ZOEY: "Genius."
Back in the day, this was a label
limited to the intellects.
♪ And I got a colorful aura ♪
♪ Like I got neon guts ♪
But since then, the idea
of who was considered a genius has expanded like crazy...
♪ Higher than Elon Musk ♪
...and included another modern-day visionary
who was responsible for this..
Now, what may look like an ordinary website,
with an ordinary beach and an ordinary moon,
was actually neoteric, groundbreaking genius.
Translation: it was the first anonymous digital drop
by a music artist ever.
It was crazy, no one knew who was behind this thing.
- [Chiming] - ♪ Dark energies, we don't touch ♪
- ♪ Our jewelry's beyond Tut ♪ - But anyone who could stop the world
and get a campus full of Gen Z-ers
to focus on one thing while remaining unknown
was probably on some genius vibes.
As far as my own genius vibes,
if I was gonna change the game, my work had to be great.
All right. What does it need? What does it need?
[Sighs]
Heh.
[Chuckles]
No.
[Grunts]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
Yep, that's what it needed.
♪ Watch out, world, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪
♪ Learn something new every day ♪
♪ I don't know, so I'm-a feel my way ♪
♪ Got the weight of the world on me ♪
♪ But no regrets, this is what I say ♪
♪ Watch out, world, I'm grown now ♪
- ♪ I'm grown ♪ - ♪ You can tell me ♪
♪ My heart beating so loud ♪
♪ Mama, look, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪
Synced & corrected by kinglouisxx www.addic7ed.com
[Text messages blooping]
While my designs were a work in progress,
the crew was pre-gaming at our place
before heading over to Hawkins to watch the main event.
ANA: Guys, look. Look!
- [Gasps] - Oh, my God. Yes.
Little umbrellas to match the beach theme of the drop.
But you know me, I rock with a theme.
- [Bird cooing] - [Gasps]
What was that? Was that an owl?
No. Band-tailed pigeon.
What? I [bleep] with birds.
And drugs. That was most definitely an owl.
An owl? You guys, you know what this means, right?
There can only be one genius behind this.
- Champagne Papi! - Champagne Papi!
♪♪
Please. Wheelchair Jimmy does not even have
the creative capacity to pull this off
or act in his music videos.
Singing into a Mic most def
doesn't make him a genius.
I mean, like, come on, bruh.
She don't want you. Move on.
Okay. How are you guys even speculating
who this is when you don't even know what you're watching?
It's a basic-ass beach.
You're essentially just watching, really,
a Windows 98 screen saver.
I [bleep] with Windows 98.
Of course you do.
I mean, this whole thing is just ridiculous, no?
It's, like, a couple of music blogs say
that there's a "random drop" at midnight,
and now everybody has been glued to their phones,
saying that some random owl... possibly pigeon...
sounds are genius.
Excuse me, but everything Drizzy does is genius.
For the last 10 years, he's been a hit factory,
and a style icon for mock turtlenecks.
Zaddy even had the Fresh Prince
dancing on bridges in Budapest.
I'm-a keep it real with y'all, chief:
no way this is Aubrey.
Dude buys billboards, posts his drop dates on IG.
This is real art from a real artist, okay?
A boundary pusher. A genius.
Like Chief Keef or Young Thug.
- Who? - Exactly.
Drake is pop. "Popular."
So because you're pop, you can't be a genius?
Um... what about Michael Jackson?
Wow. You're really gonna compare the King of Pop
with the King of Toronto?
Drake's mad average. Basic.
He's like The Cheesecake Factory.
Ain't nothing basic 'bout that brown bread, though.
I get down with that, heavy.
So, while the world continued to be inspired,
I only wish I could say the same.
I should have been drawing fashion designs,
- but all I could think about was the drop. - [Cellphone chimes]
♪ We finna get down, we get down ♪
♪ We get down, down, down, down ♪
♪ Down, down, down, down, down, down, down ♪
♪ We get down, down, down ♪
Well, maybe after I down a couple daiquiris
and watch the drop, I'll have a creative surge.
Or a brain freeze.
♪ Watch me do my thing ♪
All right, guys. I know it's due tomorrow.
But let's be honest... I can't force the game.
I have to let the game come to me.
Okay.
♪♪
Mr. RA's really going all-out for this drop.
Bro, a betting board?
That's factually a genius come up.
You know what gave him the idea... your boy.
- Big Mike? - Me. It was me.
♪♪
What the hell? N-Nothing's ready?
The drop's not up, I'm watching a Hood Hobbit slay goblins,
and there's no alcohol.
Where's the alcohol? And the board's not done.
I don't give a damn about that piñata.
Listen to me. We have 30 minutes.
This place will be lit with baddies with low self-esteem,
high expectations.
You know, we got nothing to give them.
W-We're empty-handed.
Bro, I said I got you. All right?
I'm just screwing in this last bolt so the frame will be secure.
I'm gonna pop in the board and take care of the other stuff.
- So just chill, yo. - [Frame clangs]
You know, I just feel like you don't want me to be great.
You know? Doug, do you mind helping us out
with the betting board, bud?
- Please? - Nah.
I'm-a pray for y'all, though.
'Cause, heh, won't he do it.
Look, I get it. We all like the old Kanye,
but you can't take away his genius
just because he had a few unpopular opinions.
I'll take it away for other reasons.
Have you heard his last two albums?
- Gar. Bage. - All right, I'll give it to you.
"Ye" was pretty messy. But "Yandhi" is fire.
[Groans] It just proves that he can continue to shift culture.
- Hi. - Hey.
- You're gonna need this. - [Gasps] Thank you.
They're in a Kanye deep dive.
No, no, no. Oh, my God.
You guys got Luca started on Yeezy.
Please tell me no one's mentioned anything about birds.
LUCA: Look, you can dislike Kanye all you want.
But unlike other rappers, he never conformed
to the masses, and the masses conformed to him.
- Back me up, baby. - Mm.
Yeah, well, it's true. He's got everybody going broke
trying to look like homeless dudes with dad sneakers.
His, um, music, fashion, media...
everything dude does hits.
Wow. Are you seriously pro-Kanye right now?
Heh. Wait till I "at" your ass on Black Twitter.
Please do not do that. But I do believe
that art should be separate from the artists.
Oh. Like how Kanye separated himself
from his community, and then turned his back
on the people who actually made him?
♪♪
But I guess you're used to that, because you're...
you're also known to turn your back on people.
What did I just enter?
I mean, that was not even shade. That was a full eclipse.
Hey, Jazz, can we sidebar, please?
[Sighs]
♪♪
I need better eyes on this.
See? This is why I don't do friends.
Or maybe it's possible that friends don't do you.
Bet. [Chuckles]
So, I totally get that you're obviously still mad at me
for not telling you that your dude was at the kick-back.
And that's my bad.
But I've tried apologizing a million times.
And at this point, I don't know what to do.
There's nothing else to do. I'm completely over it.
So...
So we're good?
Yeah. Yeah, we're Gucci.
- All right. - Mm-hmm.
Than... Uh, you can have...
♪♪
[Scoffs]
I wasn't done with that.
I know.
♪♪
It's beautiful and everything,
but it's a little confusing, right?
As all good art should be.
NOMI: That is such bullshit.
Because someone's art is confusing,
it makes them a genius?
Facts. Confusion pushes the conversation forward
and makes us think.
Take any episode of "Atlanta" for example.
I don't want to. That show is ridiculous.
What's it about? Seriously, I wanna know.
Girl, you know I don't have a clue.
That Teddy Perkins mess?
Exactly my point.
Nobody knew what that episode was about,
but everybody was talking about it.
Well, I think I have to side with Luca on this one,
because Donald Glover is for sure a genius.
But nobody asked you, sweetie.
We are so not Gucci.
You guys do realize that by calling everyone a genius,
no one is a genius?
Just completely waters down the label.
It's so much more rare than you think.
I don't know. I think we're all geniuses in our own way.
Ugh. I wish your parents had been more honest with you.
Sister solidarity, I guess.
I get what Zoey means.
There's something genius in all of us.
Like, I'm really good at giving advice.
And the only reason why you're good at giving people advice
is because you're always in people's business.
- Unh-unh! - Seriously, though,
nobody here is a genius.
Nobody.
- Mm. - Except maybe this dummy.
Thanks, Nomi.
[Ding!]
You're only saying that 'cause he's always smoking you out.
No, I'm really not. I mean, think about it.
His designs, his drawings.
But literally everyone in the fashion department
needs to know how to do all those things, so...
Yeah, but it just comes so much easier to him.
I mean, you were, like, busting your ass all night,
and Baby Basquiat's just been sipping daiquiris.
I mean, you do it. But Luca...
Luca is it.
No offense.
None taken.
Psh!
[Chuckles]
All of the offense taken.
♪ Love me like it's our first time ♪
♪ Love me like it's our last ♪
♪ Love me like it's forever ♪
♪ Love me like you know it's too fast ♪
So, the main event had started at Hawkins,
and everybody was really feeling
what we had been built up to believe
was going to be the cultural event of the century.
But instead of being in the moment,
I was lost in thought, trying to figure out
why Nomi's comments about Luca being a genius
had bothered me so much.
- You good, kid? - Yeah, totally.
Why do I lie?
Oh, be right back. My TaskRabbit guy is here.
Gotta go grab my Yoshinoya bowl.
Guys. Black people! And friends.
Hey, something's happening.
[All murmuring]
[Excited chatter]
Black excellence, people. This is what Black excellence looks like.
No disrespect, but how does he know the artist is black?
Okay, first, bro, you way too close to my sneakers.
And second, every new wave of artistry
that shakes up culture is always started by a black person.
We innovate. Not appropriate.
See? That's why you bae.
Look, I hear you, bae.
It's just, I think it's someone who defies race.
You know, transcends culture?
Which is why I'm going with the Biebs.
No, no, no, no. Put him on the back of the board.
- Vivek, no. - Then burn it!
No. No!
Again, you just make it so hard to like you, man.
- What? - There.
Just like that.
- Can I just... - At the top.
I'm not mad at it. I just want to fix it real...
Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Kendrick, and the Biebs...
♪♪
Is this a dude thing?
Is that why Luca's a genius and I'm not,
because he's a guy?
Okay, y'all, this board is hella problematic.
You're telling me no one sees what's wrong with the board?
Aside from it being Bieber'd? No one?
- What? - I don't think...
There are no women on the list.
Like, not even Beyoncé.
And she is for sure a genius.
Genius?
BOTH: Gen-ius, Ne-gro!
- Okay. - Beyoncé... hardworking? Yes.
Bad as hell? 100%.
Genius? Hmm. Hard no.
She's more of like a, uh... an entertainer than a genius.
I want to set you on fire right now.
ZOEY: Thank you, Ana.
Because this is crazy. Aaron, you're crazy.
I am triggered right now that this dumbass has the cojones
to say that Beyoncé's not a genius!
And you have every right to be triggered.
You know why? Because how is it that a hardworking,
exhausted, talented young woman
is putting in all of these work hours
and isn't a genius, but her dude
with a porno mustache, can just breeze into class,
whip up some linen basketball shorts,
and is called the second coming?
Hm?
Wait, I'm confused.
Is Jay rockin' linen basketball shorts now?
What's up with you and being so close to my body, bro?
- Oh. - It's becoming a thing.
Oh! Okay.
I think I know what this is about.
Do you have a problem with me calling Luca a genius?
[Scoffs] No. Not a problem.
But if I'm being honest,
it did make me feel some type of way, okay?
Like, amused? 'Cause the thought
of Luca being a genius is laughable.
I mean, the guy posted a crop-top pic on IG today.
You still follow me, though, so...
Is this because you don't think that your boyfriend's a genius?
No, it's that you don't think I'm one.
Oh, honey, no.
[Whistles]
All in her feelings and her ass wasn't even nominated for the award.
[Clears throat] Hey, you know what?
Let's go take a walk real quick. This energy is just a...
Sure.
[Clears throat]
Later.
Zoey, what's up? Talk to me real quick.
What's going on? Why are you so upset?
[Groans] I don't know.
But when Nomi called you a genius,
it tapped into this... this weird insecurity of mine
that I'm less-than or not good enough.
Why? That's just one incredibly high woman's opinion
about one incredibly high man.
Sure. But it's... it's facts.
And, you know, for 19 years of my life,
my father's been telling me, like, "Zoey, you're the best.
Zoey, you're great at everything you do.
Hey, Junior, move out of the way.
I'm looking for your amazing sister."
That was my life.
Your dad wasn't wrong.
But now I'm out of the house,
and it's become abundantly clear that that's not the case.
I'm not the best, and I don't think I'll...
I'll ever get to that place.
But real talk... everything you do is just fire.
And I don't know why my light has to dim yours.
Because I used to be you.
I'm used to being the person everyone feels second best to,
and now... shoe's on the other foot.
Like... I don't know.
Take today's project, for example.
No matter how long I spent on it
or how much detail I put into it,
you always manage to whip up something
in, like, five minutes that stunts on everything.
You really think it's that easy?
For you, yeah.
But, you know, I also think it's amazing,
and I wish I could do it.
Mm-hmm.
You know what? Let's just stop talking about this.
Because I have humiliated myself enough,
and I promise you, I am totally over it.
Yeah. I'm good. I promise.
Now let's just go catch this drop.
[Loud cheering]
Of course. Of course I've made us miss it.
Of course I have.
♪♪
So, my once-promising night turned out to be a bust.
Luca had gone home to smash his Noya leftovers,
and after my humiliating meltdown,
I was the only one who hadn't witnessed
the drop of one of the greatest visuals
of my generation.
♪♪
Hi.
ZOEY: Oh, hey.
- You okay? - Yeah.
Zo, you know that I didn't mean,
like, Luca was better than you or anything, right?
Guys, I-I don't think it's about Luca
being a more talented designer.
It's about the talent itself.
You know, I've been busting my ass in that class,
and my stuff just... It isn't good enough.
Yeah, but we're in college.
Like, this is where you learn to be good enough.
Yeah. I-I think you're being really hard on yourself.
- Yeah. - Dude, stop coddling her whiny ass.
Maybe she doesn't have what it takes.
Dude, what in the world is your problem now?
My problem is you.
What if you just be honest
and say you're still mad about the Doug stuff?
Duh. But you want to know what I'm mad about right now?
- What? - That you are so self-involved.
[Scoffing] Self-involved?
You're the one who's holding a grudge after two weeks.
Is that not self-involved?
It is. But at least I own it.
You're going around whining to everyone
that your boyfriend got called a genius and you didn't.
Who cares? You always make everything such a big deal.
Right. Like the huge deal you made about
you and your boyfriend's complicated-ass rules.
This is not about me.
This is about you letting other people's opinions
dictate how you feel about yourself.
Because fashion is subjective!
You know, it...
People's opinions are the only measurement I have.
- [Scoffs] - You run track.
You know, winning and losing is super clear.
No one says, "Well, she won that race in my opinion,"
because you either did or... or you just didn't.
I don't have that.
So I'm sorry if what people think matters to me.
Forget people. Do you think you're talented?
Do you think you're a great designer?
♪♪
I...
I don't... I don't know.
Then why the hell are you so worried
about being called a genius?
Because.
[Sniffles] I... [Sighs]
I-I guess, when Nomi didn't think I was one,
it just confirmed the doubts I already had.
You know, I-I thought I was gonna come to school
and love design,
and be the same "Amazing Zoey Johnson" per uje,
but I'm not.
And I feel like it's killing me.
It's just not clicking. You know?
And you can't tell me that track doesn't kill you sometimes.
It does, but I still love it
with every piece of my being.
And if I didn't feel that way, I'd be out.
[Scoffs]
Oh, um...
That was cr-crazy, the way that that...
♪ I don't expect you to understand ♪
♪ You can't imagine how I'm feeling ♪
♪ I can't admit it to myself ♪
So that night, I went to the lab
with a lot on my mind.
♪ So where would I even begin? ♪
Jazz's words, Luca's genius,
and a dress to finish.
♪ 'Cause I'm a proud woman ♪
It was the hardest I'd ever worked.
♪ I must be proud, woman ♪
♪ And I am strong ♪
And, honestly, I think my dress turned out pretty good.
- ♪ I must be strong ♪ - But the thing I realized was,
designing from scratch was something
I thought I wanted to do my whole life.
But what it really was
was something I never wanted to do ever again.
♪ So it would kill me to say it out loud ♪
So it was back to the drawing board.
And when I find that thing that inspired Luca
to keep designing...
- ♪ So if you don't mind ♪ - ...that inspired Jazz
- ♪ I'll leave it for now ♪ - ...to keep running
and inspired this genius to keep stopping the world...
And if I find that thing,
I knew I'd have found my own genius.
♪ I must be proud, woman ♪
♪ 'Cause I am strong, a woman ♪
- All right, ready? Mnh-mnh. - Yes. Stop, stop.
- Stop. - [Laughs]
You got it all over your lips.
- You're good. - You're spreading it.
Now...
Oh, yay.
[Electronic music plays]
Wow. This is so good.
I know. The secret's all in the Noya sauce.
♪♪
♪ Tick, boom ♪
♪ Mi nuh really care wo mi bump into ♪
♪ Bull dozer, mek room ♪
♪ Write dat pon fi mi tomb ♪
♪ Don't care if they assume ♪
♪ Only stop to collect, then I resume ♪
♪ You sleep, I goon ♪
♪ You nuh wanna test who's badder than who ♪
♪ Dey click my pics and zoom ♪
♪ Chanel on the floor of my hotel room ♪
♪ They wish they all had my Legroom ♪
♪ Another deal and it ain't even noon ♪
♪ Tour Dior or sit by the pool ♪
♪ I can do anything except lose ♪
♪ Nah wen Yuh say, it's when I choose ♪
♪ This is a bomb you can't defuse ♪
♪ Tick, boom ♪
♪ Mi nuh really care wo mi bump into ♪
♪ Bull dozer, mek room ♪
♪ Write dat pon fi mi tomb ♪
♪ Tick, boom ♪
♪ Mi nuh really care wo mi bump into ♪
♪ Bull dozer, mek room ♪
♪ Write dat pon fi mi tomb ♪
♪ Televise this dress ♪
♪ It's an Alaia, show some respect ♪
♪ Sitting, no arm rest ♪
♪ Get in, I'm what's next ♪
♪ Incoming text from the vets ♪
♪ No hate here, I'm blessed ♪
♪ Mild-mannered, no stress ♪
♪ I'll never let a broke ho get she vexed ♪
♪ Too wake to walk with Di rest ♪
♪ Abstract, fearless ♪
♪ Mi sey what's pon my chest ♪
♪ Di gyal Dem try, but Dem dare nuh test ♪
♪ Tick, boom ♪
♪ Mi nuh really care wo mi bump into ♪
♪ All in ya face like whoa ♪
♪ Air Max, cornrows ♪
♪ Got that Bruce Leroy kinda glow ♪
♪ Mi ongle pop mi head Inna fi Di dough ♪
♪ Said I only pop my head in for the dough ♪
♪ I never stay long, got places to go ♪
♪ See me on the scene, bitch say hello... ♪
Synced & corrected by kinglouisxx www.addic7ed.com