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#the whole world witnessing pals giving each other love bites
pla-teau · 3 years
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LOKI EPISODE FOUR : THE NEXUS EVENT
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GIF CREDIT TO: @luke-skywalker SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!
SYLVIE | there's a lot to process in the short time we get of young sylvie. it didn't seem like she was doing anything that caused a nexus event. when we see her, she's simply playing with her toys on asgard. sylvie asks about what her crime was later on with renslayer but it's never clear cut as to what she did. the only thing we know is that she escaped from renslayer which is why she's so hell bent on capturing and pruning sylvie. i have a certain thought on this later.
WE SURVIVE | the words loki tells sylvie just when she’s given up and accepted that she’ll die on lamentis. that’s what makes loki a loki - yes, he fails over and over again but each and every time we’ve witnessed his ‘death’ he comes back or when things seem to possibly end for his story, loki still manages to survive.
LAMENTIS | based on the namesake of the episode, this is the nexus event that caused them to be found but what was it? personally, from watching the episode and keeping in mind that this is 2012!loki, i think that the nexus event was hope and acceptance between them. i think there’s genuine hope despite being stuck on a doomed planet about to become smaller flying rocks in space. in every apocalypse so far, we’ve seen that basically anticipating and accepting the end of the world doesn’t cause a breach in the timeline because what is there to hope for? it’s all going to be destroyed anyway no matter the little fake hope you have inside yourself telling you that everything is going to be alright. loki and sylvie up to this point haven’t had that kind of hope before ever in their lives. with the acceptance part, i think it's self-acceptance and acceptance of their roles in the universe. roll with me here, loki throughout the mcu has never accepted his fate or what's supposed to happen; he's always fighting it and trying to come out on top as a ruler of people whether it's earth, asgard and sakaar. he doesn't accept to not be a ruler or on the losing side of a battle against earth's mightiest heroes and at odds with the other marvel characters. he doesn't fully accept himself either because he didn't know he was adopted until at least one thousand years later and he couldn't accept that he wasn't destined for something other than a shadow or simply his title as the god of mischief. it made a lot more sense in my head tbh. a lot of people freaking out about this moment being loki falling in love with sylvie/himself but i don't think that's it. loki for once genuinely cares about someone else and i think it's platonic cause while i have little faith in the mouse house giving us more than confirmation that loki is bisexual, i don't think they'd make loki fall in love with himself.
LOKI'S TIME CELL | a nostalgic reveal we get is sif in this looped time cell plucked from loki's memory. apparently, he cut off a chunk of her hair because he thought it would be funny. in typical sif fashion, she proceeds to beat him up in retaliation as well of sharing some biting words. it's interesting how after a few loops and knees to the nuts, loki apologizes to sif about the prank and admits that he's afraid of being alone and acts narcissistic and like a pompous asshole if you will because of this fear. i think this is a bigger break through of his character than the one we saw in the first episode because he's admitting it to someone from his life that he highly respected but acted like a child to her to get her attention even if it was negative. i wish for more vulnerable loki moments because it continues to prove that loki isn't just the god of mischief, he can be more (as thor said in ragnarok).
MOBIUS VS LOKI | honestly, this whole interrogation scene screamed mobius being jealous of loki making pals with sylvie and i loved it. what i like is that mobius does air the sentiment that we all have in our heads after realizing that loki and sylvie did somehow click to create the nexus event. it's narcissism to the max. again, i think loki truly cares for sylvie in a platonic or even a familial sense since they both don't make connections too often with others (romantic or platonic).
HUNTER B-15 | i was wondering what happened with her after her run in with sylvie at the roxxcart supermarket. clearly, sylvie unlocked a memory within her subconscious as well and is starting to doubt herself. we don't see what memory of hers it was but it's enough to make her break protocol and go against the TVA later on in the episode. in conclusion, we have no choice but to stan this queen. also seems like she wasn't reset in that final battle so we'll hopefully see her in the next episode.
RAVONNA & MOBIUS | their friendship is put to the test in this episode. while being of a higher position than mobius, ravonna does seem to care deeply for mobius. she said so herself, she wants to protect mobius...but from the truth instead of the false danger about sylvie that she's filling his head with. ravonna clearly knows a lot more than she's letting on and that the TVA is an elaborate lie. i think she wants to protect mobius from the truth because she doesn't seem to have other close friendships like the one with him. it's also clear she cares for him when he's pruned (supposedly!) by another hunter. also, there's this other analyst/field agent mobius always brings up when we see them in her office so i wonder if it's someone who also knows about the grand lie the TVA is or is even some alternate variant of kang the conqueror who we know is supposed to be introduced in the third ant-man movie. it'd be interesting to see if kang is teased one way or another in the final two episodes.
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU DESERVE TO BE ALONE? | the question mobius poses to loki when he starts to believe that they may be telling the truth. it's an interesting question to pose because we've been hearing it and have seen it throughout the mcu with loki. the time loop loki's stuck in, sif tells him that he'll always be alone. throughout the mcu, loki has been alone in his plans and mischief despite being surrounded by his family, his future enemies, and his people. loki has known nothing but being on his own, being his own island of chaos. as sylvie put it earlier, they're a product of the universe trying to break free, chaos. mobius knows that this nexus event has something to do with the two of them, for once, accepting that they're not alone or that they're not just a cosmic mistake, there's hope for them to be whatever they want and not just confined to their mischievous roles.
RAVONNA & SYLVIE | in the elevator, sylvie confronts ravonna about her crime as a child. it's something everyone wants to know, what does a young loki have to do to be charged and reset by the TVA? ravonna seems to know that this something she can leverage and torture sylvie with so she claims to not remember. sylvie says that it must've been important and severe enough to mess up the sacred timeline. maybe she wasn't supposed to know that she was adopted until later in her life like our loki. she's supposed to be causing trouble and be this terrible villain but what if with sylvie knowing her true parentage at such an early age, she learned to accept herself/identity and made peace with it. that's another thing that could've caused the nexus event between the two, they had found self-acceptance even at just the brink of death. maybe they're supposed to do so but later in their lives in their own timelines so that's why it's enough to destroy the TVA as mobius hinted at earlier. happy that sylvie decided to keep ravonna for information so i expect the next episode to have them in ravonna's office or still in the timekeeper chambers as ravonna tells us what is going on.
THE TIMEKEEPERS | when sylvie beheads the central timekeeper, we learn that they're mindless androids. it never ends, there's no throne to sit upon after killing them so it seems. it was all just a giant hoax but this further feeds into my personal theory that kang, one way or another, is behind all of this. what i find really interesting is how the other two timekeepers laugh when sylvie beheads one. whoever is behind controlling the fake androids, they have a way to see what is happening and communicate in real time with the TVA agents and variants. hopefully in the final two episodes we see what the hell is going on and how the TVA came to be and why.
LOKI POST CREDIT SCENE | so apparently, loki isn't reset or something of the sorts. he's actually sent to another world. i believe this is an alternate new york where we'll see president loki as you can see the remains of the old avengers tower. this makes me think about mobius' fate to be similar to loki's; possibly sent to either the same place or a similar world. we see three human new lokis here. from the credits, we have classic loki (richard e. grant), kid loki (jack veal), and boastful loki (deobia oparei). apparently there's also a crocodile!loki and i'm here for it. can't wait to see how our favorite variant gets out of it next week!
oh god, this was so rusty and unorganized but hope if whoever reads this can somewhat understand the points i'm trying to get across.
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mojofun · 4 years
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Remus Lupin and the Half-Assed Attempt at Flirting (Remus Lupin x OC)
Hello y’all. This is a new entry for a new writing challenge I’m participating in. It was launched by @iliveiloveiwrite and I want to give them a shoutout not only for hitting 500 but also for the wonderful prompts! Thank you :) The prompt for this story was “This is the part where you ask me out an I say yes”. I took inspiration from the scene in the Half-Blood Prince (as evidenced by the title) when Slughorn makes them prepare the Daught of Living Death in class. I decided to write about Remus Lupin because there are many stories about Sirius flirting and also about James importuning Lily (I love that couple ;) ) so I though I should study Remus’ behaviour in this hostile environment. That said, I hope you enjoy the story :)
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Gif not mine, credits to @ministryofmagiclondon​
<<Good morning, class>> Professor Slughorn chimed, letting his gaze skim over the students in the potions room, some awake some half-asleep <<Today we are going to host a little competition>>
James nudged Sirius, who awoke with a start
<<Uh? What’s up, Prongs?>>
<<Shush you two>> Remus rebuked, making his friends roll their eyes
<<Goody two-shoes>>
The taller male just huffed. Slughorn went on with his explanation, holding up a  small vial of a clear potion in his hands
<<Does any of you know what this is?>>
A girl in the corner raised her hand
<<Yes?>>
<<Felix Felicis, professor. Commonly known as liquid luck>>
<<Correct, Miss L/N. Ten points to H/N>>
The female gave a small smile; she worried at her lip and looked down, blushing slightly.
Sirius’s elbow in his side jolted Remus out of the trance he’d fallen in, and he turned to find the black-haired Marauder looking at him with a shark-like grin
<<What?>>
<<You like her>>
Remus’ breath hitched, but he managed to make it sound like a snort
<<Excuse me?>>
<<You stared at her for a full minute after she gave the right answer>>
<<You have hearts in your eyes, Moony>> James joined
<<Shut up you two! Just shut up >> He turned away from both his friends, but he could feel their idiotic smirks. As if that weren’t enough, they began teasing him 
<<Remus and Y/N, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S->>
With a quick non-verbal spell, the tallest of the three made the contents of a nearby cauldron pour all over Sirius and James
<<Ah! What the hell?>> They spluttered
<<Mr Black, Mr Potter, is there a problem?>>
<<They simply made the cauldron tip over, Professor>> Remus replied for them
<<Oh. Well, they will get changed after this lesson.
It’s probably going to be messy>>
<<Yes, professor. Thank you>>
That said, Slughorn went back to his explanation. Sirius and James sent him venomous glares, but he ignored them.
Especially when he heard Y/N giggle.
He snapped his head in her direction and caught her looking at him, covering her mouths to tune her chuckles down; as soon as their eyes met she abruptly looked away, but it was enough for the boy to smile like a fool.
He’d been crushing on her for a very long time. What was there not to like? She was pretty, clever, kind and feisty, if the time she ripped Bellatrix a new one in the Great Hall was anything to judge by.
The mere memory had him laughing, so he bit his lip, but the chuckles didn’t stop. Y/N had stepped in to defend some first-years she’d been buying and, as a result, the entire Hall got to witness Sirius’s deranged cousin flee the Hall with a fully-fledged Medusa updo.
In one word, it had been glorious. The only downside to it was that it made him fall even more for her.
Why was that a bad thing, some might have asked.
Because the feelings were one-sided, Remus would have answered with a sigh.
His flirting was limited to staring at her from across the room and hope that someday, somehow, she would look at him and approach him.
But that was a whole new level of magic, something he did not believe was feasible even if he was a wizard.
Perhaps it was for the best, he mused sadly. After all, how could a monster like him be with a beautiful and wonderful woman like Y/N? No, he wouldn’t ruin her like that.
Thus Remus had resigned himself to throwing longing glances at her from under the strands of hair that fell in his face, hoping to never get caught -the fact that his best friends knew already was an unwelcome turn of events, but he trusted them with his life…
Not so much with his crush though
<<Good. Let’s make the pairs now>>
Just like that, the poor boy realised he’d missed the whole explanation of what he was supposed to do. What did they have to team up for?
<<Black, you’re with McKinnon>>
Sirius unsheathed his best playboy smile and strutted toward Marlene, who greeted him with a cackle
<<Potter, you’ll work with Evans>>
<<No!>> The redhead exclaimed, unable to stop herself.
The whole room fell silent and Lily blushed, looking away
<<I’m sorry professor>>
<<It’s alright, Miss Evans>> Slughorn reassured, then turned toward other students just when James was approaching his new potions partner
<<Oh come on Evans, we are a winning team: our potion will be perfect>> <<Yes, Potter>>
<<Really?>>
<<Just so I can slip it in your pumpkin juice at breakfast>> The redhead hissed, making the brunette balk
<<Lupin, you’re with L/N>>
Those were the last words Remus heard; after that, all his ears picked up was the thrumming of his heartbeat with every step Y/N took in his direction.
He stared at her, taking in her smile and the twinkle in her eyes.
Was he staring too much? Probably
<<Uhm, Remus?>>
<<Yes?>>
Impressive, how much effort a single word can take
<<So, we’re working together. Let’s go to that table, since it’s free>>
He nodded numbly, following her without another word.
________________________________________________________________
<<Now we need to add the powdered root of asphodel>> Y/N read, skimming the scribbles on the book while stirring the fuming contents of the cauldron. Remus instantly gathered the ingredient and selected the correct dosage, pouring it in and glancing at the manual
<<This is the part where we use the infusion of wormwood and valerian sprigs, right?>> He asked, pointing at the next paragraph.
The girl nodded, not losing her concentration.
A few moments of silence went by, during which the only disturbance were the constant lame pickup lines that James foisted on Lily, who endured in the name of her education.
Remus swore he could see her mouth an unforgivable or two, but he had his own problems to tend to and couldn’t save Prongs at the moment.
Then along came a flying Sopophorous bean.
Before he understood what was happening, the boy had reached out to catch the stray legume. Problem was, so had Y/N.
The girl’s smaller fingers grabbed it, while his bigger hand wrapped around hers, and the whole world stood still.
They stared into each other’s eyes, mouth agape and breath cut short. He could have sworn he saw her bite her lip at some point, and her cheeks were at least two shades darker than before…
Probably the potion’s fumes, he decided; after all her hair was all poofy now, but she still looked adorable…
Dammit
<<Sorry to interrupt your Yule Ball practice, but Marley and I need that bean>> Sirius’ voice jolted them both out of their reverie. He had appeared out of thin air and was looking at the couple with a shark-like grin that Remus suddenly had the urge to wipe off
<<I could just take yours and leave you two to… Whatever it is you’re doing>> The black-haired Marauder cackled.
That gave his friend the courage to finally pull away, giving back the bean with a  huff
<<We are working, Sirius. Unlike you>>
<<Oh, Remus. You wound me>>
<<Don’t tempt me>> The taller boy grunted
<<I wouldn’t dream of it>> The shorter one chirped, barely restraining his laughter <<Oh and, by the way; this is the part where you ask her out>>
The world froze again.
Remus could feel Y/N’s eyes on him, but he did not dare turn around. He simply prayed she would simply chalk it up as Sirius’ umpteenth inopportune remark
<<Sloth brain>>
<<I couldn’t agree more, Y/N>> He growled, glaring at his friend
<<I meant we need sloth brain now>>
<<Oh, right. That, and the juice of the flyi- sopophorous bean>> Moony recited in a single breath <<Am I forgetting something?>>
<<Asking her out>> Padfoot tried again. The other boy ignored him
<<Wormwood, of course; we need wormwood too>>
His partner nodded, avoiding his gaze. Sirius chuckled and walked away after retrieving his bean
<<For the last time, Potter, I will NEVER go out with you!>> Lily’s voice resounded in the classroom, leading to an embarrassing silence during which all eyes were on her and James.
For the first time in years, Remus was grateful for the Gryffindor’s tactlessness.
________________________________________________________________
Despite any awkwardness, their potion turned out to be the best. Slughorn complimented both of them and awarded fifty points to their houses.
All in all, it wasn’t a complete disaster.
What worried Remus was that Y/N had disappeared as soon as the class was dismissed.
He was currently sitting in the common room with his friends -luckily they were the only ones there- while James complained of his love life to Peter and Sirius pointed out where he had gone wrong with his flirting during potions. As if there was a need to explain that
<<I don’t get it, Padfoot! I tried everything!>>
<<Well, pal, I can tell you not to be like Moony>>
<<What did I do now?>> Remus groaned
<<It was more what you didn’t do>> His companion corrected <<I offered you the occasion of a lifetime on a silver platter and you threw it away!>>
<<It would have been useless, Pads; she doesn’t like me that way>>
<<She does, pal. You just don’t see it>>
<<How can you be so sure?>> The poor boy exploded, vexed beyond belief.
As an answer, he received another Joker-like smirk
<<Well, let’s ask her, shall we?>>
<<Oh no, no way; you’re not going to look for Y/N now>>
<<I don’t need to; she’s right behind you>>
Remus froze in place.
He sent prayers to whatever deity was listening to him that Padfoot was only kidding but, for some reason, it didn’t sound like a prank.
It took him a lot of willpower to simply move his legs and turn around; when he did, just as his friend had said, his eyes met his crush’s E/C irises, and he jumped back when he realised how close she was
<<Y- Y/N>> He stammered <<What- What are you doing here?>>
The way her expression changed to a sad frown worried him
<<I… I came to ask you something… But I see I’m unwanted here… I’ll just go>>
And she did, while he was still stuck there. Luckily, his friends were there for him -in their peculiar way, of course.
A swat to the head broke him out of his trance
<<Ouch! What the hell, Prongs?>>
<<You’ll thank me later; go after her!>>
<<What?>>
<<Don’t make me kick your arse, Moony>> Joined Sirius <<Go after her, you fool>>
<<Oh. Right>>
That was the fastest he’d ever run
<<Y/N!>>
Winded and slightly dizzy, he managed to stop her in the corridors before she returned to the H/N common room. Her expression was less than forthcoming, but he’d work around that
<<How much of that did you hear?>>
<<Just you telling Sirius that he shouldn’t go look for me>>
<<That’s… Better>>
<<It’s ok, Remus, I get it. You don’t want to see m->>
<<No no no no, Y/N, you absolutely don’t get it. We were talking about me asking you out>>
<<Oh. Really?>>
<<Yes, really; serio->> He abruptly stopped talking, trying to find a synonym while the girl laughed
<<The thing is, Y/N, I… I don’t know how to do this>>
She giggled
<<Not to be rude, but following James and Sirius’s advice isn’t very wise>>
They laughed some more, together
<<I know that: Lily’s reaction taught me enough. What should I do, then?>>
<<Mind if I give you an input?>>
<<Go on>>
<<This is the part where you ask me out>>
<<Just like that?>>
Y/N rolled her eyes
<<You don’t need a fancy getup or a knight-in-shining-armour gesture to do this>>
<<I just thought that maybe, I don’t know… Flowers would be a good idea… Or chocolate>>
<<There, you see? You do know what to do. Anyway, we’ll work with what we have here.
Go on>>
<<Y/N L/N, will you go out with me?>>
The female squealed, making him blush and chortle
<<This is the part where I say yes>>
Remus’s grin stretched impossibly wide; so did hers.
Then, something unexpected happened: he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist
<<Ah! Remus, what are you doing?>>
<<This is a new part I just came up with>> He murmured, his lips mere inches from hers <<Any objection?>>
<<Yes>>
Hurt flashed in his eyes, and he relented his grip a little
<<Which one?>>
<<That you haven’t done it already>> She teased, wiping away all his worries.
With a laugh, Remus’s lips met hers and they kissed, holding onto each other for dear life.
It was a wonderful kiss, even if it was the first for both of them.
When they pulled away, they both tried to catch their breaths
<<Wow. Remus Lupin, you definitely know more than it seems>>
________________ Extra_______________
<<How did it go?>>
Of course, Moony knew they would give him the third degree when he went back to his room, but he did not care. He simply leaned against the door, smiling dumbly
<<Did you ask her?>>
He nodded
<<And she said yes?>>
Another nod
<<Wait a second>> Sirius jumped in <<Something’s off…>>
The black-haired Marauder walked toward his companion, examining his lovestruck expression with narrow eyes.
Then, he gasped
<<You kissed her!>>
James and Peter gasped too. The taller boy only nodded
<<Unbelievable. Who knew you had it in you?>>
<<What can I say… Except this: James, be like Moony>> Remus teased.
Sirius face-palmed
<<I created a monster>>
<<It was here all along; you just didn’t see it>>
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stylesnews · 4 years
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On the brink of releasing his sophomore album 'Fine Line,' the superstar muses on breaking boundaries, his experiences with celebrity, and his close creative relationship with Gucci's Alessandro Michele.
Harry Styles is the new decade’s ultimate pop idol. Fans pass out, Beatles-style, at his concerts, and 24.9 million followers on Instagram live for his old-school rock songs (Fine Line, his sophomore album, is about to drop) and gender-bending fluidity in fashion, politics, and attitude.
Styles’ song, “Lights Up,” attracted, in whiplash speed, almost a million-and-a-half listens when it dropped on October 11. Just like that, after a short break, rock superstar Harry Styles was back.
After selling 50 million records in six years with the band One Direction (the group is on an indefinite hiatus), Styles broke out solo in 2017. His first eponymous album gave the world an authentic, raw introduction to himself as a solo act. He shed the boy band skin and, in osmosis with the times, became a fluid, inclusive role model for the world—at peace with sexuality, defending marriage for all, and creating a swaggy personal style that enraptures audiences.
Alessandro Michele, the vibrantly poetic, disruptive creative director of Gucci, dressed Styles for his first tour, crafting a look for a liberated young man conquering the world. After several campaigns and collaborations, this season Michele anointed Styles to embody his house's addictive and seductive new fragrance, Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur.
Styles has been very busy lately. His new album Fine Line drops on December 13 and is sure to hit massive downloads instantly. In April, he starts the “Love on Tour 2020” global concert takeover, jetting from Berlin to New York to Mexico City and everywhere in between. He mentions he still has fun—listening to Paul McCartney, reading Murakami, and discovering the mind-opening properties of hallucinogenic mushrooms. He also sings with his pal Stevie Nicks.
While waiting to dive headfirst into the maelstrom of a new album—promotions, the tour, and all the exhausting hype of a rock star’s life, the 25-year-old wunderkind reassures himself calmly, with a mixture of reserve and heat, that everything is going as planned. For someone so obscenely famous, Styles is truly just a down-to-earth lad from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire in England. He doesn’t hide away in his dressing room, instead quietly walking around in his underwear between takes. He nimbly picks bites with his elegantly long fingers, nails painted black, from the Asian food delivered without asking for organic celery juice or a vegan meal. “The first smell I remember is probably the smell of my mother’s cooking, the roast she was preparing,” he says, his sea-blue, wide-set eyes glimmering. "And the perfume she was wearing," he adds with a smile.
Styles’ tight relationship with Michele was hardly manufactured by a marketing team. The duo’s fanciful, creative lines of flight meet, quite naturally. “Alessandro is a free thinker and his way of working is very inspiring,” Styles enthuses. “If he wants to do something, he just does it, and I find it impressive. When you have the opportunity to witness the work of someone who is considered a master, it is quite incredible. There is no question of class, age, who did what. What he does is for everyone, concerns everyone, and I think that every art should be like that.”
Childhood and the potent memories of scent return to Styles’ thoughts, via the new Gucci fragrance. “I really like Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur for its freshness, but also the fact that it adapts and changes according to the person who wears it, which I find amusing," he says. "It probably reminds me of summer as a child. Being by the lake with my friends, where I grew up, and the smell of wildflowers.” One thinks of Henri Michaux’s famous verse: “Night is not like day; it has a lot of flexibility.”
“Many borders are falling—in fashion, but also in music, films, and art,” Styles declares with excitement. “I don’t think people are still looking for this gender differentiation. Even if the masculine and feminine exist, their limits are the subject of a game. We no longer need to be this or that. I think now, people are just trying to be good. In fashion and other fields, these parameters are no longer as strict as before, and it gives rise to great freedom. It’s stimulating.”
Styles and Michele have formed an organic bond. “If Alessandro doesn’t necessarily ask my opinion, we show each other things," he explains. "It’s cool to have the opinion of someone who isn’t necessarily in your field, but whose work and taste you respect."
Styles’ new album heralds a dynamic driven by serious writing discipline and the decision to take total charge of his career. “Songwriting is like surfing," he says. "You can train as much as you want to get on the board, but sometimes the wave comes and sometimes it doesn’t. And yet, we still need to train to become better. You can’t just sit down and decide to write a song and think you’ve written the best song of your life. It takes a lot of work.”
How does this thoughtful young man, who ten years ago worked in a bakery in a small English town and is now a musical sensation who finds himself the subject of countless fans' fantasies and smack in the stormy eye of media attention, find serenity? “Celebrity is something I am still learning, experimenting," he says. "I learn to sort out what I like, what I don’t like, what I’m willing to give in my songs, and what I’m not inclined to share. We have to find a balance. We wonder what people will think of such and such words. And it’s accepting to be vulnerable, but at the same time it’s what makes this whole adventure exciting.”
This palpable excitement runs through the new album. Styles hopes that it expresses “a feeling of freedom.” This same vibe of unapologetic freedom is part of the work of his many role models—Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, and Prince. “When I look at them, I don’t know what it is, but it’s this, this something special," he says of how these fellow icons inspire him. "They go beyond the limits. In terms of writing, Paul McCartney has always been a huge influence. I had the chance to meet some of them; they don’t stop being great to me.”
Arriving in a car suited for a massive star (private driver, ice cupboard, tinted windows), Styles departs on foot, with a small team, to drink a beer at the local pub.
The scene brings to mind Styles as a scrappy teenager, in a cardigan too big for his lanky frame, eager to invent himself. As the millennial superstar slowly strolls away, the sweet smell of success lingers: a soft-smelling fragrant mist—the romantic mixture of wildflowers, chamomile, and the dreamy mood of Sunday lunch in the English countryside.
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hlupdate · 4 years
Text
On the brink of releasing his sophomore album 'Fine Line,' the superstar muses on breaking boundaries, his experiences with celebrity, and his close creative relationship with Gucci's Alessandro Michele.
Harry Styles is the new decade’s ultimate pop idol. Fans pass out, Beatles-style, at his concerts, and 24.9 million followers on Instagram live for his old-school rock songs (Fine Line, his sophomore album, is about to drop) and gender-bending fluidity in fashion, politics, and attitude.
Styles’ song, “Lights Up,” attracted, in whiplash speed, almost a million-and-a-half listens when it dropped on October 11. Just like that, after a short break, rock superstar Harry Styles was back.
After selling 50 million records in six years with the band One Direction (the group is on an indefinite hiatus), Styles broke out solo in 2017. His first eponymous album gave the world an authentic, raw introduction to himself as a solo act. He shed the boy band skin and, in osmosis with the times, became a fluid, inclusive role model for the world—at peace with sexuality, defending marriage for all, and creating a swaggy personal style that enraptures audiences.
Alessandro Michele, the vibrantly poetic, disruptive creative director of Gucci, dressed Styles for his first tour, crafting a look for a liberated young man conquering the world. After several campaigns and collaborations, this season Michele anointed Styles to embody his house's addictive and seductive new fragrance, Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur.
Styles has been very busy lately. His new album Fine Line drops on December 13 and is sure to hit massive downloads instantly. In April, he starts the “Love on Tour 2020” global concert takeover, jetting from Berlin to New York to Mexico City and everywhere in between. He mentions he still has fun—listening to Paul McCartney, reading Murakami, and discovering the mind-opening properties of hallucinogenic mushrooms. He also sings with his pal Stevie Nicks.
While waiting to dive headfirst into the maelstrom of a new album—promotions, the tour, and all the exhausting hype of a rock star’s life, the 25-year-old wunderkind reassures himself calmly, with a mixture of reserve and heat, that everything is going as planned. For someone so obscenely famous, Styles is truly just a down-to-earth lad from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire in England. He doesn’t hide away in his dressing room, instead quietly walking around in his underwear between takes. He nimbly picks bites with his elegantly long fingers, nails painted black, from the Asian food delivered without asking for organic celery juice or a vegan meal. “The first smell I remember is probably the smell of my mother’s cooking, the roast she was preparing,” he says, his sea-blue, wide-set eyes glimmering. "And the perfume she was wearing," he adds with a smile.
Styles’ tight relationship with Michele was hardly manufactured by a marketing team. The duo’s fanciful, creative lines of flight meet, quite naturally. “Alessandro is a free thinker and his way of working is very inspiring,” Styles enthuses. “If he wants to do something, he just does it, and I find it impressive. When you have the opportunity to witness the work of someone who is considered a master, it is quite incredible. There is no question of class, age, who did what. What he does is for everyone, concerns everyone, and I think that every art should be like that.”
Childhood and the potent memories of scent return to Styles’ thoughts, via the new Gucci fragrance. “I really like Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur for its freshness, but also the fact that it adapts and changes according to the person who wears it, which I find amusing," he says. "It probably reminds me of summer as a child. Being by the lake with my friends, where I grew up, and the smell of wildflowers.” One thinks of Henri Michaux’s famous verse: “Night is not like day; it has a lot of flexibility.”
“Many borders are falling—in fashion, but also in music, films, and art,” Styles declares with excitement. “I don’t think people are still looking for this gender differentiation. Even if the masculine and feminine exist, their limits are the subject of a game. We no longer need to be this or that. I think now, people are just trying to be good. In fashion and other fields, these parameters are no longer as strict as before, and it gives rise to great freedom. It’s stimulating.”
Styles and Michele have formed an organic bond. “If Alessandro doesn’t necessarily ask my opinion, we show each other things," he explains. "It’s cool to have the opinion of someone who isn’t necessarily in your field, but whose work and taste you respect."
Styles’ new album heralds a dynamic driven by serious writing discipline and the decision to take total charge of his career. “Songwriting is like surfing," he says. "You can train as much as you want to get on the board, but sometimes the wave comes and sometimes it doesn’t. And yet, we still need to train to become better. You can’t just sit down and decide to write a song and think you’ve written the best song of your life. It takes a lot of work.”
How does this thoughtful young man, who ten years ago worked in a bakery in a small English town and is now a musical sensation who finds himself the subject of countless fans' fantasies and smack in the stormy eye of media attention, find serenity? “Celebrity is something I am still learning, experimenting," he says. "I learn to sort out what I like, what I don’t like, what I’m willing to give in my songs, and what I’m not inclined to share. We have to find a balance. We wonder what people will think of such and such words. And it’s accepting to be vulnerable, but at the same time it’s what makes this whole adventure exciting.”
This palpable excitement runs through the new album. Styles hopes that it expresses “a feeling of freedom.” This same vibe of unapologetic freedom is part of the work of his many role models—Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, and Prince. “When I look at them, I don’t know what it is, but it’s this, this something special," he says of how these fellow icons inspire him. "They go beyond the limits. In terms of writing, Paul McCartney has always been a huge influence. I had the chance to meet some of them; they don’t stop being great to me.”
Arriving in a car suited for a massive star (private driver, ice cupboard, tinted windows), Styles departs on foot, with a small team, to drink a beer at the local pub.
The scene brings to mind Styles as a scrappy teenager, in a cardigan too big for his lanky frame, eager to invent himself. As the millennial superstar slowly strolls away, the sweet smell of success lingers: a soft-smelling fragrant mist—the romantic mixture of wildflowers, chamomile, and the dreamy mood of Sunday lunch in the English countryside.
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