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Tag: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

  • Glen Powell Is the King of the Rom-Com

    Glen Powell Is the King of the Rom-Com

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    For the girls who get it, just the name Glen Powell should cause a physical reaction. Not just for the Top Gun beach scene — or the Anyone But You shower scene — but because he’s the face of a new era: the great return of the mid-budget rom-com.

    We thought the genre was dead and buried. For a while, it was. We had to subsist on the crumbs of endless rewatches and Netflix Wattpad adaptions. And each teen romance franchise was worse than the last. We went from watching the tolerable
    To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before adaptation of Jenny Han’s famous series to barely watchable renditions of literal Wattpad books like The Kissing Booth and My Life With the Walter Boys.

    To make it worse, the change was so abrupt. Many people point to the summer of 2011 when both
    No Strings Attached (starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) and Friends with Benefits (starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake) came out within months of each other. If you’re struggling to remember the difference between them, it’s because there isn’t one. Two identical movies going head-to-head with each other? The rom-com bubble burst — curse you, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.

    Prior to that, there had been a reliable summer romance movie in theaters each year. It was the date night flick. Old faithful. Studios knew their female demographic and their partners would drive the box office. But then, suddenly, it vanished. Marvel summer blockbusters took over until no one was going to the movies at all. Streamers won. And they certainly were not giving in to the romance department.

    But it’s 2024 and we’re so back.

    2023 was the year of the girl, with
    Barbie making studios remember that unabashedly femme features can make a chunk of change — globally. Then, the frenzy of Shondaland’s Bridgerton series hit and breathed life into the romance genre. The final piece of the puzzle? The sleeper hit Anyone But You, a romance that became a solid cinematic hit, starring Sydney Sweeney and . . . you guessed it, Glen Powell.

    As the male lead in the most profitable Shakespeare adaptation of all time — yes,
    Anyone But You was an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing that knocked10 Things I Hate About You out of the top spot — Powell sure has some heat on him. And he’s using his undeniable charm, leading-man looks, and charisma to good use by bringing back the rom-com.

    What’s Glen Powell in?

    Glen Powell’s filmography is surprisingly long and filled with hits. Although he’s been gaining a steady amount of attention over the past few years, he’s been putting in the work consistently for about a decade.

    Personally, I started seeing him everywhere in 2016. His blonde hair and good looks cast him as a generic frat boy in film after film after film. In 2016, he pretty much played this role in
    Everybody Wants Some!! This underrated Richard Linklater college feature where he starred alongside future co-star Zoey Deutch, but not as her love interest. But his turn as a 1980s crafty baseball player pales in comparison to the hyper-inflated, campy frat boy, Chad, that he played alongside Nick Jonas in the misunderstood Scream Queens. Fans of the cult classic will remember.

    His real 2016 breakout was in
    Hidden Figures. More importantly for his career, the Hidden Figures premiere was also where he was photographed grinning so gleefully it became a meme. And when you’re a meme, you know you’ve made it.

    2018 was also a terrific year for Powell. Fans of the romance genre and the period drama might have caught the quiet Netflix film,
    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. But many more will remember his true Netflix breakout — Set It Up.

    Without a doubt,
    Set It Up was one of the greatest rom coms attempting to revive the dying genre in the late 2010s. Here, he met Zoey Deutch again and they starred as overworked assistants for Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs. In an attempt to get more free time to pursue their own dating lives, they engineer a Cyrano plot. They manipulate their bosses calendars, get them to date, and reap the benefits. It’s the perfect combination of wacky schemes, chemistry, and real heart. And it’s what solidified Powell as a romantic interest. But could he carry a big budget movie?

    2023 was his year to confirm that he could. After finally proving himself as a mainstream heartthrob in
    Top Gun: Maverick, he starred as the leading man in two films in 2023: Anyone But You and Hit Man. Due to delays, Hit Man is finally coming out this summer. But, in the meantime, Anyone But You has become Gen Z canon.

    In the Sydney Sweeney enemies-to-lovers hit, Powell carries the film’s acting with his blend of physical comedy and emotional vulnerability. I hate feeling sorry for blond men — but somehow he makes me root for him.

    That’s why he made Hollywood Reporter’s list of rising stars. The Young Hollywood A-List Top 10 as this generation’s “The Megawatt Smile.” It’s a nod to his charm, but also his earnestness and likability. He can do it all. And the fact that he chooses to keep doing rom-coms is a testament to the fact that he plays on his strengths.

    What makes Glen Powell truly great?

    Like the male heroes of the rom-com genre before him, Glen Powell isn’t ashamed of being a romantic lead.

    Kate Hudson — star of the iconic
    How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days — said on The View in early 2024, “it’s hard to get male movie stars to make rom-coms … that’s a big part of the equation … is to have that event. If we can get more Marvel guys like … hey, come to do a rom-com!

    The good actors think they’re too good for ‘silly’ roles like complex male characters. Meanwhile, they’re waiting for the phone to ring from Marvel so they can run around in tights for two hours … make it make sense.”

    Even actors who started on romantic television shows refuse to even acknowledge their start. Jacob Elordi wants to be known for
    Euphoria and Priscilla but talks down his breakout role in The Kissing Booth. Rege-Jean Page couldn’t wait to get out of Bridgerton — but where is he now while Kingsley Ben-Adir has the career Page thought he would have? On the other hand, Charles Melton says nothing but good things about the hellscape that was Riverdale and is closer to an Oscar than either of the other two.

    Back in the day, incredible actors like Chris Pine, Matthew McConaughey, and Heath Ledger played romantic leads with no shame. I mean, DiCaprio is famous for
    Romeo + Juliet, Gatsby, and Titanic. If he can do those roles and still be taken seriously, so can anyone else. These giants elevated the genre, paving the path for the few daring souls who venture to do romantic films these days. Like Glen Powell.

    Glen Powell was
    made to be a romantic comedy heartthrob not just because of his looks, but because he takes the genre seriously. His roles are funny, but imbued with a non-pretentious depth — a hard balance to strike.

    He’s also a good sport about the type of press required to promote a romantic film. The Cilian Murphy method of press tour promotion is to visibly hate being there — which works when you’re playing Oppenheimer. But when you want your audiences to fall in love with you, not so much.

    “So often actors look at marketing or publicity as, like, ‘Oh God, now I have to go market the movie? I just wanted to make it,’” Powell said to
    Hollywood Reporter. “And then you look at a Margot Robbie or Ryan Reynolds, these actors who embrace marketing in unexpected ways, and what ends up happening is the audience has a blast while they’re publicizing a movie and then they’re desperate to see it.”

    This is precisely the quality that convinces me that he has what it takes to “make it in this town” —
    as it were. And the greats agree. JJ Abrams told Hollywood Reporter: “I think Glen has just begun to scratch the surface of what he is capable of onscreen. Simply put, he’s a terrific actor — but it’s his humility, humanity and sense of humor and willingness to show vulnerability and laugh at himself that makes me certain he is going to do some pretty incredible work in the years ahead.”

    What Is Hit Man about?

    Powell’s latest turn in
    Hit Man shows his versatility and the potency of the genre. First of all, he co-wrote and co-produced it with Richard Linklater. So, he’s not only a pretty face, he’s just as dynamic and surprising behind the camera.

    Hit Man has all the elements of what makes Glen Powell great: It’s fast, it’s never what you expect, and it has a surprising well of heart and depth.

    Based on a true story, the movie follows a professor who puts his surprising acting skills to use by pretending to be a hitman to stop murders before they happen. The real Gary Johnson moonlighted as a fake hit man for the Houston PD. Johnson told his
    unbelievable story about his work in a 2001 piece in Texas Monthly. And while his work is the foundation of this story, a small anecdote he tells at the end is where Linklater and Powell set their sights.

    In Johnson’s story, he describes an instance where a woman came to him looking for a hit man to kill her abusive husband. Rather than turning her in, Johnson helped her find resources at a women’s shelter so she could leave the man.

    But of course, this wouldn’t be an action-packed romance without taking some liberties. In the film version, Johnson falls in love with this woman and what ensues is a thrilling saga of identity with a whole lotta heart.

    Hit Man is just the start of Powell’s writing and production career. He also has Twisters alongside Daisy Edgar Jones in the pipeline and an A24 film Huntington in production. You’ll be seeing that meme-worthy face everywhere — and you’re going to love it.

    Watch the Hit Man Trailer now.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXwa8DKIK7g


    Hit Man is available to stream on Netflix starting June 7.

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    LKC

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  • Rising Pop Sensation Lyn Lapid On Her EP, to love in the 21st century

    Rising Pop Sensation Lyn Lapid On Her EP, to love in the 21st century

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    How many times can you say you’ve been genuinely impressed by a vocalist’s raw talent? I guarantee this is how you’ll feel after listening to Lyn Lapid’s EP, to love in the 21st century. She’s a classically trained artist who can rock any vocal range, who leaves you guessing and wanting more while delivering a powerful chorus or dainty bridge, whose a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist all in one.

    Lyn Lapid is not normal by any means. She’s mega-talented, almost concerningly so, and her lyrics bring a sort of honesty that is both refreshing and respectable. to love in the 21st century is an ode to popular teenage romcoms trending right now like The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, which cover the agonizing angst and pain you feel while falling in love as a teenager.

    She started by posting covers with her ukulele on YouTube, garnering the attention of fans across the globe. And for a good reason, Lyn’s voice is unlike no other. She’s one of the young talents to start their careers by catapulting into the limelight via social media, following in the footsteps of the likes of pop sensations Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber. And yet, she’s wholly and uniquely Lyn Lapid. You can listen to her EP, which contains hit singles like “poster boy”, here:

    Lyn Lapid’s debut EP is just the beginning, and Popdust got a chance to sit down and talk with Lyn about this huge 2023 she’s been having so far!

    Congratulations on to love in the 21st century! How did you draw inspiration from popular romcoms like The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before?

    I admired the cinematography and storytelling style of The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, so I drew inspiration from those aspects when I was piecing together to love in the 21st century. I also stressed on putting together a majority Asian American cast for the visualizers and music videos, similarly to TSITP and TATBILB because I wanted my project to also be a positive example of Asian American representation.

    The EP takes listeners through the course of a first-time relationship and falling in and out of love…do you like to include a lot of storytelling in your songs or do you find yourself writing from personal experience more?

    I do both! The songs on this next project not only revolve around one story but are also a collection of written personal experiences from me and someone very close to me. The EP tells the story of a no label relationship between a girl and a boy, which is based off a true story.

    If you had to choose, what are your favorite tracks off to love in the 21st century and why?

    I would have to say “like you want me to.” I love repurposing beautiful melodies from classical pieces, and I actually interpolated Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor when writing the chorus of “like you want me to.” I just remember being in love with the song we came up with that day after I came in and showed the writing session the chorus I had written beforehand.

    You started by posting covers and playing instruments like the ukelele on YouTube…how did that help connect you with fans and ultimately shape your music career now?

    I started posting covers with my ukulele for fun, and I think that’s when I realized that I really enjoyed singing and growing a connection with people who enjoyed watching my covers. I shifted focus away from covers when I started putting out original music, and I’m so grateful for the fans that stuck by me and enabled me to have the career I have now.

    Is there a favorite song of yours to cover?

    I’d definitely say “Love Like You” from Steven Universe.

    You’re currently on a tour for the new EP…what can fans expect from a Lyn Lapid show?

    You can definitely expect a lot of me engaging with the crowd. I love performing the songs and having the audience sing along with me, but I also love to engage with the crowd by talking to them. Whether it’s telling the story behind the song before I sing it or teaching them a part they can sing along to, I definitely prioritize keeping the crowd engaged. I also love to rearrange my songs so that it includes a lot of crowd participation. I’d hate for my shows to be boring, so I avoid that by including the audience as much as possible in my set.

    What has been the best memories of your tour so far?

    I’d say meeting the fans. As an artist that’s started on social media, it was hard for me to conceptualize how many people I was really reaching with my music. When I play live and do meet and greets, I can finally put faces to the names of people I had been interacting with on my social media through my music, and it makes me feel solidified as an artist.

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    Jai Phillips

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  • Taylor’s Four-Pack (Of “New” Songs)

    Taylor’s Four-Pack (Of “New” Songs)

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    In 2022, Madonna stated the obvious with regard to the mention of potentially selling her music catalogue: “Ownership is everything.” In other words, there’s no price tag she would accept to give up control of her music. Taylor Swift understands that better than anyone as she continues the daunting task of re-recording all the albums she made while under contract with Big Machine Records. At fifteen years old, the caveat of letting the label own her masters as part of the signing deal probably seemed like a small price to pay for fame. Over a decade later, as one of the most famous pop stars in the world, it suddenly felt like a huge mistake. Especially when music manager Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Records in 2019, thereby claiming ownership over Swift’s prized masters.

    The only “negotiation” Swift was offered in terms of buying them back was to agree to re-sign with Big Machine and “earn” one album back per every album recorded under the new contract. That’s fucked-up, Shylock-type shit, obviously, and Swift vehemently turned down the so-called deal in favor of signing with Republic Records, who offered a contract that allowed her to own all of her master recordings going forward. Without Swift on “his side,” Braun then sold the masters to a private equity firm called Shamrock Holdings (which, yes, sounds totally made up, complete with the word “sham” in it). And now, here we are two re-recordings (Fearless and Red) of six later, with Swift still managing to get her digs in at the (Big) Machine by releasing re-recorded versions of even her standalone singles from The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. Luckily, this wasn’t the only “celebratory” marker of launching her Eras Tour on March 17th (because one supposes she loves an Irish boy too). She also offered a re-recording of “If This Was A Movie,” a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Speak Now (the likely next re-recording, as all but confirmed by the requisite Easter eggs Swift likes to dole out to salivating fans). But, better still, is a truly unreleased song from Lover called “All of the Girls You Loved Before.”

    Released too late to use in the soundtrack for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, “All of the Girls You Loved Before” could easily have been written from the perspective of Lara Jean (Lana Condor) after finally getting the boy she was obsessing over for so long to see that it was her he should be with (this smacking of another Taylor single, “You Belong With Me”). Rather than playing into the 00s school of thought on how “other women” should be treated (read: with disdain—e.g., Pink’s “Stupid Girls” or Marina and the Diamonds’ “Girls”) by their “competitor,” Swift wields the “correct” approach (a.k.a. the publicly sanctioned one we’re all supposed to adhere to now—Hailey Bieber take heed) with regard to seeing these previous women as “gifts.” Silver linings and all that rot. Because, while he was out being a himbo, it gave him the chance to understand what he did and did not want in a woman. Or, as Taylor puts it, “All of the girls you loved before/Made you the one I’ve fallen for/Every dead-end street [a euphemism for “dead-end vagina”] led you straight to me.” It has a certain “invisible string” slant to it, to be sure. Swift also speaks of her own patchy past with men as she adds, “When I think of all the makeup/Fake love out on the town/Cryin’ in the bathroom [a line Olivia Rodrigo also riffs on in “good 4 u”] for some dude/Whose name I cannot remember now.” In effect, everyone else was just a pile of trash that allowed Swift and Joe Alwyn to climb to the top of the heap together.

    Another notable quality about “All of the Girls You Loved Before” is that it’s directly in contrast to the message of “Hits Different” (not to be confused with SZA’s “Hit Different”), a bonus track from the Target edition of Midnights. For, apparently, three years after Lover, Swift was in a less welcoming headspace toward her “love object’s” additional dalliances by noting, “I pictured you with other girls in love/Then threw up on the street.” But hey, people are so many colliding emotions at once that Swift can hardly be blamed for inconsistency in sentiments on the matter of dealing with “other hoes.”

    As for her Hunger Games re-recordings, “Eyes Open” wasn’t the best track to resuscitate if Swift was hoping for a reminder of her musical prowess. Mainly because the track has a decidedly Avril Lavigne tinge, correlatingly saturated in the 00s sound of Rock (said in the “italicized, capital R” sort of way back then despite it being the lamest sound ever), even though it was originally released in 2012. Another re-recording from the same soundtrack, “Safe & Sound,” stands the test of time slightly better. Perhaps because it was given the prompt to embody “what Appalachian music would sound like in three hundred years.” Swift, a sucker for being part of any movie soundtrack related to Appalachia (hear also: “Carolina” from Where the Crawdads Sing), thusly responded with sparse instrumentation as she harmonizes with Joy Williams and John Paul White (a.k.a. The Civil Wars), “Just close your eyes/You’ll be all right/Come morning light/You and I will be safe and sound.” A likely story.

    The fourth song of the “Eras Tour celebration pack,” “If This Was A Movie (Taylor’s Version),” is awash in the country twang Swift was still fond of employing back in 2010. Considered a “fast-paced ballad,” Swift urges, “Come back, come back, come back to me/Like you would, you would if this was a movie/Stand in the rain outside ’til I came out.” That last line, of course romanticizing the stalker-y behavior of Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) in Say Anything (minus the rain…though there is a separate scene of him being drenched as he pines over Diane Court [Ione Skye] while talking on a pay phone). She pleads again (desperate much?), “Come back, come back, come back to me/Like you could, you could if you just said you’re sorry/I know that we could work it out.” To the point of Swift insisting it would all be okay if the boy in question just apologized, she was sure to state during opening night at Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, “Sort of a running, recurring theme in my music is I love to explain to men how to apologize. I just love it, it’s kind of my thing. I love to tell them step-by-step: here’s how simple this is to fix things if you just follow these simple steps I’m laying out for you in a three-minute song. I just love the idea of men apologizing.” A fantasy that certainly gets plenty of play in “If This Was A Movie” (incidentally, Steven Spielberg’s new theme song).

    Although the track appeared as a bonus on Speak Now, it is being promoted as part of The More Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Chapter. Fans have speculated that because “If This Was A Movie” stands alone as the only track on Speak Now not to have been written entirely by Swift, she wants to section it apart from the re-recording of an album that will resultantly be solely written by her. But that seems like a very megalomaniacal reason. Then again, you don’t become the first female to sell out a show at every stadium from State Farm to SoFi without perhaps having a touch of the megalomaniac’s control freak nature.

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    Genna Rivieccio

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