While this self-titled album was the group’s first long-player, their first release was the 1981 single “It’s Not Me Talking.” Notably, this track was actually produced by the legendary Bill Nelson, who also released it on their behalf via his personal label, Cocteau Records. Ever since discovering this for myself, I’ve found the connection between Nelson and A Flock of Seagulls fascinating, and also satisfying. Despite the gulf between their respective reputations, I do think their work has a lot in common, at the end of the day: swirling washes of synth disrupted by screaming guitars, not to mention that shared interest in Midcentury rock and roll aesthetics.

Music: “It’s Not Me Talking”

These two acts would, of course, go their separate ways shortly after, and they ended up in completely opposite camps, with Nelson becoming a cult favourite with little crossover success, and A Flock of Seagulls going on to create what is, undoubtedly, one of the most iconic songs of the entire decade.

Music: “I Ran”

What does one even say about a song like “I Ran”? Over the years, it’s certainly gotten somewhat overplayed, but I can’t really hold that against it. It’s just a damn good song. Both ethereally menacing as well as catchy and rather accessible, “I Ran” takes the atmosphere suggested by “It’s Not Me Talking” and kicks it into another gear, with a harder-hitting hook and the introduction of that highly distinctive and of-the-moment echoing guitar effect. Some will hear it as little more than evidence that the song is hopelessly dated, but I’ve never thought of it as anything other than satisfying to listen to. If you ask me, I figure all art that exists is essentially “a product of its time”--nobody ever said Michelangelo Buonarroti’s David was a lousy sculpture, just because you can easily tell it was made during the Italian Renaissance. At any rate, I’d encourage everyone reading to go back and listen to it again, trying to maintain a little neutrality. I’d recommend the album cut of it, which is significantly longer than the single version, and features a rich intro that sets the scene before that famous guitar ever makes an appearance, which I think really adds to the experience. By some reckonings, A Flock of Seagulls are sometimes considered a “one-hit wonder,” but while they certainly are remembered chiefly for “I Ran,” this album’s other singles were moderately successful as well.

Music: “Space Age Love Song”

“Space Age Love Song” is perhaps the band’s second best-remembered single, and takes their sound in a markedly different direction than that of “I Ran.” “I Ran” won popular acclaim by finding a new home for the guitar, in the midst of a sea of synth, and pushed A Flock of Seagulls into a similar space as acts like the Cars and Duran Duran, who had enough mainstream rock sensibilities to sneak a lot of synthesiser usage onto American rock radio...much as one might sneak spinach into tomato sauce when feeding picky children. But I think “Space Age Love Song” is much more palatable to listeners of pop, synth- or otherwise. It’s softer in texture, and really almost dreamy, capturing the hazy, buoyant feeling of limerence as well as any pop song ever has. I’m tempted to compare it to another synth-driven classic, whose influence towers over this period in electronic music: the great Giorgio Moroder’s “I Feel Love.” Much like “I Feel Love,” “Space Age Love Song” combines simple, almost banal love lyrics with an evocative electronic soundscape, painting a picture of an enchanting, high-tech future where human feelings like love have remained comfortably recognizable across centuries or millennia. A similar theme of futuristic love pervades the album’s second single, “Modern Love Is Automatic.”

Music: “Modern Love Is Automatic”

While “Space Age Love Song” uses simplistic lyricism to portray the relatable universality of falling in love, “Modern Love Is Automatic” gives us the album’s most complex narrative. In a world where “young love’s forbidden,” we meet a pair of star-crossed lovers prevented from being together by some sort of dystopian authority. The male member of this union, introduced as the “cosmic man,” is apparently imprisoned for the crime of loving, but the text suggests that he may escape from this prison--or, perhaps, even be freed from it. The title, repeated quite frequently throughout the track, is perhaps the mantra of this anti-love society, a piece of propaganda being drilled into us as thoroughly as it is into these subjects: Modern love is automatic, with no need for messy, unpredictable human input.

It’s also worth noting that the song is consciously set in “old Japan,” deliberately locating it in the “exotic” East. While East Asia was strongly associated with refined, perhaps futuristic culture, I can’t help but think there’s a more pejorative sentiment operating here, rooted in stereotypes of Asian cultures unduly policing sexual freedom, and other forms of personal expression and self-determination. Ultimately, despite its futuristic trappings, “Modern Love Is Automatic” isn’t really a song about technology at all, but rather authoritarianism. “Telecommunication,” on the other hand, engages more directly with that theme.

Music: “Telecommunication”

“Telecommunication” was also released prior to the self-titled album proper, and was also produced by Bill Nelson. While structurally similar to “Modern Love Is Automatic,” with an oft-repeated title, brief verses, and a generally repetitive musical structure full of meandering guitar, its text quite plainly discusses the titular field of technology, in a seemingly non-judgmental fashion--though it could be argued that the fairly upbeat music suggests a positive outlook on things like radio and TV. The one hitch in all of it is the very end of the last verse, which sets the song in the “nuclear age”--a nod, perhaps, to the darker applications of 20th Century technology. “Telecommunication” is perhaps indebted less to figures like Moroder, and moreso to Kraftwerk, who first solidified the rich tradition of stoic synth thumpers about everyday machines like cars, trains, and, of course, nuclear energy. I’m also tempted to compare it to an earlier work of Bill Nelson’s group Be-Bop Deluxe, “Electrical Language,” another bubbly number that playfully bats this concept back and forth.

The theme of “quotidian technology” is also present on the cover of this album, which features an interior shot of a living room, centered around a television set. The TV displays a figure playing guitar--perhaps one of those heroic rock pioneers of the Midcentury like Buddy Holly, whom Nelson was so keen to imitate. But what’s most immediately striking about this cover is its beautiful colour palette, full of deep, saturated jewel tones, treated softly with an “airbrush” style effect. Despite being a somewhat mundane scene, the image also features fanciful, imaginative touches: the floor of this room is actually a miniature beach landscape, with the “floor” beneath the TV actually being the surface of the ocean, and the TV appears to be surrounded by a colourful, glowing group of birds. Given the beachy surroundings, we could perhaps interpret them as the titular seagulls. It’s tempting to think of this scene as a representation of how technology can sweep us away, out of our everyday existence and into something richer and more exciting.

But perhaps it’s not so simple--note also the open window in the top left, whose curtain appears to be agitated by some sort of motion in the air. Perhaps these birds are not the products of television fantasy, but rather have flown in from the window, and hence hail from the “real world?” Given how tracks like “Space Age Love Song” and “Modern Love Is Automatic” tackle the theme of the mundane meeting the fantastical, I think this complex and arresting image is a great fit for the album.

While their self-titled debut spawned multiple recognizable hits, A Flock of Seagulls never came anywhere close to recapturing its success. For the most part, they struggled to remain relevant as time wore on, largely abandoning the sonic footprint of their first album, and chasing after new trends in music technology such as digital synthesisers. They would eventually break up during the mid-1980s, and though they’ve reunited in order to perform live several times, the book is probably closed on A Flock of Seagulls. Personally, I can’t help but wonder what might have been if they had stuck to their musical roots a bit more. You get a bit of that on their third LP, 1984’s The Story of a Young Heart, which thankfully brings back that iconic echoing guitar, and does so without sounding too much like a simple retread of “I Ran.” Out of all their other work, it’s the album I would most recommend to admirers of this debut LP.

Music: “Remember David”

My favourite track on A Flock of Seagulls’ debut LP is “Messages”--not to be confused with the track of the same name by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark! Moreso than anything else on the album, “Messages” has this aggressive, insistent, driving quality, and feels less like yacht rock, and more like punk rock. Despite not being released as a single, I think it’s a very strong track that’s quite easy to get into. That’s everything for today--thanks for listening!

Music: “Messages”

[spectral-apparitions]

Not sure if u do hc rn or not but what do u think it be like if DJSS soon to be s/o was a new artist and was brutaly bold with everyone, also calling DJSS out for any bs infront of everyone and even prove him wrong(maybe being smarter then him even if she was younger then him but was also a space nerd like him)

HC requests are open! If it’s okay with you I’m going to use gender neutral pronouns for s/o here for other people who like this idea :)

He doesn’t really mind how bold and blunt they are, even admiring their intellect...until it’s against him. This guy does not like being attacked, especially in front of other people.  When this person is just correcting something he’s said, he’ll stammer and try to outlogic them, or at least roundabout explain why he’s not entirely wrong. (Truthfully, he’s hurt that he might be wrong and he’s making a mental note to research this topic more later.) 

But if they’re criticizing him, he’s quicker to set off. He’ll find some way to backfire those comments, mostly building up himself/making excuses, possibly coming back with criticisms of them. (Truthfully, he’s quite hurt. All that inflated ego is built on deep insecurity)

He’s not going to initiate arguments with them, he doesn’t want the hassle. Honestly it only takes calling him out once or twice for him to start avoiding them. But he doesn’t hate them, no. He might think he does at times, because “how dare they” but at the same time he can’t help but take notice of their confidence and intellect.  Of course, brutally honest doesn’t always mean rude. Be kind to him, point out his good qualities, talk space with him...it all makes him enjoy their presence.He would greatly enjoy discussing space with someone who knows a lot about it. Less explaining on his part, more opportunities to just muse about it. And if this person is a nerd about some other subjects as well, he’d like listening to what they have to say about those things as well. Tie those other subjects in to space and he’ll just be in awe.

He’d take note of their work as an artist as well. What kind of music they make, trends in the song subjects, how they manage their district, how they act at meetings, what they’re wearing, oh no..

Poor guy has some very confused feelings because he admires a lot about this person and yet he’s nervous around them but he likes talking to them but surely they hate him and ashtsgjf??? Uh oh somebody has a crush and even he’s not sure if he has one, because he can feel that he’s developing these feelings but he keeps pushing them aside because no way it would work right??? incredibly confused how he feels about them and how they feel about him

He’s probably not going to admit this quickly. First thing he’s going to do is ask about whatever he got called out for before, a light treading of “Do you remember the time...” and “Did it bother you” He’s trying to make sure it’s okay for him to approach with deeper questions. eventually he’ll get to asking directly how they feel about him. Because reading people is admittedly not his greatest strength, as he’ll add.

Now if this person has feelings for him this is the perfect opportunity to plant a kiss on him and see if THAT answers his question.  Or in the situation where they don’t feel that way yet, but they tell him how they truly feel about him, he’ll find great relief on knowing for sure what their thoughts are. He doesn’t avoid them any more, on the contrary he starts to seek them out to talk and maybe even ask for advice.

Either way, he ends up a flustered mess and it’s not until he’s laying in bed staring at the ceiling at 4am thinking about them that he accepts that he has a crush and he better do something about it.

[jngles]

Thoughts You Definitely All Asked For on ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale!!

These are in chronological order for the show.

One of my biggest fears about them reintroducing Boba Fett was that by removing some of his mystery, they would make him less cool. Thank god that has not been the case. He’s still an aloof and nasty piece of work but with dimensions added.

We all know the Empire is most often a metaphor for America right? At least when it’s not being Nazi Germany? The Imperial pilot talking about destroying an entire planet (of peaceful weaponless civilians no less) to stop terrorism hits a little too close to home of the nuclear bombs the US has dropped and the endless destruction of the Middle East in the “war against terror.” And of course we frame all our wars in similar language like “our troops died to keep our country safe,” which hasn’t really been true since WWII.

I do think it’s worth noting that this is the first time SW has had someone acknowledge the human losses of the Death Star blasts. Usually it’s framed as a loss in construction time, strategical advantage, and power. The Empire proved time and time again that the lives of its soldiers were utterly expendable, which always made me question why people remained loyal outside of fear. Through this pilot’s phrasing, you can see the propaganda Imperial superiors used to twist the truth to their followers, always blaming those deaths on Rebel aggression instead of prideful Imperial neglect (I.e. not abandoning ship when there was still time) or even direct Imperial aggression like Operation Cinder where they fired on thousands of their own (discussed in S2E7.)

You can’t tell me Din wasn’t into it when Cara shot that asshole pilot. That cold faced revenge shot? 100% Mandalorian style, and also very very hot.

I appreciate that it was a pretty equal match between Boba and Koska Reeves. So much of Boba’s advantage comes from his suit, but since she also has one, it’s a battle of wits on how to use it, and they even out. This both maintains his legendary badassery and also that of highly trained Mandalorian warriors, and hopefully avoids asshole chauvinist SW fans on the internet complaining abujt “pandering to feminism” (fuck off @ all of them, especially since Mercedes Vernado who plays Reeves is a WWE champ and could kick all of your asses.)

Din point blank asked how many Death Troopers there are and Dr. Pershing never answered, and that annoys me.

Why is no one suspicious why Dr. Pershing is being so helpful and revealing so much information? He totally did not have to tell them about the Dark Troopers or any of the specifics of locations on the ship. He’s still with the empire post-fall, implying he’s a loyalist, so... wtf on his part (since no tricks come of it), and “be smarter” on the part of everyone else. Unless he’s been captive as a clone engineer all this time. But couldn’t he have made his escape back in Season 1 when Din killed everyone at that lab to get the kid back?

Bo Katan really could’ve just told them how the retrieval of the dark saber needs to work in the flight before the mission instead of being vague about “he belongs to me.”

Boba Fett’s usage of “Princess” and “don’t worry about me” are a good throwback to Han Solo and the culture they both grew up in. You can never quite tell if it’s based in misogyny or resentment for upper classes, but both of them seem to use it as a shield for begrudging respect they hold for a woman they think is brave but following a fool’s errand (the Rebellion and retaking Mandalore).

The Comms Officer (Katy O’Brian) assisting Moff Gideon will forever and always look like Ilana Glazer to me, and then I get swept up imagining what would happen if the Broad City cast accidentally got transported to Star Wars.

The launch tube sequence has some amazing cinematography.

The second I saw Boba was cut off from the pack, I really thought they were going to kill him again and make his return bittersweet. Glad they didn’t.

God this team of Bo Katan, Koska Reeves, Fennec Shand, and Cara Dune is SO BADASS. I’m just obsessed with all these characters and their various motivations to get shit done. I honestly didn’t even think about the fact it’s all women until my re-watch, showing that the writers made it feel natural, the way women deserve to have their representation done. You can bet I am SO EXCITED for my future daughter and the wealth of possibilities she’s going to have of characters to play pretend as, action figures she can relate to, Halloween costumes to wear, etc. It’s so validating that we’ve gone from only Princess Leia as a female main character to all these women + Rey, Jyn Erso, Ahsoka, etc. etc.

Can’t wait for the trap remix of the Dark Trooper activation noises. (And the transition from that to the minimalist flute theme is perfect.)

The spy movie version of the main theme music is sick.

The Dark Trooper droid faces have a lot of similarity to Darth Vader’s mask. That callback is especially apparent when the one is literally lit from the inside with fire. He was already a martyr/legend to the Imperial remnants, Kylo Ren didn’t start the trend of ignoring his redemption.

Cara’s “excuse me” right before shooting up Stormtroopers is hilarious. Literally “can’t talk rn, doing hot girl shit and murdering space Nazis.”

Finally an Imperial ship got some frickin security cameras. Truly- the amount of times people just wander down hallways they’re not supposed to be in with no one being able to find them throughout the course of Star Wars is ridiculous when you think about the degree of surveillance our real life society carries out. I also love that this means The Mandalorian characters have also seen The Mandalorian.

The storytelling does such a service to Pedro Pascal and his already heroic efforts to portray emotion through a helmet. For example: Din easily could’ve killed the one stormtrooper outside Grogu’s cell much more efficiently, but instead, to show his absolute rage, they wrote in Din choking him out with a spear.

Moff Gideon would have been the BIGGEST pain in the ass in philosophy class. “Assume I know everything” my ass. I want to hear about his backstory (he would’ve been “coming of age” at the time of the Clone Wars) mostly just to hear about him getting bullied at school.

Smart move honestly, to try to tempt Din with the Mandalorian throne, given the Mandalorian power struggles of the past. Proud of our boy for keeping his priorities straight.

So has the blood from Grogu been transferred out of the ship and back to the remnant empire already, or do they have to find a new “donor” to help with building Snoke and Palpatine’s clones? Will they continue to go after him with Luke?

Lmao Din being so annoyed by Bo Katan being stringent about the tradition of winning the Dark Saber through combat is HILARIOUS, coming from a man who up until like a day ago hadn’t shown his face to a living being in decades.

The dark troopers can punch in blast doors but NOT Din’s helmet?? That’s a wild testament to beskar. Somehow that’s the comparison that sticks out to me, more even than its resistance to lightsabers.

This show works because of the cynicism of so many characters adding contrast to the moments of heart. Cara Dune is not a “fan” the way Rey was (for the record I love Rey, don’t come at her, it’s just different). Cara doesn’t see an X-Wing and go OMG THE REBELLION I LOVE THEM. She’s been through too much to believe in the magic saviourism of the “good guys,” and is instead thinking strategically when she, the one Rebel present, brushes off the usefulness of “one X-Wing.” The only positive things she seems to feel in battle situations are moments of relief and brief satisfaction in hurting the empire, with a dark knowledge that it will never make up for the hurt they did to her.

How do you keep a cloak hood on while fighting? Both from a technical standpoint (my hats fall off without me even having to move- is he expending force energy just to keep it on and look cool lol?) and also because idk, maybe it’s just me, but peripheral vision is helpful when surrounded by killer robots on a thin bridge above oblivion. I know his first lesson was to “see” through the force, but every resource helps, right?

Now that she has the ship, I wonder if Bo Katan can reprogram any salvageable Dark Troopers to help with retaking Mandalore?

There is nothing like seeing Luke’s fighting style, with its efficient choppiness and twinge of darkness. I always wonder how much is natural and how much is influenced by his first fights with Vader (that Skywalker diva flair). I love how they’ve advanced his technique but also kept him extremely “grey” here- like to straight up COMBUST a Dark Trooper takes some violent energy lol.

How tf is Moff Gideon alive after threatening Grogu’s life twice directly? That’s a wild testament to Din’s regard for Cara.

I love how seeing Luke slice through a bunch of murder droids like butter probably was a huge point in his favor for Din actually letting Grogu go with him. Like he will only send his child to boarding preschool if he knows the teacher will be a certified killing machine.

Oh my god they finally brought in some OG Star Wars theme music for Luke to take his hood off to 😭 It felt weird seeing him fight to different music, so the emotional payoff is huge when his themes come back for the face reveal.

Whoever added the digital young Mark Hamill face NAILED those classic shining Luke eyes and the earnest eyebrow lift.

Whoever shines the glass of Baby Yoda’s lil puppet eyeballs each day deserves a raise. The light caught in those babies is devastating.

Din is shaking as he takes off his helmet. This is the most enormous show of love he could give him, and possibly the last he’ll be able to for a long time. He only just got Grogu back and is desperate for a moment of real connection before letting him go once again.

This is the first time anyone has touched Din’s face since... likely his parents as a child.

Whoever wrote this scene clearly actually has kids. Anyone who’s ever had to leave a young child even just to go out for a bit or to drop them off somewhere knows that heartbreak of seeing them look in your eyes and hold on to your leg, trying to keep you with them. Especially when they can sense your mutual separation anxiety. The one thing that starts to make them feel better is something fun like a new toy or friend who can be their guide in the new environment, and R2’s friendly introduction is exactly that (since digital Luke isn’t being particularly emotive or child friendly... I hope that’s just because he’s reaching into Grogu’s mind while also keeping an eye on the multiple people with guns trained on him, not because he’s going to be totally unfeeling raising this kid.)

I love that Grogu and R2 are immediately buddies in contrast to Episode 5 when R2 was like “fuck this guy” @ Yoda stealing food and hitting him with a walking stick lol. I would imagine Luke must be reminded of that first introduction too and entertained by this display of playfulness in a *positive* light between R2 and mini-Yoda.

I need to know if Luke and Ahsoka have met- it is KILLING ME.

Does this mean Grogu will get killed by Kylo Ren when he fucks up Luke’s academy??? I will reincarnate Ben just to kill him again if that’s the case.

How does Luke not even fully SMILE at Grogu?? An adorable little baby version of his beloved master Yoda, and you’re telling me he doesn’t have the same heart stopping gasp we all did when we first saw him?? Maybe he did when they first connected through the force. He has a bit of bemusement on his face, and also wonder in his eyes, but I want a grin of recognition and welcome, dammit.

I really wish Luke had somehow acknowledged Cara Dune. Everyone else seems to see the tear drop Rebel sign and know it means Alderaan. He could’ve been like yo I have a badass warrior sister from your planet that you should meet. Or just “thank you for your service.” (I know this actually wouldn’t have been cinematically good but my heart wants it.)

Luke didn’t tell Din his name?? Or ask for any details about the kid and his care?? I could literally never let my kid go with someone, regardless of how worthy, and not be like, “Excuse me sir who are you and where tf are you taking my tiny beloved green goblin in case I need to find him? Here is my contact info. He likes to eat frogs and eggs, and he can have macarons as a treat. He’s 50 years old and his favorite toy is still a ball. Bedtime is 8pm and he’s allergic to dairy.”

Another reason I wish Luke had identified himself would be to see the mishmash of reactions that would ensue. Cara would be like DAMN IT’S THAT GUY WHO BLEW UP THE DEATH STAR AND KILLED THE EMPEROR, ACT COOL (and she would indeed act cool). Fennec would be like ugh it’s that guy who helped kill my best paying client Jabba the Hutt and then fucked over my boss Boba, I helped save the kid for THIS? And I would LOVE to know how Bo Katan feels about him, assuming she’s heard of him, and especially if she knows he’s Anakin Skywalker’s son. That confusion is probably the reason WHY the writers didn’t have him reveal himself- they didn’t want to break the emotion of the scene.

Let‘s all be real I’m just being needy about wanting things from Luke because of what he meant to me as a kid and my resulting innate need to have more canon of him, whatever it is, whenever I can get it. Especially in this form that’s so similar to ROTJ, a movie I watched on endless repeat. Even getting this was incredible though. Who else could we trust this lil heart-stealing green bean with so fully? Yet who would be so arrogant as to try to train a baby yodling (see: Ahsoka’s wise refusal)?

R2 is reckless as hell lmao. Not that we don’t already know that, but for him to just head on in, effectively abandoning Luke’s ship (how can they know if there are more troopers or not who might blow it up?) and also putting himself in the path of the ridiculously deadly Dark Troopers is NUTS. I’m usually on his side but he absolutely deserves a scolding by C3PO for this one.

I wonder if Grogu has any memories of R2 or vice versa since they did occupy the Jedi Temple at the same time. Can Grogu understand droids? They could swap stories about mutual acquaintances.

Does Din pretty much have to go with Bo Katan now since a) he’s shown his face and may not be able to go back to the Watch, and b) because he has the darksaber and has to figure out how to get it back to her without dying?

How in the hell did Bib Fortuna (whose chins age was not kind to) go from being butler to being boss? Were all the henchmen just like, “Fuck yeah, no Hutt parents no rules, let’s do what we want!!” And then they’ve spent the last ten years living off of whatever money they could salvage from Jabba’s non-banked wealth? Why has no one challenged them for that prime real estate and loot? I would love to hear that story.

Fennec Shand says “respect sex workers” so you better fuckin’ do it.

Idk dude Bib Fortuna really was a good butler, and he seemed pretty willing to comply with whoever’s in power. Did he screw Boba over in his attempt to return from the dead and earn that killing shot somehow? Or was this to make sure there was no one left who would have a claim to loyalty? Or maybe Boba just really wanted to sit in that chair.

Does “The Book of Boba Fett” mean we’re not on Din Djarin’s story anymore? Or is it a new show? I would much prefer the latter. I want to see Din help retake Mandalore or at least get a hug.

[wonderlustlucas]

lost - pjy x jw

⇢ prompt “Just a little lost.” ⇢ pairing park jinyoung x jackson wang ⇢ word count 1.3k ⇢ genre fluff ⇢ warnings none ⇢ summary “How about a cute night conversation fluff between Jackson and Jinyoung? Just something fluffy and cute I guess? :))”—request

No matter how comfortable he may be, sprawled out on his stomach with his face nestled in the space between two pillows, Jinyoung cannot ignore the incessant vibration of his cell phone against the wood of his bedside table. Leaning up on his elbows, disoriented and blindly reaching for the nuisance of a device, he distantly curses himself for never purchasing an alarm clock on Amazon so he could power his phone off for bed. Not that he finds himself receiving calls every night just as he’s fallen asleep, but still.

Bringing the phone closer to his face, Jinyoung grimaces at the harsh light and squints hard to read the caller ID. Just as he’s done so, it feels as if his heart comes to a careening stop, limbs suddenly heavy with unease he doesn’t quite understand. Then, his heart rate picks up in a panicked frenzy and he taps the green icon without a second thought.

“Hello?”

“Oh, shit. You answered,” Jackson answers. While hearing his voice, rasped and groggy, somewhat calms Jinyoung’s nerves, such a reply has him frowning.

“Of course I answered,” Jinyoung snaps, tone laced with annoyance. He quickly mutters an apology. “That’s what friends are for, no?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Jackson hums. Then, a long pause that leaves Jinyoung forgetting to breath. “I’m sorry for calling so late. I just needed someone to talk to and you were the only person I thought of.” Jinyoung finds this hard to believe. Not only is GOT7 family, but Jackson has a handful of friends who care deeply about him. Nevertheless, he finds himself smiling at the revelation, rolling onto his back and switching the call to speaker mode. “It’s no problem,” Jinyoung assures, “I was only playing Valorant.” He lies.

I miss you, is what he almost says.

Jackson laughs, though it sounds a little tired. “You sure about that? Sounds like I woke you up.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Jinyoung grumbles with a roll of his eyes, “why did you call, anyway?”

Again, a long pause. Jinyoung’s starting to get worried he is going to be told something he isn’t prepared to hear. “I don’t know, honestly,” Jackson admits, quiet enough that Jinyoung has to strain to hear him. “I guess I knew you would actually understand what I’m feeling.”

“And what are you feeling?” He asks, voice shaky.

“Just a little lost, I suppose,” Jackson sighs, and Jinyoung finds his brows furrowing in confusion. Jackson? Lost? Always confident and taking up new opportunities with gratitude and elation, Jackson is the last person he expected to feel such a way. “Overwhelmed, too. This business is so competitive these days, y’know? Here and in Seoul, we continuously have to get better, do this, do that, follow the current trend while also trying to figure out what the next will be. I feel so greedy. We’ve been so successful and I don’t want to ever lose what we have. But then it gets so tiring, and I realize I’m not happy like I used to be, just going whichever direction I’m being pushed. And I start to forget what my purpose even is, anymore.”

Jinyoung has to pause and really mull over what Jackson has just told him. Sure, the seven of them have spent countless nights discussing such stresses and hidden fears, but never has he received a phone call from one of his bandmates at almost two in the morning. Especially not Jackson.

“Jackson,” he begins, struggling to find the right words somewhere in between actual good advice and bullshit he doesn’t need to hear, “it’s okay to feel greedy when this is our job. By nature, it’s a competitive occupation, and as long as it doesn’t get to your head, sometimes you need to have that greed, and even a little arrogance, if you want to keep that success.”

Jinyoung pauses incase his friend wants to speak. At the silence, he takes it as his cue to continue.

“But you can’t let it take your happiness away. Humans are kind of like computers, we work and work and work, and then we overwork, we refuse to backdown from competition, and then we break. We’re like computers in a lot of ways, but we can’t multitask like they do. No matter what, Jackson, you have to work with what makes you happy. You’re not going to find your purpose again until your happy.”

“What the fuck? Are you a philosopher or some shit?” Jackson laughs, but Jinyoung doesn’t miss his sniffle or the choked sound of his words.

He shrugs, trying to fight a smile. “No. I remember learning about how our brains are like computers in psychology, though.”

“Sounds like an excuse a philosopher would say,” Jackson snorts, followed by a loud huff. “Hey, thank you for that. Are… Are you happy? Have you lived by that same advice?”

Jinyoung purses his lips, closes his eyes and hopes he can find the words to how he truly feels. Is he happy? With his career? Himself? Friends? Family? Love life? Well, maybe not that last one, but that is not something he can necessarily explain to Jackson, of all people.

“Yes,” he decides, “of course there’s stuff that makes my life difficult, y’know. Like JYP. But I love making music, I love performing, I love acting, I love our fans, and I love you guys. I once felt like you right now, though. But then I realized there’s no point in caring about what other people think of you, good or bad. It all depends on how you feel, how you work, and what you want to do.”

Jackson makes a noise of understanding. “You’re a real wise one, you know that?”

Jinyoung chuckles, rolling onto his side and staring at the screen of his phone, trying to picture what Jackson is doing right now and almost wishing he had FaceTimed, instead. Is he in bed, too? Has he been crying a lot recently? Sleeping well, or are the bags beneath his eyes puffy and blue? These are all questions he can ask tomorrow, he decides, realizing with a sag of his shoulders just how much he misses his friend. Friend.

“I’ve been told that once or twice, actually.” “Oh? What enlightening advice have you given before?”

“Told them how they should keep in touch more often rather than calling mid-breakdown in the middle of the night.”

“Oh, shut up,” Jackson grumbles, chuckling nevertheless. “I’ll keep that in mind, though. You sure I wouldn’t be a bother?”

“No! Of course not,” Jinyoung fires back a little too quickly, “I’m home by seven every day and have nothing to do, I’d appreciate the company.” Cringing, he prays the underlying nervousness in his voice isn’t noticeable, oblivious to how this has Jackson feeling warm and fuzzy all over. “Well, alright,” Jackson says, then, much softer, “thank you, Jinyoung.”

“Don’t thank me, I wish you called me sooner,” Jinyoung replies, “you take care of yourself now, Mr. Wang. Text me tomorrow. Or call. I’ll always be here for you.”

For the umpteenth time in the five minutes of their call, silence, albeit comfortable, settles over the pair. Longing, he would call it. Content, Jackson would. “Well, then, I’m off to bed. Goodnight, Jinyoung. Hopefully I’ll see you soon.”

“Goodnight, Jackson.” Jinyoung hums, deep in thought. When Jackson hangs up, he finds himself staring sadly at the lock screen of his phone before finally moving to plug it back into its charger on the table. Puzzled, maybe a little at the call and maybe a little at the way he feels, Jinyoung settles back into bed and stares absently at the ceiling. As he said, he has always been on top of every aspect of his life—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and everything in between. This, however, has left him doubting everything he’s tried convincing himself of the past few years.

Thirteen hundred miles away, Jackson’s mind feels clearer than it had half an hour ago. The problem, however, is the tradeoff: his heart feels much heavier than it did before, and for reasons he isn’t ready to figure out.

He’ll deal with that tomorrow.

[insfiringyou]

BTS girlfriend series - their Hogwarts houses

This list is comprised of our headcanon OC girlfriends for each member. Find out more about the girls here.

To read each member and their girlfriends’ fics in order, follow links below:

RM   /   Jin /   Suga /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook

Check out our full masterlist for all works including the full images of original fanart of the girlfriends.

(To those curious, Admin M is a Slytherin and Admin N a Ravenclaw)

Ji-eun (RM’s girlfriend) 

Incredibly ambitious, we see Ji-eun as a Slytherin. She is someone who has had to work very hard to get to where she is within her career; often having to use her cunning intellect to get ahead and break the glass-ceiling which exists in Korea for many women. Although she is social and has a wide circle of acquaintances, including some of the other girlfriends, we do think she sometimes exhibits traits which may be seen as unfavourable, such as bitching about people when drunk, becoming quite rude when she feels threatened or backed into a corner (such as during ‘Boat Party’) and acting jealous towards other women (such as when she believes her boyfriend to be ‘checking out’ the waitress). Despite this, she is a fiercely loyal and passionate girlfriend who would fight for her relationship, no matter what. She also is aware when she takes things too far and often feels remorse for the way she has behaved, though she sometimes finds it hard to admit. She finds being alone without anything to do very difficult, and prefers to immerse herself in her work when Namjoon is not around, often staying late at the office most nights. She would have achieved slightly better than average grades at school, but would have really thrived in her post-graduate education once she found a passion for her specialist subject of Law.

Min-seo (Jin’s wife)

Although she exhibits some Hufflepuff traits including being very trusting and quite shy, we think ultimately Min-seo would be sorted into Gryffindor house. She is someone who is very family-orientated and would protect and defend her husband Jin at all costs. Although she can be timid when among large groups and hates being the centre of attention, she also exhibits moments of bravery and is not afraid to speak up if needed. This is perhaps best seen in Boat Party, when she defends RM against his girlfriend who is bitching about him. She also is incredibly sweet and kind, with a very good heart (this is perhaps best seen during her wedding to Jin where she observes Suga sat alone and invites him to dance with her). Although she does not have a wide group of friends, she is fairly sociable and hates being alone for long periods of time, finding herself becoming restless and bored. She would have achieved average grades at school and would have enjoyed most classes more or less equally.

Jeong-sun (Suga’s wife)

Jeong-sun is someone who is very calm and handles herself well under pressure. She is emotionally intelligent and, while not ‘bookish’, loves to read to pass the time, often being found with a crumpled Stephen King paperback when she is bored. We naturally see her as a Ravenclaw. She is incredibly independent and gets a lot of solace out of spending time by herself and having her own space to unwind. She is also incredibly witty, with a quick and dry sense of humour which matches Yoongi’s perfectly. She is not overly showy or ‘try-hard’, and comes across as humble and grounded. While she does not possess the vast range of general knowledge that Yoongi exhibits, she does have a lot of more specialist knowledge within her field, and also is someone who has a good grasp of current affairs and issues, such as global politics and social talking points, which means she can naturally discuss a wide range of topics, and can talk for hours on end about anything and everything. Although she does not earn a lot of money, she is very sensible and ‘pennywise’ with what she does have, and does not covet lavish or expensive things. Jeong-sun would have achieved surprisingly good grades at school and was in the top percent of her university class. She would have naturally thrived in Mathematics and Business related courses, as well as Literature, though would be less good at Physical Education, Art and Music. 

Nana (J-Hope’s girlfriend)

Nana is unquestionably a Hufflepuff; someone who wears her heart on her sleeve and is very quick to trust people. She has a love of all living things, from plants and animals to the people around her, and tries to see the best in everyone. Environmentally conscious, she hates throwing things away (which would mean her house always looks quite chaotic) and nothing frustrates her more than people who litter! Growing up, adults who met her would consider her to be a little ‘away with the fairies’ or someone who ‘marches to the beat of their own drum’. She is not overly concerned about following trends or fads, and her fashion sense is often discordant and a little old-fashioned and frumpy. She can be highly emotional at times and is quick to break into tears, especially when she is feeling drained from her job. Although she loves company, she is never bored when alone; having an array of hobbies she naturally turns to such as various crafts and dog walking. Although she is not traditionally academic, Nana would have gained better than average grades at school, having worked hard for her exams. 

Ara (Jimin’s girlfriend)

Ara is someone who is very loyal, both in relationships and her friendships, and values people’s trust in her very highly. We see her as a Hufflepuff, though she shares some traits with Gryffindor and Slytherin. She has a strong work ethic and is not afraid to go out of her comfort zone and experience new things. She is someone who had a hard upbringing, having lost her mother at a young age and supporting her father in bringing up her younger sibling, and likewise experienced bullying which has had a lasting impact on her self-esteem. She is relatively sociable, but also does not get easily bored when alone; enjoying simple things such as listening to music or online shopping. While she is not overly ambitious and often needs encouragement in achieving her dreams, she would find she is naturally able to get ahead in life through her social connections and personality. She is not especially academic and may have slightly underachieved at school, but she is someone who would be highly valued within her friendship circle for her kind, caring nature. 

Cassandra (V’s girlfriend)

Incredibly artistic and creative, Cassandra would be a Ravenclaw. She is someone who has a wide knowledge of books, films, musicians and artists and who loves to learn more about her interests. While she would not have been an overachiever at school, she has a cool intelligence gained from reading about her interests in her own time, travelling and visiting museums and galleries as well as watching films and documentaries. Her favourite subjects would be Literature, Fine Art and History. She is ambitious, but struggles to achieve her dreams of making it big in the theatre world; while she is a competent and quirky actress, she suits the arthouse scene more than maintsream, particularly as she does not fit the typical Korean standards for beauty and has a chequered past, including as a nude life model. Although she can be hot-headed at times, she is kind and considerate to others and also cares deeply about social issues such as feminism, LGBT+ rights and battling social norms or societal constructions. She would have an interest in politics, but would oppose many aspects of modern government; considering herself more liberal. 

Young-soon (Jungkook’s girlfriend)

Incredibly patient and hard-working, Young-soon is a Gryffindor. She is someone who loves her family and values her friendships and relationships with other people, but also is content to sometimes spend time alone. At school, she would have gained slightly above average grades, with her favourite subjects being Mathematics and Business. She is not overly ambitious but instead values being in a position where she is comfortable and good at her job. She works hard and is good at taking a leadership role due to her ability to stay calm when in public. In private, her emotions sometimes overboil, though she would hate it if anyone saw her this way, not wanting to appear vulnerable. She is not overly academic or bookish, but instead likes to unwind by watching television or working out. She is incredibly loyal to her boyfriend, but will stand up for herself, even if it requires a lot of courage. She is likewise forgiving in nature, and tries to see the best in people or give them the benefit of the doubt, even if it does not come immediately. 

***

To read each member & their girlfriend’s headcanon universe fics in order, follow the links here: RM   /   Jin  /   Suga  /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook & Our full masterlist can be found here

You can support us by buying admins a coffee here (if you wish). :)

[kyotakumrau]

2020.04.16 BARKS interview with Hazuki

Hazuki talks about the feelings behind the plan to support music venues; songs to record were decided as well

interview and text: You Masuda

original interview can be seen here

translation: kyotaku (if you see any mistakes or typos pls let me know(*' ')*, ,))

The frontman of lynch., Hazuki. He just wrote about his plan on twitter using a hashtag #savemusicvenues on March 30th. Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 many music venues were pushed into the situation where they cannot operate and an unreasonable trend started that they started to be seen as evil places, thus the band have decided to write a new song and donate and divide the profits between music venues. Below is the summary of the message Hazuki sent on that day:

"Looking at current turmoil, I started to think if there's nothing I can do to help and decided to take action. First, I'm working on a song now. When that song is completed it will be sold right away. And the profits from that song will be donated and distributed between the live houses where lynch. played at! We are currently discussing how we will sell the song or how to distribute the profits with our office and the recording company. We will announce the details when things are decided. Of course we ask our fans, but not only them, even if you're not a fan, everyone saved by a live house, please lend us your strength. Let's save our precious spaces."

Three days after that, on April 2nd I talked to Hazuki. Conducting an interview would likely not be seen as 'leaving the house unnecessarily', but mindful of the situation we decided to do the interview over the phone. There were some changes even over that little time that passed until the day of the interview and I received the demo which seemed to be the very early stage recording. The song was crowned with the title 'DON'T GIVE UP' even though there's not even one word of lyrics yet. When the readers can see the interview a week will pass by then, but I'd like to convey Hazuki's feelings from that point of time. I'm sure he will update us about the situation with the song's progress through his twitter etc, but this the very first interview about the birth of the song.

#ライブハウスを守ろう・savemusicvenues

――Something I want to talk about first. It feels really weird to be interviewing you through the phone even as we both are in Japan.

葉月：Right? It feels like I'm a foreign celebrity (laughing).

――You have first made the announcement on twitter on March 30th. Obviously there had to be some chance to discuss [the situation] that led to that stage, right?

葉月：Yeah. I was meeting with two staff members on Friday afternoon (March 27th), and naturally talk like this came up 'COVID-19 is worse than anyone thought' 'I never expected it to get to this point', and that led to the 'should I start working on a song in a response to the virus?'. Saying that, at the moment basically I have a lot of free time (laughing).

――No way (laughing). But the truth is in this situation there's no way you can play any concerts.

葉月：Yeah. Gradually my schedule got more and more cancellations. I had nothing else to do, so I thought why not create a song that can only be made right now. Then we discussed if the profits could be used to support the medical system or to help distribute masks. Then, an idea came out if we wouldn't be able to do something for the closer to us music venues ('live houses'). Actually, the idea came from the staff. Then it just clicked and we decided to start this movement. It's not a lot of hard work to create and record one song, and it's not like I didn't have some song ideas.

――You have just released a new album 'ULTIMA' in March, but you mean that you you still had some song ideas?

葉月：Yeah. Next I'll make a song like this, had something like that in my mind. Then, [we were planning] if I give shape to this one and made all profit into donation like this... . But if it's only us doing one project like that it'll be hard (not enough), so I thought it would help if other artists were also aware 'ah, there's this way too'. For example, I'm tweeting now using a hashtag #ライブハウスを守ろう (#savemusicvenues), but it's not like this is the only way of using it.

――So you mean it'd be better to have more projects for the same purpose?

葉月：Yeah. I hope that things can move into the direction of helping music venues thanks to this, and of course, we are also actually helping ourselves. When the current situation is over and we are able to play shows again, what would we do if there are no more venues?

――That's true. For lynch., first your 3 shows planned for mid March were cancelled. And then the next tour was supposed to start from April 18th, but...

葉月：All events planned for April are gone. I'm also aware that it's very likely for May and onwards events to be cancelled. But we are still preparing for the tour, actually other members are doing a rehearsal right now. So we could resume activities anytime.

(kyotaku: most of their act5 tour dates until July 5th were indeed cancelled, which was announced on April 17th)

――So while you were doing tour preparations you decided to start this new project writing a song. , I'll be frank, I wonder if you got any criticism coming from making this decision. It's not something talked about a lot, but people will have different opinions on such activity. There are some people who will think that no matter what happens to wait silently doing nothing is the wisest option.

葉月：Probably. But I didn't want to be idle and just wait for the situation to settle down, and it seems so far we didn't get any fierce criticism or anything (laughing). Actually, I got thousands replies to that tweet but only about two were negative (laughing). I wouldn't be able to start anything if I was worried about things like that. I mean, sure we don't have like a shocking number of hardcore fans, but at the very least there's this small [music] world connected by the comradeship. But being able to get those people's approval immediately made me extremely happy, not worrying about criticism is nice, or actually I don't care (laughing). More practical side is to care that the final form of the release is still not fixed, but I wanted to announce that 'lynch. will be doing a project like this!'. I'd be glad if people can get even a bit of hope from that. And I thought that the process from now on would be more interesting by announcing it before the song is made. We could enjoy the process and get exicted together with updates like 'oh, the demo is ready!' or 'we're finally recording!'.

――I get it. So by the detailed updates about the process until the release people will be able to enjoy it like an ongoing documentary.

葉月：That's right. By doing that I wanted to get everyone involved so I wanted to make the announcement early. But even after the decision was made I had to wait for three days (laughing)

(kyotaku: this tweet omg😆)

――You must have been impatient these 3 days (laughing). Also, we just mentioned it earlier, but it's not only about lynch.'s action, I think it's important to see 'what can everyone do?'.

葉月：True. If it's only us the amount we will be able to donate will be very insignificant. I'd like to see the number of people who agree and try to do something increase.

――But you actually already got some requests/offers to join the project, right?

葉月：Yup. From engineers, photographers, recording studios and so on. Everyone was saying 'let me take part in it, I don't need payment!'. Bless them. I also got contacted by other artists. But this time we will be working on the song in Nagoya, so I'm still not sure what will come out of that.

――But nowadays people just send each other data using internet.

葉月：That's true. That way some people would be able to participate. But I can't say anything definite.

――Including these points, by the time we can listen to the finished song we will also get to know real time how it is evolving. And I got to listen to the demo as a perk of conducting this interview. As you said on twitter, 'it's not a ballad thats bringing everyone together', I'd say the song is the opposite!

葉月：Hahaha! Even as something like 'we are the world' would be better for this occasion (laughing). Usually it tends to be something like that, right? But we do what we do, we decided to go with something pure and feeling good but heavier.

――Demo had the title 'DON'T GIVE UP'. Will lyrics include this message?

葉月：Yeah. I haven't written lyrics yet, I guess it's time to start worry about that (laughing). In various ways many people are in a difficult situation right now, but this seemed like something common for all of them, like the best message to sent to everyone, it just came to me. It's quite unusual for lynch. as we had nothing to do with message-ness so far (laughing). Usually I'm not the type to have something to pass through lyrics.

――I guess it's a situation that makes you deliberately want to raise your voice. So, are you working on the song right now?

葉月：To be honest, we've done the demo for 'DON'T GIVE UP' yesterday, right now I'm working on another song. Actually, it won't be just one song, we will include two more songs. One of them will be 'A GLEAM IN EYE', now I'm processing the data for it.

――You're re-recording it, right? Will it change a lot?

葉月：Nah, I don't think so. But it's been recorded 10 years ago so listening to it now sound quality-wise it's a bit bleak. We're going to improve that side, there's no plan to rearrange it. Ever since it was released that song had an important role during our concerts as a 'strong light', I hope to deliver it to the heart of fans who lost the light in the current turmoil. As there are such feelings included we want to re-record it with as little changes as possible.

――So you will update the song to the 2020 version without changing it shape. And the other song will be an unreleased song?

葉月：Yeah. Originally, this song from Yusuke-kun was supposed to be included in ULTIMA, we decided to use it [in this project]. Initially, we were planning only one song, "DON'T GIVE UP", but Yusuke was worried that with only one song the price would have to be low and we wouldn't be able to raise much money so he suggested 'what about using my song?' and we agreed with him. And we decided to add that song and 'A GLEAM IN EYE'.

――So instead of only one song we can be excited like about an upcoming single. From now on I will be observing the process these 3 songs will go through until they're completed. By the way, when you adressed people on twitter you wrote 'everyone saved by live houses', do you also feel like you were saved by music venues?

葉月：Honestly I don't have a cool story like 'I could only be myself as a teenager at music venues' (laughing). It can't be argued that for us they are also our workplaces. Playing a concert is also a part of work. However, every and each band had the rough time in the beginning when their shows were not selling, in our case somehow we managed to get to this point [of being relatively successful], but the place where we spent all this long process were music venues. So our 'curent place' would be impossible without music venues, and of course we can't allow them to disappear. If there's something you can do you just have to do it. It's simple as that.

Release information:

lynch.'s single to support music venues

title：not decided yet

DON’T GIVE UP（new song）

WALTZ（new song）

A GLEAM IN EYE（re-recorded）

＊other information will be announced at later date

[gamingchase185]

What internet speed do you need for gaming

‘Mortal Kombat 11' Director Shares Shaggy ‘Mortal Kombat 11' Meme TWO BEARD GAMING

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[gemmayim]

Interview with Colin, a librarian in Walthamstow library in 1980s

I had an In-depth interview with Colin, who worked in library in Walthamstow for 5 years in 1980s to better know more about libraries and books in the past. 

Question: It has been a long time since you worked in library, is there anything that you still remember and feel important to you?

I still remember clearly the reason why I quit my job in library. In 1985, the library in Walthamstow started to introduce computers to replace the card index system for borrowing and returning books and the trend started in most libraries in London since 1980s.. I needed to help with making the barcodes and the admin for that back then and I could feel that my job was going to be replaced by the computers. What I don’t like most about computerisation is that it took away the connection between the public and the staff. It was an important way for people, especially elderlies who live by themselves to meet people.

Question: How would you run a library?

I think libraries nowadays have become souless because there is a lack of interaction between users and the staff. If users need to interact with staff when they borrow/ return books, it creates a community. I used to make friends with the users and staffs in the library. People would say hello to me on the streets in Walthamstow because they knew me from library. I really enjoyed interacting with the children there.

Question: Who are the regular users of the library?

Elderly women, who are around 60-80s, visited the library more often. They normally borrow romance book like Mills Boon, which is some kind of slashy, tame romance stories. Jacky Collins is another popular choice among the elderly women. Some of the elderly women would ask his friend in the library Linda to find erotic romance fiction for them. I guess if the users can find books on the computer system, it would be more private when they want to find books that are more personal.

Question: Was there any event in the library that you really liked or disliked back then?

We didn't usually have events in the library. Sometimes there were talks given by some author, like Michael Rosen. I remember we had a Children's Book week to encourage kids to read more book, and I wore a clown costume and promoted the event with a girl who was wearing a teddy bear costume. That was the only book week for children in the 5 years that I worked there. They did have book weeks for other groups but it didn’t happen that often.

Question: How was the reading culture in 1980s?

Reading culture was much stronger back then. When I was young, I regarded the libraries as churches because of the silence and the atmosphere there. Staff would tell you off if you spoke loudly in the library. And I think the attitude changes over time.

Question: What’s the difference between the reading culture in the past and nowadays?

I think, in the past, we only had radios, magazines, one channel on TV and maybe records to listen to music and no other kinds of entertainment in the media. Nowadays, we have computers and the internet that offer different kinds of entertainment to us and I think that definitely affects the use of libraries, less people go to the library nowadays.

Question: Was it common that people stole books from the library?

I don’t know how common it was but they used to have agents knocking on people’s doors if they haven’t returned the books to the library after a certain time. They probably called reprocessing officers, who worked for the council for collecting rent or other kinds of duty. After the book were overdue for weeks, the library would send the user a warning letter/ reminder and if it was overdue for months, the reprocessing officer would then go knock on their door to collect the fee and the book. I remember there was a time that a reprocessing officer went to the user’s house and found that the room was full of books that were borrowed/ stolen from the library.

Question: What do you think about books in general?

I love the feeling of a paperback and I treat books with reverence. Even I own the book, I treat it as if it is not mine and with utmost respect and very carefully.

I think books exercise a lot of power and transport someone to have a variety of feelings. It conjure different feelings and emotions and it is magical how words take readers to different parts of the world at different times, having different experiences. Books set light to our imagination and there is no limit to the way you think and feel.

Question: How do you get your book?

I normally buy books in bargained bookshops, or charity shops like Oxfarm

Question: How will you treat your book after reading it?

My sportsbooks accumulate at home and find it difficult to give books away to someone who are actually interested in it. And I am reluctant to give away my books because I am quite attached to my sport books. I do give them away to my friends, but only occasionally

Question: Is there any story behind a book that you really like?

In 1960, I was about 9, Arsenal bought a player George Eastham and I was very excited because I thought George Eastham would greatly improve the team a lot. Then Geroge wrote a biography about himself and I managed to get a copy through a supporter club, which is a signed copy written “Best wishes, George Eastham” (see the photo)

Question: Do you think the signature gives more meaning to the book?

Yes, I think so.

Question: What do you think about books in a digital world?

I feel sad that books are taken over by the internet, but the internet can make it much easier for people to find information and from an environmental perspective, the internet is better because it takes much more energy to print and produce a book than posting it on the internet.

Takeaway and Afterthoughts:

I was very intrigued to hear Colin’s story of working in the library in Walthamstow, especially his perceptive of library being soulless after computerisation. Despite his personal resistance to computerisation of the library system, he is actually open to the changes of the society and agreed with the advantages Brough by technological advancement. Yet, if library is actually becoming soulless due to the lack of human interaction, if we need to repurpose and rejuvenate library in our society, what more should we do to make it more accessible with a “soul”? How can we bridge the distance between individuals when they come to library? And how can we attract people to go to library again?

Out of curiosity, I searched on Google to see if there is any existing project that try to bring library alive again and found that a library in Ireland, dlr LexIcon, actually become a local attraction and important community centre since they renovated and reopen in 2017. 

Shared by a librarian and event programmer from dlr LexIcon in an interview, 

“Regarding challenges or opportunities for the future, I would list the following; the changing concept of the library model, upskilling of staff and the public to embrace the evolving culture of libraries, technological developments and digitalisation, a recovering economy, employment support and adapting and supporting changing demographics in the area i.e. older people, immigrants, young families etc.”

“Our current ambition is to connect and empower people, inspire ideas and support community potential”

“We couldn’t do what we do without all the teamwork and passion. Bring in writers, musicians, storytellers, digital curators in-house as they bring new life and energetic perspectives. We are always trying out our spaces in different ways and it is amazing how many people will come and look at an exhibition that has been on display for a while if you just move it to a slightly different location.”

Source: https://princh.com/how-can-a-new-library-connect-and-inspire-communities-dlr-libraries/

From the look of it, no radical or outrageously innovative changes made in the library, but as Colin mentioned in the interview, they strive to promote the connection and empowerment in the community. If connection and empowerment are the key ingredients to rejuvenate a community and is there a “smarter” way to do it? Also, does human interaction have to be happened in library? if library is just being renovated into a community centre, and physical books are not the main characters anymore, why do we still keep it as a book library? What is actually the right question to ask if changes has to be made?  These questions reminded me of the tool library project Lara mentioned in the lecture and the discussion in our first group meeting, Of course! More than books! But Tools and resource! 

In that case, back to the main topic about books and library, do library really need physical books anymore?

[arbeaone]

OPEN Magazine The Serial Kidders Issue Published on October 09, 2014

[ View larger version here ] Text from the article can be read below. (There may be some errors.)

SERIAL KIDDERS

NOEL FIELDING

By Zoe Yvonne Delaney

Noel Fielding the man Phil Jupitus magnificently described as 'a Gothic George Best', is 41 years old! Forty freaking one. This is like when I learned that Gwen Stefani was actually my mum's age, all over again. It’s not that he's especially baby faced; it’s just that he looks like he'd be more at home smoking outside Bold St Coffee with graduates, rather than down the local pub, playing darts (I have no idea what men in their forties actually do; I'm just lazily stereotyping). Either way, he's looking good for his age - he could probably still blag a student ticket on an Arriva bus.

Perhaps ‘The Fountain of Youth' from Fielding's most notable work The Mighty Boosh, actually does exist? In the hit TV show, Fielding played the ultimate confuser ("Is it a man? Is it a woman? I'm not sure if I mind!"), Vince Noir. Alongside his highly wound sidekick Howard Moon (Julian Barratt), The Boosh amassed a cult like following and took viewers on a surreal journey through time and space with their unique brand of comedy. Androgynous Vince; with his childlike outlook on life, narcissism and impressive hair hubris ("A basic back-comb structure, slightly root-boosted framing with a cheeky fringe") quickly became one of the most popular characters in British comedy. The multi-award winning comedy troupe went on to produce three BBC series; two live UK tours and see Fielding and Barratt dubbed the funniest double-act in Britain' by NME.

Since we last saw him in Zooniverse and Nabootique, Noel has been busy going solo. There has been two series of the inescapably whimsical Luxury Comedy, an inspired stint as a team captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the infamous appearances on Big Fat Quiz and now he's about to embark on a nationwide tour - his first in five years. An Evening with Noel Fielding promises to be a magical mix of his eccentric brand of stand-up comedy, live animation and music. There will even be some special guests too as he's taking his brother, Mike Fielding (Naboo) and Luxury’s Tom Meetan along with him on the 34 date stint. It certainly sounds like it’s going to be value for money. I caught up with Noel to discuss the upcoming Liverpool date but to be honest, we mainly ended up chatting about beards, Cliff Richard and Russell Brand's move into politics.

OPEN: So, your live show is called An Evening with Noel Fielding - it sounds more like an ITV special with the likes of Michael Buble rather than a comedy show?

NOEL: Haha, that is the angle I'm going for, there are going to be a lot of Frank Sinatra covers [...] When I booked it, I didn't really know what kind of show it was going to be - I hadn't written it. I was thinking it may be an amalgam of things; I knew I wanted to do some stand-up, I have some characters and have people with me - quite a mixture. But yeah, I was aware of what I did with the title. I did do it slightly tongue in cheek because it’s really not the sort of show I would ever do and it really made me laugh - it’s the sort of thing Barry Humphries would do.

They'll definitely be a mention to Michael Buble now you've said that though. The thing is with 'An Evening With...’ is that it sounds like you're 70 and ITV are giving you a pat on the back for being amazing but Buble has got to be incorporated into it too, now.

A lot of the Operation Yewtree suspects loved a good old fashioned 'An Evening With...' but I reckon were safe with Buble. We hope.

Yeah well this doesn't go to print for a few weeks so you never know....

What’s happening with Cliff at the moment, is he alright? I hope to God he didn't do anything. If Cliff goes then the whole fabric of society will disintegrate.

The whole of the 70's are going to be in prison, that's what’s happening. Oh it’s horrible.

It's looking that way. Now your last solo show was scheduled in 2010 but, according to the fountain of knowledge that is Wikipedia, it got postponed due to you working on The Boosh movie. Where the hell is that film?

We didn't really know what to do. Oh God, I don't know what we were doing. We were supposed to be going to America to do a show... then we decided no to that. Then we started writing a film but we didn't know which one to write so we wrote half of a film, it was a musical like Rocky Horror, and then a different half of another film. They didn't go together, obviously, which wasn't useful to anyone. We ended up doing neither of those things and I started working on an animated thing while Julian worked on something else - it was a bit of a shambles at that point. Also, that last big Boosh tour, it was like 100 dates - I was wasn't really in shape to tour.

But I'm back! Has it really been that long? 2010? I like doing that keeps people on their toes. It looks like its took me four years to pluck up the courage to come back on tour but I've done three series of the Buzzcocks, two of Luxury and I've done little bits of stand-up, but not a tour. I have been busy.

I’m not judging. Are you looking forward to this long awaited tour then?  

Yeah, it’s going to be nice to see some faces. Comedy is best with an audience otherwise it all feels a bit weird; making it in secret and putting it on telly. You don't really know how its gone; you get ratings and a few reviews but its not the same as going out into a room full of people.

When I was texting all my friends showing off that I was interviewing you, I noticed that the iPhone decides to autocorrect your name to Noël. What do you think about Apple giving you a Christmassy edge - too hipster?

I was born on Christmas Day, just like Jesus. Haha, no I wasn't...

I knew, I have read your Wikipedia after all. Speaking of hipsters - the man who created Vince Noir must be a tiny bit hipster?

You know what, no - I'm not like that. I’ve got loads of friends from Shoreditch who've got massive beards, short hair, tattoos - that seems to be the new hipster look doesn't it? When I went to Brooklyn, the Williamsburg crew all had massive beards - it’s quite funny, it’s like sitting in a convention of lumberjacks. Everyone looks like their dad, it’s all quite weird.

I can't really grow a great beard. And also, I’ve never wanted a massive beard. Do I really want something that covers up my face? That seems like a waste!! Haha, no, I'm joking.

Too late, that's going to be the headline of the interview.

The truth is I'm just not very good at growing a beard. It all goes a bit rubbish. Russell can grow a good one, Russell Brand.

Ahhh, speaking of Russell, he tweeted you the other day - are you guys really going to reunite as the Goth Detectives for The Big Fat Quiz of the Year?

Yeah we might be...(intriguing voice)

Really?

Maybbbbbeeeeee

I want an exclusive, come on.

Ahhh ok. I don't know if I'm allowed to say.

I'm taking this as a yes, Noel.

Ah, are you? We might be, we might not... hahaha. I haven't got black hair anymore - I can’t do it!

You can! Come on, hair dye is like a fiver from Boots.

Alright then. Five quid from Boots, yeah? I'll speak to Russell and see what he says. He’ll find the Big Fat Quiz too flippant now he's a politician.

He has gone political of late, hasn't he? Are you planning to join him on the revolution?

Well, the thing is, I'd like to... no, basically. Hahaha. I've heard that he's currently writing a political manifesto.

Really?

I know! Its insane isn't it? He's gone serious. And I think Eddie Izzard is running for Mayor at some point - all the comedians are going for it. I better get involved somehow. I don't really know how; it’s not my vibe, that. Maybe I could remake The Monster Raving Looney Party?

You could form The Goth Detectives Party with Russell?

The Goth Detective Party! Everyone has to wear black! We can spray all the Boris Bikes black, it will be amazing. I'm up for that lets do it!

When you discuss this with Russell I want full credit.

Haha, okay. I’ll wear a badge saying "It was Zoe's idea" and if it all goes wrong we’ll definitely, definitely say it was your idea.

Yeah but if it goes right then I'm laughing, I've started a political revolution.

If it goes really wrong then we’ll all have to grow beards.

Deal. I'll probably grow a better one than you by the sounds of things.

Haha. Basically we’ll grow massive beards and stand in Shoreditch then all my mates will get arrested instead of us. My mate Baccy has such a good beard, its huge. I was like, "how long did that take?" and he claims two months. I was like, "get lost it would take me about ten years to grow that". What do you think about them, you like them?

Not for me. I'm not sure why girls are pretending we really fancy men with them - grow a personality, not a beard. My dad had a beard growing up, so I sort of have a fondness for them, though.

My dad in the 90's had a beard, sleeve tattoos and smoked rolls up - he'd be so on trend now.

He was the pioneer of the look.

Either that or just a bit lazy. Now we've gone a bit off topic with talk of beards and politics - any plans for the return of The Boosh?

Maybe. The thing is, never say never. It’s difficult because when you get involved in something you have to see it through and it takes a while. I don't know when we’ll both be free but we still do fantasise about writing the film.

Well you should get cracking, Wikipedia has blown your cover with that one-you've got people excited!

I know! We need a year where we can sit down and write. People have such a fondness of The Mighty Boosh and it lives on in their memories so we don’t want to come back and do something not as good.

True. A lot of the great series bow out after two or three series.

Ah yeah, that's true. If we came back and do something not very good then we’ll have undone all the good work that's been done. It’s tricky. You never know what to do.

You can give me a ring once you've wrote it and I'll let you know...

Yeah we'll try that I'll send it to you and you let me know.

That would be great. I promise I won't leak it - I won't even save it to iCloud or anything!

I'll send it to you in a beard!

I best start befriending those who enjoy the lumberjack look, then.

[ollyarchive]

Years & Years’ Olly Alexander: ‘There’s entrenched homophobia at all levels of the music industry’

The frontman speaks to Brian O’Flynn about the importance of queer voices, the decline of pop music and how he keeps his mental health struggles in check

The past couple of years have seen queer pop acts climb their way up the cultural ladder. Artists such as Christine and the Queens, Hayley Kiyoko, Janelle Monae, Troye Sivan and Sam Smith are all pouring their sexuality into their music – by and large to critical acclaim. One of the most prominent members of this new queer cohort is Olly Alexander, frontman of British synthpop band Years & Years. But for him, there’s still a long way to go.

“There’s entrenched homophobia behind the scenes at all levels of the music industry,” says the 28-year-old. “It’s got so much better, but I think it’s gonna take a radical shift before these men who are in control of the funds and the labels and the radio stations are gonna be OK with overt queerness. They see it as turning off part of the audience.”

Years & Years, who play London’s O2 Arena today, came out in a big way in 2015. After being named BBC Sound of 2015 in January, the three-piece secured their first number one single a couple of months later, before topping the album charts that July with their debut record, Communion. Musically, they skilfully tapped into the then-zeitgeist for soulful pop-house.

By this point, Alexander was already a fairly familiar face, having appeared as an actor in the Channel 4 drama Skins, as well as Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void and Laura Wade’s The Riot Club. He was always out, but his lyricism at the time was more cloaked than it is these days, his hair a demure brown and his body wrapped in unassuming boy-next-door T-shirts. Three years later, you’d scarcely recognise him touring second album Palo Santo. His hair now a fiery red inspired by Rihanna – whom he recently met on The Graham Norton Show – Alexander bounces out on stages in glittery bodysuits and high-fashion ensembles while singing about BDSM and breaking up with boyfriends.

“There were a lot of people who were uncomfortable with how overtly sexual this album was,” says Alexander. “When we did our show for the first time we had a few comments that it wasn’t family friendly. I reject that completely.”

Though their recent single “If You’re Over Me” climbed to number six, Years & Years’ second, more unambiguously gay record hasn’t quite matched the chart-topping success of Communion, where the lyrics and visuals were more neutral. Christine and the Queens, too, has experienced a drop-off in mainstream chart success with her second album, itself more gender non-conforming in its aesthetic. Given what Alexander says about the music industry, is it possible that the wider public is still less comfortable with explicit queerness than we’d like to believe, for all the recent renaissance of the LGBT+ pop scene?

“The music industry has changed so much,” he argues, “and audiences have changed the way they listen to music, so across the board many artists haven’t been able to replicate the success they had a few years ago. Pop music is very trend-driven as well, and it’s very focused on hip hop now – look at Drake in the US. So, ‘pop pop’ music is definitely on the wane.”

“Pop pop music” is undoubtedly what Years & Years represent. Their synth-heavy, swooping sound feels like it belongs in a queer cathedral, like layered gay organ music, their lyrics riffing off this religious association in songs such as “Worship” and “Sanctify”. If there’s a church Alexander is genuflecting at it’s that of Britney Spears, and Nineties pop-R&B courses, quite clearly, through his blood.

The nervous, handwringing ebullience Alexander exudes when talking about Britney or Rihanna never fully leaves him. He’s restless and fastidiously polite, saying “aw, thank you” to any remotely positive comment and constantly apologising for himself (“Oh no, I’ve explained that so badly,” he often says). A lot of discussion around him is excitable and feverish, too, given what he represents for so many young gay people.

Just as Alexander has elevated the queerness in his work, so too he’s become a leading spokesperson for the wider LGBTQ+ community. He has used his TV appearances to protest homophobic laws in Poland, and patiently guided just about every interviewer and presenter in the global media through gay politics and identity. He also presented a BBC documentary on gay mental health, after a good deal of dark firsthand experience.

He says he still needs to be “militant” about his own daily routines to keep himself together. “I know it sounds so obvious, but I didn’t eat three meals a day for a very long period of my life so I have to make sure I do it now,” he says with a laugh. He’s mostly happy these days, though still struggles from time to time: “I had two weeks earlier this month where I just felt really low and it really freaked me out, actually. Whenever I start to feel a bit low, I think I overreact because I’m scared I’m going to retreat into this hellish black hole I used to be in as a teenager.”

We needn’t worry, though – he has routines in place now to keep him balanced: “I sing in the mornings and count my blessings like Cinderella!” Though Alexander projects this kind of warm, smiley enthusiasm, my main impression of him is one of measured realism. He coolly and carefully unpicks the state of queerness, queer pop, and his place in it all.

“I think the reason I’ve been so committed to advocacy is because I see so many people in pain,” he says. “We’re seeing a lot of infiltration of mainstream spaces which is super exciting and positive but... I don’t know if I’d call it a tipping point.

“I just don’t know if the perception of that ‘successful’ queer pop narrative is reflected in the realities of people’s lives,” he continues. “A lot of the fans who message me are really suffering. I really do worry there isn’t enough being done to help – enough provision in place.”

In the rush to celebrate the sense of joy and freedom that’s come along with figures such as Alexander, Troye Sivan and Sam Smith, we perhaps overlook how much work is still left to be done. This burden never seems to be far from Alexander’s mind: even as he works to project his own queerness, he worries about who he’s talking over. “There’s a glaring similarity between us,” he says of fellow stars Sivan and Smith. “It would be outrageous to say we haven’t benefited from whiteness. I always go around in my head like, ‘Am I just continuing to enable that system, am I just creating more problematic shit by taking up space as a gay man?’”

“It’s upsetting to see how poor the representation of such a diverse community is,” he continues. “It’s still the same people being asked to speak on things. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can’t we have someone else’? But then at the same time, I’m like, ‘Well, if they’re asking me to speak I’d better say something!’”

Alexander isn’t content to just throw his hands up in the air, though. It seems he’s found a way to kill two birds with one stone; to make more provision for young gay people, and hand some of his speaking time over to those who are less represented. His next big project is his plan to create a queer festival called Rendez-Vous.

“It came from wanting to create an inspirational network for queer people,” he says. Their shows in London will be a trial run of sorts, a precursor to something bigger in the future. Trans icon Munroe Bergdorf will compere, there will be sexual health information stands and gender neutral bathrooms. “Hopefully it will eventually become a festival,” he says. “It’s basically about giving the stage over to amazing talent. I haven’t really experienced that anywhere yet.”

The London show will feature fast-rising pansexual popstar Rina Sawayama, and he reels off a list of acts he wants to see there in the future. Primarily, he wants to empower marginalised voices and share his platform, to leverage some of his accumulated influence on to those less heard. “We have a unique opportunity to introduce Years & Years audiences, who aren’t all queer, to some acts they wouldn’t come across in their usual Spotify playlists. And I want there to be queer thinkers giving speeches, and a place where you can get tested, have it be community focused. Giving back to the community is something that I care about,” he concludes. “Oh god, I’ve explained it really badly,“ he apologises yet again, though he hasn’t at all.

As LGBT and female acts tend to be sidelined in mainstream festivals, and straight men still dominate the industry, this is an exciting and novel prospect. You can’t be pushed out if you own the space, right?

In the meantime, Alexander’s off to make sure he gets some food before his show tonight, when he’ll get a different kind of nourishment. “You know when you’re playing a video game and Mario needs to eat mushrooms to get big and stay alive? Playing shows to queer people, it kind of feels like that,” he says. “It restores my energy.”

Years & Years are currently touring the UK

[captainmazzic]

So every now and again I get a message in my inbox asking about what I thought about such-and-such a thing in new canon, or if I’m intending on writing any meta or analysis on a particular subject in Star Wars. And sometimes I keep those messages sitting in my inbox for months (one has been sitting there for a little over a year), because I think, maybe I will feel comfortable doing in-depth meta again and I’ll wish I’d remembered what this message had asked. But as time goes by I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Okay. Real talk for a minute here. Bear with me as I’m long-winded and I don’t really have a concise way of communicating this. Potential political views and personal opinions on certain points in cinematic history below.

Short backstory first. I’m an older Star Wars fan. I was a tiny child when the last of the original trilogy came out, and both my parents are sci-fi nerds so I was practically raised on Star Wars. They are also tabletop RPG nerds so I was also raised on D&D and the like. So naturally when Star Wars tabletop RPGs were floating around I snapped them up and consumed them like candy. The novels were a natural extension of the RPGs, and I consumed those just as enthusiastically. The Expanded Universe was my bread and butter, and to this day I’m very nostalgic and fond of it even if most of it is quite laughably terrible.

Where am I going with this? Everything is a product of their time. The original trilogy was created when George Lucas was a young liberal-minded fresh-faced director looking to change the world and make his mark. This was the 70s, war was awful, the government was evil, hippies and protests were everywhere, and the only thing that seemed to have any hope of changing the world were small bands of spunky misfits with a mission and a message. And that mentality is one that shows, in the original Star Wars films. Lucas designed the Empire as a representation of the United States circa the Vietnam War, just dressed up in the fashion and ceremony of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. (Sources: Chris Taylor, How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, Pp. 87-88; Michael Ondaatje, The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film, p.70) The message of the original trilogy boiled down to “the ability of a small group of people to defeat a gigantic power simply by the force of their convictions… no matter how small you are, you can defeat the overwhelmingly big power.” (quote: Walter Murch). He really struggled to get Star Wars onto the big screen, with a lot of setbacks and rejections, and many times when he thought it would never happen. But it did, and it was wildly successful. And I think in part it was because that message really spoke to people, and it didn’t hurt that it was wrapped up in a package with cool laser swords and explosions and space battles.

But then the 80s happened. And the 90s happened. And through that, what happened to Lucas is what happens to many people as they gain success, wealth, and fame as they grow older. The system started to work for him instead of against him. Suddenly the Powers That Be weren’t trying to suppress his ideas from getting to an audience; suddenly all those organizations that seemed so hell-bent on keeping him out were now enabling him to get and stay in, to conserve and gain influence; suddenly his opinion counted for so much it almost seemed god-like, especially in this galaxy far, far away that was unflowering under his direction and all-seeing eye. I guess the system isn’t so bad after all, eh?

And thus we have the Prequels. They can be a rollicking good time, but their message is muddled. Before them the books and the RPGs seemed to try as best they could to hold on to that earlier message of underdog vs. the powers-that-be (with the RPGs succeeding more often, imho), but they couldn’t continue in the face of their Ultimate Creator coming back in to make more SW movies. With the Prequels, suddenly the Old Republic is portrayed as noble and struggling instead of corrupt and dying, with a lot of hand-waving and “something something well actually” in regards to the role of the Jedi, the nature of the Senate, etc. There’s mixed messages where sometimes we get the old Star Wars back, with energetic groups of activists and freedom fighters trying to bring down the oppressors, but there’s also a lot of storytelling awkwardness where the audience is implored to trust the authorities and rely on the judgment of those with power over you within the same breath. This trend continues throughout the Clone Wars animation, and it is there that it becomes often so cognitively dissonant one wonders how you don’t get whiplash trying to follow whatever garbled message they think they’re communicating. And I think that’s where the Star Wars franchise really began to become a monster in its own right. Big businesses are hulking entities unto themselves, functioning like capitalist plutocracies within their host nations, and the Star Wars franchise is no exception. Whatever garbled message Lucas tried to send out with the Prequels grew amplified and even more confused with the Clone Wars, spread into the video games and the books, and continued to infect Star Wars as the franchise was turned over to the quintessential mega-plutocratic-empire, The Walt Disney Company.

And here we have the Sequel movies, the New Canon, and all of the disasters that come with them.

Disney walks a fine line between well-meaning family-friendly sugar and spice, and ruthless all-consuming hypercontroller of everything from arts and entertainment to food and clothes and government lobbying. Their bottom line is the dollar and the influence on – and power over – people’s lives that the dollar brings with it. Handing them a story whose original message was about people resisting the very kind of mammoth force that Disney embodies, and hoping that they will try to stay true to said original message, is hopeless and foolish at best and utterly disastrous at worst.

With the Sequels and subsequent movies, Disney pays good overt lip service to the original trilogy with things like Rogue One and the Rebels animation, which on the surface certainly do look like the same sort of message as the original trilogy. But scratch just below that surface and Disney is all about communicating that submitting to the authority of, say, higher Rebel command and following their orders even when it goes against your gut feeling (ex. Ezra Bridger in the Rebels animation), or that rebelling against an unjust government is only valid if it is done according to a strict but nebulous set of arbitrary rules and only if it is done in the service of a different unjust government that just happens to be slightly less evil than the one you’re trying to overthrow (ex. any iteration of the Old Republic ever, but I’m especially and particularly looking at you, Sequel-era Republic/Resistance and SWTOR Jedi/Republic).

And here is where I balk about ever doing meta on Star Wars again. I hate that this is the direction Star Wars is taking. I hate that New Canon feels like propaganda to me. I hate that I can’t enjoy any of this stuff if I take it for what it presents itself to be. I hate that the only way I truly can enjoy Star Wars now is by cherry-picking all of the tiny bits of window dressing that was pretty enough or interesting enough for me to want to look at it again, and very deliberately and consciously throwing out all the rest.

The experience of Star Wars that I create for myself is escapist and isolating, because it is so very tailor-made to what I can enjoy out of it now. When I go see a new Star Wars film or play a Star Wars game, I don’t actually see whatever story the franchise is trying to actually tell. I see bits and pieces that I can put together into something I can cope with better, something I can actually enjoy.

Examples include:

In Rebels, when the official franchise’s story killed off Maul. I cannot and will not acknowledge that, or function as though it happened. And I can’t really give my opinion on how not having Maul around will affect the future story, because I very literally do not care at all about any Star Wars where he is not in it.

In The Clone Wars, there are so many instances of Anakin Skywalker having agency and making decisions independent of the Jedi Council or without having their insipid code squarely in mind, where if he had made those decisions in a more realistic setting they would have turned out quite well, but what we get on screen is ominous background music and FoReShAdOwInG.

In The Last Jedi, I cannot fathom any reason why Yoda would be given the role that he was given, and find it a complete affront to Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, who had every motivation, every reason, every right to have that role instead. So I can’t see that scene without him in it. I just… I don’t see it. It didn’t happen that way, and I find I cannot discuss it as it’s presented on-screen. I have nothing to say.

In the Sequel media, both books and movies, Supreme Leader Snoke is portrayed as a one-dimensional Saturday morning cartoon villain whose intended role in the story is blurred as the story progresses, and his death is completely nonsensical in regards to the buildup of information that we as an audience have gleaned about him. We see pieces of evidence that he could have actually cared about Kylo Ren that go nowhere in the actual story, and he ends up just being a scapegoat that gets thrown away halfway through the second sequel movie. I choose to see more in his character than what we were given in Actual Canon™, and thus see him very differently than what common discourse would allow. Because of this, if I discuss Snoke in mixed company I know that I will be called out as someone who advocates for only the limited cardboard-character that is portrayed on screen, instead of for the internalized view that I have personally built for him.

I know everyone’s personal view of a character or characters is different, because we all have different points of view. But there is often some sort of vague common ground in their portrayal that the author or storyteller was originally going for, that most people usually pick up on and base their opinions around. But what if some of the key characteristics that make up a character are just… things you choose not to see or are incapable of seeing, and your own personal view of that character becomes almost entirely different from the “original”? Probably the most benign example I can think of is Hera Syndulla. If I take what I see of her in canon, she infuriates me with how she treats her crew. But if I just decide that such-and-such a conversation never happened, or her decisions on such-and-such a mission were different than the on-screen one, she essentially becomes an alternate-universe version of herself. Only that this version is one that I can tolerate, and it is the only version I see anymore.

How does one communicate that my entire experience of Star Wars is as an AU?

And on and on it goes. Discussing meta and Actual Canon Events™ as portrayed on screen and on printed page has become nothing but a migraine headache to me. I cannot engage in discourse, because I am very much not seeing what everyone else is seeing and talking about, nor do I care to. I just… I can’t keep talking about the same stupid things over and over again. I can’t keep screaming into the void about the unsustainability of the Sith or the Jedi, about the complete inequality and corruption that would have to be absolutely omnipresent in the Republic for it to even be remotely realistic even by cartoon standards, about the inevitability of the Republic turning into an Empire, about the weird dissonance given to the concept of the Force that would end up making both the Jedi and the Sith’s case baseless and weak, etc. etc. ETC. It’s exhausting, it’s stressful, and for something that I’m here to try to enjoy, it’s not even remotely enjoyable.

The very core of the matter is that I love the Star Wars universe. I love the worlds, I love the aliens, I love the ships and the droids and the technology and the concept of the Force. I love the characters. I love all of these things, and sometimes I even love the plots and stories (thank you Chuck Wendig and Timothy Zahn). But I just can’t enjoy digging into the meta of it anymore.

So if you like what I post of my own personal Star Wars-brand AU, by all means dig right in. But I don’t think I can do anymore general meta or discourse. I’m sticking with fanart and fanfic.

[morningsound15]

How do you think Beca would handle her fame in perdition? We know all the gossip magazines like to make up stuff about celebrity couples and that talk show hosts and interviewers like to prod, do you reckon Beca would be open about her relationship with Chloe bc that’s something she’s wanted for so long, and therefore would scream from the rooftops that she’s in love with Chloe Beale and that she’s hers?

i know this wasn’t your intention anon but congratulations you got a drabble i just wrote in like 3 hours:

(P.S. If you love Stevie as much as I do, PLEASE watch this video of her singing “Wild Heart” while getting her makeup done for a Rolling Stone photo session. It will change your life.)

[COVER STORY]: Beca Mitchell on Her Newest Album, Coming Out & Finding Love. “I’m bisexual, and I’m proud of it.”By Sydney Havershaw

**

You probably wouldn’t recognize Beca Mitchell if she walked past you on the street. Her personal style is more ‘early-20’s grunge rock enthusiast’ than ‘Grammy Award-winning musician.’ She’s dressed comfortably for our interview — in a pair of skinny jeans, combat boots, and an oversized flannel shirt. Mitchell seems perpetually youthful, and among the crowd of college students around us, she fits right in. At 5’2”, she is also certainly an unassuming figure on the street. “I’m basically a hobbit,” she jokes early in our interview, when situation demands we perch on a set of barstools while we wait for our lunch table. Mitchell’s feet dang comically off the floor, and she swings them absent-mindedly while we get to know each other.

The restaurant where we meet is a tiny hole-in-the-wall Italian bistro — the space is so small it can barely fit 6 tables and the mini-bar it confusingly insists on forcing into the already-crowded room — but it’s a favorite of Mitchell’s (who made me adamantly swear to reveal neither the name nor location of her personal haunt). The little building is charming and rustic and somehow both out-of-place and perfectly nestled within its surroundings. The atmosphere is exquisite. I find myself nearly anxious to grab my pen and begin scribbling down notes.

There’s something easy about being around Mitchell. She has this awkward energy that makes her seem jumpy but also strangely endearing. She’s quick to crack jokes and put herself down for the benefit of the group dynamic. Though her proclivity to make fun of herself is startling at first, her wit and sincerity ultimately triumph, becoming the adjectives which immediately come to mind whenever her name is mentioned in my presence thereafter. Before we even order our food she’s had me in stitches twice, both times with stories about some of her more raucous adventures with her all-female college acapella group, The Barden Bellas (more on them later). She’s an excellent storyteller, if not excellently verbose, and I cannot wait to see what she might have in store for our interview.

It’s a bright afternoon in early March, with clear skies and only the barest hint of a chill in the air. It’s beautiful, and the subtle feeling of spring is beginning to emerge in outfit choices, store inventory, and menu changes. But while most people tend to feel energized and rejuvenated with the promise of new beginnings, Mitchell is still practically reeling from the relative whirlwind of the previous month. She won a Grammy, came out, and started a new relationship — and that was all just in one day!

“I feel like everything changed overnight. I went from being, like, a club DJ to now, I’m at the point where people literally stop me on the street for pictures.” She laughs and shakes her head, like she can’t quite believe it. “It’s been completely nuts.”

For those who may be unaware: after a very public Grammys acceptance speech earlier this year, Mitchell was caught locking-lips with her date, Chloe. [Note: While their relationship is not a secret, and the identity of Mitchell’s partner can be easily found, Mitchell requested we leave Chloe’s last name out of this article for the sake of her privacy.]

Almost immediately, Mitchell’s name-recognition sky-rocketed. The image of the kiss circulated countless gossip websites, made headlines in newspapers around the country, and became a trending topic on Twitter. Videos of the night played on nearly every morning talk show. Mitchell’s social media following almost tripled overnight. Suddenly, and without warning, Mitchell has found herself at the center of a media blitz caused by her very public — and incredibly adorable (link) — public coming out. Seriously, if you haven’t seen the video of her acceptance speech yet (have you been living under a rock?) go watch it right now. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll squeal, you’ll fall in love.

**

[image]

Pictured: Beca Mitchell [left] and partner kissing on the red carpet.

**

Since we both know where this interview is eventually headed (it would be impossible not to talk about it at some point), I figure I should ask: does she want to talk about her relationship first?

She shrugs, her leg bouncing under the table. “I don’t know. No? The… I always think of myself as an artist, first. And my personal life is my personal life. But, you guys are, like… the gay magazine. I can’t imagine it won’t come up.”

Her confidence from earlier has all-but vanished. Perhaps because her music carries with it the easy, confident maturity of an artist with twice her experience, it’s easy to forget she’s still new at this. In order to put her at ease, I start off with a few softball questions, things to get her excited and make her more comfortable with where our interview is going.

Her favorite musician growing up? She smiles, looking much less anxious. “I think this probably is gonna hurt my rep, but I gotta go with Stevie.”

“Nicks?” I ask. This is surprising to me, though perhaps it shouldn’t be. While Mitchell’s music is pretty reliably ‘Pop’, it also shows evidence of clear influence from eclectic styles of music, including jazz and alternative.

“Absolutely. She was my childhood crush. And like, she’s totally everything that I want to be, as a musician. First time I listened to the album Rumours I thought, ‘God, that’s just about the most tragic thing I’ve ever heard.’ It’s the story of a relationship falling apart, the dissolution of a marriage, about cheating and heartbreak and mistrust. But it’s also about optimism, and joy. And… well, to me, it’s also about love. And I used to sit there and listen to that album and think, ‘That’s what I want. If I can produce a piece of music even half as emotional, half as complete, I’ll be happy.’ My entire life, all I’ve ever wanted is just one great love story to tell.”

She’s passionate when talking about her music. She seems energized and excited, like she’s thrilled that anyone at all is interested in her music in any capacity. Because it seems like her preferred topic of discussion, I keep asking her questions about her most recent work. Her favorite song on the album? “Oh, that one’s easy,” she says. “Gotta be ‘Saudade’.”

Saudade is a Portuguese word that roughly translates to a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia. It is a word closely associated with Brazilian music and Brazilian culture. Its most famous usage in pop culture comes from the famous Antônio Carlos Jobim Bossa Nova song “Chega de Saudade” (the published English version is titled “No More Blues”). Mitchell uses the chord changes of Jobim’s chart as the basis for her own melody. This is a common musical practice amongst jazz composers (similar to what ’sampling’ is to Hip Hop and R&B artists), but much less prevalent in Mitchell’s more Pop-dominated genre.

“Saudade” is an early stand-out on Mitchell’s album. It’s a melancholy affair, with a Latin/Bossa drum feel that immediately conjures images of warm summer nights. And to round out the nostalgia of the instrumentals, the song’s lyrics are almost as haunting as the vocal work. Cynthia-Rose Adams, one of the album’s main featured artists, manages to evoke a quiet, unendurable kind of heartbreak while still keeping her performance subtle and subdued. The piece is more than a little impressive. It truly is a masterclass in sad, mournful, longing ballads, and puts more popular efforts by artists like Adele completely to shame. If it isn’t on every teenage girl’s “breakup playlist” by the end of the year, I would be shocked.

But when asked about her preference for that song, Mitchell’s response is less-confident than the quickness of her earlier answer would imply. “I work with a lot of really incredible musicians. My friend, Cynthia-Rose [Adams], who actually provides vocals for that track, she’s a trained jazz vocalist. She’s listed as a co-writer for that song because it’s really all because of her that it has any kind of melody. I showed her a bunch of lyrics really early on, back when I was still work-shopping, and she was in the room with me when I was writing the first draft. But, God, it was terrible.” She laughs again (always willing to joke at her own expense). “No, for real, it was… horrible. So cliché and dumb. But Cynthia just kind of on a whim suggested we try to craft a love ballad using the chord changes of Chega, and I listened to it one time and then it’s like I couldn’t stop writing. It all just poured out of me. The music tied to the lyrics and back again. It’s like the song always existed, and I just was the first person to hear it and write it down.” She pauses, as if she’s only just realizing how long she’s been speaking. “But really,” she says quickly, “without the performance Cynthia puts out on that track, it just… I couldn’t have done it with any other singer. I’m so grateful for her.”

This is a common feature of our interview. Mitchell is almost reluctant to take sole credit for her own music. At every turn she’s thanking her vocalists, her sound engineers, and her co-producers. It belies the incredible amount of time and energy and dedication she put into crafting this album. Anyone who works with Mitchell will also be sure to note both her work ethic and her unyielding attention to detail. Talking to her, you might think a great many things about her character, but ‘immodest’ would certainly not be one of them.

When I ask how she met her collaborators — specifically Adams and Emily Junk, the album’s other featured vocalist — Mitchell grins wider than she has all afternoon. The ease immediately returns to her body. She relaxes in her chair, lounging back with her legs crossed over the knee. She seems like any other 20-something again. You never would guess that, a few short weeks ago, she was a trending topic on Twitter.

“I met Cynthia and Emily in college. They were in the same acapella group I was in.” She’s talking about the Barden Bellas, the nationally-ranked all-female acapella group out of Barden University, a small liberal arts college just outside Atlanta, Georgia. Mitchell was the captain of the group for 3 years, and led the Bellas to two national championships and one world title. “We were really just a bunch of misfits,” she says when I prod her for more information. “And, y’know, being a group of only women, it’s actually pretty hard to make a name for yourself in the acapella world. The best groups are either mixed or all-male. And we’re a very diverse group, and most of us don’t necessarily fit with conventional beauty standards. So I’m just really proud we were able to break through, make an impact, and show people what a group of badass, powerful ladies can do.”

Does she keep in contact with her old group? “Oh, of course, we talk on the daily. I mean, the Bellas gave me everything. They’re my family. I truly don’t know where I’d be without them.”

But now, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. I almost want to apologize to her, though I know it’s completely unnecessary. She has made it apparent that she is comfortable answering personal questions, and has previously specified to me that she is open and completely willing to talk about her own coming out experience. But even though I know she’s agreed to this line of questioning, that’s still just the kind of person she is: she makes you want to look out for her, to keep her safe. She’s so shockingly sincere, so non-malicious, that to do anything to harm her in any way seems tantamount to blasphemy.

Almost like she can sense a shift in the air between us, Mitchell sets her shoulders. I ask her if she’s nervous about coming out. “Not at all,” she answers quickly. “I’ve been ‘out’ for pretty much my whole life. Sexuality has never been a problem for me. I’ve never talked about it before because, honestly — and I know this sounds cheesy and cliché, but I really do mean it — it’s just never come up. It’s been such a non-issue for so long. And I guess I figured it would become common knowledge sooner or later. I just never anticipated, the, um…”

“Going viral?”

She flushes. “Yeah. Never saw that one coming.”

Becoming an overnight sensation by going public with a relationship is an experience that is difficult to replicate or understand, if you haven’t been through it. I ask Beca how she feels about the sudden influx and attention she’s been receiving.

“I don’t mind the attention,” she says honestly. “It can get pretty scary sometimes, but it’s not like I have paparazzi lurking around my apartment or anything, so I feel like I got off pretty easy. I mean I don’t like the attention, but, y’know… sales have gone up, at least,” she jokes, somewhat half-heartedly.

And about her new internet celebrity status (there are dozens and dozens of Tumblr pages devoted to her alone) as an out, queer female musician?

“I mean, I hope we’re moving into a time when, like, it doesn’t matter who anybody dates?” she says, somewhat uncertainly. “I’m like, yeah, technically a celebrity, but it still shouldn’t really matter who I’m with. Man or woman. Like, shouldn’t we be past this, now? If I had kissed a guy that night, I wouldn’t have made the front page. There’s just something different about a queer artist, a woman kissing another woman publicly, I guess. And I mean I do get why. When I was a young, baby bi, I didn’t really have any musicians I could look to, to see myself represented. I know how important it is to see people be out and open about who they are and who they love. I don’t mean to imply that I’m taking that for granted. I am so thankful to every person who’s told me that they’ve connected with my story. And to the people who say I’ve helped them in any way, like… truly, that is such an honor.” She pauses, chewing on her lower lip nervously. “But at the same time, I don’t know if I like that we still live in a world where it’s, like, headline news if a low-level celebrity like me just happens to be dating someone of the same gender.” She laughs lightly. “Guess that’s not something I should say to a magazine that focuses on LGBTQ issues, huh?”

I shrug it off. Mitchell’s point is, after all, a valid one. In this modern political climate, there does seem to be something strangely antiquated (if the early-2000s can be considered ‘antiquated’, that is) about a celebrity needing to give a ‘coming out’ interview. But, despite the merits of her argument, I still have a job to do.

I ask her about her burgeoning role as an icon for other young queer women hoping to enter the industry. “I don’t know if I’m the best role model,” she says with her signature self-deprecating manner. “But I am queer. My music is based off of my life, and I am in a same-sex relationship at the moment. My last album was about a woman. And none of that’s a secret. I’m just going to continue to make the music that I want to make, and my sexuality and my current relationship are definitely a big part of my art. I’m not going to apologize for that. I’m just gonna live my life the best I can, and if people want to see me as a role model for that… yeah, I’d be proud of that.”

I wonder how Chloe feels about her sudden thrust into the limelight. Her life as an inauspicious, unknown civilian must be all-but over (at least, for the time being).

Beca is careful with her response. It takes her many long moments to weigh her words. “We both really value our privacy. And with regards to our relationship, well… I don’t want to speak for her. But I do know that she’d prefer it if she didn’t have any of the fame or the attention. Because of that, we’re really doing our best to keep a low media profile, for our families and also for our personal lives.”

**

[image]

Pictured: Beca Mitchell, wearing an Angela Chen Jacket, Skoot Apparel Sneakers, Gap Socks, Stylist’s own tank top, and her own jeans.

**

“But I… we really do want to keep out of the media, as much as possible. But I don’t want people to… A lot of people have contacted me recently, like… way more people than I expected. I get Instagram and Twitter messages every day from young fans; people approach me in the street and tell me that they’ve been impacted by my story; I get letters from people saying that it’s meant a lot to them to see a prominent queer female artist, and… I do feel such a responsibility, now. I understand how much it blows to feel alone and… misunderstood. So, while Chloe and I are trying to keep our private lives private, I don’t want people to think that I’m ashamed of who I am or who I choose to date. That’s not the reason we’ve been keeping a low profile. I’m not ashamed of who I am. So I want to be open about my life. I want people to know that I’m bisexual, and I’m proud of it. And I’m proud of my significant other. But I also want people to respect me, and what I choose to share. I’m sort of a public figure, now, and I signed on for it willingly; like I knew this was coming for me. But Chloe doesn’t really want that life, so… if people could respect my privacy, that would be amazing. I’m not going to stop being who I am and loving who I love proudly and vocally, but I want people to understand that the parts of my life I share are the parts of my life I’m willing to share. Because sometimes — and I think we forget this a lot because of how everyone’s always gotta be documenting their lives on social media and everything — sometimes I think there are some things that should just be for you.”

She shakes her head ruefully. “My publicist is gonna kick my ass. That answer was so preachy and long-winded.” She startles. “Oh shit, can I say ‘ass’?” When I nod in the affirmative, she seems more than a little relieved.

I tell her I understand her desire for privacy. I want to respect her wishes as much as possible, but I’m still dying to know something.

Does she think she’s found her one great love story?

“Chloe’s my best friend,” Mitchell says calmly, with a serene sort of smile on her face. “And she makes me happier than anyone in the world. So if you’re wondering whether I’m ‘finding love’?” She smiles coyly, and looks off to the side. The street outside our café is bustling with activity. A young couple walks by with limbs intertwined, their free hands each balancing an ice cream cone. On a nearby bench, an old man reads the newspaper to his bent-over wife. It think maybe it’s just me, noticing all the sweet signs of romance filtering through the air. (Spring, like I said, makes me think of new starts and new beginnings.)

But Mitchell finally turns back to me. Her smile never wavers. “I would say that it definitely looks promising.”

[coffee-for-himchan]

if i never knew you | himchan

Word count: 2.9 k+

Genre/warnings: 1920s AU, slice-of-life, romance, fluff

Summary: It was the golden age of jazz, and seated at the piano was no other than the young and ambitious performer Kim Himchan, who’s talent and all the hard work he’s put into his music exceeds anyone else’s. What made it even better was how sweet of a person he was to converse with.

Jazz.

Jazz had recently become the call of the soul of many, and even though the world was just a few decades down the line of the 1900's, it was safe to assume that jazz would be the thing to envelop the whole century and keep it safe in it's embrace, uniting not only generations, but whole nations. It was a genre so new to the world yet so prominent and bright even in it's stages of development that it was more than clear it had been made to become legendary and unstoppable in it's way to success.

The shapes and sizes of it varied. Recently, big bands had become a craze, and more than just often men could be seen lounging around bars and hotel lounges with their instrument cases swiftly tucked underneath their arms. Young boys peaking through doors of practice spaces, their eyes wide and mouths open in amazement as they watched self-proclaimed musicians jamming to new tunes, instruments getting assembled and cases getting stacked one upon the other because of lack of space... That was the new look, the new rule to live by. Working long hours and shifts just to get unappreciated and underpaid, and stopping by the local music bars or lounges on the way home to let loose of reality and dive right into the world of refreshing, new tunes. Listening to scruffy, cracking recordings on vinyl and thinking that it couldn't possibly get any better than this - humanity has finally found a way to capture sound, at a time when masterpieces were born one after one, to add to it. And everyone could play or sing if they had the skill and wanted to, no matter their race, their status and their job, because as long as it came from the heart, it was appreciated. As long as you were living solely for the music, you wouldn't be shoved outside this inner circle of the new trend that had traveled it's long way form New Orleans and has spanned all across the globe now. Jazz offered a warm welcome to every hard-working and creative musician that tried to embrace it.

Kim Himchan was no exception, and you found it hard to take your eyes off of him for various reasons.

No, he didn't hold onto a shiny trumpet and raise it up into the air while playing in the third octave. He didn't sing addictive, raspy melodies into the worn out microphone hanging loosely from the stand either, and no, he didn't pour out rhythms on cymbals and toms and didn't dance his nights away among the audience. His hands rather worked magic on something more classic and delicate than all these previously mentioned things, his heart and soul jumping in on the bandwagon to help him shape every one of his performances to have just enough edge to it, just enough bliss, passion and ecstasy in every note he gifted his audience with to make his presence well known and unforgettable.

He was a piano player, having comfortably settled from playing classics to playing this absurd new trendy music everyone was so sold for. And he was by far the best at what he was doing, no matter his classical education on his art and all the people who had once doubted him on his ability to adapt.

He was mesmerizing without even needing to be studied closer. Known to be a pleasant, social man, he always opened doors for ladies and greeted every person in the room politely. His face was beautifully sculpted, having made him the talk among many of the younger women of this part of town quite often, and his skill was just as widely discussed as his personality and face. His eyes always bore a spark that showed his passion for the life he was leading, and it undeniably made him so attractive that it hurt.

But anyone who would've spent a good amount of their time studying him from afar while he played would know exactly what the real thing about him was that could make hearts race. It wasn't his gorgeous profile, or the way he smiled when off stage and roaming the lounge of the bar he usually played in to find conversation and stress relief in the form of a few drinks. It was the way he treated his music, the way he made it of first importance to him, putting it before anyone and anything else in this world. It was the way he lived for being up on this same stage of this local bar that's already seen it's best years decades ago every night, and loving what he did just as often.

He was meant to be in the supporting band for the singers and the brass and woodwinds that stole the show every night with their vivid improvisations, melodies and themes, but somehow, he never quite stayed a supporting act for long. His fingers slid over the black and white keys with extra precision, with care, and every time he pressed down on a set of keys beautiful harmonies left the instrument. They were too prominent to be secondary, containing too much feeling to just be considered "support". In the big mix of all the instruments that played on stage at the same time, they could easily get lost, but once everyone else got tired and took a short break between songs, he never did. Those were his moments, in which he whipped out his own little, amusing tunes, and those were beyond charming and adorable.

Your glance continued lingering on him throughout the whole night of performance. A few hours of being out down the line, you had originally come to spend an evening with your fellow friends who considered themselves too precious to be caught up in commitment and household chores, yet once again had stayed for the performance rather than their company. Only this time, you did not want to walk away with just a head full of daydreams about the charming musician from the bar down the road. You wanted to once again come up and talk to him, because he too, was one of your less formal friends. Maybe rather a good acquaintance, but still.. To some extent, he was your something, which gave you the right to want to talk to him. 

"Hello, maestro."

Himchan's head turned at the polite call upon him, and you looked up to his face with pleasure written all across yours. Up close he sure was even more mesmerizing than from afar, and the smile he gifted you with displayed his gratitude for this pleasant call upon him.

"I'm glad to have once again witnessed your performance, it was mesmerizing as always," was all you were able to get out before a new wave of loud music swallowed the room whole as the next performer of the night took upon the stage. Himchan seemed to not like it more than you did, throwing a disapproving glance back at the stage. Forgive him, but he was trying to have a conversation over here.

His glance scanned the room to analyze the masses of people present, and soon, his arm was offered to you and he smiled, stating a quiet offer.

"Would you like to go someplace quieter?"

You wanted to, of course. There was suddenly a lump in your throat as you realized that it was just the two of you this time around, for now, at least. Usually there were other people around too - his co-performers and their admirers or your acquaintances, but this time around, you were all on your own. Had all your personal spaces for only each other to lend, all your words for only each other to tell.

Your grip on his arm was feather light, and so were his tugs as you quietly walked across the room and to a place further away from the stage. On his way, many threw him glances or hellos, and he took them all with a Hollywood smile and a few grateful "thank you's" and "hellos" in return. Being charming as always.

His attention turned back to you the moment you arrived at a table for two, and not hesitating or thinking twice, he tapped on the arm of a bypassing waitress and asked her if he could get an order taken, to which she shouted over the music that she’d get right back to him in a minute or so.

Himchan's eyes fell upon you, and sitting back in his chair, he loosened his tie more than just casually and asked innocently.

"How have you been, dear?"

You were fine, really, but nothing ever changed. Waking up in the morning and making sure you were looking "presentable" for walking into modern society. Working shifts in the sewing fabric and searching for bargains in nearby shops afterwards to somehow fuse the desire to get pretty things and the never-expanding budget. Coming home and being considered something among the lines of a rebel for not being a housewife - of course, doing the cleaning up and the cooking, but for only yourself, and leaving with your friends to go and have fun in lounges and take part in dance events during evenings right after, being free and acting upon your own will just because you could. Trying to live life with suppressed opportunities and increasing, but still slim rights regarding many things. There was nothing interesting about it.

"I’ve been doing alright."

"You always give me the same plain answer," he chuckled, looking back up at the waitress as she hurried back to your table from her previous position at the bar. Two drinks - he threw you a glance while ordering them to make sure you weren’t opposed to his choice of beverage. You looked pleased with it though and only nodded in reply.

"Well... What did you want me to respond with instead?"

"I don't know," he grinned sheepishly, fiddling with the sleeve of his dress shirt, "Something more.. Personal, I guess. I know there's usually a lot of people around, but it's just me sitting across of you tonight. You and me, we.. We talk often. But we don’t talk for real. And I think that’s a shame."

Talking for real.. It sounded inviting. A little scary, but pleasant, and as the waitress made a comeback to your table with her signature hip-swinging walk and the said two drinks on her round tray, you realized you were leaning on your elbows against the table and looking at Himchan in an amused manner. Being.. Open, for once.

The air around was still filled to the brim with jazz, but now, there was a tint of something else in there as well.

“What makes you so eager about talking with me “for real”?”

“Hmm.. The intrigue, perhaps,” he thanked the waitress and waited until you had your glass in your hand before continuing, “I know you, and at the same time, I don’t. And I want to be aware of what I am missing out on.”

People had started throwing glances into your direction. They were subtle and barely there, and still, they made your cheeks heat up. Himchan was a free man, after all, and the fact he was sitting across of you like this made questions arise. It was supposed to be commitment, but you knew it wasn’t. It was a friendly little get-together. You looked back at his shiny eyes and asked.

"But what if I don’t have anything interesting enough to tell you?" you took a sip from your drink, seeing him raising a brow while mirroring your actions, "My life is like anybody else's. Not everyone can have such interesting days like you, maestro. Not everything has interesting stories to tell."

His eyes lit up - a little bit with deep pride and a little bit with thankfulness for the compliment - and he pursed his lips as he removed them from the glass, about to break something to you.

"Tell me about the usual then, and in return, I promise I’ll show you how ordinary and usual my own supposedly unusual can get."

“And what if I am not in the mood for long talks?”

“Then we would have to move to the dance floor, but pardon me, I am not much of a dancer and that will probably only lead to your devastation and my embarrassment,” he chuckled, seeing how you bit your lip in response to suppress a chuckle, “So tell me instead.”

“You've convinced me.”

He had convinced you for real this time around, as once the conversation started flowing, it never really stopped. It was absurd, how much you actually had in common with a simple acquaintance, but even more absurd was the fact that you would've never even known if you wouldn't have put all of your fears away tonight and wouldn't have come up to talk to him. He himself was talkative too, and didn't hesitate to catch onto every little detail of what you told him - on a polite and interested rather than obsessive level - making it easy to converse with him. Making it a pleasant exchange for both of you.

People still were looking your way every now and then, but somehow, you felt much braver and freer in your actions than before. Ways of living had recently been changing, and this was an informal environment. Himchan’s hand had brushed against yours a few times during the evening already, and you thought it was completely fine. The way he spoke provoked certain thoughts and emotions too, and that was also fine. You were letting it happen.

At some point during the evening, he was called from all across the room back over on stage, and you sat there and smiled as you watched him leaving with an apology yet a bright smile on his face in order to to join the current band for a few collaborative songs to end the evening with. And as those had come to an end and he was completely freed form duty, he made his way back to where he had left you at and offered you his hand.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave to go home soon,” you told him, unsure if you should accept his hand in case he had planned on doing something else, “And I apologize for that, but I want you to know that I had a great time tonight. I really enjoyed it.”

“Let me drive you home, in that case,” he offered completely out of the blue, as if it was a casual thing to do.

“You really don’t have to.. It’s not a long walk from here,” you tried to speak him out of it for some reason, but his hand remained stretched out towards you and he looked persistent in his idea.

“And still, I believe it would be safer if you would let me do it.”

Within another moment of consideration, you hesitantly took his hand along with his offer.

It was the first time that a man offered you a ride home. Cars weren’t owned by just anyone, and as you made your way out of the building and into the streets, a new wave of unusual feelings made their way inside your chest. You had to be somewhat important for him to drive you home, right?

But it was still so unusual, as you had just started getting to know each other.

The car ride was silent. You quietly watched buildings and people passing by, inspected the interior of the car, and threw quiet glances at Himchan as well. He was kind, you knew that already. He was hard working, talented and everything.. But he wasn’t like some other men from around here. He didn’t live for following standards - he lived for his passions. His conversation wasn’t about sneakily peaking into your family or financial status to compare it to his own or to make an initial judgement, but he was eager to know about other things that defined you, such as your hobbies, your favorite flowers and the things you did on weekends. He took your thoughts into objection, made your opinions seem important and necessary. He loved how open you were, loved to express his own talkative nature. He wasn’t a typical man, really.

No one had ever caught your eye to such an extent, and it was unusual to actually consider something such as “feelings”. Not for someone you had to be with, not someone who was specifically assigned to you, but someone whom you’ve stumbled upon a while ago rather accidentally. Free from supervision and standards.

Did he think in a similar way, perhaps?

His car stopped not far from your home, and creaking the door open, you bid him a silent farewell and set your foot onto the pavement. You were hesitant though, not quite wanting to leave. At least not without a promise that this wasn’t the last of your meetings.

“(Y/N)?”

You looked back at Himchan to see him smiling up at you, charming as always. 

“I hope to see you at the bar sometime soon again. You know.. I do play every night. And some of those nights I want to play for you.”

That last sentence triggered surprise, but a pleasant one. He had just offered you something dear to him, and you looked back at him gratefully and happily.

“Thank you for your kind invitation.. I will consider.”

He knew you’d come back by the tone of your voice, and he quietly watched as you vanished into the night, starting the engine back up and making his way back onto the road right after.

You know.. Lately he’d been having trouble finding his motivation and reasons to play. But now that he’s been seeing you in his audience recently and would continue doing so, he was sure he’d be fine. Maybe more than just that.

[nflfanpointii]

Embedded in New Orleans: The Ritz, the Rout and the Reason the Saints Are Unstoppable

NEW ORLEANS — “This is the first time in NFL history a play like this has been run from this formation! Ever!” jovial Saints coach Sean Payton called out to his offensive team Saturday night in a second-floor ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton on Canal Street. This was a man in love with his job.

The NFL’s state-of-the-art offense was doing a final walk-through in the Salon II ballroom before facing the Eagles on Sunday in the Superdome. (New Orleans embarrassed Philadelphia, 48-7, the worst loss ever by a defending Super Bowl champion.) Quite a sight, as the players lined up and walked/slow-jogged through the first 15 plays they planned to run. Alvin Kamara, wearing flip-flops, black socks and a red hoodie obscuring much of his face. Brees, in shorts, untied sneakers and a black T-shirt pumping his FNA co-ed flag football league.

Payton, in a blue pullover, playing defense.

Payton called out the name of Sunday’s bizarre play: “Q stop, G snug. Right empty. QB 38 Z Crush Alley.” On cue, Brees joined two wideouts to the left in a bunch formation (three receivers, snug to each other), while jack-of-all-trades-quarterback Taysom Hill joined the same type of bunch formation to the right.

Damndest thing I ever saw: Five linemen up front. Three receivers left, three receivers right.

No quarterback.

As instructed, Brees trailed two bigger wideouts on the left side of the formation. The coaches lined up as Eagle defensive players.

“I got Drew!” Payton said, crouching a bit across from the left bunch, like a press corner. “And don’t screw up the cadence, Taysom!”

The 11 offensive guys got set, and at the last minute, Hill motioned left to a shotgun position and called out the signals. Center Max Unger snapped it to him, and Hill powered right in a slow jog behind a slew of blockers. The play would be a power run, and it would fit into exactly what Payton told his players in this meeting: “Our emphasis in this game is to run at 22 [cornerback Sidney Jones]. He’s coming off a hamstring, and we don’t think he can hold up.”

No fooling around. All business, even on this weird play. Strange seeing football players practice at 30-percent speed in hoodies and jeans and whatever, with coaches playing Fletcher Cox and Malcolm Jenkins. After 15 minutes, each play run the same way, Payton said, “Let’s break it down,” and they gathered in a circle, said something I couldn’t understand, and the players went to team snack. (More than a snack, actually; it was a full-blown buffet meal.)

In the wide hallway outside Salon II, I asked Payton: “How’d you think of the double-bunch play?”

“Thursday night,” Payton said. “Just doodling. Just thinking. I just thought of it, and I said to the coaches, ‘Will this work?’ And [quarterbacks coach] Joe Lombardi said, ‘Why not? We can do anything we want.’ When I told Troy Aikman about it [in the FOX production meeting], he said, ‘Who’s getting the snap?’ I said, ‘No one. Yet.’ “

Payton thought for a minute, giving a John Nash look into the distance. “Part of it, really, is thinking of something that they [the Eagles] haven’t seen. That’s the job of a game-planner. You want eight heads to turn to [smart Eagles veteran safety] Malcolm Jenkins and be like, ‘What do we do?’ “

Payton took my notebook and drew out the formation. He said sometime later in the game, they’d reverse the call. It’d be Brees who’d go behind center at the last second and take a snap. Only this time it wouldn’t be a power run. Brees would throw it—maybe a quick stop route to the left, or a post from a receiver in the right bunch.

By that time, the players had all relocated to the ballroom with the food. Except for one player. That player was playing a grand piano—and playing it very, very well.

We looked over, and I asked Payton who it was.

“Austin Carr,” Payton said. “Wide receiver. President of his class at Northwestern. He’ll be the president of the United States when he retires.”

Carr played for a while, beautifully. I went over to ask him about playing.

“Just relieving some tension,” said Carr, talking while his fingers moved over the keys. He said he loves the music of John Legend. This music is what you’d hear from someone coming out of Juilliard.

“The song’s beautiful,” I said. “What’s it called?”

“I haven’t named it yet,” he said.

Lots of composers in this Saints group.

This is what I learned about the best offense in this offensively explosive period of football: It’s a more democratic group than I thought. This isn’t an autocratic Payton dictating plays. Drew Brees has a ton of input in plays he wants to run. Brees’ historically accurate season (he’s a 67-percent career passer, completing 77 percent this year) has a lot to do with his symbiotic relationship with Payton, and with both of them knowing what works best for an offense that’s quite complex. But it’s an offense they’ve nurtured and expanded since both came to the Saints in 2006. As Carr told me: “I can attest to the democratic process here. There’s an ethos of leaving your ego at the door. Lots of teams say that, but you don’t always see it. Sean’s OK when Drew says, ‘I don’t want to do that,’ and same with Drew about Sean. They’ve found the sweet spot in dealing with each other.”

I saw that in the final meeting of the night. More about that later.

First, let me explain what the night is like. It has six segments: a short all-coaches meeting, maybe 10 minutes; a 20-minute discussion about the first 15 plays Payton intends to call; a very short (maybe five to 10 minutes) all-team meeting, with a message mainly from Payton; the walk-through with the offense; the all-team snack (and, on this night, piano-playing); and finally, a meeting of about 40 minutes with Brees telling Payton, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and Lombardi what he likes and doesn’t like in the game plan.

The all-coaches meeting has a discussion of injuries and who will be active and inactive, and a message from Payton. Two things tonight: “We gotta run right at 22 [Jones] and we gotta throw at 22. We’re gonna make him defend the run on the first play. We’re going after him on three of the first eight plays.”

And then, a bit of a surprise. “We want to put the game on [Eagles quarterback Carson] Wentz,” Payton said. Payton likes Wentz as a player, but his player-personnel analyst, Ryan Herman, gives him trends and numbers every week, and Payton tells the group two interesting ones about Wentz, from Herman: The Eagles are 1-11 when Wentz plays and they allow more than 26 points. And he’s 0-9 when he passes for between 308 and 364 yards, the point being if he does that, the Eagles likely won’t be running the ball well, and the Saints feel they can beat a one-dimensional offense.

Then the defensive coaches left to work on their own, and the offensive coaches work on the opening plays. On the screen, Payton’s opening plays come up … and the double-bunch is number five. Clearly, it’s going to be called early in the game. Payton wants to see the big-bodied Hill steaming around right end at number 22. (He never calls him “Sidney Jones.” Just “22.”) For a stranger who doesn’t know the Saints’ vernacular, listening to the discussion of each play is like listening to Dutch. One of the reasons Payton isn’t paranoid about me sitting in, I’m sure, is that when I hear, “Snug left, Y fly, P 35 Stab dog F rail,” I’m not going to know what it means—and that’s just the way they like it.

“Ball security in this game is everything,” Payton said. “They’ve got a great front. They’ll come after us. They have to win this game. Let’s go win another one.

“Because it’s the next one.”

Then the short team meeting with the message, again, about 22. Then the defensive players leave to move next door to have their own meeting. Then everyone in the room, coaches and offensive players, pick up the conference-room chairs and stack them by either side of the room, to make room for the walk-through. This walk-through is a test, to see if every player can remember his job on every play (and for 15 straight plays, there are no mental errors, only the warning from Payton to Hill about his cadence).

One interesting thing: Players are drilled in the precision of spacing, and who is on the line and who is off a step. So several times, Michael Thomas lined up wide left, on the line, and almost reflexively waved his hand to the receiver to his left, as if to say, ‘Get a step back.’ One of the coaches told me the receivers take care of each other like that.

Then the snack. In the big room with stations scattered throughout, Payton gets spaghetti and explains the week and the importance of continuing to mine information. “This year, because of Taysom’s development, we talk a lot during the week about how to use Taysom,’’ he said, digging into what for him is dinner, not a snack. “But we meet late most nights during the week. I want to go over everything. I want to see it, write it, feel it, discuss it. Last night, I put on the Football Life with Mike Holmgren. He used to be a third-grade teacher, and I think that’s great training for what we do. We gotta put a plan together with who is in the building—not with who we wish was in the building. We gotta evolve with who we have.”

R and D is big in the job. “I look at the league a lot,” Payton said. “I look at all the scoring plays every week. I look at [Bill] Belichick and New England. I look at Sean McVay. I found a good one last night. I hadn’t watched all of New England’s offensive plays in the Super Bowl against Philadelphia in a while, and so last night, I put the tape on and I found something. Gronk [tight end Rob Gronkowski] caught a ball inside the 10 and scored, but it’s how he caught it. It was like catching an inbounds pass, using your body to keep the defender off you. That’s perfect for us. I told Mike Thomas, ‘This is a touchdown.’ We practiced it today. I think we’ll use it.”

By 9:55, Brees and his coaches sit back in LaSalle, and now it’s Brees’ turn to weigh in on the game plan. Payton has approximately 18 sections of the game plan: play-action, screens, quarterback-movement plays, empty-backfield, two-minute, and more. All the men in the room have a copy of the play sheet. Payton asks Brees, for instance, “Red zone, 20 to the 11, what do you got?” In other words, “What do you want me to call?” To each section, Brees said between one and six plays. In this section, for instance, he said six plays. Payton, using a black Sharpie, placed a dot on each play Brees liked and wanted called.

And it was the way Brees said the plays. Deliberately, with reasoning when need be. Like: “22 paint Y shock, X Harvey.” Four or five seconds to look at the next play and envision it. Then onto the others. “52 Z Hank.” And more.

In the tight Red Zone category (5-yard line to the 3) Payton asked Brees, “How are you with Bloodhound 21?” Good, Brees said. Payton liked this—it was a way to take advantage of a young and inexperienced secondary, calling the play quickly and using fast tempo to rush to the line while the defense might be swimming.

At 10:37, Brees was done with his recommendations. There’d been, by my count, 46 of them. One would pay dividends early in Sunday’s game.

After the meeting, Payton and Brees sat with me to discuss imagination and their bond. “The evolution from where we were, call it 13 years ago, when we all first got here in ’06 to now, is pretty amazing” Brees said. “It’s an exciting process. It’s a bit nerve-wracking early in the week I think because you’re sitting there watching film after film and you’re trying to identify all the ways that you can attack that defense, right? I think some of our best ideas at times come on a Saturday or Saturday night, or even Sunday morning.”

Said Payton: “This week, it started with me drawing it on the board saying, what if we just lined up with no quarterback and one of the two of them came back depending on the play. Part of the install sometimes is to have some fun and have some levity with something like that. The first day we’re doing it in walk through. Max [Unger, the center] turns around. There’s no one to snap to. Drew and Taysom are kinda looking at each other like, is it me? Or is it you? And—

Brees interrupted: “Rock, paper, scissors.”

There’s Brees, finishing Payton’s sentence.