✨What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

there's a good reason why I'm asking so early...

hello lover,

You’re probably familiar with the song “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” because it’s pumped through every mall speaker in December and included in most Spotify Holiday playlists.

Written by Frank Loesser¹ in 1947, it was first recorded by Margaret Whiting, though I’d argue that the most popular version is Ella Fitzgerald’s. I’d also argue that it’s the best version.

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Here’s a quick ranking of the top 5 best covers of What Are You Doing’ New Year’s Eve?

1. Ella Fitzgerald (1960); I mean, I don’t know what I could say to you about Ella Fitzgerald that hasn’t already been said, her voice has a texture, a softness, a throatiness that is specific to her

2. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt (2012)² ; this was the first version of the song that I remember hearing/viewing and the two of them have a captivating chemistry that makes me feel like they’re truly singing for each other

3. Margaret Whiting (1947); honestly, I’m just a sucker for audio that sounds it’s age so I have to give it to Margaret for this

4. Nancy Wilson (1963); she brings something a little different to her version and I really appreciate that she’s tried to make it her own without making it too different either

5. Kacey Musgraves (2016); honestly, there’s not much that Kacey can’t sing

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But back to the song.

Here’s a little known fact that Loesser felt a lot of performers didn’t understand when they sung his song: the singer is posing this question far in advance; she’s asking, essentially, if her and the questionee are in a long-term relationship. In a way, it’s not actually a holiday song. According to Loesser’s daughter and biographer, Susan Loesser, the song is actually set in spring.³

All this to say, me asking you what you’re doing on New Year’s Eve in late September or announcing my next book, This Time, Next Year, a spicy New Year’s Eve holiday novella, last week is actually not that early if we’re going by Frank’s standards.

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I was lucky enough for Julia (@thebookishanimator_) to create this absolutely stunning cover for me. There is a WHOLE ASS STORY about this cover and Julia, Ada of Be the Archetype (@be.thearchetype), who did the typeface for this cover, and our dear friend Esther (@esther.reads) who brought it all together.

But that story deserves it’s own newsletter, so for now I’ll just say this is Julia’s FIRST COVER and I cannot express to you how special it is to me to get to write the book that holds this incredible honour.

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Ever since I first heard this song (ie. watch Zooey and JGL sing to each other) back in 2012 I’ve wanted to write a New Year’s Eve romance. Regardless of when the singer is supposed to be singing this song, there is something so romantic about “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” And, I’d argue, about New Year’s Eve, as well.

Maybe it’s having been raised on movies like When Harry Met Sally, where (spoilers) Harry runs across New York City to tell Sally that “when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start right now”.⁴

Maybe it’s listening to songs like this one. Or the inherent romanticism (for me) in the idea of smooching being the first thing you do to start a new year. Maybe it’s the glitter or the fizziness of champagne. Maybe it’s the heart pounding quality of fireworks.

But I think New Year’s Eve is the perfect setting for a romance. This Time, Next Year is a frenemies to lovers, opposites attract, slow burn romance, told over 5 increasingly spicy New Year’s Eves.

If this feels like an even somewhat interesting story to you, I’m going to do my obligatory, PLEASE PRE-ORDER THIS BOOK. You have NO IDEA how important pre-orders are to a book’s success. If you can’t pre-order, please share this book with your friends!

And please go ahead and tell me: what the heck ARE you doing for New Year’s Eve? I don’t have plans yet, but I’m looking forward to the smooching, either way.

xo Rubes

1. Frank is also responsible for another holiday song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” 💀 as well as the music and lyrics for Broadway classics like Guys and Dolls.

2. This WOULD be the best version if it wasn’t for Ella

3. A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls In His Life: A Portrait By His Daughter; https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/what-are-you-doing-new-years-eve.html

4. Hot take: to me, Harry is a fuckboy, but that doesn’t mean I won’t squeal with delight at that scene. Please read Jennifer Whiteford’s newsletter, Songs That Remind You of Feelings, for further discussion of Nora Ephron rom coms.