I Bet We'd Have Really Good Bed Chem
My professor era. Sabrina Carpenter's perfect new album. So Long, London. Oasis reunites, definitely maybe? Harry + Niall. Fashion from Venice. Blink Twice. Chimp Crazy + lots more.
Hi hi hi.
I’m backkkkkkkk. I’ve been extremely brat1 about this space for the past couple months. Oops.
But we’re in back-to-school mode now, so we’re putting this train back on the tracks.
I always feel like this is the time of year when I like to rest, not January 1. That’s always been the case because…school nerd. Few things make me as happy as buying new notebooks and pens.
This week I ACTUALLY went back to school, but on the other side of the desk this time around. Yes, I’ve officially entered my Professor Era.
I cannot remember how much detail I’ve mentioned previously, but I developed a course called “Pop Culture, Storytelling & Media” that I’m teaching at the Media School at Indiana University in Bloomington this semester.
This is the formal course description. It’s an upper-level class, so juniors and seniors.
This course is designed to provide students with a strong foundation for discovering and honing their own voices in the modern (and ever-changing) media landscape through the lens of pop culture. Students will be introduced to the recent history of mediums that are no longer as prominent—like print media—and their importance in shaping popular culture, while also investigating and critiquing newer platforms and less traditional subjects and methods of storytelling and expression. Students will explore content creation through various lenses, influences, and creators while examining what “success” looks like in the modern landscape and how one can create an adaptable skill set to weather future industry shifts.
We’ve now got week one under our belts and I’m fully loving it and feeling challenged and inspired in a whole new way that is pretty exhilarating. And, of course, all my own overachiever perfectionist school tendencies are right back at the surface. I just want to deliver a class where everyone can learn a ton of context to content (both current and near-past) and skills that are applicable now and in the future—while also having a lot of fun.
Big Ms. Stroud from Dazed and Confused vibes.
I loved picking out my first week of school outfits + will be documenting the aesthetic on an IG Highlight. For myself, as always—but for anyone else who wants to take a look.
Bloomington is just the most quintessential, charming college town and I looooove that I get to be down at IU a couple times a week. Plus, the Media School is in Franklin Hall which is a gorgeous old building in, like, the best spot on campus imo.
(Hiiiiii to any of my new students who might be reading this.)
Not to worry, I’m very much showing up as my authentic self to class. So they’ve already had a glimpse of my, well, whole thing lol.
A sampling of the lil intro deck I made to set a bit of the tone—and show that you can insert your voice and POV into any piece of content. Lots of that can also be found in my syllabus which incorporates WHN pink, my favorite emojis, song titles, Taylor’s birthday, and TPWK just to name a few Abbyisms.
Anyway, week one was a blast and the class is already very engaged. I can’t wait to get deeper into all of our topics—and welcome some super dope guest speakers along the way.
Let’s Play Catchup, Shall We?
I have missed my WHN people and I’m so glad to be “with” you all, as well as back to consuming content at high volumes again. I really did summer with a lot less screen time this year and that was very good for me, indeed.
Before we dive into the rest, my friend Elizabeth launched a Substack called Daytimers that I think many of you will enjoy. Check it out and subscribe!
Emily in Paris
Oui oui! I love this dumbass show. It is candy in that it tastes great and offers you no substance. We all need things like this in our lives. Just let it wash over you and don’t try to apply logic about how anything works in the world of this show.
The first half of S4 is on Netflix with the rest arriving on 9/12.
If you’d like to dive deep into the inanity of the EIP universe, along with its fashions, my girls Jessica + Heather have fabulous recaps over on Drinks With Broads.
Also, Heather tried Blake Lively’s hair products so we don’t have to. (I had some notes that you can find here, but had not seen them irl or tried anything.) Thank you for your service, H.
American Murder: Laci Peterson
Of course I watched this. But I’m not sure I learned anything I didn’t know before, though I’d forgotten some details because IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO. HOWWWWWW???
A Discovery of Witches
I have been talking about ADOW for almost as long as We Have Notes has existed. Here’s what I wrote back in February 2019 when this thing was on TinyLetter (hence the weird formatting on Substack if you click through):
A Discovery of Witches on Shudder/Sundance Now—which I figured out you can access via Prime Video on your SmartTV if you're a Gen Xer like me who would prefer not to watch things on a 13-inch MacBook Air when there is a 55-inch TV in the room.
I've been obsessed with this book series by Deborah Harkness for years. There are witches and vampires and demons and it's set in amazing European locales like the Bodleian Libraries at Oxford. (And it's not YA, for any of you opposed to such things, even though you're missing out on so much goodness if you are.) The Brit TV adaptation is now streaming here and I'm currently four eps in. The lead witch named Diana Bishop, is played by Teresa Palmer, who now might finally have a role that will replace her as "a girl who once dated Scott Speedman" in my brain. (I'm giving her a pass on an Aussie accent that fades in and out as she plays an American due in part to my love of her sweaters and coats.) And then there's the sexy vampire, Matthew Clairmont, as played by my longtime bae Matthew Goode who was last seen seducing Princess Margaret on The Crown and drinking with Welsh bae Matthew Rhys on their wine show, called The Wine Show. YUM. YUM. YUM. Also, Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) from ER is Diana's lesbian witch Aunt Sarah. Listen, the show's not going to win any Emmys, but I'm already sucked back into this world and l.o.v.i.n.g. it.
Well, it just got a lot easier to watch. No excuses left. It’s on Netflix now. Also, I cannot recommend the books enough either. The aforementioned Elizabeth is also a longtime fan of the novels.
Blink Twice
I went to the theater last weekend to see Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice—which was originally title Pussy Island. (She also co-wrote the psychological thriller with a dash of horror.) This is where she and Channing Tatum got together and it also stars Naomi Ackie, Alia Shawkat, Adria Arjona, Christian Slater, Simon Rex (!), Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Kyle McLachlan, and Levon Hawke2 .
I don’t want to say too much about the plot because you’re better off not knowing a lot going in. But here’s the trailer.
I think it was a very strong debut for Zoe as a director and I was totally entertained the whole time. There is a lot of excellent stuff in there. It looks fantastic and some of the performances are quite good. I’m excited to see what she does next.
I think thematically (and here’s where I really don’t want to give stuff away) it was a bit surface-level and on the nose in what it was trying to say about culture and feminism and whatnot. Like it thought it was making more of a deep statement than it really was. That said, it was much more successful around those same themes than Don’t Worry Darling was—or tried to be. Plus, the movie makes hella more sense.
It was also wildly more successful in terms of the vibes of the press tour. The Blink Twice cast has been an utter delight in every clip I’ve seen and I would very much love to hang with Zoe and Channing.
Industry
Season 3 is back on HBO/Max at last. It’s been a minute and I’m so glad these morally compromised, damaged heathens are back doing their thing in the world of London finance. If you’ve not watched, get on this immediately and don’t worry if you can’t understand the deals these people are making. We know I hate numbies and outside of understanding the basics of an IPO, there is much lingo lost on me—but it doesn’t matter. Promise.
You will also have to go week-by-week for the new season (in true HBO fashion) and I love this for us.
Chimp Crazy
OMG. WHO IS WATCHING THIS? I mean, the ratings are saying a lot of us are but my god what a ride this has been so far. It’s by the same dude who did Tiger King and these chimp people are also batshit, as you can imagine.
This woman calls herself the “Dolly Parton of chimps” which…no. She is terrifying to me. And she does things like this.
Also, Alan Cumming is here? I had no idea he was a chimp advocate, but we learn new things every day. I need more episodes immediately. (They air on Sundays.)
Retweet.
On both these videos. I swear I didn’t think I could love Tim Walz more, but I was wrong. The other is just some additional pop culture truth-telling.
They Stopped Marding, Matty
Well, for now.
That’s right. Oasis is doing a mini European tour next year. Or they say they’re going to.
I mean, who knows if they can last more than a show or two without imploding once more—but we shall see. My guess is American dates will come if the Gallaghers can indeed keep their shit together.
If you know a singular thing about those two, um, don’t hold your breath for a show at MetLife. All the responses in my DMs around how long they’d last cracked me up. We know these knuckleheads all too well at this point.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow + I can only imagine the levels of bloodbath that’s about to transpire. They did institute some kind of code system wherein you had to answer some questions for a chance at one. I am not a diehard Oasis fan, but went for one on behalf of my friend Jenn. No luck.
✨We are manifesting for her currently ✨
(UPDATE 8/31: She got tickets!!!!!!!!!)
Anyway, the internet has been doing its thing and I’ve enjoyed it very much. I love watching men spiral after mocking us for doing the same over and over again re: things we love. Have fun, bros!
Godspeed to all going into battle in the morning.
Friends Forever
Speaking of British bands that large swaths of the population would like to see reunited, 2/5 of 1D was publicly in the same space this week + Directioners spun out across the globe.
In reality, a man went to see his friend’s show—as one does.But when one of those men is Harry Styles and the other is Niall Horan, it’s a whole thing. A whole adorable ass thing.
Even though we know these two have always stayed tight since the band. It’s not like Zayn popped up at a Niall show out of nowhere. There are people who might not have survived that, frankly.
Niall also went to Love On Tour at Wembley in 2022—and got a hug from Harry’s big sis, Gemma. So, again, this was not entirely random or unexpected.
So, the British Fruit Witch went to Nialler’s Manchester show3 with his mum, hugged Niall’s dad, and was generally just a delightful fanboy.
“Sometimes babygirl is a 30-year-old man…”
A few of my favorite Niall/Harry throwbacks for good measure.
One thing H is always going to do is cheer for his friends like nobody’s biz with some whistling and his lil dancey-dance.
He gets it from his darling mother who posted, “Great show, kiddo” to Niall and I just…to you I can admit, I’m just too soft for all of it.
Related: Sarah and Mitch had their second baby 🥹. Congrats, kids.
I still think we’re more than likely gearing up for an announcement about HS4 (and possibly a first single) before the end of the year.
And, no, he did not ride by me on a Lime bike whilst I was across the pond. But here’s some excellent reportage work by my friend Jessica from when I got out my phone after high tea at Brown’s and discovered that monster was spotted walking around London with my beloved Haim sisters.
Before: Mindful, demure, cutesy4.
After: The face of a woman who is like, “that fucking monster…with the HAIMS TOO?”
Edited, so as not to put anyone else on fangirl blast.
If Taylor fancies herself the fourth Haim sister, I parasocially insert myself as the fictional fifth, a new big sis5. The one who can’t carry a tune, but totally has the hair for it.
Just saying…
What a Valiant Roar. What a Bland Goodbye.
Bennifer 2.0 finally left the building while I was away. Not that we all didn’t see that coming for months now. It really did limp to ye olde finish line, didn’t it?
I think both of these people are very messy Leos, in different ways. As we know, I ride for Ben no matter what because I can’t help myself and I honestly don’t care who did what in this situation anyway.
But I do have sone questions that have been swirling around my frenetic brain:
Does J. Lo have The Tortured Poets Department on repeat? There are 31 tracks on there that I feel like you could deeply relate to right now, Jenny. I’d just go straight through, but if you need a starter pack, here are my recs:
loml (def check out the live from Paris version too)
The Manuscript
How Did It End?
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
The Bolter
Down Bad
The Tortured Poets Department
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
Peter
I Can Do It with a Broken Heart
How many times will they get back together and break up? What I will say is that self-funded double feature situation of Jennifer’s was no Furious Love6.
Ben, Kick Kennedy? Really? I very much hope this isn’t true. Her dad obvs sucks, but that’s not her fault. However, this is TOO Hollywood by way of Boston in a deeply uncool way.
Is Matt Damon psyched? I feel like he’s a hard pass on Jenny from the Block. Ditto, Luciana.
What do Jen Garner and her boyfriend text about all of this? Do JG and Marc Anthony have a What’s App thread?
Who is J. Lo going to date next and how quickly? If her pattern holds, it won’t be long. No judgment there, it’s just how it usually goes with her.
Finally, did anyone have the nerve to tell her, “I told you so” about that film project/documentary of their love?
La Moda de Venezia
Fashion is fashioning over in Venice right now for the annual film festival. Here are some highlights for me so far. As always, bless Check the Tag for being so fast and thorough in their coverage.
If Cate is around, you know you’re in for a good and interesting time.
One of the things I love about Taylor Russell is that she doesn’t shy away from a big fashion moment.
Welcome back, Ang7. This is not the hair (or dress) color I’d choose for you, but that’s just me and you are forever insanely gorgeous.
This feels very classic Angelina.
This vibe is a little obvious for Winona promoting the Beetlejuice sequel, but she has earned the right to do whatever the fuck she wants. Winona Forever.
Yeah, this is a slay.
Related:
I’d have styled the hair differently, but this is gorge.
This Rodarte is heaven on #1 Olivia.
Also, lol.
Short n’ Sweet n’ Clever n’ Cheeky n’ Horny n’ Perfect
Sabrina Carpenter’s new album—Short n’ Sweet—dropped last Friday and I. AM. OBSESSED. It is absolutely delicious, delightful, winking pop perfection that has such a point-of-view and is filled with fantastic writing.
It’s dirty and crackling with humor. Sabrina isn’t being self-serious (bless), but that doesn’t mean she isn’t self-aware or self-deprecating. There’s such a confidence to her and the music, but it’s never off-putting.
It’s got a buoyancy and a lightness, while also getting to the heart of some shit that girls deal with. And this particular girlie isn’t afraid of a dick joke or being horny. Though it doesn’t come off as pick-me or trying to say, “I’m cool because I fuck” … one of my biggest icks in a person.
She co-wrote the whole album with Amy Allen and worked with Jack Antonoff, who we ofc know well around these parts, on a number of tracks. Also in the mix are Julian Bunetta, a pop-producing god to me for all his 1D stuff. See also: John Ryan. Julia Michaels has a couple co-writing credits, too. It’s giving dream team.
I cannot stop listening. And you can go front-to-back in just 36 minutes. There are a ton of musical influences from ‘90s R&B to Dolly to Joni to Kacey to synth-pop to Mariah to Lana and so much more. But it also all feels very Sabrina.
What a time to be alive for all of us who love pop and pop girlies.
This is, of course, the album from whence singles like “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” come, so I won’t get into those any further. We already love them around these parts.
If you’ve paid attention to Sabrina at all (or just her live “Nonsense” outros), you will know she is very smart and very funny. That shines BRIGHT on Short n’ Sweet.
There are legit no skips on this album. It makes me SO happy with every listen. Should that scare us? Perhaps…
Let’s go through some tracks + the lyrics that are just *chef’s kiss* amazing.
“Bed Chem”
This is my current hyperfixation and we’ve been here since the first listen. I see no signs of this changing anytime soon. The ‘80s/‘90s pop-synth and the Scorpio English major-coded lyrical word play are a drug to me.
The wordplay throughout this album is just pure bliss.
I was in a sheer dress the day that we met
We were both in a rush, we talked for a sec
Your friend hit me up so we could connect
And what are the odds? You send me a text
And now the next thing I know, I’m like
Manifest that you’re oversized
I digress, got me scrollin’ like
Out of breath, got me goin’ like
Who’s the cute boy with the white jacket and the thick accent?
Maybe it’s all in my head
But I bеt we’d have really good bеd chem
How you pick me up, pull ’em down, turn me ’round
Oh, it just makes sense
How you talk so sweet when you’re doin’ bad things
That’s bed chem
How you’re lookin’ at me, yeah, I know what that means
And I’m obsessed
Are you free next week?
This is the moment for me. BRILLIANT.
I bet we’d have really good…
Come right on me, I mean camaraderie
Said you’re not in my timezone, but you wanna be
Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?
See it in my mind, let’s fulfill the prophecy
Stop it. It’s so good. The TikTok edits are everything and I was waiting for the youths to make one about one particular white jacketed outfit…and they did.
I don’t there was much question who this one was actually about, but…
Also, lol I love Matt and Bowen (and DC) so much.
“Taste”
This is the lead track and the next single, complete with a MV starring Jenna Ortega and references to Death Becomes Her and Psycho. It’s a total bop.
This is maybe about the love triangle with Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello and I just don’t understand what this man is giving, but oh well. She’s said that the album title obviously plays on her petite stature, but also how short relationships sometimes affect you the most, which is very true.
The song is perfectly-crafted lyrically. Nothing in this album gets overcomplicated in the writing and I appreciate that so much.
Oh, I leave quite an impression
Five feet to be exact
You’re wonderin’ why half his clothes went missin’
My body’s where they’re atNow I’m gone, but you’re still layin’
Next to me, one degree of separationI heard you’re back together and if that’s true
You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you
If you want forever, I bet you do
Just know you’ll taste me too
“Lie to Girls”
This one gets right to the heart of the matter in a way that I know will resonate with so many.
Welp, yep.
I've never seen an ugly truth that I can't bend
To something that looks better
I'm stupid, but I'm clever
Yeah, I can make a shitshow look a whole lot like forever and ever
And then she just lays it out plain and simple:
You don't have to lie to girls
If they like you, they'll just lie to themselves
I love this, even if I hate how universally correct she is.
It's lucky for you I'm just like
My mother (And my sisters)
All my (All my friends)
The girl outside the strip club getting her tarot cards read
We love to read the cold, hard facts and swear they're incorrect
We love to mistake butterflies for cardiac arrest
“Slim Pickins”
So much of the writing on this album is like outwardly hornier Kacey Musgraves in how much she is able to play with language in a way that sounds simple, but is actually a very difficult and complex thing to do. This one in particular, though, had to make Kacey smile.
Nary a note to be found.
Jesus, what's a girl to do?
This boy doesn't even know the difference between "there", "their", and "they are"
Yet, he's naked in my room
Missin' all the things he's missin', God knows that he isn't livin' large
A boy who's nice, that breathes
I swear, he's nowhere to be seen
It's slim pickins
If I can't have the one I love, I guess it's you that I'll be kissin'
Just to get my fixins
Since the good ones are deceased or taken
I'll just keep on moanin' and bitchin'
Moanin' and bitchin'
And a lament for the straight girlies which made me legit laugh out loud.
Since the good ones call their exes wasted
And since the Lord forgot my gay awakening
Then I'll just be here in the kitchen
Servin' up some moanin' and bitchin'
Dumb & Poetic
Did this feel like a personal attack/diary entry? A lil bit. I love it.
You're so dumb and poetic
It's just what I fall for, I like the aesthetic
Every self-help book, you've already read it
Cherry-pick lines like they're words you invented
Gold star for hi-brow manipulation
And, "Love everyone," is your favorite quotation
Try to come off like you're soft and well-spoken
Jack off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen
Also:
You're so empathetic, you'd make a great wife
And I promise the mushrooms aren't changing your life
“Juno”
This song is so fucking funny. Bless tiny Brina.
I showed my friends, then we high-fived
Sorry if you feel objectified
Can't help myself, hormones are high
Give me more than just some butterflies
I know you want my touch for life
If you love me right, then who knows?
I might let you make me Juno
You know I just
Might let you lock me down tonight
One of me is cute, but two, though?
Give it to me, baby
You make me wanna make you fall in love
Oooooh, another great edit.
“Good Graces”
Cool. A new Scorpio anthem8.
(Even though the internet tells me she doesn’t have any Scorpio in her chart. WHAT?)
When I love you, I'm sweet like an angel
Drawin' hearts 'round our names
And dreamin' of writing vows, rockin' cradles
Don't mistake my nice for naive
I don't waste a second, I know lots of guys
You do somethin' suspect, this cute ass bye-bye
Baby, you say you really like it being mine?
So let me give you some advice
Boy, it's not that complicated
You should stay in my good graces
Or I'll switch it up like that so fast
'Cause no one's more amazin'
At turnin' lovin' into hatred
Boy, it's not that complicated
You should stay in my good graces
Or I'll switch it up like that (Like that) so fast (So fast)
'Cause no one's more amazin'
At turnin' lovin' into hatred
I won't give a fuck about you
I won't give a fuck about you
I won't give a fuck about you
That was cool
I won't give a fuck about you
I won't give a fuck about you
I won't give a fuck about you
I'll tell the world you finish your chores prematurely
Break my heart and I swear I'm movin' on
With your favorite athlete
Shoot his shot every night
I won’t get into the last few here, but the rest of the tracks are fab, too. Enjoy this confident smart DTF extremely cool but not obnoxious pop dream.
Eras Tour Diary: London
Ugh, London was incredible in every way. Whenever I go, I feel like I must live there for some chunk of time. But this trip the pull was the strongest it’s ever been. I was very much thriving across the pond and the universe kept giving signs that I was exactly where I was supposed to be at each moment, which is a rare gift in this life. Many, of course, were linked to pop culture—because I am me and that’s sort of the main realm where my powers exist currently 😜
Shout-out to my girls Jessica, Rebecca, and Beth and our delightful Mews house in Notting Hill that happened to be situated next to the studio where Adele laid down the tracks for 21, an album that came out right around when I met Jess at Marie Claire. It’s the XL Recording offices and studio, or at least some offices. They’re an indie label with super groovy acts, past and present. Currently they’ve got all things Thom Yorke (solo/The Smile/Radiohead) or Sigur Rós and I’m just going to pretend like Fontaines D.C. recorded at least some of their new album there. I don’t know if that’s true, but it could be since they’re on the label.
Sidebar: The album is called Romance and it came out last Friday too. I dig it a lot and it makes me nostalgic for a lot of stuff from my teens. Like some great ‘90s alt-rock vibes. My current go-to song is “Death Kink”.
Anyway, this was obviously a sign. Duh. And the amazing mural on the wall made a lot more sense.
We also had a Suki Waterhouse sighting at lunch Monday(with the baby! and her v v attractive parents!) after she opened the Saturday night Eras show I went to in gorge Chloé. We had just been discussing the dress and the Chloé wedges I’ve been coveting since the show + almost purchased more than once.
Hmmmm, that was giving me a sign that says SHOES. Then when the tarot deck made it clear in no uncertain terms that Rebecca (a my-level Swiftie) and I should NOT pay an obscene amount of money for the Tuesday night show, she said, “If we really don’t do it, you get the shoes.”
I’m not kidding that my deck left nothing up for interpretation on the matter of tickets for that night.
My pull:
Rebecca’s pull:
Anyway, I got the shoes and I love them so so so much. If you’ve been here for a minute, you know how deep my Chloé love goes and how happy I am to see the brand back in true form after just the first season under designer Chemena Kamali.
(Yes, she’s also doing the fab Kamala suits.)
PREVIOUSLY ON WHN: A Few of My Favorite Phoebe Philo Fashion Moments
Back to the shoes that are SO much lighter than expected. It’s like sorcery.
Just one of the girls now.
This is what I wrote about them back in March. You can read the rest of my notes about that glorious show here.
Not one, but two, of my friends responded with a version of “that’s you if you were a shoe” when I texted them the pics and I felt so seen.
Also, thanks to the v. cool and lovely Alice at the Chloé boutique in Harrod’s who had my size sent over while I was at the V+A. A true gem. (Go to the Naomi Campbell exhibit at the museum if you’re in London!)
I love that they had the mannequin on the floor. Iconic. No notes.
Okay, so now the Taylor of it all. (If you want any of my other London recs from this trip, hit me up and I’ll share other stuff we did, things I bought, etc.)
Wembley N49 (aka Thursday 8/15)
I was not in attendance at this show but my friend Ashleigh and a bunch of the other Swifties I met through her for Nashville N2 were, so I was thrilled they got the Ed Sheeran guest appearance we’ve been waiting for all tour.
I watched it on a grainy livestream at the airport and may or may not have teared up.
🎸: “Everything Has Changed” x “End Game” x “Thinking Out Loud”
🎹: “King of My Heart” x “The Alchemy”
I was fine with missing these but they sounded great.
Wembley N5
🎸: “London Boy”
There were many who thought she’d never play this song, but I was absolutely not one of them. It’s a fun one and she didn’t mash it up. She really gave each night in London a little something special.
🎹: “Dear John” x “Sad Beautiful Tragic”
Welp, yeah it was very much sad and beautiful.
Wembley N6
MY SHOW!!!!! I went solo to this one in a vibe that was Rep with a dash of TTPD. The wall was a great backdrop for the best tour photog around to do her thing. Jess, how do we turn this into a full-time situation?!?
You alway have to get a famous Wembley shot too.
The view was excellent. Finding Seat Unique when looking for my Harry tix for his first solo Wembley shows in 2022 has proved so helpful. They are my go-to for all shows there now.
My cutie seat bestie who was also solo and def was looking out for me during my standard “Marjorie” breakdown.
A couple main set clips for those who enjoy such things.
🎸: “I Did Something Bad”
The lone song from Reputation that she hadn’t played on tour when we were already low-key to high-key clowning about Rep (TV)? Yeah, she always knows what she’s doing. But also, this was special in terms of Eras Tour lore and she knew that, too.
“I never trust a narcissist, but they love me…” made us all lose our minds.
🎹: “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” x “Coney Island”
I live for all things Evermore so getting “Coney Island” was magical. And MBOBHFT has very much grown on me since the album first dropped and it was incredible live/in this pairing I wouldn’t have ever expected.
Wembley N7
Um, ALSO MY SHOW. Oops.
So this was the one the three friends I was with were going to and in what my friend Ashleigh called “the biggest lock since Katie Ledecky” I obviously procured myself a last minute ticket. It was NOT the most insane price (though I’m definitely wildly warped about such things) and it was a sick seat around some of the best vibes ever at any show I’ve ever been to, Taylor or otherwise.
All ages! My favorite!
I had obviously brought sartorial options for other shows and decided to exorcise some tortured poet demons by wearing the same exact slip dress I had on the night I met mine. Plus a bra strap headband and a Miu Miu bag I bought at a sample sale back then/one of my first true designer bags.
You can go real deep on all that jazz in my deeeeeeeeeep dive into TTPD and my own past…but that night was also when I went to the premiere of Notting Hill.
And what just happened to be literally around the corner from our place? The bookstore. SIGNS.
Oh, and one of my college friends and her daughter were literally in the same section so they popped over for a photo pre-”It’s been a long time coming…” MORE SIGNS.
Over the course of two shows seeing that TTPD set live, feelings were purged and healing was done.
Just fully across that whole stadium of 92,000 people each night. It was palpable. That new set will change you on a cellular level. It is everything in a show that’s already everything.
Thank god I didn’t miss these surprise song combos. She always knows what you need even if you think you want something else. It was perfectly Abby-coded throughout.
🎸: “Long Live” x “Change”
I had not yet seen LL on this particular tour. I was there when she announced Speak Now (TV) but my Chicago show was before it came out and she added it to the set list for a while. “Change” is a fabulous song—and they filmed the music video here in Indianapolis. Witch shit.
🎹: “The Archer” x “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
I can hardly put into words what all of this meant to me. While “The Archer” was on the main setlist before TTPD, she didn’t sing a huge section of the song and getting it acoustic on the piano was beyond. The words to both of these resonate deep in ny soul.
You can watch me realize YOYOK is happening in real time because I obviously have no shame at this point in life.
Wembley N8
The end of the Europe leg! Taylor brought Florence Welch out for “Florida!” and given that there was full production around it, I think this song is now a permanent part of the TTPD set for the final run of shows. Not that Florence will always be there, but the song will. I think.
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🎸: “Death by a Thousand Cuts” x “Getaway Car”
It’s Jack time! This was so fun to watch. I love these cornballs together and I love both of these songs in a big way.
But I’m extremely happy that I have my Chloé shoes and had a blast watching this in a bar with my friend Sophie (who was also in London for TS + Noah Kahan, but I met with the Nashville N2 crew!) A couple other ladies saw us watching and then we all got into a really incredible convo. Fandom, man, it can really be the best.
🎹: “So Long London”
We knew this one was coming + and it still hit hard. Weepy hard.
I miss it all so much already. But, Indy awaits.
There are a few more Swiftian bits to cover but there’s already too much in here today, so we’ll talk Swifties for Kamala and the Coldplay/Maggie covers and the new MV et al next week.
Oh, and…
How dare the NYT ask if Alexa Chung still has “It” in this headline? She will forever be the coolest + and I am certainly sat for the first drop from her Madewell collab next week… It makes total sense that Leslie Fremar is consulting with/maybe fully styling Kamala Harris … A One Tree Hill sequel series is in development and I will watch the fuck out of it, even if it is terrible (which it probably will be) … I’m fairly obsessed with this cover shoot Madeline Argy did for The Face … Willa Bennett from Highsnobiety has been named editor-in-chief of Cosmo + Seventeen. I’m extremely interested to see what she does with these brands. I really hope Hearst lets her book and doesn’t try to be all legacy publishing house about it all, as per usual … We have a poster for the Timmy Chalamet as Bob Dylan movie.
Until next week, why is this video about what astrological signs rooms in a house are so spot-on?
xA
Charli’s on the cover of NY Mag, shot by David LaChappelle + being extremely Charli (complimentary) in the interview.
Yes, that would be the nepo son of Uma Thurman + Ethan Hawke; brother of Maya
He also owns a stake in this venue, Co-Op Live. Holmes Chapel, where Harry grew up and his mom still lives, is outside Manchester.
I know we’ve moved on from this now, but in that moment it was spot-on + not done to death by the inter webs.
I recommend this book about Liz + Dick to everyone I know, all the time. I’ve read it twice + am probably due to revisit it once more. It’s delicious. My friend Rakesh edited it!
She’s playing Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria. He also directed Jackie with Natalie Portman and Spencer with Kristen Stewart.
Note to self: Make a Scorpio anthem playlist. Why on earth don’t you have one yet, Abby?
The Wembley dates from June are N1-N3.
My son is a Senior at IU (Kelley). I begged him for two years to take any of the History of Rock and Roll classes (he knows 80s pop from me and 70s rock from his father), but he didn’t have time. If I was a student again I probably would have majored in Media Studies or Library Sciences and taken your class for sure!
I am kitchen. Kitchen is me. ✨