good things (Jun. 22-28)
some thoughts on Lorde and everything else i'm obsessed with at the moment
Happy Sunday! And I’m back with another abnormal edition of “good things.” The new Lorde album Virgin was released last week, so of course, I want to talk about it. I’ve been consumed with thoughts about the new album since it was announced back in April, but Lorde hasn’t been the only thing circling my brain the last couple months. So let’s chat about it.
Virgin - a new Lorde for a new age
Many of you know how I feel about Lorde. She’s topped my Spotify wrapped for the last three years and will likely top it this year. Since I discovered her on Pandora in 2013, she’s risen to be one of my favorite artists. Her ability to write about things that are deeply personal yet relatable at the same time is unparalleled. Lorde is also about eight months older than I am, so when I saw her releasing music, rising to fame, and refusing to conform to an industry that chews young women up and spits them out, I immediately started to admire her for more than her music. Lorde inspires me as an artist. If she can do it, why can’t I? Of course, I wanted to write novels, not albums, but the question remained the same.
I liked Pure Heroine. I liked the singles she wrote for the Hunger Games movies. Then, Melodrama came out, and my liking of her music reached new levels. I listened to it the night it came out from start to finish. My brother and my dad started listening to her, too. And Jacob got us tickets to see her live, and it was one of the best concerts I’ve seen.
Solar Power, her most recent album prior to Virgin, was a critical mixed bag, but for me? I loved it immediately. It was different, new. Her vocals were up an octave as she sang deceptively optimistic tunes about the climate crisis and loving her dog. When Jacob and I saw her again, we both left loving the album even more.
I’m a through-and-through Lorde fan. It’s hard to imagine her putting something out that I wouldn’t like. But, then again, I thought that about Arctic Monkeys at one point, and then Tranquility Base came out…
Virgin has surprised me. Again, because it’s a departure from her usual sound while simultaneously being a return to it. The three singles that dropped prior to the album’s release were interesting, if a little disconnected. However, on the album, they slot together seamlessly. I’ve listened to it five or six times since its release, and it’s grown on me, like all of her music does. The album’s sound is rough, percussive, and a little messy, but that’s the whole point. This record, while probably not my favorite of hers, is ambitious and vulnerable, solidifying her place at the top of my favorite artists.
Emmerdale - i know some of you have to be curious
Okay, in my last “good things,” I mentioned that I had once again started watching Emmerdale, a British soap opera. Thought I’d let y’all in on the chaos this stupid little show wreaks in my brain.
So let’s start at the beginning. My friend Braden got me into this show back when we were still in college. We had many a painting night as we caught up on our beloved soap.
Because we’re not in the UK, we don’t actually watch full episodes, only clips concerning our favorite relationship on the show—Aaron and Robert. Luckily, there’s an entire YouTube channel dedicated to uploading 2-6ish minute clips and then compiling them by year (honestly, doing god’s work here). I know, this sounds insane.
But listen. These two characters do something to my brain. Okay? The intense high I get from their storylines is honestly just—it shouldn’t be possible.
They’re a messy couple. Their relationship, no joke, has a body count attached to it. They have wrecked so many others’ lives in the village, and yet.
In 2019, Robert’s actor left the show, and then a little while later, so did the actor who plays Aaron. Aaron’s actor came back a couple years ago. And everyone wondered if Robert would make a return.
Well, on May 28, HE DID. And I still cannot believe I get new Robron in the year 2025. I never thought it would happen again. So for the past month, I have been… distracted. 100%. It’s wrecked my sleep. I’ve been dreaming about it. I’m spending way too much time on Tumblr reading fan theories and on YouTube rewatching the early years of their relationship (which started in 2014 btw). So. Look, I’ll try not to work them into every conversation I have, but I can’t make any promises.
Beyond a Shadow # 2 - sequel to Through Smoke and Shadows
The last thing consuming my thoughts lately is the sequel to Through Smoke and Shadows. I do have a title for it, but I may change it, so it stays unnamed as of now…
I’m about two thirds of the way through the first draft, and I’m hoping to finish it by the end of July. I have an idea of how it’ll end and how it’ll lead into the third one.
This is by far the quickest I’ve ever written a novel. I started writing it in earnest in January of this year, and I’ve been writing about 10,000 words a month since then (save for April (~5,000) and May (~8,500)). It’s shaping up to be an interesting shift from the first book while retaining TS&S’s tone and themes.
It’s also the first time I’ve come this close to finishing a sequel, and once I’m done, it’ll be the first sequel I’ve successfully written. Writing a book #2 is hard. You have to think about how to ground readers to events that occurred in the first book without info-dumping on them, and without boring them with a play-by-play. You also have to figure out how to make it different but the same as the first book. It’s difficult, but it’s a fun challenge as a writer.
I’m diving into a new pair of main characters, Dana and Kurt from the first book, and I’m pouring more into Maggie. Maggie was a character that really blossomed after working with my editor, and I’m really excited to see where her character goes. On top of that, I’m introducing new people to the fold, like Kurt’s eager to prove cousin Sarah, and of course, a new unnamed antagonist, who’s motives are murky and dangerous.
I can’t wait for you all to read it. But it’ll be a little while until it’s ready. Stay tuned for more.
That’s all I got for this week. What’s consuming your thoughts recently?
Until next time,
L. Alyse
Emmerdale!!! Yes!!!! I used to watch this all the time. The number of deaths in that town are astounding.