#ERODA VERSE ERODA VERSE ERODA VERSE

[1ddotdhq]

🧙‍♂️ Wed Sept 23 ‘20 🦁

Z3 Z3 Z3 Z3 Z3 HOLY SHIT Z3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, I’m not certain about an album, but we’re definitely getting a single on Friday! I’m just keeping my hopes up! Um, okay. How do I start? So at 9:30 am EST (or 2:30 pm BST, depending on where in the world he is!) Zayn dropped a teaser trailer for a new song, with the caption #better, which is the name of the song! This follows last night's movement, where he changed his Spotify header, as well as his twitter icon. I’m gonna be honest here: when I saw his new twitter profile picture, I thought it was a picture of Liam and I was SO! CONFUSED! But it’s not! It’s Zayn pulling an angsty face that Liam often pulls in HIS modeling gigs, so it looks like they have a similar bag of tricks haha! ANYWAYS, the song will drop on Friday, 9/25!!! Place your bets: will the song or the baby drop first??? 

If THAT wasn’t enough Zayn movement, he posted a SPONSORED AD for the new Harry Potter game both on Instagram AND on twitter (both at 7 am EST), and then he did a taped ad for it, too! It...looks to be some wizarding version of Candy Crush, but you know nerd!Zayn and his Harry Potter tattoo - he only had good things to say about it: “[During quarantine] I’ve been doing...music, recording, painting, but my main pastimes has been playing games, and that’s how, like, I keep in touch with my friends...you get to choose which House you want to be put in. I picked Gryffindor...so yeah, it’s really cool.” He says he likes Gryffindor because he’s always been drawn to “the hero types”. Sounds like the start of a bad rom com, doesn’t it? 

Anyways! Zayn’s not the only one that has spent his quarantine making music, painting, and gaming: LIAM went live at 8 am BST to do his promised zoom meetings with fans and announce that his rewatch show is on Saturday the 26th at 8 am BST. Oddly enough, Harry Potter (and the new game!) was a major talking point in this live. Before we get further into the discussion, the Intern would like to say that JKR is a massive TERF and I think we should be reading queer fantasy novels and uplifting the queer community rather than focusing on her worlds/making he more profit, but that discourse didn’t come up in Liam’s live, funnily enough! What did come up? Well...the online games did! Someone in the chat said: “What’s your Hogwarts House?” and Liam (love him lots) took that as an invitation to talk about the new Harry Potter games: “I’ve done a lot of those online...like, online Harry Potter games (so has Zayn!), and I always end up in either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, but no one wants to be in Hufflepuff...I want to be a lion”. And then - and I cannot make this up - he GROWLED. Those hero types, huh? Can’t do a thing about them!  He also suggested that he do a Harry Potter watch along in his next live, and guys, it takes me long enough to get through his lives taking notes NOW, MY HANDS WILL NOT SURVIVE A TWO HOUR LIVE. 

Other fun moments from the live show included his reveal (slip?) that he did not live with Maya! When asked what his morning routine was, he said it was “to get up in the biggest mood ever and then hope he has an hour to himself before he sees anyone”. But? That would almost CERTAINLY not be the case if you had a live in girlfriend! He also gave a brief reaction to Harry’s Calm story, and had a bant with Conor (his cameraman) about it (“Imagine you’re in the tour bus,” Conor said. “Shut UP! You’re RuInINg it for ME.”). Also, the chat told Liam to tell Niall to “strip that down”, to which Liam replied: “Niall’s been stripping it down a lot at the moment! he’s been stripping it down a lot! I’ve seen his Instagram stories, and I know it’s hot at the moment but the shirt has been off 24/7, which used to be my tactic.” Niall, even LIAM wants you to put a shirt on, buddy, so idk what to tell you. He also said, about Bear, that “he’s fantastic! [He’s] a sweet, lovely little boy, and I don’t know how that happened, given that he’s my son. Must get it from his mother ‘cuz it’s not from me!” He mentioned - again - doing a paint along with fans, as he’s ALSO been doing a lot of painting during quarantine. What do you think I would have to do for a joint Ziam paint along live?  And he was  unsure if “te amo” was a real thing in Spanish. Yes, Liam, it is, y te amo a ti también!! 

And, if that were a normal day, that would be it! That’s more than enough after all, but NOPE! No rest for the wicked, I guess, so on we go: 

Harry was seen shooting his music video in Italy in a white V-neck nightshirt that could be seen billowing in the wind as he ran dramatically. New pictures also show him in a long purple nightgown and a fedora, as well as driving a little speedboat (with a bright, Vespa blue interior) off of the Italian coast. As far as I can tell, his rings are not back (probably a smart choice, given the amount of handwashing he’s hopefully doing) but his pearl necklace is (love to see it!). In one of the boat pictures, he can be seen on his phone, either taking a picture or on a facetime call, but I, personally, hope he brings photographer!H back, too! Gotta tell you, and I know we said it for Watermelon Sugar, but I really hope this is a continuation of the Eroda universe - any comments @/visiteroda?  Fan reports say that his Italian is very good, and that he’s kind. Nothing new there, but always great to hear it! 

AND! In a ONE DEE DISCOURSE EXCLUSIVE: I can reveal ~exclusively~ that Nick Gordon, of yesterday’s clown car, has a TWIN BROTHER, named Nathan! Good bye Gretchen, Tina, and Eleanor and HELLO Nathan and Nick. Imagine the shenanigans that they can pull with THIS in their back pocket! The thing is - the more we learn about the situation, the less we seem to know - TMZ reports that Nick and Briana have had an on again off again relationship for the last ten years, but Nick Gordon has had a long term girlfriend for at least three of those ten years, until they broke it off last year! In fact, TMZ continued in a bemused tone, BRIANA has been seen with multiple men over the course of the last year. Guess they were VERY off, huh?

[twelvedaysinaugust]

Thank you for answering my ask about the leaked phone call! The timeline of Louis and Harry falling out/breaking up around 2018 makes a lot of sense in terms of when that phone call was made. I have heard some accounts about Louis allegedly being seen at HSLOT 2018 at Harry’s shows. After that tour I noticed a certain shift with how Harry looked/his attitude. I also do agree that louis has done questionable actions when it comes to dispelling rumors about larrry. Although, I don’t think it can compare to how Harry has handled it. I have seen a journalist point out in the article that Harry’s lack of effort has not been fair to Louis. The other questionable things he has done include euphoria, Eroda, the milkshake tweet (probably more). Anyway, that phone call could have possibly been a bitter and petty way to “get back” at Harry by saying that none of it was real. When the Harry’s tour finished he was a producer on that Ben Winston/Full Stop show about him living in Ben’s basement which pretty much erased him and Louis living together (which was iconic and they told almost everybody that they were roommates back in the early years). There was an interview later on where Louis answered with the whole “chicken stuffed with mozzarella” and it sorted felt like he was “shading” Harry at the time kind of like he was implying that he cant change the past or the history they both had together. Idk he seems like he would definitely a petty person that would find smart ways to spite someone.

I remember receiving this ask while I was standing in the pit Saturday night. I'm sorry it took me almost a week to answer.

I really appreciated your question about the phone call because it's one of the many, many things that I can't get a clear read on. In short, I completely agree with everything you said above. I will add that, in addition to "being petty" and "getting back" at Harry, I think it's possible that Louis set up the phone call with the UA to let off some steam and indicate that it was (or, about to be) really, truly over.

I feel like my longer thoughts are going to anger some people, but I'll share them anyway. It's my blog and I want to be truthful about my experiences and observations in this fandom.

I have a very hard time nailing down a "Larry timeline," especially after 2013-ish. I do not think Harry and Louis are currently a couple, and I've changed a lot of the opinions I once had. I no longer think all the "stunts" were actually stunts, nor do I think Larry was a fairytale relationship. But I still believe there was something there. From 2017 to 2018, I find Larry especially confusing. However, I do think Louis attended some of Harry's shows in 2018 - I'm almost certain he was at Santiago and Madison Square Garden. And watching Harry's demeanor and performance at the second MSG show in particular (covering “Still the One” with Kacey Musgraves, slowing down during Louis’ verse in “If I Could Fly,” just his expression when he looked up at the VIP box)... I was like, "Damn... the spark is still there after all these years?" It made my heart go pitter-patter. But then I was very confused because what does that mean for Larry, especially since Harry was with Camille at the time and I find it especially difficult to write off that relationship as a stunt? A lot of people (Larries and non-Larries) claim Louis was at the show. However, there are also a lot of stories about Louis calling it quits shortly after. So, I think MSG Night 2 might have been a last-ditch romantic gesture from Harry. But what that means for the time prior - it's hard to say. In short, I don't think Larry was one long, continuous, monogamous relationship. Especially toward the end, I think it was very on-and-off. And to be honest, there have been things post-2018 that I've side-eyed a little. The Umbro shirt, especially. Even when Louis made a trip to LA that perfectly lined up with Harry's shows at the Forum in November I was a little like, "hmm." But even the biggest and most committed Larries will admit that Harry and Louis are rarely in the same place at the same time. I don't see how that's a relationship.

I think the way both Harry and Louis engage with the fandom that was borne out of Larry is inconsistent and confusing. I do think Harry Larry-baits. But I don't think money is his only motivation to do so. I think he's hurt and upset about the way things ended. The Euphoria episode, in particular, I view as Harry feeling hurt, scorned, and "getting back" at an ex.

But Louis' relationship with Larries (i.e. the vast majority of his fanbase) is even more of a mystery to me. Since the beginning, he seemed sincerely bothered by the speculation, unlike Harry. Louis took the brunt of the denials. Louis set up a phone call with a UA to complain about "crazy Larrie fans." At the same time, he does interact with it - I'm 100% certain of this after attending two shows in person. And the "Princess Park" lyric and cover of "7" only emboldened Larries further. (I know we all have different opinions on this, but I don't think I'll ever be convinced that these decisions were an "oversight" on Louis' part. He had to know what he was doing. He had to.) For both Harry and Louis, I think the so-called Larry-baiting might be a response to a shared history and experience. In that sense, I hesitate to say that it's completely disingenuous or “wrong.” At the same time, I don’t appreciate them misleading fans (especially queer fans who relate to Larry) if Larry isn’t - or never was - real. I also think there are broader implications for Eleanor, Freddie, etc. But that’s a different conversation.

Whatever Larry was, I think it greatly affected Harry and Louis emotionally. I know that a lot of people leave the fandom after they un-Larrie or conclude that Harry and Louis have likely broken up. Regardless of Harry and Louis’ current relationship (or lack thereof), I think Larry continues to be very relevant to their respective fanbases - Louis’ especially. For that reason, I don’t think I’ll be able to view Larry as “irrelevant” or “a thing of the past” anytime soon.

[dumbbitchcam]

she lyric analysis

adapted from my twitter thread

disclaimer: this is purely my opinion and interpretation of the piece, if you don’t like it just move on no need to be nasty, everyone has the right to their own opinion.

in this post i will be explaining how i was able to relate certain lyrics back to myself, as someone who identifies as non-binary. so i will be projecting a lot of my personal experiences onto the lyrics (maybe not directly thru the phrasng of the analysis but its what lead me to these conclusions if that makes sense). this is also to show what parts of this song have lead me to believe that harry might not be cis.

some of this my not be directly about the lyric but instead how the lyric is delivered. okay i think thats it… on to the analysis!

one more note: i will be referring to whoever harry is talking about, “she,” with she/her pronouns.

the first thing that i noted about all the verses is that he sounds drained like he’s been trying too hard at something for so long but can’t do it anymore.

“nine in the morning the man drops his kids off at school and he's thinking of you, like all of us do sends his assistant for coffee in the afternoon, around 1:32, like he knows what to do” 

this first verse feels like he’s trying to show the monotony of just trying to get through a day and no longer living the day. just getting it over with. 

edited to add: the line "like all of us do" makes me think that he think it's "normal" and that everyone has their "she" and that everyone just kind of ignores her or pushes her off to the side so initially he really didn't bother questioning the thought of "her"

“she lives in daydreams with me” 

the first line of the chorus makes me think that since she lives in his daydreams, he doesn’t think he can make her real and that there’s nothing he can really do but wish for her to show up.

 “she's the first one that I see and I don't know why I don't know who she is” 

to me this part of the chorus reminds me of when i was first confused / trying to figure out my gender identity. its like im always thinking of this person but i can’t figure out why or who it is or really what’s going on.

 “he takes a boat out imagines just sailing away and not telling his mates he wouldn't know what to say”

this line makes me believe he just wants to escape the monotony of life without scrutiny. i also feel that this line (if this were to have a mv) may tie into him sailing out of eroda at the end of the adore you mv story line and this whole song is him finding himself and figuring out who “she” is whilst sailing.

 the beginning of the second chorus is the same as the first chorus but then repeats and says “i don’t know where she is” instead of who, indicating that he has 1. Figured out who she is and 2. wants to find her. he longs for her presence outside of his daydreams. he wants her existence to be known.

 “lives for the memory a woman who's just in his head”

again, it comes back to him only able to access her presence from within. 

“and she sleeps in his bed while he plays pretend, so pretend”

sleeping in his bed indicates to me that he as able to let her out at home and is able to see her / be her when hes alone or with trusted family / friends but when he goes out or has guests, he has to hide her away again.

 the two part chorus is repeated to conclude the lyrical portion of the piece.

[thisiskatsblog]

Random thoughts about Copy (and SoTT)

It's an old curse, dreamers divin' head first

Homophobia is an old curse - it was a sign of the times

I’m also thinking of the parralles between sign of the times and over the rainbow - the dreamers diving headfirst and the bluebirds trying to fly over the rainbow

why o why can’t i? 

Broken beaks and dead birds

Birds are not just symbolic of freedom - yes they have many tattoos

But there’s also Songbird, birds sing, this is a song about singers

George Michael comes to mind, and so many others, the broken beak signifies a singer who can’t sing any more, and this industry has killed so many 

It’s also their voices being taken away, and dead careers - you can’t break through if your career is dead.

Can't get through the glass

Dead birds can’t get through the glass, stay alive young man

but also “I can’t get through the glass”  - the glass closet

And I’m reminded of the jewel fish in Eroda, growing stronger and bigger, bursting out of the coffee pot, waiting to grow big enough to break the glass and be thrown into the ocean, with the help of the boy and the villagers transformed by the boy’s smile - the fish broke through the glass

There's no use cryin' over spilled blood

The bullets in sign of the times, the target that Louis was on for much of the significant songs in this show (Too Young, Walls, Copy of a Copy of a Copy) - some of those bullets hit target.

Carin' only kills love

Caring too much about how your closet hurts, yourself and others, kills the love inside. Every time that Louis cared, more blood was drawn (bullshit happened after he wore a rainbow apple shirt, trying to care, and then it hurt his fans and probably them as well) 

A kiss won't bring it back [Pre-Chorus] I know that the first blow hits you cold

Louis before and after the G-A-Y performance  [Chorus] Young man, hush your crying dry your tears away

Just stop your crying it’s a sign of the times

Nothing is original, there's nothing left to say

Even babygate is a copy of what’s been done before, and when he says there’s nothing left to say “it is what it is” - that essentially says the same thing You won't be the first or be the last to bleed

Every broken heart as far as your eye can see It's a copy of a copy of a copy It's a copy of a copy of a copy

The music industry (and the world beyond) is full of people who have to hide their true selves - it’s all been said and done before. The list of closeted boybanders, most importantly, is endless.  [Verse 2] I can hear you, howlin' 'til your lungs hurt

Loud, loud and loud, particularly in November 2014, I’ve said it so many times before, the dagger tattoo, his video clips after walls came out, walls, with one direction IN that video, the smoke and mirrors, the target, all of it was loud loud loud loud. 

So let this be your comfort You're not the only one, no In a strange way, all in this together

This is very true - the solidarity amongst LGBTQ+ people - in the music industry I imagine - and very certainly in this fandom, in HIS fandom, the way us LGBTQ+ people stuck with him and kept supporting them - we are all in this together

Been this way forever, you're not the only one

It’s an old curse, it’s a sign of the times, you’re not the first nor the last, it is what it is

[Pre-Chorus] I know that the first blow hits you cold [Chorus] Young man, hush your cry and dry your tears away Nothing is original, there's nothing left to say You won't be the first or be the last to bleed Every broken heart as far as your eye can see It's a copy of a copy of a copy It's a copy of a copy of a copy [Chorus] Young man, hush your cry and dry your tears away Nothing is original, there's nothing left to say You won't be the first or be the last to bleed Every broken heart as far as your eye can see It's a copy of a copy of a copy It's a copy of a copy of a copy It's a copy of a copy of a copy It's a copy of a copy of a copy

[musicmyloves15]

Why I believe that Harry was the fish...

So Harry Lambert engaged in this convo on twitter about the Grammy nomination for the Adore You video and it reminded me of my theory on the fish. 

I feel like this feeds right into my theory that Harry was the fish, and Louis was the boy.  From the first time I saw the music video i thought that Louis seemed to be the boy and Harry was the fish.  Here is my thoughts on the video... (my thoughts will be in italics) 

The boy was peculiar from the moment he entered the world.

Louis didn't ever seem to question himself before he was forced to with media training; he referred to himself as flamboyant, he was self confident in his fashion choices and words before they started to change him.

The town was used to the way things were and weren’t used to someone being different

He said his teachers never really knew what to do with him. In a working class town being a gay kid wouldn’t have been easy or the norm.

He had lost his smile and without it the world grew darker.

Everyone was telling him there was something wrong with him because of his sexuality. His teachers, maybe people from Doncaster, the x factor people, Simon and modest, the record label, etc…

The boy tried to ignore the fish but he was not alone in his melancholy

Louis tried to fight things on his own but harry understood what he was feeling. He might have had people that didn't understand him as well.

Loneliness is an ocean full of travelers trying to find their place in this world.

They just wanted to make it and everyone (Simon and his gang) were telling the boys they couldn't be themselves. They couldn't be open and they had to hide who they were.

But without friendship we are all lost and left with no hope.

Together they were able to survive. Because they had each other they could get through the pain of being told they couldn't be who they were.

No home no harbor.

I feel like this is talking about being on the move constantly and being worked to the bone.

He wondered what cruel twist of fate brought them together and if fate was involved what did she have in store.

This screams to me that they were shaking their fist at fate in those early years and screaming I finally found my best friend and soulmate and we can't even fully be together. We can but we are still being pulled apart. We can love but only behind closed doors. We can hold each others words and secrets but only if our voices are silenced.

The first verse of the song we see the boy trying to protect the fish.

Louis tried to protect harry so much especially at the beginning. You can see him being the one harry looked to on stage and in interviews especially at the beginning. The boy flashes his bright smile at the women when he puts the fish in the coffee pot to keep him alive. I feel like this is symbolic of Louis being so loud and silly to have everyone’s attention on him in the beginning so harry could find his feet.

When the fish outgrows the coffee pot, the boy moves him to a bigger space.  

I feel like this is Louis stepping back a bit when harry got more confident and comfortable. He still was right there by Harrys side but he didn't try to steal the show as much as he had at the beginning of 1D. Everything Louis did was to support harry. There are so many receipts of Louis staying off to the side while harry is working if they were shooting something or recording something. He could have gone off and done his own thing like Liam, Niall, and Zayn, but he didn’t. He was always right there for harry if he needed him.

Then comes the part when they’re up on the hill together and they look through the binoculars and see someone with the metal detector

I feel like this is symbolic of where they start to plan their future together. They share the exciting thought of getting their treasure someday and being happy. (The dancing and the fish matching the boys spinning dance moves)

Then the boy makes the fish an outfit. (He’s sitting at the desk)

I feel like this is Louis encouraging harry to dress the way he wants to and to feel comfortable in his own skin.

Then the news alert and the fish tries to escape from the bag on the dresser.

I feel like this symbolic of harry realizing that he can't be himself while still trapped in the bubble of 1D. He needs more space and more freedom.  

The boy moves him to an even bigger space in the tank on the bike.

This feels like the end of 1d where long hair harry was more free and open. Especially the interviews and his gender neutral answers and his clothing choices. This screams 2015 harry to me.

People in the town start noticing the fish.

This is showing how even though Louis was still by his side, people began to see harry for who he might want to be instead of how he’d been. People at this point were noticing Harrys new bold wardrobe choices (the first pattered suit?) and vocabulary. (Not that important?)

The boy standing inside watching the news with the fish and he studies the fish. Seeing the look the fish gives him and he is thinking hard.

I feel like this is when Louis realized he was going to have to let Harry go his own way at some point in the future. (I mean musically not their personal relationship)  He knows that harry needed more than what he could get from the band. He might not have been ready for 1d to take a break but I think Louis did know that harry could be bigger than he was in 1d.

The fish is almost too big for the tank as the boy starts  leading  him to the water.

Louis knew that the time was getting closer to harry trying some solo work. He was still there trying to protect him but he had accepted at this point it was going to happen.

The fish freaks out when he sees the man chop off a different fish’s head.  

I feel like going solo was terrifying for harry. I feel like there would have been moments where he panicked and needed Louis to remind him that he could do this. Louis has always been harry’s biggest fan. And Louis would have been right there calming him down and telling him how amazing he is and he could do this.

The fish breaks the tank.

This seems like the moment when shit hit the fan and they knew it was time to call the hiatus.

The boy tries and fails to move the fish on his own but then the townspeople step in to help get the fish to water.

I feel like this is when Louis and harry started to surround themselves  with people in the industry who would help harry be the harry he wanted to become. Working with harry Lambert and Harris reed, and others who started to help him stand up and show the person he was and not who he had been.

Then the boy pushes the fish into the water.

Louis knew that harry needed to have a chance to be harry and not harry from one direction to accomplish his dreams. I feel like this moment in the video is Louis coming to terms with the hiatus and knowing it was what was best for harry.  

The boy standing on the cliff watching the fish swim away.

Louis wasn’t going to get the same opportunities as harry. He knew that. Simon screwed him over and he accepted that by taking the brunt of it he had protected harry as best he could. He watched harry soar as a solo artist but he had to do so from the sidelines.

The entire town helped put the fish back in the ocean, the sun broke and the sun shined down on eroda melting every frown.  

I feel like this shows how much a weight was lifted off of their shoulders when they were finished with the stress they’d faced over the years of 1d. Everyone in their family and their circle of close friends had to have been relieved that the boys were going to get a reprieve form the machine that had almost broken them.  

Then we see the boy smile.

Louis had to have been so proud of harry. Watching him flourish and thrive as a solo artist had to have melted his heart and made him burst with pride for harry.

The boy sails away at the end using the screams he had stored in jars. 

This seems symbolic of Louis leaving syco and using the pain that they’ve gone through over the years to learn and grow from for the future. 

[moonshinelouis-archive]

fine line analyses

these are thoughts; my thoughts. if you don’t agree please be reasonable and just ignore.

tumblr fucking ate this post so here i am. rewriting it all.

tw: i talk about alcohol, drugs, grief, and death

the album in general uses the extended metaphor of yellow. the colour is mentioned in nearly every song and i’ll explain why or why not later. the yellow is hope, happiness, and all things nice but as all archetypes it has a ‘dark’ side; it means cowardice and/or deceit. it also seems to follow the hero’s journey which is interesting.

side a: love/light vs dark. exposition.

golden begins the album already in sunshine; in happily vibes imo. gold is the ultimate illuminated colour, so to use it is... the next level, especially as the album opener. “take me back to the light / i knew you were way too bright for me” are ideas that come back in lights up. i love the juxtaposition in this song: “hold [the golden (light)], focus, hoping,” and then a couple lines later, “i’m hopeless, broken”; showing that at the same time, he’s hopeful and hopeless. i love that he alludes, in the entire song, that his person is the sun but he never says it outright: “you wait for me in the sky / [your light] browns my skin just right / you’re so golden,” which come back in sunflower. “i know that you’re scared / because hearts get broken / because i’m so open” immediately made me thing of strong. both he and his lover overwhelm each other at times: “you were way too bright for me,” “you’re scared / because i’m so open”; but ultimately this is a song about devotion: “i don’t wanna be alone / loving you’s the antidote.”

watermelon sugar doesn’t have anything outright yellow; however, the entire lyrics are rooted in imagery surrounding summer which inherently involves a sunny, especially when he calls out that it’s “warm,” that there are “berries,” that it’s “the end of June,” so my point stands. this song has already been analysed, i think, so i’m not gonna go too into it; in a nutshell, it’s the sweetest of loves. “tastes like strawberries on a summer evening” calls to we made it’s “remember how it tasted / looking into your eyes,” and the absolutely feral warm image of tasting moments makes me crazy...the tenderness..oh god.. “it sounds just like a song” comes back in many other tracks; in sunflower, “plant new seeds in the melody” -- try to find new beginnings in the music -- and also “want you more than a melody.” harry says this one was “the hardest one to finish” which could suggest ongoing events.

adore you has yellow in “honey” and “lemon” and hidden in “summer skies” and “brown skin.” thematically, this song is the same as watermelon sugar; devotion. “walk in your rainbow paradise” -- a rainbow is renewal, promise; a gateway, the calm after the storm. to be with his lover is to walk in paradise, away from all evil. though their lack of communication plagues them, it can sometimes be how they find their peace: “you don’t have to say you love me / nothing / [that] you’re mine.” “i’d walk through fire for you” reminded me of happily and through the dark. 

lights up, too, has already been discussed at length; “what do you mean? / i’m sorry by the way / i’m never coming back down / can’t you see / i could but it wouldn't stay?” will speak volumes to anyone who’s been closeted, even if nothing extreme. “i’m never coming around / it’d be so sweet / if things just stayed the same” would be the melancholy and fear of watching those you love slip away because of something you can’t change; and, even if it doesn’t, there will always be the little things that change, like how you’re perceived. “all the lights couldn’t put out the dark / running through my heart” is one of my favourite lines; it speaks of the things within himself he’d rather hide, and yet, all the pride he’s told to have does nothing to erase his bitterness towards the feeling -- internalised homophobia/transphobia. however -- “step into the light / so bright sometimes / i’m not ever coming back” -- as overwhelming, as scary, as engulfing as it all may be... it’s much better to be in the light than in the dark; back to golden. the yellow in this song is in the ‘light.’

side b: complete abstinence of yellow. abyss.

cherry presents vibrant red rather than yellow, perhaps to illustrate the glossy jealousy he expresses in this song, and possibly to say he is angry despite sounding defeated. thematically similar to woman. i don’t think this song is dismissible because its aspects all come back: “gallery” is again in sunflower; “don’t call me baby” returns in to be so lonely. “there’s a piece of you in how i dress” reminded me of “painted nails make harry beautiful” :’) also, “your accent” is pretty loud. if anything is to be said about the ending, is that it’s in the “language of love.”

falling is very clearly the death in the hero’s journey; the lowest point from which he could only rebirth. again there are communication issues: “forget what i said / it’s not what i meant”; “we’ve run out of things we can say.” and then there’s rediscovery: “what am i now?” he asks, after having asked the listeners if they know who they are; and his despair seems tied to insecurities -- “what if i’m someone i don’t want around? / what if i’m someone you won’t talk about? / what if you’re someone i just want around?” (notice the flip of pronouns in the last two; switching the blame. harry and louis seem to do that a lot; the blame is passed from one to another in songs. he blames himself in this one, though: “there’s no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hands.”) the biggest insecurity lies in the line: “i get the feeling that you’ll never need me again,” in which harry just wants.. to be needed; to be loved and to be in love. overall he’s asking for redemption, whatever of.

to be so lonely is still sad, but obviously a rise; a rebirth. “don’t blame me for falling / i was just a little boy / don’t blame the drunk caller / i wasn’t ready for it all / you can’t blame me, darling / not even a little bit / i was away / and i’m just an arrogant son of a bitch who can’t admit when he’s sorry” -- the opening verse is just all excuses, all flimsy at best; pushing the blame around. “i was just a little boy” had me screaming; “don’t blame the drunk caller” is distancing himself as far away as possible even though....that’s him, drunk-calling; he said so in falling: “there’s no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hands.” the last one is not even trying; he just straight up says he’s arrogant.. lol. again he’s rooting onto insecurites: “i just hope you see me / in a little better light” asks his lover not to only see him as the stupid little boy who became a needy and arrogant drunk caller; and again he pleads for mercy with rather nonsensical logic: “do you think it’s easy? / being of the jealous kind?” overall, these three songs together could be interpreted as a breakup, though the romantic songs in the album would support better that there have been really rough patches in their relationship; specifically times in which they were caught in untimely scheduling inconveniences amid fights. but see it how you will.

she is a projection. harry tries out the ‘normal guy’ archetype, giving his character a nine-to-five office job and the predictable (supposedly married) life with kids; he likely did this to try out a different perspective of his feelings and/or to appeal to his audience, who is mostly not made up of millionaires. right away, he’s pretending, with the most basic of things: “[he] sends his assistant for coffee in the afternoon / around 13:32 / like he knows what to do.” as for the whole chorus and “a woman who’s just in his head / and she sleeps in his bed / while he plays pretend” is, to me, the woman inside him who aches to be seen; she represent his struggles with binary genders, both of which are oppressing. “he takes a boat out / imagines just sailing away / and not telling his mates / he wouldn't know what to say” is literally eroda?? and shows communication issues. again.

side c: ascending

sunflower makes the yellow comeback.. loud and in your face. the sunflower is commonly associated with the sun tarot card, which often depicts them with children, who are mentioned... the card stands for clarity and success. this song is thematically like watermelon sugar and adore you, but it just has that stoner vibe you know ? “kids in the kitchen listen to dancehall” triggered “even as young as you are.” again, there are communication issues; “i’ve been trying hard not to talk to you” “let me inside, i wanna get to know you / wish i could get to know you” “i was just tongue-tied / i’m still tongue-tied.” “i’ve got your face / hung up high in the gallery” again shows adoration; with cherry’s “does he take you walking through his parents’ gallery?” it could be interpreted as, are his parents showing you off like i do? a big note about it: “hung up high in the gallery / out of this shade” in the light! this is major.

canyon moon shows yellow in “the world’s happy waiting / doors yellow, broken, blue” -- happy, first of all. the doors are portals that they’ve taken, will take, or could take; some are happy, some deceitful, some sad. i find it very interesting that in she “the man drops his kid off at school” and in this one jenny tells her husband to “go get the kids from school.” “two weeks and i’ll be home” loud loud loud. paris and rome are both romantic cities. “[she -- jenny?] pretends not to know the words” again shows some pretending, perhaps to show that we all pretend about things in life, even mundane activites... just a fun song about being away and missing each other like right now.

treat people with kindness is the only song outside of side b that does not have yellow. i think that is because, though this is a happy song, it’s jus a cover up -- he’s burying his grief in the music and drugs/drinks. “and it’s just another day / and if our friends all pass away / it’s okay.” “feeling good in my skin / i just keep on dancing” shows the other effect of numbing all the insecurities and fears he normally carries. 

side d: settling. the first sign fine line is a track to be paid attention to is that it’s the titular the track. the second push is giving it its own side on the record. 

fine line is another side of she, for which i liked this eloquent explanation. it’s a drastic shift in mood from tpwk to fine line; harry truly shows how vulnerable he is. he’s divided -- “you sunshine, you temptress”; god, when i read/heard that i cried. so beautiful, so appeasing, but it looks like such a distant dream. unachievable. furthermore i think making this song about a relationship, or anyone other than harry and harry’s inner demons is belittling it; belittling his internal struggles to reach the so desired fine line...

[harrieberrie]

I’ve also seen a lot of dismissal of the fact that his character was lonely because he was different, and he was not included because of those differences. People seem to have skipped over that fact & are just talking (on YT) about loneliness and being down. Poor Harry, sad Harry, we all need to be there for each other. And yes, absolutely, but that’s a reaction. That’s not addressing what caused the problem in the first place. Like it’s the elephant in the room, something about him’s different.

I think the whole purpose of eroda was to make people have to use their brains and if they start doing that then they’ll have to ask themselves many questions about the past nine years. I also think it’s interesting that harry keeps mentioning the song fine line is his favorite off the album and that he called it that as a whole, because when you think about it, there really is a fine line between how people perceive harry and buy into his narrative verses what he has loudly been saying with his actions if you’ve been paying attention.

I also find it very poignant that he has been spotted wearing his rainbow pin leading up to this, just found that intriguing if he is giving us a glimpse into his journey to acceptance, so to speak.

[wellthatwasaletdown]

have you guys consider it could be a L for Liv // I mean it could be. Maybe Harry is just perpetually unlucky… unlucky enough to wear an identical umbro shirt after Louis, unlucky enough to tweet about him when HS1 promo was going badly, unlucky that his team liked a tweet about Louis the fish during the eroda campaign, unlucky to have to pause before louis verse in IICF. Seems plausible to me.

.

[1ddotdhq]

🐠 Thurs Aug 27 🎨

Time. Is. Not. Real. They tell me that it is the end of summer, which very much seems to be confirmed by the VMAs “Song of the Summer” category, for which Watermelon Sugar is nominated, and seems to be doing well. If you were surprised that the Fish video (as I lovingly refer to Adore You) did not get any nominations, you aren’t alone - David Meyers (the video’s co-writer and director) sat down with the Decider’s Lea Palmieri to talk about the video. 

As there always is with Harry’s content, there seems to be some confusion as to how the Fish idea was born , but other than that, he spoke about the Eroda ‘verse, and it’s charm and creation. Of the Erodian’s suspicious nature, he said, “...The superstitions were a set up for how society generally reacts to different things. They fear change or oddity, even if it’s what’s best for them”. This definitely does not sound like it could be a metaphor for something else. Nope. Not at all. My favorite quote of the article, though, is about the fish’s mini taco - “The taco was a whimsical way to express friendship between Harry and the Fish.” My dude. I don’t know if we were listening to the same song, but it's called “Adore You”. I don’t know how platonic that one can be. 

And speaking of (not so) platonic dinner dates - unseen pictures of a young Louis and Harry keep leaking! From where? Uncertain, but the stand out photo of this batch is one from a restaurant in Amsterdam (this city just keeps popping up, doesn’t it?) circa 2011. While on the topic of Louis, I have to do a bit of a retcon: I claimed yesterday that Louis’ drummer was seen with Harry merch at a recording studio. While this is, indeed, true for David Dyson, who did work with Louis until 2019, he is no longer Louis’ drummer! Steve Durham is! That was totally my bad - sorry Steve! Louis himself is still (unfortunately) MIA, but Pride of Britain did post an old video of him encouraging the British Public to nominate their unsung heroes.

But! On the topic of music, and bands, there are only TWO DAYS left until Liam’s birthday show! And!! He’s making merch! It includes an LP Show T-Shirt and cap, some of which he will be signing and giving away during the show. He also has a few remixes of Midnight out with Sylvain Armand & Kijo Franko as well as Magnificence. Go check them out, I guess. Also, he seems to be continuing his art exploration!  He did a Bob Ross painting that actually looks super cool and I hope he explores this habit further, as it’s always great to have more than one creative outlet, especially one that is low stress and no pressure (read: Not One Direction).

Zayn esta brillando por su ausencia, but he did take the time to like and comment on a fan’s art. This is really cool, he wrote, and then went back to his farm, steadfastly ignoring any other content that might have been released yesterday that had something to do with him. He’s been notably absent for a while now, and I think he’s more of a ghost than I am! 

I’m gonna end with my favorite news of the day: Fault Magazine put up a picture of Niall in white leather on Instagram, as well as a quote that must’ve been for an interview around the Heartbreak Weather promo season. Fault magazine quotes him, “With any relationship, there are fun moments and there are days when you feel like you’re in a music video with the rain pouring outside as you watch crying through the window”. I think Niall stole my middle school diary, because there’s probably a direct quote somewhere in there. Do you think there’s a way we could collectively ship him chocolate and rom-coms? That always used to make me feel better.