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ssweetener · 3 months

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☼*·ꕤ eternal sunshine: track by track with ariana grande summary ☼*·ꕤ

starts the interview off by saying she did not plan to make music or an album and was opposed to coming out with music until after both parts of wicked were out. when the strike began, she went to new york "for fun" and "to see how it would feel". max martin spent a week with her at jungle city studios and "it all just started pouring out" ariana went to the studio everyday by herself and thought that if the music was coming out of her organically, it should be shared that way. ariana says that her relationship with music has changed a lot through taking space from it. she's learned a lot from and through galinda and healed a lot of parts of herself alongside and through her that helped heal her own personal stuff that she had going on in her life as well as her relationship to music and being an artist. she talks about struggling with her persona and how being able to come home and sit with it and evaluate the things that weren't working helped her fall in love with it again. she thinks everything happened exactly how it was meant to be

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bye: hardest song to write on the album. it was written on a day where she was very upset and emotional so a few different versions of the song exist. she was more reactive when recording and it ended up not representing what she actually felt. "bye" is a very simple, and silly lyric but it was hard because she desperately didn't want it to feel like a fuck you. she wanted it to feel like a "i need to leave, so bye." she wanted the song to be rooted in self awareness and not a fuck you, you go. the song is meant as a "with love, i'm degrading from the situation" which is why it's the first track after the intro "end of the world" because the intro to the album asks a question, takes accountability and is self aware. says her biggest fear when it comes to songwriting in general is even if the concept is strong, she doesn't want it to come across as harsh. the reason why she felt okay to go there is because of her mom. growing up she feels she wanted what she didn't have. her parents got divorced (for all the right reasons) and she understands they weren't supposed to be together but she held onto the idea of happily ever after. she says her mom is massive example of not doing that. she's learned that her fears replicating a certain cycle were actually the opposite and she realized she wanted to be so much more like her mom than she actually was. ariana wanted to have the strength to say "bye" kindly when something wasn't fucking right - it's a simple as that. says her mom is the strongest, most brilliant person she know. "bye" is a disco track, which is joan's favorite thing in the world so it feels like her mom's song, or a song she wrote from her perspective, because it's something she watched her do multiple times. ends by saying she doesn't feel like she has to be afraid of byes when there's a lot of love involved because it means listening to your soul and not being afraid to be uncomfortable

don't wanna break up again: ariana describes the song as the hangover to "bye" because it's kind of like "okay, this has happened but i'm reflecting" and there's a lot of polarizing feelings. the two songs show all of the complicated emotions and feelings that come with loving and leaving back to back

saturn returns interlude: eternal sunshine (the song) feels like a "wake up" moment, like a pivotal moment in the story and it felt like the the interlude sets up the rest of the album. dianna garland is the speaker and is an astrologist that she was introduced to by her friend will loftis who choreographed yes, and? they met on the set of wicked and ariana says it felt like a cosmic collision. will sent her the vocal that he chopped and put together and said it reminded him of ariana, ilya salmanzadeh put orchestrations under it and she fell in love with it. ariana says she's very in to astrology and believes it is a tool to help us hear what we need to hear sometimes and [a way] to look forward with hope and awareness but also reads us to filth when we need to hear it eternal sunshine: has adored the film since she young. a huge jim carrey fan and always has been. she was always attracted to the idea of writing a song around the film but once she realized that the rest of the songs were kind of forming a story that was similar to "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" where there's a cycle that everyone is trying to break, the title fell into place. she's her most productive when she's open and pretends like nobody is going to hear the music

supernatural: says it's the horniest song on the album. that's literally it true story: a true story based on all untrue events. ariana was writing a batch of music for a scrapped seth macfarlane show that both the hook of "true story" and "fantasize" are from. says she wanted to save some of the ideas she was coming up with with max martin for the show for the next album she put out. even though it was leaked and the public already heard an old version of it, she wanted to reclaim it because she loved it and it felt important to make it into what it was supposed to be originally. she didn't want to let the people who stole her music win. the production, the vocals and lyrics were completely changed and ariana says the leaked version of the song was just a seedling of what it was meant to be

the boy is mine: "that's going to be everyone's favorite, unfortunately." the version of "fantasize" on the album that [fans] wanted to have but is sexier and naughtier. more provocative then the rest of the music but is "not about what you think it's about." had an old song from years ago that sampled "waterfalls" by TLC called "you" that was supposed to be on sweetener. says she's a 90's baby and has so many 90's interpolation idea samples in her brain and this one finally found a home. she wanted it to come after "true story" on the track list because "the boy is mine" is her playing the bad girl

yes,and?: felt like it was the right introduction to the album because it is it's own and she feels like it sets the tone by saying "everyone has shit going on that you don't know about, so just shhh" that's the message of the song and she thins it's funny that people share motivational quotes on instagram and are so toxic positive and then their next post is the meanest thing she's ever read in her entire life. "yes, and?" is a reminder that everyone is on the same journey in a different way and on a different level. she liked it because it expressed a whole bunch of feelings she's had for the past [forever] of her career. there's always been conversations about her body, her face, her hair, etc and "if you change it or correct it then it's wrong again for different reasons" shes just going to be, because she just fucking loves being and she wants everyone to feel that way as well

we can't be friends (wait for your love): starts off by saying the strings at the end of the track make her really emotional and she loves them. she wanted it to be something everyone could relate to, it can be about whoever you want it to be about. when asked about who the song is about, she said she has a hard time going into specifics about who or what a song is about because that's not the point of it. she feels it's up to people to make of it what they will

i wish i hated you: cries on the last verse of the album. she's glad the feeling was captured on the album but it's one that she won't ever listen to or sing live. ariana thinks it's a very important color to exist on the album because it's an important piece of the puzzle. she's happy to acknowledge the goodness and the effort and that it just was not correct. she doesn't need to pretend [that person] was a monster to make peace with the ending, but it would be easier if they were. "it could have not been right, but that person can still be a good person" and she thinks that's a really important song to write. says she feels like it completed the family of breakup songs on the album where she wrote from a more hurt or upset place, and it comes from a more aware and grieved place where she "can give credit to and make peace with this and not carry the version i had of you when i was upset. grieving would be so much easier if we hated that person... it would be like good riddance. but capturing the complexity of what happens when you don't is imperative and protective"

imperfect for you: the last song she finished on the album and her favorite. she thinks it's her favorite sonically and because it's very trippy (for her) and rubber soul vibes and that is her favorite music to listen to that she hasn't gotten to explore herself. says it was really fun to lean into and make something 60s and organic feeling

ordinary things: nonna was very excited to be on the album and moved by it. the album starts with a question: "how do i know if i'm in the right relationship?" and ends with an answer from a person that ariana loves and trusts and cherishes. ariana records nonna for hours when she's with her because she's the funniest person on the planet and the snippet on the track comes from an hour long recording of her (nonna) and her friend shirley bitching about men and feminism. someday there will be an extended cut of the song where more of the conversation will be heard. in her head, there was a version of the album where she was going to interview nonna and her friends and family [the strong women] in her life and showcase stories about love and learning and relationships as interludes from the women that she loves so much but she didn't have time to do it

ends the second part of the interview saying she announced the title of the album on jim carrey's birthday and didn't realize. agrees that his art has had a huge impact on her and says that she thinks he is "fucking brilliant" she is enamored by his ability to "take all of these broken pieces of himself and apply them to these different characters and heal through them and make use of them" and thinks it's beautiful. zach applies that analogy to what she has done with the album and ariana thanks him for it

#ariana grande #arianagrande #eternal sunshine #zach sang #zach sang show #jim carrey #interview

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jbaileyfansite · 10 days

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The Wall Street Journal Interview (2024)

The 36-year-old English actor Jonathan Bailey is one of Hollywood’s newest heartthrobs. From Shonda Rhimes's Regency-era courtship dramas of “Bridgerton” to the decades-long romantic-political saga of “Fellow Travelers” to the Met Gala red carpet, he has earned admirers with his goofy charm and deep looks of longing.“

Being acknowledged as a heartthrob is incredibly flattering,” Bailey said. “It’s a big compliment, not just to you as an actor but everything around you.”

It has been a life-changing few years for Bailey, a stage actor turned screen darling. After “Bridgerton” launched him to global fame, he wrote up a document with tips to help prepare his younger castmates for the attention their on-screen romances would earn. “I think it’s about how to approach the work in a way that allows you to feel yourself and grounded,” he said.

Bailey, who’s been acting since he was a child in the Royal Shakespeare Company, reprises the role of Anthony in the third season of “Bridgerton” this month. Later this year, he’ll appear as Fiyero in the film adaptation of “Wicked” with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. He lives outside of London. Here, he talks about his favorite tea, doing gymnastics and the advice he got from Sir Ian McKellen.

What time do you get up on Mondays, and what’s the first thing you do after waking up?

I try to get up between 7 and 8. Then I try to not look at my phone, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. If it’s a good day, I drink loads of water, have a bath and then just get out because I need to get outside. I’ll go for a walk, always with my headphones. If I feel a bit excited or my brain’s sort of alive, I’ll listen to a podcast because that keeps me quite calm. If not, I’ll listen to some drums and bass.

How do you like your coffee?

I love tea. Earl Grey tea for me. I love coffee as well.

What do you do for exercise?

I’m currently training for a half marathon. Then I do gymnastics at a local gym with loads of lovely, brilliant people. I’m part of that community, which I’m very proud of. I do handstands.

How long can you hold a handstand for?

I’ve gotten up to a minute.

Do you meditate or journal or otherwise practice mindfulness?

Walking outside is meditation to me. There was a Buddhist center I loved when I was living in London, and I’d go there regularly to learn the practice of meditation. I believe in taking bits and bobs that work for you. I do write stuff down in a book that I carry with me, lessen the load in the brain when I can.

Do you have any hobbies or habits that might surprise your fans?

Probably playing loud music and dancing around naked.

“Fellow Travelers” follows your character, Tim, as he falls for Matt Bomer’s Hawk over the course of several decades, from 1950s McCarthyism to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. How did you get into character?

With Tim, I felt like there was so much understanding that was in my bones already just from being me. Understanding the character who you’re playing opposite is also really good. Me and Matt, we didn’t really talk about it but we had that understanding of the experience of what these queer, gay people were experiencing.

Beyond that, I think about my forefathers and what an incredible opportunity it was to an academic, hands-on research of gay life in America. As a Brit, there was so much to learn, so the preparation was kind of nerdy in that respect. In another, it was incredibly emotional and spiritual.

You’ve become very famous for the looks of longing that you’ve perfected. Do you practice them in the mirror?

No, unfortunately, I probably practiced them in real life all the way through my childhood. It’s funny, isn’t it? I can totally understand why people say that, but I think maybe what fascinates me most about humans is there’s always a distance between what you want and what you have and who you are and who you want to be. I mean, if I’m still longing and 92 years old, then I’m going to be very happy.

How did you prepare to model swimwear for Orlebar Brown? Was there any part of you that was nervous?

I had been doing gymnastics, so the swimsuit-model aspect of it required a couple of weeks of doing more handstandy stuff. But no, I was excited.

There were some cute photos of you and Ariana Grande released from the set of “Wicked.” Do you have any favorite memories from filming?

I went to CinemaCon and it was the launch of all of us together. I watched the trailer for the first time, I’m so glad I waited to see it in the big cinema. I just watched Cynthia [Erivo] and I was, like, God, Cynthia’s just going to blow everyone’s mind. You care so much about her in it. And Ari redefines Glinda in a really fun way, it just expands.

There’s so much love for the original material. It was really fun and silly and great. Jon M. Chu [the director] just mines the emotion and is quite sincere about the truth of what’s going on with the characters.

What’s your most prized possession?

My headphones. If I lose them, I feel crazy. But also in 2017—I saved up and it felt incredibly frivolous—I started collecting the Yves Saint Laurent love prints, the original prints of the years that my sisters were born because there are four of us. Annoying actually, one of my sisters was born in 1982, and I don’t think there is a print for that year, so I might have to do a stickman or something.

What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you?

Always do theater. That was actually from Ian McKellen. It’s in my bones anyway.

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#jonathan bailey #jonny bailey #interviews #interviews:2024 #the wall street journal #the wall street journal interview #fellow travelers #wicked #cynthia erivo #ariana grande #NEW!

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