#just sing

[ruinsofoctober]

i hate forced breathiness in songs USE YOUR VOICE YOU HAVE IT FOR A REASON

[one-piece-one-shots]

Sabo X CisFem Reader - Song fic

"How could you do this to me Marco?" You whined clutching the entertainment schedule.

"Do what to you yoi?" The blond asked calmly not looking up from his phone.

"This!" You waved the crumpled paper, "You have me performing tonight."

"So?" Another calm response.

"It's Tuesday... I don't do Tuesdays."

"Is it the Sabo thing yoi?" He asked finally glancing up to watch you flush wildly.

"N-no. Shut up." You dropped the schedule.

"Look, Kid's band canceled because they got a better gig. And honestly, you're much better than them yoi." He stood, "Sabo would have heard you sooner or later anyway. Now get out of my office."

You dramatically dropped your arms at your sides and turned to make your exit.

The stage was one of the few sacred places you had to escape your anxiety and self-loathing. You could bare your soul in the lyrics of a song. Most of the time you couldn't see passed the bright lights pointed at you so it didn't matter if people stared. Being the center of attention up there was better than being invisible off stage with everyone else.

Since puberty, your weight yo-yoed, which resulted in teasing and lots of left-handed compliments. Not to mention someone always being concerned for your health. You were always one of the guys because you were 'so funny' and had such a great personality. They always wondered why they couldn't find a girl like you.

When you got up to sing you shocked everyone. Such a smooth sultry alto tone emitting from a portly girl. It was as if people believed only thin people could have a flashy talent. You always felt like you were sticking it to them somehow, proving they were wrong.

Straight out of high school you fronted a band only to be kicked out because the boys felt no one would come to a show where a girl like you was leading. Since then you taught yourself to play guitar and frequented open mics all over The East Blue until Thatch and Marco found you.

The brothers owned a pub called The Blue Bird that featured live local performances, and the performers were also the staff. You had a weekly waiting and entertainment schedule. You'd made a deal with Marco to not put you on stage Tuesday nights when his younger brother Sabo worked. You harbored a ridiculous crush for the younger blond and refused to sing in front of him. Your stage nights happened to be his nights off.

"F/N?" Sabo called making his way across the room.

"What's up?" you shook your head and flushed making eye contact with his hazel gaze.

"Everything ok? I saw you're playing tonight!" he nudged your shoulder as he came to stand next to you, "Nervous?"

"Me? Never." you smirked hoping he couldn't see through your false bravado, "You should be nervous. I'm gonna show you boys how it's done."

"Oh, well then, I'm glad Ace and I don't play tonight. It would suck to be shown up." he played along, "I'm glad I get to see you play for the first time."

"Yeah," you rubbed your nape, "I guess you haven't been here my nights."

Little did you know, Sabo had been to every one of your performances. He, Ace, Thatch, Marco and the youngest Luffy are all brothers, adopted by Edward Newgate. The open mic night when the two eldest discovered you had been recorded and played for all of the brothers to make the decision to offer you a job. From that very moment he knew he needed to get closer to you and offered to do all of your training.

He was so calm and polite, unlike the other Newgate boys. You also had great banter, he just seemed to get you. If you made an off-putting joke or downed yourself in any way he was always there to stop you and somehow spin them into positive traits.

He tried countless times to get you to play with he and Ace or to even get you to practice with them, but you always refused. So, he snuck into the crowd whenever you sang just to get his fix.

Marco was the only person aware of your nerves and insecurities where Sabo was concerned, he was also the only one who knew Sabo's addiction to you. He moved Kid's band's gig just to see what might happen.

You forced your gaze down trying to swallow and remedy the dryness in your mouth. Knots twisted their way through your stomach just thinking about your performance time approaching.

"F/N~" Ace sang squeezing his way between you and his brother, "Are you nervous? I hear someone you're crushing on is here."

You dropped the ketchup bottle you were already struggling to fill, "W-hat? Who said that?"

"Marco told me." the raven laughed wiping up your mess.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about." you scoffed.

"That reaction says otherwise." Ace continued to tease.

"Go away." you swatted at him.

"Ok ok - geez!" he whined backing out of your reach.

Sabo had stood quietly gauging your reaction, his stomach dropping with the shade of red staining your cheeks. Of course, you had someone you liked he just wanted so badly for it to be him.

"I didn't know you had a crush on someone." the blond commented feeling a little bitter.

"It's hopeless." you should sighed.

"What makes it hopeless?"

You glanced up at him briefly, "I mean, nobody wants this."

"F/N, any guy would seriously be lucky to have you." he soothed, "You're intelligent, incredibly talented and - "

"Have a charming personality, but I'm a buddy, one of the guys, a sister." you interrupted.

Sabo frowned, "Ah..no I - "

"F/N!" Marco called rounding the corner from the main room, "Time to get your guitar yoi."

The younger blond let out a frustrated growl.

"Sorry Sabo." you gave a diminutive smile running your hand down his arm before following Marco to the door.

"Break a leg!" he called after you.

After changing and touching up your makeup you stood in the wings of the stage waiting to be announced. This was the worst. You didn't want him to see you sing because of how vulnerable it felt to have all of your feelings laid out around you. Seeing him made you nervous in a normal setting, having to play knowing that beautiful man was somewhere in the room was damn near crippling.

"We have a special set tonight...she's one of our favorites, please give it up for F/N." Thatch introduced you and exited the opposite side of the stage as you took a deep breath and approached the microphone.

Plucking your Epiphone from its stand, you slung it across your torso and leaned toward the mic, "Thank you all for coming," You cleared your throat, "it'll be a short set tonight because I didn't know I was performing. Tables 18 and 24, I'll have your drinks out when I'm done." the small crowd chuckled as you winked and strummed the teal semi-hallow.

"I don't want to talk about it to you

I'm not an open book that you can rifle through

The cold hard truth that you'll see right to

I'm just a basket case without you

He's not a magic man or a perfect fit

But had a steady hand and I got used to it

And a glass cage heart and invited me in

And now I'm just a basket case without him."

This was a song Sabo hadn't heard before. He stopped wiping down the bar and found himself drifting through the crowd.

"You're begging for the truth

So I'm saying it to you"

You searched the front of the crowd nervously through the stage lights, unexpectedly feeling your nerves melt as you met his hazel gaze.

"I've been saving your place

And what good does it do?

Now I'm just a basket case

Now I'm just a basket case

I don't say much and it'll stay that way

You got a steel train touch and I'm just a track you lay

So I'll stay right here underneath you

I'm just a basket case that's what we do."

You felt a surge of confidence watching a wide smile play upon his lips.

"Won't somebody come on in and tug at my seams?

Oh, send your armies in of robbers and thieves

To steal the state I'm in, I don't want it anymore

You're begging for the truth

So I'm saying it to you

I've been saving your place

And what good does it do?

Now I'm just a basket case"

Fading into the end of the song you realized you hadn't broken eye contact with Sabo. Flushing madly, you tugged at your blouse and averted your gaze back to the cheering crowd.

You played longer than you'd planned with encouragement from Marco and the crowd, which grew the longer you were on stage. An hour later you finally thanked everyone for coming and glanced down to see the empty space Sabo had left. A small frown tugged at your lips while you reminded yourself that he was actually supposed to be working the entire time.

Thatch crossed the stage handing you a hand towel and a bottle of water on his way to announce Luffy's band. Toweling the sweat from your brow and neck you took a seat on the steps backstage getting high fives from The Straw Hats as they passed instruments in hand.

"Uh hey." Sabo voiced sheepishly, approaching as boisterous noises erupted from the stage behind you.

"Hey." You nearly had to shout.

"Can - uh - we talk in a quieter place?" the blond asked offering you a hand.

Heat invaded your face," S-sure."

Your mind completely blanked while Sabo guided you to the breakroom shutting the door behind you. He seemed tense and nervous, making you feel like you might've done something wrong. Maybe you made too much eye contact and he felt like you were singing to him? Were you? Probably, thinking back on it.

Damnit. You knew it was a bad idea to perform while he was there.

"I uh - I know you have someone you like," He started, eyes darting around the room while you tried to distract yourself by putting your guitar away.

"Ah, no what Ace was saying earlier," you murmured, "you can ignore it."

"Good." He breathed sounding relieved.

Good?

"What?"

Sabo's face, neck, and ears began turning shades of red and pink as he kept his eyes fixed on your fidgeting hands.

"The thing is...I've seen you sing before. Actually, every time." He rubbed his nape, "Marco showed us all the video from when he found you and..." he trailed off losing his words while your heart began to race.

"Sabo?" you whispered after a few seconds causing his eyes to snap up to your beautiful heart shaped face.

"You know all that stuff you say about yourself - it isn't true. Y-you're amazing F/N." he moved forward closing in the space between you, "It isn't just your voice or your face or that you're smarter and funnier than all of us."

You stared up at him, caught in the unbelievable surge of emotions flooding your senses. The world around you fell away as he gently tapped his forehead on yours.

"It's you." you blurted, "Th-the crush... I mean."

"Good." He chuckled placing a chaste kiss on your nose, "I really like you. All of you."

Song - Basket Case - Sara Bareilles

[braverytattoos]

you're telling me louis and liam were in the same exact venue but they didn't sing a song together?!??!?!?!

[hldailyupdate]

Foreword and Introduction of Helene Hørlyck's book Just Sing, by Louis Tomlinson:

I watched a documentary once of Yoko Ono and she had done this ceiling artwork that just said YES, and as a cynic ten years ago I would have hated that, but I fucking love it now. It's the least passive-aggressive thing and it is just so factual. This book has that same thing, because sometimes on some days you just need to read something, you need to see that something that inspires you to say to yourself... fucking go on then... I know Helene's words can inspire because they've inspired me, so I'm buzzing she finally got there and wrote this book! One thing that I find interesting is that it's a small book and almost simplified. But the point that I see from all Helene's training is, to say it's simple, would be the biggest understatement of the world! If I could put into a nutshell what she has taught me amongst all the technical brilliance, it's that if I believe in myself I will get the best out of myself. And that doesn't matter where I am on the ability scale. It just means that if I believe in myself I'm gonna maximise my potential. As a singer, performer and artist, I have one major rule and that's to trust your gut. For me this has been to stick to a musical genre that I love and know I can do well, intertwined with that feeling of knowing, self-belief and confidence.

Nobody knows who you want to be better than yourself, so my general advice is to start working on your self belief, because the more you work on your self belief the more you'll start sticking to your gut and the gut is always correct for you because it's instinctive. With singing and when we look at our own voices, we sometimes see a very complex picture. What Helene has done really well with this book, is to pick out the little things that you need to see and the little techniques that are important amongst so many. Especially when you're younger the feel is more important than the technical side, and for me, Helene always understood that because how she coached NEVER felt like school. Thinking back to our early days with One Direction there are a million different moments! You know, I could talk for hours about her patience, like that one time we had to record at rehearsals and we just dossed around all fucking day.......that time I came in hungover and she had to be very disciplined .......but mostly making sure all our vocal practice regardless of our circumstances would be done, ie the hundred different toilets around the world we've done vocals in! Not only for the acoustics but also because she wanted us to be in our own space when we were working. She always created that little undisturbed bubble around us.

As time has gone on and I see how much hard work goes into the specifics and the technicalities of singing, you see that very rarely is it a God-given talent, a lot of the time it is work and it is confidence. When I first started playing guitar I watched this great video and it basically listed all the guitar greats. And this guy from Red Hot Chili Peppers that I like, John Frusciante, said something so simple ... you've heard it a million times, but he just said; “All of these greats have sat exactly where you are now". So while I'm learning my guitar and even though I still know that, you sometimes need to hear someone say the words. You remind yourself - I am no different to them. I am human just the same as them. And so I can do my version of what they do. Remembering that idea gives you power. With this book, Helene has created a similar common ground between the superstars and the reader. So, I ask you to picture your idol – whoever and from wherever that might be. And remember that they have sat where you are right here right now, and read books similar to this – that encouraged the same feelings, the same idea of believing in yourself and believing in your own voice. Because sometimes you just need the words and you just need the guidance. So my most important message to all you readers, from me to you as a singer, boils down to one word for encouragement ...

Louis

BELIEVE

Support Helene and get your copy of Just Sing HERE!

[dailytomlinson]

Yes Louis did read it, he did read it and he sent me a lovely message saying how proud he was of me so ha other way around and also of course theres beautiful foreword that he wrote a good few pages long so I cant wait for you all to get it and see it

Helene on Louis reading the book via instagram live! - 12.12

[dreamings-free]

Just Sing by Helene Hørlyck with foreword by Louis Tomlinson

seen in the Away From Home doc August 2021

[larrylimericks]

16Dec21

These Mind Games are getting loco: Lou cited a film about Yoko— We Believe it’s the same H has mentioned by name— Another coincidence, oh no!