It’s the weekend and we’re back with some pop culture thoughts, celebrating a Lorde milestone, and too many tabs (please excuse all the exclamation marks in the Plus section but we’re very easily excited 🥺). 

This week Daysia puts her clown makeup on and wishes for a One Direction reunion and Hannah just doesn’t know what to watch these days. 

Happy reading, 

<3 

Daysia and Hannah

This Week's Fixations

Daysia: Zayn Malik… what are you getting at, sir???

In case you missed it, Malik posted an Instagram video singing “Night Changes” this week. He rarely acknowledges One Direction at all, but this year alone we’ve gotten TWO clips of him singing songs he performed with his former band. I just want to know why he’s reminiscing all of a sudden!

It made me think about how Harry Styles said he’d do a One Direction reunion if “it felt like something we all wanted to do.” I assumed the use of “all” meant the group wouldn’t do it without Malik, which felt like a pipe dream when Styles said it in June. While Malik had posted that “You and I” clip around the same time as Styles’ interview, it felt more like an attempt at responding to Liam Payne’s controversial comments about the band's formation than an indication that he was open to a reunion. Perhaps this new clip of him singing “Night Changes” suggests that he’s more interested than we once thought? 

The other band members have indicated they’re on board over the years, so it feels possible even if Payne made it kind of weird. And if it does happen, you know I will COMBUST!

Hannah: What to watch? What to watch? I know there is an abundance of good and interesting TV out there these days. My “to watch” list is a mile long but I still haven’t found anything that has captured my attention and is good enough for me to center my personality around for a brief period of time (you know as one does). Or on the opposite end of the spectrum is lowkey in a way that allows for casual watching as I clean my house, pay bills, or whatever. 

Mostly because everything these days I feel like is either not enough or Too Much. I miss the days when you could just drop into a show and all that mattered was the little story of the episode without having to know the backstory, character relationships and dynamics, and what happened the last five episodes or even the previous season. I think I’m just longing for a sitcom or a good procedural drama. I was on a flight the other day with limited entertainment options and just put on a random episode of The Mentalist and it was great! 

TV has changed a lot and I love that the industry and audiences are giving it more attention, but I occasionally get nostalgic for the simple days. One where shows could be not-great for a bit but get a second chance without worrying about being on the chopping block or where I didn’t need seven different streaming services (some of which are kind of inaccessible due to where I live) to watch the shows I liked. 

In the days where powerful corporations make decisions to mash up two very different platforms for seemingly no logical reason (yes, I’m talking about the HBO Max and Discovery+ merger by Warner Bros Discovery, which I still don’t understand!) and just disappear content, my relationship with TV feels more tenuous than ever before. It’s hard to love something and let it become part of you when you don’t know how long it’s going to last or could vanish without a trace. 

Anyways I’m finally going to watch Abbott Elementary before season two starts on September 21, which I’m buying on Apple TV/iTunes so I can have it forever.

Has Lorde Dropped a New Album?

Happy birthday to Solar Power!! 💙☀️💛

It’s been one year since Lorde has gifted us with this dream of an album.

To celebrate, Lorde released the final music video for the album for “Oceanic Feeling”:

In her newsletter she wrote, “It’s bittersweet to be coming to the end of this video journey, but amazing too, because this one is possibly my FAVOURITE video I’ve ever, ever made. Who you see in this video is who I truly am, or who I want to be— open, laid bare, water glittering on my skin, speaking directly to you, nothing to hide or prove, just me.

The person with me is my other half and best mate, my brother Angelo. Born on the same day five years apart, we’ve always shared a super close bond. I knew by putting him in the video, I’d be showing myself exactly as I am. Can’t be anyone else when that kid’s around.”

ICYMI: Demi Lovato's eighth album (!) HOLY FVCK is out now. Listen to their confessional single, referencing her former relationship with Wilmer Valderrama, "29."

Too Many Tabs

Kid Cudi talked to writer Clover Hope about his "trippy as fuck" new tour, finding happiness, ending his friendship with Ye, and his upcoming album (and accompanying animated film) Entergalactic for Esquire.

Harper's Bazaar's Andrea Cuttler spoke to Florence Pugh about Don't Worry Darling, self-assuredness, celebrity gossip, and getting what she wants.

For GQ, writer Sarah Hagi interviewed Bella Hadid and Ramy Youssef about the upcoming season of Ramy, friendship, the importance of being around people who share your culture, and subverting expectations of Muslim representation.

Plus... Solange the ballet composer, ROSS LYNCH!!!, excellent casting alert, celebrating rom-com history!, Jennette is #1, inside the final days of the Wendy Williams Show, ANDREW GARFIELD!!!, Selena girl... what is this?, first look at Lea Michele in Funny Girl!, and LOGAN LERMAN!!!