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averagewriter-inthedark · 8 months

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The Old Therebefore 🐍🕊️ | A Six of Crows Imagine

Takes place after the events of S&B S2

My masterlists

Characters & Pairings: gang leader!reader x Crows (platonic). Kaz Brekker x reader (slight tension)

content warnings: profanity, mentions of violence and death, typical SOC themes. | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 4k

Premise: it’s not often Kaz Brekker needs assistance to a job involving anyone other than his Crows. Yet, there is always a first. When a job comes involving not only a high cash prize but also chances of coming out alive slim, Kaz accepts it is out of his skill level. So, what does he do? Take a risk by recruiting his top rival since Pekka Rollins was run out of town….she’s got the charm of a snake with a voice of a songbird.

Note: so as you can tell by the title of the imagine and song linked, I saw the new hunger games movie (back in November) and literally could not stop thinking about this song/scene. Then of course my hyperfixations like to collide and wallah: here is the end result.

Disclaimer as always: the song and lyrics belong to Suzanne collins and all the SOC characters belong to Leigh Bardugo

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“You know, Kaz, I know better than to question you on most things,” Jesper scanned his surroundings, voice low with slight concern. “But I can’t help but wonder why you’ve decided to drag us to the ‘Snake Pit’ tonight.” The sharpshooter sipped his glass of rum after a close inspection, “mind telling us.”

Seated around him, Inej, Nina, and Wylan expressions bore the same unease. All on high alert the moment Kaz led them through the doors and down the spiral staircase into the Barrel’s infamous Snake Pit.

Located deep on the opposite side of the Crow Club, the Snake Pit was an underground bar/club. Home of the legendary crime gang, the Blood Serpents. They’d been around since Kaz was 15, their leader to have been the same age as him. Yet the public knew very little of the notorious boss. Only by their code name.

The Snake Charmer

Of course, this information made Kaz lose his mind at times. Unable to identify his anonymous rival who’s bested him on multiple occasions. If the opportunity arose, Kaz would pay any amount of kruge to find out who the Snake Charmer was. It’d been well over a decade. His patience was running thin.

Finally, the wait would pay off in the form of a messenger boy.

Knowing Inej was too recognizable, Kaz sent a young member of the Dregs--who was under the radar to the other gangs--to infiltrate the Snake Pit the week prior. The boy returned hours later to relay a crucial piece of information. Now, Kaz was to test that theory.

Clutching his cane, the crime boss did not spare a glance to his fellow Crows the second they entered the Pit. Even when they took claim to a rounded booth in a far corner by the bar. His attention was occupied. Analyzing the club and its features. Mentally noting the Blood Serpent members, who were identifiable by their red snake tattoos on their hands.

One of which was the bartender that served them drinks. A young woman about their age, she wore a maroon pin-stripped 5 piece suit although the blazer was forgone. The tattoo was on full display. Kaz assessed her lingering on him when she pushed the tray of drinks toward Jesper. Likely recognizing him and by default the rest of the Crows. The bartender didn’t say anything after, only giving a nod before moving to the next customer.

To the other Crows, they thought Kaz’s intense stare on the bartender was either because he thought she was attractive or making note she was just another member of the Serpents. But, what they did not know was Kaz figuring out if she was the Snake Charmer.

“A woman?” he questioned the boy, narrowing his eyes. “You are telling me the Snake Charmer--leader of the Blood Serpents--is a woman and works under the guise of an employee at the Snake Pit. Are you positive?”

The boy nodded profusely, “Yes, Mr. Brekker. I can assure you it was no man singing that song. She sounded like a siren if I must say. She calmed the snakes like it was nothing-- I see why they call her Snake Charmer.”

So a woman was responsible for a lot of Kaz’s failures. Not to mention winning the territory he’d hoped to gain when Pekka was defeated. They’d come to a settled agreement through a middle man. An action that annoyed Kaz. But he knew better than to wage war with the Snake Charmer.

So far the women in the gang he’s managed to identify besides the bartender were two serving girls, a door bouncer, and two poker dealers. A total of six. Of the men, most of them were standing on the walls and mingling along the floor.

Bet she didn’t expect him to enter her den.

The Snake Pit was exactly like what the boy described. Dark wood floors and walls up to the high ceilings. Dangling chandeliers, poker tables, two bars on either side. Booths aligned the walls. The most notable and unique trait, however, was the glass snake enclosure right smack in the middle of the floor. It was cylinder shaped at the bottom, lining the floor to the ceiling where it branched out on either side to resemble a tree. Plants and dirt filled it.

As did ten serpents. Ranging from tiny garden snakes to a python.

Jesper cringed when his eyes landed on it. Wylan looked deathly afraid. Nina found it amusing. Inej thought it was fitting. Kaz was pleased to see it. To him, that was ammunition.

Kaz answered Jesper with one word that told the whole story, “Business.”

“What business could you possibly have with the Snake Charmer?” Inej questioned, hand on her side close to her knives. “Don’t you think we should be discussing the plan?”

“And we are,” Kaz rebutted, leaning into the booth with his gaze set on the enclosure. “We’re here to flush out the Snake Charmer.”

Jesper choked on his drink, meanwhile Nina and Inej looked at Kaz like he was crazy. “You’re fooling us aren’t you?” “Boss, jokes aren’t really your thing--.” “You’re insane, Kaz, if you believe that’ll happen.”

“You see that enclosure?” He cut off their rambling. All responded with a look of, ‘Of course we see the ginormous Snake habitat in the middle of the club full of our enemies.’ Kaz nodded to it, “we need to destroy it.”

Once again, Jesper choked. This time on his saliva. “You’ve lost it,” he ignored the glare from his boss, “Did going through the fold change you, Kaz? Clearly you’re not actually thinking we let loose a dozen snakes,” he leans forward to whisper, “we don’t even know if they’re venomous. If their bites don’t kill us, surely their owner will.”

Analyzing Kaz, Inej lowered her tone, “what are you not telling us, Kaz?”

Giving one last scan of his surroundings, Kaz addressed his Crows with the truth of why he brought them to the Snake Pit. “I have a lead on who the owner of this establishment is.” Their reactions were immediate, Kaz continued. “A week ago I sent a young messenger boy here to scout out the place--find anything that could help identify the Serpents boss. During closing he snuck into one of their storage closets,” Kaz attempted to locate said closet, somewhere behind one of the bars.

Kaz paid close attention to the bartender and the poker dealers. “At some point in the night, one of the snakes got loose. Or,” he turned to Jesper and Inej, “my theory is they use those snakes as a means to get information on people.”

“Great,” Nina sighs, “you want us to free the Serpent's torture method. Well done, Brekker. Excellent plan if I must say.” The heartrender received a glare, but Kaz did not entertain it further.

“As I was saying,” his tone was stern, making the others hold onto any additional comments. “The boy overheard the panic of one of the Serpents. Turns out, the Snake Charmer doesn’t take kindly to her pets being mishandled.”

“I can see why,” Jesper mutters, glancing at the enclosure.

Kaz gripped his cane, watching the female bouncer approach the bartender and exchange words. “He then heard a woman’s voice. Singing.”

Wylan raised a brow, “Singing?”

“Whatever it was, it calmed the snake. Allowed her to return the animal back to its case. The boy said he heard arguing between a couple members who hoped to clean up their mistake before the boss discovered it.” Kaz shifted in his seat, “didn’t end well for them.”

“Did you get a look at her face?” Kaz peered out his office window, facing the direction of the Snake Pit’s location. Moonlight shining down, almost as though the Saints wanted him to see the building. Behind him, he heard the boy clear his throat.

“No, Sir.” He stuttered, tensing at the sight of Kaz lowering his head. “The door didn’t have any cracks or holes I could see through. I tried looking underneath, but only got a glimpse of their shoes.”

Kaz pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. “What happened after she finished singing? How’d you get out?”

“Once the snake was handled, she ordered them to her office. She sounded….calm, but you know how you just know when someone is masking their anger. That’s how it was when she addressed them.” Kaz hummed, indicating he understood the boy’s implication. Considering he was guilty of such.

“And then?”

“I waited a few minutes until I was sure they were gone. The direction they went sounded like it was the far left of the club--opposite side of the spiral staircase that’s both the entrance and exit. I think there's a secret back entrance where they were because when I came out it was completely empty.”

Kaz found the secret back entrance. Camouflaged as a bookcase. He was able to spot the hinges carefully placed to where the light made it difficult to see them. But Kaz Brekker knew the art of illusion in the back of his hand.

“This is what’s going to happen,” he became serious. The Crows lean in to hear him while maintaining their alert. “We need to expose those snakes from their enclosure. They’ll be our bait. From there we wait. If my theory is correct, those snakes only answer to their master. Or charmer in this case.” Kaz paused to locate the female workers in the club. “Her act as an employee is a ruse.”

Jesper followed his gaze, once again becoming riddled with unease. “You’re implying the Snake Charmer is either the bouncer who let us in, the gal who served our drinks, the serving girls working the floor or one of the poker dealers?”

“That’s exactly what I’m implying, Jesper.”

“Why would she do that?”

Nina snorted, sipping at her whiskey, “Isn’t it obvious?” she didn’t wait for an answer, “no one would pay a second glance to a worker. They are either too drunk or too naive to assume the pretty bartender or serving girl is the boss of one of Ketterdam’s deadly gangs.” She gestured to the serving girl closest to her. “My money’s on her being the Charmer.”

Jesper scoffed, “no way. To be a ghost and retain anonymity all these years you have to have a great poker face.” He states the obvious, “it’s one of the dealers.”

Inej rolled her eyes, “are you seriously making this a competition?”

“You don’t think it could be the bouncer?” Wylan asked, scratching the back of his neck to relax the tension he felt.

“No,” Jesper replied with a wave of a hand, “that would be obvious, don’t you think? Although….,” he rubs his chin, “considering they let us in -- and we know how much you and the Snake Charmer have been rivals so to speak all these years, boss -- you don’t think by letting us through that we walked into some sort of trap?”

Inej immediately straightened, “Jes has a point.” Nina stopped munching on her calamari, waiting for Kaz. She too realized the potential threat.

Kaz, however, remained relaxed. “It’s not the bouncer, but I know the Charmer has already been notified of our presence.” Wylan’s worry intensified.

“What makes you think that?”

“As we’ve been talking I noticed all the women working the club have interacted at some point. Some making it obvious to point us out,” He was referring to the bouncer nodding her head to the one serving girl. “Others are more discreet.” That was to the poker dealer and bartender.

“And yet,” Jesper groans. “You still want us to make a scene. We are literally in a place crawling with snakes--pun not really intended.” the table rolled his eyes at him, save for Wylan who found the joke amusing. “Point is….you want to unleash the Snake Charmer’s serpents into a club full of innocent people--.”

“Innocent,” Nina scoffed under her breath.

“What if one of us gets bitten?” Jesper kept his gaze on Kaz with mild concern. “I don’t believe for a second the Snake Charmer will kindly hand over the antidote to save our lives. She’ll take pleasure in watching us suffer a horrible death.” Picturing the scene, the sharpshooter downs the rest of his drink, cringing in the process. “Saints, this is not how I pictured I’d die.”

Kaz rolled his eyes, “No one’s dying today. No mourners.” Everyone glanced at each other.

“No funerals.”

“Right then,” It was time to work. “Here’s what we’ll do….”

A prayer slipped past his lips before Jesper inhaled deeply and let the bullet fly. The sound caused gasps from around him, though he was quick to hide the weapon in its holster before one noticed.

“Who did that?!” came a shout from the bouncer. Patrons were already making their way toward the exit. Not wanting to get caught in a crossfire.

Jesper occupied himself with his rum, glancing over his shoulder to Inej, who signaled to him the bullet did not penetrate the glass completely. Sighing, he downed the contents, waited until it was clear, and shot again.

The second bullet hit the glass with a loud clunk. Once again alerting the occupants of the Snake Pit. Many searched themselves for any sign of blood for fear they were shot by an unknown assailant.

“C’mon,” Jesper whispered, peering at the enclosure. He saw the evidence of his bullet, a chip in the glass near the bottom. If he could time it right, without someone getting in the way, he’d hit the mark.

Meanwhile employees of the club were trying to calm the crowd, “everyone please remain--.” Another shot rang out, more shouts echoing. Kaz’s patience was running thin. Their door to escape started to close as he noticed the security begin to close in on the Crows. No doubt suspecting they were to blame for the chaos.

Kaz Brekker coming to the Snake Pit with his most trusted advisors for only a drink? Yeah right.

Then, almost in slow motion, the sound best described as ice cracking filled his ears. All eyes turned to the enclosure. Fear surfacing as they witnessed spiderwebs painting the glass. Then all hell broke loose when the glass gave way, allowing the beasts freedom from their isolation.

Screams ensued. People climbing from the floors onto tables and chairs. Hissing from the snakes intensified the hysteria. Kaz even found himself moving when the python pivoted in his direction. Jesper of course found himself on top of a chair the moment the glass shattered. Inej was high up on a balcony on the opposite side of the club. How did she get up there? No one knew. Wyalan was close to Jesper. He too found safety on a stool. Nina meanwhile was listening to the heartbeats around here. The number decreased each time a patron made it up the staircase and out the door.

Seconds passed and no sight of the Snake Charmer. Kaz was getting worried. Fearing the plan was a failure. His worry increased when he found himself scurrying on top of a poker table. Distracted with trying to find the workers he suspected of being the Snake Charmer to realize the cobra had got close to him. Had he not acted fast, the man’s leg would’ve fallen victim to its fangs. Catching Jesper’s eye, they shared the concern evident in their expressions. Wondering just how the fuck they were going to escape the situation.

Suddenly his prayers were answered in the form of an angelic voice. Causing the screams to disappear…..

“You’re heading for heaven,

The sweet old hereafter,

And I’ve got one foot in the door.

But before I can fly up,

I’ve loose ends to tie up,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.”

Heads turned, facing the direction of the sound. Their expressions turned into pure shock. Kaz may have had his suspicions, but it still came as a shock to discover he was right all along.

Ketterdam’s notorious crime boss, leader of the Blood Serpents….was the Snake Pit’s bartender.

Walking around the bar, crunching against the glass of broken bottles on the floor from the hysteria of customers fleeing to get away from the snakes, the woman kept her gaze on slithering animals. The hissing continued as she inched closer, however she did not seem fazed at all. Her singing continued.

“I’ll be along,

When I’ve finished my song,

When I’ve shut down the band,

When I’ve played out my hand,

When I’ve paid all my debts,

When I have no regrets,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

The hissing got quieter. The animals turning so they were in line with the woman. Slithering slowly but surely toward her. Confirming to everyone she was their master. Their charmer.

Off to the side, a few of the Blood Serpents rushed in with crates. Pushing people aside. Meanwhile the woman got to her knees, leveling down to the snakes who were now moving toward her. Eyes locked, face serious. The Snake Charmer was obviously trying to keep herself together. But Kaz felt the rage seep off of her.

“I’ll catch you up,

When I’ve emptied my cup,

When I’ve worn out my friends,

When I’ve burned out both ends,

When I’ve cried all my tears,

When I’ve conquered my fears,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

The snakes smaller in size slithered up her outstretched arms. Covering both limbs in a tangle of scales. One slithering up to encase her neck, almost like a necklace. The Cobra took claim to her waist. The python circled her, almost like it contemplated joining its fellow serpents.

Around Kaz, he made out the faint gasps of customers who had yet to depart. Glancing around, he witnessed them all in states of shock and awe. Even his Crows were at a loss of words.

As was he.

The Snake Charmer’s voice turned strong. Echoing through the entire club as she belted out the next verse. Bringing chills to everyone’s arms.

“I’ll bring the news,

When I’ve danced off my shoes,

When my body’s closed down,

When my boat’s run around,

When I’ve tallied the score,

And I’m flat on the floor,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

Rising from the ground, she was covered by the creatures. Her python has wrapped itself around her leg. Its tail was on the floor while its head perched by where the cobra had secured itself on her belt. From the neck down the Snake Charmer was a sight to behold. Revealing why the nickname was not only because she was the leader of a gang filled with snakes.

It was because she was gifted with the talent of charming their namesake.

Moving toward her subordinates holding crates, no doubt to keep the animals contained, the woman passionately sang the final verse. Giving it all she had.

“When I’m pure like a dove,

When I’ve learned how to love.”

Tone dropping, she leaned to lower the snakes into the crates. Gently as though they were newborn babies. Kaz caught her stoke the pythons head, her singing so low it was good the place was dead quiet.

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

Finally, after what felt like forever, the snakes were safely stored in the crates. Lids dropping shut with the gang members hurrying from the floor to transport them to another room. No one moved. Any and all eyes focused on the woman in the pinstripe suit. Back turned to the Crows and other patrons, but from the fearful look of her door bouncers, everyone silently prayed they’d make it to the morning.

Moving her neck in a circle, a low crack from the joints that had been stiff, she slowly turned to face the audience. A clenched jaw and fury in her eyes made it clear what was going through her mind. Especially to Kaz, who was fighting to not look away when she instantly met his gaze.

Oh, she knew alright.

“Well…” the Charmer’s tone sent chills along the Crows' bodies. “You’ve certainly got my attention, Mr. Brekker.” Her spite was evident. Complete rage. Likely planning every means of torture she wished to bestow on her rival and his comrades.

It was so quiet. So thrilling. Nobody dared to move a muscle. Patrons watching the stare down between the King, and now the unmasked Queen, of the Barrel. It was captivating yet terrifying. Wondering who would make the first move, and if it will end in a blood bath.

Then she snapped, “Everyone out!!” The floor cleared in seconds. Leaving only Serpents and Crows. They knew better than to attempt an escape. Plus the moment their boss addressed Kaz, the Serpents had circled them to prevent any sudden attack.

Kaz remained composed. Watching closely as the Snake Charmer moved to the bar to pour herself a drink. “Before I kill you, Kaz Brekker, and your little birds too,” she did not look at him, paying attention to the liquid filling the glass. He tightened his jaw. “I want to hear you explain to me why you brought yourselves to my club,” bringing the glass to her lips, she downed half the alcohol in one gulp. Drawing her eyes up to make contact with him, “And destroyed my babies' home.”

Her footsteps echoed, walking toward the center of the floor where Kaz stood. “You’re a smart man.” She took another sip, this time slower. “Not only did you manage to draw me into the light, but you knew exactly how to do so.” A smirk plastered on Kaz’s face. A bold move considering the threat lingering at displaying his smugness to the Serpent Queen. Her lips were in a thin line, “What brings you to my den?”

Straightening his posture, Kaz stepped closer. Their distance is only a mere foot from one another. Making everyone--Crows and Serpents alike--suffocating from the tension between the two.

“You won’t be killing us tonight, Charmer.” If only he knew her real name. Only having her title felt like she had some reign on him. Superior in a sense. The whole Barrel knew him as Dirtyhands, but Kaz Brekker had his own reputation. For her, people can now put a face to the name Snake Charmer. A beautiful woman with the voice of an angel. So powerful it made snakes bend to her will.

Also, people would be shaken by the fact the deadly gang leader served them drinks during their visits to the Snake Pit. Hidden in plain sight. Listening to them spill their drunken secrets.

Kaz leaned closer, the scent of her perfume hitting his nostrils. Jasmine. A flower known to attract snakes. He understood why she wore it. The smell was alluring. As was her presence, but Kaz dismissed the thought as quick as it came. “Doing so will result in you losing an important job I’m willing to negotiate your assistance on. Believe me, the reward is more than generous--enough for the both of us to share.” Now he got her attention, confirmed by the way her head slightly tilted, brow raised.

“Humor me, Brekker.”

“Have you ever heard of jurda parem?”

#kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker #kaz brekker x y/n #six of crows #six of crows imagine #six of crows fanfic #kaz brekker fanfic #shadow and bone #shadow and bone fanfiction #shadow and bone imagine #Spotify

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dragoninahumancostume · 7 months

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I'm bored so

All years referenced in Hamilton:

(directly from the songs)

1776, Aaron Burr, Sir

1780, Winter's Ball

1781, Yorktown (The World Turned Upside-Down)

1785, I Know Him

1789, What'd I Miss

1791, We Know

1800, The Election of 1800

(by event/lyric, assuming Alexander was born in 1757, in order of events. This might be a bit confusing so feel free to ask clarification)

1754, I was given my first command I led my men straight into a massacre

1766, when he was ten his father split

1768, his mother went quick

1768-1835, Philip Jeremiah Schuyler (Angelica's brother, son of Philip Schuyler. Philip had like 15 children apparently, including the sisters and Philip)

1769, the cousin committed suicide

1769, as a kid in the Caribbean I wished for a war ("I wish there was a war", letter to Edward Stevens)

1771, they placed him in charge of a trading charter

1772, a hurricane destroyed Hamilton's town

1772, ship is in the harbor now see if you can spot him

1773, I am Hercules Mulligan

1773, your tea which you hurl in the sea (Boston Tea Party)

1775, Farmer Refuted

1775, yo let's steal their cannons

1775, I was a captain under general Montgomery until he caught a bullet in the neck in Quebec

1776, British Admiral Howe's got 32000 troops in New York harbor

1776, he promotes Charles Lee makes him second-in-command

1777, I need someone like you to lighten the load (Alex becomes Washington's right hand man)

1777, I'm John Laurens in the place to be

1777, je m'apelle Lafayette

1778, Theodosia meets Burr

1778, Battle of Monmouth

1778, duel between Laurens and Lee

1779, Laurens i like you a lot (letter from Alex to John, "I wish, my dear Laurens, it might be in my power, by actions rather than words, to convince you that I love you")

1780, give it up for the maid of honor (Alexander and Eliza's wedding)

1781, Hamilton leaves Washington (due to his lack of command)

1781, we fought with him

1782, Philip's birth

1782, me I died for him

1783, Theodosia's birth

1785, I am sailing off to London

1787, at the constitutional convention, goes and proposes his own form of government

(October-August) 1787-1788, write a series of essays titled The Federalist Papers

1789, Hamilton runs the state department

1789-1792, life without the monarchy

1790, Cabinet Battle #1

1791, Burr becomes senator

1791, Hamilton meets Ms. Reynolds

1793, Cabinet Battle #2

1793, Thomas Jefferson resings

1797, Washington's presidency ends

1797-1801, Adams' administration

1797, The Reynolds Pamphlets

1799, George Washington's death

1800, the first murder trial of our brand new nation (Levi Weeks' trial)

(March) 1801, death of Peggy Schuyler

(July) 1801, George Eacker's 4th of July speech

(23th November) 1801, George and Philip's duel

(24th November) 1801, Philip's death

1804, Alexander Hamilton's death

1810, You're making me mad (King George III actually goes mad)

1820, I'll love you til my dying days (King George dies)

I tried my best to get most of the dates, but tell me if I missed any! :)

#hamilton #hamilton musical #I really want to do a “every part that's historically inaccurate in Hamilton and everything that's a direct quote”#For funsies

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taylor-on-your-dash · 1 year

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Writing of 1989 Timeline

1989 changed Taylor's career forever. If Red had just sprinkles of pop sounds, 1989 was marketed as a pure pop album from the get-go.

While many fans and critics kind of expected that, it seems like:

Taylor didn't have a clear direction from the start (except for the cohesiveness): “I wanted it to be a sonically cohesive album, and it ended up really being the first I’ve done since Fearless. I also wanted the songs to sound exactly how the emotions felt. I know that’s pretty vague, so I really didn’t know where it was going to go, but I knew that I wanted to work with the collaborators I had such crazy electricity with on Red, like Max Martin. I wanted to do some things that sounded nothing like what we had done before.”

She knew that she didn't want another Red: “When people say that they like one of my albums, like when people told me that Red was their favorite album I'd done, I didn't take that as, 'So, I should make that again'. I took that as, 'Great, awsome, now I wanna make them like this new album just as much if not more than the last album.' But I want them to like it for different reasons.”

She was worried about the change of direction of her music: “I worry about everything. Some days I wake up in a mind-set of, like, ‘Okay, it’s been a good run.’ By afternoon, I could have a change of mood and feel like anything is possible and I can’t wait to make this kind of music I’ve never made before. And then by evening, I could be terrified of the whole thing again. And then at night, I’ll write a song before bed.”

October 17, 2012: [From a Lover Journal] Taylor writes This Love in LA. This will be the last song produced by Nathan Chapman and the only one recorded in Nashville.

“The last time I wrote a poem that ended up being a song, I was writing in my journal and I was writing about something that had happened in my life – it was about a year ago – and I just wrote this really really short poem. It said, 'This love is good /this love is bad / this love is alive back from the dead / these hands had to let it go free / and this love came back to me.' And I just wrote it down, closed the book and put it back on my night stand […] All of a sudden in my head I just started hearing this melody happen, and then I realized that it was going to be a song.”

Handwritten lyrics:

November 18, 2012: Taylor meets Jack Antonoff and his band, fun., for the first time in Frankfurt, Germany, while at the MTV Europe Music Awards. They bond over 80s music.

January 4, 2013: Taylor is seen in a boat without Harry Styles, ready to return to LA from the Virgin Islands.

She will wear the same dress in the Out Of The Woods music video (and also in Look What You Made Me Do)

January 10, 2013: Taylor tweets "Back in the studio. Uh oh...". She will confirm that the song was All You Had To Do Was Stay on October 27, 2014 on Tumblr.

Candids here;

“There’s a song on my album called 'All You Had To Do Was Stay.' I was having this dream, that was actually one of those embarrassing dreams, where you’re mortified in the dream, you’re like humiliated. In the dream, my ex had come to the door to beg for me to talk to him or whatever, and I opened up the door and I went to go say, 'Hi,' or 'What are you doing here?' or something — something normal — but all that came out was this high-pitched singing that said, 'Stay!' It was almost operatic. So I wrote this song, and I used that sound in the song. Weird, right? I woke up from the dream, saying the weird part into my phone, figuring I had to include it in something because it was just too strange not to. In pop, it’s fun to play around with little weird noises like that.”

January 11, 2013: Taylor is seen again at Conway Studios, likely to continue working on All You Had To Do Was Stay.

January 15, 2013: Taylor posts a picture of herself in the studio, with the caption "Somewhere in LA". She'll later reveal that she was writing How You Get The Girl.

“The song ‘How You Get The Girl’ is a song that I wrote about how you get the girl back if you ruined the relationship somehow and she won’t talk to you anymore. Like, if you broke up with her and left her on her own for six months and then you realize you miss her. All the steps you have to do to edge your way back into her life, because she’s probably pretty mad at you. So it’s kind of a tutorial. If you follow the directions in the song, chances are things will work out. Or you may get a restraining order.”

March 6, 2013: Taylor is seen going to a studio in LA.

March 23, 2013: Taylor posts a picture of herself playing guitar, which might mean that she was working on a new song: "Pre show. Columbia, South Carolina". This could be either Wonderland, New Romantics or a vault song.

May 27, 2013: While in Rhode Island for the Memorial Day weekend, Jack plays Taylor an instrumental track that will later become I Wish You Would.

“'I Wish You Would’ is a song that I wrote with Jack Antonoff and it was the first song we ever worked on together. I think, for this song, we wanted to create a sort of John Hughes movie visual with pining and, you know, one person’s over here and misses the other person but is too prideful and won’t say it. Meanwhile this other person is here and missing the same person; they’re missing each other but not saying it. And I had this happen in my life and so I wanted to kind of narrate it in a very cinematic way where it’s like you’re seeing two scenes play out and then in the bridge you’re seeing the final scene, where it resolves itself. So it says, 'It’s a crooked love in a straight line down, makes you wanna run and hide but it makes you turn right back around.’ It kind of is like that dramatic love that’s never really quite where it needs to be and that tension it creates.”

[Voice Memo Intro Transcript] “This is another way I’ve written songs recently. This is a song I did with Jack Antonoff, and Jack is one of my friends and so were hanging out and he pulled out his phone and goes ‘I made this amazing track the other day. It’s so cool, I love these guitar sounds.’ And he played it for me and immediately I could hear this finished song in my head, and I just said ‘Please, please let me have that. Let me play with it, send it to me.’ And so he sent it to me and I was on tour and this was me playing the track on my laptop recording me singing the vocal into my phone and it ended up being a song called 'I Wish You Would', because Jack wrote back and said ‘I love that’. So this is another way of writing, it’s writing to track.”

[Secret Sessions] “Taylor said that she wrote ‘I Wish You Would’ a couple of months after her and Harry Styles broke up, and they decided to become friends again and she said this was the first time she had become friends with an ex, to the point where they were comfortable enough to talk about why the relationship didn’t work out. She said he told her about how, after they broke up, he bought a house literally one road adjacent to hers. Every day he would drive home, and accidentally turn into her street, and he told her how he just wanted to stop at her house and see her, but he never did. She said this song is about while he was in the car making the decision to get out the car and see her, she was sitting in her bedroom, wishing he would make the move and go back to her and just pitch up at her house. She compared it to a classic John Hughes movie where both parties want the same thing but neither has the guts to say anything. Honestly, she spoke so fondly of that relationship.” [this is from a secret sessioner and therefore it should be taken with a grain of salt]

Between May 28 and June 2, 2013: Taylor writes I Wish You Would. She settled in Rhode Island basically all summer, so it's possible that she went to Jack's studio in New York by car without being seen and especially photographed, cause I couldn't find any pictures with the same outfit. Conway Studios are also credited but it's possible that she recorded background vocals there. Taylor was in LA in late August.

June 7, 2013: During an interview at the CMA Music Festival, Taylor confirms that she has started writing her next album.

[Transcript by me] “[The new album] is starting, all the anxiety is starting and when the anxiety starts, then the writing happens right afterward usually. I like to write for about two years before I'm finished with an album because at this point I kind of know that whenever I read in the first year is going to get away, because I'm going to like it but it's going to sound a little bit like the last project I had, and the second year usually ends up sounding like the next project. So I think at this point I feel like staying the same is the easy way to go but it's not the way that I want to go creatively. I think you need to challenge yourself, I think you need to change up your influences, I think you need to be inspired by different things that you've been inspired by before. It's harder to call people you don't know, it's harder to think of topics you haven't covered and think of new ways to say old emotions that everyone feels. I think one of the things that I'm happiest with in the last year is the acceptance level in country music for me experimenting and for me trying to evolve and challenge myself musically because I think it's never felt better to be on that stadium stage performing knowing that and so welcoming of change.”

July 13, 2013: After a show in New Jersey, Taylor has an interview with Rolling Stone, where she says that she has been writing a lot.

“The floodgates just opened the last couple weeks,” she says of the songwriting process. “I’m getting to that point where I’m irritating to be around because I’ll be with you for half the conversation and then the second half of the conversation I’m clearly editing the second verse of whatever I’m writing in my head. I really loved collaborating: you work with a lot of different people and you find the people you have this dream connection with in the studio. I know those people and I know the ones I want to go back to. But I also have a really long list of the people I admire and I would really love to go and contact. So that’s kind of where that is. I think that the idea of having a different approach to every single one of my albums is so exciting to me. I never want to make the same record twice. Why do it? What’s the point? It’s so overwhelming that when you’re starting a project there are such endless possibilities if you’re willing to evolve and experiment. If you’re willing to become a different version of yourself, you can really go anywhere with it. And that’s kind of where I am. The kind of the laboratory experimental stage of really catching onto a new thing that I’m liking.”

Somewhere around June and early September 2013: Taylor and Jack write Sweeter Than Fiction. No credits are available but we know that it's the second song on which Taylor and Jack worked, so that places it before I Wish You Would and Out Of The Woods.

In 2014, Lena Dunham (Jack's girlfriend at the time) posted this photo of Jack and Taylor working on the song at Jack's house.

September 15, 2013: Jack completes the instrumental track that will later become Out Of The Woods, after his show was cancelled.

[Jack Antonoff] “When I did the track for Out of the Woods, which is a Taylor song that I'm really proud of, there was some issue at a venue and our show was canceled that night and I didn't have my stuff, I had left it on the bus, so I only had these old samples on what was on my laptop, and caught up that 'oh oh'' thing, and I only had one drum kit on there, and these dumb little things sometimes turn into a great song.”

Somewhere around September and October 2013: Taylor writes Out Of The Woods.

Voice memo here;

[Jack Antonoff] Although Antonoff and Swift shared studio time for some of their other 1989 songs while working throughout 2014, “Out of the Woods” was completed as a long-distance collaboration. “She’s very natural -— when she gets an idea, it just happens very quickly. I would send her these tracks, and when an idea would happen, we’d be 5,000 miles apart or whatever, but she would start emailing me these voice notes like crazy and it would just be happening so quickly that there’d be this excitement. There’s a frantic feeling in the song,” he says. “What’s interesting about ‘Out of the Woods’ is that it doesn’t really let up. It starts with a pretty big anthemic vocal sample that’s me, and then there’s a drum sample that kicks in that’s kind of huge, and then you don’t really know how you’re going to get any bigger, but then the chorus hits and it just explodes even larger. And then the bridge hits, and it gets even more huge.“When I was working on the track, I was thinking a lot about My Morning Jacket,” Antonoff continues, “and how everything they do, every sound is louder than the last, and somehow it feels like everything is just f—ing massive. And that’s the feeling that I went for. It started out big, and then I think the obvious move would have been to do a down chorus, but the idea was to keep pushing.” Antonoff is excited to share the rest of his work with Swift on 1989, but he views “Out of the Woods” as a highlight on the project. “This song means a great deal to me. On a production level, on a writing level, Taylor’s lyrics and her melodies — there’s something very important about this song.”

[Jack Antonoff] “After 'I Wish You Would' and 'Sweeter Than Fiction', we did 'Out Of The Woods'. So it was the third thing we worked on together, and probably the easiest. I sent her the track for it, and she sent back a voice note with the verse and chorus in what felt like five seconds. And it was just perfect. It's eerie how similar it is to what the final product is.”

“It kind of conjured up all these feelings of anxiety I had in a relationship where everybody was watching, everybody was commenting on it. You’re constantly just feeling like, ‘Are we out of the woods yet? What’s the next thing gonna be? What’s the next hurdle we’re gonna have to jump over?’ It was interesting to write about a relationship where you’re just honestly like, ‘This is probably not gonna last, but how long is it gonna last?’ Those fragile relationships... It doesn’t mean they’re not supposed to happen. The whole time we were having happy memories, or crazy memories, or ridiculously anxious times, in my head it was just like, ‘Are we okay yet? Are we there yet? Are we out of this yet?’”

“That line is in there because it's not only the actual, literal narration of what happened in a particular relationship I was in, it's also a metaphor. 'Hit the brakes too soon' could mean the literal sense of, we got in an accident and we had to deal with the aftermath. But also, the relationship ended sooner than it should've because there was a lot of fear involved. And that song touches on a huge sense of anxiety that was, kind of, coursing through that particular relationship, because we really felt the heat of every single person in the media thinking they could draw up the narrative of what we were going through and debate and speculate. I don't think it's ever going to be easy for me to find love and block out all those screaming voices.”

October 21, 2013: Sweeter Than Fiction is released. Big Machine was originally not on board with the release since they wanted a dormant period between album releases.

Late 2013: Taylor writes Bad Blood, after Katy Perry announces her Prismatic World Tour.

“For years, I was never sure if we were friends or not. She would come up to me at awards shows and say something and walk away, and I would think, ‘Are we friends,or did she just give me the harshest insult of my life?’ Then last year, the other star crossed a line. She did something so horrible. I was like, ‘Oh, we’re just straight-up enemies.’ And it wasn’t even about a guy! It had to do with business. She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me. And I’m surprisingly non-confrontational – you would not believe how much I hate conflict. So now I have to avoid her. It’s awkward, and I don’t like it.”

“That was about losing a friend... But then people cryptically tweet about what you meant. I never said anything that would point a finger in the specific direction of one specific person, and I can sleep at night knowing that. I knew the song would be assigned to a person, and the easiest mark was someone who I didn’t want to be labeled with this song. It was not a song about heartbreak. It was about the loss of friendship.”

October 20 to 22, 2013: Taylor is in Cape Town (South Africa) shooting The Giver. One of the members of the cast is Alexsander Skarsgård. He is said to have inspired Wildest Dreams (or at least he's the most popular theory, as far as I know), because the music video is set in Africa and it features Clint Eastwood's son Scott as love interest, just like Alexsander is actor Stellan Skarsgård's son, but we don't actually know more about the song.

“I think the way I used to approach relationships was very idealistic. I used to go into them thinking, ‘Maybe this is the one – we’ll get married and have a family, this could be forever’. Whereas now I go in thinking, ‘How long do we have on the clock – before something comes along and puts a wrench in it, or your publicist calls and says this isn’t a good idea?’”

Note: Selena Gomez was present when Taylor wrote this song.

Handwritten lyrics:

November 19, 2013: Taylor records Blank Space. This is based on the wall behind her on an Instagram post from this day, the credits, and the behind the scenes clip.

Voice memo here;

Behind the Scenes here;

“Every few years, the media finds something they unanimously agree is annoying about me. 2012-2013 they thought I was dating too much, because I dated two people in a year and a half. ‘Oh, a serial dater. She only writes songs to get emotional revenge on guys. She’s a man-hater, don’t let her near your boyfriend.’ It was kind of excessive and at first it was hurtful, but then I found a little bit of comedy in it. This character is so interesting, though. If you read these gossip sites, they describe how I am so opposite to my actual life: I’m clingy, and I’m awful, and I throw fits, and there’s drama. An emotionally fragile, unpredictable mess. I painted a whole picture of this character. She lives in a mansion with marble floors, she wears Dolce & Gabbana around the house, and she wears animal print unironically. So I created this whole character and I had fun doing it.”

November 21, 2013: While at the American Music Awards, Taylor tells Billboard that she has around seven or eight songs ready.

[Transcript] “We got a lot already,” says Swift. “There are probably seven or eight songs that I know I want on the record. It’s really ahead of schedule for me. I’m just stoked because it’s already evolved into a new sound, and that’s all I wanted. And I would have taken two years to make that happen, but it just kind of happened naturally, so that’s all I could really ask for.”

December 2013: Taylor meets Diane Warren and they write Say, Don't Go.

[Diane Warren to Rolling Stone] Warren, who typically writes on her own, says the two of them “sat down and wrote the song,” which was released Friday as one of 1989 (Taylor’s Version)‘s vault tracks, “from scratch” during the last few days of 2013. She remembers being impressed with how specific Swift was with her lyricism and how considerate she was about how her fans might receive it. “She was very particular about how she said certain things. It was a really interesting experience. She gets her audience,” Warren says. “She’s deeply aware of how her fans want to hear something. I can’t explain it, but that’s probably why she’s the biggest fucking star in the world.”

2013: Taylor writes New Romantics and Wonderland. Not much is known about these songs, except that they were both written in 2013.

[About New Romantics] “People will say, 'Let me set you up with someone', and I’m just sitting there saying, ‘That’s not what I’m doing. I’m not lonely. I’m not looking.’ They just don’t get it. I’ve learned that just because someone is cute and wants to date you, that’s not a reason to sacrifice your independence and allow everyone to say whatever they want about you. I’m not doing that anymore. It’d take someone really special for me to undergo the circumstances I have to go through to experience a date. I don’t know how I would ever have another person in my world trying to have a relationship with me, or a family.”

New Romantics handwritten lyrics:

Wonderland Handwritten lyrics:

January 1, 2014: Taylor records Say, Don't Go.

[Diane Warren to Rolling Stone] Several days after writing the song together, they got into Warren’s office to record a demo, where Swift played it on her acoustic guitar. “We demoed it on New Year’s Day. And I’m a workaholic, and that’s fine for me,” she says. “But I remember being impressed that she did, too. Everybody’s on vacation, but she showed up.”

January 6, 2014: Taylor decides to look for a house in New York.

[Lover Journal] LA. So I've decided I want to look at places in New York. I know I went through this phase months ago, but it has to mean something that i've circled back to it, right? You know what they say, if you love something let it go and if it comes back... blah blah blah. so I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. Dating is awful. Love is fiction/ a myth. I'm over it all.

January 21, 2014: Taylor sends Ryan Tedder the I Know Places Voice Memo.

January 22, 2014: [From the 1989 Booklet] Taylor and Ryan finish and record I Know Places.

“I had this idea of like, when you’re in love, along the lines of 'Out of the Woods’, it’s very precious, it’s fragile. As soon as the world gets ahold of it, whether it’s your friends or people around town hear about it... it’s kind of like the first thing people want to do when they hear that people are in love is just kind of try to ruin it. I kind of was in a place where I was like, ‘No one is gonna sign up for this. There are just too many cameras pointed at me. There are too many ridiculous elaborations on my life. It’s just not ever gonna work.‘ But I decided to write a love song, just kind of like, ‘What would I say if I met someone really awesome and they were like, hey, I’m worried about all this attention you get?’ So I wrote this song called ‘I Know Places’ about, ‘Hey, I know places we can hide. We could outrun them.’ I’m so happy that it sounds like the urgency that it sings.”

January 23, 2014: Taylor and Ryan Tedder write Welcome To New York. Ryan produces a demo in three hours. This demo is the one included in the album.

“I wanted to start 1989 with this song because New York has been an important landscape and location for the story of my life in the last couple of years. I dreamt and obsessed over moving to New York, and then I did it. The inspiration that I found in that city is hard to describe and to compare to any other force of inspiration I’ve ever experienced in my life. It’s an electric city.”

[Ryan Tedder] “I thought we were going to walk in and start something from scratch because that's what I was used to. Then she calls me and says, 'Is it cool if I already have an idea?' I said, 'Sure.' She said, 'I have this song, I'm obsessed with New York and I just moved there, I want to write an ode to New York because no one's done it in a long time.' And then she sent me a voice memo. She's like, 'I want it to sound like the 1980s.' So the next day I brought in a Juno-106, which is a very 1980s keyboard, and I literally programmed that entire song right in front of her. It was very much on the fly, and that song was done in about three hours. And I did the rest of the production I think later that week.”

Handwritten lyrics:

January 26, 2014: Night of the 56th Grammy Awards. Taylor delivers a legendary performance of All Too Well, but loses the Album Of The Year Award to Random Access Memory by Daft Punk. This will prompt Taylor to make a "sonically cohesive" pop album.

[Lover Journal] January 25th. LA. It's the middle of the night and I was at the Clive Davis Party tonight which means... the Grammys are tomorrow. Never have I felt so good about our chances. Never have I wanted something as badly as I want to hear them say 'Red' is the Album of the Year.

“It was the night of the Grammys this year. I remember going home and playing a lot of the new music I had recorded for some of my backup singers and one of my best friends. We were all sitting in the kitchen and I was playing them all this music, and they were just saying, ‘You know, this is very eighties. It’s very clear to us that this is so eighties.’ We were just talking and talking about how it’s kind of a rebirth in a new genre, how that’s a big, bold step. Kind of starting a part of your career over. When they left that night, I just had this very clear moment of, ‘It’s gotta be called 1989.’”

“I woke up one morning at 4 a.m. and I decided the album is called 1989. I’ve been making ‘80s synth pop, I’m just gonna do that. I’m calling it a pop record. I’m not listening to anyone at my label. I’m starting tomorrow. I liked the idea of collaborating. But with 1989 I decided to narrow down the list. It wasn’t going to be 10 producers, it was going to be a very small team of four or five people I always wanted to work with, or loved working with. And Max Martin and I were going to oversee it, and we were going to make a sonically cohesive record again.”

January 2014: Taylor writes You Are In Love. This is actually speculation but it's based on (1) Taylor going to NY in early January and (2) Jack Antonoff confirming that it was the fourth song they did and (3) it's the only Antonoff-produced song that is copyrighted in 2014. Based on the credits, I'm pretty sure that Taylor and Jack worked on the song separately, with Jack recording the instrumental at the Jungle City Studios in NY (which is a studio that Jack used in 2014 to record Bleachers' first album Strange Desire) and Taylor recording the vocals at Conway Studio in LA.

“I wrote it with my friend Jack Antonoff who’s dating my friend Lena. Jack sent me this song, it was just an instrumental track he was working on and immediately I knew the song it needed to be. And I wrote it as a kind of commentary on what their relationship has been like. So it’s actually me looking and going, ‘This happened and that happened, then that happened and that’s how you knew you are in love.’”

“I’ve never had that, so I wrote that song about things that Lena Dunham has told me about her and Jack Antonoff. That’s just basically stuff she’s told me. And I think that that kind of relationship — God, it sounds like it would just be so beautiful — would also be hard. It would also be mundane at times.”

“We first worked on that song together and realized we kind of have a good thing, and the next thing we did was ‘Sweeter Than Fiction,’ which was on the [One Chance] soundtrack, and after that we did ‘Out of the Woods’ and another song called ‘You Are in Love.’

January 26, 2014: At the Grammy's, Diane Warren reveals that she and Taylor wrote a song together (aka Say, Don't Go).

[Transcript] “I worked with Taylor Swift on a great song. I don't even know what she's done [for her next album], I'm excited about the one that we did, it's pretty cool.”

[Billboard 2016 Interview] “I know [Swift] likes it, so hopefully it will see the light of day. I know she really likes the song. She didn’t want me to give it away, so hopefully that means she wants it.”

February 9, 2014: [From the 1989 Booklet] While in London, during the European leg of the Red Tour, Taylor and Imogen Heap write Clean in just 9 hours at Imogen's home studio. Taylor will sing the song just two times.

Voice memo here;

“'Clean' I wrote as I was walking out of Liberty in London. Someone I used to date – it hit me that I’d been in the same city as him for two weeks and I hadn’t thought about it. When it did hit me, it was like, ‘Oh, I hope he’s doing well’. And nothing else. And you know how it is when you’re going through heartbreak. A heartbroken person is unlike any other person. Their time moves at a completely different pace than ours. It’s this mental, physical, emotional ache and feeling so conflicted. Nothing distracts you from it. Then time passes, and the more you live your life and create new habits, you get used to not having a text message every morning saying, ‘Hello, beautiful. Good morning.’ You get used to not calling someone at night to tell them how your day was. You replace these old habits with new habits, like texting your friends in a group chat all day, and planning fun dinner parties, and going out on adventures with your girlfriends, and then all of a sudden one day you’re in London and you realize you’ve been in the same place as your ex for two weeks and you’re fine. And you hope he’s fine. The first thought that came to my mind was – I’m finally clean.”

“'Clean' is the last song on the album for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it felt like the complication of this emotional process I’ve been going through for the last couple of years. You know, I feel like my personal life was really, really discussed, and criticized, and debated, and talked about to a point where it made me feel almost kind of tarnished, in a way. And the discussion wasn’t about music. It broke my heart that I had made an album that I was proud of, and I was touring the world, and playing sold-out stadiums, and still they managed to only want to talk about my personal life. At a certain point I felt a switch and it was at the end of recording this album that I began to feel like my life was mine again and my music was at the forefront again. I was living my life on my own terms and I really no longer cared what people were saying about me. That was when I started so see people talk less about the things that didn’t matter.”

“I had this metaphor in my head about being in this house, there’s been a drought but you feel like there’s a storm coming. Instead of trying to block out the storm you punch a hole in the roof and just let all the rain come in, and when you wake up in the morning, it’s washed away.”

[Imogen Heap] “We met at my studio in London. She had the bare bones of “Clean.” She had the lyric, the chorus and the chords. I thought it was brilliant.I was really writing the tiniest amount just to help her do what she does. I put some noises, played various instruments on it, including drums, and anytime she expressed she liked something I was doing, I did it more. It was a really fun day. She recorded all her vocals during that one session. She did two takes, and the second take was it. We always thought she would probably re-record it, because we thought it can’t possibly be that easy. But after we lived with it for a few months, we felt it was great. I knew she loved it. She said she loved it and her mum loved it. But I wasn’t sure it would be included on the album. But everyone felt it had something special. It came together really magically.”

Imogen's detailed blog entry about this songwriting session.

[Taylor about Imogen Heap] “The coolest thing about Imogen for me was that there was no one else in the studio. There was no assistant; there was no engineer. It was her doing everything.”

February 11, 2014: Taylor gets a haircut. (I'm including this for funsies)

February 15, 2014: Taylor, Max Martin and Shellback write Shake It Off.

Voice memo here;

[Lover Journal] LA. This week I've been in the studio with Max and Johan every day and it has been the most creatively successful and fulfilling time. The first day, Johan just made a really up tempo drum beat because we decided we needed something up and light. We worked at it for a few hours before i just started singing "shake it off, shake it off, shake it off" And then the best way i know how to describe it is that the chorus just fell out of the sky. It ended up being this song about doing your own thing even though haters are gonna hate, and you just have to dance to your own beat. We all went home and I wrote the first and second verses and brought them in the next day. We wrote this chanty cheer leader bridge that I absolutely LOVE. We spent all day doing vocals and the next day recording the background vocals. I think it'll end up being the first single and Max said it's his favorite song he's ever been a part of.

[Max Martin during the lawsuit] “Shellback started out with a drumbeat. Shellback, Taylor, and I then collaboratively developed the melody and other lines of ‘Shake It Off’ to Shellback’s drumbeat. I did not write or provide any input into any lyrics in ‘Shake It Off,’ which were written entirely by Taylor.”

“I've had every part of my life dissected – my choices, my actions, my words, my body, my style, my music. When you live your life under that kind of scrutiny, you can either let it break you, or you can get really good at dodging punches. And when one lands, you know how to deal with it. And I guess the way that I deal with it is to shake it off.”

“The message in the song is a problem I think we all deal with and an issue we deal with on a daily basis. We don’t live just in a celebrity takedown culture, we live in a takedown culture. People will find anything about you and twist it to where it’s weird or wrong or annoying or strange or bad. You have to not only live your life in spite of people who don’t understand you, you have to have more fun than they do.”

February 19, 2014: Taylor, Max Martin, Shellback and Ali Payami write Style. This is the last song made for the album.

“I loved comparing these timeless visuals with a feeling that never goes out of style. It's basically one of those relationships that's always a bit off. The two people are trying to forget each other. So, it's like, 'All right, I heard you went off with her, and well, I've done that, too.' My previous albums have also been sort of like, 'I was right, you were wrong, you did this, it made me feel like this' – a righteous sense of right and wrong in a relationship. What happens when you grow up is you realize the rules in a relationship are very blurred and that it gets very complicated very quickly, and there's not a case of who was right or who was wrong.”

“This song is about those relationships that are never really done. You always kind of have that person, that one person who you feel might interrupt your wedding and be like, ‘Don’t do it cause we’re not over yet.'”

[Guitarist Niklas Ljungfelt] “I played on “Style,” a song I started with Ali Payami for ourselves. He was playing it for Max Martin at his studio; Taylor overheard it and loved it. She and Max wrote new lyrics. But I recorded the guitar on it before it was a Taylor song. It was an instrumental. I didn’t have a clue that Taylor would sing on it. The inspiration came from Daft Punk and funky electronic music.”

1989 is officially done!

[Taylor On Ryan Seacrest] “I'm pretty sure after we finished this one I knew the record was done. Shake It Off and Style were the last two songs to be written for 1989.”

February 19, 2014: While on tour, Ryan Tedder produces another three versions of Welcome To New York.

[Ryan Tedder interview] “I was in Switzerland on a tour bus, and I did four versions of 'Welcome to New York,' one of which I liked personally more, but the thing about artists is they become very obsessed with the demo. She was in love with the demo so no matter how hard I fought, she brought it back to the demo, so really what you hear is what I did on the first day.”

March 22, 2014: Billboard reports that Taylor and Ryan Tedder have worked together in LA in January

March 24, 2014: [From a Lover Journal] Taylor moves to New York.

[Lover Journal] So in the last few weeks, I've completely moved into my apartment in Tribeca. That's right, I'm writing this from my new bed in my new place, watching Law and Order with Meredith. Strangely, I've never felt more busy.

May 1, 2014: 1989 Photoshoot (I got this date from an insider)

May 29, 2014: [From a Lover Journal] Taylor chooses another photo for the cover, after having a nightmare of the previous one being not enough.

May 30, 2014: Taylor chooses the album cover.

[Lover Journal] Shanghai. So we got to China at around 2pm and I knew it would completely ruin me if I slept when i got to the hotel, so I decided to work out. WHY IS THIS PEN RUNNING OUT?! Just went to my purse and got my pen. So a crazy story unfolded in the last 24 hours. Last night, I had this vivid dream where the photo I'd chosen for the album cover wasn't good enough, intriguing enough, artful enough. it woke me up. I couldn't shake it and it stayed with me all day. Because that nagging feeling I'd been pushing back for weeks was now confirmed in my gut... it wasn't good enough. I went to the venue, mind racing, wandering if I'd have to do an entirely new photo shoot... I got to my dressing room with newer versions of the "cover" I looked at it and felt nothing. The team pulled up this new scanned file of the polaroids we had taken during the shoot. I saw it within 10 seconds. The shot. The cover. It's a polaroid of me sitting against a beige wall with a blue seagull sweatshirt on. You can see my red lips but the photo cuts off my eyes. For some reason unknown to me it's the most intriguing photo i've seen. I think it's the mystery of not seeing my eyes. Maybe it just looks effortlessly cool. The craziest moment came when something caught my eye. The cover photo is photo 13. I kid you not. I played a sold out show in Shanghai tonight and the crowd was amazing. Tomorrow we go to Tokyo, where they'll have the whole ticker tape parade at the airport. Smile and wave...

Mid To Late 2014: Taylor and Jack write Now That We Don't Talk.

[Tumblr Music] "Now That We Don't Talk is one of my favorite songs that was left behind. It was so hard to leave it behind, but I think we wrote it a little bit towards the end of the process, and we couldn't get the production right at the time. But we had tons of time to perfect the production this time, and figure out what we wanted the song to sound like, and I just think it's, I think it's the shortest song I've ever had. I think it packs a punch. I think it really goes in for the short amount of time we have, I think it makes its point."

Conclusive notes

What 1989 represented for Taylor:

“The 1980s was a very experimental time in pop music. People realized songs didn't have to be this standard drums-guitar-bass-whatever. We can make a song with synths and a drum pad. We can do group vocals for the entire song. We can do so many different things. And I think what you saw happening with music was also happening in our culture, where people were just wearing whatever crazy colors they wanted to, because why not? There just seemed to be this energy about endless opportunities, endless possibilities, endless ways you could live your life. And so with this record, I thought, 'There are no rules to this. I don't need to use the same musicians I've used, or the same band, or the same producers, or the same formula. I can make whatever record I want.'”

“In the past, I've written mostly about heartbreak or pain that was caused by someone else and felt by me. On this album, I'm writing about more complex relationships, where the blame is kind of split 50–50 ... even if you find the right situation relationship-wise, it's always going to be a daily struggle to make it work.”

Bonus: Secret Messages

Author's note: I wrote this timeline around 2 years ago. While I found some dates later on, this is 100% my research. If you use this timeline for your posts, research or whatever, PLEASE, credit me! I'd be very thankful. This is 2 years of work.

Links to my other Timelines:

Writing of Fearless Timeline

Writing of Speak Now Timeline

Writing of Red Timeline

My Spreadsheet with a timeline overview

Credits:

Most of the quotes have been copy-pasted from Taylor Swift Switzerland.

Taylor Swift Pictures for the candids.

Heather from Nerdy by Nature for the WTNY handwritten lyrics picture.

#taylor swift #1989 #1989 taylor's version #1989 era #red era #taylor swift timelines #1989 tv #blank space #shake it off #harry styles #out of the woods #wildest dreams #style #imogen heap #1989 tour #taylor swift unreleased songs #vault songs #1989 vault

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dinneratgrannys · 1 year

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Announcing Once Upon a Time Appreciation Week 2023, November 12-18!!

post your original edits, fan art, fics, etc. and tag #userstorybrooke ! as usual i will reblog all posts as long as there is no anti/negative content in them :)

PROMPTS: november 12 - favorite arc - og curse, neverland, underworld, etc. november 13 - favorite costume(s) november 14 - favorite fan theory(ies) - doesn't have to be one that came true! november 15 - lyric/song - any lyric that you can relate to the show! november 16 - favorite parallel(s) november 17 - favorite plot twist november 18 - free choice (surprise me!)

send me a message if you have any questions and let's have fun :)

#ouat #once upon a time #regina mills #emma swan #killian jones #prince charming #snow white #henry mills #rumplestiltskin #belle french #userstorybrooke

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plasticflwrs · 8 months

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★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ DISCOGRAPHY — Under the cut, you will find an IN DEPTH look into the career of South Korea's favorite idol band, Plastic Flowers. Beginning in 2016, they would rebrand after failing to make a profit in 2017 and find true success with TEETH in 2020, just a few months before their 16 month hiatus would begin. In 2022, they came back stronger than ever with I'M ALIVE and have consistently topped the music charts since. They are known for their promotional style which revolves around a spring and fall release each other, amounting to about 16 releases across singles, minis, their three full studio albums. Despite their constant stream of releases, the quality never suffers despite being completely self-produced since all five members are now involved in the writing process.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ TRIGGER WARNINGS — Death of a parent, descriptive mention of eating disorders + treatment ( 2021 section ). If this piece is too triggering, please DM and I can give you a summary of what happens!

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2016 !

Compared to their underground counterparts, idol bands have been relatively successful in the past as seen with FNC's trio of FT Island, CNBLUE, and N.Flying along with JYP's newest venture, Day6. However, Plastic Flowers would fall under the radar due to the influx of third generation groups debuting between 2014 and 2016 with all three of the major companies debuting at least one new group during that time. Plastic Flowers would debut as four members with SALEM, DAL, JIHUN, and GWYN on May 15, 2016 with the lead single SCARED from their single album LET ME GO. While the two songs were praised by music critics, it failed to reach the general public. Along with their other single album, it would sell 46 copies total within the year and has never been reprinted. Original copies of the album are priced very high on second-hand selling websites and no "real fans" currently own a copy. LET ME GO and MENTALISM were even taken off of all major streaming platforms until fans demanded for it's return in 2022.

MV VIEWS: 1.2 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

In their debut, Plastic Flowers explores themes of fear and insecurity through the song SCARED. The lyrics suggest hesitant to approach someone and an inability to express oneself freely, with most fans interpreting this to relate to Salem's original group THE BIG GLOOM, which she left the year prior. The phrase why are you scared? repeats throughout the song and highlights a sense of frustration with the fear and reluctance in their relationship, despite attempts to change. The narrator yearns for reassurance and validation, seeking comfort in the hope that their fears and uncertainties will fade away.

This line-up would release their second and final single album MENTALISM in November of 2016 with the title track MOUSE. This would be a continuation of their previous release, in terms of themes and inability to perform well on music charts. Though Mouse is beloved by fans now, it made no noise in 2016 and remains their worst performing single of all time, selling even worse than their debut single. Mentalism marked their first attempts at performing at small venues like bars and other restaurants, however, due to Oliver's age, they were often denied by the promotional teams. They would return to busking and posting covers in hopes of gaining more fans. At the end of 2016, it was announced by Superbloom Media would be placed on INDEFINITE HIATUS as they evaluated where to go forward. DAL and JIHUN would leave not long after, moving to larger companies and debuting in traditional idol groups instead.

MV VIEWS: 3.9 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0.

In 2024, MOUSE is often compared to their later b-side BRAND NEW CITY from their 2023 album OHIO IMPROMPTU. Both discuss the sense of dread from being in one's prime and dreading what comes later. Mouse is described as what happens after the narrator of Brand New City moves and realizes that they need to find a way to survive, that simply moving was not enough to change their feelings and create happiness. The narrator vows to "find love / and find a way to survive here", giving them a new sense of hope for the remaining time that they have and will move on from the silence.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2017 !

In September 2017, Plastic Flowers would return with an almost completely new lineup composed of SALEM, JUNYEONG, MINGHUI, SERIN, and OLIVER. Oliver would drop his initial stage name, Gwyn, during this rebrand for an unknown reason, though he still uses it to produce for other groups. They would release ROCKSTAR from the album SOCIAL REJECTS to limited success. They would sell 99 copies of their third single album, doubling the previous records set by LET ME GO and MENTALISM. Superbloom Media would also shift their promotional style in favor of the more traditional idol route, getting them performances on Music Bank and The Show for three weeks.

MV VIEWS: 3.4 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0.

ROCKSTAR moves away from their traditional melancholic sound for more critiques of the social landscape. Rockstar explores themes of frustration and defiance in the face of judgement and control from others. They are seen as a suspect, watched closely, and labeled as a hopeless murder by those around them. Similar to their other tracks, this is believed to have been written after the conflict with The Big Gloom and is Salem's take on it. Those around the narrator continuously reject and oppose them, leading to a growing sense of resentment with the world around them. The chorus emphasizes the narrator's resolve to stay true to themselves because they believe they are doing nothing wrong. This song would be revisited in 2024 and a re-recording with new pianist Oh Deurim would be included in their third studio album RUTHLESS ROCKSTARS as a b-side.

With a small but mighty fanbase under their belt, Plastic Flowers would return in December 2017 with their first mini-album NORTH STAR, which had five songs including the title track FREEDOM. This release would double their catalogue and allow for slow growth across the next few years. THE BIG GLOOM, composed of the four original members, would also release their newest album over Soundcloud that same day, leading to tensions amongst new and old fans as the debate of what Salem should have done returned. Rather than alienating the old fans, they went back to their old sound to prove that nothing has changed and Plastic Flowers will only be a better version of her previous band. NORTH STAR was promoted similarly to their previous single album with performances on all major South Korean music shows and even an appearance on The After School Club to connect with international fans.

MV VIEWS: 6.7 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

FREEDOM returns to their original sound with the themes of liberation and desire to break from societal constraints from ROCKSTAR still following them. Freedom opens with lyrics expressing uncertainty about what to sing about, overwhelmed by the abundance of refrain in the world and emphasizes their understanding of the path that they have chosen. The narrator proclaims that they have finally found their own way and the metaphor of cutting the moon and devouring the night suggests a rebellious mindset, choosing to defy expectations and live freely. Freedom encourages fans to let go of the norm and find their own path, breaking from societal expectations for their own happiness.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2018 !

2018 would cement Superbloom's promotional style for Plastic Flowers as they release an album in the spring and fall, the seasons in which they have found the band to be most popular in. The first release of 2018 was HIGHER & HIGHER, their second mini-album with the lead single LET'S GET LOST. This release continued their momentum forward and there was nothing out of the ordinary during this era. They were slowly being included in more variety shows, as seen by their joint appearance with Day6 on Weekly Idol and their first invitations to a major award show with the Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards. They were not nominated or even performed, but their photos from the red carpet got people talking about the unknown group.

MV VIEWS: 5.7 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

By now, Plastic Flowers had also shown what their lyrical concept would be as they created another song about escaping hardships of life and embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The narrator has a desire to let go of the past and leave behind anything that feels uncertain in LET'S GET LOST. The verses encourages themselves and their companions to leave behind their negative experiences as they "open the curtains" and lock the door behind them. Later lines capture the excitement of encountering new experiences and embracing the unknown, showing their growth away from the past that seemed to follow them and rising above.

LOVE ME? would be the last Plastic Flowers album fully written and produced solely by SALEM and Superbloom's in-house production team. All of the members were growing interested in producing their own music, especially the two youngest members—Serin and Oliver. They had submitted drafts to Superbloom for Love Me?, however they were not chosen. Interviews this era were a bit tense because of this and Salem wanting to keep her creative control over the group. Superbloom would also give Plastic Flowers their first reality show, FLOWER SHOWERS, which followed them around and tried to show fans the "real" members.

MV VIEWS: 6.3 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

TWENTY-ONE revolves around the themes of heartbreak, disappointment, and the realization that a once-special relationship has come to an end. The lyrics depict the emotions of someone who believed their relationship was unique and meaningful, only to discover that their partner does not feel the same. This is famously thought to be about former bandmate YING SHUHANG, more commonly known by his stage name IRUM. Throughout high school and much of their career together, they dated and broke up around the same time Salem left to join Superbloom Media. Through this song, she is coming to terms with the relationship being over after asking "why don't you adore me?" over and over again. She uses the concept of sleep and going to be bed to bury the past and move on from the relationship, showing that she would be ready to move on once she wakes up.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2019 !

Plastic Flowers would release HYPOCREEP in March 2019, right before OLIVER was set to appear on the new survival talent competition show SUPERBAND, produced by JTBC. Despite the sound change, Hypocreep was met with positive reaction from fans and is their first mini-album to sell over 1,000 copies in the first month. It is often seen as a turning point for the band as their releases following would follow a similar sound and is the first song to credit another band member besides Salem, that being OLIVER. This would be the first of a long partnership between the two that would eventually fizzle out during their 2022 hiatus. Hypocreep is also one of the most popular songs for other idols and bands to cover given the technical requirements of each instrument.

MV VIEWS: 7.4 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 0.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

HYPOCREEP expresses frustration towards people who are hypocritical and fake, particularly those who are thirsty for drama and attention on the internet. The singer identifies as a "hypocreep," which is a term they use to describe themselves as a different breed of person who is hyper and freaky. The singer acknowledges that they may be seen as strange or abnormal to others, but they do not care because those same people secretly wish they could be like the singer.

While Hypocreep opened the door for other members writing, THE CHAIN would be the first time another member would sing on a Plastic Flowers track. The Chain is a duet between Salem and Oliver and would mark the beginning for a lead singer change. It was under the direction of Kim Yuchan, a first generation soloist, and he advised the change since Oliver was well liked by the general public after Superband. THE CHAIN still remains a fan favorite song and would give the band their first award show nomination on Show! Music Core, much to the band's surprise. Most of the members recall this era as the first time they actually felt loved by the audience and could see people singing along.

MV VIEWS: 10.2 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 1.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

The main message of THE CHAIN is that relationships can be enduring, even if they have difficulties. The first verse describes the struggles of having a relationship and feeling powerless to their partner's actions. They discuss the idea that a love can endure even in these moments of darkness, as the lover is trying to tell the other that they would never break the chain that binds them together. There is a strong guitar and bass solo--played by SALEM and OLIVER--that represents the strong connection between them that won't be broken so easily. The end is a plea to stay together, to keep the chain together, and not run into the shadows away from each other.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2020 !

Fans of Plastic Flowers fall into two camps for their 2020 releases: either loving it or hating everything it stands for. Due to it's "inappropriate lyrics" FOR YOUR LOVE was banned by all the major South Korean music shows and would be promoted in a series of live concerts instead. They would instead promote READY TO FLY as their title track for this era, saving the performances of For Your Love for their smaller performances. Not long after the conclusion of For Your Love's promotions, Superbloom Media would confirm SALEM and OLIVER's relationhip, which had begun at the end of the year prior. This would be another reason why people did not like the song as it showed their relationship was taking away from making songs about important topics, not just each other.

MV VIEWS: 29.2 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. Banned.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. Banned.

FOR YOUR LOVE talks about the desire to please and satisfy someone in a romantic relationship. The lyrics in the verses describe the singer's intent to be the first thing on the person's mind and engage in sexual activity with them. The chorus reinforces the theme of doing anything for the person they love. The bridge highlights the singer's willingness to give everything they have to their partner and the importance of communication in the relationship. The outro repeats the sentiment that the singer is willing to do anything for their partner's love.

TEETH, and it's accompanying album LOVESICKNESS, continues with the themes from FOR YOUR LOVE. Unlike the previous song, it was actually allowed on music shows and was loved by their fanbase for the aesthetics that came with it. Due to the show going semi-viral on TWITTER thanks to a tweet by a poppy asking "what business Plastic Flowers had releasing" the song, LOVESICKNESS sold over 10,000 copies by the end of the year. This would also be the final time they were promote prior to their 16 month hiatus, making it special to their fans. Teeth would later become a sleeper hit by going viral once again and entering the top 10 on the Circle Chart after being used on an OST.

MV VIEWS: 229.6 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 3.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

The major themes of TEETH relate to toxic and tumultuous relationships, with the lyrics depicting the ups and downs of being someone that can be both loving and hurtful. Written completely by OLIVER, many fans have begun to debate the real meaning of the song as it relates to his former relationship with Salem. In TEETH, the protagonist realizes that the person they are with is full of contradictions as they compare their lover to a pair of teeth. The lover's heart is described as having teeth, meaning that while they may talk sweetly, they can also hurt and bite. The relationship is very complicated, in which both parties are hurting each other but can't let go with the narrator realizing that they are losing themself by the end of the song and maybe even the relationship.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2021 !

The GOODNIGHT era was spent dreading what would come next for Plastic Flowers. It was obvious that the members were losing steam as shown by their smaller performances and the constant cancellation of their performances at their bar, Cheeky's. The release of 403 only made that worse as they went back to the melancholic sound and promotions outside of music shows were cut short. In fear of losing the band, Poppies made sure that it sold well, achieving a record-breaking 14,000 copies in the first month alone and securing them more music show nominations. However, it seemed that nothing they were doing was enough as Plastic Flowers slowly slipped away from the public eye.

MV VIEWS: 122.9 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 3.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 0

403 focuses on liberation and moving forward from a difficult past. In the verses, detachment and release from pain and regret is encouraged alongside the image of taking off one's shoes and lying on the floor as an escape. The narrator wants the listener to forget about the past and focus on the possibilities of the future, becoming an active participant in their life rather than remaining passive. There is a reoccurring theme of breaking free as shown through the lyrics "get up in the morning" and "get out of deception", indicating the need to rise above negative situations and leave them behind. It suggests that nothing valuable can be obtained by staying where they are currently and encourages them to let go and move on.

Despite GOODNIGHT selling well, Plastic Flowers were put on an unofficial hiatus two months after it's initial release. Superbloom would be intentionally vague about the details behind the scenes to keep everything under wraps, however, sasaengs exposed the truth. Not only were they on hiatus to "fight burnout", but Oliver had returned to his hometown of Boston after the death of his father and Jiyeon had been checked into an eating disorder treatment by their manager, Cheon Garam. During this time, Salem and Oliver would also BREAK UP, creating a new tension within the band. The band's social media—both company owned and personal—would go completely dormant from March 2021 to April 2022, leaving many to believe that the group would never return and would be lost just before they achieved stardom.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2022 !

Just when most fans began to lose hope for Plastic Flowers to comeback, Superbloom did the unthinkable: dropping a new set of teasers for a full album called INTERNET BLUES. During this time, it was also revealed that MINGHUI had left the band and was replaced by Timefighter contestant OH DEURIM, who had failed to make it into the debut line-up by one place. According to Minghui, he left on good terms with the members but could no longer handle the idol life anymore. Despite how protective poppies are, they surprisingly welcomed Deurim with open arms and wanted to see what she could bring to the table. INTERNET BLUES would be released on May 5, 2022 with the title track I'M ALIVE, which secured them their FIRST WIN and first NOMINATION at a major award show after selling 100,000 copies.

MV VIEWS: 392.9 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 8.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 2.

I'M ALIVE is an uplifting song that talks about the feeling of overcoming challenges and persevering through tough times. They promise that even in the midst of uncertainty and darkness, the singer declares that they will keep themselves alive. The chorus serves as a mantra of sorts as the singer repeatedly affirms that they are alive and won't give up. The idea of "highlight" suggests that even in the bleakest moments of life, one can find something beautiful to hold onto. The bridge encourages listeners to keep searching, keep breathing, and keep alive. It's a call to action to hold onto life and never give up.

Plastic Flowers would return to their original promotional schedule with the release of PSYCHO, the title track for their first studio album, CALL ME CRAZY that November. The studio album was celebrated by all fans as it finally meant that Plastic Flowers were confirming that they were here to stay despite their earlier issues. The members looked so much more alive this era and they even held their first FAN SIGN, which went as well as expected. The members had fun with their fans, but hated the constant requests for cuteness or prying into their personal relationships. They would hold their own formal CONCERT, with over three thousand people in attendance.

MV VIEWS: 323.4 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 9.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 3.

PSYCHO explores themes of obsession and dependency in a relationship. The lyrics depict a protagonist who is deeply infatuated with someone to the point of being obsessed, as represented by the repeated phrase "I can't stop thinking about you." The protagonist seeks answers and validation from a doctor, indicating a desperation for a solution to their intense emotions. They recognize their own exaggerated behavior, acknowledging that they may appear crazy or "psycho" to others. The chorus reinforces the protagonist's obsession, stating that they cannot live a day without thinking about this person. It conveys a sense of dependency and the idea that the protagonist's life revolves entirely around the object of their affection.

★ ⠀⠀ ! ⠀⠀ THE YEAR IS ... 2023 !

Coming into 2023, Poppies were promised many exciting things from the band. In March, Oliver's solo BURNOUT SYNDROME with the lead single STARTING LINE would be released to overwhelming success, cementing his popularity with the general public and showing everyone that he was here to stay. Though fans were happy for him, the same could not be said for his bandmates as SALEM and JUNYEONG began a smear campaign that lasted throughout the entire promotional period. Oliver would ignore any questions about the situation and chose to move on from it instead, celebrating his own achievements rather than focusing on those around him. In June, the band would come back as five to release LOVE AND WAR with the lead single of the same name, which became their best selling record at that point at just under 1 million copies.

MV VIEWS: 748.3 million.

MUSIC SHOW NOMINATIONS. 10.

MUSIC SHOW WINS. 7.

WAR tells the story of a broken relationship, in which the narrator realizes there isn't much to save if they cannot stop fighting. They are beginning to realize there isn't much to save and they have lost their love for each other, leading towards a state of emptiness or insignificance. The song's title WAR comes from the lyric "war of attrition without benefit", highlight that this war between the lovers is doing nothing to help with their current problems. The narrator wants to call a ceasefire, but it seems that their relationship's end if inevitable. Written by Oliver, many fans believe that this song was written about the end of his relationship with Salem, which has never been confirmed or denied by Oliver or Superbloom Media.

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foxes-that-run · 11 months

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Yachgate

Update: Because NTWDT is copyrighted 2014, the new NTWDT is here

In early 2016, they were not talking because she was with Calvin, he his longest hair, new tattoos and had PDA with Kendall on a yacht - so... it missed 1989 by 2 years.

Timeline:

It would have been moved because she was dating Calvin Harris when she wrote it, who was also why they didn't talk:

15 January 2015 Taylor and Harry last seen together at Lily's Aldridges birthday, she was not at his birthday 2 weeks later.

27 February 2015 - Taylor starts dating Calvin Harris.

17 May 2015 - BBMAs with Tayvis PDA and Harry's heart ripped out. Taylor has regretful sounding clean speech in next show.

26 May 2015 - Calvin at vegas pool party, soon after blinds that Calvin is cheating.

22 June 2015 - Taylor tours Europe at the same time as One Direction while Calvin is in the US. Harry posts colour to IG and suggestive tweets the same week Taylor played some Haylor songs and was in the feels with Clean speeches. Taylor posts Breathe in/out (song about getting over ex) and Calvin shows up in UK.

November 2015 Harry got the tiger and eagle tattoos, fresh for:

2 January 2016 He was on a yacht with Kendall in a wild, heavily photographed PDA, complete with long hair & new tattoos.

Calvin was jealous enough of her reaction to Yachtgate that it featured in Ole.

Harry and Taylor together again February - April 29 2016, in May getaway car and she broke up with CH

Noting this post 2015 BBMAs, she had been dating Calvin for 10 months and presumably not spoken to Harry in months.

But, yeah long hair, new Eagle tattoo (icon) visible as he grabbed Kendalls foot on the side of a Megayacht. /sigh It was a different guy to the one she was dating in the Red/1989 Era. Last seen dotingly watch her get her hair cut backstage at Red and giggling as they adopted Olivia.

In Harry's defence - she had a boyfriend of 10 months. What we know now from the original Gorgeous Lyrics is that she and Calvin had not seen each other in months by February 2016 so those pictures would have stung....

At the time Calvin was incredibly jealous of Harry, as detailed in Ole, a friendship seems off the table during that relationship. .

The story continues in I did something bad.

#haylor #hendall #tayvin #Yachtgate #Start of 2016

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pixiedust0 · 2 years

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𝚁𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚜

❥𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢 - 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚛𝚕

❥𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 - 𝟼𝟶𝟹

❥𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 - 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎

❥𝙰/𝙽 - 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚊 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊, 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚑.

Masterlist

Y/n l/n responds to rumors about her and Jack Harlow dating

By: Christian rose

Published November 21, 2022 9:15 pm

The singer recently went on BFFS, a bar stool podcast where she opened up about her rumored relationship with jack Harlow.

Host Dave Portnoy asked all the hard hitting questions fans were dying to know. The rumors began when jack was spotted at her birthday dinner back in January, which she claimed was family only.

He was then seen arriving at her birthday party with her. As well as many other celebs such as Kylie Jenner, Justin Bieber, Pete Davidson, Lil nas x, Timothée Chalamet and more.

They were then caught by paparazzi together publicly, October in Chicago before one of Jack’s shows for the touring of his new album ‘Come home the kids miss you’ (multiple songs are rumored to be about her)

They were also caught by bystanders kissing that night after the show

When Portnoy asked the singer about all the claims she said “Me and jack our friends *laughs* we have been for two years.” When she was asked about the kissing she claimed that it was not her in the photo.

“That’s not me, like I said we are friends.” Anymore questions about jack after that she became dismissive trying to steer more towards her album ‘The things I wish I said’ that came out this weekend.

All of her songs hit the billboard charts taking over the top twelve spots, but her song in the no.1 spot ‘Can’t you see’ has fans stirring that it could be about our favorite Kentucky rapper.

In the song she says alot of things we picked out some of our favorite lyrics

“loving you never was in the plan,stuck in your ways, i sink in your sand”

“It's a shame boys like you don't know how to love,Try to give you my all but it's not enough,Can't you see that I'm falling,Show me where your heart is”

“Should've left when I could, can't get out, I don't know what to do”

“You can dig my grave, 'cause I can't be saved, Like a grain of sand that's in a tidal wave, In a broken place, no I can't be traced, Wish you had known my feelings, ain't that a waste?”

It has fans asking one question. If it’s not about Jack who is it about?

After the interview she got a private jet to Milan where the last the spot on jacks Tour is. Where the duo were both seen going into the same restaurant separately and leaving together.

A source from inside the restaurant claims when Harlow walked in he greeted her with a hug and a long kiss. “It was very sweet actually as soon as she noticed him she got up from her chair and jumped into his arms, they were pretty much all over eachother being affectionate in someway throughout the meal.”

Representatives for both stars did not respond to Our request for comment.

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Y/nL/n Come home the kids miss you🤍

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Jackharlow The things I wish I said❤️‍🔥

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#imagine #jack #jack harlow #jackharlow #jack harlow fic #fluff #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow social media au #article #jack harlow x y/n #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow instagram au

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smolwritingchick · 10 months

Text

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 1- The Foreign Trainee

Chapter Summary: After being scouted to be a part of a new girl group thanks to an audition, Jen worked alongside her four bandmates to form the group "Amity". Things went great at first but then after a while, Jen starts to get concerned about her position in the group while the company starts to focus on the other members and their success. She then learns the unfortunate truth about the situation she's in and makes a decision. Motivated, she continues to be persistent in achieving her dreams thanks to an audition in her area which happened to be for BigHit Entertainment.

Jen meets Taehyung and starts to build a friendship with him. For those interested in being the Bangtan Girl, they learn the Bulletproof dance and No More Dream dance. They're also hit with a homework assignment, create a verse for Bulletproof and present it to the audition. Jen hopes to impress the company with her efforts and earn the spot.

Words: 10,000+

Author's Note: Hey! I wrote this story back in 2016 on some fanfic websites and am bringing it back as I edit the chapters. I wanted to put my perspective and imagination on what if BTS had a black girl in their group from America. This'll be a long story starting from their debut so enjoy the ride!

I have so many chapters already written. I had stopped in the story around late 2016 before the MAMA Awards. As I wrote this story over the years I wanted this character to be relatable and grow as a performer as well as go through hardships. It'll be a slow start but it will get better as the chapters go on, I hope you give it a chance.

This will mainly start with friendship. Not just the character and the love interest. I didn't want to rush things and I tried my best to add a lot of bonding and cute moments.

This is a SLOW BURN with my OC and Jungkook. The two will not become a couple until 2016.

As I planned to create this story years ago it took me months to prepare and research so I could get a good timeline. I wanted to add a lot of things like K-Con, going to school, Variety Shows, interviews, American Hustle Life, V-Lives, sasaeng fans and so on.

Please note this is fiction. Yeah it may be unrealistic for this to happen but I had a lot of fun ideas and just went for it. Also I am not a song writer so sometimes the custom lyrics may be a little silly

---

It was November 9th, 2012. Backstage at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, 14-year-old Jen sat in a chair, getting the finishing touches on her curly light brown hair, which was put into a high ponytail. She and the rest of her group named Amity were to perform at their last concert of their small tour.

Amity consisted of five members. 16 year old Hailey, who was the leader and main vocalist, 16 year old Trinity who was the lead dancer, 15 year old Layla who covered the high and dramatic notes and 17 year old Angelina who took care of the raps.

And then there's Jen.

Who was she?

Who was she in the group?

She never got the chance to showcase her talent on stage.

So was this worth it?

Back in early 2011, a rising new company named SongStress Entertainment was looking for young female talents to form another girl group. They partnered up with Disney and started to put up commercials and ads everywhere to promote auditions. When Jen heard about it from a TV commercial, she quickly went to tell her parents. After some persuading, and chores around the house, they took her to the audition in New York that was set in March. No matter what the challenges were, she remained persistent and her family supported her because of her passion for singing and dancing.

She wanted to perform ever since she was ten years old. Listening to artists like Rihanna, 2NE1, Mariah Carey, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, Whitney Houston, and Eminem sparked her interest as she begged her parents to pay for singing and dancing lessons. The lessons seemed to have paid off because after she auditioned she was called back a week later.

When she passed the second callback, Jen and her parents wasted no time signing the contract as she went on to debut with four other unknown girls, to form the group Amity at 13 years old. They got popular fast, from their adorable charm to their catchy songs and music videos. Things were great. But things weren't always what they seemed to be.

Egos began to get in the way.

As time went on, the company began to pay more attention to more girls than others. The leader, Hailey, even felt threatened by Jen's dance skills and the company forced her to dance slower, and with less effort to feel like she was a sluggish dancer. To Jen, it didn't make any sense since Trinity was the most talented dancer in the group and Hailey didn't say anything to her about her dancing. Favoritism came into play.

What caught Jen's attention was that she started to not get a lot of lines like she used to in the songs. She would only sing the chorus with the group. She is also the only one who doesn't have a solo song, while the rest have their songs recorded and performed at concerts whenever Amity goes on stage for a performance.

Jen was also set over the edge, finding out that Amity had recorded songs without her. Her voice was great at harmony but she wasn't credited for it. They recorded her and made it seem like Hailey sang the beautiful harmonious notes. As she took all the credit, Jen couldn't do anything about it because of the contract.

Whose fault was that? Jen's.

So maybe she did get a little too excited by the fact that she was going to be signed to a record company. Maybe she and her parents didn't read the contract despite the president's reassuring that everything would be fine and fair.

She was naïve and young.

Rushing into things without really thinking things through. Not thinking of a backup plan just in case things like this happen.

She wasn't like the rest of her bandmates. Her love for KPOP, thanks to listening to Wonder Girls, Big Bang and 2NE1, motivated her to learn the Korean language while the company thought it was pointless.

They asked her, "Who would you speak Korean to?"

"Why are you trying to learn that language if you're in America?"

"We're not touring in South Korea; you're wasting your time."

However, she continued to learn for her enjoyment and love for the Korean culture. It was difficult at first. She had a difficult time pronouncing the words. There were times she wanted to stop but her parents gave her encouragement because they knew how much she loved KPOP. For her studying, she tried to study Korean for at least an hour or two a day since she was 13.

Thankfully it's been beginning to pay off.

Sometimes she ponders what if she didn't do the audition and stayed in school just like her two older sisters. She could probably get somewhere with a college degree. But she loved being an artist. She wanted to do this.

And as much as she hated to admit it, this company wasn't the place for her to do it. She finally got her dream to be a performer, and now she was thinking about letting it go because of the mistreatment. She had to do what was best for her.

"This'll bring out those pretty eyes." The makeup artist explained with enthusiasm as she applied mascara to Jen's eyes.

"Oh make sure you put on more makeup on her. She needs it." An unfortunate familiar mocking voice belonging to Hailey was heard as she shot Jen an innocent smile. The harsh words made Jen clench her fists and glare at her. "What? Just telling the truth. They always say the truth hurts."

"Hailey, stop it. Don't be such a brat. That's so friggin' rude. Go somewhere." Angelina sternly called her out. Hailey responds with a shrug and walks away to get mic'd up. Angelina walks over to Jen with a smile and puts a hand on her shoulder. "You look fine, Jen Jen. Don't listen to her."

Jen didn't reply as she continued to be in deep thought about being in Amity. Everyone should be getting along, not trying to bring each other down.

The redheaded Angelina notices her frowning and snaps her out of it as the makeup artist finishes her make up.

"You know you have to stop doing that. Letting people get to you and ruining your pretty smile with frowns. Is it Hailey again?" Angelina asked.

Jen looked up at her friend. Best friend. The only friend she had in this girl group. Angelina was the one who had her back in this company and wasn't self-centered or had the fame go to her head. She was the one who let Jen know about the company recording without her as well. She was very grateful she had someone looking out for her.

"I don't care anymore. I'm not paying her any mind." Jen firmly asserted with a sigh.

"Ten minutes until the show!" The manager called out as everyone ran frantically for finishing touches.

"We'll talk later." Jen promised as they both walked outside the dressing room to get mic'd up.

"Come on Jen, we ain't got all day!" The manager escorted her to the stage before giving her a jacket to put over her dark brown skin. "And remember, don't dance so hard."

"I don't understand what the big deal is." She mumbled, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Big deal? Hailey needs the spotlight. It would be great if you remember to stand back, this time. You aren't the visual, get that through your head. How many times do we have to tell you that? This is your last warning."

Jen frowns in response as she watches the manager walk away. Frustration was beginning to build up inside of her. Whatever happened to equality? Not one person is better than the other. She wanted to be in a company that had equal opportunities.

The show was like the others. Fake smiles, watching Hailey's back, it wasn't fun anymore. Jen believed she had so much potential to improve and become a great performer, but her talent was wasted and not used the way she wanted it to be. She didn't want to be wasted and neglected.

Amity was supposed to be a team. A five-member girl group who had each other's backs. Be great friends and treat each other as equals. Not a competition of who's better than each other. It was sad that the entertainment business was like that these days.

After the show, Jen checks out her Twitter account and tweets 'Thank you for an awesome show Philly! #AmityInPhilly'

She didn't have a whole bunch of fans like the others since they were on TV shows, interviews and other photoshoots to get more publicity. She always pondered why SongStress didn't do that for her. They never really gave her a chance to show off what she could do as a singer and dancer. Or even as an actress if she could try that out.

She didn't say anything because she was too humbled. She was grateful for all the things she had done so far in Amity. All she ever wanted was to perform and she got that. She would ask occasionally if her solo would come up, or if any photoshoot or show opportunity was available for her. But SongStress would always give her the same answer.

"Not at the moment. Soon."

How far away was "Soon?"

She felt discouraged. It was like she was just there. She might as well be called a backup dancer.

While backstage in the dressing room, lounging on the couch, she checked the #AmityInPhilly hashtag since it was trending on Twitter while the rest of her bandmates came in. Jennie began to think about her birthday which was tomorrow and it started to boost her mood.

"Hey guys, I wanted to talk to you about something." She spoke softly, gaining their attention. "Since my birthday is tomorrow, I planned this singing exhibit where people around the area can showcase their singing for fun. Do a little meet and greet, pictures...all sorts of stuff. It'll be a fun gathering. I also made a song and I'd like you all to be there to support me."

"You know we have to practice right?" Trinity recalled in a flat tone.

The indifference in Trinity's voice made Jennie's stomach drop as she timidly replied, "I-It's after practice."

"And where is this?"

"In my hometown. Here in Philly. It'll start around 7:00PM."

"Does SongStress know about this?" Hailey asked, looking skeptical at the event that's been planned.

"Why wouldn't they?" Jen questioned.

"We'll see about the event. Anyway, group meeting!" Hailey called out. "I'm so proud of us! We definitely have to celebrate tonight. We're going to dinner. But uh Jen, remember what the manager told you about your diet. And you were a bit sloppy out there. Don't make us look bad out there. Did you practice at all?"

All the happiness about the upcoming event for her birthday left Jennie's body as annoyance was clearly shown on her sweaty face. Okay, so she didn't have a flat stomach like the rest of them did. She had a curved stomach with a small pudge but that was nothing to go on a diet for. She was already satisfied with how she looked. She told herself she did want to work out to gain more muscle and possible abs on her stomach when she gets a little older, but she wasn't going to feel obligated to do so. She'll do it in her free time.

Her hair was naturally curly and her thighs were a bit thicker than theirs. She even had light stretch marks on her hips but so what? Why does that have to make her go on a diet? She was born this way, and she was fine with how she was. Why should she change her look because someone else wanted her to? She wanted to look natural, not a Barbie doll. She was still going through puberty as well. The baby fat was still there but it'll most likely disappear from her body and face soon enough when she's a little older.

"You know I really don't understand why I'm the only one who has to go on a diet. I'm perfectly fine. I'm the same size as you. I'm not starving myself." Jennie protested with irritation.

"Well you're not going out with us, so get food at the hotel and get yelled at by the manager. It's on you."

Jennie shakes her head in disbelief. "I really can't stand you."

"Whoa, what did I do?" Hailey faked a shocked look.

"I think you know what you've done. This is so unfair."

"It's not that serious." Layla sighed

"It is serious. Almost all of you have the biggest egos I've ever seen and it's like you're forgetting that we all made Amity and we work as a team. Can't you see how wrong this is? How I'm the only one who has to dance slower while you guys give it your all? I want to put as much effort as everyone else." Jen exclaimed

"Jen everything is going to be okay-" Angelina tried to reassure but she waved her hand and shook her head.

"I'm gonna go. Enjoy dinner." She grabs her bags and leaves the room.

Hailey sighs out of annoyance. "This is why you don't have young people in groups because they always want to act like brats. It should've just been the 4 of us, but no~ they wanted one more person and they had to pick her out of all people. She doesn't do anything but whine and complain-"

"Hailey shut up!" Angelina exclaimed sharply while standing up. "You're the brat here."

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to?"

"You're not superior to any of us just because you're the leader. And if I were betting on the future of Amity...I'd say we'll disband and it'll all be because of you."

Hailey huffed in dissatisfaction. "I am so telling the manager on the both of you."

"Oh go ahead. The only reason you're here is because the vice president is your father. Did you even audition for SongStress or did you get everything handed to you on a silver platter?" The redhead questioned. Taking the silence as an answer, she retrieved her bag and grumbled, "That's what I thought."

---

An hour had passed since Jen left backstage and went back into the hotel room she shared with Angelina. She was lying on her back in bed, looking at the ceiling as her stomach continued to growl mercilessly.

"I'm so hungry." She grumbled and clutched her stomach.

She managed to buy a couple of bags of chips in a vending machine with the paper money she had on her but she craved food to satisfy her hunger.

Suddenly she sees Angelina with a bright smile on her face and a large box of pizza in hand, walking inside the room.

"Let's eat biatch~!" she cheerfully said and placed the pizza on the bed before parking herself on the bed as well.

"I thought you were at dinner!" Jen stammered, looking wide-eyed at the pizza on the bed.

"I can't stand those girls, I'm not hanging out with them." She responded with a shrug.

"But I'm supposed to go on that dumb diet..." Jen grumbled.

"Bitch eat. I don't give a crap what they say, you are eating to your heart's content. Don't starve yourself because they want you to look a certain way. You know what they're trying to do is wrong. I see it, you see it. You have to stand your ground and speak up."

"But if it gets me fired then what?"

"I would rather be fired. I'm eating all the pizza I want. They can't stop me. And they won't stop you. Sit. Eat. Chill. I gotta vent to you about Hailey."

Jen happily sits back on the bed and bites into the hot, cheesy pepperoni pizza that was fresh from Pizza Hut. "What happened with you and Hailey?"

"Oh my gosh...I don't think I can take much more of this. She keeps talking crap about you. She thinks the world revolves around her. And it's like the others are followers, I swear. They always wanna just back up what she says. Or just stand there and agree with everything she says. Like are you blind?" She retorted as she started to get angry thinking about the situation.

"Well, she does have power over us because of her father..." Jen grumbled.

"And that shouldn't be the case. She should work hard and not get an easy route just because of some connection with family. I always see that these days. I mean I know it is great to have connections but still endure the hard work that others dealt with who started from the bottom."

"Yeah, but that's not how the world seems to work." Jennie trailed off, thinking about the future.

"Enough about her. I have another serious question to ask."

"What is it?"

"You thinking of leaving?" Angelina assumed. From the shocked look on Jennie's face, she gets her answer, mumbling "I thought so."

"I have to, I just can't do this anymore." Jen pointed out with a sad smile. "I talked to my agent and let her know everything."

"I understand. But are you still going to sing?"

"Yes. I still want to perform."

The redheaded girl nodded in approval. "Good. Whenever you leave, it'll be worth it. So don't worry. Just stay in touch with me. I'm gonna miss you. Whatever the future holds for you, I'll be supporting you."

Jen smiled. "Thank you, Angie. I'll be supporting you too!"

"Now let's watch some Spongebob." She grabbed the remote off the nightstand.

Jennie giggled at her. "Aren't you too old for that?"

"Ha! You're NEVER too old for Spongebob."

-------

November 10th 2012. Jennie was finally 15 years old. She went to the studio in a bright mood, happily thanking everyone for the birthday wishes. She received birthday phone calls from her family and tweets from fans.

The day starts like always. Dance practice and then recording in the studio. But she couldn't help but wonder if she'd get a surprise party just like all the other girls have on their birthdays. But as the day went on, she didn't receive anything after she left the studio. She tried not to feel too disappointed as she got herself ready for the 1st annual Singing Exhibit she created. It was called, "Avid Vocals" that was in a small lounge with a stage.

When she arrived, she was grateful for the turnout. There were over 120 people in the place. A good start for a nice little event, to meet people who are passionate about singing and dancing like herself.

She makes her way up the stage and gives her welcoming speech.

"What's up, everybody!?" She grinned at the crowd and waved. "Thank you so much for coming tonight to the first annual Avid Vocals where we all come together to sing and dance to our heart's content and meet and greet with each other. I've been wanting to do this for a while now, bringing people together who enjoy performing for fun, and I'm very happy with the turnout so far. At this time, let's get started with the first performance! And if anyone else wants to perform, there's a sign-in sheet by the table. So just write your name and the song, and sing out! Enjoy the show!"

Once she left the stage, she made her way to mingle and talk with fans, signing autographs and taking photos. The performances so far were all very unique and fun to watch. There were goofy performances, singing songs like YMCA, We Will Rock You and Party Rock Anthem. Then there were performances that slayed with Single Ladies, TiK ToK, and So What by Pink.

After watching some performances, it was time for her to get on stage. She sat on a stool with her guitar in her hands.

"I've written a little song and wanted to share it with you guys." She looked around to find any members of Amity but didn't. "I hope you guys enjoy!"

They applaud her as she begins to strum along on her guitar. While she sang, she tried to search for any members of Amity in the crowd but couldn't find anyone. After she finished her song, she received a huge positive feedback from the crowd as she went backstage.

She looked at her phone while thinking that any members would find her backstage to see her but sees a text message sent 30 minutes before she went on stage from Angelina.

'You are SO not gonna believe this...the assholes kept me back and forced me to work on my raps...the rest went out somewhere to the movies. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it to support you...I'll see you back at the hotel and we'll hang :'('

Jennie lets out a sigh. She knew Angelina was telling the truth. She had a feeling Hailey would try to do something after asking her if the manager knew about it. She wasn't mad at anyone. It'd be a waste of energy.

As soon as Jennie goes back into her hotel room, she sees Angelina waiting for her anxiously. Once she heard the door close, her head shot up and she quickly got off the bed.

"They kept me on purpose, I tried everything, I'm so sorry I wasn't there." Angelina had tears in her eyes and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." Jen responded with a sigh.

"No, it's not."

"Don't worry about it, I still had a nice birthday." She reassured. "I'm just glad I got to meet some nice fans and perform today."

"I'm sure it was a fun event. Hey, I got you something to make up for it. I hope you like it."

Hearing that, Jen's eyes light up. "Really!?"

"Yep! Close them eyes girl. And no peeking." She addressed, going back to the bed. After a few moments, she hands her a small bag. "You can open them."

Jen quickly opens her eyes and sees a pink bag in front of her. She grins widely and digs right inside to see all the CDs so far from Wonder Girls and 2NE1. "GAH! MY GIRLS~" She wrapped her arms around her for a big hug, earning a loud laugh from the redhead.

"I knew you'd react like that." Angelina chuckled and was released. "I'm not really into KPOP, never really heard of it, but I went on YouTube, listened to it and they sound pretty damn good. Both groups."

"Thank you, for this. Really. This is awesome."

"Of course. Oh, and this one group...Bang bang-wait no, it's called Big Bang." She corrected herself as Jen nodded at the correct name of the group.

"Why are they all so hot?" Angelina questioned, making Jen laugh out loud. "No, I'm serious. That is too much sexiness. That's not nice!" She crossed her arms, shaking her head.

"You'll never get used to it, trust me." The birthday girl sits on the bed. "My favorite is T.O.P. I have a big crush on him. He's so cool. I would love to meet him one day. Along with Wonder Girls and 2NE1."

"Hey, you never know. Maybe you'll get some VIP Tickets to a concert if they're in America."

"Yeah...but I wouldn't mind performing like them."

"What do you mean?"

"I wouldn't mind performing KPOP. Easier said than done right? But I love how they perform and their awesome dances."

"KPOP? That'll be interesting to see. Whatever your heart desires, I say go for it. Work hard, do research, and go for it. Anything is possible as long as you work hard for it. I would talk to your agent about that."

Jen nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

"So we're renewing our contracts tomorrow. Are you going to renew it?"

Jennie shakes her head. "I was talking to my family and agent about it. I think it's time for me to close this chapter in my life and move on."

Angelina nodded. "Do what's best for you."

----

Today was the most difficult day for Jennie as she made her way to SongStress' office to meet in the boardroom. She walked with her agent, who has been a family friend of hers since she started in Amity. Her name was Diana Parker.

Jen's parents made sure to do their research when finding someone to really aid and be there for her while she was in the entertainment business. And Diana wasn't going to let SongStress make Jennie feel obligated to resign with them after all the crap she's dealt with.

Once they walked in, they sat in front of the manager, the President of SongStress, the Vice President, HR, the Supervisor, and the executive.

"All right Jen, here, you can sign right here." The Vice President handed her the pen.

"I won't be needing that." She replied in a low voice.

"Oh? Did you bring your own? Came here prepared, I admire that." He chuckled.

"No, I mean I'm not signing that."

The room goes silent as everyone but Diana stares at her, trying to comprehend what she just said.

"...What do you mean you're not signing?" The President slowly asked.

"I don't want to renew my contract." She firmly said as they looked at her in shock.

"How about we put more money in for you? Then you'll sign?" The President suggested.

"You heard the girl. She's not signing." Her agent spoke up.

"I wasn't talking to you." He snapped at Diana and turned back to Jen in a panic. "How much do you want for the next few years?"

"No sir, I think my time is up here." Jen declared.

"What do you want to have your solo? Is that what this is about? Okay fine. We'll have your solo for the next album." The Vice President exclaimed.

Diana managed to keep her laughs to herself at how panicked SongStress was. "This is too funny." She murmured. "You feel obligated to do this, right?"

SongStress continued to ignore her as their full attention was on Jen. Jen felt like this was the most attention they had given her since she first started in the group.

"You want to be in TV Shows? We got you covered." The manager pointed out.

"Why are you doing all this now and not when I was patiently waiting and asking when it would be my turn?" Jen questioned.

"Look we have been busy and-"

"Very busy with Hailey, that's for sure." She pointed out.

"Look we need you-" The President looked at her in despair.

"No, you don't. You need me to have Hailey be the spotlight. I said no, so please just let me leave this company." She pleaded, earning harsh glares from them as they gave up.

"Fine. Then leave." The President waved her away.

"Thank you for this experience." She stood up and headed to the door with Diana.

"Oh and Jen?" The President spoke up as she stopped and turned. "I hope you realize how much of a mistake you're making." He warned, narrowing his eyes.

She smiled and turned back around. "I hope you realize how much of a blessing this decision was for me."

After packing her things, and saying goodbye to Angelina, Jen decides to unfollow Amity on Instagram and Twitter but Angelina as fans started questioning it. After a couple of hours, she was fed up with the constant notifications of Amity and decided to just deactivate her Twitter and delete her Instagram to get away from it all.

------

After leaving and going back home, Jennie went back to high school, while continuing to learn Korean and training for singing and dancing. Things were how they used to be. Going to school, still singing and dancing for fun. But she felt like something was missing. She still wanted to perform. But she didn't want to be in another situation like she was with SongStress. As a result, she researched different companies. The K-Pop itch came back as she decided to check out what SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment were offering.

She managed to go to an SM Entertainment audition but they told her she was not what they were looking for and she didn't look like a K-Pop star. She was upset at the unsuccessful attempt but she was glad they didn't take her. She didn't want to get any plastic surgery if they wanted her to.

As much as she wanted to be a part of SM Entertainment, she felt like their style wasn't for her and she wanted to be a part of a company that wasn't one of the huge companies if possible. Start from the bottom and work her way up. Win awards and break records that aren't from the Big 3 companies.

As 2013 rolls around, she suddenly gets a phone call out of the blue from Diana in mid-January.

"This is rare!" Jen beamed, happy to hear her voice.

"Very, it's been a while! How you been?"

"I'm doing all right. But I'm getting that itch again."

"Well, you're in luck because it's about to be scratched."

"What do you mean?"

"I was just curious, you still want to sing and dance, right?"

"Right!"

"You still studying Korean?"

"You betcha!"

"There's an audition coming up, for a South Korean Company called BigHit Entertainment. They're looking for some trainees. Now, I know it's not like SM Entertainment or YG Entertainment, and BigHit seems like they're not big on foreigners at the moment but you never know what'll happen. Don't let that discourage you. You up for it?"

"It's worth a shot. I want to try."

"Okay, I'll set you up so you can go to the audition in New York. Start preparing. I'll email you what they're looking for so you can practice."

"Thank you so much!"

After a week of training, Jen and her parents arrive at the private audition. She heads inside to sit in the waiting room, while she sees others, older and even younger people preparing for their audition. One by one their names were called as they went inside.

"Jennifer Walker." A woman called her name, standing in the doorway with a clipboard in hand.

Hearing her name get called caused her stomach to drop. Jennie attempts to ignore the nervousness as she stands up and is led inside by the woman.

'Everything is going to be OK. You worked hard, things will be fine.' She tries to reassure herself as she goes into a dance practice room where she sees the panel of three males, staring at her as soon as she walks in.

The three males look up at her. Before they were checking out her headshots and information.

Age 15

5 foot 5

Her experience with singing and dancing since elementary school and being a part of SongStress Entertainment with Amity for over a year. She also has four years of experience playing the guitar. Her heart began to race as she remembered to bow and politely greet them.

"So you have experience with music videos and performing live?" She was asked.

"Yes. Amity has done several music videos and a tour around the US."

"Why did you leave?"

Jennie swallowed as she, unfortunately, remembered bad memories. "New opportunities. I felt like SongStress wasn't the place for me. I still want to perform. I love performing."

"Sing an English song for us."

She decides to sing Rihanna's California King Bed with an instrumental from her phone. She starts nervously, but after a few lines, she gains more confidence and sings out, before they stop her after the chorus. Afterward, she had to sing a Korean song, and she chose Wonder Girls' Me In as she found an instrumental on her phone.

"Hey beautiful boy, let me love you, right now~" The nervousness was gone from her singing and filled with more power and confidence as she sang until after the chorus. She began to feel her face heat up after they told her to stop while she was getting too into it.

After the singing, they told her to dance, so she put on 2NE1's I Am The Best, nailing the dance moves on beat, and almost forgetting that this was an audition because she felt like she was in her room again, dancing happily to the song like she always does.

Finally, they take photos of her for headshots and to see how she'll look on camera.

After the photos, the audition was over and she went back to the panel and was told by the men at the table, "We're developing a boy group and were thinking of having one girl in it too. We'll get back to you. That's all for today."

"Thank you so much for taking the time to see me." She bowed again.

----

A week later, Jen was on her laptop with her headphones in, listening to 2NE1's I Am The Best while checking her email. She suddenly sees an email from BigHit a couple of hours ago. Her eyes widen and her stomach drops.

Was this the result of the audition?

She slowly clicks it open and her throat tightens, making hot tears fill up her eyes. She read the email a couple of times to comprehend what was happening. She passed and they wanted her to become a trainee at their company. She wipes the tears of joy from her eyes and screams in her pillow. Afterwards, she tries to collect herself.

"Let's not get too ahead of myself. Let's take it one day at a time, Jennie. Things are going to be just fine. Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening!" She said excitedly and then ran downstairs to tell her parents. "Guys, I got great news!"

------

After telling her agent and her parents about the shocking news, they all made their way to Seoul, South Korea. Jen's nerves got to her as she wished the flight was quicker. She was so excited to be able to get an opportunity to work in the K-Pop industry. She hopes to break down the barriers of being a foreigner and an African American in the K-Pop industry. Although she still was not aware of how different their work ethic is from America, she believed that she would be ready for the challenge.

After the plane lands, safely, the party finds someone that had Jen's name on a sign and they are escorted to Big Hit's building. Jen was in awe, gazing out the window as the car went past various streets in Seoul. She never knew how beautiful the area looked until she saw it up close and personal. She was looking forward to doing everything here. Eating, shopping, school, taking walks around, everything. So many things went through her head that before she knew it, the car stopped and they were in front of Big Hit's building.

Jen's stomach drops at the sight.

She was here.

The agency that wanted to take a chance on her.

The place who thought she had what it takes.

Big Hit Entertainment.

Her mom puts a hand on Jen's thick curly hair. "Sweetie, are you ready?" She smiled.

Jen nods twice and they all get out of the car. As they head inside, they go to the receptionist to let them know about their reason for being there and they make their way to Bang Shi-Hyuk's office with a translator.

"Music and Artist for Healing, huh?" Jen's dad read the slogan and nodded in approval. "I like it."

"Sweetie, you haven't said a word. Are you okay?" Jen's mom looked concerned at her daughter's silence.

Jen looked up and smiled nervously. "I'm excited just nervous."

"Everything is going to be fine. Don't worry, honey."

"You can come in." A staff member said in English as he opened the door for them.

As soon as they all walk in, they see the man himself, Bang Shi-Hyuk.

"You must be Jennifer Walker." He speaks in Korean.

The sound of his voice made her timid as she bowed politely. She'll have to get in a habit of bowing in South Korea. As she looks at him, she starts to remember his face. He was the one sitting in the middle during her audition.

"Yes, I am." Her voice affirmed in a shaky tone in Korean.

He let out a chuckle. "I'm not that scary, am I?"

"No, sorry, just nervous."

He nodded and smiled. "Don't be. I want this to be a happy environment."

"Thank you. These are my parents." She introduced herself as her parents continued to look at her in surprise at how well her Korean was. "And my agent." She pointed to Diana

"What is he saying? And what did you say?" Jen's mom eagerly asks.

"I just introduced you guys," Jen responded in English and the translator took over to help Diana and her parents understand.

"Your daughter did very well during the audition. I believe she'll do great things for my company. She's in good hands here." Bang PD noted

"Thank you for allowing our daughter to chase her dreams here." Her father spoke.

"Sit down, please. I want to discuss the contract." Bang PD motioned them to sit and they complied.

As he started going over the contract, Jen's butterflies came back in her stomach. Would her family let her be out of the country for so many years to become a K-Pop star? She'll miss birthdays, weddings, graduations, births, even funerals.

"What is he saying?" Diana asked as the translator explained that they need Jen and her parents to sign and it's for a lot of years.

"A-a lot of years?" Her mom asked as she bit her lip. "We're not going to see you that often, are we?"

"If I am in a group and our schedules are fully packed, most likely not, Mom." The teen could see the tears developing in her mother's eyes.

Her mom grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "My little girl...in South Korea...chasing her dream to perform."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Her father asked in a serious tone, keeping his emotions together. "Is this truly what you want, Jennifer?"

"I really want to do this. I'll call, I'll text, I'll Skype you, anything, I will keep in touch. If I can visit I will, I promise. I want this. I love K-Pop, and I truly believe this company is the best for me. I'm going to train hard to achieve my dream. Please. Let me do this."

"We're not going to be able to see you that often. We're not going to watch you grow up into a beautiful young lady." Her mom smiled sadly.

"If any boys give you trouble...I'm a phone call away, sweetheart," Her father placed a hand on her shoulder as he tried to hold back the tears. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you. I love you guys." Tears raced down Jen's cheeks as she tried to wipe them away.

Her father turned to Bang PD and nodded. "We'll sign it."

Bang PD nodded and handed them the contract. After they read over everything with Diana, Jen's father signs it first, and shortly afterward, her mom does the same and hands the pen to Jen. She lets out a breath and signs her name before handing it to Bang PD with two hands.

"Thank you. I will work hard." Jen bowed with a bright smile.

"As of today, you'll be a trainee. I'll be watching you, kid." Bang PD smiled.

After receiving a new iPhone and keys to the dorm to stay with the other chosen female trainees, Jen spends a few more hours with her family before a heartfelt goodbye as they go back to America. Her agent, Diana, stays with her in Seoul as she works with Big Hit as well. Once she heads to the dorm, she is greeted by the rest of the female trainees and quickly opens up to all of them. They welcomed her with open arms and she was grateful that she could communicate with them, with the Korean that she knew without any language barriers.

One thing she did wish she learned before she got to Seoul was how to eat with chopsticks. It took her forever to learn how to use chopsticks when eating and how different Korean eating habits were from America's. She had a lot to learn about South Korea's culture and was looking forward to it.

The next day was Jen's first day of training. Learning various dances and getting singing lessons. She also met other dancers and trainees. The training was so much different than in America, it was insane. She admired how passionate and hard the dances were.

A few weeks went by and on a certain Thursday night, after dancing was over, she decided to stay a little longer to clean up the choreography that she learned for hours.

With her curly hair in a puffball after all the perspiration, she groans at how she is going to be doing her hair while in South Korea. Maybe she should get a weave. But she'll probably have to order weaves to have it shipped to her. And order American products for her. She should've thought things through.

As she packed up after spending another hour practicing, she heard a happy English voice behind her.

"Hello~" The cheerful voice filled her ears.

She stands up and turns around to see a guy with curly blond hair and a boxy grin on his face.

"H-hi! Are you talking to me?" She responded in English with a smile.

"Y-yes. You...Am-erica? America?" He questioned in broken English.

She chuckled and nods. He sounded really cute while trying to speak English. It sounded like he was asking her if she was American.

"Yes, I am. And I speak Korean. I'm still learning but I should be fluent soon." She answered in Korean as his eyes widened.

His happy vibes were getting to her because she couldn't stop smiling at him. His positivity was off the charts. She needed that.

"Really? That's great!" He goes back to his native tongue. "My name is Taehyung."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Jennifer. You can call me Jennie, Jen, any nickname you can think of. How long have you been training?"

"I've been training a while, I'm working with BTS, right now. My stage name is V. But don't tell anyone, I'm a secret member for now. I haven't been revealed yet." He playfully grinned.

Jen couldn't help but drop her jaw. "You're a part of the upcoming new group? Gosh, I want to try to get that spot as the Bangtan Girl. I've been hearing everyone talking about how they want a girl in the group."

"Ah, the girls are training quite hard for that spot. I wish you luck! How do you like it here so far?"

"I love it here. Everyone is so welcoming. I still need to learn how to eat properly with chopsticks. I was a bit too excited to come here." She sheepishly grinned and rubbed the back of her neck.

"I don't mind teaching you!" He eagerly offered.

"Sounds like fun! You're really nice. Can I call you Tae?"

"Anything you like! Can I call you Ennie?"

"Haha, sure."

"I gotta go. I wanted to stop by and say hi. I hope to see you, again! Let's exchange numbers! Have you tried Korean beef yet?"

"No, I haven't. Is it good?"

"You'll love it! Hopefully, when we're both free, I'll take you so you can try some."

"O-okay!" She exchanged numbers with him.

She was still in awe of how friendly he was. She had a strong feeling they were going to be best friends very soon.

...And boy was she ever correct.

Whenever they were free, he would hang out with her and show her different sights in Seoul. She even fell in love with Korean beef. Taehyung was right when he said that she would love it. As the weeks went by, Jen continued to train while remaining best friends with Taehyung. She had gotten used to his goofiness and he made her less homesick whenever she thought about America.

It was March 1st. Jen just got off the phone with her parents and her two older sisters who were 18 and seniors in high school. Her sisters, Alani and Vienna were preparing to apply to colleges and improving their SAT and ACT scores.

Alani wanted to major in Journalism, to get into interviewing. Jen could see her being an anchor, interviewing celebs and hosting shows. While Vienna wants to major in Theater, getting into plays and other acting gigs. She was proud of them, and they were proud of her too. They told her how much they missed messing with her and it feels weird without her home. One thing that got to her was the fact that she would be missing their graduation. She informed her family about the upcoming practice for the Bangtan Girl audition. It was tomorrow.

The next day, Jennie made sure to get to the practice room early, wearing grey sweatpants, and a black tank top with a black sports bra. She made sure to put her curly thick hair in a messy bun and began to stretch. She saw there were 8 other girls in the room, that also wanted a spot to be the Bangtan Girl. She lets out a breath. This was going to be a tough competition. She prayed that things would go smoothly and that everyone would do well.

After everyone stretches, Son Seongdeuk, the choreographer for BTS arrives. He looks at every girl in the room as he stands before them. "All right, so the group I'm looking at now, is the group that wants to be that special young lady to be the Bangtan Girl of BTS."

"Currently BTS is working on two songs and we have the instrumental for them. I'm going to teach you the dances for both songs. No More Dream, and Bulletproof. I want to see how your flow is and your unique style of dance. After a few weeks, we'll have the audition." Mr. Son continued as he walked around.

"Now let me inform you of what we are looking for. The Bangtan Girl is fierce, tough, has attitude, beauty, and as the song says, bulletproof. What we are looking for is someone who can fit that persona." he informed. "And you nine ladies believe you have what it takes. And I want you to show me. I'm going to show you the dance for Bulletproof. Have a seat and watch."

The girls comply and sit down while he puts on 'We Are Bulletproof Pt 2. The first few beats made Jennie nod her head to the song. The beat was sick...but as soon as he started dancing, her eyes were about to pop out at the fierce dancing the choreographer was showing. Her jaw couldn't be shut as she watched how quick and strong the dance moves were.

'I...I have to LEARN THAT!? I can't do that! Is it too late to back out?! Wait no. No backing out. You gotta show them how much you want this. Things are going to be OK.'

'Yooooo. How am I supposed to whip my head back and forth that quick?'

'How can I move my chest like that?'

'BRUH...Those fluid movements and smooth footwork! I never did that!'

'I'm screwed.'

'H-how do you do that!?'

'Is that even HUMAN!?'

'The human body can do that?!'

There were all the thoughts in her head as she continued to watch his dancing. After he was done, the girls applauded and he told them to stand up so they could begin learning the choreography. The dance was hard and intense. Extremely intense. Nothing that she had ever danced before. It was more fluent and harder than any dance she danced in America but she was determined.

After practice, she was exhausted and stayed one more hour to try to work on the dance before her body just couldn't take any more for the day.

A week went by after learning the Bulletproof dance and they went to the No More Dream dance. Jennie still was mind-boggled at how she managed to do a hip thrust after some difficulty. Guys make it look so easy. She wasn't used to moving that part of her body yet. It must've been a hilarious sight to see her practicing hip thrusting back at the dorm while the other trainees were there. A week went by after that and it was now Friday. Mr. Son just finished the final practice day for the No More Dream dance with Bang PD watching the progress closely.

Jen lays her back on the floor, panting heavily. "So. Much. Dancing. I need a hot bath." She murmured in English before forcing herself to sit up. She looked around at the other girls who were just as exhausted if not even more than her.

Bang PD stands up from his seat after watching the whole dance practice. "You ladies have homework. The audition for the Bangtan Girl is on Monday. You have the weekend to practice. The homework is to create a verse for Bulletproof. Mr. Son gave you the instrumental when you first started learning the dance, so you can practice during your free time. The Bangtan Girl always sings with the Bangtan Boys. I want to see what you can come up with for the song and bring in your attitude and style to it."

"Just one verse?" Jen asked earning a nod from him as they got dismissed.

How was she going to create a verse? It's been a while since she wrote a song. The last song was during her Singing Exhibit for her birthday last year.

During the weekend, Jennie could not think of anything. When she tried to, it went well but she ended up scrapping it and throwing it in the recycle bin because it wasn't what she thought it would be. It was tough to admit that she started to get a writer's block. Saturday night she tried again, listening to the instrumental a couple of times.

"I have no fear so don't try to stop me..." she wrote and looked at it. "Eh...something needs to go in the middle of that..."

'Tellin' me your doubts won't change my mind'

'Staying up all night dancing'

"Ugh, I don't like it." She threw it away and sighed, running her hands through her messy curls. "I hope to learn more about lyric writing while I'm in this company. Right now this is terrible."

She groaned and tried again.

'Unlike you partying all night while I focused on my dreams'

'Everywhere I go, everything I do, I will show you and all the people who looked down on me'

'I'm in my own lane'

"Ah...this is so corny!" She exclaimed and frowned. "They're not gonna accept this. I'll just put down what I can. I can't stress over it."

----

Monday came by quickly as the girls, Bang PD, Namjoon, Mr. Son, and Taehyung were in the practice room. Jennie wore white sweatpants, a white jacket, white Nikes, and a white tank top for the occasion. She even put a black bandana as a crown over her curly hair that was put down.

First, all the girls were to perform the Bulletproof dance. Jen's efforts were successful, thankfully remembering the dance. She tried to put more flavor into it with thuggish facial expressions that didn't seem too forced, and it went well, showing more attitude to fit the instrumental.

After that, one by one the girls presented their custom verses while doing random dance moves to go with the verse and beat of the song. Namjoon had his black shades on and his head down, deep in thought as he listened to each girl's verse. Jen had a hard time trying to figure out what he was thinking when each girl auditioned. Meanwhile, V kept dancing and nodding his head to their verses. Each girl did so well, but she hoped that she could stand out from them.

"Next." Mr. Son turned to Jennie.

She swallows hard as she lets out a shaky breath. Standing up, she received a mic.

'I got this...remember what you practiced, girl. Time to slay them all.' Jen gave herself some last words of encouragement as she stood in the middle of the practice room.

The girls watched behind her while she stood in front of the men watching her. She turns to Mr. Son and nods as he puts on the instrumental of Bulletproof. The instrumental comes on for the second verse of the song as she begins.

Badda bing badda boom

Jennie's here

I have no fear...so don't try to stop me

Hah!

Tellin' me your doubts...won't change my mind

With his ears perking up, Namjoon slowly looked up to watch her perform, fully engaged in how she sounded.

You want me to party? I don't have time

I've been busy workin' (she slowly shimmies to the right with the beat)

I've been busy dancin' (she slowly shimmies to the left with the beat)

I'm never prancin'

Just enhancin' (She flips her hair)

I will persevere and you can't stop my flow (She stands tall, looking strong)

I'm in my own lane

I'm here to attain (She makes a fist up in the air)

I got people asking, Who's the girl?' (She looks both ways)

The one with the curls, representing the girls (She ruffles her curly hair while strutting forward)

"I'm the one with the swag and I don't mean to brag but I broke oppositions to get where I am at today!" she ended her verse just before the chorus came with a fierce expression on her face.

The song stops and she lets out a breath as everyone applauds for her. A proud smile came across her features as she bowed to everyone, thanking them. The butterflies were no longer in her stomach and she was glad to get it over with. She hoped it was enough to please them to earn that spot.

The next day was the most nerve-racking because Jennie was called to Bang PD's office. She didn't know if she had done something wrong or if it was good news. She knocked on his door and he told her to come in. She walks him to see him turn around in his chair looking at her sternly.

"Y-you wanted to see me?" She asked softly, trying to ignore his stern look.

Was he mad at her? If so what the heck did she do? She didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

"Do you know why you're here?" He questioned in a sharp tone as he crossed his arms.

"I-is it because of my audition?" She looked uncertain.

"How do you think you did? Do you think what you've done was what we were looking for?" His voice was serious as he narrowed his eyes.

'I'm about to get dropped aren't I?' She thought nervously.

"Y-yes I do." She quickly let out. "I think I've done well and tried my best."

After a few seconds of silence and staring, he speaks up again. "Well, you thought right, Bangtan Girl." He dropped his mean demeanor and smiled. "Welcome to BTS."

"Wh-what?" Her ears perked up as she widened her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"I had to keep myself from laughing." He chuckled. "I was trying to act as serious as possible. I hope I didn't scare you, too much. Congratulations, you are the Bangtan Girl. Your audition was great. You've done well."

"No way. No friggin way, are you serious right now!?" She started to form hot tears in her eyes as she started to get emotional.

"Your stage name is Jennie just like in your verse. I'm looking forward to watching you grow here. I'll be watching you closely. I have faith in you, kid." He said as she bowed

"Thank you so much." She wiped her tears. She had to urge to hug him but she wanted to try to stay professional.

"Your stuff is being moved to BTS' dorm. You'll be staying there from now on," He dismissed her.

She leaves the office and jumps up and down, running down the hallway with excitement. She quickly calls her parents. "Mom!"

"What?! What happened!? Is everything okay!?" She exclaimed in panic at Jen's sudden yelling.

"I'm the Bangtan Girl! I passed the audition! They picked me!" She yelled as her mom screamed and yelled to her husband to tell him the good news.

"I knew you could do it kiddo!" Jennie hears her father's voice.

After she finishes her conversation with her parents, she calls V and meets him in front of the Big Hit building. V runs and wraps his arms around her in a giant bear hug, spinning her around.

"I knew you could do it Ennie!" He laughed.

"This is so surreal, Tae. I'm in BTS!" She shakes him as he continues to laugh at her excitement.

"Come on, let's head to the dorm."

"R-right now?"

"Yeah!" He grabbed her hand to walk with her. "Don't be nervous! They're all very eager to meet you!"

"Seriously?"

"We found out right after the audition and when you girls left."

"I still can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it Ennie!"

As they make their way to the dorm, Tae opens the door. "MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF BTS! THE BANGTAN GIRL! JENNIE IS HERE!" He happily yelled in the dorm.

Almost instantly she hears yells and happy screams of excitement as the guys rush up to her while V gently pushes her inside and shuts the door. She almost laughed at how eager everyone was to meet her. They were bursting with energy. She could get used to this warm welcome.

"There she is!" Hobi screeched out of excitement

"We've been waiting for you!" Jin grinned

"She's pretty!" Jimin yelled

"H-hi!" She nervously greeted them as they all started talking at once.

"Yah! Guys, don't smother her! Let her breathe! One at a time! One-at-a-time!" Tae protectively grabbed her hand and took her further into the dorm as the rest of the boys followed them, continuing to ask questions.

"You two are just in time for dinner! Let's eat!" Jin announced.

"Aren't you gonna introduce us to her, Tae?" Jimin pointed out as they got settled to eat

"Ladies first." Namjoon gestured as Jen smiled nervously.

"My name is Jennifer, you can call me Jennie, Jen, or whatever nickname you come up with for me. I'm from America. I'm 15. Bang PD told me my stage name in BTS will be Jennie. I have two sisters who are 18, and I'm looking forward to working with you guys."

"You have a pretty smile!" Hobi pointed out. "So adorable!"

Jennie starts to feel her face heat up at the constant compliments. She wasn't used to this at all. She buries her face in her hands.

"Ahhh she's shy!" Hobi yelled as the guys started getting wild but Namjoon.

"Yah! Pipe down!" Namjoon calmed them down and turned to her. "Hello, I'm Namjoon. Better known as Rap Monster. I'm the leader of the group. Looking forward to working with you. I was impressed by your performance."

"Nice to meet you. I noticed you watching me closely. I was a bit intimidated." She admitted.

"Haha, really?" He raised a brow.

"Yeah like you and the glasses and everything. You scared me a bit." She chuckled.

"Sorry if I scared you. I was so focused on your performance. You just caught my attention." he smiled, revealing his dimples. "They made a good choice. Looking forward to seeing what else you can do."

"He's not scary at all, trust me," Hobi reassured. "Hello~ I'm Hoseok. You can call me by my stage name is J-Hope or Hobi."

"I'm the oldest, Jin. Anything you need, just let me know." Jin smiled politely.

"I'm Jimin. The coolest member of the group." He boasted as the guys disagreed and started hitting him with pillows, making Jennie laugh out loud. She could get used to their shenanigans.

Jungkook was usually shy around girls but Jen's demeanor made him relax and less nervous. He smiled awkwardly and looked away, avoiding eye contact until he heard her warm voice which made him look into her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Jennie. Nice to meet you. Your name?" She greeted.

"I'm Jungkook."

"I'm Min Yoongi. You can call me Suga." He greeted her as she nodded and smiled

"Eat up!" Jin gestured as they all began to eat.

Jennie finally managed to use chopsticks the proper way and chowed away.

"Guess you'll be a part of the Maknae line," Namjoon confirmed, remembering she said she was 15. "Your birthday?"

"November 10th."

"Ahh she's younger than Jungkook! She'll be our baby girl!" Jimin announced. "So what is America like?"

"It's what you make of it. I hope one day we'll all be able to go together and you can experience it yourselves." She smiled. "I still need to get used to eating properly and bowing here. I'm still not adjusted to your culture yet but I will soon. Please be patient with me guys."

"You're fine, don't worry about it." Yoongi waved her doubts away.

"What are your passions," Hobi asked

"I really love performing and meeting fans. I just love to sing and dance for fun. Music is my life." She happily revealed.

"What do you like to eat? I can put it in future references." Jin chimed in.

"Some foods I like are pizza, white chocolate, fish and chicken."

"Once we get some Korean food in you, I'm sure that'll also be your favorite food, too."

"I bet they will."

"Hey, what's your favorite color?" Jungkook eagerly asked.

"I like purple." She responded

"Any hobbies?" Namjoon questioned

"I like to play the guitar. Play occasional video games and golf." Jen addressed.

"Golf?" Jin asked in amazement.

"I'm not that good but I like the sport. It's fascinating to check out." She pointed out.

The rest of the dinner went great as she started to feel less nervous and excited to be working with BTS. The boys were so nice and welcoming towards her.

"Oh yeah, let's show Jen her room!" Yoongi announced as he stood up. The boys escorted her to a small room in the dorm. "Since you're a girl, we're sure you wanted your privacy. It's smaller than the rest of ours. I hope it's all right."

"No, it's perfect." She turned to them, looking appreciative. "Thanks, guys."

Later that night, everyone got ready for bed. Jennie said goodnight to everyone and laid under the covers in her new home. On her back, she looked up at the ceiling with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm going to like it here...I'm so happy. Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity." She sighed in contentment and fell asleep.

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