A few days ago, Variety published a video of Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and producer Blake Slatkin discussing the song “Drive” from the soundtrack for the movie F1. As you would expect from two superstars, it is largely a flattery fest and feeds the myth that talent is strongly correlated with popularity. It is interesting to see, though, how a commissioned song for a blockbuster film comes together, which they showed in detail on the ProTools screen.

The song itself is fine and has some earworm qualities (Elke sang it for about half a day). While it is no more than the sum of its parts, it certainly does its job of adding star power to the movie.

The movie was actually very good. We don’t care a bit about car racing, but sports movies tend to resonate with us. We also know next to nothing about American football, but Jerry Maguire is one of our all-time favorites. F1 ticks all the right boxes, and while there are interesting characters and side stories, nothing is overdone, so the races themselves can drive the story. The movie also does a remarkable job of explaining the complicated rules and tactics of a Formula One race.

I used to think car racing was on the wrong side of environmental protection and that it required an awful lot of effort and money just to satisfy male fantasies. But after seeing the movie, I can see the fascination with putting so many resources into a simple goal: building and operating the fastest car in the world.

Cover Song of the Week

Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” is perhaps best remembered for its video, which turns female musicians into stylized props, an image so ubiquitous it was later gently skewered in Love Actually.

The Scottish synth-pop band CHVRCHES infused the raunchy 80s pop track with romance and drama for the Hulu TV series Tell Me Lies. In their version, “Addicted to Love” becomes a heart condition, not just a case of too much sex drive.

Five Songs

Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.

1. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds — The Breakfast Club [1985]
   There are songs you love instantly — and then there are songs that stay with you for life. This is one of them. I first heard it when my parents were on a rare weekend trip, my sister and I had the apartment to ourselves, and I could go to the movie theater three nights in a row to watch The Breakfast Club. It became one of the defining films of the 1980s — and this song is its emotional anchor. Often mentioned now that Simple Minds’ frontman Jim Kerr initially passed on the track, wanting the band’s own songs to lead the way. In the end, they said yes to “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” and the rest really is history. Knowing when to take a leap matters.
2. “Smooth” by Santana feat. Rob Thomas — Love Actually [2003]
   One of my favorite scenes in Love Actually is full of hope, self-belief, and the idea that destiny might actually show up if you’re brave enough. That’s the moment when Colin Frissell, played by Kris Marshall, heads to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.You won’t find “Smooth” on any official Love Actually soundtrack listings — the song was already a massive hit and didn’t need the extra billing. Still, the scene wouldn’t feel the same without it. Santana’s guitar and Rob Thomas’ voice together are pure confidence, warmth, and forward motion. It’s one of those songs that never fails to lift me.
3. “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty — Jerry Maguire [1996]
   Oliver and I will probably never forget the first time we watched Jerry Maguire — or the many times since. It’s a film we quote endlessly, one we practically know by heart.The movie is overflowing with great music — no surprise, given Cameron Crowe’s deep love for music — but one moment stands out every time. Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” becomes shorthand for following your heart, trusting your instincts, and letting tomorrow take care of itself.
4. “Mindfields” by The Prodigy — The Matrix [1999]
   If there is one must-see movie of 1999, it’s The Matrix. The film is relentless, visionary, and packed with music that feels just as intense as the world it creates. Choosing just one track isn’t easy, but “Mindfields” might be my favorite. It hits hard, pulls you straight into that dark, charged atmosphere, and doesn’t let go. Unsurprisingly, it also sent me down a Prodigy rabbit hole for a while — one of those moments where a movie doesn’t just introduce a song, but opens an entire door.
5. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by T.V. Carpio — Across the Universe [2007]
   Across the Universe, envisioned and directed by Julie Taymor, is one of my all-time favorite movies — and not just for the music. I was living on the Lower East Side when parts of it were filmed, and watching the neighborhood get transformed for another era felt magical. There’s so much great music in the film, but this scene always stands out. T.V. Carpio’s version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” turns the Beatles classic into a giddy declaration of longing — all fluttering hearts and barely contained excitement. It sets the emotional tone beautifully, long before the heartbreak begins.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

1. RIVER – “Infected Mind”: Soaring guitars turn inward, creating a strange comfort as past and present collide without resolution or easy reassurance.
2. Krooked Kings – “My Friend Max”: This softer turn eases the tempo and strips things back, letting reflection surface without fully escaping emotional undertow.
3. Ora Cogan – “Honey”: A guarded protagonist moves through shared space, her toughness framed by warmth, tradition, and an uneasy sense of earned protection.
4. Anna Smyrk – “Skin Thinner”: Lightness and loss sit side by side, as forward motion gently insists on openness rather than retreat.
5. Ski Team – “Music For My Family” Calm, restrained electronics support a clear-eyed reflection on doubt, belonging, and what makes commitment feel possible.
6. Lauren Minear – “Perfect Girl” Where control replaces warmth, repetition becomes the point — a quietly unsettling look at how perfection reshapes power and intimacy.
7. Kim Gordon – “NOT TODAY” Fast, confrontational rock cuts straight through the present moment, refusing distance, nostalgia, or polite disengagement.

Nine Photos: Holding Onto the Light — Barbados

With New York wrapped in winter grey and a crazy cold winter storm on the way, we’re holding onto the light. These nine photos stay close to our corner of Fitts Village — sunsets, late afternoons, sun tracing the surface of the ocean. Warmth, calm, and that rare feeling of having a place entirely to yourself. No crowds, no urgency. Just light, water, and the luxury of carefreeness.