#i’m so happy he has a tribute to nicky

[racewinnerlandonorris]

alex’s tribute to nicky this weekend 🥺

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Kevin's birthday special.

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about varsity teams in the United States so excuse any false information. Head over to the directory to find the previous parts.

This is not in the canon timeline. It's simply a special, and Eric and Kevin have probably been dating for a few years. The next part in the series will continue where the last one left of.

Kevin's birthday is always a tricky subject. Eric is never sure how to make it memorable or good. Last year, Kevin had insisted on not celebrating it at all.

Eric can guess why. He doubted Kevin's birthday was ever celebrated in Evermore. Kevin hasn't talked about that explicitly yet, but it doesn't take a lot for Eric to get it.

This year, Eric is convinced to show Kevin that his birthday deserves to be celebrated.

The day before the twenty second of February, Eric makes a show of not mentioning anything. They are spending the evening sitting on Kevin's bed, watching a documentary on the striker's laptop. Eric is usually content with that, but now he is too occupied with thoughts about the following day.

"You aren't being as talkative as usually. Should I be worried?" Kevin asks with that snarky tone of his.

Eric rolls his eyes but simply wraps an arm around his waist and holds him closer. Just as he had been able to start reading Kevin, Kevin has also started recognising the patterns in Eric's behaviour.

"Nah, it's fine. Just thinking about an assignment I have to do," he says, conjuring up a quick excuse, his eyes still stuck on the screen.

Kevin remains mostly silent after that and the evening goes as it usually does; they watch half of the documentary and then they make out for a while. Sometimes, it goes further than that.

This time, Eric stops it. He has a birthday to plan.

"It's the assignment," he says. "I'm not going to calm down until I've finished it."

Kevin nods and says nothing, although he seems suspicious of Eric. It's all forgotten when Eric leans in for another kiss, a peck on Kevin's lips, before standing up.

The goaltender rushes outside, only to be stopped by the rest of the so called Monsters, sitting in the sofa and in the bean bags, occupied by a video game.

"Still nothing?" Neil Josten asks, not taking his eyes off the screen, even if it's the twins and Nicky playing and not him.

Eric makes sure he has closed the door to Kevin's room before he turns to them.

"Nothing. I've no idea what I'm supposed to do and it's almost midnight," he says with a sigh of frustration.

Andrew pauses the game when he realises that Eric won't leave until he gets some help.

"It should be something Exy related. Since he is so obsessed with that," Aaron says sarcastically while waving a chip around and then shoving it in his mouth.

"I want it to be something special," Eric grumbles and sits awkwardly on the armchair of the couch.

"Maybe Kevin doesn't need special. Maybe he just needs something chill, something that will take his mind off of everything," Nicky recommends and steals a chip from Aaron.

Eric remains silent for a moment and then his eyes widen. He doesn't bother sharing his idea with the rest of them, he simply rushes off outside of the dorm.

Kevin thinks that Eric - and everyone else - will simply forget that tomorrow is his birthday.

It doesn't matter after all. It never did. Sure, his fans will make a big deal out of it, and maybe some sports programs will prepare some small tribute, but Kevin can easily forget about those.

Riko always made sure he did, after all. He always made sure that Kevin would practice a little harder that day, made sure he would keep him occupied with his poisonous words and his sharp knives.

Kevin follows his usual routine, finishing the documentary and then reading a bit before getting ready for bed.

At midnight, he checks his phone, not sure really what he is expecting. When he sees he has received no messages, he puts it down and goes to sleep.

Next day is almost completely uneventful. No one mentions a thing and Kevin tells himself it's better this way as he goes on about his day.

He meets with Eric when afternoon practice is over. Eric comes to pick him up from the Foxhole Court, but much to Kevin's surprise, they aren't heading to the Fox Tower.

"Where are we going?" He asks as he turns to look at his boyfriend.

Eric only smiles and says nothing as he keeps driving. Eventually, he parks outside of their once usual hang out spot.

The abandoned house that is regularly used for frat parties looks the same as it always did. Kevin raises an eyebrow but indulges in whatever Eric is planning and heads out of the car.

The two of them sneak inside like they always do when they come here. They find their way upstairs to the attic and to their spot by the window. Where they usually sat on the floor, now there is a couch and they make themselves comfortable.

Eric pulls Kevin against him and rests his head on top of his, convincing himself to not stare at him. He knows that the light from the setting sun is gonna shine on the other's face and make his facial features stand out, but Eric settles with imagining that instead and closes his eyes.

Kevin remains silent for a moment until he can't stand it any longer. He looks up at Eric and grips his chin, making him look at him.

Eric stares back into those emerald eyes, daring him to say anything. Technically, there has been no mention of Kevin's birthday.

"You are insufferable," Kevin finally says, making Eric grin.

"I know."

Eric leans in and kisses Kevin softly, arms settling around his waist as he pulls him closer. Kevin doesn't complain as he settles against Eric.

Eric doesn't break the kiss until he has to. He reaches down and under the couch and pulls out a badly wrapped box.

Kevin glares at him and pushes it away.

"I told you last year; I don't want presents."

Eric sighs and puts the box down on his lap.

"This isn't Evermore. You know that, right?" He asks him. "I know your birthday isn't the only day I can remind you of how amazing you are, but it just gives me more of a reason to do so."

Kevin hesitates and looks down at the box. He reaches for it and unwraps the newspaper wrapping slowly.

When he is done, he is holding a red sweater with Eric's number and last name on the back.

"I know red is your favourite colour. And I know you think it doesn't suit you. But I actually think it does," Eric explains when he sees the puzzled expression on Kevin's face. "Plus, you sporting my jersey number is kinda hot."

Kevin rolls his eyes even if he isn't annoyed. Not really. He grips the sweater in his hands and then turns to Eric.

"You really are amazing, Kev. I only want this day to be a happy one for you, not one ruined by bad memories. You are safe. You are here with me," Eric says.

"Thank you," Kevin finally mutters after a small moment of silence. Eric smiles.

"You can thank me another way," he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows that has Kevin scoffing and rolling his eyes again, more genuinely this time.

He can't resist though. He puts the sweater down and pulls Eric in for a feverish kiss, his arms wrapped around the other's neck.

Eric laughs against his lips for a moment before shoving the now empty box out of the way and pushing Kevin on his back, going on top of him.

Kevin knows that this isn't the most special thing someone could have done for him on his birthday.

He doesn't care. It's perfect all the same.

And even as time goes by and he now has his head on Eric's bare chest, looking out at the nignt sky while the goaltender is snoring softly, he wishes that every day was his birthday.

[amyrbayer]

WILMINGTON, TASK #04: CHARACTER PLAYLIST.

Too Good At Goodbyes - Sam Smith.  ( Oh man, this is just... her song. It talks about how she’s learned to push people away and out of her life when they do something hurtful, even if it’s unintentional. It does get easier each time around. It’s how she copes, and it spreads far beyond her deeply-rooted trust issues when it comes to finding a partner. Even with people she considered friends or her family.. She listens to it, always by herself, whenever she feels upset and it makes her tear up. )

Backbone - Daughtry.  ( This song always makes her smile and feel like a badass. It fills her up with hope while having a sick beat. So really, what’s there not to love? )

Believer - Imagine Dragons. ( This song is her j a m. Her energy skyrockets whenever she listens to it. She loves turning it up on full volume whenever she works out or even does chores around the house. Time passes by effortlessly. )

Human - Christina Perri. ( ok I know this is usually related to a romance but FINDING PLATONIC SONGS OUT THERE IS HARD OK. Anyhoe, I feel it’s a song that describes perfectly the difficulties she had to go through growing up in regards to her family and @spencerbayer. She was a kid that bottled everything up and, for the longest time, acted like she was picking up none of his accusations just because she wanted to be loved by her brother more than anything. But she breaks too, you know? And she’s held back what’s weighted her shoulders for far too long. )

Ring The Bells - Satellite.  ( Picking just one song as her favorite ain’t a simple task. But I settled on this one because it’s so...nostalgic, sweet, sad and hopeful at the same time? And as a mun it fits with my deepest wish for her: To be able to take a leap of faith and fully embrace her life, the good and the bad. I want her to live her messy ass days and not regret a single moment. I’m hoping she’ll truly embrace it all one day, make amends with the people she needs, etc.. You get it. I believe it’s her deepest wish super deep down, too. So.. Here it is. )

Bang Bang - Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj. ( It doesn’t matter if she’s had ten shots to drink and she feels like dying inside. When this song plays, she stands up and dances with all of her might. Simple as that. )

Make it Rain - Ed Sheeran. ( Alright, this gem right here... It’s really precious because it describes her life to a T but at the same time it gets her goin’, makes her feel a little... frisky. )

All I Ask - Adele. ( So... *sighs* that’s a super sad and bittersweet tribute to her first love. They shared a really beautiful story that was cut short since she was struggling with her mental health. She pushed him away continuously, but when she felt ready to try to make things right, he had to leave Wilmington and she never made it. Ever since there’s been years, physical distance, different partners and wrong timing separating them. Although I feel that, when she listens to the particular song, she goes back to their last night together before she inevitably had to let him go. )

Send My Love - Adele. ( Shoutout to her ex who cheated on her with one of her bffs. She refused to hear any angsty song about her at this point, but she’s just....done with her mere existence tbh. Like, if she turns up in town, Amy will hit her with the “new phone, who dis” line. )

Someone Like You - Adele.  ( While I don’t feel she’d go out of her way to hear a song about @calvinxmccoy, I can’t help but feel there’s a good bunch of lyrics in there that would make her mind drift to him if she stumbled upon this song, even for only a moment. He’s an old friend and a guy she had...something with, on an emotional front. They shared a couple moments that were powerful enough to make her forget about the weight of the world on her shoulders. She still has that in mind when she returns “out of the blue, uninvited” and she finds him being happy, accomplished and settled down for good with the love of his life. So yeah... You guys get why her mind would definitely drift there until everything sinks. )

Because Of You - Kelly Clarkson. ( Last but certainly not least... This one goes out to her dad. He cheated on her mom for years while she struggled with depression, left them, and ruined their family. Her whole childhood was wrecked because of him and I don’t know she’ll ever fully trust a partner because of what he brought into her life. )

[newmusiceverydayy]

I am so happy that Ariana released another album! Though I did like Sweetener, I feel that this is a departure and such a better album, to be honest. It seems like the two albums are kind of a metaphor for her life. Sweetener is more of the celebrity who shows the world that she is perfect and thank u, next is the part of Ariana that is vulnerable and telling us what she really feels. 

I love that this album is a lot more badass r&b and rap vibes because it feels like the music she wants to make. It is only natural to grow up and like making/listening to different music as you do and that’s what she’s doing. Her sound doesn’t have to stay bubblegum pop because she isn’t a teenager anymore.

Song by Song: 

imagine- I loved this song when I first heard it. After everything I’ve read, I do think that it’s about Mac. I loved them together and do believe they truly had a forever love. I like how sweet this song is and it’s a great tribute- especially love the whistle tones

needy- This song reminds me of her first and second albums. Nothing particularly flashy about it, I just like it.

NASA- She just has a way with words. I really like how easy this song is to sing along to

bloodline- Nonna, in the beginning, is perfect. I LOVE the beat and flow of this song so much! I would GET DOWN if I heard this in the club. 

fake smile- As I said before, I think that Sweetener and this album are metaphors for different sides of her life and this song exemplifies that difference. This song is anthemic even though it doesn’t sound like most anthems. It is an important issue to talk about and I think it reigns true for many people

***bad idea- This is definitely my favorite song on the album. I cannot get enough of it and have been listening to it nonstop since the album released. I especially love the beat and the departure/outro after the song is “over”. The vocals are insane too. This is just such a fun song and also reminds people that Ari is still in her 20s and likes to have fun. 

make up- Such a cheeky song. It’s very clever and fun to sing along to like 7 rings and thank u, next

***ghostin- This song is so sad but I’m sure it happens in a lot of relationships. I believe this is another song about Mac and it makes me wish that not only we had him back because he was an amazing person, but so they could have their happy ending

in my head- OBSESSED with the vocal gymnastics in this song. I think this is about Pete in some way too

7 rings- This song made me so happy when it came out. I love that she went more Nicki with it and it sounds like the kind of music she wants to be making. I always love a little rap and r&b so this was right up my street

thank u,next- I think this was the best first single for this album. Many times an artist doesn’t release their best song as their first single, but this was so out of the box for anyone. 

***break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored- I saw the video before listening to the song and was FLOORED. This is such a seductive song and I am so glad Ari is going in this direction. 

*** favorite songs

[jaeminlore]

friends to lovers!haechan

okay donghyuck might possible be the most beautiful person on this earth

yes i may be a ten girl but wow donghyuck is the literal sun and sometimes he really tests my loyalty towards the Missing Trio™

OkAy enough abt me lol

so you and donghyuck share the same music class at school

and you guys don't really talk i mean you're just classmates and you both have separate friend groups that's just how it is

the first time the two of you properly meet is when your teacher pairs you two up for an assignment

basically you guys have to perform a duet of a sing a song by who, in your opinion, is music's best influencer

and you aren't really sure who you'd pick because you listen to an entire hodgepodge of music and you can't be bothered to pick just one

so when you get paired up with donghyuck it's sort of a blessing in disguise bc boy oh boy is he excited

like you know the donghyuck who teases everyone and laughs at his own expense

but you didn't really know donghyuck could act like this?? like a little kid???

what has him so excited you might be wondering

well

it's michael jackson

"hi y/n i'm donghyuck and basically we have to do this assignment for the king of pop otherwise i'll just diE we have to sing smooth criminal pls it's my favorite!!!!"

you don't really know what to say

bc yes you've obviously heard of mj, but just the generic songs everyone knows

you don't know much about him personally or the way he influenced music

and when you explain this to donghyuck he is just

appalled?

aghast??

agogged??

bc he has all the cds and biographies and tribute movies and merch and you've just ... never really listened to him??

donghyuck has never been and will never be one for subtleties so he invites you over to his house that night like forget going to mark's volleyball game you have to see the thriller music video

and the whole time he's babying you like "i'm so sorry you've gone this long and you've never heard human nature I can't imagine what that must be like."

and ur just,,,, "donghyuck ... pls .... stop ...."

when you get to his house after school he takes you to the den and then turns on his laptop, ready to show you all his favorite performances

and through it all he's shooting off random facts abt michael like he knows the guy

he's just so excited bc michael jackson is the reason he loves music so much and all these songs have helped him one time or another

all the boys are tired of hearing him bring it up so he's glad he gets to talk to you abt it

and guess what??? you really like the music????

after seeing donghyuck so happy you decide to sing a michael jackson song w him

you begin to enjoy listening to the songs and even ask donghyuck if you can borrow some cds to listen to before school tomorrow, when you have to let your teacher know what song youre going to practice so she can write it down

donghyuck is so so happy he even lets you choose which song you're most comfortable with bc "I know all of them by heart don't worry abt me!!!!"

and as you leave his house that night you kind of think how nice donghyuck is and how cute he gets when he's excited about something

you're actually really glad you got the assignment w him and not someone else

so yeah

after listening to the songs you decide that you like man in the mirror the most bc it's important and a rlly good song

so when you tell donghyuck as soon as you arrive he actually squeals like full on squeals in the middle of the hallway

and his nose does this lil scrunch this when he's happy okay you know the one don't make me describe it

but then he stops and as the two of you are walking towards music class

he gets kind of quiet like "so i kind of took over this assignment and i realized that was a bit rude of me,,,, so maybe if you wanna hang out again and you can show me your favorite musicians??"

and???? you're like??? yes!!!!

bc truthfully you want to hang out with donghyuck more but also this is an opportunity to show him the songs you liked

so you guys choose man in the mirror for your duet, and decide that after checking out your music you'd practice a bit

donghyuck comes to your house after school and he's so excited mostly bc your mom offered him a fudge pop but also bc music!!!

and you explain to him that you like female artists a lot

from all different eras of music

and he's excited to hear bc he too likes girl groups and female voices

so you play him bills bills bills by destiny's child

and he wants you to replay it bc he loves the sass of the song and legit wants to teach jeno tomorrow at school

and you and him basically just hang out and listen to music w the occasional dance break songs

you danced to umbrella by rihanna, single ladies by beyoncé, born this way by lady gaga, starship by nicki minaj, bo$$ by fifth harmony, move by little mix, wannabe by the spice girls, hold it against me by britney spears ,,,,, literally ANYTHING in your playlist bc each song is a bop to just dance around to

you even break out girlfriend by avril lavigne and what dreams are made of by lizzie mcguire

at this point the two of you are just having absolute fun

jumping around and singing into serving spoons

neither of you realize it's nearly eight o'clock until his mother calls him

you both realize you didn't practice but!!! it was fun anyways!!! so who cares?????

still you know you need to practice, so for the next two weeks the two of you alternate which house you visit and practice as hard as you can (for about an hour then you guys play mario cart or smth)

and each practice kinda feels like a date if we're being honest :/

you kinda start to develop feelings for donghyuck,,,

and he's been much more open and flirty with you as the days go by

so you're kind of hoping the two of you might become an item soon bc you rlly like him and it would be a shame if you guys stopped talking after the assignment was over

it really would be but what you don't know is that donghyuck has a harder time talking to you than before and suddenly whenever you laugh at his jokes his palms get kinda sweaty,,,, which has never happened before so what's up with that idk

literally it's just two awkward teenagers not knowing how to deal w your feelings for each other cUTE!!!!

okay enough of that

so the assignment is pretty much over all you and donghyuck have to do is sing your duet in front of the class and get graded on it

so you do and it goes off without a hitch like you and donghyuck's vocals go so well together it's nice :')

the teacher gives you both an A+ like "wow!! i could really see the chemistry and passion behind the song!! great work!!"

and tbh you still think donghyuck might ignore you now

but you're wrong!!!

bc after the bell rings he runs up to you and hugs you so so tightly like you're pretty sure you just broke a few ribs

and he's like !!!!!!! i can't believe we got an A !!!!!!!

and you're like i know!!!!!!!

when he lets you go he suddenly looks rlly nervous like the tips of his ears are red and awe it's cute bc his hands have retreated into the sleeves of his hoodie

"um, y/n, idk, maybe if you want to, we could, like, go get some ice creams after school? to celebrate of course,,,"

and you can't help but blurt out your next sentence, "like a date??"

he shrugs "idk, do u want it to be?"

"idk, do U want it to be??"

"idk, do u wa—"

cue renjun, jeno, and jaemin in the background, definitely eavesdropping "he's trying to ask you out!!!!!"

now you're blushing bc alsjhshsksks donghyuck just asked you out

"okay. i'd love that."

"great! and there's this new record store down the street if you wanna check out some music w me"

and the two of you don't even realize it really but you kind of become inseparable and donghyuck is always holding your hand or your sleeve or just cuddling up to you y'all know he's a clingy baby

and it's just cute,,,, even mark forgives donghyuck for missing his volleyball game to hang out w you bc now both of you have to sit through them

jokes on mark though bc he just got one more person to roast him for missing that serve

the end

[bites-kms]

La Joie de Vivre: Paris 32mm

Just came from Le Caveau de la Huchette - yes, the jazz club from La-La-Land. I didn’t know this, until I was at the door. I was just looking for a fun place to have a drink or two on a Thursday night and what a joy I found. I literally found the joy of life, or the Parisian way - la joie de vivre.

These people, they were so immerse into the beat, it was très magnifique. Specially there was this one women, with style and grace, short hair, long earrings, long skirt -long according to her age but edgy enough let her wave and move around-, without a bra, laughing and shaking her arms towards the back while killing the dance floor at the beat and rhythm of bebop with his partner, a black man with a white haired afro, with the same big smile and crazy moves as her. It was amazing. I only felt tele transported like this before and it was at Nicky’s, the best Speakeasy bar in Buenos Aires. But this was the real deal: I am in Paris, living the late roaring 20s, in between wars after the American soldiers fought in Paris, in a lost cave right next Ile de cité, few blocks away from Notre Dame. 

photocredits: Black Label Media  Although I must confess I was expecting to meet my Ryan Gosling - and yes, I did remember our dance mov(i)es - I met Mr. PH, or Pierre-Henri, the lovely Swedish/French, who lived in Utah from Uppsala. It’s amazing to be able to connect with all these people through music, regardless of age and origin, and this was even more special due to my Swedish experience. We danced and laughed a lot. I proudly made a fool of myself and decided I’m gonna learn this dance once Im back in NYC. Then I met Maurice, a younger, intriguing French guy with whom we danced more upbeat my-hips-dont-lie songs. That was some intense moves going on there! I had such a wonderful time I couldn’t wait to come home to write about it, I hope to make justice to the amazing experience I just had. Walking down the Seine, as Owen Willson in Midnight in Paris, I came back home - to this evil, evil Airbnb, not without stoping by the Louvre and enjoying all its secrets, changing my movie switch to the Da Vinci Code.

It’s still mesmerizes me how much these narratives shape our collective perspectives on the world. I was thinking about this exact same issue while walking down my office’s street the other day, back in NY, and saw a couple of police patrols going around like crazy, with a black SUV that looked as if it was from the FBI and a small but intense manifestation. I was surprised on how quiet the protesters were after the police cars passed by and didn’t make much sense to me. That was when I finally realized I was living this meta-reality and was tricked by my very own mind: this was all a set up for Gotham and I thought it was the real deal. I couldn’t stop laughing and my mind exploded for a couple of very long minutes trying to understand and process all these realities happening at the same time in my head!  So yes, this is my tribute to them, to the movies, to those little pieces of realities that we share in 32 mm (or blue ray, but that way is not that picturesque any more) And it feels weird that I start this tribute in Paris and not in New York, but I guess the NYC experience still feels a little bit surreal to me. At least here I know I’m not staying for good, I’m just here for 10 days, so I guess that makes me way more objective, an eager observer and an obsessed analytic of every minute.

I deserved some celebration after the success on the US embassy, so I decided to start with the simplest thing: let’s go for dinner! I went for my poulette avec pomme de terre but since it only came with fries, I switched it for the plat du soir and felt a little bit of the Jack Nicholson’s magic on Something Gotta Give at the Grand Colbert restaurant.  

I ended up in the most surreal circumstances on a Friday’s night. Lost, during a thin-rainy eve in Paris, searching for hidden wifi hotspots in order to reach my destination: a typical French bistro by Le Marais. What I didnt realized, was that I was gonna run into this typical French guy called William. William, is actually a PHD professor and researcher from Atlanta- although he has been living in France since forever, and as per a Woody Allen movie, he was wearing a brown suit jacket which was double his proper size. He was also wearing bigger trousers -not pants- and we debated about morality, existence and transcendence of matter and language over the Frankfurt School, Marcuse, Horkheimer, Adorno for more than 4 hours, having wine, charcuterie and terrine. It was a very nice movie cliche to experience without even planning it!

Who knew Paris was so famous in movies? I mean, of course in the collective imagery it is, but I didn’t actually realize the size nor the amount of “featured time” Paris have in this movie so called life. After my wonderful La-La-Land experience, my expectations were high and difficult to match, but oh you, dear Amélie, that was a hell of a Saturday we shared together! 

I went to Montmartre and started my film on the Abesees station, right next to the carrousel, close to her apartment. After a beautiful morning stroll with the sun on my face and the joy on each and every single pore of my being, I found the Cafe des 2 Moulins, where she enjoys the small but amazing things of life. Little did I know that not only the creme brûlée was gonna be amazing, but the atmosphere and the memories would be as such! The waiter became my fan: he noticed I was writing in my journal and started hitting on me with the sweetest and cheesiest lines ever, talking about the movie, practicing and mixing English and French, gifting me a pain au chocolat, drawing a heart gesture on the air before giving it to me. He even dared to asked for my number in the most courageous yet sweet way imaginable! It really made my day. Thanks Jullien, that was fun! Of course I also checked out the Studio 28 Cinema, where Amelie enjoys her movies. BITES & KMS SAYS: That’s a meta-hyper reality indeed: Amelie, a fictional character which I watch, goes and watches movies to the cinema in a narrative fiction, located on the same place I am standing right now in real life, thinking and wondering about what that character would be feeling at that moment, with the difference that I am feeling it right now. Wow #mindblown

Of course, I couldn’t stop singing My Song, performed by Christian (Ewan McGregor), feeling a little bit like Satine from Moulin Rouge, while going up and down hills. I hate Boulevard de Clichy, I absolutely hate it: it’s dirty, touristy, with no style nor personality, full of weird people in the bad sense weird can be understood. But well, even though the Bal du Moulin Rouge is located there, this is not whatsoever the best part of the Quarter. So, I kept my musical dream alive and went around the other small and hidden streets. I actually found a spot, which was absolutely perfect. I needed to stop and write about it. My piece of paper said something like this: “Little pieces of Paris, small and unique as the cobblestones of their streets, where only the little birds sing and the sun warms the soul, in between the distant buzz and talks from the tourists.” I imagine a little chambre on one of those top balconies, with lovers singing to each other, having sex and drinking wine in bed at 11 am on a Sunday, waiting to be drunk again to keep sleeping. I stopped by this wonderful Bistro called Le Sancerre. I had my first glass of champagne and had a delicious lunch, falling in love with all these movies, one scene at a time.

The following day I had a very specific location in mind: the Coulee Verte Rene Dumont: secret lover gardens. Only true Parisians go there and take their dates in hopes of some French kiss action. It is quite far off the tourist circuit, and that made me realized how the US is a rough copy of the best of France, with a very local spin. The Highline, that architecture phenomenon everyone is proud of, already existed here in Paris more than a century ago, and still lingers today. So, sorry Paula Scher, there’s nothing new under the sun. And talking about the sun, this was the setting for Before Sunset. I went there to seek inspiration and to reflect upon that proper dialogue that happens in the movie. Was sex with Ethan Hawke that forgettable or was it actually remarkable? Was he really happy with his wife? Why aren’t they together? Are they meant to be? 

I guess there is just time to listen to some Nina Simone - which, for the time being, we can switch for French Edit Piaf or Italian Mina- and to whomever is asking when I’m flying back, I’m just gonna do as Ethan Hawke: 

Celine- Hey Babe, you’re gonna miss that plane. Jesse- I know.

[youhadmeathohoho]

Does this movie have a good name?

Enchanted Christmas is a boring name that is impossible to remember. The enchanted part refers to the ‘Enchanted Lodge’, the setting for most of the movie, but who cares, still a boring name.

Are we located in a small, picturesque, snow-covered town?

Not until Minute 7! That’s when we finally switch from the hellish sprawl of LA - where it doesn’t even snow, ugghhh - to the cosy mountain community of Rosemont, Utah, where everything is in glorious soft focus for the next 83 minutes. Ahhh, that’s better!

Is the lead character’s name festive?

Her name is Laura Trudeau. I’m thinking the writers may have been daydreaming about a certain cuddly Canadian fella when they came up with this name. And what could be more festive than crushing on a cutie patootie head of state?? 

How busy is said lady?

Laura is busy doing a job where she organises hotel renovations. (There is no name for this job, they don’t even try.) The film kicks off when Laura’s sent to Rosemont - which just happens to be her hometown - and has only 4 weeks to restore the old hotel where she used to do a big dance on Christmas Eve. But Sssshh! - the dancing is a secret.

TBH, I’ve seen busier.

Recognise anyone?

Well. I recognised Alexa PenaVega, who plays Laura, from her child actor days in the Spy Kids movies. Or did I recognise her? Actually, I guess I wouldn’t have, but I knew who she was because I keep myself very well-informed when it comes to C-list celebrities.

Others amongst you may remember Alexa, and her real-life husband Carlos (who plays her former dance partner, Ricardo), from such activities as:

• Both featuring on Dancing With the Stars in 2015 (which is clearly why this movie is even happening: to woo that discerning audience who prefer their festive viewing to feature dimly familiar folk who placed 4th and 6th in a reality show 2 years ago. Tip: if you just want to see them dance, skip to the 80 minute mark.)

• Transforming from singletons Alexa Vega and Carlos Pena, to married couple The PenaVegas. As my wise friend Alex pointed out on Twitter: “The PenaVegas merging their surname is iconic behaviour.“ 

• Sharing a YouTube channel called LexLovesLos, where they vlog about their lives, AND teach us how to be good Christians, in a regular bible-fuelled section called Word of Wisdom, or WOW.

• Announcing via Instagram the name of their son (Ocean King PenaVega), 4 months before his birth.

In conclusion, if you don’t recognise these people, you need to re-think your choices.

How are everyone’s Christmas Spirit levels?

This isn’t really covered, although Laura briefly forbids her daughter Nicki from partaking in the big Christmas Show, because she believes that focusing on her education is more important than frolicking in a reindeer costume. Laura doesn’t know that Christmas trumps everything else! Stupid Laura!

Does a misunderstanding threaten the lady’s path to Happy Ever After with the man?

No. What threatens their lurve is a totally great opportunity that Ricardo should definitely take. His dance partner, Taylor, goes off for an audition BY HERSELF and as a result BOTH OF THEM are offered “leading roles in a 2 year global tour”. Good job, Taylor! Oh actually no, I mean, ugh Taylor, why are you making Ricardo choose between fulfilling his career dreams and doing a 60 second dance with his ex-honey? U SUCK.

Is this movie bang on trend?

A child uses an app to tell her when the school bus is coming, and some text messages are super-imposed over the action.

Is there a twiiiist?

It looks like Ricardo has flown away to dance with Taylor the Temptress, and so he's going to miss doing the salsa with Laura in the grand finale of the hotel’s Christmas Show!! It’s OK though, he abandons his dreams - and presumably wrecks Taylor’s too - to reappear for his very pedestrian Dirty Dancing moment.

Any missed opportunities?

• They keep referencing one time when Laura got mad and threw an ornament at Carlos. They haven’t heard of flashbacks, so we don’t get to see this happen. Sad.

• They clearly edited out most of a sub-plot in which the daughter is in competition with another wannabe dancer. I would have liked to see this in full, as the other girl would presumably have been obnoxious and awful, things I like to see celebrated at Christmas.

• If your location is an empty mountain lodge, you ought really to create a festive tribute to The Shining. ALL WORK AND SOME DANCE MAKES LAURA A BUSY GIRL.

Best dialogue?

“I thought that you went to the airport.”

On reflection, is this movie about Christmas?

No, but we do get to see Christmas Day, which is rare.

Overall rating?

[nickireadstfc]

The Raven King, Chapter 1 – The Show Must Go On (And By Show We Mean Exy)

In which practices stop for no one, Wymack rules at pep talks, family sentiments are expressed to Neil via a seating order, and Andrew reaches new levels of Fucking Weird And Disturbing With A Side Of Asshole.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Raven King.

Before we begin, let’s take a look back at the foolish predictions I made a while ago about the rest of the first book (which my dumb ass forgot to include in last week’s summary):

Neil will be able to do all of the Raven drills eventually didn’t happen yet, we remain hopeful

Nicky and Neil will talk about the Club Situation yup! (kind of)

Alternatively, and even better: Andrew and Neil will talk about the Club Situation nooo sadly not

MORE KANDREIL TIMES hopefully if you count Neil defending Kevin on national television and Andrew almost punching Riko afterwards then yAAA

Either Riko or Coach Moriyama will appear HO BOIII

We will learn something about Renee’s backstory no snowflake backstory for us yet :(

Coach Wymack will be the best person alive JINX I know that’s gonna happen #dicksoutforwymack “Breaking news: I don’t care” my man

Neil will say more beautiful and savage things, dropping shade left and right HO B O I I I I

Seth will fuck off to somewhere (a girl can dream okay) oh my sweet summer child you were nOT PREPARED

I am starting to get why y’all keep telling me I am not prepared for anything that’s to come. I’M NOT.

And with that said, welcome to The Raven King! Even the cover tells us that playtime is over: It’s not the happy orange we had previously, it’s black and red and no doubt filled with violence, abuse, mean boys, infighting, and heaps of shade.

Let’s fucking go.

           It looked like Halloween outside, only two months too early. Last week Palmetto State was covered in orange and white streamers to celebrate the start of the school year. Over the weekend someone had replaced all of the white ribbons with black ones. It gave the impression that the campus was in mourning. Neil Josten thought it a cheap tribute, but that might have been his cynicism talking.

Shut the fuck up, Neil, that’s a cool as shit. My school would have probably put up one or two black ribbons on the flags next to the school gate and that would have been it. Your college decorated the entire campus. That’s a great tribute, shut up.

The book starts off with Neil and the Monster Squad on their way to the first practice after Seth’s death – gracefully scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, which is when Andrew will be in therapy.

Why not sooner, you ask?

           Generally, Andrew’s wild mood wasn’t a problem, but Andrew’s cheer didn’t make him at all friendly. An excitable Andrew confronted with the death of his least-favourite teammate was a recipe for disaster. The team should have come together Sunday morning to grieve their loss, but Andrew and Matt got into an ugly brawl instead.

Sigh. ANDREW, WHY.

I have a slight feeling Andrew’s drug-induced moods are going to play an important role this book. Just a hunch.

           Seth died Saturday night and was cremated Monday afternoon. From what Neil heard, Seth’s mother signed off on everything, but didn’t even show up at the crematorium to collect her son’s ashes.

What the fuck. What the fuck kind of mother is that. What sort of human being cares so little for their own children they won’t even show up to their funeral what the fuck.

This is the saddest shit I’ve read all day. Sure, they’re all from ~broken homes~ and whatever, but still. Some of you were also pointing out that it’s been said before that he was on antidepressants. This and how little fucks his family appears to give about him makes me feel even more sorry for him.

Ughhh. Why do I get them character feels only after his death. This sucks major ass.

           The Foxes were already the smallest team in NCAA Class I Exy. Now they were the smallest a team could be and still qualify to play. They’d lost their only fifth-year senior, and their remaining offense team consisted of an injured national champion and an amateur.

Meaning if Neil or Kevin want to take a time-out they just… can’t?

Boy, I’m sure there I absolutely nothing that can go wrong with that.

           Kevin’s presence on the team mean the Foxes needed full-time security, but the numbers had doubled over the summer when Kevin’s former team transferred to the southeastern district. Neil was getting used to seeing campus police everywhere he went, but he would always hate the sight of them.

I have a question here, which I’ve thought about before as well: What the hell is campus police? Because Germany doesn’t have that.

Is it just security guards? It’s not actual police, is it? I’m sure those guys will have more important things to do than to play standby watchdogs at a college.

           The door code was supposed to change every couple months, but with the Ravens in their district Wymack now changed it every week. This week it was the last four digits of Abby’s phone number. Neil was starting to think his teammates were right about Wymack and Abby’s secret relationship.

Honestly, how have I not seen fanart for those two yet. They’re cute as shit. Everyone, chill it on the Andreil and give me the fluffy Wymabby (Abbymack?) cuddles my heart desperately wants.

Once in the stadium, Neil finds Kevin and Aaron playing interior designers.

           “What are you doing?”

           “Finding a new way to make us fit,” Andrew said, “unless you want to stare an empty chair in the face all season. (…) Four people barely fit on a coach. Five is out of the question.”

           “Five?”

           Kevin looked at him like he was stupid. Neil was painfully familiar with that look by now, but even after four months with Kevin he still didn’t appreciate it.

           “You do know your place, don’t you?”

Hhhhhhhasdfghjkl.

Another installment in our popular series Neil Doesn’t Realize People Actually Care About Him, episode 3 of a billion.

           Neil hesitated a second too long, and Aaron finally spelled it out for him. “You’re on the couch with Kevin and Andrew. Sit down.”

It’s a Kandreil Couch! Yay!

The Kandreil Kouch™, for alliteration’s sake.

           “I don’t like being boxed in,” Neil said, “and I don’t want to sit next to your brother.”

           “Nicky put up with it for a year,” Aaron said. “You can deal with it.”

           “You’re his family,” Neil said, not like it meant a thing to them.

They’re your family as well now, ya dingus.

Neil has something to say about ~families~, though.

           Wymack only recruited athletes from broken homes. At the Foxhole Court, “family” was a fantasy invented to make books and Hollywood movies more interesting.

Was someone looking for the Extra™ in this book? Fucking found it.

Also, was someone looking for Wymack? Because I was. Where is my fave.

           From what Neil could hear, someone was harassing Wymack about the team’s tiny line-up. Wymack’s obvious irritation made his reassurances less than convincing, but Neil knew he believed every word he was saying. Wymack didn’t care if he had nine Foxes or twenty-five. He’d stand behind them until the bitter, bloody end.

THERE HE IS. <333333

Just in case anyone needed a reminder of why Wymack is, in fact, the best person in this entire series.

           He strode into the lounge a couple seconds later and followed Dan’s finger to Neil. He looked from Neil to Kevin to Aaron, then around the room at the new layout, then back at Neil.

           “Last I checked Andrew didn’t like you,” Wymack said.

           “He still doesn’t,” Neil said, but he didn’t bother to explain.

I’m just imagining Wymack looking around faster and faster like a comic character and I’m enjoying it tremendously.

Also, “he still doesn’t”, sure, honey…

It’s time for arguably the best speech in this chapter: A Grade A Certified Wymack Pep Talk.

           Wymack folded his arms across his chest and studied each of his Foxes in turn.

           “Abby wrote me a speech to give you this afternoon. It sounded nice, had lots of stuff about courage and loss and coming together in everyone’s time of need. I tore it up and tossed it in the trash can beside my desk.”

Why do I find this so funny. I mean, harsh, dude, she put effort into that and it was actually so sweet of her, but also like. That is such a Wymack move and I love it.

           Wymack built the Foxes from the ground up and handpicked Seth for his first starting line. Between the players’ personal problems, a faulty original contract that let players walk out, and the option to graduate in four years instead of five, Seth was the only one who’d made it to a fifth year on the team. Seth had been a lot of things, most of them unpleasant, but he’d definitely been a fighter. Now he was gone.

Curse you, afterwards character feels! :(((

           Wymack cleared his throat and scratched a hand through his short hair. “Look. Shit happened. Shit’s going to keep happening. You don’t need me to tell you life isn’t fair. You’re here because you know it isn’t. Life doesn’t care what we want out of it; it’s up to us to fight for what we want with everything we’ve got. Seth wanted us to win. He wanted us to make it past the fourth match. I think we owe it to him to perform. Let’s show the world what we’ve got. Let’s make this our year.”

An actual leaked picture of me reacting to this speech.

How do I love thee, Wymack? Let me count the ways………. A FUCKTON.

After that rousing example of a pep talk, everyone gets ready for practice, and I discover a completely accidental pun that I can’t believe I witnessed with my own two eyes:

           A vanity separated the toilets from the shower stalls, and Neil stopped there on his way back to consider his reflection. (…)

           He didn’t realize how long he’d stalled until Matt and Kevin came looking for him.

Get it? Cause he’s in the stalls………….

I’ll see myself out.

           “All the way to finals?” Neil asked.

           “Miracles happen,” Matt said.

           “Don’t rely on something as insubstantial as a miracle,” Kevin said. “You won’t win anything by standing around. Finish getting changed and get down to the court.”

           “One day I want you to look up ���insensitivity’ in the dictionary,” Matt said, annoyed. “I’m sure it’ll do your ego wonders to see your picture printed beside it.”

GET FUCKIN REKT. Matt, baby, I didn’t know you had such hidden sass qualities. Where were you hiding them and how can we see more of them, like, now.

After a bit of training, Nicky and Andrew finally show up, but before Wymack can shoo them out onto the court, something unexpected happens:

Andrew gets a phone call.

If we learnt anything from the last one he got (which was a killer, by the way), it’s that phone calls for Andrew never mean anything fucking good.

           “Pig Higgins, is that you?” Andrew asked. “Oh, it is. Yes, I’m surprised. Did you forget I don’t like surprises? What? No, don’t stall. You wouldn’t hunt me down after all this time just to chat, so what do you want?” Andrew went quiet for a few seconds to listen, then said, “No,” and hung up.

What. What the fuck is happening. How does Andrew have this police officer so whipped that he gets to call him Pig.

           “What? No, I didn’t hang up on you. I wouldn’t do that. I – no. Shut up.”

           Andrew hung up again.

I want to find this funny, but I just find it weird and disturbing, with a side of asshole-ish. He doesn’t seem in the mood for jokes, he seems serious, yet he keeps hanging up and denying it? This is very fishy to me.

           “Go back,” Andrew finally said. “Who complained? Oh, Pig, don’t give me the runaround. I know where you work, you see. I know who you work with. That means there’s a child in her house. She isn’t supposed – what? No. Don’t ask me that. I said don’t. Leave me alone. Hey,” Andrew said, a little louder like he was trying to drown the officer’s arguments out. “Call me again and I’ll kill you.”

WHAT IS HAPPENING. Who is “she”? What is she not supposed to do? And a child? Whattt.

           “Why is the Oakland PD calling you?”

           “The pig and I go way back,” Andrew said. “He just wanted to catch up. (…) He worked with the Oakland PAL program. Thought he could save at-risk kids by teaching them sports after school. Kind of like you, yes? Idealistic to the core.”

Excuse you, bitch, you’re making that sound like an insult and I am not liking it.

After that scene, completely unimpressed by everyone’s gaping mouths and ‘what-the-fuck’ expressions (including mine), Andrew decides to once again demonstrate his absolute indifference to anything Exy and gets the fuck out of there.

           Impatience pulled Kevin’s mouth into a hard line. “Knock it off. You can’t leave.”

           There was a heartbeat of silence, and Andrew turned around with a wide, wicked smile on his lips. “I can’t, Kevin? I’ll show you what I can’t do. Try and put me on your court today and I’ll take myself off it permanently. Fuck you practice, your line-up, and your stupid fucking game.”

           “That’s enough. We don’t have time for your tantrums.”

           Andrew twisted and punched the wall hard enough to split the skin along his knuckles.

Oh my god, chill out, my dude, what the fuck, take a chill pill, calm your tatas.

Obviously, everyone lets him go after that, but Wymack isn’t quite ready to let the entire subject off the hook yet:

           “Answers, now, Aaron,” Wymack said.

           “I don’t know,” Aaron said. (…) “He was Andrew’s mentor, not mine. I only met the guy once.” (…)

           “Oh,” Nicky said in startled realization. “Is he – ?”

           He didn’t finish, but Aaron understood what he was asking.

           “Yeah,” Aaron said. “He’s the one who told me I had a brother.”

OH SHIT. I’m beyond pumped for the explanation of that backstory.

And we’re done! Good first chapter, shade, practice, violence, lil bit of cryptic backstory, standard Fox program as always. Not much has happened yet, though, as it mostly serves to get us back into the story.

I’m excited for more.

[noisylibrary]

KANYE WEST ALBUMS RANKED WORST TO BEST (according to me) 

It's no secret: he's one of the best to ever do it, and today he turns 40. Considering a few notable publications have put in their two sense and have made lists ranking his albums from worst to best, I thought I would do the same. So without further ado, Happy 40th Birthday Kanye West and here is my list of Kanye's albums ranked worst to best (excluding Cruel Summer. Sorry.) (Keep in mind, this is my personal opinion, obviously.) 

Life of Pablo 

Yeezus 

Watch The Throne 

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

808's and Heartbreak 

Graduation 

Late Registration 

College Dropout 

8. Watch The Throne - Obviously, I couldn't go without mentioning this album, but to be honest, after revisiting it, a lot of songs on here did not age all that well. It has a few great songs ("Gotta Have It", "Otis", Murder to Excellence") It has some pretty interesting ideas ("No Church in the Wild") but painfully corny tracks like "Who Gon' Stop Me?" and "Why I Love You" take this album's quality down multiple notches. And "That's My Bitch"? Really? BEST SONGS: Gotta Have It, Otis, Murder to Excellence (sorry, N****s in Paris is so overplayed that I don't enjoy it that much anymore, and I wasn't even a huge fan of it, to begin with). 

7. Life of Pablo - As far as I'm concerned, this is Kanye's worst solo album. But, even on the album that I think is his weakest, there are shining moments. Songs like "No More Parties in L.A." and "Feedback" proved that Kanye was still versatile and could hop on a plethora of different beats. And of course, "Ultra Light Beam" will probably go down as one of the best Kanye songs, period. However, "Father Stretch My Hands", "Wolves", "Fade" and "Facts" kind of kill the consistency, in my opinion. BEST SONGS: Ultra Light Beam, Highlights, Famous, Feedback 

6. Graduation - Graduation will always have a soft spot in my heart, as it was really my first true exposure to Kanye (I was 10 at the time of it's release). And even though I can acknowledge that this album has all too many traces of the 2000s, I will continue to love songs like "Good Life" and "Homecoming" for a long time to come. However, it just doesn't hold up as well compared to it's predecessors, and songs like "Drunk and Hot Girls" and "Everything I Am" are forgettable, to say the least. BEST SONGS: Good Morning, Champion, Stronger, Can't Tell Me Nothing, Homecoming 

5. Yeezus - This album is SOOOO overrated, I'm sorry. Which is kind of sad, because ignoring all the over-the-top praise this album receives from fans, it's a really solid album. The stellar single "New Slaves" is aggressive and undeniably eerie, as is "Blood on the Leaves". Then there are more intimate tracks, like the personal favourite of mine "Hold My Liquor", brings together the unlikely pairing of Chief Keef and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon for a really dynamic, well-written song. Still though, "On Sight" and "I Am a God" are pretty disappointing as far as industrial hip/hop goes, and "Guilt Trip" and "Send it Up" are just painfully boring songs. Thankfully, "Bound 2" closes everything out smoothly, and I can't help but continue to return to the best songs here, even if I find myself skipping over a few of them. BEST SONGS: New Slaves, Hold My Liquor, I'm In It, Blood on the Leaves, Bound 2 

4. 808's and Heartbreak - This was the album I was most excited to return to, mainly because the sound that Kanye was experimenting with on this album ended up becoming ridiculously influential just a few years later. It made sense at the time why this album was so polarizing, but Kanye took a crazy amount of risk on this album, and for the most part, they pay off. This album is sad, it's mellow, and it's very well produced (of course). I can understand why people who are fans of Kanye's rapping and his knack for sampling b=might be put off by this album's synthetic properties, but I think it's a solid listen from front to back. 

3. College Dropout - Where it all began; Kanye's debut still stands of one of the best debut's in rap. Conceptual, loaded with personal, yet hilarious and likeable lyrics, and phenomenal production all packed into over an hour of material across 21 tracks. The ambition that Kanye displayed with this album was so fresh and commendable, as he was able to justify its length with catchy, well-written songs. The poignant, often funny song topics are just so much fun, from "New Workout Plan" to "School Spirit" to the still creative and mind-blowing "Through the Wire". While it isn't my favourite of his, there isn't really much I would change about this album (honestly "Breathe In Breathe Out" is probably my least favourite song, just because Ludacris sounds just that on this song, but still. Decent track). BEST SONGS: We Don't Care, All Falls Down, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan, School Spirit, Two Words, Through the Wire, Last Call 

2. Late Registration - Honestly, the toughest decision for me while making this list was putting this 2nd, because it is easily one of the grandest statements in hip/hop. Only onto his second album, Kanye took the themes of his debut and elevated them to a cinematic level. The instrumentals are grander, the concept more refined and direct, and the Kanye is on point track after track, constantly outshining the numerous guest features without making them feel too inferior. "Roses" is a heartbreaking story about his grandmother, "Gold Digger" tells about a lady who's only sleeping with him for his cash, and "Hey Mama" is one of the best tribute songs I have ever heard. "Gone" has two of the best features on the album, with Cam'ron and Consequence joining Ye, the latter of which brings some clever wordplay to tell a heartbreaking tale. Also, can't forget closing song "Late" which is a personal favourite of mine from any Kanye album, and one of the best closing songs on any rap album. That's just 5 of 22 songs on this album; to this day, the album has not lost any of its grandiosity, and it will continue to be incredibly influential for years to come. 

1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - I know I said the decision was tough to put this ahead of Late Registration, but at the same time, I was pretty sure this would be my number one spot when I started this list. After a very polarizing album and some not-so-classy public outbursts, Kanye came back in 2010 to prove once and for all why he would go down as one of the best to ever do it. This is Kanye's Citizen Kane; a young, trouble-making artist dropping a masterpiece seemingly out of thin air. Kanye has gone on record to say that he spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours on each song from this project, and it shows in its sound. These songs are towering, in their sound and their lyrical content. It's easily one of the biggest statements ever made in the genre. Nicki Minaj of all people kicks off "Dark Fantasy" as if we are about to partake in some kind of fairy-tale and the title of the album immediately becomes clear. This song also contains some excellent wordplay and is oh-so dreamy in it's instrumental. "Power" remains one of the most monstrous hip/hop songs of the decade, and uses an incredible King Crimson sample. "Runaway"'s hauntingly simple piano and the personal, self-deprecating lyrics are a major highlight. The album ends with a slow, modest applause as if the whole record was some elaborate stage-play, but few people are heard, perhaps because the rest of the audience is just staring in awe. Bottom line, this album is incredible, though I'm sure most of you know that already. BEST SONGS: Dark Fantasy, Gorgeous, Power, Power, All of the Lights, Monster, Devil in a New Dress, Runaway, Lost in the World, Who Will Survive in America

[savetopnow]

2018-04-04 18 CELEBRITY now

CELEBRITY

E!

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[thedesperatehousehusband]

Grammy’s....The First 2.5 Hours....

Time for the Grammy’s and all those only-on-the-Grammy’s special moments. Basically what that means is they’re going to pair Joan Baez and Post Malone or some shit like that. Typically they trot out someone like Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan or maybe the reanimated hologram of Tupac.

Lizzo. Lizzo. Lizzo. I just canNOT with her. She is bananas cool and I love her. That’s a great way to open the show. We saw her twice last year and her meteoric rise to stardom is a very cool story. I hope she cleans up tonight. But I’m not sure we’ll ever know because in a 3.5-telecast they will only give away about 5 awards. It’s ALL about those special Grammy moments, y’all. Next up Josh Groban and Nicki Minaj!!

Juan and I discussed how they would work Kobe Bryant into the show. The Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men tribute using “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” worked. I forgot that the show was the Staples Center where Kobe played for all those years. I was never any sort of Lakers fan but I also like Kobe Bryant and I’m actually really bothered and upset by his death. I hate that one of his kids was with him. It’s just heartbreaking and awful.

Blake and Gwen were just OK. I’m not sure what that song.

What is Alicia Keys doing? What is this keyboard vamp and the talking to the audience and all the nominees? Is this supposed like what Billy Crystal always used to do? It’s not amazing.

I don’t care who knows it: The Jonas Brothers make me happy. Sucker is a GREAT song. Their performance was right on time. I also enjoyed the pan to their wives in the audience. Sophie Turner, Priyanka Chopra and Danielle. I’m happy Danielle is getting the screen time because, let’s face it, Danielle is not the Jonas wife that people want to see.

Sweet that Lizzo won Best Pop Solo Performance. Nice speech. Love her dress.

I am unclear on who Tyler The Creator is. This is why I love and hate this show. It validates me for being hip to certain aspects of music but completely and utterly also validates that my knowledge is narrow. I do not know this person and I am not drawn to the performance nor the strange blonde, bowl-cut wigs.

Is Alicia Keys enhanced with some sort of hippy drug? She seems like she’s hallucinating and on some sort of LSD trip. I am a big, big, big Alicia Keys fan but she seems off.

I’m unclear on the point of Prince tribute. Is that just something we do when icons die? Here’s what I’ve learned. Usher is NOT Prince. Their talents are not the same. I don’t know who I want to hear sing these songs but I’ve discovered it’s not Usher. The positives….Sheila E still got it. She can beat the drum, bitches. And she looks incredible. The dancers are cool. Usher is just not getting this done.

Thoroughly enjoying Camila Cabello. What a sweet song. But Jim Gaffigan introducing her was awkward primarily because he couldn’t read the teleprompter. Back to Camila. Well, I’m crying. Isn’t this something? It’s actually a special moment.

Tanya Tucker is fucking back. Because a lot of you thought she was dead. Well, she’s not. She’s apparently rocking it out with this new album that somehow involves Brandi Carlisle as a writer, producer or both. Their performance was solid, solid, solid. I would go see Tanya Tucker.

This Ariana Grande performance feels over-produced. Do we think she insures the pony tail? At least she things live at these things.

Are Billie Eilish’s press-on nails also Gucci? Until this very performance, I haven’t really been into Billie Eilish nor have I even really understood the excitement about her. But I think I get it now. This is a good performance.

Steven Tyler is pickled and has probably had about 1,000 near-death experiences but it doesn’t matter. Aerosmith can still command the stage despite or maybe in spite of them being nearly 100 years old. Motherfuckers, it’s RUN-DMC. Goddammit. This is MY YOUTH.

Lil Nas X. I guess he’s a thing. It feels like a novelty song, no? What is this revolving lazy susan set? BTS is a strange looking group. Who is this country child? Billy Ray Cyrus better be excited AF about this song because it’s the second best song he’s ever done and he’s only done two songs……..

And now, ladies and gentleman, Demi Lovato is going to emerge from something. And, you know what? She tore it up.

[musicdeejaysorceress]

Sensual Woman Music Playlist April 2019

Sensual Woman Music Playlist iheartradio edition-The music playlist was last updated on iheartradio by April 2019 and I am following my creative intuition to post the song listing today including when I first heard some of these songs. Additional note-Some of these songs may overlap from previous music playlists postings though I am grateful for all take the time out of their schedules to look at this playlist. Additionally, I wanted to follow my creative intuition to share this music playlist while I have an abundance of courage within me to do so. Talking Body by Tove Lo-I am so glad to have first heard this song by the autumn 2014 timeframe, the bold energy to this dance/club song gives Talking Body some added energy.

I have multiple good memories with this amusing song that is Turn Me On by David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, I am fortunate to have first heard this song by the August 2011 timeframe from one of David Guetta’s music collections that this song is featured on. The collaboration between David Guetta and Nicki Minaj on Turn Me On is musically electric.

I Really LikeYou by Carly Rae Jepsen-It was either Amazon music andor iheartradio where I first heard this bright energy type of love song by around the 2015 timeframe. This song has a pop synth and indie dance feel that also gives it a lively quality.

Love Affair by Kylie Minogue-I have to credit my heavenly husband for indirectly influencing one of the multiple reasons why I still enjoy a multiple number of her songs multiple years later (because he had introduced me to more of her music in the early 2000s. For whatever reason, I noticed and listened more often to this vivid song more frequently after the April 2011 timeframe, this was around the same month that I enjoyed the good fortune of being able to attend one of her concerts. One of the reasons why this song stays in my mind multiple years later is because of the daring energy of the song.

I Surrender by Kate Ryan-I actually got the opportunity to hear a variation/version of this fun song via what I think was a music import collection from Germany titled Best of Dance 2008 and fast forward around the March and/or April 2011 I heard song version of I Surrender by Kate Ryan via a music collection I got from Amazon. I have to say that this song and music video version via the April 18 2011 youtube date showcases Kate Ryan in a self confident light.

National Anthem by Lana Del Rey-I confess that I happen to have some previous familiarity with this song both because I had purchased her Born To Die The Paradise Edition music collection by around the November 2012 timeframe and because around less than 4 years ago sometimes this song would sometimes play on my iheartradio account. Despite the controversial nature of this song, Lana Del Rey’s magnetic voice in this song transforms National Anthem into a sultry type of music story.

Feel Your Love by Kim Sozzi-I am very lucky to have first heard this original dance/club love song that is Feel Your Love by around the March 2011 to July 2011 timeframe. Even multiple years after enjoying it I still have yet to make out the full meaning of this song, I am wondering if this song symbolizes either expectedly andor reuniting with someone after a long time span- 5 years andor longer-and pretty much telling them that you are ready to start anew with forgiveness. Regardless of the Feel Your Love meaning, the vocals are astonishing and the music and the music video have a vibrant energy even with the element of the night time lights in the music video. Gods and Monsters by Lana Del Rey-This is a music gem that I have to admit that I am previously familiar with after first hearing it via Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die Paradise Edition by around the November 2012 timeframe. Her soulful vocals and passionate energy in this song creatively transform Gods and Monsters into a song that could appear to have multiple meanings because of the abstract yet make a music listener think type of lyrics. Rock Me In by Britney Spears-I had the opportunity to purchase and enjoy the standard version Circus music collection by Britney Spears by December 2008 when I was residing in Norfolk Virginia and then unexpectedly by around the March 2011 to May 2011 timeframe I unexpectedly discovered the Rock Me In song that comes with some of her other Circus music collections via Amazon. The Womanizer and Circus tracks from her Circus collection are entertaining though this Rock Me In music track is in a class of its own creatively speaking.

Dressin Up by Katy Perry-I admit that I was only previously more familiar with Katy Perry’s music after I had moved to the Washington D.C. area post 2010. There are a multiple number of her songs that I enjoy by Katy Perry and I admit that this song next to Teenage Dream are some of my illicit pleasure songs by Katy Perry, this song I had unexpectedly came across online by around the 2012 to 2016 timeframe.

Fever by Madonna-I started to more frequently listen to this song by the early 2000s when I was stationed in Yokosuka Japan (through the U.S. Navy) and her music relates to multiple happy memories during my time there including the connection with this smoldering and memorable song. The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga-I am very lucky to have purchased the music collection that has this innovative song on it by the May/June 2011 timeframe and I confess that this song grew on me the more that I heard it by around the August/September 2011 timeframe.

Adore You by Miley Cyrus-I am very lucky to have first heard this happy and meaningful love song definitely by around the April 2014 to July 2014 timeframe. This song definitely makes me think of my heavenly husband in a spiritually healing and euphoric way.

I am lucky to be previously familiar with Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift because I had purchased her 1989 music collection by around the December 2014 timeframe. This creative song leaves it open-ended in a clever way why the romantic partnership was meant to be temporary from the start because at the beginning of the song the lyrics suggest/implied that the music/song narrator already saw the temporary vibe of the love affair even before it began though it leaves it open why this was known ahead of time. However the lyrics no one has to know what we do definitely seems to hint at some taboo, controversial andor forbidden partnership with some rebel person type of character maybe/possibly similar to in Taylor Swift’s Ready For It song from her Reputation music collection.

I’m So Excited by the Pointer Sisters-For whatever reason, I started to get into this entertaining song a lot more after the summer 2010 timeframe, and both the festive music and profound vocals make this song a classic still multiple years later. Work (Freemasons Radio Edit) by Kelly Rowland, I confess that I actually became aware of this exhilarating club song after hearing this song via a UK music import of the Now 69 music collection that I purchased by the 2008 timeframe.

Skin by Rihanna-I first heard this imaginative/push the envelope song by the early 2011 timeframe (sometime by the March to June 2011 timeframe). The way she sings this song makes it easy to easily visualize what she is talking about regardless if your visualization skills are that of a novice or expert.

Because The Night by Cascada-I am both very comfortable and happy to admit that I unexpectedly discovered this dazzling electronic/dance/trance love song by around the 2012 to 2013 timeframe. This is a fantastic music tribute to the Patti Smith and the Natalie Merchant vocal versions.

Secrets by Tiesto KSHMR Vassy-I am glad to have definitely heard this edgy club song by the summer 2015 timeframe.

Rapture by iio featuring Nadia Ali-Luckily, I unexpectedly first heard this superb dance/club love song around autumn 2003 (October 2003) from a music cd that I was listening to when I was on a flight headed into California. Why Can’t I by Liz Phair-I would pinpoint the timeframe of around late 2003/early 2004 when I first heard this catchy yet also push the envelope type of rock love song via a Now music collection. Strangely enough, I had also heard this song play on an aircraft carrier in the area I was residing in at that time.

Circle in the Sand Belinda Carlisle-I am very lucky to have actually heard this song by the time I was 7 years old on local radio around the time I had heard her Heaven on Earth song. I then started to get into this song much more after the late 2007 timeframe after purchasing one of her greatest hit music collections that contained this Circle in the Sand song. One of the reasons why I enjoy this remarkable song is because this song makes me think of a connection to a destiny andor mystical type of situation that appears to be implied in a creative way with this song.

Chocolate by Kylie Minogue-I’m fortunate to have seen a music video to Chocolate by Kylie Minogue online by around the January 2004 to June 2004 timeframe and I have enjoyed this captivating song every since.

Hideaway by Kiesza-This song is thrilling to me and I am glad to have unexpectedly discovered this song online by the April/May 2014 timeframe. Magic Man by Heart-I am very lucky to have first heard this enthralling song as a teenager though for some reason this classic rock song has grown on me more since 2015 and I keep liking this song each time I listen to it, an interesting song about meeting someone who has made a memorable mark on a person’s soul in their sleeptime dreams and then actually meeting them in real-life some time later.

Dangerous Cascada Dangerous by Cascada-I luckily heard this song by the 2011/2012 timeframe via one of her music collections. The music story of how one person can have such a strong effect on the heart despite being very “dangerous” makes for enthralling music.

Sledgehammer by Fifth Harmony-Definitely around the late 2014/early 2015 timeframe that I first heard this enchanting song, a charismatic song about someone who gives a person butterflies in their heart metaphorically speaking.

Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey-I have to concur with others who imply that this song expresses timeless love, am fortunate to have first heard this meaningful song by the 2012/2013/2014 timeframe.

Point of No Return Expose-I am fortunate to have first unexpectedly heard this intense love song by the time I was between 8 to 10 years old.

Be My Lover La Bouche-Lively dance energy and a memorable song that I first heard during the 1990s. High On Life by DJ Encore-A beautiful dance song that appears to be about being around someone who has a healing andor creative inspiring effect on someone’s spirit. I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to obtain the music collection containing this during when I was in my 20s.

Volcano Girls Veruca Salt

Ride It by Geri Halliwell-A Quirky song that I unexpectedly discovered online by my mid-20s

All Night Steve Aoki Lauren Jauregui-I’m very lucky to have unexpectedly heard this gleeful electronic dance love song by the March/April/May 2018 timeframe both from Amazon music.

Teenage Dream Katy Perry-Yes I admit that I started to enjoy this summery and fun song that can also be enjoyed year round more often after the autumn 2010 timeframe either from radio, online, andor tv.

Body Work by Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara-The terrific dance energy and the vocals coupled with the lighthearted gym themed/workout themed music video make a superb mix. I unexpectedly heard this song via iheartradion by spring 2015/summer 2015.

Revolver by Madonna feat. Lil Wayne Revolver by Madonna feat. Lil Wayne-I have definitely been familiar with this song since at least January 2011 after listening to one of the music collections by Madonna that contains this song. This music collaboration of Madonna with Lil Wayne in the Revolver song definitely gives this song a distinctive and one of a kind type of dance club music energy.

Catch Me by Pretty

Only U by Ashanti-I am happy to admit that I first enjoyed this melodic and exciting song around the 2004 timeframe after hearing the song online. The lyrics and music are distinctive.

Secret Rendezvous Karyn White

Slide In Goldfrapp Previous comments on youtube From 8 months ago I unexpectedly heard this atmospheric/dance mashup of Slide In by Goldfrapp around the summer of 2009. The vocals and electronic music pair very well together From 2 months ago Slide In by Goldfrapp is a one of a kind tune that I unexpectedly heard around the summer of 2009 by the time I was living in Orlando Florida when I was listening to it on what I think was from one of my mp3 players maybe itunes, regardless the dreamy electro beats and the exquisite vocals create a song that I still find fun to listen to multiple years later.

Falling Into You Celine Dion-I am always going to have happy memories of this song because I first heard this song via a music cd less than 2 years before unexpectedly meeting my husband and parts of the song remind me of my husband.

Whine Up Kat de Luna feat. Elephant Man

Irresistible by the Corrs

Like a Prayer Madonna Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover Sophie B Hawkins

Birthday Katy Perry

I Would Like Zara Larsson I Would Like by Zara Larsson-I happened to have unintentionally discovered this exciting song after seeing it featured on an electronic dance music themed website and enjoying this daring melody on the first listen. Zara Larsson’s powerful vocals and self confident energy really bring this song to life in a vibrant way.

Number 1 Goldfrapp From a youtube comment 11 months ago I like the electro and club vibe energy in this song Number 1 by Goldfrapp. I luckily first heard this song around the 2005/2006 via online. Get Together Madonna-I luckily heard this dynamic song that is Get Together by Madonna by around the 2005 to 2007 timeframe because my heavenly husband had purchased the Confessions On A Dance Floor music collection by Madonna that has this song. The music fits well/excellently with Madonna’s singing in Get Together.

Sensitized Kylie Minogue Comment from 3 months ago via youtube I reluctantly confess that Sensitized by Kylie Minogue is one of my favorite songs from her X music collection because there is something distinctive about both the music and lyrics to this bold song. I remember getting the X music collection around the late winter 2007 timeframe and playing this song multiple times in the earliest days after I obtained the X cd. There are other multiple entertaining songs on the X cd such as Heart Beat Rock, 2 Hearts, Like a Drug. However, Sensitized is still one of those songs that I could listen to multiple times a day still to this day and still enjoy.

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/farewell-jono-and-ben-the-5-greatest-nz-today-segments/

Farewell Jono and Ben: The 5 greatest NZ Today segments

Six years after first arriving on our screens, Jono and Ben air their final episode tonight. In tribute, Dylan Reeve looks back on the best part of the show: Guy Williams’ NZ Today segment.

For a certain group of overseas internet users, New Zealand’s most prominent journalist isn’t who you’d expect. It’s not John Campbell, nor Nicky Hager. Definitely not Mike Hosking. Maybe David Farrier, what with his Dark Touristing and Tickle adventures… But I’m talking about Guy Williams. Yes, that Guy Williams. Williams’ Jono & Ben segment, ‘NZ Today’, has hit the front page of the Reddit’s popular /r/videos with reasonably consistency. For his recent investigation into a 24/7 guppy farming operation in New Lynn, the link’s title was simply: “New Zealand’s top reporter strikes again”.

There’s something special about the short, often absurdist segments Williams produces for the imaginary current affairs show within a show. It’s not just that they’re perfectly constructed to showcase Williams’ understated and self-deprecating humour. There’s a deeper magic.

Most of us, if asked to name the funniest person we could think of, or to recall an incident where we cried with laughter, point to some friend of ours. We’ll think of an event that was so funny that we can’t even remember what it was that made us laugh, just that we laughed so hard it hurt, all because of some weird thing that funny mate said.

Williams takes his often awkward suit jacket and branded microphone into very unpretentious parts of the country, digs into the weird and wonderful things we all know exist around us, and uncovers those hilarious people with perfectly unexpected quips. He finds the funny mates we all know and lets them shine.

The whole show is a joke premise, but the humour is always grounded in our reality. Many of the best moments are thanks to the unassuming Kiwis who find themselves standing in front of the NZ Today cameras. Williams is happy to let those people revel in their jokes, and hang awkwardly when their comedy doesn’t quite land.

In the case of Issac and Josh from Marton, Williams even pivoted his entire segment around two interesting and funny locals when the main story didn’t turn out to be all he’d imagined.

Beyond being a semi-satirical current affairs segment, NZ Today is a fantastic showcase for people, places and events that feel familiar to us. “What I learned was as long as there was a small town involved you basically couldn’t fuck it up,” says Williams about the talent and stories he’s discovered.

There’s a weird charm and sense of comfort to watching unmistakably New Zealand characters being themselves on TV with no pretension. Even more wonderful (and surprising) is seeing overseas viewers react the same way on Reddit and YouTube, places where comments are often best avoided.

“Reddit Videos has been so great,” says Williams. “To do well on Reddit has been a real boost, not just the viewership but the lovely compliments [from everyone] has been awesome.

“I literally prepped Issac and Josh from Marton before the segment played to not read the comments and it was an awesome surprise to see that they were almost universally loved!”

NZ Today is a masterpiece of both comedy and current affairs, and it’s sad to see it go. Hopefully it might find its way back to our screens in the future in some new incarnation – the NZ On Air tagline ‘our stories, our voices’ could just as easily be the tagline of NZ Today. The show has done a fantastic jobs of putting New Zealand stories and New Zealand voices front and centre – and here’s the best five of them, for posterity’s sake:

5. The Greymouth Boat Crash

This is the segment that launched NZ Today. A short video of a dude in Greymouth crashing his boat into a pole had gone viral internationally, but no one had found the man at the centre of it all. Williams set out to find the elusive man.

4. Guy Goes To Haast

Haast has had no cellphone reception for years, but with new coverage on the way Williams travels to Haast to find out what the locals think and get them up to speed on cellphones. This segment is also notable for one of the best musical moments on NZ television in the first 20 seconds.

3. Lake Taupo Hole In One

Is the lake Taupo Hole-in-one challenge a scam? Williams goes to investigate the conspiracy!

2. 24 Hour Guppy Fish Farm

Why is there a 24/7 guppy farm and shop operating out of a nondescript West Auckland building? Williams goes to investigate and uncovers an amazing character.

1. Chicken and Chips in Marton

A house in Fielding has been on the market for more than ten years. Williams goes to find out why… and the story falls flat, but then something better turns up.

This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and yourself a favour by clicking here to start a FREE 30 day trial of this truly wonderful service.

Source: https://www.thespinoff.co.nz/tv/15-11-2018/farewell-jono-and-ben-the-5-greatest-nz-today-segments/

[theconservativebrief]

Though the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards weren’t completely devoid of spectacle, the ceremony ended up being a mix of the baffling and the unmemorable. Aside from some of the performances, the ups and downs were precipitous, as the stacked list of nominees yielded fairly lukewarm wins.

Overall, it was what the ceremony lacked — a sense of cohesion or drama, somebody to properly shepherd an Aretha Franklin tribute, and any of the musical beef that’s made the show so exciting in past years — that stood out. The final Aerosmith-Post Malone performance, complete with pre-punched holes in the fake Marshall speakers onstage, served as a strange cherry on top of the cake.

Here are six winners and two losers from the night.

During the preshow, one-time VMA MVPs the Backstreet Boys started off the night by singing their recent single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” on top of New York City’s Radio City Music Hall sign in a performance that seemed a little cramped at best.

During the ceremony, they came down from the sign to present the award for Song of the Year, singing snippets from each nominee in one of the cuter segments of the telecast. During the bit, A.J. McLean noted that one of the nominees, Camila Cabello’s “Havana,” was his daughter’s favorite song, inducing awws from the audience while serving as a general reminder of how much time has passed since the Backstreet Boys were at the peak of their popularity.

Despite being reminded that we all must die eventually, it was still nice to see the Backstreet Boys in good health and good humor, even if they didn’t get to properly perform during the main ceremony.

Jennifer Lopez at the 2018 VMAs. MTV

Not long after Shawn Mendes gave the first performance of the show, each subsequent moment began to bleed into the next in a dull haze — Tiffany Haddish made fun of Fifth Harmony during a bit with Kevin Hart, Nicki Minaj won the award for Best Hip-Hop Video, and a terrifying zygote named Bazzi took the stage and brought with him the promise of darkness and that this would all be over soon.

Thank god, then, that Jennifer Lopez was present to inject a jolt of life into the proceedings. As the recipient of this year’s Video Vanguard Award, J. Lo was on hand to perform a medley of some of her greatest hits, and though she started a little shaky with “Waiting for Tonight,” she soon found her groove and brought out the showmanship that garnered her the honor in the first place.

She hit her moves, settling in with “On the Floor” and giving energetic renditions of her peak dance hits like “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and “Jenny From the Block.” And with rapid-fire set changes including cameos from DJ Khaled and Ja Rule, she was the first performer to bring the promise of something exciting.

[embedded content]

Lopez made us remember that she’s a true entertainer while underscoring that everything else about the 2018 VMAs was missing the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent that she has in spades.

Bafflingly, most of the cutaway reaction shots during the ceremony featured either empty seats or people looking half-enthused at best. The major exception to the rule was Ja Rule, who was at the show to perform “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny” with Lopez.

Every shot of Ja Rule in the audience showed him grooving along to the performances and generally just looking happy to be in the room. Whether or not that good-natured display is enough to earn back the goodwill he lost over last year’s Fyre Festival debacle (which resulted in eight lawsuits) is unclear, but at least somebody at the VMAs was having a good time.

Shawn Mendes was specifically designed and created to induce crushes. The 6-foot-2, aggressively pleasant Canadian has slowly been shifting his image from “bubblegum teenage dream” to “sensitive and sensual crooner.” At no point during the VMAs was that more evident than during his performance of “In My Blood,” complete with a wet T-shirt contest for one:

Shawn Mendes got wet at the VMAs. MTV

The performance was laced with a little awkwardness (you could tell that Mendes was slightly uncomfortable and nervous), but it showed off the vocals that have made him a stan-worthy star. He couldn’t totally hide his earnest charm — something that feels a little more natural and believable than the sexy persona he’s trying to adopt. Not that his fans will have any problem with the latter.

Lopez and Mendes gave good performances, but if you were watching at home, it was a frustrating experience. There were pans away from tight choreographed pieces and wide shots of more intimate moments. It’s unclear who, if anyone, was calling the shots from the production booth.

While J. Lo’s energy was enough to sustain the momentum during her performance, the lack of organization was especially evident in the “Push Artist” segments, where new and upcoming artists were given a verse or two to sing their catchy hooks. Poor Hayley Kiyoko, a singer who grew up idolizing and incorporating boy-band choreography — uninspired camerawork flattened her performance into static pulp fit for the food court at the mall.

And there was this strange moment where a barely mic’d Mendes presented Lopez with her Video Vanguard Award, with all sorts of commotion going on in the background and a woman almost crossing into the shot:

What is even happening here? MTV

No one is expecting exquisite cinematography from the VMA crew, but if MTV wants to tout performances (since these awards don’t hold the clout of Grammys), it should do a better job of showcasing them.

Even though Cardi B opened the show by pretending to breastfeed, we never would have expected that the VMAs would be such a big night for moms. Throughout the evening, several mom shoutouts lent a sweetly sentimental tone to the telecast.

During her acceptance speech for Best New Artist, Cardi B noted that people had called her decision to have a baby a potential death knell for her career. “You know, I had a baby, I carried a baby,” she said, defiant. “I am still winning awards!”

Cardi B kicked off the show by miming breastfeeding. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for MTV

And while accepting the Video Vanguard Award, Lopez also spoke about having her children, calling them her “two little angels” and crediting them with changing her life. She also thanked her mother, Lupe, “the original dancing queen.”

The theme of motherhood continued with Ariana Grande’s performance of “God Is a Woman,” in which she brought her mother and grandmother onstage; and with Camila Cabello, who took home Artist of the Year and Video of the Year after bringing her mother as her date to the awards ceremony.

Madonna turned her tribute to Aretha Franklin into a tribute to Madonna. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for MTV

Aretha Franklin died less than a week before the VMAs, and many wondered how the show would honor the legendary Queen of Soul. It seems that since Franklin’s death ultimately overshadowed the 60th birthday of another seminal artist, Madonna, the VMAs decided to take out two birds with one stone — by inviting Madonna to pay tribute to Franklin while also presenting the Video of the Year Award.

Conceptually, that must have sounded like a tantalizing idea, but in practice, Madonna ended up rambling on about how hard it was for her to become the pop icon she now is. The implication was that she found inspiration in Franklin, and she did mention that she loved Franklin’s Lady Soul album, but ultimately, Madonna’s tribute to Franklin turned into a tribute to Madonna by Madonna. It came off tacky and disorganized, leaving many viewers with the belief that skipping a Franklin tribute would have been better than Madge’s slapdash one.

Camila Cabello wins Video of the Year. Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Camila Cabello, the autonomous former member of Fifth Harmony who defected from the now-defunct group’s other four harmonies, won two of the biggest awards of the night for her body of work and her hit song “Havana”: Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.

While Cabello and her fans will no doubt be pleased, it felt as if her trophies came at the expense of artists like Drake, Cardi B, and Ariana Grande, who went into the night with a lot more buzz and clout — something you might expect from an “artist of the year” — and videos like Childish Gambino’s “This Is America,” which was much more searing and unforgettable than the video for “Havana.”

Camila Cabello did NOT deserve that fucking award. Cardi B and Drake worked their ASS off this year and gave us bops after bops smh. This award show is forever TRASH. I’m seriously blocking Camila lmao bye #VMAS pic.twitter.com/wtglqqVxI7

— Rashid (@rashidblessed) August 21, 2018

Considering those strong contenders, the videos they’ve created, and their greater command over the public’s interest in the last year, Cabello’s wins were slightly puzzling. Though the VMAs aren’t exactly the highest merit a musician can receive, and it’s not as if Cabello has taken home a Pulitzer, it won’t be surprising if the conversation surrounding Cabello in the coming days is less about celebrating her wins and more about whom she beat in taking home two of the biggest awards of the night.

Original Source -> VMAs 2018: 6 winners and 2 losers from a mostly lackluster show

via The Conservative Brief

[audiofixationnews]

#OverloadMondays: Hip Hop Council Announced + Comebacks + New Music

Here’s some overload for your Monday blues. Check out what went down this past week, March 5th-11th.

Singles

Joey Bada$$ had a great 2017 and continues to kill 2018. With an album on the way, the Brooklyn rapper dropped a new freestyle “King of The Jungle” to salute Notorious B.I.G. who’s anniversary just passed. Filled with some top-notch bars, listen to the two-minute freestyle above.

As it’s a new week, R-Mean keeps #MeanMondays going with “Makaveli,” Chris Rivers continues on with his #BarzdayWednesday with “New Frieza,” GodBodyWati releases his third #WatiWednesdays banger with “Forgive Me,” and Don Q drops fire on his #DonTalkWednesdays with “King’s Dead.”

Forever M.C. keeps the music coming. From “Terminally Ill” and “King Kong,” to now their latest banger “Piranhas.”

We’ve heard new music from Bishop Nehru x Lion Babe x Kaytranada, MadeinTYO x Harry Fraud, and Deshun.

Fetty Was takes his turn on SZA’s “The Weekend” with his latest joint “The Presidential Suite."

More artists delivered new music such as Buddy x A$AP, Sango x Smino, KYLE, Murs x Fashawn x Prof., and Lucki.

Anderson .Paak returns with a new single this week. While we wait for an actually project from the man, listen to “’Til It’s Over” via Apple Music.

Gearing up for the release of his fourth album on March 16th, take a listen to Bun B’s first single, “Knowwhatimsayin.”

MED and Guilty Simpson have linked together for a collab project. They have released the project’s first single, “Face Down,” which was produced by Black Milk.

Let’s not forget the new music from King Louie, Sir Michael Rocks, and GASHI.

 Visuals

Hip Hop journalist, and now rising MC, Rob Markman has released a visual treatment to “Believe Me” which followed up to the letter to his teenage self that he posted via Instagram. A HHNH premiere, Rob shares with them the inspiration behind the song, working with his son, and future plans.

"So at the end of the year I decided to write my 15-year-old self a letter and post it on Instagram. When I did that, I knew I wanted to write a song with that same inspiration. That’s how “Believe Me” was born. It’s really a dope exercise for anyone; with all that you’ve learned in life what would you tell your 15-year-old self?”

With his son playing his younger self, watch above as Rob Markman brings the letter to life and just let it inspire your soul. 

Taylor Bennett, Phora, Trae Tha Truth, and Skippa Da Flippa x Sauce Walka were just some artists we’ve gotten new visuals from.

Check out Big K.R.I.T.’s Tiny Desk concert at the NPR offices.

This past week marked the anniversary of Notorious B.I.G’s death (March 9th). As we spent the day reminiscing and blasting his classics, New York rapper Stro dropped a freestyle over Biggie’s “Steal & Rob.” As his style is often compared to that of the ‘90s MCs, the freestyle is a perfect tribute. Watch as Stro pays his respect.

We’ve also gotten new videos from Rich The Kid, Kooly High, Blac Youngsta and Safaree, which features a cameo from Charlamagne Tha God.

Off their upcoming PRhyme 2, PRhyme have dropped another single. Stream “Flirt” featuring 2 Chainz, via Spotify or Apple.

And then Raz Simone, YFN Lucci x Skeet Blak, Kid Ink, and Chris Brown also dropped new visuals.

Fresh off dropping Stabbed and Shot with .38 Spesh, Benny the Butcher has released a visual treatment for his new solo joint, “Man Of The Kitchen.”

Shortly after dropping his sophomore album, Memories Don’t Die, Tory Lanez drops a visual treatment for the Future-assisted track “Real Thing.”

Let’s not forget the new visual treatments from Khary, Curren$y, Backwood Jones x Shawnna, and Tobi Lou x Smino. 

Projects

Apple | TIDAL | Spotify | YouTube 

At the end of his last album, Everybody, it was implied that Logic would be releasing one more album and it would be his last. He went on to confirm the implication was true. Well, now it looks like he’s giving closure to his older projects before he makes his big exit. Last year, Logic did promise he would be releasing a follow up to his 2016 Bobby Tarantino. Coming in at 13-tracks strong, Bobby Tarantino II features the likes of 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Young Sinatra - pick your poison above.

March starting to look a lot like February with these releases now, sheesh. DJ Premier and Royce 5’9” - that’s PRhyme to you - deliver PRHYME 2 a week early. While it’s not exactly released, NPR has released the album to be streamed in its entirety. It will still be released to everywhere on March 16th. Serving as their collaborative debut album, the 15-track album features the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Chavis Chandler, 2 Chainz, Dave East and plenty more. Listen to it via NPR.

Arin Ray dropped Platinum Fire this week. Serving as his debut album, the Cincinnati singer first came on the scene back in 2012 on The X-Factor which led him to work with big names like Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, John Legend and more. The 14-track album features the likes of Ty Dolla $ign, DRAM, SiR, Terrace Martin, and Childish Major. Definitely worth a listen, so pick your poison: Apple, TIDAL, Spotify, SoundCloud.

Killy makes his debut with Surrender Your Soul. The 11-track tape has production from the likes of 1mind, Y2K, and Wondagurl, the Toronto rapper has a unique energy to which he puts his all into his new project. Surrender Your Soul premiered on The FADER, and can be streamed via Apple, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

Page Kennedy delivered Straight Bars 2, as a follow up to his Straight Bars he dropped in August. Kennedy drops some serious heat over instrumentals from Jay-Z, Kanye, The Lox, Mobb Deep and plenty more. Take a listen via SoundCloud.

YFN Lucci dropped Ray Ray From Summerhill. Extensive yet a great listen, the 20-track features the likes of Meek Mill, Dreezy, T.I. and more. It’s a raw project that gives you an inside glimpse into YFN Lucci’s world. Pick your poison: Apple, TIDAL or Spotify.

Don Mykel released his 5-track EP 2ERO PATI3NCE. The Harlem rapper has been quiet since his last EP drop in September, but now he’s back. Recruiting production from the Dunk Rock, Mike Kuz, the 25th Hour, and Scott Farlee, stream 2ERO PATI3NCE via Apple Music.

Toronto singer Anders released his sophomore project, Twos, this week. The tape followed that of his 669 debut he dropped last year. The 8-track EP features production from the likes of LUCA (who’s a regular collaborator), FrancisGotHeat, Business Boi, and many more. Take a listen via SoundCloud. 

03 Greedo has finally dropped his debut project under Alamo Records, titled The Wolf of Trap Street. The 21-track tape features the likes of Yhung T.O, PnB Rock, OMB Peezy, and more. Pick your poison and take a listen: Apple, TIDAL, Spotify. 

Lil Yase delivers Winner’s Circle earlier than its set release date. Featuring the likes of Drakeo The Ruler, Lil Pete, J. Stalin, Mont and more. Stream via Apple Music.

Brain Fresco dropped his latest project, Love Scars. The 15-track project features the likes of KAMI, Chance the Rapper, Twista, Vic Mensa, and several more. Love Scars deserves a spin, as Brain Fresco is consistent and beyond talented - pick your poison: Apple + Spotify.

Here’s a project I missed last week: Blu has stepped out of the booth and behind the boards on his newest project The DS Dumb Style. Blu recruited the likes of Homebody Sandman, Nova, Blame One, ScienZe, and more for his tape. Check it out via BandCamp.

We also got projects from Jeremih and Lil Yachty. 

Coming soon...

Keri Wilson has announced that she is gearing up to make a comeback in eight years. She teamed up with IfOnly to launch an auction that will allow fans to bid on a chance to get a tour of her studio and listen to her untitled third studio album. Starting off at $2500, the money will be going towards the Keri Hilson Foundation that benefits women and children through education, arts, health and fitness.

Drake announced during a Toronto Raptors versus Houston Rockets game that he is working on a new album for Toronto: “I love each and every one of you, I’m happy to be home. I’m working on this new album for the city.” Since last year, he concluded his More Life with “I’ll be back 2018 to give you the summary.” Looks like he’s a man of his word. We shall see.

MED and Guilty Simpson have teamed up on a new collab project, Loyalty. Set to release March 16th, scroll up to hear the project’s first single. Coming in at 10 tracks, and only two features from Blu and J. Mitchell, pre-order Loyalty via iTunes.

Also set to release this Friday, March 16th: Curren$y, Back at Burnies; Bishop Nehru, Elevators: Act I & II; Jacquees, This Time I’m Serious; MURS, A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable; PRhyme, PRHYME 2; Saweetie, High Maintenance; Rich Homie Quan, Rich As In Spirit.

After releasing the first visual offering (above) from his upcoming debut, Khary is gearing up for his new and first album, Captain, which is set to release April 6th.

With the recent reveal of the official tracklist for Rich The Kid’s upcoming The World Is Yours. With features from Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Khalid, Rick Ross, Bryson Tiller, and more, Rick followed up to say that the tracklist was incomplete and it was missing features from Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Migos. The World Is Yours is set to release March 23rd.

Back in August, SZA hinted that there existed a deluxe edition of her debut Ctrl. Now she has confirmed via Twitter that there are actually six bonus tracks that could be added to make this deluxe edition.

Check This

The OG legends, Eric B and Rakim, are planning to be in a city near you! What started off as a simply tweet, “it’s time to show you,” they have announced that they will be going on tour. Kicking off in Boston on April 8th, Eric B and Rakim will close out their 18-date tour in San Francisco on May 3rd. Check the tour dates here and stay plugged for more updates. 

While we’re on the old school tip, let’s talk about Q-Tip! The Tribe member has now been appointed lead advisor of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture Council, to which he says “reflects the creative, social, and intellectual wealth of the Hip Hop community.”

“The members are the embodiment of what we stand for and all that we aspire to achieve with the Hip Hop Culture program” - Q-Tip 

The council members include legendary Hip Hop contributors like Questlove, Common, Grant Hill, LL Cool J, Bobbito Garcia, Black Thought, 9th Wonder, and several more. It is said that starting in the Spring, these members will be able to “create, experiment, develop, and produce work at the Center.” Check out more information, and the rest of the council members over at Medium.com

In honor of Phife Dawg, the Billionaire Boys Club teamed up with A Tribe Called Quest and Sony Music to create a special collected called The Space Program capsule. The collaborative capsule will include a collection of products and accessories from shirts, hats, hoodies, and more. Also going in is a hoodie with the words “FOR MALIK” in honor of Phife. The Space Program capsule collection drops this Tuesday (March 13th) at the BBC flagship store, webstore and Tribe’s website as well.

Genius has began a new weekly talk show, For The Record, that’s hosted by Rob Markman. First up, Genius has Lil Yatchy over to discuss his latest release, Lil Boat 2, and more. Check it out. 

Only six weeks after releasing their sophomore album, Migos have officially earned their second Platinum record. What took Culture five months, Culture II has now gone platinum in less than six weeks with its single “Stir Fry” as the NBA All Star Weekend’s official song.

Post Malone has earned himself a huge feat as well. His “Psycho” single, featuring Ty Dolla $ign, debuted No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards took place last night and many great things happened. From Eminem and Kehlani performing together, to Cardi announcing her debut album will finally be arriving in April (let’s hope), to Chance The Rapper being honored with the Innovator Award. Check out XXL’s list of winners. 

Stay Plugged

That sums up this past week in Hip Hop. Come back next week for more.

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From Jail To The Runway: The Rise Of Jeremy Meeks

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From Jail To The Runway: The Rise Of Jeremy Meeks

Jeremy Meeks, aka “Felon Bae,” is kind of probably one of the crucial good-looking males on the planet. The blue-eyed prison has been driving girls completely loopy and roughly broke the Web together with his insanely beauty.

Not going to lie – it’s laborious to pay attention gazing his tattooed pecs, however bear with us. Click on by to search out out all the things you want to learn about this jailbird heartthrob. How did Meeks go from being “essentially the most violent prison” in Stockton, California to Nicki Minaj arm sweet?

Jeremy Meeks was simply your common convict, having been arrested quite a few occasions since 2002, till his mugshot made its strategy to Facebook. The Stockton, California Police posted Felon Bae’s mugshot on their web page, and it went viral.

Commenters have been bowled over by simply how good-looking he’s. One even wrote , Momma, I’m in love with a prison.” Different posters Photoshopped his good-looking mug into trend spreads. Critically, Meeks works the digicam, even when it’s only for a mugshot. His arrest photograph was so standard it received over 87,000 Likes and 18,000 feedback.

If there was something made us hate the Web much more than we already do, it’s the truth that Meek’s mug was extra standard than something the police have ever posted together with a tribute to an officer who died within the area.

“I’ve not seen that many likes for a photograph earlier than,” stated Stockton Police Officer Joseph Silva. Silva additionally admitted that they’ve by no means gotten this a lot constructive consideration since they created their Facebook web page in 2012. At most, different posts received a pair hundred likes. It simply goes to point out you, Meeks’ child blues are a strong drug. However actually, the fallen officer is an entire lot extra vital.

The oh-so dreamy felon was your common blue-eyed gang member earlier than a really fateful day three years in the past. On June 18, 2014, Meeks was arrested throughout a gang sweep in Stockton, Calif. He confronted 5 felony weapon fees and two fees of felony road terrorism. Meeks was dubbed “one of the crucial violent criminals within the Stockton space.”

The attractive prison was sentenced to 27 months in jail for a single weapons cost and ordered to take part within the 500-Hour Bureau of Prisons Substance Abuse Therapy Program. Sadly, there have been no photographs of his sentencing, however we guarantee you, he most likely appears pretty much as good in an orange jumpsuit as he does in actually the rest.

Meeks’ tear drop tattoo isn’t only a trend assertion. Meeks, who spent years in jail for grand theft, admitted that he earned his face tattoo for “doing a little issues in his previous he isn’t pleased with.” Mysterious, sure.

Whereas we nobody can say for positive if he truly killed somebody (so far as we all know, he hasn’t been convicted), the Crime Library states that “Essentially the most broadly accepted which means of the teardrop is the wearer has killed somebody — that is reported to have originated among the many Chicano gangs of California.”

Apparently the attractive convict isn’t a drug kingpin, neither is he Nicky Minaj’s boy toy – at the least that’s the story he’s making an attempt to promote. Meeks is definitely married to a lady by the identify of Melissa Curl.

Meeks and Curl have a son, and Curl has two different kids from a earlier relationship. On the time of his arrest, Meeks had been married to Curl for 4 years and their son was three years previous. His household can also be actually supportive, regardless of his prison document. Maintain studying to search out out what his mom did after his arrest.

Jeremy Meeks’ mother Katherine Angier has at all times fiercely supported her son regardless of all of his missteps. As quickly as she observed her good-looking son’s viral fame she arrange a GoFundMe account as a way to increase money to fulfill his $900,000 bail.

She even defended him for his gang-related fees and claimed police have been simply stereotyping him due to his tattoos. To this present day, even with all of Meeks’ convictions, Angier insists her son is solely not a prison. Both she’s in full denial, blinded by her son’s child blues or she’s mom of the 12 months! It’s not our place to evaluate.

In America, you’ve gotten a proper to defend your self. In the event you can’t afford a lawyer, one is given to you by the state. Throughout Meeks’ most up-to-date path, he didn’t rent a lawyer for himself. As a substitute, he was given a public defender. San Behar managed to get him out of six of his seven fees, and was fairly happy with the eye surrounding his shopper’s enticing mugshot. “It’s higher than the eye my purchasers often get,” he stated to CBS 13.

It’s not stunning that Meeks had a public defender earlier than he was well-known, however now his riches are astounding.

The factor about jail is that you simply don’t actually get to make use of the Web. In the event you did, Meeks may need recognized he actually turned well-known in a single day. In an interview with Information10 Friday, Meeks insisted that he was finished with gangs. He additionally insisted that he had no concept he was well-known till he received an opportunity to talk to his spouse.

“I respect [the attention],” he stated. “However I simply need them to know that that is actually not me. I’m not some kingpin.”

Meeks has two brothers, Emery Meeks and Bryan Varela, and a sister Leanna Rominger. Rominger, who’s 12 years older than him, took over official custody of her youthful brother over 20 years in the past when he was simply 10 years previous.

Their mom, Katherine Angier, was out and in of jail all through their complete childhood and was unable to take care of her 4 kids. Rominger did a fairly good job as a sister-turned-surrogate mother. Meeks hadn’t actually gotten into a lot bother till he was a sophomore in highschool.

Meeks didn’t get into a lot bother as a younger boy. When he was in grade faculty, his worst offenses have been reducing class and breaking curfew. In tenth grade, issues began getting much more severe for Jeremy.

He dropped out of college and moved out of the house he shared together with his sister. Two months after he turned 18, Rominger was notified by police that her brother was going through felony fees for stealing a automobile. He served two years for his crimes. That’s when he began getting gang-related tattoos.

Meeks didn’t steal his brother’s identification within the sense that he took is social safety quantity and acquired a bunch of issues on Amazon together with his bank card. Meeks merely gave his brother’s identify to the cops when he was arrested.

In 2005, Meeks bumped into extra bother with the legislation when a safety guard accused him of making an attempt to steal a pack of pellets. He was not convicted for theft, however reasonably convicted on a technicality. To get out of bother, he gave the cops his older brother’s identify and ended up serving 71 days in jail for forgery.

Jeremy Meeks was simply within the unsuitable place on the unsuitable time. Yeah, he was responsible, but when he had simply left the home he was in a couple of minutes earlier, he by no means would’ve gotten arrested. In a press release, cops stated that Meeks was stopped after leaving a home the place a search warrant was about to be executed.

The cops searched his automobile and located a 9mm spherical of ammunition and a tiny little bit of marijuana within the glove compartment. Additionally they discovered an unregistered and loaded Springfield Armory .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun in his trunk. However typically issues actually do occur for a purpose.

Even whereas he was in jail, Jeremy Meeks was actually tried to get his life collectively. He launched into a model new profession path away from being a member of the Crips and signed a contract with White Cross Administration. The company lists him as each an actor and a mannequin on their “expertise” web page.

To organize for his profession in modeling, Meeks made positive to remain slot in jail. “I eat wholesome. I do a number of push-ups, pull-ups, dips, burpees, and I keep very energetic,” he instructed ABC in an interview.

Jeremy Meeks received his first expertise supervisor due to his sister. His sister managed to wrangle their mother’s GoFundMe web page and used the cash raised (about $5,000) to rent a protection lawyer, Tia Bogan, and an leisure supervisor, Gina Rodriguez. This all form of backfired.

Bogan requested that he be allowed to put on “civilian clothes that’s becoming for his physique” throughout courtroom appearances, and it resulted in headlines mocking his beauty. Meeks’ mom and spouse went on Inside Version, which was fostered by Rodriguez, and it turned clear that she was paving a manner of success much like her different TV purchasers Octomom and Honey Boo Boo.

Jim Jordan stumbled throughout Meeks’ photographs the identical manner as the remainder of us. He noticed them on-line and didn’t assume a lot of it moreover the truth that it was humorous. When a good friend known as Jordan saying he had a connection to Meeks, that’s when the gears began turning.

Jordan’s company White Cross Administration is thought for locating and creating unknown expertise then lending them to bigger companies for a share of income. He credit himself for locating Gigi Hadid, who he noticed on a seashore, however their partnership didn’t find yourself figuring out. Meeks, nevertheless, ended up becoming completely inside his mission.

Jordan initially emailed Meeks’ spouse about working with him. He instantly received an indignant reply again from Rodriguez, who accused him of making an attempt to poach her purchasers. He assured her that he simply wished so as to add worth and never poach her shopper. What ended up taking place was that Jordan did, in truth, poach Jeremy.

After Rodriguez agreed to place him on their crew, Meeks’ spouse and Jordan bonded on a visit to see her scorching felon hubby. She requested Jordan to take over all administration operations and fired Rodriguez. Rodriguez denies being impolite to Jordan and says the household was tough to work with as a result of they always fought about cash and she or he was exhausted.

Meeks was destined for fulfillment after his mugshot went viral. A 12 months after his launch, the thug-turned-model began posting modeling pictures on his Instagram. In February of 2017, he scored his very first New York Trend Week gig. He walked down the runway for designer Philip Plein.

Tiffany Trump sat entrance row on the present, which marked a brand new chapter for the felon. Plus, it’s laborious to disclaim that Meeks isn’t a pure. His signature squint and chiseled cheekbones are extraordinarily high-fashion. We don’t even thoughts the little tear drop tattoo.

Jeremy Meeks had next-to-nothing rising up, however hello modeling contract catapulted him into monetary success. Whereas it’s unattainable to inform simply how a lot Meeks is making, his supervisor Jim Jordan says the profitable provides are simply piling in. These provides embody campaigns with main, main trend manufacturers and designers, potential films, guide offers, and actuality non-scripted TV.

In accordance with the supervisor appearances at membership openings in Vegas and Dubai and TV polots are on the desk. Meeks now lives in a mansion and drives a Maserati. Not dangerous for a prison who got here from nothing.

Meeks could also be rising to the highest of the modeling world, however his previous nonetheless haunts him and prices him gigs. In April, he landed a modeling job within the UK and was scheduled for photoshoots in London. He was additionally set to attend the quilt launch for a brand new problem of Man about City, however was denied entry to the nation.

Within the incident, Meeks, his supervisor, and his spouse landed in London and have been met by immigration authorities who despatched him proper again to New York. His paperwork have been all so as, however that’s not at all times sufficient when you’ve got such a protracted document. Meeks was reportedly “very unhappy” about what occurred (bb, allow us to consolation you).

In 2017, Jeremy Meeks and 26-year-old British heiress Chloe Inexperienced went public with a steamy romance although he was nonetheless married. Inexperienced is the daughter of Sir Philip Inexperienced, who owns the $four.9 billion Arcadia trend group. Meeks and Inexperienced have been noticed getting intimate in every single place in the course of the summer season, which isn’t precisely serving to Meeks’ marriage. His spouse, Melissa, who works as a nurse, stayed by his aspect throughout his 27-month jail time period and is claimed to be devastated by his public affair. The 2 are actually divorcing, with Melissa claiming that he has not been a faithful husband or father since changing into well-known.