#my Spotify wrapped might even be mostly Taylor

[qvnthesia]

hey, hey, hey! hope you're doing good <33 may i present to you, qvnthesia's ao3 wrapped (def better than spotify wrapped!)

How many words have you written this year? — 100,000+ (i thought i wrote less with the writer slump T~T)

How many works have you published this year? — 4; I'm more for a long-fic person lmao

What work are you most proud of? — See You In My Nightmares! *excited*

What work of yours has the most hits? — Definitely See You In My Nightmares (the amount of people that have subscribed to the fic more than YMH is mind-blowing 😂)

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? — It'd have to be Gently Into the Cold, Dark Earth. It was just supposed to be a one-shot, I didn't expect my inbox to blow up + See You In My Nightmares again 😂

Favorite title you used? — bespangled prairies (for my sw fic!)

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most? — Mostly Taylor Swift

Pairing you wrote the most for this year? — Klaulena and Elejah are tied 😂

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? — Klaulena (they do things to me, okay? 😭)

What work was the quickest to write? — Time After Time (elejah oneshot that just burst out of me from nowhere)

What work took you the longest to write? — Well, considering I'm writing them right now, See You In My Nightmares and Yours, My Heart collectively take the prize. But, personally speaking, I think Yours, My Heart takes longer because there's a lot of mystery I've got to keep up with and crosscheck with my notes.

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year? — 36 ahahahaha *dies*

What’s your longest work of the year? — See You In My Nightmares (one of the chapters is 21K+ words 😂)

What’s your shortest work of the year? — Time After Time

What WIP are you taking into next year with you? — My two on-going long-fics! + my sw short-fic

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag? — Canon Divergence (I've said it before and I will say it again—I recognize that canon has made a decision, but given that it's a STUPID-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it)

Your favorite character to write this year? — Elena! 😭💖+ Anakin (he's a man tugging my own heart)

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year? — Klaus, that man is both hot and insane.

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year? — Dunno, probably Finnlena, since I have planned a series of one-shots surrounding the Mikaelsons and Elena.

Which work of yours have you reread the most? — See You In My Nightmares (to understand why people like it so much + a reminder that i need to update but i never do)

How many kudos in total did you get this year? — 991 kudos!

Which work has the most comments? — With a comment thread count of 122, See You In My Nightmares 😂

Did you do any collaborative works this year? — Unfortunately, no :(((

Did you write any gifts this year? — I'm actually writing one for @kaizsche!! a bit nervous but excited too!!

Did you receive any gifts this year? — @kaizsche and I are exchanging fics and I'm pretty excited! (nervous but excited, gahh, gotta write good)

What’s your most common category? — f/m

What do you listen to while writing? — First it was indie, then some dark moody songs but now it's a mix of the second one and instrumentals + slowed and reverb songs.

Favorite work you wrote this year? — Time After Time

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? — This one is from Chapter 12 of SYIMN. “My brother and I, we didn’t hate her for turning into a vampire, we despised her because we thought she was kind. We thought she might be like Tatia, we didn’t expect her to turn out so… different. Yes, even though I was going to sacrifice her, Elijah had a backup plan to bring her back to life. I wasn’t supportive of his plan, but my brother wears his heart on his sleeve for the women from your bloodline, no matter how many tailored suits he wears to shroud his true nature from the world. For Tatia, I did the same. For Katherine, I didn’t. At first, yes, even I considered a future with her, but—” he clicks his tongue. “—that strange emotion in her eyes made me reconsider. And after what she did, I was right. I didn’t see it coming, though. I didn’t see how desperate she was to trick us and somehow live. That betrayal stung deeper than my mother’s role in Tatia’s death. Ever since then, we realized it was a mistake to ever come to love a Petrova.”

Biggest surprise while writing this year? — Around the end of February, I got invited to join a server where a bunch of writers that I'd followed on Tumblr and AO3 were there and I was so excited and happy to actually get a chance to interact with them because the way we've interacted, the ideas we've exchanged and all the times we've listened and helped each other, it's happened to me for the first time 😂 + I've never actually improved so much in writing until I started writing on AO3 and this year just took it to new heights. My worldbuilding rates, writing rates, everything's just gone up in a good way and I'm really content with myself about that, and... yeah! 😂

And that's all from me! It's New Year's Eve and I'd like to thank all the characters I've got a chance to meet (except Susdious and the Salvatores), thank you for making me a better writer! And a very huuuge and special thanks to @kaizsche @sevensistersofsussex @katherineholmes @feralcherry @jennifersminds @elena-mikaelson @amandamonroe and @wazman, y'all are godsend <33

#ao3 wrapped #this was fun! #writer

[ciucalata]

title: and your eyes look like coming home (4/6)

pairing: buckingham; background steddie

rating: G

summary: in which a bad date, getting drunk at brunch and some perfume forces them to finally talk about their feelings.

(ao3) • part 1 • part 2 • part 3

Robin didn’t know how long she had been staring at Chrissy’s text but her eyes started to burn so it must have been a while. She blinked a few times, which made her eyes burn worse than before, but the sting of discomfort was worth it since now she was a hundred percent sure that Chrissy’s message was real.

She was still so focused on the message that she didn’t even realize when Eddie sat down next to her. She only became aware of his presence when he took one of her hands in his and tugged it to his chest.

He waited till she turned to look at him before he spoke, giving her his best puppy eyes. It didn’t work that well on her like it worked on Steve and the kids. “C’mon, Buckley! I beg of you, put me out of my misery. We’ve been listening to Taylor Swift for hours and I’ve even begun to learn some of her lyrics. That never happened before and I was roommates with Chrissy.”

“Yeah, okay, we can change,” she agreed, still somehow in a daze.

“My Spotify wrapped will- wait, really?”

“Yeah, I’m going home anyway. You can listen to whatever you want.”

Eddie’s smile widened and he leaned over, kissing her wetlh on the cheek. He then whooped as he got up from the couch, making his way towards his computer.

“Wait, what do you mean you’re going home?” Steve asked, frowning at her.

“I asked Chrissy to come get me.” Her reply made him frown deeper. “I am all healed from my heartbreak, don’t worry.”

Steve sighed and Robin was a little disappointed that she hadn’t been keeping count all day. Today he must have reached a new record.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Robs.”

It was Robin’s turn to frown but before she could say anything, Eddie dropped unceremoniously on Steve’s lap with a huge grin. Steve’s arms automatically wrapped around him, like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was for them and Robin hated them a little because of it.

“On the contrary, dear Stevie. It’s a great idea.”

Steve narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his fiancé while Robin looked at him in confusion.

“You’re plotting something, aren’t you?”

Eddie bit his lip, hiding what would have probably been a satisfied grin, and shrugged. “Nope. I already finished plotting and the plan is even finished by now if Chrissy’s texting Robin.”

Robin looked down at the phone in her hands, the screen black but she could still see Chrissy’s last message ver clearly in her mind. Her heart thumped hopefully in her chest.

Steve sighed again. “What did you do?”

“I might have purposefully sent Chrissy on a bad date to make her realize that she needs to appreciate what she already has.” Eddie winked at Robin and she didn’t know if she should be thankful or worried.

“Eddie!”

“Y’know Chrissy is going to kill you, right?” Robin tried to sound just as outraged as Steve, but she might not have done a very good job because Eddie grinned at her.

Okay, so maybe deep down she was a little pleased to know that Chrissy’s date went badly, but she was mostly worried about her. In all the time they’ve known each other, Robin has never heard Chrissy talk about anyone romantically. She didn’t need a romantic partner to complete her, of course, but Robin had noticed in the past that whenever the group brought up relationships and love, Chrissy never talked and looked sort of uncomfortable. For a few months, Robin had even assumed that Chrissy was aromantic but then she accidentally heard Chrissy tell Eddie about someone she was pining over so Robin crossed out that idea.

“Hey, Eddie?”

Eddie turned his attention back on her from whatever argument he was having with Steve and hummed. She took it as a sign to go on.

“Why did Chrissy ask you to set her up on a blind date?”

Eddie didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took his time looking at Robin as if she should know the answer.

“She said she wanted to get over someone.”

“Jesus,” Steve muttered under his breath, shaking his head as if this was the worst conversation he ever witnessed.

Robin’s heart dropped to the floor.

So Chrissy was interested in someone. And she wanted to get over them. She should be a little bit happier since because of that she could have a chance, however small it was, to get Chrissy's attention. But all she could think about was how Chrissy never mentioned this mysterious person to her. Not even once. Despite the fact that Robin talked her ears off about her past crushes. Did she not trust Robin enough to talk to her about this? Was Robin not a good enough friend to Chrissy for her to feel comfortable enough to gush about her crush? Did Robin ever give her the impression that she didn’t care about Chrissy and whatever she wanted to talk about?

She felt like an awful friend thinking that Chrissy didn’t want to share this part of herself with Robin because, somehow, it felt like Robin’s fault.

“Great!” Steve’s voice startled her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him, only to be met with Eddie’s worried eyes. “You made her cry. Are you happy now?”

Robin brought her fingers to her cheeks and, yeah, they came away wet. Great. She really was in control of her feelings.

Someone put a hand on her knee and then Eddie’s face appeared in front of her. His eyes were huge and worried, but mostly confused. “Hey, why are you crying?”

“Because I’m an awful friend! I never knew Chrissy was interested in someone. She never wants to talk to me about stuff like this. Does she think I don’t care about her or her life? I want to listen to her if she wants to talk about stuff like that!”

“Okay, okay. I know, Robbie. And Chrissy knows it too.” When Robin glared at him, he didn't even flinch, instead he squeezed her knee. “I swear. You’re one of her best friends. It’s just… a delicate subject. She’ll talk to you about this when she’ll be ready.”

Robin felt Steve sit on the couch beside her before he gathered her in his arms and hugged her tight to his chest. “You’re an amazing friend, Robin. I know this. Eddie knows this. Chrissy knows it. But people are allowed to keep their secrets, if they want. Even to their best friends.”

“I know, but…”

“I know, I know. I promise you this has nothing to do with you. Like Eddie said, Chrissy will talk to you about this when she’ll be ready. Till then, let her know that you care about her and that you’re there for her.” When Robin didn’t reply, he squeezed her a little tighter. “Okay?”

“Okay,” she replied softly. Despite still being early in the evening, she was suddenly hit by how tired she actually felt. Going back home instead of sleeping here was sounding better by the second.

“Good. Now go wash your face. Chrissy is gonna be here soon and she’ll be worried if she sees you like this.”

Robin nodded and Steve let her get up from the couch. Eddie also moved away to let her pass, smiling up at her. She tried to smile back, but even that felt exhausting.

She took her empty glass from the coffee table with her with the intention to drink more water before going to the bathroom. Between the crying and the alcohol, she knew she would need it. However, once she stepped foot inside the kitchen, the first thing she saw was the pitcher of mimosa leftover frum brunch and it looked better than plain water.

She knew she shouldn’t drink more of it. She should sober up before Chrissy came to get her. However, she was tired enough to not care about bad decisions and still drunk to think that a few more glasses of mimosa would help her feel better.

Steve had always been better at managing her impulse control.

#ellie scrie #buckingham #steddie #robin buckley #chrissy cunningham #fic: and your eyes look like coming home #i started writing this with the idea of having 2 parts and now i have 6 parts #i hope it ends soon #not bc i don't love this fic but bc i have other fics i want to write

[monstrousfemale]

could you write a ficlet for your spotify wrapped no.8 song pls? ☺️

aaaaaa Thanks soo much for asking, I was so excited bc this is definitely on my top 5 favorite songs ever. I hope you like it 😌 Warning for Mature content and loads of angst. I crossposted this to AO3 because I just liked it a lot... Ain't much but it's honest work.

led by blind faith - Mature, 1845 words

"I don't know why we thought this would work."

The words echo over the payphone, carried over thousands of miles. They hurt just as bad as if they had been said right in Eddie's ear. 

He wants to fight, wants to ask Steve, just how could he say that? Instead, he breathes deep; in, out. 

"I love you," he says, because it's true. Because he wants it to be enough. 

"I know."

The line clicks off, and Eddie is left in the phone booth, pressing his forehead to grimy glass. Outside, Gareth has been tapping his index finger to his wrist. It's time. 

Steve holds Eddie's hand as they wade into the ocean. These shores are not the same as the ones back home, the waters are always colder. But they're alone on the beach, and Eddie clings to Steve's hand as they hiss their way into the frigid depths. 

Steve laughs at him, his nose scrunched up, eyes brighter than the sun overhead. 

"I love you," Steve says, like it's easy. It's always easier when they are together, actually on the same continent, sharing the same bed. 

"I know," Eddie says. He grins when he jumps on Steve, causing both of them to go under. 

"It's late," Eddie says, eyes stuck outside the window of his hotel. There's a tree swaying in the wind. It's late Fall, and its leaves are mostly orange. The European weather is unforgiving, and there's already a mess of fallen leaves on the hotel's lawn.

"I missed you."

It punches a hole in Eddie's chest, crosses his body like a pen through a sheet of paper. Like an arrow through the heart. Eddie thinks about writing it down, could probably use that for his next song. But Steve is sniffling on the other side of the line, and he can't make his feet move.

"I miss you, babe," Eddie says, yawns. It's true, he always does. Travelling with the band is fun, and he loves it. He loves playing for sold out venues and scream-singing his lyrics to audiences that know them by heart. 

But he does also love Steve Harrington, King of Hawkins. He does wish he could bring him along, hates that he can't. Hates that Steve is at home working a 9 to 5 to pay for his own college education, because he won't let Eddie help. 

"I wish you were home," Steve says, his voice low. He's trying not to sound like he's crying, and Eddie's chest is so full for him, he feels like he might just explode. 

"I wish so, too."

"You never call anymore." 

Eddie sighs, tries not to get defensive. He's not calling because he's busy, he's tired, he's living life. So is Steve, he knows he is. 

"I'll try to check in more."

"I hear more from the agent than from you," Steve says, and it's not even an accusation. It's just hurt seeping through. "She calls and gives me the hotel numbers, and tells me you're still not eating right, and still only up after 1PM, no matter the time zone. I miss you, Eddie."

"Steve, I'm trying."

"Yeah, so am I."

"Look, I'm not trying to scare you, or make things worse… but how do you know he's not off kissing cute European guys?"

Steve brushes his hair off his face, checks his watch again. He has to call Eddie in an hour. And he loves Robin, he does, and he knows she's just saying this because she's his friend, and she cares about him… But he wishes he had to go right now, doesn't want to have this conversation. He trusts Eddie, but also he knows what the answer makes him sound like. 

Nevertheless, Steve says what he always says whenever someone asks about the stability of his long-distance relationship.

"It's blind faith."

Robin doesn't have pity in her eyes when she looks at him after that, like a lot of others had had before. She just looks worried. He smiles softly at her, steals the last of her popcorn, and tries not to think about that faith. He really does trust Eddie. And Eddie trusts him. 

Eddie pushes Steve against the hotel room door, thigh between his, lets him grind down against him. 

Tells him, "That's it baby, you feel so good, so good, Steve."

Steve clings onto his hair, kisses him like his life depends on it.

They don't get a lot of moments like this, Steve doesn't get to travel much. But it was their anniversary, and Eddie was still on the road. He finally convinced Steve to allow him to get the tickets, and here they are. Making out in a hotel room in South America.

In the background, to drown out their sounds, The Cure is playing from a tiny stereo. 

Steve sings along as he throws himself onto Eddie's bed, smiling through the lyrics.

You, soft and only You, lost and lonely You, just like Heaven 

Eddie holds on tight to Steve’s hips, moves with him, touches him in worship. Whispers “you’re just like Heaven” into Steve’s collarbones, into his neck, into his chest. Steve whimpers for him, beautiful, divine.

"I can't fucking talk to you when you're like this," Steve says, exasperation dripping off every word. 

It may be midnight wherever Eddie is, but for him, it's the middle of the day, and he has shit to do. 

"You asked me to call," Eddie says, slurring. He's high, Steve can tell. And it's not weed, when he's high off pot he gets cozy and chill. Now, he is extra hyper and off, and Steve hates his voice when he's like this. Suspects coke or some other shit. He doesn't want to know.

"You promised me you wouldn't get high on the road. This is not okay. This is your career on the line, Eds."

"Oooh, you never call me that," Eddie chuckles, but it's dark. Nothing like his usual laughter. "I thought you wanted me to call more. I'm calling."

It hurts. Feels like being punched over the head, and Steve has plenty of experience with that. The dull ache, the dizzying effects. He's so tired. One more concussion and he might just be done for. 

"Don't call like this again. You’re putting me through hell." 

It's Eddie who hangs up. 

“I love you. I don’t think I could ever love anyone else like this.”

“Sometimes it’s not enough, Eddie. You know this. We knew this.”

There's a beat. Steve thinks maybe the call dropped. Thinks about the phone bill for international calls.

“Don’t say that, please,” Eddie finally says, and there’s something so solid in his tone that grounds Steve.

“Eddie, it’s just so…” Steve doesn’t know what he wants to say. It’s hard. It’s fucking lonely. It feels like pure desperation sometimes. 

“I know, I know. I’m so sorry, please Steve,” he’s begging, and Steve doesn’t know what to do with it. Hates himself a little too much for making Eddie sound like that. “Please, I need you to forgive me.”

“It’s not just about that one call, you know things were hard before that. It’s not even all your fault.” 

“Steve…”

“I’m in love with you. I don’t think I could ever love anyone else, either.”

There’s a sharp exhalation, relief that seems to worm its way from Eddie, through the phone line, into Steve’s brain. 

“I really am sorry,” Eddie says, means it. Steve knows he does. 

“Me too,” Steve says, sighing. “We’re going to be okay.” He doesn’t know if he’s trying to comfort Eddie or himself with that, but he suspects it doesn’t do a lot for either of them. Nothing could, right now. 

Eddie calls in the middle of the night, wakes Steve up at 3AM. Steve grumbles, but he’s happy to hear his voice.

“It’s witching hour, baby,” Eddie says, voice low and breathy. He’s mindful of Steve being extra sensitive to loud noises when he’s just woken up. Steve suspects there might be something else behind it tonight, though.

“I miss you,” Steve offers, untangles the phone cord on his bedside table. Pushes a hand below the blankets, brushes over his stomach, lets his palm rest there. 

“I miss you, big boy. Woke up thinking of you. Barely 11AM, aren’t you proud of me?”

“Hmm, sure, you want a prize for that?”

Eddie hesitates, and Steve smiles. He’s awake enough now that he has no doubts in his mind about what this call is. 

“Not a prize…” Eddie says, and he already sounds out of breath. Steve wonders where Eddie’s hands have been wandering, if he had already been touching before he even dialed. 

“Mm, no. A reward, maybe?” Steve asks, but his fingers are already dipping down the front of his pants. 

“Yeah, that sounds good. What do you have in mind?” 

“Oh, you’d love what I have in mind. For now, though, speed up for me? I can hear you, you know. You sound wet.”

Eddie makes a noise that has Steve hard in his own fist, and they get lost in each other’s voices and sounds like they usually would from much closer by. 

When Steve comes, he misses Eddie so bad he almost cries. 

When Eddie comes, he tells Steve he loves him so many times it sounds like prayer, and Steve falls back asleep with the phone stuck between his ear and his shoulder. 

They had met just before Corroded Coffin had been put on the map. Steve had been dragged to a concert because Dustin had needed a ride, and he had finally conceded. Eddie had invited them backstage, had doted on Dustin like only Steve ever would. They had probably fallen in love over the top of Dustin’s curly head of hair. 

Steve tries to remember that. He tries to focus on how easy it had been to fall, when he goes to bed alone after a long day at work. He tries to console himself with the knowledge that Eddie could have just said no to this arrangement, could have chosen to be single when he had headed out on a goddamn world tour. They had only been officially dating for a year when the band had gotten an opportunity to open for some big metal band Steve had never heard of before.

So Steve focuses on the love he feels, focuses on what he knows. And what he knows is that being with Eddie is worth it. 

It doesn’t make things hurt less, though. Just kind of helps manage the pain.

Eddie comes home on a Friday afternoon. Steve picks him up from the airport, has a sign that reads “my rock star” on it. Eddie looks tired, but the smile he has for Steve is large enough to lighten up his face, even if he calls him cheesy for the sign.

Eddie kisses him, and when they walk side by side to the car, Eddie’s arm over his shoulder, Steve thinks that, just maybe, they’re getting away with this after all.  

#steddie #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #rockstar!eddie #no upside down au #monstrous writing #monstrous bigboy

[sophisticatedswifts]

I’m going to laugh so hard if cardigan manages to top my Spotify wrapped for the second year in a row

#I don’t necessarily expect it to but it wouldn’t be a shock #i do know that it will be on my Spotify wrapped though #there’s no doubt about that #my Spotify wrapped might even be mostly Taylor

[raindropsbarzy]

gotta have you

summary: you’re older than him and he gets all blushy every time you’re around because he likes you. a lot (you’re 28 in this case)

word count: 2005

warnings: use of weed, fluff shit, strong language

*

*

*

Mat was immediately drawn into you the first time you have met through mutual friends. Anders was taking the team out for drinks after another win to a local bar in New York that he had never been to. Crazy to think that, considering NY is like his home now but there’s one specific bar he had yet to discover.

It was a small cozy bar called ‘LOLA’ written in red neon lights. The building was painted in all black, nothing exciting about it but it was completely different soon as he stepped inside.

“One of my friends owns this place, sings sometimes here too. Her name’s Y/N.  she’s a pretty cool chick.” Anders informed the team as soon as they found a table to sit.

Mat had to hear the countless compliments Anders was giving about you almost throughout the night, or perhaps more like showing off his best friend's success and everything. Not that he had any problem with that, it’s just Anders could be a real blabbermouth when he already had some drinks in him.

“Sounds like you got a crush on the girl” Tito piped, smirking as he took a swig of his beer, hearing the others snicker. Including Mat.

Anders was quick to shake his head. “Not possible. The girl’s got standards. We’re just buds anyways” He said defensively.

What Anders failed to mention was how fucking gorgeous you were of a person,

When the captain pointed at a certain dark haired woman going up on stage, along with the lines of ‘that’s her’,  he nearly choked on his drink.

You had your hair up in a high top bun, a few messy curls falling over your forehead. Deep red lipstick painted over your lips. An outline of a dragon tattoo decorating your wrist and all the way up to your arm but it didn’t go over your elbows. The ink looked perfect on you. Few piercings perched on your ears and if he wasn’t mistaken, he caught a glimpse of a tongue and nipple studs when he squinted his eyes.

The short black dress you were wearing was hugging your figure the right way. Especially with the strappy heels you were wearing, you looked sophisticated under the dimmed lights.

“Hello beautiful people, how are you enjoying this beautiful evening?” You asked, a smile on your lips.

When you spoke, he was about to fall onto his knees right there. You had the softest voice he has ever heard. With your hand gently grasping the microphone and eyes slowly scanning across the room. He was entranced by you.

And when you began to sing--to a song he had never heard before-- he was for sure in love with the voice that was carried by a gorgeous woman who was standing a few feet away from their table. The way you tilted your head to the side and closed your eyes as you feel in the music. It was something so sexy yet attractive to him. He had his eyes running to your face and down to your body over and over. Shamelessly staring at you with his chin resting on his knuckles.

He had to thank Anders for taking him out here.

The crowd erupted into a small cheer soon as you did your number, which made your lips carved into a grin and nodded your head as a form of ‘thank you’ before walking off stage. He was a bit disappointed to know that you were only singing one song because he wanted to hear your beautiful, dolvett voice at least three more times.

But that feeling didn’t last long, you were walking over to his table with a smile that seemed couldn’t be wiped off your face and he could sense the butterflies in his stomach. Because, fuck.

You looked much prettier up close.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming with your team Lee, otherwise i would’ve put the velvet booth under your name.” You approached Anders before wrapping your hands around him and so did he,

“Nah. that’s okay. We’re good with the table, anyway.” Anders responded, letting go of his grasp around your waist and turn around to look at his friends. “Oh yeah, guys. This is Y/N. Been a friend of mine since we were... kids.. i think?”

“Afraid so” You teased, making him nudge your stomach with his elbow.

“You were amazing up there. Pretty as hell too. Loved your voice.” One spoke out, he had a messy blonde hair tucked underneath a navy snapback.

“That’s Sebastian.” Lee introduced with a grin, shaking his head lightly at his friend who went straight ahead with the words he had chosen.

Giggling, you nod your head. Shooting him a smile. “I’m glad you did. Gotta entertain a few people here.”

One by one, Anders introduced his teammates to you. Who had no shame calling you pretty and a sultry voice to hear which made you blush a few times because you weren’t used to people giving you many compliments at once.

Then your eyes stopped at Mat. Who had his knees bouncing up and down when he got nervous. Staring at your gorgeous brown eyes.

“And you are...” You trail off, raising your eyebrow at him.

“Mat. Mat Barzal” He stuck his hand out for you to shake, which you gladly took.

‘Fuck her hands are soft’

“Mat Barzal” you repeated, humming slightly. Deciding that you liked how the name rolled off your tongue. Plus he was really handsome and adorable as hell. “You’re pretty cute” With that, you retreated your hand back. Seeing his cheeks reddened as he tried to hide it by looking down at the table.

You bit on your lip softly, silently squealing at how cute this boy was acting like that in front of you. “Well, i’ve got a job to do. See you guys later” You waved bye at the boys, not forgetting to send Mat a playful wink when he looked back up.

and that brings you both here. six months later after becoming close friends with each other. The two of you exchanged numbers that night. When the team was mostly drunk off their asses, you sat down next to him and began a conversation in which he had shy away at first. Then starting to become more comfortable with your personality and found talking with you was just as easy as breathing.

He had learned many interesting facts about you. Your hometown, your college major, your favorite artists and crazy ex boyfriend that you had to put a restraining order on. He was truly captivated by the way you talk about something so small yet you made it sound so beautiful. Never in his life, he had ever been this star-struck about someone. And that feeling he had to bottled up for half a year.

right now, he’s coming over to your apartment because Anders is throwing a BBQ at his place and you asked him earlier if he wanted to go together and of course, Mat couldn’t say no to that.

He's wearing a plain black tee and dark jeans with a chain around his neck. Figuring that the fit was good enough for just a BBQ at his friend’s place.

seconds after he knocks on your door, he hears you shout ‘coming!’ along with loud thumping on the floor.

he smiles at the sound of your voice and grows wider when you open the door,

“hi, barzy” you smile softly at him, panting lightly as you open the door wider for him to come in.

“hi, y/n/n” he leans down giving you a kiss on the cheek before entering your place. observing your choice of attire. a white tank top and pink cotton shorts, he notices you have no bra on so your breasts are practically falling over the top. “you’re not wearing that to Lee’s are you? Not that i mind though” he playfully points, gesturing to the clothes.

rolling your eyes, you smack his arm but smile anyway. “Of course not, you pervert. Even if I was, I wouldn't let you see me like that.”

The flirty banter has become a thing between the two of you. Yeah, you’re friends or whatever but both of you still like to flirt with each other, even go as far as being touchy which you have no problem at all. Whenever you go out he has his firm grip around your waist or when you have a sleepover at his house, you like to lay down on his chest and your arm drapes over his toned stomach.

he chuckles at your attempt of hurting him but he begins to frown when he sees a smoke coming from your kitchen. “Did you burn your food or something?”

“What? Oh no it’s not from food. I was smoking a blunt while I was waiting for you here. Just freshly rolled a backwood. Want some?” You offer, taking his hand as you lead him to the kitchen.

He snorts, shaking his head as he sits on one of the barstool. “No thanks, babe. I hate that stuff.”

“You said that because you haven’t even tried it yet” You say, pouring yourself a glass of water and taking a bite of plain bread, helping you to sober up a little.

“Still a no.” He defends.

“Lame” you sign out dramatically, reaching over the counter to turn on the volume on the speaker

“Who’s that?” He asks quickly, finding the song quite catchy. Trying to get a look on your phone.

“Teyana Taylor, ‘How You Want It’. I fucking love her voice. Might sing it next week.” You shrug, chewing on the bread as you sit across him.

He hums, turning the tune a bit louder. “I like it.”

You look at him like he’s got five heads. “Since when did you like RnB?”

“Since that time you sent me three playlists consists of 50 songs each. Had most of them saved on my Spotify.” He answers, grabbing your glass of water to take a sip.

You freeze for a second, smiling fondly at him and trying so hard to ignore the heebie-jeebies in your stomach when he confesses as if it was nothing.

You cannot believe he actually listened to them.

“Really? You really listened to all of them?”

He nods right away, shoving a few Doritos into his mouth. “Yeah. You got me hooked with Jhene Aiko, BJ The Chicago Kid and Summer Walker here not gonna lie.”

There’s no use in holding back the smile now. Your grin gets wider and the faint blush on your cheeks are visible, making Mat smirks cheekily at you with his eyebrows raise.

“Are you blushing right now?” He jokes,

“Well how could I not?” You exclaim, throwing your hands up in the air as you giggle at him. “Especially when I didn't order you to actually listen to every song in there. You’re making my heart flutter, Maty.” You pout and stare at him with your hooded eyes

He grins softly at the nickname. Glancing at your cute pout and he has to resist the urge to lean over and give you a soft kiss on your lips--like he had been waiting for what it seems to be forever--. His hazel eyes staring back at yours as your hands clasp together and head tilting to the side. Long and messy black hair that you haven’t gotten the time to brush it evenly. your fresh face that hasn’t been covered in makeup yet and a sweet rose scented body lotion on your soft skin. Watermelon lip balm coating your lips.

After months seeing you countless times being dolled up and bare faced with vintage/old shirts and shorts, he decides he likes seeing you like this. Home Y/N is what he loves now.

And he is completely fucked. Because he is in love with you.

And there’s no going back from that.

*

*

hii!! do yall like that? because this one is going to be a mini series! this could be one of my favorite writings of Barzy. Let me know if you guys love it and want more! :D

#mat barzal #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal x reader #mathew barzal #mathew barzal imagine #nhl imagine #nhl #hockey #ny islanders #new york islanders imagine #new york islanders

[deathwish-koala]

Harry, the womanizer

Okay, I’ll admit it. When Watermelon Sugar hit the radio and I suddenly had to hear it everywhere, in my head I kinda went, “Jesus Harry, we get it. You like to fuck.” 

But I was just playin’! Joshin’ my boy! You know I love Harry, and more to the point, I think he’s a very thoughtful artist. I think he’s straining for an emotional truth in his work that he must constantly interrogate and shape--hence his propensity to change lyrics and cadence (the Spotify Singles version of Two Ghosts comes to mind) in live performance. 

I don’t really believe that his music, allusions to fruit juices aside, is mostly sexual. But even if it were--would that be a bad thing? 

At the ripe old age of nearly-27, Harry is definitely allowed to have sex, you know? Like all adults. He’s also allowed to sing about it. I have a friend who is a rather brilliant, cerebral young musician (And also an Aquarius! Go figure.) who has songs about sex, because sex is part of his life. Sex, beyond being fun when done right, is also a realm of extreme spiritual and emotional truth. It’s also...sexy. It makes for good music. We know this. So no harm done there.

A Note On Olivia Wilde

In recent days, Harry’s been photographed holding hands with Olivia Wilde. I have a lot of respect for Wilde, both for her longstanding activism and her career. On House she portrayed the first canonical bisexual I ever saw on TV, a massive moment in my life that made my heart hammer with a sense of recognition I was too young to really appreciate. 

Yet I can see why the current media setup--including a Vanity Fair piece dropped yesterday--might make some longtime Harry fans nervous. A decade ago, Harry’s purported involvement with Caroline Flack had fans frothing at the mouth. Whether the relationship was legit or not is hardly the question, and, out of respect to the tragic situation surrounding Flack, I wish to speak instead on the hideous media coverage at that time.

So much of what defined Harry’s media image as a teenager was sexual. The world very quickly realized, I think, that he is a massively charismatic person, but the extremely sexualized coverage he received was singular and disgusting. He could not so much as speak to a woman without speculation that they were involved. An exhausting burden for anyone, let alone someone so young and so suddenly exposed to the world’s scrutiny. In 2012 my mother very cheerfully read off that infamous “400 women in a year” headline to me and it made my stomach twist.

Beyond the closeting many suspected was behind this early media narrative, there was also the fear fans held of Harry’s predation. First Caroline, then Taylor--Harry was linked to older women all the time, and as we know, age gaps create power imbalances. Harry was still a teenager. It all seemed wrong. 

So perhaps the Wilde thing chafes, as we remember these wounds of old. Two things to consider, however: 

1) Harry is no longer any sort of child. He’s an adult man with a career that he has made conscious efforts toward maintaining. Time has ruled that none of his fame was an accident or mistake. He has chosen this path, treacherous though it may be, and that’s worth respecting. 

2) Essentially, he and Olivia Wilde are peers. For one, they’re co-stars, but they’re also both household names, both wealthy beyond imagining, both seemingly secure in their image and personhood. This is pure speculation, but I suspect they have a bit of an intellectual connection, whatever else they are.

It is not so unheard of that a person in their mid/late-20′s might date someone in their 30′s, especially if they share a career and relative position in society. The world is very large and full of people, and finding a person you connect with is a brilliant feeling. If that’s what they have, these two adult peers, then fantastic. And if it’s PR for the film they’re in together? Wouldn’t be the first time. Wilde is admittedly gorgeous. Who better to offer her their arm than a handsome man who cut his teeth as a young lothario? 

And Yet...

The womanizer image, grafted onto Harry in his days of earliest fame, has never sat right againsthsi skin. We certainly talk about it enough around these parts: Harry Styles starts each day with a glass of antioxidant rich Respect Women Juice, yet media (and many fans) would have you believe he wakes up, sees a lamp shade that looks like a boob, and just starts wacking it. If media was reality, Harry would have to be a bedridden compulsive to keep it up. 

Now, one can respect women and still have sex with a lot of them. Promiscuity is not inherently evil or immoral or filthy or wrong. Really, for me the question becomes, “How comfortable are you, dear HStyles fan, with speculating on the amount of sex he has?” 

We are all a little bit complicit in Harry’s sexualization through the years. Some of it is less okay than the rest. I’m not here to decide for you, but hopefully it’s become clearer over time what is and is not creepy, what is and is not invasive, what would and would not make Styles himself lose sleep if he knew it existed with his name attached.

The media, writ large, is more broadly complicit in this sexualization. In 2011, Alan Carr interviewed 1D for Chatty Man and--having already confirmed which of the boys was 18 and old enough to drink--begins to hassle Harry (not yet 18) about “pussygate,” aka 

Black & white for nostalgia purposes.

Listen, I get it. You wanna take the piss out of the 17-year-old pop star, because it’s funny and silly and he’ll be embarrassed but cool about it probably. You wanna tease him. Because he’s a kid.

On their next interview with Alan Carr, Harry is once again addressed on sexual terms--”Harry, give us your gravy!”--that are playful but also pointed. By age 18, Harry had dealt with this for years.

Hi, Watermelon Sugar

Harry is not the only musician, not even the only member of the band, to have their personal life made a public topic. Superstardom in the 21st century is invasive to the highest degree. But it seems peculiar that the specter of hyper-sexualization chases Styles most everywhere, despite the decidedly non-sexual accolades and regard his career has gathered in the last five years, and despite the lack of flagrant behavior.

Perhaps this specter hangs on because of Harry’s emotional and sensual approach to music--I mean, he does talk about fruit juice a lot, and fabric, and flowers. In an interview with Zane Lowe, the friendly, stoney mood is momentarily dampened by Lowe’s assumption that Watermelon Sugar is about oral sex. 

“Everyone’s kind of figured out what it is about, the joys of mutually appreciated oral pleasure. That’s what everyone’s saying,“ Lowe tacks on defensively. 

According to some, Harry even confirmed as much at a different point. In the Zane Lowe interview, he denies it. 

For what it’s worth, In Watermelon Sugar is a post-apocalyptic novel by Richard Brautigan from the 1960′s. The book, a sparse narrative of a commune existing post-societal collapse, has been called “a parody of the pastoral” by Patrick Morrow. “This society may represent what modern man might wish it to be...but the distortion in the new society is also obvious and just as unattractive.” 

Harry has confirmed that a copy of the book was present during the genesis of the song. The shimmery, ephemeral lyrics--the fragility of sugar itself, easily melted--seem to hint at a desire to stay in the best parts of feeling while acknowledging that these moments are necessarily short-lived. In Morrow’s view, Brautigan’s book is about reality denial. In my view, Styles’ song is, at least a little bit, about the same.

So it’s not that the song isn’t about oral sex--it’s that it’s about more than oral sex. 

Or maybe it’s that oral sex is about more than oral sex. 

Or maybe it’s about nothing, and there are certainly those who choose to believe that. Still, it seems a shame that so much of Harry’s image continues to be wrapped up in that of the Don Juan, the Casanova, the Lothario. 

Really, he’s more of a Vonnegut. 

#harry #womanizer harry #media image #pr narrative #wewithyoursmile #hope this answers your question!

[danswank]

3, 23 and 27

3. the 1 - taylor swift | all of it but mostly in my defense, i have none are you KIDDING ME TAYLOR brilliant

23. no shame - 5sos | maybe go on and light me like a cigarette, even if it might be something you’ll regret OR when you’re craving something sweeter than the words i left in your mouth, go on and spit me out

27. i hate everybody - halsey | and i know that it’s unfair of me to make a memory out of a feeling but i’m also obsessed with infatuation’s observation with a cause

send me a number 1-100 (spotify wrapped) & i’ll give my favorite lyrics

#ask #spotify wrapped #yes we are still talking about it #calumsthood

[on-the-shelves]

on my shelf: soundtrack to my fourth year of uni - summer

I’m finally done with my Bachelor’s thesis! I might make a separate, more detailed post about it, since the topic is relevant for what this blog is about (of course it is haha), but for now I can say my topic was an analysis of the use of elements from the “Pop-Star-System” in building up a girlgroup career. I looked at the history of Pop-Stars and analysed the album covers of the Supremes’ first two albums, as well as the Spice Girls and Girls’ Generation’s first albums/physical releases. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed the topic. Oh and if anyone was wondering, I’m doing a Media Studies degree, which is why I could tackle such a cool topic.

Anyway! So working on my thesis took up my entire summer semester because I luckily didn’t have any classes left to attend, so I was thankfully spared the whole online class ordeal. The music I mentioned in my last post (”Quarantunes”) has mostly stayed on repeat in the past few months. Besides an ever steady stream of BTS, there are a couple of new things to add to the list:

Tomorrow X Together: The Dream Chapter: Eternity (2020)

Now THIS is the release I’ve been waiting for from them. Their previous album had one song that had a co-writing credit for one of the members (Hueningkai on “Rollercoaster”), but this album has more! We’re finally starting to hear their writing talents more. “Maze in the Mirror” was written/demo’ed entirely by one member (Beomgyu) and in the process of preparing it for this release the other members also wrote parts. It’s a beautiful, melancholic, and dynamic song that I can highly recommend for listening to before going to sleep. The lyrics talk about how unsure they felt before debuting. I can’t wait to hear more songs where they talk about their personal experiences, because clearly they’re good at it. In general this album is much darker than their previous two releases and they suit them well. The songs are more varied, too: You have the classic TXT style opening song, but the lead single “Can’t You See Me?” is full of angst, which is new for them. “PUMA” is like dark R&B, while “Fairy of Shampoo”, a reworked cover of a popular 1990s Korean song, is more city-pop. And then you have “Eternally” which reminded me of twenty one pilots’ “Ode to Sleep” in the way it completely changes up its style several times throughout the song. It’s all coherent and flows well from top to bottom though, and I think they’re well on their way to carving their own niche in the saturated and often same-same (k-) pop landscape.

Agust D: D-2 (2020)

He finally came back. SUGA of BTS last released a mixtape under his solo moniker Agust D in 2016. That one was very dark, brazen at times, and incredibly open and honest about his struggles, ending on a note of hoping that things will get better. This follow-up release makes it clear that Agust D has become a slightly different person in the past few years. He’s still brazen at times, but he has good reason to be, looking at how incredibly successful BTS has become since 2016. As always, he makes fun of those who decide to be haters but cleverly never gets too specific - if you feel attacked, that’s on you. There is a lot of introspection on this album too. It’s generally much less defeated or dark than on the 2016 self-titled release, but it’s still not all sunshine and rainbows. His problems have morphed -  he has now achieved his dreams, but it’s not quite what he expected it to be. There are a lot of thoughts about dreams, about what it means to grow up, about what his position in the world means and feels like. That sounds like it’s very focused on himself and might be inaccessible to us non-famous people, but that’s absolutely not the case. A lot of it are quite mundane questions that everyone asks themselves in their 20s, like “what am I doing with my life?” and “what kind of person am I really?”. He makes it clear that he doesn’t have the answers, but he somehow makes you feel comforted in that uncertainty. The musical style is more like current hip-hop, where Agust D was more like harder, older hip-hop, but retains his (especially recent) typical, very melodious style, with him even singing some choruses. There are various styles and interesting production choices that make for a varied, but cohesive listening experience. 

Hayley Williams: Petals for Armor (2020)

I mentioned this album in the “Quarantunes” post as well, but the full album was released after that went up, so it deserves another mention here. This album tells a story of an emotional journey towards healing, without ever getting preachy or feeling insincere. In several interviews Hayley mentions her therapy journey and learning to deal with her trauma and how this album helped with that. Listening to all the songs in order, a journey of self-discovery, -acceptance, and -empowerment is laid out. All these things are typically found in little things and learning to change your perspective. It’s Hayley’s most feminine work yet, in the sense that she’s embracing all of her different aspects: the delicate, the powerful, the rage, the love. Everything is wrapped in sounds inspired by Alternative music, but more, as said before, the Björks, Radioheads, and synth-y 80s artists, instead of loud guitar bands. My favourite songs are “Crystal Clear”, “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris”, “Over Yet”, “Cinnamon” and “Simmer”.

IU: Palette (2017)

When it was announced that IU and SUGA from BTS (two of the most popular artists in Korea) would release a collab song, I decided to check out her (IU’s) music more intensely, because I only knew one or two of her songs from the Dalkom Café playlist on Spotify. One of them is on this album, “Palette (ft. G-Dragon)”. This album, to me, best encapsulates IU’s sound: from heartbreaking ballads to satisfying light K-R&B, to slightly darker, groovy K-R&B (I think that’s the right genre term..), this one has them all. I’m not the biggest fan of ballads, but I enjoy IU’s voice so much that I don’t mind listening to them at all. I really love it, however, when she leaves that style behind for the slightly darker, or at least more pop sounds, like on “Palette”, but especially on “Jam Jam” and “Black Out”. She has a certain attitude on those songs that are slightly opposite of the pure, innocent image I previously had of her. It seems very sincere though, most likely because she writes on all of her songs. She has been utilising this style more often in recent years, on songs like “Bbibbi” and “Blueming” (both certified bops). “Eight”, the collab with SUGA, is an uplifting, yet bittersweet feeling pop anthem that almost feels like it could’ve been just a little bit longer. I’ll probably dive deeper into her lyrics soon and I’m excited for what I will find.

Sunmi: Warning (2018)

Last summer, Sunmi released the single “Lalalay” and I immediately loved it. I learned the choreography pretty much the week after I heard it the first time. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to have much other music on her Spotify page though, just a couple of older singles (which I also immediately loved). This year she released “pporappippam” (which is basically the romanization of the Korean title which translates to Purple Night), a bittersweet, nostalgic, summer pop song, like only Sunmi can do. Seriously, no one else in K-Pop is releasing music like hers, and they probably don’t even dare to try. For those who don’t know, she used to be in one of the historically most popular girlgroups Wonder Girls. But besides that, she has been releasing her own style of pop since she started releasing solo music and Warning (which they must’ve only recently put on Spotify in full) is a pretty good encapsulation of that sound. It’s almost like a mix between K-Pop and K-R&B, but more like IU’s moodier songs for example. It’s not flashy and sparkly, but it’s not full-on groove either. It’s a bit of both and it works perfectly for her. 

--

Special mentions for new albums I haven’t listened to that much but do enjoy a lot: HAIM’s Women in Music Part III, Irene&Seulgi’s Monster, Taylor Swift’s folklore (released like a week before this post is published but it’s undeniably good and will get a longer write-up when I’ve had more time with it), Loona’s discography

#on my shelf #txt #agust d #hayley williams #iu #sunmi #music

[jafreitag]

2020

On January 1, 2020, I went to LNHQ. The holiday party had happened a few days earlier – a sorta-epic “booze cruise” with Lana Del Rey off the Catalina coast. Everybody nursed hangovers on flights back home, and then bugged off to celebrate their new years with their people.

The office was spotless – just a few dust motes floating across the afternoon sunlight in the conference room. I grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote “What if…” on the green board. It was intended as a turn-the-page talking point. OM and I had had a sit-down after we got back from Cali. Good talk, honestly. He’s well-versed in stuff that I do not understand, and he’s driving the proverbial bus as the new LN CEO. Lotta heartfelt questions from him, lotta heartfelt idks from me. “You gotta…” and “Yeah, I suck at that, but what about…” Some bourbon later, we adjourned. “Love you, dude” and “love you back, man.” Let’s meet next week and ok.

So that’s why I was there. What are we doing? What if… What if we actually try hard? What if ECM keeps killing it on Instagram? What if Jane and Trevor come back? What if we move to a new location, and the corporate and content wings find a new synergy? What if all of the sponsorships pan out? And O’s settlement with Adidas? Sky’s the limit, right? Let your imagination wander. I mean, what if Fiona Apple puts out a new album in 2020, and it’s not just great, but better than The Idler Wheel, which was the best album of 2012?

Seriously. What if?

Or what if the entire world breaks?

That wasn’t in my head back then.

It’s December now. And we’re in a global pandemic, which is getting worse (or at least not getting measurably better) every day. This year has been indescribably difficult for all of us, particularly the ones personally affected by Covid-19. And it has been difficult for businesses across every sector, particularly entertainment. Seen a show lately? Nope? Me, neither. At the beginning of the summer, I paid Laura Marling to watch a stream of her performance at Union Chapel in London. Seemed cool then, seems irrelevant now.

We can’t help artists/bands, really, until we can see them again. And who knows when that will be? Next summer? Next fall? Maybe 2022 before we all feel safe in massive crowds again (even with masks)? Maybe never? Until then, we have streaming services. And … woof. That’s an Apple/Spotify cart that I’d prefer not to upend, mainly because it benefits me, but it’s worth some words.

I’m a Spotify person. My home team is comprised of six Spotify people. We pay, collectively, $14.99/month to stream almost any music ever recorded and released. That’s around $2.50 per person per month. Pretty good deal, right? For sure. Here’s the problem: Spotify pays $0.003 per stream. That’s 1/3 of a penny. If you’re a Zeppelin or a Beatle or a Stone, that’s just a nice little dividend. (Keith is like, “Hey, baby, I love Spot-ify. I bought this sweet fedorah with that check.”) If you’re somebody else, somebody less established in the Rock-royalties pantheon, you’re probably not buying a hat. You’re probably hoping that Spotify might, might, pick up your next cup of coffee – or one at the end of the year, I don’t know how that works.

Spotify does this year-end Wrapped thing. You get a weird Snapchat/Instagram video that tells you stuff. Your most listened-to artist/band, your also-rans, etc. You also get some pretty sweet virtual (and unearned) affirmation.

My win was this.

911 seems good. It’s better than 11. The green-dotify didn’t specify whom those new artists were, which sucks, but I have a decent idea. And I’m guessing that many of those artists have Bandcamp pages, and I didn’t visit any of those. Actually, that’s not true. I did visit the Car Seat Headrest page because Will put out three different iterations of the new record on streaming, cd, and vinyl. It was mostly the same – alternate sequences and some alternate versions of certain tracks. The alternate versions weren’t on Bandcamp. You had to buy all three formats to get the whole record. Or you had to be ok with the iteration that you got. Or you could just find the alternate versions on YouTube. Sure, they wouldn’t be on your phone, but you got to hear them.

That’s not me being petty or cheap. I could’ve bought the cd and vinyl iterations. And I could’ve bought alot of music on Bandcamp, but I couldn’t have bought 911-new-artists worth. How many could I have bought? Not sure. How would I have decided? Not sure. I’m glad that I discovered that many sounds, and I’m concerned that most of those sounds were produced by real people struggling to create in this challenging (intentionally undersold the adjective there, but “terrible” and “horrible” seemed trite) environment. I’m more glad than concerned, if you follow the dichotomy. And I’m not happy about it. Having identified the problem, however, I’m flummoxed about a solution.

I listened to alot of music in 2020. #WFH #FTW (And two hashtag sentence fragments make a sentence. I just checked the LN style manual. Jane said ok.)

Alessandro Deljavan is an Italian pianist, who was born a few months before I graduated high school. He recorded Erik Satie’s piano works. My best friend and I listened to that alot this year – she calls it “sleeping music.” Miles Davis, obv. Early-covid, I made a chronologically-tight playlist of his pre-Columbia material. Mid-covid, I started a chronologically-tight and still-unfinished playlist of his fusion material. Jenny Lin? I think that’s a holdover from last year, when sleeping music was her Chopin’s Nocturnes. CSH was my lawnmowing soundtrack. Daniel Baremboim? No idea, maybe I hit his Mendelssohn’s Leider ohne Worte too many times during the days.

Minutes listened and top genre are what I want to talk about, real quick, before I get list-y. 115,891 minutes is 1,931 or so hours, and 80.5 or so days. I listened to two and a half months straight of music this year. That’s not a brag or even a humble brag. It’s a fact. And most of that (trust me here, I ran my ass off to playlists) was Indie Rock – the aforementioned “new artists.” How can I help them, besides streaming their amazing work over and over and over, and championing them here? Shouting indirectly at Spotify on social media seems unlikely to change a flawed system. Anybody with more constructive ideas can share them below the line.

Ok, the list.

I did it. I broke the unspoken rule (nobody gets #1 twice), and I’m ok with it. 2020 was a unique year. Up top, that’s Fiona from a Zoom call over the summer. She didn’t really know about Liner Notes, but she was willing to talk while walking her dogs. I wasn’t sure that Fetch the Bolt Cutters would be the album of the year at that point, but it was a nice chat. Tbh, I struggled to finalize the list because any of the Top 10 could’ve been Top. The margins were very fine. (And fwiw, I may tweak things a bit over the next few weeks.) Links to Spotify. And COME ON, Spotify. Pay artists more, and pay indie artists even more than that.

Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

This Is the Kit – Off Off On

HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III

En Attendant Ana – Juillet

Samia – The Baby

Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song

Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals

Porridge Radio – Every Bad

SAULT – Untitled (Black Is) / Untitled (Rise)

Taylor Swift – folklore / evermore

The 1975 – Notes On A Conditional Form

Car Seat Headrest – Making a Door Less Open

Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately

Lomelda – Hannah

Fleet Foxes – Shore

Soccer Mommy – color theory

Beach Bunny – Honeymoon

Retirement Party – Runaway Dog

Shopping – All or Nothing

Ela Minus – acts of rebellion

The Strokes – The New Abnormal

Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death

Kate NV – Room for the Moon

Dehd – Flower of Devotion

Gum County – Somewhere

Bad Moves – Untenable

Jeff Tweedy – Love Is the King

Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter

Autechre – SIGN

Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans

Sorry – 925

Dream Wife – So When You Gonna…

Fenne Lily – BREACH

Margaret Glaspy – Devotion

Jordana – Something to Say to You

Hinds – The Prettiest Curse

Gorillaz – Song Machine: Season One

Tame Impala – The Slow Rush

Tycho – Simulcast

Ólafur Arnalds – some kind of peace

Ezra Feinberg – Recumbent Speech

Slow Pulp – Moveys

Young Jesus – Welcome to Conceptual Beach

Bartees Strange – Live Forever

U.S. Girls – Heavy Light

Empress Of – I’m You’re Empress Of

Charli XCX – how i’m feeling now

Oliver Coates – skins n slime

LN is on hiatus for a little while.

More soon.

JF

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