09 - velvet elvis

KACEY'S STUDIO
los angeles, california
march 7, 2024
sunday
3pm

in the studio with lana del rey and my team, i explained to her the concept behind the song and my vision. lana listened carefully, nodding and asking questions here and there. she had a thoughtful expression on her face as she seemed to take in every word i said.

my team stood back a bit, giving us space to talk. i could feel the nervous excitement running through me. having lana del rey on a song with me was a dream come true.

"i think i understand your vision." lana said thoughtfully after a moment. "i have some ideas for how i can contribute to the song. mind if i give it a try?"

i shook my head, feeling thrilled that she was on board. "of course! let's give it a try."

my producer set up the equipment and i prepared myself for the recording session.

we ran through the song a few times, with lana singing her parts. she had such a powerful and emotive voice, and it fit perfectly with my own. i could feel my excitement growing with each take.

lana eventually signaled that she was satisfied with her parts, and we took a brief break to listen to the recorded takes.

my producer played back the audio for us, and the song sounded even more complete with lana's addition. i couldn't help but beam with pride. this song was shaping up to be one of my best yet.

we spent the rest of the afternoon working on making final adjustments and recording some additional parts. by the time the sun started to set, i could sense that we had created something special.

we wrapped up the recording session, feeling tired but satisfied with the work we had done. as we all started to pack up our things, i turned to lana and thanked her for taking the time to work with me. "thank you so much for being a part of this. your vocals truly elevated the song."

lana smiled, clearly pleased with the outcome as well. "of course. i had fun working with you. your creativity and passion are contagious...not to mention you're such a sweet person. i knew that as soon as i met you at the grammys."

i felt a slight flush of embarrassment hearing her compliments. coming from lana del rey, a legendary musician in her own right, it meant a lot to me.

"thank you," i said, feeling humbled. "that means a lot, especially coming from you. i've looked up to you for so long, so working on this song with you was literally a dream come true for me."

lana chuckled softly. "well, the feeling is mutual. when your producer first hit me up about the song, i was excited to work with you. i'm glad everything worked out." she started heading towards the door, but paused before exiting. "oh, and kacey?"

"yeah?" i asked, curiosity piqued.

"i'm sorry about the breakup...they can be hard, trust me i know." she said with a small smile, "i'm one call away if you need anything." she said before walking out. i stood there in stunned silence for a moment, touched by her words. i had forgotten that lana had gone through her own fair share of public breakups and heartache. she had been through it all, and for her to reach out like that was incredibly kind.

i cleared my throat and turned to my team, "so now what's the plan?"

my producer, who was tidying up the studio setup, spoke up. "well, we'll do some final edits and mastering, and then we've got to figure out when you want to release the song. but overall, it's shaping up to be an absolute banger."

"asap." i answered, "i wanna release it asap."

my producer chuckled, clearly understanding my eagerness. "i figured you'd say that. we'll start working on releasing the song and promoting immediately. we'll probably start by releasing a teaser or some snippets to get your fans excited."

i shook my head, "i kind of just want to drop it randomly. no teasers, just let them hear it once."

my producer raised an eyebrow in surprise, clearly not expecting that answer. "really? you sure you wouldn't want to build up some hype first? surprise drops are fun, but we could get even more attention with teasers."

"it's a breakup song, it's gonna get so much attention." i said with a sigh.

my producer chuckled softly, knowing i had a point. "okay, fair enough. a surprise drop will definitely make headlines overnight. let's do it then."

i cleared my throat again but spoke quietly, "do i warn jacob? i mean the song is about closure...not about how rocky our relationship got...but still."

my producer paused for a moment, contemplating my question before answering. "it probably would be best to give him a heads-up. the song's going to get a lot of attention and he'll most likely hear it regardless, so it's better if he at least knows it's coming from you rather than hearing it through the press or something."

"right, right." i nodded and grabbed my things. "amazing work today guys...thank you all so much." i said as i headed for the door.

my team, along with a few other people that had been in the studio today, all thanked me for bringing them in to work on the song.

one of the guys that had helped recording some strings spoke up, "it's all thanks to you, kacey. the song would've been nothing without your vision."

i chuckled softly and thanked them all again before heading out of the studio. as i walked to my car, i thought about the song and the impact it might have. i knew it was going to be a big deal, but i couldn't help feeling anxious about how jacob would react to it. as i connected my phone to aux, i sighed. instead of playing music i hit my call app and dialed jacob's number.

the phone rang a few times, each ring causing my heart to thump faster. it finally clicked and jacob's voice came through the speakers. "hello?" jacob answered, sounding slightly confused but also happy to hear from me.

"hi...jacob, hi." i said.

he chuckled softly. "kacey, hi...are you okay?" his tone hinted at concern.

i sighed, knowing i needed to broach the topic. "yeah, i'm fine. i just need to talk to you about something. do you have a minute?"

jacob paused for a moment, seeming to sense the seriousness in my tone. "yeah, of course, i have time. what's up?"

i took a deep breath, preparing myself to break the news to him. "so i um...i recorded a song. and it's getting released soon. and um, it's kind of about us."

jacob was quiet for a moment, processing the information. "a song about us...? what kind of song?" he asked hesitantly.

i sighed again, bracing myself for his reaction. "it's a breakup song. about closure and moving on. it was basically a way for me to...process everything that happened, ya know?"

there was another moment of silence on the line before jacob spoke up. "i see..." he said slowly, "so...this is your closure then...?"

"yeah, are you mad?" i asked softly.

"no, no, i'm not mad," he assured me quickly, "i just...i'm processing it, ya know? a song is a pretty public way to do this..." he trailed off.

i felt a pang of guilt and empathy for him. "i know, jacob, i'm sorry. i'm sorry if it feels like i'm airing out our personal business. i just- i didn't know how else to express myself? in a way."

he sighed heavily, sounding slightly frustrated. "i understand. but i wish you had talked to me about this before putting something so intimate out there for the world to hear...how soon is it coming out?"

"i don't know, it's really my producer's call on when it will drop. but please know that i didn't speak poorly on you, not once. i made sure of that, j." i said softly.

jacob was quiet for another moment, but his tone softened a little when he spoke again. "i appreciate that, thank you...i just worry about what it's gonna be like when it comes out, ya know? the press and people's reactions and everything..."

"i know, i do too..." i admitted quietly, "that's why i thought it was best to call and tell you first, so you're not blind sighted by it or something."

he sighed again, sounding resigned. "alright, well, thank you for telling me, i appreciate it. when you know a release date, can you let me know?"

"yeah, i will, definitely." i assured him. there was a moment of awkward silence before i spoke up again. "okay, um, i'll let you go. i'm sure you're busy..."

jacob chuckled softly. "yeah, yeah, i am, but it was nice to hear your voice. take care, kacey."

i smiled a little, feeling some relief. "yeah, you too...bye, j."

°˖✧✿✧˖°

FUTURE HOME
los angeles, california
7:15pm

not wanting to be near anyone, i drove to my future home and stared at it...it never looked better. the sun had set, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood. as i stepped out of my car and looked up at the house, i couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. it was exactly what i'd always wanted in a home: spacious, modern, and with a beautiful view of the city skyline.

i leaned against my car and took a deep breath, taking in the peaceful surroundings. it had been a long day, between recording the song and talking to jacob, but being alone here was exactly what i needed.

i then got a phone call, from my producer. i raised my eyebrows and answered. "hello?"

"hey, kacey, it's me," my producer said, sounding excited. "so we think we should drop the song tonight. the hype is already starting to build on social media from your post last night. what do you think?"

"is it even ready to drop yet?" i asked him.

"oh yeah, everything's all set," he assured me. "we've got the mastering done and everything. just waiting on your go-ahead."

"um, yeah...if you're sure then let's do it." i said with a nod as if he could see me.

"sick," he replied, "i'll let the team know."

the phone went silent as he hung up and i let out a sigh. i felt excited but also anxious. dropping a song unexpectedly always had some risk involved. even with the buzz on social media, there was no guarantees on how everyone would react. but at the same time, i knew how much the song meant to me, how much i'd poured into it. it wasn't just a piece of music, it was a piece of myself. sharing it felt like setting something free, even if that meant possibly exposing myself to critics and tabloids.

i cleared my throat and dialed jacob's number yet again. the phone rang a few times before jacob answered, his voice sounded slightly weary, "hello?"

"tonight. it's dropping tonight, i didn't know until now, now and i know and i'm telling you." i rambled.

silence on the line for a moment before jacob spoke again, sounding resigned. "tonight, huh..."

i bit my lip, feeling a pang of guilt. i knew this wasn't easy for him to hear. "yeah, they think it's the best time to drop it, when everyone's online and active. i'm sorr-" i started to say, but jacob cut me off.

"it's fine. it's cool." he said.

"are you sure?" i asked him.

he sighed heavily. "yeah, i'm sure. it is what it is. thanks for letting me know, i appreciate it."

i could sense that he was hurt and frustrated, but was trying to hide it. my heart ached for putting him in this situation. "jacob, i'm sorry. i wish there were another way to do this. i-" i struggled to find the right words.

"i know, kacey." he said softly, his tone a mix of sadness and resignation. "i know you do, and i wish there was too. but this is your decision, and i respect that. just...i'm gonna go now, okay?"

"where are you?" i asked him.

there was a pause before jacob responded, "i'm home, why?"

"home? i heard you were going overseas for a movie?" i said thinking about what barry had told me about a month ago.

"oh, uh, i was. but they had to push the shoot back, so i'll be on a break for a bit." he replied. "it'll start up again in about a month or so."

"maybe you should be with a friend...like barry or someone." i suggested, i knew that when jacob gets hurt he closes himself off and refuses to admit his feelings.

jacob chuckled dryly, sounding almost amused at my suggestion. "yeah, right. that's exactly what i need, to go running to my friend to vent about my ex-fiancée."

i rolled my eyes, frustrated at his stubbornness. "jacob, you know damn well that i don't mean it like that, but you and i both know you have a tendency to bottle everything up and not deal with your emotions."

he let out a huff of breath, clearly annoyed. "and what would you have me do, kacey? cry my eyes out and have some kind of dramatic emotional breakdown in front of everyone? i don't trust therapists after that lady." he admitted.

i pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. "no, jacob, that's not what i mean. i just think it would be good for you to have someone to lean on. barry is a good friend and he cares about you, he wouldn't judge you."

"yeah, yeah, i know." he said, sounding tired. "look, kacey, i really don't wanna argue about it. i'm tired, okay? you do your thing and i'm gonna do mine, alright? goodnight."

"jacob, i just don't think you should be alone when the song drops." i said.

"i'm a big boy, kacey, i can handle it." he said calmly but sternly.

"why do you insist on being so stubborn?" i exclaimed, feeling frustrated. "it won't kill you to admit that you need support sometimes, ya know? or that you're allowed to feel upset and pissed off when something hurts you."

i could practically hear him rolling his eyes over the phone. "i'm not being stubborn, i'm being realistic. i'm not going to run and cry to barry over your song, kacey, that's not happening." he said firmly.

i let out a frustrated huff. "fine, whatever. wallow in your misery all you want, alone in your house. see if i care." i said, knowing it was a low blow but feeling desperate.

jacob chuckled dryly, clearly stung by my words. "wow. glad to know you still care." he retorted sarcastically.

i immediately regretted saying it, feeling the weight of my words. "jacob, that's not what i meant. i didn't mean it like that... i'm sorry, i-" i trailed off.

there was silence on the line as jacob processed my apology. "yeah, it is messed up....and complicated." he admitted quietly.

i sighed heavily, feeling like we were both stuck in a never-ending cycle. "listen, i shouldn't have said that, i'm sorry. i care about you, jacob, more than you know. that's why i'm worried about you being alone tonight. this song is gonna stir up emotions for both of us and i just don't want you to be alone. i hate the thought of you closing yourself off and stewing in misery."

jacob let out a sigh, sounding weary. "i should've known you wouldn't let this go. you always did have a stubborn streak too, ya know." he mused lightly.

i couldn't help but crack a slight smile, amused despite myself. "yeah, well, who do you think i learned it from, huh?"

jacob chuckled softly, the tension between us dissipating slightly. "fair point, i guess i can't argue with that." he said.

"exactly, so just agree with me already." i said, half-joking, half serious.

he let out a dry laugh. "alright, fine, you win, happy now?"

i smirked, satisfied. "yes, very. see how easy that was?"

jacob chuckled again. "whatever. fine, i won't spend the rest of the night sulking alone. i'll call barry, okay? is that enough to get you to stop nagging me?"

"it's a start," i teased. "but only if you promise to talk to him. no holding back. actually talk about the song, how it makes you feel, and everything else you won't talk about with me."

he blew out a breath. "fine, i promise to have a real, honest conversation with him about it. just don't expect some melodramatic breakdown or something."

i chuckled softly. "goodbye, jacob."

"yeah, yeah, goodnight." he replied before the line went dead.

~~

SPOTIFY

velvet elvis
kacey jenner, lana del rey
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0:00                                                                                  3:20

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INSTAGRAM
kaceyjenner

👤: honeymoon, teamkacey
liked by jacobelordi and 6,901,819 others
kaceyjenner surprise surprise...introducing a song that explores vulnerability, honesty and most importantly, closure. wrote the lyrics to this song in my super top secret journal a couple weeks ago and i didn't ever plan on sharing them until a little birdie told me to.

i bring to you, 'velvet elvis.' thank you to my amazing team for helping me with the production and making of this song, thank you to lana who i couldn't have made this song without her beautiful vocals, thank you to my muse, you're special in my heart and you're my forever friend. most of all, thank you to that little birdie. this song would never have seen light without you.

'velvet elvis,' now streaming everywhere. 🤍🌿🕊️🫶🏻

view all 12,279 comments

user1 the first time she's speaking out about the breakup and it's in the most beautiful way. her and lana nailed it.

honeymoon love you forever ❤️
⤷ kaceyjenner and i love you forever.

daisynewton ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! OMG ❤️😭

callumturner great song.
⤷ kaceyjenner thank you!!

user2 just wow.

brentfayaiz ⭐️

user3 so basically her and jacob ended on good terms and the song says how she wishes him well as she's finding peace of mind?
⤷ user6 yeah basically.

kimkardashian ❤️❤️

kendalljenner on repeat.

haileybieber so good🥹🥹

user4 i never really liked kacey's music until this song. game changer...10/10

user5 i wish i could've heard this live ughhhh

jacobelordi sounds amazing, kacey. much love.
⤷ kaceyjenner thank you ❤️🫂 sm love sent back your way.

user7 alright who's the birdie? reveal yourself.
⤷ user2 my guess is kris

user8 so the song is named 'velvet elvis' because jacob elordi played as elvis in priscilla?
⤷ user2 yes

user9 forget pop music i need more of whatever that was coming from you

~~

a wave of emotion washed over me as i read through the comments. it was surreal to see how people were reacting to my song. there were so many positive comments, people gushing about the lyrics, the production, lana's vocals, everything. it was overwhelming in the best possible way. i couldn't help but laugh at how everyone wanted to know who 'the little birdie' was, truth is...it was callum turner. without his persistence and guidance, the song would have never left my notebook.