#but it was him doing a cover of the title song for barbie: a fashion fairytale (german version)

[you-will-return]

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[notebookmusical]

Hi! I hope you had a good week! I hope you have a nice trip with your family and some down time in the upcoming week. Things are mostly fine..I just have to spend time doing a lot of spring cleaning that sometimes overwhelms me. I haven't had time to watch Poor Things or eras yet but will totally tell you what I think when I do. I'm really hoping by the end of this weekend. I've also heard mixed things and it might not be my kind of movie either but I will watch it for her and since it was up for awards. I saw it being compared to Barbie cuz the plot is kinda similar but it's also probably a lot weirder lol. Even if I end up not liking it, I think her performance can make up for that.

I don't really know because she didn't have a lot of singing as Gretchen in the movie or much part at all and I thought what's wrong with me was one of the most awkward parts of the movie besides Stupid with Love lol. But her voice is beautiful and probably better than or for Cady. I totally agree about It Roars! Changing her opening song added nothing..and she really did just seem like a new student, not even homeschooled really. They did try to show some of her awkwardness though. I honestly don't remember the actual scene in the musical for More is Better but I guess I agree cuz she didn't really have a reflection type moment at all, and all her relationships or friendships didn't seem as genuine. So basically the mathletes song would not have made sense in the movie. Like we didn't get to see her growth as the main character..I think Janis and Regina's changes were felt more..idk? So it's just kinda there for me too since the movie and musical already exist. But people seem to still like it, even as a musical or remake, so it's not totally bad. Haha I can't comment cuz that was my first introduction to Les Mis and so were a lot of other movie musicals, like Hairspray or Sweeney Todd. But I didn't even like Les Mis when I first watched it..I thought it was long and boring...l so I will say opinions can change haha.

Well I never had the chance to order and was able to pick the one I wanted since they were all already announced but I agree with your points. Usually I just wait until they're all announced anyway and I did that with 1989 too. I think she specifically wanted something new to announce at every country tour stop though so it kinda makes sense to spread it out. She announced Midnights and 1989 all at once I think...or at least we knew how many there were beforehand. This time I wasn't sure cuz I thought maybe there would only be two bonus tracks at first, similar to Evermore. So that makes it hard because we have to pick the version based on a song we haven't even heard yet. That's why I went with the cover I liked best, the Albatross and I never really play my vinyls anyway lol. I'm honestly still not sure what to think of these bonus tracks yet..like if they're all connected in some way like different endings like Folklore and Evermore or if it's more like 3AM..and they are just extras that didn't fit the album. They all have "the" in the title and seem pretty similar based on the concepts, which is almost like old fashioned words or phrases. It just gives me that vibe. but it also bothers me we won't get to hear them with the rest of the album on a first listen and how the vinyl will be missing other songs. But I think other artists do it and some people like the special edition vibe of each one.

Anyway the explicit tracks are the tortured poets department, Down Bad, But Daddy I Love Him, Florida, loml, I can do it with a broken heart, and the smallest man who ever lived. So I was already interested in the title track but this made me more interested since those are always my favorites. I also think the song will set the tone of the album maybe, like Fearless and Red in a way. Or it might be a single..but if it is, I would expect it to be similar to Cardigan in a way. A song I love with a lot of metaphors or her best lyrics. I also think the song could be about her career or how she uses writing songs to get through her life. But I also saw someone say it could be about how her and Joe loved being sad writing sad songs together so maybe it's a bad thing and a metaphor for their relationship or breakup. Either of these could be interesting to me! So it's hard to imagine her using harsh language for this song so I would guess it's minor. What do you think? I haven't thought much about Down Bad as a song..lol but maybe she will twist the phrase and what we would usually think it means? It's one of the ones that don't stand out to me so I guess this makes me more curious. But Daddy I love Him didn't shock me cuz it's very Lana. loml could be the same idea of down bad and she's changing the phrase, or the title is misleading. I feel like it's something she would do and that was one of the songs I was already excited for and same with Florida. I can do it with a broken heart also seems like one that will have minimal language to me but maybe i'm wrong. It wouldn't surprise me if she says fuck in smallest man who ever lived though. I think maybe two of these songs might say the f word and that's it. It seems to be the pattern from her last few albums. Anyway I can send you more of my thoughts on other songs later closer to the album coming out. But omg about rep! Do you still like some songs? I totally get it if it's not your vibe..but I personally love it. Maybe the rerecording will make you.like it hopefully. I just think it's one of her albums that I like as the full album..more than individual songs. I think half of this album seems like it could be kinda similar to rep almost? Like telling a full story in a way chronologically possibly in the way that rep does..the same way it kinda told the beginning of the relationship. Aww I hope you still have fun and enjoy listening to the new album when you come back! My sister and I started writing our thoughts while we listen to each song on texts to each other so we can remember our first impressions and we do it for albums we are really excited for!

We did it for the last few but sometimes like with the Kacey or Bleachers one there's not a lot to say. For Taylor, I like to get my first listen in and then write my thoughts so I'm not distracted but sometimes I can't always remember certain lyrics that stood out. It's kinda fun to look back at reactions and see which ones stood out and also sometimes helps keep track of which song is which or which ones we liked. My favorites usually stay the same but with Midnights there was so many i thought was just okay at first, like you're on your own kid or Antihero. What are you hoping to get at record store day?

I would definitely recommend the Eternal Sunshine movie! It kinda reminds me of a more weird kinda bleak version of 500 days of summer if you've seen that. But the movie is about erasing all of your memories and a person from your mind which was the concept of the song but didn't fit the whole album to me.

Well twenty one pilots has another new song and video out and I love it! They also announced their tour so that gives me something to look forward to. You can always listen to it or their other albums if you want and see what you think. Even if you play the two new songs, it shows they can do different genres and different sides to their music lol. I also spent the week listening to Beyonce's albums and I realized that I love when artists can do different genres. It shows their creativity and artistry and how much they care about music. I definitely felt that with her new album! It's pretty long but it was new and different for her and I admire how she made her version of country. It was also kinda split into sections with radio interludes. I only heard it once but I'm excited to listen to it again. I think I liked it more than my first listen of Renaissance actually and it has more slow songs and vocals so you might enjoy it! My favorites were Bodyguard, Alligator Tears, Levi's Jeans, Riverdance, and Hands II Heaven I but just on the first listen. I would also recommend Soccer Mommy and Best Coast which are alternative singer songwriters pretty similar to Paramore if you need more recommendations! don't worry about replying, since this ask got really long. I hope you have a good weekend enjoying time with family.

helloooo friend!! i hope you've been doing well 🤍 so sorry this has been so delayed 🤍

how have things been for you? what have you been up to? have you been listening to anything new? i've been essentially looping either cast recordings, schmigadoon (which i finally watched yesterday + today), espresso by sabrina carpenter & good luck babe by chappell roan. i listened to the new maggie rogers once and liked it, same with the new lizzy mcalpine, but haven't had the brain capacity to properly listen and learn lyrics and all that yet!

i haven't really done album of the day in like three weeks... oops? i think it started to feel more like a chore than something i was doing for fun. and that was also what happened to my hobonichi, but i've also been sick + out of town so i'm giving myself some slack there :( i feel like every time i talk to you i am sick and i'm sorry i keep complaining about it!!

i've always loved les mis, but i think i was predisposed to do so! i've only seen the sweeney film, and until recently haven't really been interested in it but i might hunt down a bootleg and see if i like it... we'll see. have we talked about schmigadoon yet? i feel like we have, but i can't remember. i'm currently sick (what else is new) which is why i finally sat down and watched schmigadoon — i might finally watch some bootlegs i've been meaning to watch for ages too.

happy tortured poets release week!! i'm still feeling a bit detached from the album and release week, but i'm excited to talk to you about it and hear your thoughts/your favorite songs! i saw the songwriter credit list came out today; i don't think my opinions on what songs i'm most intrigued by has changed, but i'm curious if yours has based on who worked on what!

i am no longer doing record store day since i'm sick :((((( but i'm hoping that a friend will be able to pick up a record or two for me, and maybe i'll luck out trying to hunt things down online the next day!

i listened to the new beyonce album while i was on vacation! i really liked it and i think the radio interludes were really cool! i'll have to do a couple more listens until i can pick a favorite though!!

did you get tickets to the 21p tour? i hope you did! 🤍 i'm so sorry this is short!! i have not been feeling well but i wanted to reply to this before it got even longer <3333 love you!

[the-cowgirl-bookworm]

Chapter 1

Zoey is talking with her best friend Kayla by her locker when she notices a “dead guy”. This guy is apparently a Tracker, sent to mark teenagers as new vampires. We also get our first characteristic of Zoey when she complains about her “freakish inability to fit in”, despite the fact that her family lives comfortably and she is dating the star quarterback of the football team. Really not fitting in, huh? While seeing this guy close to her locker should make Zoey aware that she could be picked, all she does to talk to her friend Kayla about how her boyfriend went to a part without her and drinks a lot. The quote below shows how Zoey completely ignores how Heath, her boyfriend, is becoming an alcoholic and she is only concerned about how this affects her, i.e. his attractiveness.

"The point is that he was wasted for like the fifth time this week. I'm sorry, but I don't want to go out with a guy whose main focus in life has changed from trying to play college football to trying to chug a six-pack without puking. Not to mention the fact that he's going to get fat from all that beer." I had to pause to cough. I was feeling a little dizzy and forced myself to take slow, deep breaths when the coughing fit was over. Not that K-babble noticed. "Eww! Heath, fat! Not a visual I want." I managed to ignore another urge to cough. "And kissing him is like sucking on alcohol-soaked feet." K scrunched up her face. "Okay, sick. Too bad he's so hot."

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to try to hide my annoyance at her typical shallowness.

Zoey then reiterates how there is a dead guy by her locker, and that vampires in this world have crescent moon tattoos in the middle of their foreheads. He recites some poem, points at her, and she blacks out as she gets a crescent moon outline on her forehead, the mark of a fledgling, who could one day become a full vampire. Zoey wakes back up and finds Kayla freaking out like a reasonable person because someone she is close to basically just got handed a death sentence, as apparently the tattoo means that Zoey is going through the Change, which could kill her if she doesn’t get around full vampires immediately. You’d think the Tracker would hang around so that the fledglings actually had a chance to make it to the obligatory school. Zoey then gets mad at Kayla for getting emotional.

"Stop crying. You know I hate it when you cry." I reached out to attempt a comforting pat on her shoulders. And she automatically cringed, and moved away from me. I couldn't believe it. She actually cringed, like she was afraid of me. She must have seen the hurt in my eyes because she instantly started a string of breathless K- babble.

Yeah Zoey, your friend has an instinctual reaction to a stressful situation and you immediately start bitching. Not to mention that Zoey had already mentioned how people seem to have a backwards view of vampires, despite what we’ll see later.

"Oh, God, Zoey! What are you going to do? You can't go to that place. You can't be one of those things. This can't be happening! Who am I supposed to go to all of our football games with?" I noticed that all during her tirade she didn't once move any closer to me. I clamped down on the sick, hurt feeling inside that threatened to make me burst into tears. My eyes dried instantly. I was good at hiding tears. I should be; I'd had three years to get good at it.

Our first Mary Sue trait, our poor abused heroine who tries to be tough and not cry. Zoey then remarks about how she’s glad she got Marked inside because she didn’t want every one including her “Barbie-clone sister” to see her out by the buses. Zoey then gives us a big dump and makes it clear about why I hate her as a character.

There was only one other kid in the math hall--a tall thin dork with messed- up teeth, which I could, unfortunately, see too much of because he was standing there with his mouth flapping open staring at me like I'd just given birth to a litter of flying pigs. I coughed again, this time a really wet, disgusting cough. The dork made a squeaky little sound and scuttled down the hall to Mrs. Day's room clutching a flat board to his bony chest. Guess the chess club had changed its meeting time to Mondays after school. Do vampyres play chess? Were there vampyre dorks? How about Barbie-like vampyre cheerleaders? Did any vampyres play in the band? Were there vampyre Emos with their guy-wearing-girl's-pants weirdness and those awful bangs that cover half their faces? Or were they all those freaky Goth kids who didn't like to bathe much? Was I going to turn into a Goth kid? Or worse, an Emo? I didn't particularly like wearing black, at least not exclusively, and I wasn't feeling a sudden and unfortunate aversion to soap and water, nor did I have an obsessive desire to change my hairstyle and wear too much eyeliner.

Yeah, Zoey pretty much insults any group that she isn’t a part of. And it brings up how the Casts cannot seem to get past that fact that cliques are not in vogue anymore. When I was in high school, yeah you had some kids who sat together since they were in band or on the same team, but other people sat with them. It wasn’t clearly defined, and was malleable. What’s with the hate on the goths? Isn’t that one of your key demographics, the people who think Twilight isn’t dark enough for them? Zoey then sends Kayla way after her phone starts playing “Material Girl” as her ringtone, because why show her character when she can be accurately defined by a song title? Zoey angsts for a bit about how she has to go to “Vampire Finishing School”, which is the exact phrase that Cast’s agent used, and how all she wanted was to fit in at school since her home life sucks. Zoey decides to go to the bathroom and wait out the crowd outside, but stops to look through a window.

High-pitched girl giggles flitted to me from the parking lot. Great. Kathy Richter, the biggest ho in school, was pretending to smack Heath. Even from where I was standing it was obvious she thought hitting him was some kind of mating ritual. As usual, clueless Heath was just standing there grinning.

Thus begins the massive amounts of slut shaming in this book series. The Casts constantly promote this as some kind of feminist series, but anyone actually reading this can see that they are some of the biggest hypocrites I’ve ever seen. Kathy also gets no further descriptions and only appears for this one sentence. The Casts could have just had Kayla smiling at Heath and him smiling back and that would have worked better, planting some seeds of doubt about her friend, but no, we get a throw away character who solely exists to be slutty. Zoey doesn’t think about this, instead moving to the bathroom and talking about how she looks.

She had my eyes. They were the same hazel color that could never decide whether it wanted to be green or brown, but my eyes had never been that big and round. Or had they? She had my hair--long and straight and almost as dark as my grandma's had been before hers had begun to turn silver. The stranger had my high cheekbones, long, strong nose, and wide mouth--more features from my grandma and her Cherokee ancestors. But my face had never been that pale. I'd always been olive- ish, much darker skinned than anyone else in my family. But maybe it wasn't that my skin was suddenly so white...maybe it just looked pale in comparison to the dark blue outline of the crescent moon that was perfectly positioned in the middle of my forehead. Or maybe it was the horrid fluorescent lighting. I hoped it was the lighting. I stared at the exotic-looking tattoo. Mixed with my strong Cherokee features it seemed to brand me with a mark of wildness...as if I belonged to ancient times when the world was bigger...more barbaric. From this day on my life would never be the same. And for a moment--just an instant--I forgot about the horror of not belonging and felt a shocking burst of pleasure, while deep inside of me the blood of my grandmother's people rejoiced.

Yes, a character who is supposed to be part Native American just said that she looks more barbaric! How can a person’s mindset be so ass backwards that they write that? The other thing that bothers me is that Zoey says that she is the only person in her family with a darker complexion, despite the fact that her mother is half Cherokee. Even if Zoey’s grandma had a child with a white man, her child would have at least some Native American features. Not to mention the exotification and reducing Native American people to some kind of old fashioned magical people. Ugh, onto Chapter 2.