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theyreonlynoodlesmike · 4 years

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How would the guys handle a “girly girl” S/O? Either poly or individual is fine with me. Thanks!

"How would the boys act with a S/O who is a girly girl? Could they handle that?" -anon

I've said this once and I'll say it again!!! I don't think the boys have a type!! So if you're a girly girl?? Totally won't care. Here you go!! (Made this poly btw)

Poly!Lost Boys x Girly Girl S/O

The boys had spotted you on the boardwalk. Pastels, teased hair, manicured nails, and expertly done makeup to match. You were a prim little girly girl, and their complete opposite. For some reason, that only drew them to you

At first, they just wanted to mess with you. "Piss off the princess" as David had some eloquently put. And it was fun. So fun, actually. They flirted with you, of course, but David made sure to play with your hair, putting a strand out of place. He stroked your cheek, his gaze making you flustered as you tried your best to keep up with them. You could've sworn a second ago you had been surrounded by your friends, but they were nowhere to be found now. Marko had leaned in close, a wide smile on his face as he asked what perfume you used and blatantly took a whiff. You had squirmed at his closeness, and tried to give him a reply. He'd hummed, telling you that he liked it with a grin that made the compliment seem far too suggestive (even if it wasn't). Paul took your distraction as an opportunity to play with the edge of your skirt. You yelped and bat his hands away, but he was already leaning down. He whispered in your ear, "Nice heels. Though, I'm surprised your feet don't hurt. Maybe you wanna spend some time off them?" He flirted. Dwayne was the only one that didn't tease you as ruthlessly as the others, and he caught you before the blonde terror twins could make you trip backwards. You had pressed your back right up against his chest, and quickly looked up to see the handsome brunette. It was all a little much for you, the onslaught of teasing and flirting, and you had flushed bright red. Dwayne rubbed his knuckle against your cheek, quietly asking, "What's wrong, princess?" And that had been the final straw. You had broken away from the four, stomping off as you cursed the boys and their antics. They had jeered, calling for you and asking you to come back

They bothered you every night after that, and eventually they weren't such an unwelcome sight. Really...they could be quite charming when they wanted to be. Despite the warnings you'd recieved about "boys like them", you ended up dating them. All four of them.

Marko low-key likes that you're extremely girly. It makes him look more tough whenever you stand besides him, and he's definitely willing to fight anyone who bothers you. Marko would interlock his arm with yours, and ask you questions about the things you liked (even if they were things he had no interest in). He would even talk to you about makeup and fashion, and just saw your style as your own personal self-expression. He liked to hang out in your room and play with all the stuff you had on your walls. He's not big on wearing makeup himself, but he likes to watch you put it on. He'll hover just a little bit out of the sight of the mirror, tilting his head to the side as you focus on applying your eyeshadow and eyeliner. He likes to watch you make yourself "look pretty" and will argue that, "You're always pretty". He always smiles when you ask him what color you should use, and he grins a little bit more at the boardwalk that night. Will watch "girly" movies and shows with you, and actually likes some of them. Will even listen to some "girly" music with you. Likes to listen to gossip, and totally knows all the names of your friends. Is one of the only boys that can tolerate your friends. Will still tease you from time to time about how girly you are, but he never means it in a bad way. Was totally ko-ed that one time you were chewing bubblegum and blew a bubble while talking to him. Won't explain why, but he just thinks it was really hot. The two of you went into an alleyway, and he was the one chewing gum when you left.

Paul had been completely devastated when he heard that your favorite singers were Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, and had tried to convince you to come back to the cave with them just so he could show you some "real music". You had denied, as you were hesitant about getting on one of their death machines. Especially Paul's. The first time he had you listen to metal, you had just said, "this sounds very angry" and you swore that Paul looked like he was about to cry. Literally conditions you to like it, but will mostly put on soft rock/ballads as a "compromise". He listens to some of your music as well, and one time you caught him humming "Physical" by Olivia Newton John afterwards. He's the most willing to let you put some make-up on him, but only something that "rockstars" would wear. You end up finding out that Paul looks really good with some eyeliner. Let's you paint his nails, but the boy can barely sit still long enough for you to do one coat. And trying to wait for it to dry? Forget it. He even likes the painted nails, but, again, he cannot sit still. Paul loves the fact that you mostly wear skirts. Whistles every time he sees you, and is definitely the type to try to sneak his hands under your skirt to try to cop a feel. If you sit on his lap, his hand is going straight to your legs. You gotta hold them so he won't try anything. Likes to pick out your outfits, even if he usually aims to make it as skimpy as possible and most of his choices get vetoed.

Dwayne is the nicest to you, and he treats you like a little princess. He always tells you that you look pretty, and would let you talk about whatever you wanted. He just likes hearing you talk, even if he has no idea what you're saying. Listens to you talk so much that he starts to pick up some of your slang. In his deep voice, he just says, "That was totally bogus". Type to hold open doors for you and treat you like a lady, even if the others make fun of him for it. He's your giant bodyguard, and he basically makes sure no one tries to take advantage of you based on how non-intimidating you look. The type to buy steal you whatever you want, and may spoil you a bit. If you like a certain piece of jewelry, he's giving you it the next night. He was the one that helped you pick out your earrings when you and them decided to become more official. Let's you braid and brush his hair, but he never wears it out of the cave. If you wear sneakers one night, he'll tie your shoelaces for you so you don't have to bend down in your skirt. Low-key has a kink for when you put on lip-gloss. He just likes watching you apply it, and will pull you into a kiss as soon as your done. It's one of the rare instances where he'll do PDA, so you let it slide that when he pulls back and half of your lip gloss is on his lips instead. He just comments, "Bubblegum." And acts like nothing happened. You mostly want to ride with him because he's the safest, and he always helps you on/off of his bike

David could be a perfect gentleman at times, when he wasn't being an ass. He teases you the most out of all the boys. He likes how feminine you are, mainly because it makes him feel more manly and tough. His all black coat and punk/metal look really constrasts with your feminine style, and he loves watching how beach go-ers immediately back down when you tell them that he's your boyfriend. Yeah, they weren't expecting that. He enjoys pushing your boundaries and testing your knowledge on things outside the mainstream. He will even suggest books and movies to you, but it wasn't until you started dating that he actually got you to listen to him. This was mainly by literally giving you his copies or watching them with you at the cave. You two mainly have conversations about those things, or about the things going on in your life. He's really not the type to be interested in girly things, so rip- Loves and almost insists on having you ride with him, mainly because he loves the way you have to hike up your skirt and how tightly you grip onto him. Definitely teases you by calling you "little girl" along with his usual "kitten" and "sweetheart". Likes that you're a girly girl a little bit too much, especially the fact that you get your nails done. You scratched your nails down his back one (1) time in bed, and he had to keep himself from vamping out and biting you in retaliation. Likes to joke about how he and the boys are "corrupting" you, but secretly thinks it's kind of hot

The boys all call you "barbie" and it's a running joke in your relationship. If you ever start to annoy them, they'll say, "Okay, Barbie"

One of the boys favorite things is picking you up from the mall or the boardwalk when you're with all your friends. They live for the looks your friends give them, whether they're judging your choices or giggling at how cute they are. One of your friends comments about you not possibly being able to date all of them long term, and the boys roll their eyes. David just replies, "Long term is exactly what we had in mind", and ends up telling you about their vampirism soon after. It was a bit of a shock, but after some time to adjust they were able to convince you it wasn't as bad as you thought. But they knew convincing you to change would be a whole other battle...

Overall, none of the boys really mind that you're girly, but they'll definitely tease you for it

#the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #the lost boys david #the lost boys dwayne #the lost boys marko #the lost boys paul #david the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #marko the lost boys #paul the lost boys #the lost boys x reader #the lost boys imagines

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jensengirl83 · 4 years

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Unsung Verses Chapter 7

Rockstar!Dean x plus sized reader

Word Count- 4201

Summary-Y/N and Dean have been best friends since high school, in a band together, and dated for a year but decided they were better off friends. They play gig after gig trying to get discovered, but once they sign a record deal, will fame be all it’s cracked up to be? Or will it be too much for their relationship to handle? Join them on their adventure to fame and find out!

Warnings- Angst, Fluff, Language, Smut

A/N- Song in this cahpter is “You’re The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John from the movie Grease. I hope everyone enjoys!

Lyrics will be in italics.

Thank you to @deanwanddamons for being my beta for this series!

Text dividers made by @firefly-graphics

Series Masterlist

Series Spotify Playlist

The playlist is a big part of the series!

Y/N’s eyes were beginning to strain as she drove down the interstate. They had been on the road for around ten hours now, and she had been driving the last four. She had made Dean let her take over when she noticed his eyes beginning to droop. She had managed to get a few hours of sleep and wanted to let him rest for a little while. Once the sun was fully risen, the odd lighting of the sky should dissipate and ease the strain on her eyes. At least she hoped it would.

“Where are we?” Dean’s groggy voice interrupted her train of thought.

“About an hour outside of Grand Junction, Colorado,” she laughed when she glanced over and noticed his hair. It was sticking up all over his head.

“That’s pretty much halfway. We’ll stop there and get a room and some food. I could use a shower,” he grumbled, sitting up in the seat.

“You sure? I can keep driving for a little while,”

“I’m sure, babe. You could use a break and food too, I’m sure,” he yawned, still trying to wake up fully.

“Okay. I guess I could eat something when we get there,” she said, smiling at him as he took her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips.

“Yeah, and I know we could both use more sleep,” he stated.

“Not going to argue with you on that one,” she laughed.

They made small talk as Y/N drove them to Grand Junction, discussing subjects like what they wanted to eat and which hotel they should stay in. Dean had been searching Google for which ones were on route. They decided on Motel 6 and the diner across the street from it, agreeing there was no need to be extravagant since they were only there to eat and sleep before they got back on the road.

Y/N sighed in relief as she pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine, needing food and a bathroom. She opened the door and exited the car, stretching her arms over her head to loosen her muscles, Dean laughing at the exaggerated groan that left her. He walked around the front of the Impala and kissed her on the forehead.

“I’ll go get us a room, and you can go ahead to the diner and get us a table, sweetheart,” he said.

“First thing I’m doing when I get to the diner is using their bathroom!” she exclaimed.

“I swear, you have the bladder of a toddler,” Dean huffed with a smile.

“Shut it, Angus!” she groaned in faux annoyance.

“Okay, go pee, and I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he shouted over his shoulder as he walked to the lobby.

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She was across the street and through the door in a matter of seconds, going straight for their facilities. Once she was done and her hands washed, she made her way to a booth, sliding in and looking over the menu as she waited for Dean to join her. She hadn’t been looking at the menu for very long when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw a man standing by their table, a smirk on his face.

“Hey there. Mind if I join you?”

“Actually, I do. My boyfriend is on his way,” she said, trying to be nice but as firm as she could.

“Come on now. No need to lie to me,” he chuckled, obviously not getting it.

“I’m not lying. Now, could you please leave?” she asked, her tone a lot sharper than before.

“Hey, sweetheart. Who’s this?” Dean questioned, walking up to the booth and sitting across from her.

“No one. I’m leaving,” the man said, turning to walk away briskly.

“Okay...Well, what looks good, Freddie?” Dean asked her like nothing was going on.

“Really? You have nothing to say about that?” she was confused about how he was acting as if no one had been standing there trying to hit on her.

“What do you want me to say? I know there’s no reason for me to be worried about guys trying to pick you up,”

She thought she could physically feel her heart shatter with his words. She knew she was overweight and not the most attractive woman out there, but Dean saying he had nothing to worry about because of it really hurt. Why would he even say something like that to her?

“Where’s the room key?” she asked, her voice trying to break.

“Why? What’s wrong?” his voice laced with concern.

“The key?” she growled, holding her hand out.

“No, not until you tell me what’s going on,” he sighed, confused about what was going on.

“I’m not making a scene in here, Dean. Just give me the damn key!” she glared at him, trying to keep back her tears until she was alone in their room.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I just got here, and you’re pissed at me? What could I have done in two minutes?” he asked, raising his voice a little.

“Dean…”

“Here, there’s the key,” he slid it across the table to her, “I don’t know what happened, but this is ridiculous,”

“Just as ridiculous as dating the unattractive, fat girl that you don’t have to worry about anyone wanting, huh?” she fumed, leaving him sitting at the table with his jaw slack in shock.

She was in tears, choking back sobs as she crossed the street and into the hotel. All she wanted was to get to their room and lock herself in the bathroom. She should have known that a man as attractive as Dean would ever honestly want her or think she was beautiful. Sure, she wasn’t a dog, but she wasn’t a supermodel either.

Her hands shook as she got the door to their room open, dropping the key on the chest of drawers and throwing herself on the bed. She had wanted to hide in the bathroom but couldn’t bring herself to make it that far. She had the key anyway, so it wasn’t like he could get in to bother her. She was so lost in her misery that she didn’t hear the door open and Dean entering the room.

“Y/N, baby, talk to me, please!” he pleaded, laying on the bed and curling up to her back, “Why would you ever think something like that?”

“How did you get in here?” she asked.

“They gave me two keys. Now, talk to me,” he whispered.

“Just leave me alone,” she sobbed, feeling him cuddled to her back, making her even more self-conscious.

“Freddie...Please. Is it because I said I wasn’t jealous?” he begged, running his hand up and down her side.

“You said you didn’t have anything to worry about as if you knew that no one would want me!” she cried.

“Oh, sweetheart. That’s not what I meant. I meant that I trusted you, and I know you would never hurt me like that. I’m crazy jealous! I was trying to hide it because I thought it would make you think I didn’t trust you,” he whispered in her ear, leaving light kisses on her neck and shoulder.

“Really?” she whimpered, turning over to look at him.

“I promise! I’m crazy about you, darlin’. You should know that. I can hardly keep my hands off of you!” he chuckled.

“But why? You could get someone so much better than me,” she sighed.

“Are you kidding me?! You’re all I want. You’re beautiful, smart, caring, and sexy as hell,” he growled, nibbling on her neck.

“Dean…” she moaned, his mouth on her sending heat straight to her core.

“Let me show you how much I want you, Y/N. No other woman has ever turned me on as you do,” he said, moving his lips from her neck to her shoulder and then to her collar bone.

She didn’t answer him, just let him continue his path down her chest, his lips kissing every inch on the way down. Her skin felt like it was on fire anywhere he touched her, a feeling no other man has ever given her. His hands were calloused from playing the guitar and working on the Impala, but so gentle when they were gliding across her skin.

She couldn’t stop the moan that passed her lips as his hands slid under her shirt, running up her sides to cup her breasts and squeeze lightly, thumbing her nipples through her cotton bra. She arched her back into his touch, her core clenching around nothing as he teased her. He lifted her shirt over her breasts and pulled one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking lightly through the fabric, eliciting another moan from her, before removing her shirt to reveal her partially naked chest to him.

“So damn beautiful,” he whispered against her skin, looking up to lock eyes with her, “Always driving me crazy, making me so hard,”

He didn’t wait for a response before reaching behind her and popping the clasp of her bra, throwing it across the room. He kissed his way back up her chest, her neck, and across her jaw, finally making it to her lips. There was no rush in the kiss. His lips were moving with a softness that left her breathless, his tongue caressing hers as if it was the most fragile thing on the earth. His hands were warm and soft against her cheeks as he held her, showing her how much he wanted her without a word spoken.

“I’m so fucking in love with you,” he whispered against her kiss swollen lips, both of them panting with desire, “There will never be another woman for me, sweetheart,”

“I love you…” she moaned as his hand slid under the waistband of her jeans and rubbed over her clothed heat.

His fingers felt so good against her, moving slowly over her panties, pressing against her clit every so often. He removed his hand and popped the button to her jeans, moving down her body to pull them and her panties off in one go. Once he had them off and had disposed of them, he sat back and looked at her with an expression of awe. He would never be able to put into words how beautiful she was and how much she meant to him, but he would never stop trying to show her.

He stood and undressed, his eyes never leaving her, taking in the sight of her panting and wrecked, waiting for him. He didn’t think he had ever been so turned on as he was when he was with her, but it wasn’t just sex when he was with her. He wanted to please her, not even caring about himself.

She watched as he moved in between her legs, his muscular body hovering over her, holding himself up with his forearms. The warmth of his body caused her to shiver, not because she was cold but from the anticipation of feeling him inside her.

“You ready, sweetheart?” He whispered, his forehead pressed against hers.

“Please…” she begged, needing to feel him.

He smiled at the tremor in her voice, knowing she wanted him as much as he did her. Reaching between them, he lined himself up at her entrance and moved his hips enough to slide in just an inch. He pulled and pushed a few times, both groaning as he became fully seated inside her. He buried his face in her neck as he gave them a moment to adjust to each other. Y/N rolled her eyes in ecstasy with how he filled and stretched her in the best of ways.

“Fuck...so tight, baby. Feels so good,”

“Move, Dean. Please…” she moaned, moving her hips against him.

“Patience, sweetheart. I’ve got you. I’ve always got you,” he growled, nibbling on her ear.

He withdrew his hips and moved back in at a slow pace, hitting that spot in her with every thrust. His hips were pushing against her sensitive bud, driving her to the edge faster than she had anticipated. The sound of their wanton moans and skin against skin was all that could be heard as she felt the coil tighten in her belly.

“I-I’m so c-close,” she whined, her body beginning to shake.

“Come for me, beautiful. I’m right behind you,” his voice was wrecked with desire, “I need to feel you let go for me,”

That’s all it took, and she was coming, his name passing her lips in a breathless chant. She wrapped her legs around his hips, drawing him deeper into her, causing him to fall over the edge. His thrusts became erratic before he stilled deep, hips pressed against hers, moaning filthy praises in her ear, and came. His body shook as he tried to hold himself above her, not wanting to crush her as he tried to catch his breath.

After a few minutes of light kisses and whispered praises, he moved to stand and walked to the bathroom, coming back out with a washcloth to clean her and then himself. Y/N smiled, feeling loved and content with how he wanted to take care of her. Once he crawled in bed beside her, she rolled to lay her head on his chest, his arm pulling her closer.

“I don’t want you ever thinking that you’re aren’t exactly who I want, Freddie. Do you hear me? I’ve never been as happy as I am when I’m with you,” he whispered, kissing her head.

“I’m sorry. I let my insecurities get to me when I shouldn’t,” she sighed, knowing it was something she had to work on.

“You don’t have to apologize. Just promise me next time you feel this way, you’ll come and talk to me so I can show you just how beautiful you are and how much I love you,” he said, squeezing her against him.

“I promise,” she smiled. How did she ever get so lucky?

“Get some rest, sweetheart. We still have a long drive ahead of us,”

He tilted her chin, so she was looking at him, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. They both were exhausted and needed the rest. Y/N fell asleep in his arms with a smile on her face, never feeling as loved as she did when she was with him, and she was determined to show him just what he meant to her too.

Y/N was loading their overnight bag in the trunk when Dean walked back from the diner, bag of food and coffee in hand. She laughed at the goofy grin on his face as he shook the bag at her, holding it up in the air like a trophy. Granted, they were both starving since breakfast had got ruined earlier.

Dusk was beginning to settle in as the sun sank lower in the sky, both of them agreeing that they enjoyed driving better at night. There was less traffic to deal with, and there was just something so peaceful about driving with the stars in the sky above them. Y/N settled in the passenger’s seat as Dean got in and handed her a cup of coffee, sitting the bag of food between them.

“I just talked to Sam. They will be landing around ten in the morning. I figured with what drive time we have left and a few pit stops, we should make it at the same time,” he told her before taking a bite out of his burger.

“Sounds good. I’ve really enjoyed this trip with you, but I’m ready to get there,” she laughed at Dean’s fake pouting.

“I see how it is. You just can’t wait to get away from me!” he said, clutching his chest in fake hurt.

“Calm down, drama king! You do remember we are going to be living together, right?” she asked with a chuckle.

“Oh, I remember, sweetheart. It’s just going to be you and me. The fun we’re going to have christening that penthouse,” he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Is that all you ever think about?” she asked, rolling her eyes but with a smile on her face.

“When I’ve got a woman that looks like you, how am I not supposed to think about it?” he whispered, leaning over to kiss on her neck.

“Okay, Casanova. We have to get on the road,” she giggled, shoving him away by his face.

“Fine, fine. But once we get to L.A., you’re all mine, darlin’,” he winked.

“I’m forever all yours,” she said sweetly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Dean smiled and kissed her with passion, her face cupped in his strong hands. How could she make him fall even more in love with her by the day? It didn’t seem possible, but here he was, absolutely and irrevocably head over heels in love with her. He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as he put Baby in gear and headed for the interstate, ready to get to their new home and to start their new life together.

Y/N felt the relief wash over her as she pulled up in front of their building and turned off the engine. She had been driving the last six hours so Dean could nap, and she was exhausted and ready to rest. Sam and Cas should be getting there at any time, and she knew they still had to unpack their things. She sighed, just wanting to forget it all and go to sleep, but that wasn’t going to happen.

“Dean, we’re here. Wake up,”

“Huh? What? Already?” he grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes and sitting up to look around.

“Yes, grumpy bear, already,” she laughed at the bitch face he gave her.

“Uhh...We still have to unpack!” he complained, throwing his head back against the seat.

“Yes, we do, so come on, let’s get this over with,” she groaned, getting out of the Impala and walking back to the trailer.

Dean soon joined her, and they began unloading their belongings when Sam, Cas, Meg, and Jess pulled up in the cab they took from the airport. Everyone greeted each other with hugs and pleasantries before Dean started to complain again.

“I’m so tired, and we have to haul all this shit up to the apartment,”

“I’m tired too, but it’s not going to get done if we just stand here and bitch and moan about it,” Y/N huffed.

“Oh, really? You mean you can’t twitch your nose and make it all appear upstairs?” he asked with a smirk.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a witch, but if I were, my first action would be to curse you not to speak,” she sassed, everyone but Dean laughing.

“Are you sure about that?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Yes. Your dick would still work if you couldn’t talk,” she quipped.

“So, you’re going to dis little Dean, huh?” he growled.

“You’re the one that just called him little…” she laughed.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough of that. Let’s get this stuff upstairs before you guys kill each other,” Sam chuckled.

“She started it,” Dean whined, picking up a box and walking toward the building.

Everyone laughed at his whining before grabbing a box and following him into the building and to the elevators. It only took a little over an hour to get everything in their penthouse with the others’ help. Y/N and Dean were ecstatic to be done moving everything in. Yes, they still needed to unpack, but they could do that slowly, resting in between. They were both lounging on the couch when he reached over and grabbed her hand, catching her attention.

“Do you really not want me to talk?” he asked with a pout.

“Aww, honey, you know I was joking. You were tired and grumpy. I was just messing with you,” she chuckled, leaning to peck him on the lips.

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise. Are you okay, Dean?” she was puzzled by his sudden questioning.

“I’m okay. I worry I’m not what you want sometimes,” he told her, hanging his head.

“C’mere,” she whispered, gesturing for him to lay his head in her lap.

He gave her a weak smile as he hurried over and laid on the couch, resting his head in her lap and wrapping his arms around her thigh. She began running her fingers through his hair, visibly seeing him relax. She smiled down at him, seeing the exhaustion and insecurity in his eyes. It broke her heart to see him when he got this way. She would never understand how a man that looked like him could ever be insecure about himself.

“Angus, I love you. I know we bicker sometimes, and I can be a little bitchy, but I’ve never been so sure of anything as I am that I want you. So, stop your worrying, and let’s enjoy this new chapter in our lives,” she reassured him.

“How do you know just what to say and do to make me feel better?” he whispered, nuzzling his face into her lower abdomen.

“We’ve known each other for over a decade now. If I didn’t know you by now, then I deserve the worst girlfriend in the world award,” she giggled, him already shaking his head in her lap.

“Nope! No ma’am! That is the last thing you deserve,” he vehemently disagreed.

“Well, thank you, my dear. Now, how about we get some of this stuff unpacked so we can rest more later?” she smiled, hands still in his hair.

“Alright, let’s do it,” he groaned, standing up and reaching for her hand, pulling her up and into a hug.

“Love you too, Freddie,” he declared, kissing her forehead before walking to a box to get started unpacking.

She smiled at his retreating form. She hated to see him go but loved to watch him leave. He had the cutest butt she had ever seen and could stare at it all day. The way his jeans cling to it when he bent over or moved his legs to take a step… She shook her head to get the thoughts out of her head. They had work to do, and she could stare at his ass later. She giggled to herself as she hit shuffle on her phone, needing music to pump her up and get her moving. She cackled at the song that started to play.

“Dean!” she yelled, turning to see a mirrored smile on his face.

“Oh, Freddie, that was the good ole days,” he laughed, wrapping her in his arms and spinning her around, singing the lyrics to her.

I got chills

They're multiplyin'

And I'm losin' control

'Cause the power

You're supplyin'

It's electrifyin'!

She giggled as he continued to sing and spin her around the room. One of their favorite times in high school was when they performed “Grease”. Dean the lead role as Danny, and Y/N as Sandy.

You better shape up,

'Cause I need a man

And my heart is set on you

You better shape up

You better understand

To my heart I must be true

She sang the next verse, doing her best Sandy impression, causing him to laugh now. They were still dancing around the room as they both took a deep breath to sing the next verse together.

You're the one that I want

You, oo, oo, honey

The one that I want

You, oo, oo, honey

The one that I want

You, oo, oo

Are what I need

Oh, yes indeed

They ended the verse in a fit of laughter, reminiscing the great times they had performing musical theater together. He spun her around one last time, pulling her back flush against him. His smile turned into a smirk as he looked at her mouth and licked his lips, leaning in and kissing her hard.

“Am I interrupting something?” Sam’s voice broke them apart.

“Yes, you are actually! And have you ever heard of knocking?” Dean huffed.

“I did. You couldn’t hear me over the singing and teenage giggles,” he smirked.

“What do you need, Sam?” she asked sweetly, laying her head on Dean’s chest.

“We’re all going out to get dinner. You want to join us?” he smiled.

“Nah, we’ll order a pizza later,” she declined, “We have things we need to do here,”

“Oh, yes, we do!” Dean moaned into her neck, kissing and nibbling.

“Alright! I’m outta here!” the younger Winchester shouted, letting himself out, shutting the door behind him.

“Now, where were we?” he chuckled, trying to kiss her again, but she stopped him.

“We were unpacking these boxes, Romeo,” she laughed.

“But, sweetheart…” he whined.

“Later. I promise,” she winked, “After we get some things put away and go get dinner,”

“Fine, but you’re getting me pie!” he exclaimed, pointing his finger at her playfully.

“Of course, dear,” she said, rolling her eyes and making her way back to the stack of boxes that weren’t going to unpack themselves.

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letterboxd · 3 years

Photo

Lonesome Cruiser.

Blockbuster composer Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL, talks to Gemma Gracewood about composing for titans, his pride in Dutch cinema, friendship with George Miller and longing for Olivia Newton-John. Plus: his Letterboxd Life in Film and why he’s selling his prized collection of recording gear.

It has been a spectacular spring for Tom Holkenborg, the Dutch musician also known as Junkie XL, who has crafted the scores for multiplex fare such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Terminator: Dark Fate, Sonic the Hedgehog and the upcoming zombie banger Army of the Dead. Only weeks apart, two blockbusters landed on screens with his sonic stamp all over them: Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong and Zack Snyder’s re-realized Justice League.

Thankfully, the Godzilla vs. Kong score was complete by the time the Justice League telephone rang. Holkenborg—who had lost the Justice League gig along with Snyder the first time around—knew the Snyder cut was coming; he had closely watched the growing calls for it online. “Zack and I already started talking in 2019. He’s like, ‘What if we were to finish this? What would it take?’ Those conversations turned to ‘Well, how many recording days potentially do you need and how much of an orchestra do you potentially need?’ Finally, somewhere in April 2020, that’s when that phone call came: ‘Okay, light’s green, start tomorrow, and start running until it’s done because it’s four and a half hours’.”

Ray Fisher as Cyborg in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’.

Holkenborg approaches the titanic task of blockbuster film scoring with an engineer’s mindset: “Building a fantastic, huge house with 20 bedrooms and the dance hall and the kitchen… You’re not going to start by building the third bathroom for the third guest room, right?” Once he has identified the scenes that are most important to his directors—for Snyder, they included the introduction of Cyborg, three fight set-pieces, and a scene of The Flash running that comes towards the end of the film—the composer identifies instrumental “colors” in order to build a theme around each character. Then he holds some of those colors back, theorizing that “if you want like an, ‘Oh!’ experience by looking at a painting that has a huge amount of bright yellow in it, it’s way more successful to see fifteen paintings in front of it, where yellow is absent.”

The Godzilla vs. Kong score satisfies Holkenborg’s life-long love of both characters. “I don’t have a preference for either one. I love them both for various different reasons.” Their respective histories fascinate him: Godzilla as a way to make sense of Japan’s nuclear fall-out, and Kong as a gigantic spectacle that ended up attracting the sympathies of the audiences he was supposed to scare. Even when the science makes no sense (“what the fuck are plasma boosters, anyway?!”), Holkenborg is still happy to wax lyrical about the emotional depth of Kong’s stories, the elaborate concepts of the Godzilla-verse, and his musical approach to the pair—dark, moving brass for Godzilla, with synthesized elements “because he is a half-synthesized animal”, and a more organic, complex orchestration for Kong, featuring “one of the world’s bigger bass drums”.

Adam Wingard’s ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’.

All of this seat-shaking bombast is composed on an “insanely massive sound system” in Holkenborg’s small home studio (though he reassures pandemic-stricken film lovers that he has recently seen both Godzilla vs. Kong and Justice League on his laptop—and “really enjoyed watching it like that”). The process, he says, was “pretty intense”, but only in terms of the sheer amount of score needed. Composing in quarantine was not much different from his usual workflow. “I’m a pretty lonesome cruiser anyway. Composing, by nature, is like a solo exercise—obviously with assistance.”

Like many creatives (Bong Joon-ho recently told a film studies class that he is up at 5:00am most days to watch a movie), Holkenborg is an early riser, waking by 4:00am. “I’m super sharp between like 4 or 5:00am and 9:00am, so I like to do a lot of creative work in that slot.” He takes care of business until mid-afternoon, when another creative spurt happens. “And then I have another batch of calls usually to make, and then around 8:30pm, I’m going to retire for the rest of the day and just chill out a little bit and watch stuff that I want to see, read things that I want to read. Right now I’m studying Portuguese.” By 10:30pm, he’s asleep. “And then at three o’clock I get up.” (Needless to say, Holkenborg’s children are no longer small.)

The pandemic simplified a lot of things for a lot of people: for Holkenborg, it has been a moment to tidy up the physical side of his work. In November last year, he opened an online shop to divest the bulk of his gear—synths, pedals, guitars, drum machines and much more—that he has been collecting since the late 1970s. When friends told him he’d regret it, he disagreed. “At some point I’m going to die. I can’t take them to the afterlife. I also found out I don’t need them. I love to have them around, but I don’t need them.”

Tom Holkenborg with the bass drum used in the ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ score.

It certainly solves the question of what he’d take if his house was on fire. “The hard drives with sounds and music over the last 40 years, 45 years, that’s hard to replace. So, that would be it. I’m just thinking about things that are absolutely irreplaceable and there are not that many, really.” Alas, it’s bad news for that bass drum. “I can’t take that with me when the house is on fire. Unfortunately, it’s going to make the house burn longer.”

Anyone who has interviewed or spent time with Holkenborg will agree: he may be a lonesome cruiser, but he is also personable, funny, loves to settle in for a chat. As he lights his second or third cigarette in readiness for his Life in Film questionnaire, I’m curious about his relationships with the esteemed filmmakers he has worked with—who include his mentor, Hans Zimmer, directors Sir Peter Jackson, Tim Miller, Robert Rodriguez and, especially, Fury Road’s George Miller.

The story of how Holkenborg scored Mad Max: Fury Road bears retelling: that George Miller did not want a soundtrack (“he was convinced that the orchestration of sounds of the cars would be enough to carry the whole movie”), that Holkenborg was only brought in to create a little something for the Coma-Doof Warrior’s flame-throwing guitar, that they hit it off, the job grew, and grew, into a score that covers almost the entire film.

The Coma-Doof Warrior in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015).

What is his best memory of Fury Road? “Well, obviously, when I saw the movie for the first time and I was like ‘what the hell am I looking at?’,” he laughs. “What I mostly look back on is the friendship that I developed with George and the film school one-on-one that I got admitted to, while being paid at the same time, to study with somebody like him. We would talk all night about all kinds of things and nothing, because that really defines our relationship so much—a joint interest in so many different things.”

Happily, Holkenborg and Miller are working together again, on Three Thousand Years of Longing. “It’s really great to be in that process with him again. It’s just like about pricking each other with a little needle. It’s like, ‘Oh, why are you saying that?’ We do that with each other to keep each other sharp. ‘Oh, but if you’re doing this, I’m going to be doing that.’ And then, ‘Oh, if you’re doing that, I’m going to be doing this.’ So it’s really interesting.”

What is your favorite Godzilla film?

Tom Holkenborg: 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante. It’s a very obscure one where he’s basically fighting a giant rose. Let’s not look for the logic there.

Why has that particular Godzilla captured your heart? It’s so corny. Yeah. Mothra vs. Godzilla is also great. Mothra looks like a very bad Arabian carpet that was imported through customs and it got delivered by FedEx completely ruined and then laid outside for like four weeks in the rain.

‘Godzilla vs. Biollante’ (ゴジラvsビオランテ, 1989).

What is the first film you remember seeing in a cinema? Bambi. I was six years old, yeah.

And is there a film you have fond memories of watching with your family—a movie that became a family favorite? Not, like, a family favorite because our opinions were too diverse for that, but the next movie that became very important to me when I was a little older was Saturday Night Fever. I thought the soundtrack was, like, groundbreaking, mind-blowingly insane. It’s not necessarily those three massive beats of the Bee Gees on there, but all these other really alternative, left-field tracks by bands like Kool & the Gang. And the way that that darker disco music played against that really dark movie about what it’s like to live in New York and become a competitive dancer, it’s incredible. And still, today, it’s one of the movies where film music and the film itself had so much impact on me, even though it’s not a traditional film score in that sense. It’s incredible.

What is the film that made you want to work in movies, given that you also have a whole musical career separate from movies? (Enjoy Junkie XL’s early 2000s remix of Elvis Presley’s ‘A Little Less Conversation’.) For me, the move from a traditional artist into film scoring was a very slow gradual process. There’s not one movie that pushed me over the cliff. It’s just, like, all the great movies that were made. And I still have a list of obscure movies, classic movies that I need to see.

Yesterday I saw the weirdest of all, but I do want to share this: the original, uncut R-rated version of Caligula, [from] 1979. He [director Tinto Brass] was notoriously brutal and he organized orgies and had terrible torturing techniques. But it’s really weird, there’s Shakespearean actors in there, and then it goes to full-on porn sections. It’s really weird. The music is incredible. You can find it online. You will not find it anywhere [else]. I can just imagine what this must have felt like in 1979 when the film came out. Suspiria, that’s another one. It’s just like, how weird was that thing?

What is your favorite blockbuster that you did not compose? Ben-Hur. I’ve seen that one at least 20 times.

What’s your all-time comfort re-watch? The movie I’ve seen the most is Blade Runner. It’s just, like, it’s a nice world you’re stepping into, that fantasy. It’s not necessarily because I have memories [of] that movie that brings me back to a certain time period, it’s not that. It’s just that I just love to dwell in it. It feels a little bit like coming home. You can use it as comfort food, you can use it as, “I’m not feeling anything today”, or the opposite. You feel very great and you feel very inspired and it’s like, “Oh, let’s go home and watch that movie again.”

Terrence Malick’s ‘The Thin Red Line’ (1998).

Hans Zimmer has been an important mentor to you. Do you have a favorite of his scores? Yes, The Thin Red Line. It’s also the filmmaking of Terrence Malick—he forces a composer to think a certain way. He would always say, “It’s too much, make it less, make it smaller, make it this, make it that.” So, A, it’s a very good movie and B, he got Hans into the right place and Hans just over-delivered by doing exactly the right things at the right time and then shining just because of that.

Who is a composer that you have your eye on and what is one of their films that we should watch next? It’s so sad to say, but I mean, let’s call it like a retrospective discovery if you will. I’m so sad that we lost Jóhann Jóhannsson. He was a composer I felt really close to. We started roughly in the same time period making our way in today’s world. Also, Jóhann came from an artist background, even though it was a modern classical background. He made really great records, great experimentation with electronic elements, with classical instruments, and the mix between the two of them—very original way of looking at music. With Denis Villeneuve as his partner in crime the movies that they did were just mind-boggling good, whether it was Sicario or Arrival or Prisoners, and his voice will truly be missed among film composers. So people that are not super familiar with his work, I would definitely check it out.

‘Turks Fruit’ (Turkish Delight, 1973).

What is a must-see Dutch film that we should add to our watchlists? Holland has small cinema, but it has a really rich cinema and a very serious cinema culture. Usually because there’s not enough work in film, people are serious stage performers but then they also act in movies so they understand both really well. And we’ve delivered. There’s a string of actors that make their way to Hollywood or star in well-known series, whether it’s like Game of Thrones, or what we just talked about, Blade Runner. Many directors like Paul Verhoeven, Jan de Bont, the cameraman.

And so a movie that I’d like to pick is an old movie, called Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight) from the 1970s. Rutger Hauer is a younger guy, like, this completely irresponsible guy that starts this relationship with a really beautiful young girl, and they do all these crazy things, they do a lot of drugs and they have a lot of sex. He’s just like a bad influence on her.

Then he finds out she [has] cancer and it’s terminal. And to see him deal with that, and to see him want a change, but also in that change he does a lot of bad stuff at the same time… It was a sensational movie when it came out. And it actually was directed by Paul Verhoeven, one of his earlier films. When you see it, you’re just like, ‘Why am I watching this?’ for the first 45 minutes and then it starts and it’s like, ‘whoa’. So it’s really good, even in retrospect.

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in ‘Grease’ (1978).

What is the sexiest film you’ve ever seen? When I was super young, it was definitely Grease, with Olivia Newton-John, when she was in her catsuit at the very end of it. I had her picture on my bedroom, above my bed sideways because I was only like ten years old or something. I was so in love with Olivia Newton-John. It wasn’t the film per se, it was her. Yeah, I find, personally, movies from the ’70s to be more sexy, but it has something to do with the super-loose way that people were dressed and people were behaving.

And the other one was later in life: Basic Instinct. Sharon Stone. I’m not talking about like the famous shot, right, where she crosses her legs. I’m not talking about that, but the way that she acts throughout the whole movie. It’s insane. It’s really great.

Are there any films that have scared you? Like, truly terrified you? Yeah, I’m not a big fan because I get sucked up too much in it. The found [footage] horror movies like Paranormal Activity and things like the Japanese version of The Grudge, I cannot watch that stuff. That gets me too much. Because when I watch a film, I cannot watch it with one eye half open, the other one closed, like, ‘Okay, kind of cool, interesting’. I just get sucked into it.

Is there a film that has made you cry like no other? Oh yeah. Multiple. Once Upon a Time in America. The Godfather. Hable con Ella (Talk to Her). Betty Blue.

Thomas Holkenborg, AKA Junkie XL.

These are the films that make you weep? Not like on a regular basis, but I remember those were the ones that I really got hit. I’m talking particularly about the third Godfather. That whole end scene when they get out of the church and then… It’s really well-acted. So many Godfather fans that were dismissive of the film when it came out, in retrospect, ten, fifteen, 20 years later, are like, ‘it’s a really good film’. And I actually think so.

Final question. Is there a film from the past year that you would recommend, that you’ve loved? [Long pause.] The thing is that I watch pretty much a movie a day. So, that’s like three to four hundred movies. It [has] happened so often that I watch a film and then I’m just like an hour and 45 minutes in, it’s like, ‘wait, fuck, I’ve seen this thing before’.

So, we have an app for that… [Laughs.]

Related content

Junkie XL’s Letterboxd Life in Film list

Freddie Baker’s review of Justice League

Dutch Cinema: Danielle’s extensive list of more than 2,000 films

Letterboxd Showdown: The Perfect Score (best film scores)

The official Junkie XL Reverb Shop

Follow Gemma on Letterboxd

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thesinglesjukebox · 5 years

Video

youtube

DUA LIPA - PHYSICAL

[7.50]

It's okay! Move that boogie body!

Leah Isobel: It is a dark and stormy night. In a sinister science lab located somewhere in Carmen Sandiego's plush pomo lair, a pop singer plugs in a neon light, shrugs into a next-season Gaultier lab coat and gets to work. In the reflection of her gold-tinted goggles we see her add one (1) part Extract of "Into You," one (1) part Juice of Newton-John, and four (4) drops of Synthesizer Spice into a contoured beaker. She turns on the flame of a Bunsen burner; stream gushes from her concoction like a geyser, emitting a high, keening refrain. She whispers a few luscious words into the steam -- "diamond," "sssimulation," "adrenaline" -- but her experiment still lacks a certain something. Then -- BOOM! -- in a thundercrash of lightning, it hits her. Eureka! She turns and sees her reflection illuminated in the glass of an emergency axe container, kept onsite in case of fire. "Well," she chuckles to herself as she breaks the glass with a four-inch stiletto heel, "I am creating something... hot." Axe in hand, she chops the neon light into pieces and stuffs the shards, now glittering like a million sequined dancefloors, into the beaker. With the addition of this Decoction of Disco, her potion bubbles... it burbles... then KABOOM: it explodes the entire building and half of the surrounding city! She stands in the wreckage as thunder splits the sky above and sirens wail in the distance. We see Dua's eyes glow green before she throws her head back to the sky and screams: "GAY RIIIIIGHTS!" [9]

William John: Probably the best example of what parts of the Internet's stan culture would facetiously refer to as "gay rights" from a mainstream musical artist since... the last Dua Lipa single, or, failing that, "Into You." Like those precedents, "Physical" is camp but magisterial; playful but extremely melodramatic; sweeping, dance floor ready, and dripping with an exultant swagger. Her reminder to "hold on, just a little tighter" at the bridge is, truthfully, a hollow gesture; at that stage, the listener is so deeply embroiled in her glorious disco caprice as to not really be capable of gripping anything at all. [10]

Jackie Powell: It couldn't be clearer that Dua Lipa had something to prove not only to herself, but to the pop music intelligentsia on her sophomore offering. What has struck me most about the Future Nostalgia cycle is how Dua is executing every facet of it with confidence. On this track, she's not afraid of hitting notes that eclipse the breadth of her previous singles, especially on the bridge. "Physical" is a representative offering of exactly what she's aiming to prove. Each track we've heard so far reflects a different decade accompanied with a modern polish. I don't think I'm the only one who believes Olivia Newton-John's '80s exercise sexual metaphor smash "Physical" deserves the tribute it's getting here. There's a clear homage paid to her and to Patti LaBelle on Lipa's own "Physical." I'm going to interpret her lyric "We created something phenomenal" as a bit of a double-entendre. Not only is it about sex in the narrative of the track, but it's a comment on Lipa's approach to this era and her confidence on every single part of it. The sexual symbolism isn't just in the lyrics, but also in the track's composition and the narrative communicated in the visual treatment. The vocal highs that she hits on the bridge represent a climax musically and sexually. She has so much confidence in the visual treatment, she spends most of it braless. That takes guts. [9]

Tobi Tella: Dua Lipa's perceived lack of personality has turned out to actually be lack of a schtick preventing her from artistically evolving, something many of her peers are plagued with. Also, I've died and gone to gay heaven. [9]

Alfred Soto: The way Dua Lipa's unexpected bon mots and smoky sultriness ride the beat and compete with the strings compensate for a production too dressed up in leg warmers and headbands for my taste -- I mean, her exhortations are more fearsome than erotic. [7]

Julian Axelrod: Pop's '80s revival arms race has escalated to its natural endpoint: the accidental exhumation of Olivia Newton-John. I wish Dua Lipa had used "let's get physical" in a more literal iteration; singing it over hyperdrive synths guarantees it'll be never played in its intended setting, especially when she has half the energy of ONJ. But she hit the mark where it counts: This is going to rule spin classes for the rest of the year. [6]

Brad Shoup: A throwback training-montage track that suggests sex but is really about dancing and Olivia Newton-John erasure. This is Stranger Things pop. [5]

Thomas Inskeep: Sex is natural, sex is fun, sex is best when soundtracked by throbbing '80s synths. [6]

Ashley Bardhan: Okay, fine, I enjoy horny music. Sue me! This song is what would happen if ABBA was brought back to life as a bunch of hot 20-year-olds in little shirts from Fashion Nova. The "let's get physical" chorus feels a little lazy since it's a direct lift from Olivia Newton-John's 1981 hit, but this is a great song to listen to while thinking about that video of Charli XCX holding poppers. No complaints here. [7]

Alex Clifton: I've underestimated Dua Lipa. Her first album had some hits and misses, but Future Nostalgia is shaping up to be one of the best pop releases of 2020 based on the strength of its singles. "Physical" is a cascade of rainbow lights in a roller rink and makes me long to go out to a club, one where I can get down in a huge crowd of people and dance my white-girl ass off poorly. I'm an extreme introvert, so anything that makes me want to leave the house and be around strangers is powerful stuff indeed. It's a little cheesy, but who cares? It's a love letter to the '80s with all the campiness a song citing Olivia Newton-John should have. I'm desperately in love with Dua Lipa after hearing this, and I have a feeling "Physical" will be one of my favourite songs of the year. [9]

Stephen Eisermann: Dua Lipa has quietly become the pop superstar that so many of us wanted Carly Rae to be. Both women make incredible music, but it is Dua who has found commercial success; after hearing "Physical," it seems pretty obvious why. It's a retro-laden, power-pop track that is extraordinary only in the way Dua delivers it. What should be pedestrian instead is hypnotic, infectious, and oh so delicious. [8]

Lauren Gilbert: I promised a friend I'd blurb this song, and now that I've sat down to write it, I have nothing to say. It is a perfect pop song -- Dua knocks it out of the park on this record. I keep getting distracted from writing jamming to the track. I'm dancing while lying down on my couch. She created something phenomenal; we are left with no choice but to stan. [10]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: I've justified Dua Lipa's dearth of personality in years past, but this is where things don't add up: her dead-eyed singing makes no sense during the chorus, whose synths lack the fervor to make up for clinical vocal melodies. Around this time last year, we had Lizzo's "Juice"; now we have "Physical" as an example of '80s pastiche that only feels like it exudes energy and passion and charm. [2]

Will Adams: It's neat to have a single that's its own Initial Talk remix, but the synthpop revivalism is a bit too literal, to the point of putting all its chips on an Olivia Newton-John quote. It's not until the bridge -- "keep on DANCING!" -- where the drama locks in and starts, but only starts, to feel real. [6]

Kylo Nocom: Dua Lipa, determined more than ever to win the Popjustice £20 Music Prize, accidentally transforms into Alice Chater in the process. [5]

Katherine St Asaph: If "Physical" being by Dua Lipa wasn't hypertargeted enough to the Popjustice set, is that the synth progression from Saint Etienne's "No Cure for the Common Christmas" in the intro and beneath the chorus? It's certainly the same height of drama. The track attached isn't quite so charged: a little too Lady Gaga circa "Applause" and a little too Peloton instructor quoting Olivia Newton-John for absolutely no reason besides the culture deciding at some point to make the phrase a permanent, meaningless meme. (The song doesn't even sound particularly '80s; the disco strings are the decade prior, and the vocal squiggles on the verse are so specifically 2016 a time traveler's on their way to erase them.) Dua Lipa only betrays a personality on the spoken-word bridge; ironic how that and the vaporous intro, the least physical things on this track, are the most thrilling. [7]

Vikram Joseph: The intro feels like a prickling at the back of your neck, the one-line pre-chorus feels like plummeting six floors in a broken elevator, and the chorus is such a headrush you can practically smell the poppers: "Physical"'s thrills might be straightforward, but they're visceral as fuck. There are vintage Lady Gaga vibes, the "come on!"s are surely a nod to "We Are Your Friends," and the whole thing reminds me, inexplicably, of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life." But Dua Lipa is starting to make this all seem effortless, and the panache with which she delivers "Physical" easily pulls it clear of the gravitational field of its forebears. [9]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: "Physical" dares us to be the boldest versions of ourselves. It finds itself at the perfect intersection of confidence and lust. Dua Lipa is flirting with you with a playfulness she can only possess because she already knows you're going home together -- and she won't let you leave until the dancing is done. Dancing here is instinct, it's synths that sound as sweet as they do sinister, it's salty like the sweat that rolls down your forehead after you've been, well, physical. Dua Lipa is crushing the Confessions on a Dance Floor album that I've long been waiting for Lady Gaga to make. Dance floor music has long been my site of refuge and catharsis, so it's refreshing to be reminded that it can still sound so immediately, eminently thrilling. [9]

Kayla Beardslee: This doesn't quite reach the heights of "Don't Start Now," but damn it comes close. "Physical" should, in theory, be a cookie-cutter pop girl release, but Dua proves once again that she is the most important element in her music. The producers are doing everything right too, but who else could pull off her endearing smirk in "common love isn't for us" or that wonderful growl in "follow the noise"? And Dua takes us through a transcendental bridge that highlights the best qualities of her voice: singing simple lyrics that say everything they need to, she's breathless yet confident, desperate for touch yet satisfied with the musical world she's helped to create. Something phenomenal, indeed: this rollout has been a joy to follow. [9]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: "Physical" takes the opposite approach to "Don't Start Now" -- while that song's studio version swallows up its singer in a beautifully constructed, sterile disco pastiche (the live versions and remixes are much better), turning her into just one more retro cog, "Physical" makes her the center of attention. The production around her is good enough (the synth preset change right before the chorus starts is especially nice), but not particularly coherent or hooky on its own. In the vacuum left, Dua gets to have more fun, charismatically switching between vocal styles and walking around like she owns the place. [8]

Jibril Yassin: A powerhouse vocal colliding headfirst with production that's neither plodding nor limp. It's a song that's meant to feel like a blockbuster and after a few failed tries, it's thrilling to hear Dua Lipa finally nail the landing and sound like the superstar she wants to be. [7]

Michael Hong: "Physical" is magnetic. Its pulse is unrelenting, its atmosphere is shadowy and captivating, and Dua Lipa gives possibly her best vocal performance. There's no sense of the up-and-coming performer who delivered everything with stolid execution, instead, "Physical" is a sly wink of a pre-chorus leading to a forceful command: "baby, keep on dancing like you ain't got a choice." Dua Lipa is at the helm, all thoughts and any other desires are out the window, and the night is neverending. [7]

Joshua Lu: Several of Dua Lipa's past hit songs have relied on a marketable veneer of cool: "New Rules" works because she's the straight-talker friend giving advice, "Don't Start Now" necessitates a stoic character who can't be bothered to fret about her ex, and even on collaborations like "One Kiss" does Dua employ a rather unemotional voice, like she's a blank canvas for Calvin Harris' more playful and engaging production. "Physical" feels like such a departure for Dua not just because of its obvious throwback sound, but because this veneer of cool is completely torn down when the song reaches its rushing chorus. She sounds more and more desperate as her voice climbs and the synths soar above her, and her cries of "come on" ring as desperate instead of dominant. The song is indebted to pop titans of yesteryears (Olivia Newton-John obviously inspired the title, but the theatrics of the song feel more indebted to Bonnie Tyler or Patti Labelle) to the point of it not really feeling like a Dua song, but she sells it all so convincingly that it feels like a natural fit. It's part pop song, part epic showdown, and I look forward to Dua continuing to push herself to the forefront of mainstream pop music greatness. [9]

Scott Mildenhall: Little wonder that Lipa's so keen to get physical, given that she's "dreaming in a simulation" -- her focus seems to be on the former, since the latter exemplifies the aimlessness of the verses in comparison to the locked-and-loaded chorus. That has its thrills, yet never feels as loose as seems intended. "Physical" comes across too in love with the idea of being a kind of Perfect Pop to actually be it; an anthem for kinetics developed via science textbook. [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Dua Lipa #pop #music #music review

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smnthchrstn · 6 years

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“Let me be there.” | Sarah Paulson x reader

author’s note: hi, this is a lil drabble i’ve had on my to-do list for quite a while now. it didn’t originally plan to be, but somehow ended up being inspired by olivia newton-john’s song “let me be there” which is featured in the drabble and can be heard by clicking that link above. the word count is 829. thanks!

check out more of my writing here.

"Sweetheart? You didn't answer, so I thought I'd let myself in with the spare -". Clothes everywhere. Dishes littered the sink, opened bags of snacks and cans of soda covered the counters - even some type of explosion in the microwave. You had one very specific and important rule; one you'd tried to make clear from the get-go, but you hadn't been responding to texts or picking up the phone - and hadn't been for days. That worried your girlfriend more than she'd admit.

"Fuck," Sarah swore, stepping over the mess of clothes and bottles that covered the hallway's floors. She entered the bathroom next and took a look at more mess. "It looks like a tornado passed through here," she mumbled to herself. The trail of clothes in the hallway ended in your bedroom. Her eyes first landed on books in disarray, clothes everywhere, and a particular collection of empty pill bottles on the dresser. "Sweetheart?" she apprehensively questioned. She could see a human-shaped lump under the blankets and couldn't help the bad gut feeling she had inside. Sarah plopped herself on the bed. "You didn't pick up any of my calls - it kind of scared me a little." She wanted to keep the mood light, but knew she also needed to make sure you were actually okay. Sarah pulled the blanket from your eyes, watching as you squinted from the sunlight shining through the closed blinds. "Good morning," she greeted, her hand moving to rest against your arm. You didn't have the energy to argue - you didn't want to argue with her even if you had the energy. "When did you last eat? Drink?" she questioned, pushing some hair away from your eyes. "You weren't supposed to ever see me like this," you pointed out, finally using actual words. Sarah reached across you and over the end table to pick up a water bottle. She cracked it open and found one of your hands under the blanket. "Take a sip, I'm sure you need it." You obeyed and took a small sip. You wanted to curl into your girlfriend, but you felt so gross - you couldn't seem to think clearly about anything. "I'm sorry" was all you could muster up the ability to say.

You felt humiliated - but deep down you knew if Sarah had pulled that on you, that you would've been worried sick. "I don't like seeming weak." She watched you with cautious eyes, shifting slightly to pull your hair into a messy bun. "I want to be here for this. You know that right?" Sarah asked - the tiniest hint of hesitation in her voice. "Sarah - I look like a wreck. I smell like a wreck. I either cry too much or I can't cry at all. Why would I want to put this on you?" you asked. She took a moment to study your face. "I'm going to need you to listen to me very carefully." Your girlfriend turned your head to face her. "You aren't currently and have never put anything on me. Does this scare me? A little, but only because I know you'd deal with this alone before wanting to come to me with it. I know you've been dealing with this alone - and honey, you don't have to." She rubbed the back of your hand with her thumb. "I want to help in any way that I can."

Sarah's eyes focused on the empty pill bottles. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" Sarah asked. "Staying asleep mostly," you said, pulling away to rub your eye. She dismissed what she'd originally planned on saying next and instead took a more physical approach. She leaned back against the headboard and pulled you along with her, your head resting on Sarah's lap. "Let me be there. Let me help you," she whispered. You leaned into her touch as she started to thread her fingers through your hair. "I love you - and I'll take on anything you need me to." You finally looked up. "Remember the song?" you finally asked, a glimmer of hope in your eyes. "Wherever you go, wherever you may wander in your life - surely you know, I always wanna be there," Sarah started to sing, off-key. "Let me be there in your morning, let me be there in your night. Let me change whatever's wrong and make it right. Let me take you through that wonderland that only two can share - all I ask you, is let me be there." You broke out into your first genuine smile in days. "God, I love you. Sarah Catharine Paulson, you are human medicine." She smiled brightly, planting a kiss on the top of your head. "I'm going to go order your favorite food. Thank you for letting me be there," she teased. "I'll always let you be there," you teased back, referencing the song again.

"Whenever you feel you need a friend to lean on, here I am. Whenever you call, you know I'll be there."

#sarah paulson x reader #sarah paulson imagine #sarah paulson #sarah paulson fic #my ficx

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miasswier · 6 years

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miasswier’s ultimate glee ranking: no 50

50: Bad Reputation

Written by: Ian Brennan Directed by: Elodie Keene

Overall Thoughts: This is one of the few episodes of Glee where I laughed out loud for the large majority of it. Like, don’t get me wrong, Glee has a lot of really funny moments, but this episode had so many of them. Oh my goodness. I remember liking it, but I don’t remember liking it this much. Wow.

What I Like:

Jean! Every scene with Jean is like a breath of fresh air – not just because she is so unendingly optimistic, but because when Sue is around her she is genuinely a better person. I wish we’d gotten more Jean, honestly.

Emma!!!!!! Oh my gosh, Emma kills it in this episode. I know it was a ploy from Sue, but that scene in the cafeteria is actually awesome. There’s one teacher who nods along while smiling as Emma calls Will out and I literally said “same”. Fucking destroy him Emma. Also, the fact that she doesn’t take him back as soon as he apologizes. Again, it was a ploy by Sue, but I think it actually really helped Emma to not only stand up for herself, but also finally take Will off the pedestal she’s had him on since episode one. And she’s right, it will contribute to a better relationship in the future – it’s not good to think your significant other is perfect.

Kurt is so goddamn adorable oh my goodness. The fact that he suggests singing a song in the library as if that is going to get them all on a list that’s about sexual promiscuity… oh, honey. He’s just so precious, wow.

Run Joey Run.

Finn calling Rachel out after Run Joey Run.

“Will, I might just buy a diaper for your chin, because it looks like a baby’s ass”

“And who was expelled?” “The entire school!” “The entire school was expelled Will!” OH MY GOD THIS LINE

Olivia Newton John being so over the top and saying things that literally nobody would say – “It’s Olivia Newton John, the star of Grease, the most successful movie musical of all time” I’m dying.

That whole montage of Will questioning the kids.

Quinn, but is that really a surprise? Honestly, I felt so much for her in this episode. I honestly adore her <3

What I Don’t Like:

Even though I love Run Joey Run, I really am frustrated by Rachel’s motivations.

Finn calling Rachel “slutty” after the video. I did like him calling her out, but that was unnecessary.

Will telling Quinn that she shouldn’t want people to think she’s a “tramp” like oh my god WHAT IS WITH THE SLUT SHAMING IN THIS EPISODE.

I cannot figure out if Quinn and Puck are supposed to be dating or not in this episode. Like, really. Tina calls Quinn Puck’s girlfriend, but then he tries to make out with Rachel and implies he would tell everybody, but only mentions that the cheating would be on Rachel’s part. Also, Quinn doesn’t seem to have any reaction to Puck being in Run Joey Run. So who fucking knows.

Songs:

Ice Ice Baby: I’ve always hated this song, and Will rapping makes it 20 times worse. Hard pass.

Can’t Touch This: Of all the white guys they forced to rap on Glee, Artie is the only one who can hold his own. I like the vocals on this, and the scene is absolutely hilarious.

Let’s Get Physical: This video is super fucking gay. Seriously. I know they’re surrounded by men in skimpy underwear, but like, come on. I’m not the only one who sees it right? PS what is with the auto-tune on Sue’s voice? Yikes.

Run Joey Run: This is iconic Glee at it’s finest. It’s so fucking funny, oh my god. One of Glee’s best comedic moments in the entire show.

Total Eclipse of the Heart: I like the vocals on this, though I don’t like how it’s trying to make Rachel look sympathetic. You fucked up, Rachel. “Now I’m only falling apart” yeah, because you did something stupid and hurt people. It’s your own damn fault. I don’t feel sorry for you at all. Also, I still can’t figure out if this is supposed to be actually happening or in her imagination.

Final Thoughts: This is a genuinely hilarious episode with awful music (that is also kind of awesome) and only a few weak spots. Good job, Glee!

#ultimate glee ranking

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your-dietician · 3 years

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Richard Marx has many great 'Stories to Tell' — and one big Twitter controversy he'd like to clear up

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/richard-marx-has-many-great-stories-to-tell-and-one-big-twitter-controversy-hed-like-to-clear-up/

Richard Marx has many great 'Stories to Tell' — and one big Twitter controversy he'd like to clear up

When superstar singer-songwriter Richard Marx began work on his new autobiography, Stories to Tell, he knew it wouldn’t be a racy, sex/drugs/rock ‘n’ roll tell-all like Motley Crüe’s The Dirt or Pamela Des Barres’s I’m With the Band. “I’ve always been a very private person. I’ve never been in the tabloids. I’ve never been that kind of celebrity, if you will,” he explains to Yahoo Entertainment. In fact, Marx never expected to write his memoirs at all, but after playing VH1 Storytellers-style acoustic shows about a decade ago, he realized, “I have great stories. I’ve had some really crazy, funny s*** happen to me.”

Those tales, which cover Marx’s early days apprenticing for Lionel Richie to his work with Kenny Rogers, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, NSYNC, Olivia Newton-John, Keith Urban, Luther Vandross, and many others, comprise Stories to Tell: A Memoir, which comes out July 6 and hit No. 1 on Amazon’s bestsellers list the day it went up for preorder. “I chose [stories] that were either compelling or funny or self-deprecating or whatever,” says Marx. “There’ll be stories I’ll tell you about my life that I wouldn’t necessarily, you know, write on Twitter or whatever.”

The cover for Richard Marx’s autobiography ‘Stories to Tell: A Memoir.’ (Photo: Simon & Schuster)

Marx is big into the self-deprecation thing. The funniest line in Stories to Tell is when he says the upside to undergoing double hip-replacement surgery was that “Richard Marx” and “hip” could finally be used in the same sentence, for instance. And his Twitter page is a delight, a compelling read in its own right — his famous tweet about going to the dentist because he felt like hearing some of his own music is but one RT-worthy example of his snark. Marx owns his squareness, but ironically, his posts have, intentionally or not, made the public realize that he’s a pretty cool dude.

The perpetually unbothered Marx also gets very political on social media. And one since-deleted tweet in particular, when he wrote — “If I ever meet Rand Paul’s neighbor I’m going to hug him and buy him as many drinks as he can consume” (a reference to a 2017 incident when Paul was assaulted by his neighbor, Rene Boucher) — made headlines in May 2021, after the Kentucky senator outrageously cited Marx’s tweet as the reason he’d received a suspicious package at his home. It was a rare moment when Marx actually was in the tabloids, and he uses his Yahoo interview to clarify that situation.

Story continues

“I mean, it seems pretty obvious. I made a quip. Let’s start with this: Do I, would I, ever really endorse and support physical violence against someone? I can’t think of a circumstance,” Marx stresses. “I made a quip, which I likened to you hear about some raging assh*** who’s just constantly an assh*** getting his ass handed to him — and you might go, ‘He kind of asked for it,’ or, you know, ‘He kind of had that coming.’ Show me a person who’s never, ever thought of that in regards to anyone, and I’ll show you a liar, right? To me, what I quipped was nothing more than that. Stupid me — Rand Paul used that to his advantage. He went on Fox News and pathologically, as he always does, lied about what I tweeted, what I said. He actually claimed that I incited violence against him, that I was the reason he got a suspicious package of powder the next day in the mail. I thought, if I did that, [U.S. Postmaster General] Louis DeJoy should get a raise. If you can get a piece of mail to somebody overnight now, then I’ve been misinformed.

“I made a joke. And you know, the people who rallied to [Paul’s] defense are the same people who defended, or had nothing to say, when Trump retweeted someone saying, ‘The only good Democrat as a dead Democrat,’ or never had a problem with Donald Trump at a rally saying, ‘Knock the hell out of ‘em, I’ll pay the legal fees; go beat up protestors exercising their First Amendment rights.’ So, these people who were supporting Rand Paul and attacking me are just the typical ultimate hypocrites, and they’re full of s***. So, that’s my comment about that.”

Marx actually prefers not to use the adjective “political” when describing his non-partisan social media stance. “I am definitely opinionated, and I definitely find it next to impossible not to respond to what I consider to be blatant ignorance or bigotry or certainly racism. I guess the word ‘political’ is the easiest one to use, but I don’t know that it’s the most accurate, because I’m not on Twitter or in any other part of my life espousing policy or opinions about much other than proper treatment of everyone — and especially when it comes to elected officials,” he clarifies.

“For instance, I’m 57. I started voting as soon as I could. So I guess my first presidential vote was in ’84, and it was for Ronald Reagan. I have voted for Republican politicians in my life. I’ve definitely voted more for Democrats, but I’m a registered Independent. I’m not a Democrat. Also, as much as I find the current GOP to be the most distorted, vile, awful group of people I’ve ever seen in my lifetime in terms of politics, I’m also no fan of anyone in the Democratic party. None. Joe Biden would not have been my… maybe 20 years ago, I would have been like, ‘Yeah, Joe Biden might be a really good president.’ And don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that he won this election. But he would not have been my choice to be the president of United States. The screwed-up thing is I can’t necessarily point to anyone I would say should be, on either side of the aisle. I think they’re all, to a degree, different forms of reprehensible and mercenary.”

Marx says, “In a span of an hour, if I were to look through my mentions, I’ll find 50 people calling me every name,” but he balks at the argument that pop stars shouldn’t express their opinions. “It’s interesting, because when I get into a thing on Twitter, especially when you have people on the far right who say things like ‘shut up and sing’ and ‘nobody cares about the opinions of celebrities,’ these are the same people who voted for Donald Trump and follow Scott Baio, you know what I mean?” he chuckles. “So, that kind of tells you right there with the kind of mental decision-making we’re dealing with. … I feel like I can’t be on the [Twitter] platform and see something that is so outrageous and awful and not respond to it.”

Watch Yahoo Entertainment’s full, extended Richard Marx interview below, in which he tells stories about Luther Vandross, Vixen, Barbra Streisand, and more:

There are plenty of people who follow Marx online who are now well aware of his frankness and hipness — but unless they read Stories to Tell, they still may not be familiar with the simply stunning breadth of his discography. Sure, he has scored 14 of his own Billboard top 20 hits, including nine that made the top 10 and three that went to No. 1, and was the first male solo artist to have four singles from a debut album make the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. But has always been an in-demand songwriter for other artists as well. However, as Marx himself notes, many people don’t even know that he co-penned Luther Vandross’s signature song “Dance With My Father” — despite the fact that he accepted the Song of the Year honor for that single, and performed it with Celine Dion, at the 2004 Grammy Awards when the ailing Vandross was unable to attend. Hits written or co-written by Marx have topped the charts in four different decades and in almost every genre (“Not polka, though,” he quips), but there’s one more thing he’d still like to accomplish.

“I’ve gotten to work with amazing people, and hope to continue to. But the one thing that has eluded me in my career… Vixen, for example, I wrote and produced their breakthrough song [“Edge of a Broken Heart”]. I wrote co-wrote and produced Josh Groban’s first single, ‘To Where You Are.’ So, I’ve worked with brand-new artists who broke out — but I didn’t discover them,” says Marx. “That’s probably something that I would like before I really call it quits: to discover a talent, bring them to light and launch them, and then just wish them well, whether I work with them or not. … I’d like to be able to have some artists say, ‘Yeah, it was Richard Marx who started my career.’ That would be nice.”

Early in his autobiography, Marx details how Lionel Richie played that role in his own life — when Richie randomly heard the then-teenage Marx’s demo tape and was so impressed that he reached out and encouraged Marx to move to Los Angeles to pursue music professionally. But one sweet Richie story, which Marx shares with Yahoo Entertainment during our interview, actually didn’t make the book.

“A year and a half or two years ago, two summers ago, I went with Barbara Streisand to London and she asked if I wanted to be part of the opening act slot for her concert in Hyde Park. Lionel Richie was one of the support acts, and I’d hoped to run into him. I think I had texted him on the way to London and we were going to try to get together, but it was chaotic. I closed my show. And by the time I got back to my hotel, there was a text from Lionel,” Marx recalls fondly, putting his hand on his heart. “He was staying somewhere else. He texted me and he said, ‘I’m sitting on my balcony of my hotel room, listening to you sing “Right Here Waiting” and hearing thousands and thousands of people singing it even louder than you are. And I can’t tell you how proud I am.’ And I remember texting him back and saying, ‘It’s because of you, man.’”

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

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— Video produced by Jen Kucsak, edited by Jimmie Rhee

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spaceorphan18 · 7 years

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TDB Rewatch: Bad Reputation

Ever since that one media outlet (totally forgot which one) put out a list of ranked episodes (around the time 100 came out) and put Bad Reputation at the bottom - I’ve always felt it deserved better. This episode is hilarious, but not only is it hilarious, it has a lot of really meaty things in it as well. Maybe it’s ironically fitting that an episode called Bad Reputation has a bad reputation. Maybe that journalist just didn’t know what she was talking about (she didn’t - she ranked Goodbye as #1). But I just know that even with such little Kurt in it - it’s one of those episodes that always makes me smile when I come to it.

Thoughts:

I appreciate Sue more when the plot isn’t focused on her feud with Will - and they let her comedy not be tired feuding with Will comedy. She’s so enjoyable in this episode.

For those of you thinking season 6 came out of nowhere - Sue breaks the fourth wall a lot in this episode, including talking about the slow-motion laughter, and bugging Will’s apartment in insane ways.

I could have done without the entire recreation of the Physical video. But I also don’t understand why that song got so popular either.

Why is Olivia Newton-John portrayed as such a bitch on this show?

Speaking of unnecessary cameos - what a waste of Molly Shannon as Brenda Castle. This character is utterly pointless.

Ken Tanaka is back, and his life still sucks. Is this the last time we see him in person? I think so.

While I don’t like how she did it - I think Sue had some valid points regarding Emma, and how she should stand up for herself more.

“You’re a slut, Will!” - I love this.

Here’s the thing about Will and Emma’s relationship - at the end, Will says something about wanting her to look at him like she used to, and Emma says she can’t do that anymore, because they’re not the same people - but maybe it’s for the better because they’re growing and no longer keeping each other on pedestals. I realize everyone hates it when I compare Wemma with Klaine, but idk, I felt like the writers often write the same issues among each of the couples and I saw some likenesses here.

Everything about Rachel’s musical promiscuity!

I don’t give Lea Michele enough credit for her acting and comedic skills.

Run Joey Run might be one of the best things ever.

I do question Artie’s director skills though.

This might be the only time I’ve found Sandy funny.

I can’t tell if Jesse is genuinely hurt or being over dramatic cause he’s actually a spy. I’ve never really been ever to tell.

Do people not like Total Eclipse of the Heart? That song is amazing. And y’all should watch the tripped out music video.

The ‘glist’ **rolls eyes** I’m so done with the reputation plot line.

However - Will’s Law and Order montage was awesome. This show didn’t do enough mystery episodes.

You know - for as much as Puck is a trouble maker, he does tell the truth most of the time. He didn’t make the glist. He also won’t steal that jacket.

You know, this is one of the few times I feel genuinely bad for Quinn - because she really doesn’t have anyone to go to. And she’s been so in the background since the back nine started, it’s a little easy to forget about her. I’m sorry that Will is her best role model at the moment. :/

Are Quinn and Puck supposed to be dating? This episode would imply yes.

THE MUPPET BABIES!!

I love that Kurt says bad asses with a lisp. Also, singing in the library is really the worst thing you can think of? Oh kiddo. Kurt’s not as evil-minded as some of you may think.

I’m so over stereotypes of crotchety old librarians. Librarians are awesome, yo. I’m glad, though, that they didn’t let her be mad.

Brittany has some amazing one liners.

Coming full circle - Kurt gets on Sue’s good side. And that’s a rare thing.

Go watch this episode again, it really is a lot of fun. ;)

#tdb rewatch #todaydreambelievers

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maybeilltellyousometime · 7 years

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the psychic

i should have written down the date but sometime in september i spoke to a psychic. i met her through a grief group i follow on facebook and she offered a free reading. she called me on a friday night. i got a glass of wine (or 3) lit some incense and a candle and shut myself into a room with the picture my mom flips over and her ashes. i expected to be disappointed, obviously. i was not.

the way she receives messages is scattered and crazy. it’s almost like blips of a movie playing in front of her and she repeats what she sees or the feelings she gets. it seems hectic and confusing but i enjoyed that there was no question asking until we were towards the end. she basically just gave me tons of information to see if it made sense to me. i could have been stretching because i wanted to believe in things so badly, but WHO FUCKING CARES. it made me feel better and close to my mom again for an hour. i’ll try to summarize some of the main points.

she mentioned that my mom was almost obnoxiously excited that i made contact and really pushed her way to the forefront to make it known she was ready to do this. she was dancing/fidgeting/unable to be still, almost like she didn’t want ANY of her messages to be ignored or missed. like horseshack in “welcome back kotter”.

she was there with my nanny and pop pop. she described how my pop pop looked and my nanny’s demeanor very well. she said they were there mostly to validate that this was a real communication.

the first thing my mother said was that i need to stop worrying about her like she is my child. here, i constantly worried about everything including what she was eating and now none of that matters. she is happy, safe and glad that the physical world is over and i don’t need to worry about anything associated with her anymore. she wants me to focus on my daughter.

there were miscarriages in my family from the women i loved- my grandmother, my mom and others and those children exist in another plane of existence. they come to play with vivienne and surround her at all times. often, my mom comes too. viv can see all of them. sometimes the children frighten her because she doesn’t know or understand why they are there and why they are so excited, but she is comfortable and happy with my mom. my mom is teaching her how to read. (around this time, viv started spending time in the green chair with a book, turning the pages gently, moving her finger along the words and babbling).

she mentioned that she forgives my father for everything bad in their relationship but she doesn’t forgive him for being a shitty father to me and russell. either way, he is in some kind of lonely demise and drinking more than ever now.

she is extremely pleased that i married david. she loves him and is thankful for how kind and generous he is and she is happy that he is understanding and sympathetic to my negative upbringing. specifically she showed a “huge heart” in relation to david.

she spoke to the fact that i have two daughters although one recently passed away (julie) and she was sorry that it hurt me so much.

she spoke about my future and making a career change but not going back into a rigorous degree program. she said we need a bigger house because i’m going to get pregnant again with another girl. my grandmother told her to knock it off with all the predictions because she was being pushy.

she uses the picture in my office to let me know that she is there. when i call her she will always come. she also says things to viv to try and communicate with me when i am feeling sad.

the next things were mentioned just to validate the experience. she conveyed a woman working out a lot, in the style of the late 70′s early 80′s. like olivia newton john but dark hair. (karen carpenter was anorexic. my mother placed my senior yearbook ad with the lyrics to “close to you” and i played that song for her the morning i found her before they took her body out of my house.)

she carried a crockpot and was expressing that i needed to use it when the weather got cold. (we made stuffed cabbage in the crockpot together on every cold sunday of my life, practically.)

she spoke about sharing macaroni and cheese with viv. i had literally just purchased the ingredients to make homemade mac and cheese that night.

she described seeing a few of her ex boyfriends, and mentioned details about them that i heard my mom talk about for my whole life. (specifically billy relack and chicho.)

she said my relationship with my brother would mend, but that i would not be able to influence his decisions in life. and even though he is gay he could potentially get someone accidentally pregnant. (!!!)

i asked a few questions about how my mom is doing and i worried about how sad her life was here and if the pain carries over and it does not. my mom is happy and feels completely free. there is no more weight on her shoulders. the physical world is a hard place and she loves us and misses us and is happy to be gone.

as the conversation closed, she said “wait, your mom is bringing someone, a sister...but not her sister. an aunt that loved you. she looks older than your mom but she’s not. she’s very thin.” obviously my aunt trace joined the party.

so, it was a hard conversation but ultimately it brought me so much peace. my goal was simply to feel like there is more to it after this world and that i would see my mom again when i died. my expectations were exceeded. i don’t care if the woman was manipulating me or really good at her job. (although there is really no way for her to stalk me online in regards to the things she told me.) i’m a believer. i needed it. it felt good.

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brett-buckner-the-dirt · 7 years

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“He understood well enough how a man with a choice between pride and responsibility will almost always choose pride–if responsibility robs him of his manhood.” Stephen King, The Running Man

It happens every year, usually around the middle of the month. I hit the horror wall, leaving a bloody splat where my motivation and enthusiasm had once been. For as much as I love horror movies, watching one every single night for 31 nights becomes a grind.

Usually after the second week, I’m so desensitized to blood and gore that I could watch Bambie’s mom get gunned down and feel nothing. I could read Where the Red Fern Grows and shed nary a tear. The Champ can’t make me cry either.

I could even watch that Amazon commercial where the dog has to be dressed up like a lion so that the baby will … nope … scratch that. Just thinking about that sad dog gets me chocked up – no matter how many dying screams, eviscerations, decapitations, and Poop Demons I have running around my brain.

I’m not heartless.

But I have hit the wall … hit it full force last night in fact. I didn’t want to watch another so-called horror movie. I certainly didn’t want to watch another Stephen King adaptation because, let’s face it, save for Gerald’s Game and The Shining miniseries most of these movies have been blah (The Dark Half) at best and downright dumb (The Mangler) at worst.

Still, I have a job to do. I didn’t want to disappoint my readers (and I wanted to personally thank both of you … not counting my mother. Love ya, Mom). So I made up my mind to power through whatever mess was up next in the HorrorFest calendar.

And I’m so glad that I did. The Running Man is a gnarly riot that has as much to do with the Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) novel, as it does with the ‘80s dance that shares its name.

I don’t know if this is the Running Man. I just wanted to use a pic of Vanilla Ice

That’s a good thing.

The movie version vastly improves on King’s source material mostly by scaling back the so-called Hunting Grounds from the entire planet to an area. The movie’s ending – silly as any ‘80s action movie should be – is much less bleak. The hero, played by the ever thick-tongued Arnold Schwarzenegger, is more likeable, believable (seriously), and funny than the Ben Richards of King’s novel.

But the movie manages to do all of this without diluting some of the underlying messages that resonate today. When it comes to entertainment, as a culture, we can be very bloodthirsty. Only now, rather than direct violence, we can hide behind the anonymity of social media. We’ve all witnessed – or even participated in – shaming and berating, judging and dismissing – people who do or say something we don’t like or are different from what we deem to be normal.

The whole time I was watching The Running Man, I was thinking about the old George Carlin bit about having public executions once a week at halftime of the Monday night football game.

The ratings would be killer.

In The Running Man Richards is framed for murdering innocent civilians and forced, along with three friends, to compete in a whack game show where ‘roided-out Stalkers hunt him with a series of absurd weapons. My favorite is Dynamo, the opera-bellowing Stalker who shoots bolts of electricity from his suit.

Much like with the type casting of Traci Lords as the town harlot, Richard Dawson, the smarmy, lady-kissing, former host of the Family Feud is stars as Richards’ slimy nemesis, Damon Killian. Dawson is magnetic and easy to hate as the host of The Running Man TV show, which is broadcast free to those struggling to survive in the dystopian wastes.

How a movie supposedly set in the future could feel so dated, yet so relevant is beyond me. Maybe it’s because The Running Man stars two former U.S. governors– Schwarzenegger and Jessie “the Body” Ventura. The movie is also set around 2017, a time when, in the real world, we’ve elected a game show host as president.

Spooky.

This movie is to blame for inspiring the American Gladiators TV show – make of that what you will – and the whole movie looks like Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” video stretched across two hours. (Wow … that’s two Olivia Newton-John references in a week. I really have hit the wall.

The Running Man is gloriously absurd. Schwarzenegger’s wicked one-liners alone are worth the price of admission:

Damon Killian: You bastard! Drop dead!

Ben Richards: I don’t do requests.

The Stalkers are laugh-out-loud awesome caricatures who look like they were pulled straight from this year’s WWE Wrestlemania lineup – complete with gimmick. But mostly The Running Man is an old-fashioned (yet futuristic) revenge fantasy that plays on our cultural obsession with violence and entertainment.

My wall has officially come tumbling down.

Up next:

Sometimes They Come Back: Based on King’s short story from Night Shift, this made-for-TV movie was originally planned for Cat’s Eye, before it became a stand-alone feature that spawned a pair of sequels – (Sometimes They Come Back… Again) and 1998 (Sometimes They Come Back… for More). Hopefully, more effort went into the plot of these movies than into their titles.

HorrorFEst “He understood well enough how a man with a choice between pride and responsibility will almost always choose pride--if responsibility robs him of his manhood.”

#horrorfest stephenking annistonstar #Halloween

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thesinglesjukebox · 4 years

Video

youtube

DUA LIPA - BREAK MY HEART

[7.31]

a/k/a/ "Stay At Home"...

Thomas Inskeep: Dua Lipa's sophomore album Future Nostalgia is a cracker of a pop record; perfectly, consistently upbeat musically even when its words are concerned with bad (or bad-for-her) guys. "Break My Heart" is one of two tracks on the album which interpolate/sample prior pop classics, utilising the guitar riff from INXS's "Need You Tonight" in a smart way and mixing it into a disco cake batter. The way Lipa sings with, instead of against, the riff, is clever and stands out. This single is nowhere near the candy crush of "Don't Start Now," but its smart production gets it over. [7]

Jackie Powell: When I first heard "Break My Heart," on the eve of Future Nostalgia's release, I thought that Lipa had retreated back to the more reserved vocals that we heard on her self-titled debut. While there's less of a vocal confidence on this cut compared to "Don't Start Now" and "Physical," it's the dynamics that make up for it. On "Break My Heart" -- produced by The Monsters & Strangerz and Watt -- it's almost as if the instrumental transitions add a necessary complement and supplement to Lipa's vocal vulnerability, which is appropriate based on the lyrics. The bouncy introductory bassline and timid hit-hat mirror the emotional drive in Lipa's lyrics, but then as her vocal confidence and admittance of her emotions creep in, so do the keyed-in chords. By the second verse, there's a convergence of the bass, a fuller-sounding drum kit, rhythm guitar riffs and a string section that aids the pre-chorus. INXS' opening riffs in "Need You Tonight" have a constant presence, but this is a sample that deserves a bit more respect than, let's say, Rodgers and Hammerstein in "7 Rings." This sample serves as an assist rather than a cop-out. The Monster & Strangerz are absolute pros at finessing a soaring chorus ("The Middle," "Liar" and "Hate Me") and this is what grounds the giddiness in "Break My Heart." [9]

Nina Lea: Like so many great dance pop tracks have done since the beginning of time, "Break My Heart" takes a moment of intense vulnerability and transforms it into something electrifying and superbly groovy. "I hope I'm not the only one who feels it all," Dua Lipa sings, over a relentless beat suggesting the danger that comes with opening ourselves up. Later, in the pre-chorus, she pleads, "I'm afraid of all the things you could do to me." After all, who doesn't recognize the fear of falling in love with someone who might break their heart? But this song knows the answer, as did the dance pop greats that came before: The heartbreak may come, but when the dance floor calls, we must obey. [9]

Tobi Tella: The slow discovery of the beat over the whole first verse, pushing that huge build up only to take it all away with the conversational chorus is a neat trick. It legitimately surprised me the first time I listened, which doesn't happen often. It's the polished kind of slick as the rest of her singles; she just can't miss, huh? [7]

Nortey Dowuona: A slow, loping bass slumbers underneath Dua's soft, unimposing tenor as the glass drums tap in just hard enough, then get pressed down by the heavy, chunky synths. Then the bass lopes back in with their new drum sets with glittery disco guitar trying to holler at them desperately while trying to tape up their wrinkles. The synths snatch the drums from the bass; the bass responds by smirking and producing another set of glass drums, with the dice guitar flapping its wrinkles around the bass. Dua beckons with a group of strings and hands the bass their own guitar, leaving the disco guitar to shake around with the pissed synths. Dua and the bass go home to order Jamba Juice. [10]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Almost every think-piece imaginable about Dua Lipa becoming the Quarantine Queen has already been written, so I'll keep my thoughts here short and simple: one of the best parts of being forced to indefinitely self-quarantine is getting to hear her sing, "I would have stayed at home/Cuz I was doing better alone," and then patting myself on the back like I'm taking her advice. (It's the little victories that get you through each day.) [7]

Katie Gill: That is a VERY sexy bass. The song itself is also sexy but sexy in a way that we've kind of seen before. It's a pretty good Charlie Puth retread and a catchy as hell Charlie Puth retread but again, still kind of feels like a Charlie Puth retread. [7]

Michael Hong: Compare this with Charlie Puth's "How Long": both exude a sort of funk energy that maybe makes you tap your foot, maybe nod your head, but they're not something you'll want to dance to. Both drop everything except for the bassline before the chorus in the hopes that it will expand the limits of their chorus. But the difference is that while Charlie Puth exhibits a dorky sort of charm, Dua Lipa lacks the personality to make the track have any stakes. "Break My Heart" plays out with a hardness that makes everything sound insignificant. Like there's no reason for attachment, like her heart can never really be broken and like it'll be her ex writing the pathetically desperate breakup tracks while she's long moved on. [4]

Pedro João Santos: Only nine tracks into Future Nostalgia does Dua forgo a bit of control -- a stance she's had since the debut, now rebuilt as pop hubris and a take-no-prisoners outlook on men and sex (as she should). All it took was (another) disco tour de force with the naïveté of "Me and My Imagination", romantic sabotage and INXS. [9]

Alfred Soto: Credits don't lie, fine, but I hear "Another One Bites the Dust" in the syncopation, not INXS. Either way, it's the least interesting single on a most interesting album. The bridge is a window into a poorly furnished home. [6]

Will Adams: A fitting, if disappointing, third single choice for an album whose disco-pop pastiche starts off strong but peters out by the end. Like "Physical," the nostalgia here is mostly surface: instead of Olivia Newton-John, "Break My Heart" nicks the "Need You Tonight" riff and infuses it throughout the song. And that's about it; without the drama of "Physical" or the punchy hooks of "Don't Start Now," it remains a blank canvas that Dua Lipa is incapable of coloring. [5]

Alex Clifton: Look, just go listen to the damn song and then come back and try to tell me that it isn't basically perfect. It speaks for itself. [9]

Juana Giaimo: I never thought I'd say this, but my problem with Dua Lipa is that sometimes her music is too perfect. She follows all the rules exactly to make a pop hit single -- and she succeeds! -- but I miss a little bit of emotion. "Break My Heart" has a funk base, disco violins and spoken catchy vocals. Of course it works, but I still feel I don't know anything about Dua Lipa. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Dua Lipa #pop #music #music review

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