#starpower results

[chrollohearttags]

𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛 • 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

synopsis: after spending all of his time and nearly a week in Houston with (y/n), EJ must return home and to reality. But he isn’t pleased to find that his manager has been making moves behind his back. Ones that may sever their longtime bond and jeopardize her relationship after a heated altercation results in legal troubles for the rapper .It's also there that he reveals a secret to his best friend and what it may mean for his future as an artist. Could EJ the Don really be done with music as the media claimed? Meanwhile, (y/n)’s starpower continues ascending as she receives offers from tons of companies to do business. With the concerns of her friends lurking over her head; worrying that she may have been distracted by her recent fling, she proves to be more determined than ever to make things happen, especially when a part of her past is unearthed, serving as a reminder why she started in the first place and with news of EJ’s recent run in with the law, it’s one more reason to stay the course and keep distance. But will it really be that easy? The head executives of AMG are finally introduced, and with plans to host one of the world’s largest musical festivals for the first time in history, they meet to discuss the state of their current roster and how they plan to proceed.

content warning: mentions of violence, fighting/arguing, drug mentions, angst, mental health, mentions of death and grief, toxicity, implied sex, legal stuff and mentions of jail

word count: 8.8K

📝: just wanna tell you all thank you so very much being patient with these very sporadic and inconsistent uploads. I promise it is not due to lack of inspiration, these chapters just take a hell of a long time to write! If I could have them out in a week, I would. But I hope that everyone is enjoying this story so far and I can’t for y’all to see what’s next! 🫶🏾

previous chapter >>> next chapter

══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿════✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°

“Listen, Mr. Jaeger..I assure you. There’s nothing to worry about, alright? In all fairness, and in the eyes of the law, they were trespassing onto your property. Which gave you grounds to defend yourself. We’ll beat this case, trust me. And if they press their luck, we’ll crush them..you’ll own their entire company by the time I’m finished.”

“Shit, I hope so. My manager’s gonna be on my ass when she finds out. I don’t even wanna know what story those grimy ass journalists cooked up and put out..but that’s why I pay you. Do your thing and make this headache go away, please. I have full faith in you.”

It was a rather interesting Monday morning for the jaded Eren, who had been mid-conversation with his lawyer. A defense attorney to the stars who had beaten some of the most harrowing allegations and cases. Yelena Pithikos, a woman as intimidating as she was intelligent..and boy, did she live up to her reputation! A perfect track record with not one single lost case. She really was the greatest of all time in the legal world. With her on his side, there was no way he’d lose. The two would converse for a little longer; the rapper facing a half smoked blunt and blowing smoke before ending the call. To say he was stressed would be the biggest understatement of the century. Having been a free man for a little over twenty four hours, he had not only been hit with a barrage of text messages from concerned friends but knew that a media shitstorm was headed his way. All of it seemed so exhausting! Floch, who came and posted bail on his behalf, was worried that he’d be irate but if anything, he was just worried. Worried that he had caused yet another issue for Mika and how she’d have to spend the next week trying to clean up his mess. Little did he know though, that this wasn’t a result of his own actions..

“Come in.”

Uttering tirelessly over his shoulder as he mashed away at the keys on his mixing board. Suddenly, the door would creak open..followed by the faint footsteps of clacking heels hitting the tile. “No snarky comments today?” That old statement about speaking of the devil and they shall appear had never rang so true before. Just then, a visibly tired Mikasa came walking in; hands folded over her chest and cell phone in hand. Truthfully, he didn’t even want to look at her. Not out of embarrassment but fear that he had angered her or upset her. He sometimes worried the people around him with his careless actions. He did things without taking into account how they may affect everyone else. However, this wasn’t a matter that he should or could apologize for. Not when his home, his safe haven was invaded.

“..look, I know what you’re gonna say. And I’m sorry, but I really don’t feel like listening to any lectures right now. Already got an earful of the damn cops and a bunch of crazy bastards in a holding cell getting on my last good nerve. Also, I forgot how much of a pain in the ass handcuffs are..I’m just not in the mood right now.”

blurting out before proceeding to focus on his current task..avoiding eye contact with her if at all possible. But surprisingly, she wasn’t as talkative or angry as she normally would have been. Which he didn’t even notice at first. But as the conversation progressed, he’d soon come to realize that he wasn’t so much at fault as he initially figured and in truth, the one to blame was standing in front of him. Even so, she’d glare down at him as a disappointed mother would her unruly child. For a split second, he even thought about how his own mom had called him not too long ago to check on..and scolded him about the incident and he was drained! The last thing he needed was another chewing out.

“Why did you skip out on our meeting last week?”

the question caught him off guard and confused EJ even more. What exactly did that have to do with this situation in particular? Was she not ready to rip his head off for creating yet another mess for her to mull over with the execs and the media? What was going on?! Leaning back in his chair, he’d blink profusely to really make sure he heard correctly but she’d give him that glare she’d done many times before and await his answer. “Don’t stare at me like I’m speaking another language. What was so goddamn important that you couldn’t even give me a phone call to let me know you weren’t showing up? That meeting was booked out months ago and you made me look like a complete dumbass in front of the board members. Your album deadline keeps getting pushed back and I keep having to make excuses. You don’t find that a little fucked up?”

he understood exactly where she was coming from..Mikasa worked tirelessly to ensure that all of her talents received equal attention and that they were being given opportunities to showcase their talents. As well as being backed by the top brass at AMG. It was her job as the median between the two to ensure that things went smoothly. It wasn’t easy to get a room full of stiffs in suits to fund projects sometimes but Eren’s reputation and record sales had always spoken for themselves. But with a four year time lapse between his last album and now, it was becoming difficult to do so. She was just irritated that once again, his selfishness had put her in a bad spot. It was hard enough that she had to work to prove she wasn’t just some byproduct of nepotism and family favors. But she had earned her spot as the executive PR and internal affairs manager. One she held proudly. But he’d try to explain as best he could without detonating the ticking time bomb.

“Look, Mika. I’m sorry, alright? I was busy, kinda needed to duck off and clear my head for a lil’ bit, that’s all. I didn’t realize that the damn meeting was so soon. I wasn’t trying to stand you up, I promise. I had other things to tend to, that’s all. Just schedule another one and I’ll be there, promise. Hell, tell Floch and I’m sure he’ll remind me.” Once again, there was that nonchalant attitude. It ground her gears to a halt, really. It was as if he had no real concept of reality..

“I wish I had an excuse but I don’t. Truth is, leaving town was some shit I decided last minute. I can’t even tell you why I went. I was out drinking and the next, I was in Houston. Doing shit I hadn’t in a long time...enjoying myself. That I won’t apologize for. I didn’t expect to come home to a bunch of paps at my door, interrogating me about some fuck ass article I knew nothing about. Saying I was retiring and a lot of other bullshit. Respectfully, the last thing I wanna deal with is your uncle and the rest of the firing squad questioning me about an album rollout. I need some time to think.” It seemed that he was truly agitated by all of this. As if he were confused as to how he could have a perfect weekend, pillow talking and fucking on (y/n) to now being in the midst of a media frenzy. It just seemed so sudden and now, he was trying to figure out how to deal with it. But Mika’s next comment would not only catch him off guard but eventually, send him into a tailspin.

“Damn, I knew something like this would happen.”

“What do you mean?”

Before she could recant though, Mikasa’s expression gave it away and she knew that he had definitely peeped that statement. Just what exactly did she know about this situation that he was clueless on? One thing was for certain though, he was going to find out. Glaring up at her with a rather peeved look, Eren began to press the issue..wondering if he’d get a straight answer or some calculated shit she’d orchestrated. What was this all about?

“Mikasa..I asked you a question. What do you mean ‘you knew?’ Answer me.”

normally, the banter between them was nothing more than playful, joking discourse but there wasn’t the slightest hint of happiness in his tone at the moment. But rather, complete and utter irritation and quite frankly, a hint of anger as well. He wasn’t much for the games and she figured it best not to test him either. So, against her better judgment and her own interests, she decided to come clean. Releasing a heavy sigh, Mikasa began to confess and tell him how the entire situation came about. From the fact that she was fed up with him ducking and evading meetings from the phone call with Annie and even putting the bug in her ear about writing the article. She told him that she knew he was with (Y/N) for the weekend and that she was furious about being stood up yet again..and that his inconsistency was affecting her own standing within the company. Admitting that she knew him well enough to know that he would’ve never moved for some one off blog post about him hooking up with an Instagram model but the second they mentioned news of him retiring or perhaps becoming stagnant, he’d definitely respond by clapping back from the booth. It seemed like such a sure fire way to give him that extra push to put out a new track or maybe even a full project..what she didn’t count on was him being swarmed and the whole plan backfiring.

“Look, Eren..I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t know they’d take it this far. It was a last minute, brash decision I made out of anger and I put you in a bad situation. I apologize.”

But he wasn’t hearing a word. Honestly, he had blanked from the moment she admitted that she had all but set the catalyst for this entire ordeal. Now, he had to attend court, pay legal fees and deal with a dumb ass judge..all because she wanted him to produce another record to improve her status quo?! It was infuriating but the worst part was that she was willing to exploit her own best friend and things that he had and were still struggling with for clout. He had known Mikasa for the majority of his life and she was one of, if not the most logical and intelligent person he knew. Out of all his friends, she was the one that always made the smart decisions, even in the most high stress of situations. Always thinking things through and ensured that her emotions never got in the way of her thought process. However.. “..how fucking stupid can you be?” That wasn’t the case and Eren was more than happy to let her hear about it!

For a moment, she stood still..gasping as she had never heard him speak to her in that manor. Granted, she was full and well aware of how irate he could truly become but not once in the entirety of their friendship did she think she’d become the subject of his anger. But this was coming from a place of pure hysteria. Hurt and betrayal that she would do something like this..standing to his feet, EJ tried his hardest to practice restraint to avoid saying anything extremely hurtful but he wasn’t much in the way of exercising such resolve at the moment. Especially when not only had she gotten him in this mess and offered no real solution to help repair his reputation but also, he hadn’t heard from the one person who was keeping him happy and this may have very well been the reason. So he didn’t feel compelled to hold back in expressing his feelings.

“Look, I said I’m sorry, alright? We’ll get this sorted out. Just calm down–”

“Calm down? Are you serious? Mika, I just spent the past twenty four hours in a fucking holding cell. One more fuckup and they’re gonna send me away for a long time. I had to fight a bunch of psychos off of my car and property over a story I knew nothing about. Not to mention everything in it was a lie. I take a few days off for myself, for once and you jump the gun all because you and the rest of those slave driving maniacs at AMG want me to make another album? To hell with calming down and honestly, to hell with you too for even pulling something like this! I’m your friend and you sold me out like I was nothing..”

The frustration was visible all over his face..the emotions coming through clear as day and radiating all throughout his body. Even causing tears to well in his eyes. He was furious, enraged and if it were anyone else..moreso a man, he would’ve slid them across the floor by now. But this stung more than anything. He knew how hard she worked and the lengths she went to ensure her clients’ success; not only for them but to prove that she was capable of one day becoming the heiress and figurehead of Ackerman Management Group but never in a million years did he think she’d become so obsessed with proving herself that she’d lose sight of what really mattered. Now, the damage had been done and he didn’t know if he could forgive such an act. Even so, she wanted to at least try to defend her actions!..

“Only because you never listen to me. Hell, you won’t listen to anyone!..you never think about how the things you do affects anyone else. It took three months..three months to get that goddamn meeting and you couldn’t give me so much as a phone call to let me know you wouldn’t be there. Out of every client I have, you’re the most difficult. I get it, you’ve been working since you were sixteen. Harder than anyone I know but hell, this has been my life for as long as I could remember. I’ve got a whole line of old bastards who’d do anything to remove me from the equation because once my uncle steps down, they don’t want to execute decisions made by the same little girl that used to play in the lobby. None of them truly believe I deserve that spot, no matter how hard I work. How many success stories I create…I’ll never be good enough in their eyes. The least you could do is not make it hard on me to do my job..Jesus! You’re getting a little too old for the rebellious bad boy act. In and out of jail, long before this..doing whatever the hell you wanted! You have obligations and you won’t even stand on your word but you want to preach about friendship and loyalty? Spare me, Eren. Please..this is business, remember that.”

The entire time that she was speaking, he felt himself becoming even more sated with rage. His blood boiling at her deflection. But his face had completely gone blank from a few minutes ago. Not even making eye contact as he rolled yet another blunt. As if she weren't even there but little did she know, he had a hell of a response for her little tangent and he promised she wouldn’t like it. That nonchalant, brutal honesty was one of his most horrible character traits and she was about to be on the receiving end. Uncrossing his feet, letting the sole of his Nike Dunks hit the floor, Eren began to smirk and eventually..laugh. That’s when he was at his most dangerous and the words about to leave his mouth were far more painful than any punch could ever be.

“You know Mika, you make it sound as if it’s my fault you’re not up for the task. Don’t try to take the piss out on me because Uncle Levi and his lackies are second guessing if you should take his crown. But aye, I’m not surprised. I mean, shit..it’s not the first time they’ve had to intervene because you lost control.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?..”

By now, the two of them were only inches apart. Her face screwed up and was riddled with hostility. Eren on the other hand was sporting the snarkiest, smuggest smirk he could muster. Blowing that cloud of smoke, he’d run a finger underneath her chin and look directly in her eyes:

“Exactly as I said, sweetheart. That little bullshit essay from your friend? I wonder just how much of it is true and how much of it is you projecting..let’s not pretend that you’ve always been..this. Little Miss Perfect. If anyone on this earth can’t tell me shit about obligations and integrity, it’s you Mika. You were on those stages and in the same dressing rooms I was. Getting high out of your fucking mind just to get through one set. Snorting coke off of a bathroom counter because you hated it so much. Sleeping with a bunch of assholes you couldn’t even stand looking at but hey, they made you feel better, told you you were pretty after mommy put you on another diet because the blogs were making fun of you. How many times did me, Armin and everybody else have to come pick you up off of the floor because you’d get so damned drunk after your shows, you couldn’t even remember where you were the next morning. And please, let’s not forget how many times you cried in my arms because you didn’t have the heart to tell your family to fuck off and stop forcing you to make music. It took that stupid ass fiancé of yours outshining you at your own show for you to finally realize that you hated being an artist. And you think you can actually lead that company? Don’t make me laugh. You’d probably snort your body weight if you had to handle that type of pressure. Hell, I’ve done some fucked up shit since I started making music. Taking drugs I had no business touching, just to stay awake and getting in trouble when I probably should’ve walked away but I never once tried to run from my mistakes either and I damn sure never stopped loving my craft..especially not enough to half ass a performance. No matter how bad I felt..how sick I was, even when I didn’t think anyone would even give me a chance or listen, I always showed up. Everything I do is for my fans. Losing sleep over a song because I wanted it to be perfect. You couldn’t even make it to a single album before cracking under pressure. This isn’t some money grab for me, music is my entire life and the only thing I’ve ever loved. And I’ll be damned if you or anyone else backs me into a corner over it. Tell that bitch Leonhart to put that on her website..and if you don’t like it, you and AMG can kiss my ass.”

Every single word he spoke sliced through Mikasa like a hot, searing knife through butter. Her face had become beet red and flush with tears. Huffing and breathing heavily as if she were going to explode at any second. She wanted to scream at him but couldn’t even find the words. Instead, she’d raise her open palm and smack him across the cheek with the hardest slap she could muster..so much so, it left a crimson colored mark on his face.

“Fuck you, Eren. Fuck you!..you’ve gone too far. I came here to apologize for what I did but the only mistake I’ve made is befriending an asshole like you. Burn in hell for all I care and find a new manager while you’re at it because I quit. Do whatever you want.”

furiously tugging her purse strap back up on her shoulder, Mikasa turned on her heel and proceeded to storm out. Not looking over her shoulder once because she wouldn’t be able to control herself if she did. As for EJ, he didn’t bother to stop her or even remotely show remorse for that long winded read. Rather, he’d listen as she slammed the door behind her and left. He was still pissed off but that may have been a little harsh.

“Damn..maybe I should think before I speak.” But it was too late now. There was no turning back or apologizing. For either of them..all that remained now was for him to put his focus where it always was: into his craft. Drown out all the noise and distractions and get back to what he truly loved. Because truth be told, she wasn’t the only one losing her grip on reality and goals. As he sat back in the chair, hands folded underneath his chin, all EJ could think to himself was one single thing:

“I think it might be time to call it quits. Maybe music isn’t for me anymore..”

* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° .** . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° .*°•|☆•° .*°•|☆•l

meanwhile, as Eren felt that his time in the spotlight was beginning to dwindle, (y/n) on the other hand felt that your star was only about to ascend. Having just concluded the very last show in your cross country tour, you were already plotting on your next lucrative business opportunity.

“That sounds perfect. I’ll be back in Miami tomorrow so we can meet up and hash out the details. Thank you again, Mr. Smith. I appreciate your time.”

you’d find yourself on the opposite end with one of AMG’s elite directors and the man who had approached you back at Rolling Loud about starring in Connie’s video. You found it a bit strange that Mikasa wasn’t the intermediary for this particular deal but you just chocked it up to her being busy but you knew if Erwin Smith; the nine time Grammy Winner and music legend was contacting you personally then it must’ve been a huge deal. Either way, you were excited to see what was in store. Once you ended the call, you’d turn your attention back to the rest of the group, who were preparing to board their respective flights as you all paraded through the airport. Dressed in cute yet casual outfits, hair put up and bags stacked on one another. The final leg of the Pole Assassins Cross Country Tour had come to its end last night; concluded by a performance with a real rap legend performing. You all were excited to be going home…getting to see your families and most importantly, getting some much needed rest. But for the fearless leader, things never stopped. You were on your grind twenty four hours a day. Even counting up checks while you slept from brand deals and your namesake. It wasn’t all too bad. But for the ones that knew you best, they also knew that once you touched down back in Miami, you’d more than likely be closed off to everyone. That the reason you were working so hard was to keep yourself distracted from your impending grief. Even the passage of time never made it easier to get over the tragedy you suffered at seventeen years old and as a child in general. Affecting your life now even as a grown woman..living the way only few could dream of. Because of that, not one person in this world had access to (y/n) this time of year and it was very obvious by the very nonchalant reaction to the news of your sneaky link getting arrested, that the sullen mood had already set in. You didn’t even so much as gasp or even shrug it off as you had done countless other men that fucked up while in your life. And that’s what worried your girls.

“Aye, you sure she’s gonna be good while we’re on vacation? She already seems spaced out.” a concerned Kelley questioned whilst scrolling through her phone. Luckily though, Niesha wouldn’t be too far away, as you guys grew up only blocks away and not much had changed since becoming famous. You guys’ luxury apartments were within walking distance so if you needed anything, she could always pop in and check on you. “Yeah, she’ll be alright. She just needs her space right now. Listen, I’ll call y’all when we make it and keep you updated.” With that, the four girls would make their way over to (y/n), who had been standing near the gate for your flight, becoming visibly anxious. Suddenly, you’d feel a pair of comforting arms wrapping your shoulders. “Hey, pookah. You ready to go?” That warm and loving smile that could only come from your best friend and sister. “Yeah, I’m ready.” Returning the glance, you’d nod and turn to bid the rest of your crew farewell for now. Embracing in a giant group hug, the five of you exchanged laughs and even playful kisses to the cheek. Just then, your procession of being bid adieu was interrupted by a voice of the intercom, announcing departure of the Miami and Atlanta flights. “Y’all be good now. See y’all later, love you guys!” Kelley, Brianne and Syrai waved and you and Niesha would do the same as you clenched hands. Much like you had done as little girls when walking to the corner store. You were each other’s safety nets and truthfully, Niesha was all you had right now. So she’d do whatever to make you comfortable. To let you know that you weren’t alone at this time, no matter what it may have felt like. She loved you more than anything and you could feel the energy brimming from your bestie, even if there wasn’t a single word exchanged during the walk from baggage check to boarding the plane. As the two of you made it to your seats and got acclimated..you’d stay close to Niesha. Clinging to her like moths to a flame. Coiling an arm around hers and eventually, laying your head on her shoulder. Even in the dead of silence, the sentiment was loud and clear to Niesha:

“You know I always got you, pookah. You my girl and I love you…take all the time you need. You know your granny would be proud, just like I am, (Y/N). You've been working hard so now it’s time to go tell her all about it..forget EJ, forget working. This is time between you and her..”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Page Break and Time Skip: Thursday Night, The Jaeger Residence, Miami Florida; 10:55PM

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

darkness had well set over the bustling city..a thunderstorm showering the bustling streets and ruining the evening plans of would be partygoers and club hoppers. But there was an even darker cloud looming over the head of Eren, who was currently holed up in his home studio, flug lazily across the couch with his electric guitar lying across his bare torso and an open bottle of brown liquor next to him. He had been drinking and doing whatever he could to rid himself of any feelings and emotions. Having all but become a recluse..which wasn’t out of character for the hard shelled rapper to begin with but where as label mates and friends could find him working up until the early morning hours on a new song, he hadn’t even touched his work equipment. And instead, was instead getting inebriated with every substance he could tolerate so that guilt, anger or sadness stood no chance of plaguing his mind. Right now, he had his guitar lying across his bare torso and an open bottle of brown liquor in his hand. He was trying to find his spark..that extra push to drum up something to shut both his manager and his hating ass critics up. But nothing was coming through. He had no desire to make a beat, write lyrics…he just wanted to lie there and rot. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in ages. That creative slump and depression that had plagued many of his peers..the point of no return. Where artists could no longer achieve that sense of gratification when putting out music. They’d resort to making a few radio safe tracks to appease the masses before disappearing from the scene altogether and fading into obscurity. The last thing he wanted was to become an afterthought..but he was tired of grasping at straws. But luckily, a much needed distraction would be arriving in the form of his best friend, Armin. Who for some odd reason, couldn’t rid himself of the nagging suspicion that something was amiss with his homeboy. That would’ve been putting it lightly…

“Mr. Jaeger? You have company..” one of his loyal housekeepers and truthfully, someone he considered family, had been staying in one of the designated bedrooms for staff and was still tending to some chores when she got a knock at the door. Once getting the approval from security and seeing who it was pulling into the driveway, she breathed a sigh of relief. Because she knew if anyone could pull her gloomy employer from this week long slump fest he seemed to be trapped in, it was Armin. Whether EJ would welcome the thought or not. Before he even had the opportunity to attest and decline, the door would burst open and in would come a rather perturbed Armin, who was glancing around the dimly lit room; halting dead in his tracks at the sad sight before him. Turning to the housekeeper, he’d warmly assure her that he could take things from here and thanked the woman. It seemed to be a lot worse than what she had portrayed. He was hardly leaving his room nowadays, less known eating or anything else. Normally, she would’ve been sent home and still given a full day’s pay because Eren would insist on cleaning the mess for her, so as not to overexert herself. But when the head of the house was in a less than jovial mood, the energy was blatantly obvious to everyone.

“Alright, get your ass up. Enough of this. It’s pathetic..” the brash words leaving Armin’s mouth as he slammed the door behind him, which elicited quite the reaction from the hotheaded artist. “Watch your fucking mouth and don’t slam my fucking door either, bitch.” But alas, Armin didn’t give the slightest care. Because an angry reaction was better than none at all. Laughing as he took a seat in Eren’s chair, just to rub a bit more salt in the already festering wound. “And here I was thinking you had really lost it. You only look and smell like you’ve reached rock bottom. The proverbial clawing under his skin had seemed to work in Armin’s favor because he was at least sitting upright now and wiping his eyes so they’d adjust to the light. Releasing a loud yawn, Eren shot his best friend the middle finger and proceeded to ask exactly why the hell he was in his house this late in the evening. Armin would shrug it off as he’d always done, kicking back with a bottle of water he had confiscated from his fridge on the way up. Even going as far to take his shoes off and get mighty comfortable. “Oh, Eren. You silly goose..you can’t escape me that easily. Besides…I’m here on official business.” the response piquing his very dulled interest. Raising a furrowed eyebrow, Eren hoisted the bottle to his lips for yet another swig of the Hennessy. “Official business? At ten PM? What the hell are you talking about?” of course, he wanted to stay here another minute without being tossed from the second story, he’d elaborate. Although, EJ had quite the nagging suspicion of what this was pertaining to. Since he and Mikasa’s giant quarrel last week, word had gotten around the entirety of AMG..including the higher ups. Who had been in talks of what to do. On one hand, Mikasa was the best PR manager to come out of the firm, not to mention the fact she was the boss’ niece and next in line. On the other hand, EJ the Don was their highest earning artist. Regardless of Grammys or accolades, his name was still holding weight after all this time. And with the two of them at odds, who knew what would become of the team? However, for Armin..it was much more than that. He could care less about AMG’s record sales or a damn article. What he cared about was seeing his best friends at odds and hurting. Unbeknownst to Eren, this fight hadn’t just affected him.

It seemed that his harsh words had hurt Mikasa far worse than anyone had anticipated. The remarks about her younger days on stage and turning to drugs to cope with the pressures of being in the limelight had driven her back to some of those nasty old habits. She was trying to keep a brave face but it reminded her of how imperfect she truly was. Regardless of that front..and him. Sitting here wasting away, all because some fucked up article said he was washed. Enough was enough!

“Look, dude. I’m not gonna bullshit with you, alright? I’m not exactly sure of what happened between you and Mika. It’s honestly none of my business but what I do know is that both of you stubborn assholes need to fix this. She won’t even tell Jean..she just says it’s the stress of work before closing up in her room for hours. The other day, she blanked on one of the coordinators because he got the wrong number of napkins for an event. Whatever you said to her, you need to apologize before that bitch kills all of us.” And he wasn’t bluffing, sadly. Mikasa had been known to be quite the pistol. They had seen her beat grown men who tried to make passes at her so they knew she could be the Tasmanian devil when she wanted to. But there was one person with a hotter head than she had..

“I’m not apologizing for a damn thing. Should’ve thought about that before running to the blogs and trying to lie about it. She wants to use cheap tactics and dumb shit then she can stand on that. Just don’t expect me to feel sorry for telling the truth.” Honestly, it was pointless to get through to either of them and he knew he’d only exhaust himself trying to argue. Maybe what they needed most was not to be lectured but for someone to listen and once he began to open up..it all made sense. Talking back another swig of that dark liquor, Eren began to confess what was truly bothering him.

“I worked myself like crazy..for years, all I wanted was to be the best. To make music that transcended the charts. Hell, I didn’t care if I ever touched a Grammy or even got my flowers. I just wanted to make shit that people could relate to. Everybody told me how stupid I was for leaving home..a cushy life just to chase this so called dream of mine. But I loved it. I loved sitting in front of my laptop..pen and paper just coming up with verse after verse. After a while, it felt like second nature. I could do that shit in my sleep, y’know?” As he continued to speak, Armin listened attentively. In all the years that they had known one another, pretty much for the entirety of their young lives, Eren had never once been this vulnerable or open with him. They joked around and sometimes went at each other’s throats but this was a completely different side that no one had seen. It could’ve been the liquor or just the lack of having someone to talk to but either way, he was pouring his heart out. And a few tears too, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Masking it behind his smirking and laughter..

“Lately, I’ve just been feeling like I don’t have a place anymore. I kept telling myself ‘maybe if I help them with this project’ or ‘if I produce this track’, my inspiration for my own shit would find me again. But nothing…I didn’t feel the same way I did a couple years ago. Less known, ten. I spent all this time trying to build this empire and now I feel like I don’t have shit to show for it..these labels, they decide you’re no longer useful, and you’re out the fucking door. It’s frustrating, I ain’t gon’ lie.” interrupting his rant only to wipe away his tears and take another sip. “I can’t even keep a girl. Finally find one worth a damn and I go and fuck it up. I’m sure she saw I got arrested and ran for the hills. Can’t say I blame her though–” it was at that moment, Armin had heard more than enough. Listening to all he could take of this pity fest and self wallowing. Unbending his knees, he planted his feet to the ground, snatching that bottle out of his hand. “First of all, if you think for one second and I’m gonna sit here and let you cry like a lil’ bitch, you’re sadly mistaken. Dude, do you know how many people you’ve inspired with this music shit? Including me? Ony, Connie, even Jean, loves your work and he can’t stand your ass. I’ve never seen anything like it. Ten years..ten years you’ve been doing and dude, you’re only getting started. If you quit now, that’s the only way it’ll be in vain. You gotta keep going..not just for your fans or even to prove a bunch of losers on the internet wrong. You gotta do it for sixteen year old EJ who chose sleeping in a bus station over the country club because he wanted to put the industry on its head. You gotta do this because no one else can. So what if you don’t feel like it right now? You have so much left in you and I’ll be damned if I watch you quit.” It were those exact words that had seemed to have brought forth a spark in him..bringing life back into those dull jade eyes. Finally getting himself together, he’d sniffle and begin to laugh. Wholeheartedly for the first time in days..it felt good. But that wasn’t it for the encouragement Armin had in store for him. There was one more bit of uplifting news he had.

“And about (y/n)? She’s not mad at you, dude. Promise. Niesha told me everything and honestly…she just needs space right now.” Armin found himself swallowing a lump in his throat as he uttered the sentence. “It’s not personal. I’m sure she’d be happy to link…when the time is right. But she’d hate to see you like this.” Taking another breath, he’d ask another request of his best friend while he seemed to be in a much better mood. “Listen, I know it’s not your thing and trust me, I already know what you’re gonna say. But I’m hosting a yacht party next week. I invited everyone else too..including (y/n)..so I was hoping you’d come too.” never had Armin been so soft spoken. Truthfully, all he wanted was to see his homeboy happy and the only person who had managed to do that in recent history was the gorgeous influencer who had obviously more than well caught his eye. Maybe the thing you two needed most was each other. Even so, it wouldn’t be that simple and EJ just wasn’t going to agree that easily.

“I’ll think about it, dude..” but before Armin could leave with a less than savory answer, Eren would avert his eyes towards the door, where Armin was close to opening it. “Aye..thanks, bro. I appreciate you.” reciprocating a toothy smile in return. Seeing him in a better mood than when he arrived was all the thanks he needed.

“That’s what I’m here for.” Doing their signature handshake they’ve had since childhood but alas the sweet, heartwarming camaraderie wouldn’t last long..as Armin had a bad habit of being as annoying as possible! “By the way, I’m gonna go get a shower and when I get back, we can work on some of these beats. I have a couple ideas.” at first, what he said didn’t exactly register to Eren but then he realized–

“I’m gonna take one of your spare beds too! The room with the mirror on the ceiling. I might have a little something coming over.”

“Yeah, man. No problem–wait a minute. You’re at my house, you jackass! What do you mean you’re gonna go shower?! Don’t you have a whole ass mansion?”

“Yeah, but I like a change of scenery.”

Before he even had the chance to respond, Armin was already headed back downstairs. “Love you, Eren!”

leaving the befuddled rapper shaking his head and in shock of just how tactless he was. One thing he could do was thank him for getting his mind right. Now..it was time to do something with that new found motivation.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

the next day…

“All in favor of moving forward with the second decision, say I”

“I”

Meanwhile, the top brass at the renowned talent agency was in the midst of a very important meeting. One with a lot of dire topics being voted on and currently, this may have been the most pertinent of them all..

“That settles it, six to four. We’re getting Italian. Have the kitchen make enough carbonara to feed the National Guard. We’re gonna be here for a while.” earning a collective sigh from the roundtable. Seated on the top floor of the eighteen story building were some of the most powerful and brilliant minds in the entertainment industry..from multi-platinum recording artists to Grammy winning producers, any and everyone who had helped shape several as they were today were running AMG and making it the largest talent agency and label with over one hundred and fifty talents signed and billions in revenue every year. “Goddamnit, Levi. You know I’m trying to watch my figure right now and you’re not helping.” “I’m trying to watch it too and I think it looks just fine.” Seated at the head was chairman and former recording artist, Levi Ackerman. Second generation rockstar who hailed from a long line of talented musicians..best known for being the lead singer of notorious band, Paradis. Who had won over twenty Grammys and seven number ones during their tenure. The man across from him, Erwin Smith was his best friend and bandmate. The COO. Along with Miche Zacharius, who was also at the table. The lead drummer turned director of marketing. He was a genius when it came to advertising for these artists. He could take any budget and make it look as if it were worth millions. Perhaps, the most inquisitive mind there was the woman next to him and perhaps, his favorite person in the entire company. Vivian James-Ackerman. The Queen of Neo-Soul, five time Grammy winner and his beautiful wife of ten years..she was not only a generational talent with a sound inspiring many songs today; a creative director working on the set of many videos but a mentor to AMG’s biggest star, EJ the Don.

“You two are a mess..so, what are we gonna do about this little situation? We have PalmFest right around the corner and two of our biggest stars are currently out of commission. Think we can convince them to perform?”

“Not to worry, lovebug. I’m sure they’ll come around. Right, Levi?”

Next to Erwin was his beautiful wife of twenty years, Deanna Smith. She was a renowned R&B singer with a powerhouse voice for many years before trading in her sultry lyrics and silky vocals for the title of vice director of marketing. Her and Erwin had collabed on many tracks. Including one that was the talk of the tabloids, saying that it was far too ‘provocative’ for their time. But innovative, as it was the first time rock and R&B had meshed together and topped the charts.

“They damn well better or they’ll all find themselves out of a job. This is the first time in AMG history we’ll be hosting something of this caliber. Three days of music, entertainment..hell, if we pull this off, we might surpass Rolling Loud or Coachella in a couple years. Not to mention the cash it’ll bring in. Whatever those brats have going on, they better sort it out and quick.” When the president spoke, his word was absolute and everyone had done their part to make his vision come to life. Glancing around the table, they all nodded in agreement but among the tribe, there was always one person going against the grain. “Speaking of…” pressing his glass back to the table, Miche chimed in and added to the conversation; addressing the elephant in the room.. “..you know that niece of yours is one hell of a manager, Levi. She’s recruited some real heavy hitters in the past couple years. It’s hard to believe that someone so young has done the work she has..” as he continued talking, no one could attest to that. Mikasa was the top of her peer class in many areas. She was super talented. However, Director Zacharius had his reservations. “Even so, I’m a little concerned about her after news of her little outburst the other day. I mean, with something as huge as this on the line..how can we be certain she’s equipped to handle it? Are you sure we can leave her in charge of such a huge event?” His inquiry caused eyebrows to rise on each side. But as always, Levi remained steadfast, stoic and calm..twirling a pen between his fingers, he’d merely smirk and lean up before speaking.

“I’ll admit, she is quite the firecracker when she wants to be. Even as a little girl, she was a force and I’ll admit…the kid’s had her moments. Ones that have me doubtful of how well she could handle all of this pressure. The last thing I’d ever want is to see her or AMG collapse under the weight. Running a business is hard work..overseeing so many different people and ensuring that things run smoothly. CEO, chief operator, directors or managers. Nobody comes by these titles easily. All of it is a group effort and requires a lot of skill.”

as he continued with his speech, he’d clasp his hands together and take a stern look around the table..making one thing abundantly clear:

“With that being said, there’s no one more qualified to not only oversee this festival but one day, this company as well. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t take it easy on her, never have and I damn sure won’t now. I also won’t coddle her. This is the test to prove she’s worth her salt and that she’s capable of being a true leader. She screws up then she’s out the door but I believe as always, she’ll pull through for us and make the best of her talents. I trust that you all will place the same amount of faith I have in her and assist as much as possible.” and that was enough for everyone else! Of course, the co-sign would come from the one person who housed enthusiasm in their veins as if they needed it to breathe. “Well I think Mikasa is more than capable and I’m sure she’s gonna do amazing things. Let’s just help her with whatever we need to make this a success.”

Zoe Hange, nightclub owner and interim data analyst; in charge of ensuring that the budgets were in order. As they all reached that consensus, they felt confident in proceeding with the fun part and that was planning the festival. Getting all the acts, deciding the staff and of course, who would be performing! But as they all flipped through their files and scrolled their iPads with presentations on the screen, Vivian would lean over and ask her husband about one more burning question on her mind..

“You know, Eren would make a great addition to this lineup. I think we should make one more effort to get him on board.”

“If you want to go grovel to that brat, be my guest. As far as I’m concerned, he has one more strike before I drop his ass for good. Money and sales aside.” Levi uttered without so much as even lifting his head. But Vivian wasn’t as ready to give up on her protege. And instead, proposed something else..

“I’ll go pay him a visit. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my little mentee anyways. I miss him.” And all Levi could do was laugh because she knew that Vivian looked at EJ as more than just a former backup singer or pianist, she thought of him like her own son and treated him as such so if he were in any type of distress, she’d do whatever to solve it. He also knew there was no arguing with her when she got her mind set on something! Snickering, the president would just scribble down his signature on a few documents as the rest of the table conversed among themselves.

“Well, I trust your judgment, sweetheart. Whatever you think is best. But remember, we only have a month so we don’t have any time to waste on him or anyone else.” With that, she knew she had all the time she needed to make this work. Tomorrow, she’d be heading to his Miami Beach mansion to not only convince him to headline PalmFest.

but ensure his well being above all else.

.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*:｡.･*: .･*:｡.･*:｡.･

if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading! please check out some of my other stuff in the masterlist. Likes are appreciated but reblogs would mean the world and help me out a TON! Also, considering leaving a little something in the tip jar if you’re feeling extra generous! 🫶🏾

@tojisblondebimbo @bisexualfenty @whorrorifics @potofstewie @daisynik7 @hoohoohope @chickenwingsandfries3425 @bbgiirrll @sunkissedebony97 @libralina @lemmetreatya @scorpiobaesstuff @liliorsstuff-blog @ushijimasslut @gardenof-venus @localcvmslut @rintcrous @laiorelle @shamelesjaroflaffytaffy @momobaby227 @aengelren @gobblethiskitty @erenyeagerswhore @sweetpeachies @onlytsukki @http-twyla @spaceforher @radicaledward55 @f4irycafe @saturnsgaze @breyspage @takeomi-slut @shanakia @lostgxrlblog @yvxmpire @stunna4st4rr @si00p

@cherrylovesyou222 @cl3v-j @percsane @wakashawty @potofstewie @jadasworldpress @conniesministallion @xoxodaniie @stunna4st4rr @moreclass @sheluvzeren @wenumsmol @hearts4livvxoxo @sendf0rme @kenanlotus0 @hoohoohope @thickbihhwitdagapp @sunnytalia3 @prodbybrianna @honeybleed @violetxxvenom @angelktski @iloveekaash @cupids-soul @levis-odm-gear14 @gumballlordfarquad @ncentic

#musician x influencer au #eren x black fem!reader #reverb series #reverb chapter eight #long fic #aot x black reader #black fem reader #musician eren #musician au #aot au #eren x black y/n #eren x black reader #mikasa ackerman #levi ackerman #armin artlert #erwin smith #eren jaeger #aot ocs #aot oc #miche zacharias #aot fic #aot au series #aot series #black fanfiction #eren aot #black reader #aot x female reader #aot x reader #cw violence #cw drugs

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation:

Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary 1990 Alternative Rock / Hard Rock / Blues-Rock / Folk-Rock / College Rock / Pop / Singer-Songwriter / R&B / Adult Contemporary / Avant Garde

Kinda seems like no one really gave a shit about Elektra Records celebrating its 40th anniversary in 1990 🤷‍♂️. Or, at the very least, no one certainly gives a shit now. The label tried to commemorate themselves with this star-studded double-disc of cover songs, in which each Elektra-signed act at the time took on a song that the company had released prior, but this album appears to have just came and went without much fanfare and was then quickly consigned to the dustbin of history, bound to suffer from the ephemeral fate that comes for almost every release.

But this thing is particularly intriguing for two reasons: one, every song on here was an exclusive at the time; they were originally recorded solely for this release, and almost every song on here hasn't appeared on any other album since. And two, for 1990, the list of acts on this set is really nothing short of fucking seismic: The Cure, Tracy Chapman, Billy Bragg, Björk's band The Sugarcubes, Pixies, Phoebe Snow, Happy Mondays, Anita Baker, Howard Jones, Teddy Pendergrass, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, 10,000 Maniacs, Metallica, They Might Be Giants, and John Zorn. All with a new and exclusive take on an old tune. Fun for everyone!

Now, despite all that starpower, the results of this release are, overall, definitely middling, like most of these ill-conceived cover comps end up being. But this album should've been a bigger deal based on its names alone. As an ardent compilation collector myself who's particularly obsessed with the 90s, I feel like I should've been ambiently aware of its existence. And I wasn't, until very recently. And I don't think many people are, because even with this list of artists, this album has left barely any footprint on YouTube. You can find a good amount of the songs on there, but outside of its most famous offering—Gipsy Kings' "Hotel California," made famous not by this album, but by The Big Lebowski eight years later—most of the view counts on these videos seem to be in the low thousands, despite having been on the site for a significant chunk of time.

And two of my favorite songs of all on this album—Phoebe Snow's lightly funky folk-pop cover of Delaney & Bonnie's "Get Ourselves Together" and Bill Frisell, Robin Holcomb, and Wayne Horvitz' tender bluesy rock cover of Bob Dylan's "Going Going Gone"—aren't on the website as individual tracks at all. Luckily, my absolute favorite, Ernie Isley's unique, Art of Noise-inspired cover of The Cars' "Let's Go," *is*, though.

But, you see what I mean? All these very popular and successful acts with then-new material, on an album celebrating the history of an enormous, sprawling label like Elektra, and you can't find a video for every individual song with ease? Crazy, right?

So much of music's history—even apparently these star-studded, ostensibly big to-do releases from major labels—have just been pretty much plainly forgotten. And this is by no means a great album, but plenty of subpar major label material has been received with significant fanfare before, and it's strange that this double-disc doesn't seem to have ever gotten much of that treatment; there were a couple contemporaneous reviews from the outlets you'd expect, but nothing else. And there's some very good, interesting, and fun covers on here, but there's also some downright bad ones. But regardless of the quality of the music itself, it's still quite baffling as to why this ended up being as obscure as it appears to be.

P.S.: There’s actually a song on here that’s masquerading as a cover, but is really just sampling the original instead. Pieces of a Dream’s “Mt. Airy Groove” is an instrumental piece of jazz-funk, and Busta Rhymes’ old group, Leaders of the New School, rap over a beat that samples different pieces of it. It’s a dope old school rap tune, but it’s definitely not a cover.

Highlights:

CD1:

Billy Bragg - "Seven & Seven Is" Gipsy Kings - "Hotel California" The Sugarcubes - "Motorcycle Mama" Pixies - "Born in Chicago" Phoebe Snow - "Get Ourselves Together" Happy Mondays - "Tokoloshe Man" Ernie Isley - "Let's Go" Howard Jones - "Road to Cairo"

CD2:

Bill Frisell / Robin Holcomb / Wayne Horvitz - "Going Going Gone" Leaders of the New School - "Mt. Airy Groove"

#alternative rock #alternative #alternative music #alt rock #alt #alt music #hard rock #rock #blues rock #folk rock #folk #folk music #college rock #pop #singer songwriter #r&b #r & b #adult contemporary #avant garde #avant garde music #avantgarde #avantgarde music #music #90s #90s music #90's #90's music

[kpopp1eee]

SEXY NUKIM (feat. RM of BTS) - Balming Tiger

……… No, because you’re gonna have to pry this song out of my cold, dead hands on the day I pass.

This song is so good! It’s largely different from my usual flavor of bubblegum pop - but it’s got Namjoon in it so obviously I had to give it a listen. At this point, he’s simply penned too many hits for me not to trust him and listen.

That being said though? He’s somehow not the most exciting part of this track. That’s not to say his verse is bad - it’s not! It’s really good! But the song itself is so solid and smooth that it doesn’t feel like RM is there just to be there. This is great - especially because as much as I love the Bangtans, sometimes when they feature it’s like the producers expect their inherent starpower to do all the work for them. So the songs come out lacking and half-baked as a result (cough cough bad decisions). But not this one!!!!

The song stands all on it’s own, and if you asked me, whoever the man in the second verse is? He’s the stand-out. The autotune in the latter part of his verse is borderline orgasmic, it’s just that good.

Also, the music video? I’ve watched it like 4 times, and I still don’t quite get it. But that doesn’t matter because it’s so intriguing and the skid of Namjoon’s bike will keep me coming back infinitely.

Overall score: 8.0/10

#balming tiger #rm bts #namjoon #kim namjoon #kim namjoon bts #sexy nukim #kpop review #kpop #song review

[lucasfights]

What’s next for the stars of UFC 287?

Our 3 protagonists for this story are, Alex P​erreira, Israel Adesanya, and Gilbert Burns. With so many moving parts after this weekend's PPV, we're going to go one by one, breakdown a likely scenario, a plan b, and a more far fetched route, for each guy. I'll give you my opinion on what each route signifies, what each fighter should aim for, and you tell me in the comments what I missed, and where I was wrong. Deal? Deal.

A​lex 'Poatan' Perreira, the now former UFC Middleweight Champ (sad face). 205lbs? Izzy 3? Let's dive in. It's February 8th, 2020 Jon Jones is fighting in the main event of UFC 247. The fight goes 5 rounds, and by the time the final bell rings, the challenger is about as confident as i've ever seen a man after an encounter with Jones. Jones steals a decision due to his extreme starpower, and champion status but Dominick Reyes gave him all that he could handle that night. Matching Jon Jones in size, and speed, keeping Jon on the outside, and excluding external factors winning a very close decision. 2 years later Reyes meets Alex Perreira, who is set to take on Middleweight Champ, Israel Adesanya. Below is a photo evidence of that meeting.

T​his picture set the MMA world on fire! Reyes on the left is in the division above Perreira, and is not small for that division. While Jon Jones the man he fought as an equal, is now the Heavyweight Champion. Dana said it, Izzy said it, and Perreira in the past has said it, he's gotta move up. If he goes up a division he'll still be massive, he'll have an easier path to the title (Jiri Prochazka, and Jamahl Hill), and he sheds the massive weight cut he undergoes every time. That's plan A.

I​f Perreira decides to stay at 185 their are 2 fights for him, and 1 that makes sense. Let's start with the latter. The dumb fight is Khamzat Chimaev, and for a time the scariest man in the promotion. We haven't seen Khamzat since he was pushed to his limit against the most underrated Welterweight of all-time, my boy Gilbert Burns, and he's been taking shots at Perreira for a little bit. Although this won't be easy fight for Perreira (because Khamzat is a stud), this could solidify Perreira as a force everyone should be worried about, even the wrestlers! However, the upside for Khamzat is much greater then for the former champ, so it might be a silly, prideful move that could bite him in the ass. The other fight that Poatan could take at Middleweight is the trilogy fight which he will probably lobby for! Izzy after the fight stated he wasn't going to give him an immediate rematch, and I am almost certain Perreira is not going to be willing to fight 2 or 3 times to regain a belt from a guy he already beat 3 times before. So unless Israel gets some balls, and decides to genuinely settle the score with Poatan, I am almost certain he's moving up.

N​ext, but not least, The Champ. What's next for Izzy? As a result of lapping the division, and not many challenges for him in the first place, Adesanya is in a privileged position, in which he can take a 3rd fight, with the consensus #1 contender at Middleweight, Robert Whittaker, who he's beaten twice before. He can fight Alex Perreira in the trilogy, but holding the belt, and being a star in the company, gives him the right to decline what is probably the toughest road for the Middleweight Champion. Or Izzy can take a year off, work on his wrestling, recover, and wait for Du Plessis to beat a top guy and earn his shot.

A​desanya vs Whittaker 3 won't sell, and can only be bad for Izzy. Adesanya vs Perreira 3 will be massive, but is very risky for Adesanya and could lose him his coveted superstardom, so honestly, fighting Du Plessis in 'The Battle For Africa' seems like the most sensible decision. The fan in me wants Poatan vs. Stylebender 3, and I love Robert Whittaker as a human, but if I were Izzy, i'd wait and take Dricus Du Plessis with a fat paycheck.

L​ast, and certainly not least, my boy Gilbert Burns. Honestly, if the UFC wasn't so short sighted, they should've made the hype on this UFC 287 Co-Main Event much bigger, and waited for the result to name Colby the #1 contender, but that didn't happen. So Gilbert went out there, fought a good disciplined fight, and handled Jorge Masvidal, for what? The backup fighter spot on the Colby Covington vs Leon Edwards match? Yeah, lol. So since he's not next in line, here are a couple routes for Burns to take.

B​urns vs Usman 2, if he wins, he's next, no debate. IF he wins, IF. Usman is still a killer my friends, a killer that knocked out Gilbert Burns a couple years ago, and a killer that's going to be hungry to get back to the top of his division, risky. Burns vs Chimaev 2. I personally don't think Chimaev wants another war for possibly no gain, he's in title talks, and there are easier fights he can take, that'll move him closer to his championship aspirations, silly for both parties. The PFL? Gilbert mentioned in his post-fight presser that he 'wants the title shot, or to be released', and I say this because I love Gilbert.. be careful what you wish for. Gilbert is furthest, 2 wins away from a title shot, in a wide open title race, his star is growing, the company is growing, and with the title comes PPV points, and more sponsors then he can handle. Gilbert, be patient with these fools, and keep on knocking down who they give you. If Burns chills, makes weight for Colby vs Leon, he'll be next, and if it's a quick fight, that could be by the end of the year, so stay the course Gilbert, you're so close.

U​FC 287 was a massive card, Miami was buzzing, Dana left very pleased, and I think the winners and losers on Saturday are going to benefit from such a spectacular event. Izzy took the deepest breath, Perreira, and Rosas tied for the biggest step backwards, and Burns did his job, as he always does. The great Jorge Masvidal retired, Rob Font got back on the winning track, and next Saturday there's more, so leave your comments, rewatch the fights, and complain about me to your girlfriends. Til' next time.

-​FreeHoneyy

#ufc287 #ufc #perreira #poatan #israel adesanya #stylebender #gilbert burns #jorge masvidal #fight

[dancemomsinformation]

Season 1 Episode 8 Statistics

Episode Title - Love on the Dance Floor

Competition - Starpower Dance Competition (Nationals)

Location - Orlando, FL

Attended - July 2-6, 2011

_______________________________________

Results :

8 & Under Soloist

1st Place - “Universe”, Maddie Ziegler.

_______________________________________

Petite Miss Starpower

Maddie Ziegler.

_______________________________________

9-11 Folkloric Soloist

1st Place -“Bollywood”, Nia Frazier.

_______________________________________

Did Not Place :

“Bollywood”, Nia Frazier.

“People”, Paige Hyland.

“Creature”, Brooke Hyland.

“Summer Boy”, Mackenzie & Vivi-Anne (Pulled).

“Snapshot”, Maddie, Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia, Brandon.

_______________________________________

Not Shown :

“Creature”, Brooke Hyland

_______________________________________

Adjudications :

“Universe”, Maddie Ziegler - Beautiful Extension Award & 5 Stars.

“Bollywood”, Nia Frazier - 4.75 Stars.

“People”, Paige Hyland - 4.75 Stars.

_______________________________________

Extra / Robin Horneff Performing Arts Center :

8 & Under Soloist

4th Place - “The Sparrow”, Juliana Friedman.

_______________________________________

Pyramid -

Brandon & Maddie - top

Brooke & Paige - middle

Nia, Chloe, Vivi-Anne, Mackenzie - bottom

#dance moms #maddie nia paige chloe brooke #group dance #mackenzie #vivianne #season 1 #july 2011 #18 #star power #orlando #episode 8

[bluerelics]

I heard that some people think Keanu wasn’t a good fit for Johnny Silverhand and to that I’d ask... who would have been better? A no-name voice actor? A big name voice actor? An oscar nominee? Please!

What we got from Keannu is something we couldn’t have gotten from anyone else, because others would have just tried to act the hell out of that role and I just don’t think that would have produced the same results as the very particular kind of charisma that Keanu has. 

And yes, the starpower is a big factor in this case, but not in the “this will get the game more sells” way, but rather in the “this will sell this character more” way.

Oh, and his acting ability was perfectly fine for this game. He is an actor after all. He knows what he’s doing.

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #johnny silverhand #keanu reeves

[doubleattitude]

Sophia Lucia Solo Results

Competing with San Diego Dance Centre

2007-Age 4

Goodship Lollipop-Tap-Sharon Keller

Hall of Fame, Upland: didn’t place

Starpower, San Diego: 2nd runner-up Petite Miss Starpower

Itsy Bitsy Spider-Jazz

Starpower, San Diego: 9th Age 8 and under competitive solos

2008-Age 5

Baby Face-Tap-Sharon Keller

Showstopper, Anaheim II: 8th mini competitive solo (3-way tie)

Starpower, Lakewood: 2nd Age 8 and under competitive solos

Starsystems Nationals, Orange County: 7th age 12 and under advanced tap solos

Great Balls of Fire-Jazz-Kristen Hibbs

Hall of Fame, Ontario: didn’t place

Starsystems Nationals, Orange Country: 8th age 12 and under advanced jazz solos

I Like to Fuss-Musical Theatre-Kristen Hibbs

Hall of Fame, Ontario: 4th future hall of famer solo

Starsystems Nationals, Orange County: 2nd mini solo

Unknown

Starsystems, Long Beach: 1st mini solo

Starsystems, San Diego: 2nd mini solo

2009-Age 6

ABC’s of Love-Tap-Sharon Keller

KAR, San Diego: didn’t place

Starsystems Nationals, Las Vegas: 4th age 12 and under tap solos

All That Jazz-Jazz-Kristen Hibbs

KAR, San Diego: 1st age 8 and under primary solos, Miss Petite Dance KAR

Showstoppers, Anaheim II: 2nd mini competitive solos

Starsystems Nationals, Las Vegas: 2nd age 12 and under jazz solos

Imagine-Lyrical-Kristen Hibbs

Hall of Fame, Redondo Beach: 2nd future hall of famer solos

KAR Nationals, Las Vegas: didn’t place

Showbiz, Anaheim: didn’t place

Showstoppers, Anaheim II: 2nd mini competitive solos

Starpower, Lakewood: 2nd age 8 and under competitive solos, 1st runner-up Petite Miss Starpower

Starsystems, San Diego: 1st mini solos, Petite Miss Superstar

Starsystems Nationals, Las Vegas: 3rd age 12 and under lyrical solos

That’s Not My Name-Jazz

Starsystems Nationals, Las Vegas: 3rd mini solos, Petite Miss Superstar

Unknown-Musical Theatre

Showbiz, Riverside: 1st petite solos, 1st runner-up petite miss showbiz

2010-Age 7

Hey Daddy-Musical Theatre

KAR, Long Beach I: 1st age 8 and under secondary solos

KAR, San Diego: Regional Petite Miss Dance KAR

KAR Nationals, Las Vegas: 1st age 8 and under secondary solos, National Petite Miss Dance America KAR

Showbiz, Riverside: 3rd petite solos, 1st runner-up Regional Petite Miss Showbiz

Showstopper, Anaheim I: 2nd mini competitive solos

Little Me-Tap

KAR Nationals, Las Vegas: didn’t place

Starsystems, Escondido: didn’t place

Yesterday-Lyrical

KAR Nationals, Las Vegas: didn’t place

Rainbow, Fallbrook: 2nd age 8 and under elite starz solos

Showstopper, Anaheim II: 1st mini competitive solos

Starsystems, Escondido: 1st mini solos, Regional Petite Miss Superstar

2011-Age 8

Bird Dance-Open

Countdown, Fallbrook: unknown scoring

Let Me Entertain You-Musical Theatre

Hall of Fame, Redondo Beach: didn’t place

Hall of Fame Nationals, Las Vegas: didn’t place

Rainbow, Fallbrook: 1st age 8 and under elite starz solos, Miss Petite SuperTalent, Mini DOTY invitation

Revolution, San Diego: Regional Petite Miss Dance America

Showstopper, Anaheim I: didn’t place

My Own Rhythm-Tap

Countdown, Fallbrook: unknown scoring

Hall of Fame, Redondo Beach: 1st future hall of famer solos

Hall of Fame Nationals, Las Vegas: 1st future hall of famer solos, National Future Hall of Famer HOF Inductee

KAR, Escondido: 1st age 8 and under intermediate solos

Showstopper, Anaheim II: 1st mini competitive solos

Total Eclipse-Lyrical-Kristen Hibbs

Countdown, Fallbrook: unknown scoring

Hall of Fame, Redondo Beach: didn’t place

Hall of Fame Nationals, Las Vegas: didn’t place

Revolution, San Diego: 1st age 8 and under blue solos

Showbiz, Riverside: 1st petite solos, Regional Petite Miss Showbiz

Showstopper, Anaheim I: 1st mini competitive solos

The Pulse

2012-Age 9

Big Spender-Musical Theatre-Kristen Hibbs

KAR, ?: didn’t place

Rainbow, Fallbrook: didn’t place

Dream-Contemporary-TOKYO

NUVO, Phoenix: 1st mini solos

Good Girl-Musical Theatre

KAR, ?: didn’t place

Pulse-Contemporary-Tiffani King

Hall of Fame Nationals, Las Vegas: 1st junior american league solos, National Junior American League HOF Inductee

KAR, Escondido: 1st age 9-11 intermediate solos

Showstopper, West Coast Finals: 1st junior competitive solos, National Junior Showstopper Solo Grand Champion

Requiem-Contemporary

Countdown, Fallbrook: unknown scoeing

Hall of Fame, Ontario: didn’t place

Rainbow, Fallbrook: 1st 9-11 elite starz solos, Junior DOTY invitation

Showstopper, Anaheim I: 1st junior competitive solos

Sweet Dreams-Contemporary

The Pulse

Tap Diva-Tap-Michelle Miner

Countdown, Fallbrook: unknown scoring

Hall of Fame, Ontario: 1st junior american league solos, Regional Junior HOF Inductee

Hall of Fame Nationals, Las Vegas: unknown scoring

Rainbow, Fallbrook: didn’t place

Showstopper, Anaheim II: 1st junior competitive solos

Turn to Stone-Contemporary-Mark Meismer

Countdown, Fallbrook: unknown scoring

Hall of Fame, Ontario: honors award

Hall of Fame Nationals, Las Vegas: didn’t place

JUMP, Los Angeles: 1st mini solos

KAR, Upland: 1st age 9-11 intermediate solos, Regional Junior Miss Dance KAR

KAR Nationals, Las Vegas: 1st age 9-11 intermediate solos

NUVO, Los Angeles: 1st mini solos

Showstopper, Anaheim I: didn’t place

2013-Age 10

Canon-Contemporary-Self Choreographed

JUMP, Los Angeles: 1st mini solos

Control-Jazz-Kristen Hibbs

KAR, Escondido: didn’t place

Rainbow, Escondido: 1st age 9-11 elite starz solo, Regional Junior Rainbow Elite Starz DOY

Starpower, Upland: Regional Junior Miss Starpower

Dreamcatcher-Contemporary-Tiffani King

JUMP, Phoenix: 1st mini solos

KAR, Escondido: didn’t place

Starpower, Upland: 1st 9-11 power solos

Velocity, Los Angeles: unknown scoring

I Will Always Love You-Lyrical-Russell Corpis

NUVO, Long Beach: 2nd mini solos

SYTYCD, Ukraine

Never Never-Contemporary-Gina Starbuck

ART4Life Benefit

Syncopated Soph-Tap

KAR, Escondido: didn’t place

Titanium-Lyrical

KAR, Escondido: didn’t place

Rainbow, Escondido: didn’t place

Starpower, Upland: didn’t place

Treasure-Lyrical-Jessie Riley

The Dance Awards, New York: 1st runner-up Mini Female Best Dancer

Vienna-Lyrical-Kristin McQuaid

KAR, Escondido: didn’t place

Rainbow, Escondido: didn’t place

Showstopper, Anaheim I: 1st junior competitive solos

2013-Age 10 competing with Abby Lee Dance Company

My New Reality-Jazz-Abby Lee Miller/Gianna Martello (S3EP2 of Dance Moms)

Xpression, Fort Wayne: 1st junior solos

Superstar-Jazz-Gianna Martello (S3EP3 of Dance Moms)

In10Sity, Youngstown: 1st junior solos

2014-Age 11 competing with RT Dance Academy

All This to Say-Lyrical

JUMP, Portland: 1st junior solos

NUVO, Orlando: 1st junior solos

NYCDA, Las Vegas: unknown scoring

The Dance Awards, New York City: Junior Female Best Dancer

Ghost-Lyrical-Mark Meismer

Hall of Fame, Ontario: highest scoring open solo, grand slam award, technique award

JUMP, Los Angeles: 1st junior solos

NUVO, Seattle: 1st junior solos

NYCDA Nationals, NYC: unknown scoring

Starpower, Las Vegas: 1st age 9-11 power solos

Over the Love-Lyrical

UDA

Secrets-Lyrical-Tiffani King

Hall of Fame, Ontario: highest scoring contemporary solo

NYCDA, Santa Clara: 1st junior solos

Industry Dance Awards

Seul au Monde-Contemporary-Kayla Kalbfleisch

NYCDA Nationals, NYC: 1st runner-up National Junior Female Outstanding Dancer

Starpower, Las Vegas: Regional Junior Miss Starpower

Vogue-Jazz-Molly Long

Showcase Dance Australia, Gold Coast: gala performance

Wishbone-Contemporary-Tiffani King

Hall of Fame, Ontario: 1st junior american league solos, Regional Junior HOF Solo Inductee

NYCDA, Las Vegas: 1st junior solos

NYCDA Nationals, NYC: 4th junior solos

2015-Age 12 competing with Danceology

Arwen’s Vigil-Contemporary-Tiffani King

JUMP, Pittsburgh: closing show

Echo-Contemporary

VIP Dance Events, Toronto

Fall Over-Contemporary-Andrew Winghart

JUMP, Minneapolis: closing show

Florid-Contemporary-Jason Parsons

NUVO, Dallas: closing show

Dancerpalooza beat squad performance

Me and the Devil-Contemporary-Nick Meola

JUMP, St Louis: closing show

24/7, Los Angeles: closing show

My Faith-Contemporary

NUVO, Houston: closing show

2016-Age 13 competing with Master Ballet Academy

Come Undone-Contemporary-Jason Parsons

NUVO, Phoenix: 2nd teen solos (tie)

YAGP, San Diego: 1st junior men and women contemporary OR Top 24

I Will Not Forget You-Contemporary-Krista King-Doherty

24/7, Glendale: 1st teen solos

YAGP, San Diego: 1st junior men and women contemporary OR Top 24

YAGP Finals, NYC: didn’t place

Medora Variation from Le Corsaire-Pointe

VIB: unknown scoring

Odalisque Variation from Le Corsaire-Pointe

YAGP, San Diego: Top 12 junior women classical

Black Swan from Swan Lake Variation-Pointe

Dancerpalooza

Swanhilda Variation from Coppelia-Pointe

YAGP, San Diego: Top 12 junior women classical

YAGP Finals, NYC: didn’t place

Youth-Contemporary-Teddy Florance

JUMP, Phoenix: 2nd teen solos

[dancingatthealdc]

Chloe Lukasiak solo results (2008-2014):

1. “Princess Chloe”, Ballet (2008):

Fire & Ice (Pittsburgh), did not place

Dance Masters of PA, did not place

OSNY (Pittsburgh), 1st in prep solo division🥇

2. “Thank you for the music”, Ballet (2009):

Dance Masters of PA, did not place

DEA Nationals (NYC), 2nd in small fry solo🥈

3. “I like to fuss”, Musical theater (2010):

JUMP (Pittsburgh), 3rd in mini solo🥉

Applause (Pittsburgh), 3rd in mini solo🥉

Fire & Ice (Pittsburgh), 2nd in mini solo🥈

OSNY (Pittsburgh), 2nd in mini solo🥈

Intrigue (Pittsburgh), unknown scoring

DEA Nationals (NYC), National small fry miss🥇

4. “Ma he’s making eyes at me”, Musical theater (2011):

NUVO (Pittsburgh), 3rd in mini solo🥉

JUMP (Pittsburgh), 1st in mini solo🥇

YAGP (Philadelphia), did not place

DEA (Pittsburgh), Tittle holder

Dance Masters of PA, Junior miss dance of PA🥇

Starquest (Lancaster), 1st in junior solo🥇

Starpower, 2nd in power 9-11 solo🥈

DEA (NYC), 5th in junior solo

DEA Nationals (Las Vegas), 2nd in junior solo🥈

5. “La fille Mal gardee”, Ballet (2011):

YAGP (Philadelphia), top 12

DEA (NYC), 10th in junior solo

6. “I wanna be a rockette”, Musical theater (2012):

Starbound (Providence), 3rd in junior solo🥉

DEA (Pittsburgh), 1st in junior solo🥇

7. “The raven”, Contemporary (2012):

Fire & Ice (Pittsburgh), 2nd in junior solo🥈

DEA (Pittsburgh), did not place

8. “Angry bird”, Contemporary (2012):

Nexstar (Akron), 6th in junior solo

9. “What about mother”, Lyrical (2013):

Energy (Youngstown), 2nd in junior solo🥈

Sheer talent (Pittsburgh), 1st in preteen solo🥇

OSNY (Pittsburgh), 5th in junior solo

NYCDA (Pittsburgh), 2nd in junior solo🥈

10. “Lucky star”, Contemporary (2014):

Energy (Columbus), 1st in junior solo🥇, 1st overall🥇, junior miss energy🥇

#solo results

[shoeshineyboy]

look its gonna be a joey-esque spinoff. you have influence as the star, but just know youre on borrowed time. And the more you use your starpower to influence the show, the more you lose favor with the producers who have to make your demands happen. This is a business, okay? It's give and take. Whatever you take, we'll refuse to give. You choose who's in it, but if that take doesn't result in a give on our end, you best believe we'll be taking when it comes time to renew your contract.

I’m here for a good time, not a long time, I just wanna call Jacob Rees-Mogg a knobhead on the telly. and if my contract not getting removed means eliminating me from the mortal realm then I welcome it, it’s the only way I’m ever gonna get to take some annual leave

#Anonymous

[rickyvalero]

Box-Office Report: 'Uncharted' Shatters Expectations With Pre-Pandemic Results

Box-Office Report: ‘Uncharted’ Shatters Expectations With Pre-Pandemic Results

This week’s biggest winner is, by far, Ruben Fleischer’s Uncharted, which proves once again the starpower of Tom Holland leading some of the biggest box-office successes. He’s had his few shares of duds, but Uncharted was too big to fail commercially. Even if middling reviews might’ve prevented a bigger uptake, its weekend result is still quite impressive and reaches even pre-pandemic heights.…

View On WordPress

#Banana Meter #Bananas #Bonafide Bananas #Box Office #Dog #Film Reviews #Movies #Ripe Banana #Ripe Status #Spider-Man: No Way Home #Uncharted

[dancemomsinformation]

Season 1 Episode 7 Statistics

Episode Title - She’s A Fighter

Competition - Starpower Dance Competition (Nationals)

Location - Uncasville, CT

Attended - June 26-30, 2011

_______________________________________

Results :

8 & Under Soloist

1st Place - “Angel”, Maddie Ziegler.

_______________________________________

9-11 Soloist

6th Place - “Different Bodies”, Chloe Lukasiak.

_______________________________________

12-14 Soloist

3rd Place (tie) - “Beautiful Dangerous”, Brooke Hyland.

_______________________________________

8 & Under Small Group

1st Place - “Where Have All the Children Gone”, Maddie, Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia, Mackenzie, Vivi-Anne.

_______________________________________

9-11 Small Group

2nd Place - “Make You Mine”, Maddie, Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia, Mackenzie, Vivi-Anne.

_______________________________________

Petite Miss Starpower

Maddie Ziegler.

_______________________________________

Did Not Place :

“Summer Boy”, Mackenzie & Vivi-Anne.

“Hot List”, Paige Hyland.

“They Call Me Laquifa”, Nia Frazier.

_______________________________________

Not Shown On Tv :

“Where Have All the Children Gone”.

_______________________________________

Pyramid -

Maddie - top

Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia - middle

Mackenzie & Vivi - bottom -

#season 1 #episode 7 #17 #dance moms #vivianne #maddie nia paige chloe brooke #mackenzie #star power #uncasville

[doubleattitude]

Expressenz Dance Center

 Starpower Nationals, Orlando FL 2021: RESULTS

Intermediate:

8 and Under Solo

5th: Cali Masur-’Can’t Hurry Love’

8 and Under Large Group

2nd: ‘Sea Cruise’

3rd: ‘Who Let The Dog’s Out’

Advanced:

8 and Under Solo

3rd: Eloise Mays-’Whole Lotta Shaking Going On’

7th: Marlo Hooper-’Lullaby’

7th: Piper Overman-’God Help the Outcasts’

8th: Madalena Magee-’Hokey Pokey’

12th: Lucia Kingsley-’Zing Went the Strings of My Heart’

16th: Annabelle Simmons-’Big and Loud’

17th: Brynna Finley-’No Excuses’

19th: Cecilia Davos-’Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’

20th: Kinley Herbort-’Born to Entertain’

8 and Under Duet/Trio

1st: Brynn Lehman, Eloise Mays, Kinley Herbort-’I Saw Her Standing There’

3rd: Mary Beth Ferries, Madelyn McMillen, Piper Overman-’Can’t Get Next to You’

8 and Under Small Group

1st: ‘Ave Maria’

2nd: ‘Boogie Shoes’

5th: ‘Reet Petite’

9th: ‘Burning Love’

8 and Under Large Group

1st: ‘Seasons of Love’

7th: ‘Into the Unknown’

8 and Under Line

1st: ‘5,6,7,8′

9-11 Solo

1st: Camryn O’Maley-’When I Look at You’

2nd: Kate Jarboe-’The Impossible Dream’

9th: Ally Melliere-’Here Comes the Sun’

9-11 Duet/Trio

1st: Kate Jarboe, Aly Melliere, Camryn O’Maley-’All That Jazz’

2nd: Kate Jarboe, Jenna Jarboe-’Believe’

5th: Brynn Jones, Maddie Martin, Adler Shiplov-’Dependant’

9-11 Small Group

1st: ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’

2nd: ‘Day for Hope’

3rd: ‘If I Had My Way’

5th: ‘My Girl’

9-11 Large Group

1st: ‘I Will Wait’

2nd: ‘Candyman’

8th: ‘Lose Control’

9-11 Line

2nd: ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’

3rd: ‘Dior’

4th: ‘Cathedrals’

8th: ‘Rock this Town’

12-14 Solo

1st: Jenna Jarboe-’Don’t Let Me Go’

2nd: Ainsley Grey-’I Will Always Love You’

3rd: Emily Haas-’You Are So Beautiful’

4th: Kathryn Roth-’Astonishing’

6th: Sydney Foertsch-’Mein Herr’

7th: Julia Bailey-’Bolero’

8th: Lauryn Williams-’Yellow Hearts’

9th: Olivia Elliott-’Sunder’

10th: Audriana Varner-’Crying Earth’

11th: Aliya Warren-’Survive’

14th: Keira Himes-’Younger’

14th: Lynsey Foertsch-’I’ll Forget You’

20th: Delaney Michalak-’Feeling Good’

23rd: Joya Haas-’Someone Like You’

24th: Emmie Cannon-’I Gotcha’

12-14 Duet/Trio

1st: Aliya Warren, Isabel Workman, Julia Bailey-’Why Haven’t I Heard From You’

2nd: Jenna Jarboe, Ainsley Grey-’Swan Lake’

3rd: Olivia Elliott, Lily Farrell, Lauryn Williams-’Silent Screams’

12-14 Small Group

1st: ‘Mini Skirt’

2nd: ‘Your Daddy’s Son’

3rd: ‘Disjointed Connections’

4th: ‘O, I Love You’

6th: ‘About That Walk’

8th: ‘Earth Angel’

10th: ‘Balance Contrast’

12-14 Large Group

1st: ‘Epiphany’

2nd: ‘Convolution’

4th: ‘Lucid’

10th: ‘Workin Day and Night’

12-14 Line

1st: ‘Go the Distance’

6th: ‘Turn to Stone’

15-19 Solo

1st: Ava Geske-’Tell Him’

3rd (tie): Mady Justin-’Fever’

4th: Adare Haas-’As If We Never Said Goodbye’

5th: Jenna Kryder-’Give Me One Reason’

8th: Avery Puno-’Ashes’

11th: Kamryn Williams-’Boots Are Made for Walking’

12th (tie): Alexis Leistner-’Change Is Everything’

13th: Macie Blacklidge-’Deeper’

14th (tie): Grace Emery-’Momentary’

29th: Camille Kapsalis-’Can’t Help Falling in Love’

15-19 Duet/Trio

2nd: Jenna Kryder, Kamryn Williams, Mady Justin-’Take 3′

3rd: Macie Blacklidge, Adare Haas, Avery Puno-’Power of Love’

5th: Macie Blacklidge, Ava Geske-’For My Help’

8th: Camilla Kapsalis, Jenna Kryder, Lanae Davis-’Liability’

15-19 Small Group

1st: ‘My Way’

2nd: ‘The Unfolding’

3rd: ‘Your Song’

5th: ‘The Wake’

6th: ‘Mama’

15-19 Large Group

2nd: ‘Hard Feelings’

3rd: ‘I Put A Spell On You’

5th: ‘I See Fire’

15-19 Line

2nd: ‘Look What You Made Me Do’

3rd: ‘X-NZ’

4th: ‘Memories’

Grand Lines:

12 and Over

1st: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Premier Battle for Title:

Mini Miss Starpower

Winner: Georgia Hosack-’Wishin and Hopin’

1st runner-up: Aspyn Geier-’Baby Face’

Petite Miss Starpower

1st runner-up: Eloise Mays-’Whole Lotta Shaking Going On’

2nd runner-up: Piper Overman-’God Help the Outcasts’

Junior Miss Starpower

Winner: Kate Jarboe-’The Impossible Dream’

1st runner-up: Camryn O’Maley-’When I Look at You’

Teen Miss Starpower

Winner: Jenna Jarboe-’Don’t Let Me Go’

2nd runner-up: Emily Haas-’You Are So Beautiful’

Miss Starpower

Winner: Ava Geske-’Between Lines’

2nd runner-up: Adare Haas-’As If We Never Said Goodbye’

Premier Battle of the Stars:

Advanced:

8 and Under Small Group

1st: ‘Ave Maria’

8 and Under Large Group

1st: ‘Seasons of Love’

8 and Under Lines

2nd: ‘5,6,7,8′

8 and Under Victory Cup Champion

‘Seasons of Love’

9-11 Small Group

1st: ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’

9-11 Large Group

1st: ‘I Will Wait’

9-11 Line

1st: ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’

9-11 Victory Cup Champion

‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’

12-14 Small Group

1st: ‘Mini Skirt’

12-14 Large Group

2nd: ‘Epiphany’

12-14 Line

1st: ‘Go the Distance’

12-14 Victory Cup Champion

‘Mini Skirt’

15-19 Small Group

2nd: ‘My Way’

15-19 Large Group

2nd: ‘Hard Feelings’

15-19 Line

1st: ‘Look What You Made Me Do’

12 and Over Grand Line

1st: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

12 and Over Grand Line Victory Cup Champion

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Choice Awards:

11 and Under Choreography Award

‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’

12 and Over Choreography Award

‘Mini Skirt’

12 and Over Entertainment

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

12 and Over Choreographer of the Year

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Discovery Spotlight

Mady Justin-’Fever’

Ava Geske-’Between Lines’

Sydney Foertsch-’Mein Herr’

#expressenz #dance #2021 #starpower #orlando #nationals

[junker-town]

Team USA men’s basketball has a roster construction problem

Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

Team USA left some real holes on its roster as it heads to Tokyo.

Team USA men’s basketball is not used to losing. Since the program began using professional players starting with the 1992 Dream Team, USA Basketball has won six gold medals in the last seven Olympics. The one failure during that run — the infamous 2004 Athens Games — stands out as much as any of the wins. The bronze medal in 2004 led to a more serious approach from Team USA and started another run of dominance: after a rare loss in the 2006 World Championships to Greece, USA Basketball ran off 58 straight wins in games that count.

That streak was snapped by France in the 2019 World Cup. The USA also lost its next game to Serbia to finish seventh in that tournament. USA Basketball is now playing its first games since that disastrous World Cup performance in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, and the early results have been shockingly ugly.

USA Basketball has lost its first two exhibition games in Las Vegas before taking off for Tokyo. Nigeria stunned Team USA in its first game, and Australia beat them on Wednesday night, 91-83, to show that first L wasn’t just an off-night.

Since Gregg Popovich replaced Mike Krzyzewski as head coach, USA men’s basketball’s record sits at 9-5 if you include exhibition games. Team USA will still head into the Olympics as the favorite to win gold, but it’s clear the program has some real problems right now.

The 2019 World Cup team had an easy built in excuse: it didn’t have its best players. That isn’t an excuse any more: Kevin Durant signed on for another go with the national team, and Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Bam Adebayo, and Draymond Green joined him. When the NBA Finals are over, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday will add reinforcements. No, Team USA doesn’t have LeBron James, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, or Kyrie Irving, but it still has the most talented roster in the Olympic field by far.

Maybe that won’t matter. Team USA just lost games to teams whose best players were Gabe Vincent and Joe Ingles.

While there’s more starpower on this roster than the last World Cup team, this edition of USA Basketball still has some major issues in terms of the roster construction.

Team USA has all bucket-getters and no playmakers

Look at the USA Basketball roster heading into the Olympics. The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s full of pure scorers and lacks a lead facilitator.

Durant is a tremendous all-around player, but has always been known as the best pure scorer of his generation. Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal are score-first guards who double as two of the worst defenders among superstar-level players. Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Middleton, and Booker are each wired to score. This team has some of the best one-on-one bucket-getters alive, and feels built to play isolation basketball. That might not necessarily be a good thing.

What this roster is sorely missing is a lead playmaker who can get them out of their isolation tendencies. Four names immediately come to mind:

Trae Young

Ja Morant

LaMelo Ball

Tyrese Haliburton

Yes, all four are very early in their pro careers, with the 22-year-old Young being the oldest of the group. Each of them are terrific natural playmakers though and would immediately help a roster that needs some ball movement. As it stands, the two bigs — Green and Adebayo — might be the two best passers on the roster along with Durant.

Bringing Young or Morant off the bench behind Lillard would have been a terrific change-of-pace look when the offense got stagnant. While Ball is only 19 years old, his combination of ball handling and passing also would have helped the team right now. A lack of facilitators was a very obvious oversight on the roster from the moment it was constructed.

Team USA doesn’t have much size, either

Given that FIBA is more physical than NBA ball, it is curious why Team USA only went with one real center on the roster in Bam Adebayo. Adebayo is among the best centers in the NBA, but he’s also a bit undersized at 6’9, 255 pounds, and was starting at power forward for most of the regular season before his Miami Heat made their run to the NBA Finals in the bubble. His backups are Draymond Green, Kevin Love, Durant and Jerami Grant, and none of them are natural centers in FIBA ball.

The 2019 World Cup team had giants in Brook Lopez and Myles Turner and still came in seventh. Lopez feels like he would be an essential addition right now, while Turner is recovering from a toe injury. There aren’t a ton of good options for American-born big men out there, but we do have a few options:

Jarrett Allen

Richaun Holmes

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Evan Mobley

Onyeka Okongwu

The pickings are slim for centers once you realize that Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ruby Gobert, Clint Capela, Jusuf Nurkic, Nikola Vucevic, Deandre Ayton, Jonas Valanciunas, Al Horford, and Steven Adams were all either born outside the U.S. or have a history playing for other national teams.

Before you laugh at the thought of Jarrett Allen and Richaun Holmes saving Team USA, remember that both of those players have been more productive than Kevin Love in recent years, and are better than Mason Plumlee, who has been a staple for Team USA in the past.

Going into this tournament with only Adebayo as a true center was reckless. It likely means Durant is going to have to slide to the five for stretches, and he likely won’t enjoy the extra physicality down low. Any of these young bigs would have been more helpful to the roster than Love.

Team USA should have built with its next generation of stars in mind

USA Basketball has won gold medals during recent Olympic runs largely thanks to the commitments of the best players of this generation in James and Durant. As LeBron and KD have bought in, they’ve brought many of their superstar peers with them, starting with Harden, Irving, and Paul George.

Getting 30-something stars in Durant, Lillard, and Green as well as the 28-year-old Beal was nice for the program, but it could have used some young blood on the bench to set up the program for the future.

Zion Williamson is the biggest miss. Trae Young, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball would have also added some youthful energy while filling a big need on the roster. Those guys could be the centerpieces of USA Basketball rosters moving forward by having them come off the bench this year, but instead this squad mostly has veterans on the bench.

Tatum and Booker and LaVine could be staples for Team USA in the future, but it feels like the younger generation starting with Zion would have been more influential as Team USA builds rosters going forward. Not getting their buy-in this time around could hurt in both the short-term and the long-term.

USA Basketball may still go unbeaten in Tokyo. They should win gold even as the rest of the world has improved and caught up. Whatever happens, there were some serious oversights in constructing a roster that aimed to win with iso ball. It’s going to be a long summer for everyone involved if these exhibition losses are a sign of things to come in Tokyo.