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Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard Have Broken Up! Everything You Need To Know About Their Relationship, You Can Find Here
Singer-songwriter Neil Josten and Rapper Andrew Minyard have called it quits after 3 years of dating
Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten’s Full Relationship Timeline
Why Did Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten Break Up?
Andrew Minyard Has Been Spotted Making Out With Unknown Man At The Club Eden’s Twilight
Neil Josten and Allison Reynolds: Possible Romance?
Neil Josten Announces His New Album “under my bed” Will Be Out July 5th
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When Ida saw the announcement that Neil Josten would be going on tour she knew she needed tickets.
Unfortunately, the shows were only in the US so her parents didn’t let her go because it would be too expensive since they lived in Norway.
But then, one magical day, the 9th of October 2023, he announced Europe dates, and one of the dates, the 5th of June 2024, was in Oslo. Ida had screamed, texted her best friend, Ella, screamed some more, cried, and begged her parents to let her go.
They had tried everything to get tickets, but it had been impossible and her parents told her they hadn’t been able to get her tickets.
She had been devastated for weeks. Her favorite artist was doing his first show ever in her home city, and she couldn’t be there. But on her 14th birthday, the 27th of November 2023, her parents revealed what had to have been the best birthday gift ever.
They had gotten her tickets to see Neil Josten.
In Oslo.
On June 5th, 2024.
She was ecstatic and practically bouncing off the walls when she opened the card with the two tickets inside.
She had started preparing her outfit early so she knew it would be perfect for the concert.
And now the day was here. She was on the tube, on her way to Oslo Spektrum to see Neil Josten live in concert. Her leg kept bouncing up and down and Ella, who had gotten the second ticket, had to remind her multiple times to sit still.
But she couldn’t.
Inside the venue, they bought a soda each and went to find their seats. They didn’t have tickets for the pit but with Ella’s anxiety, it was better to have seats where they wouldn’t be pressed up against other people.
Their seats were good they were close to the stage, and right in front of it. She wanted to scream, so she did.
“The view is so fucking good!!” Ella yelled over all the people talking loudly and the background music that was playing from one of the speakers.
“I know! I didn’t know they’d gotten us these good seats!” Ida yelled back just as loudly.
While they waited for the show they spoke about nothing and everything. Gossip about people from their school, which songs they were most excited for, their math teacher (who they hated), and just anything that crossed their minds.
Then the lights in the ceiling turned off and the intro of the tour started.
The two girls screamed along with the other thousands inside the stadium.
-
The Oslo show had been the best show of the Europe tour so far, Neil thought. The crowd’s response to everything had been overwhelming and they had screamed louder than any of the other cities he had been to, despite being one of the smallest venues of the tour.
He had played a few of the songs from his first album and interacted a lot with the crowd.
He ended his eleventh song of the night, Pipedream , and took out his earpiece to listen to their praise.
He took it all in with a sheepish smile and brushed his sweaty hair out of his face.
“Are we having fun, Oslo!?” He shouted into his microphone.
The crowd screamed at him.
“I said, are we having fun, Oslo!?” He shouted, even louder.
The crowd screamed impossibly louder and he waited until the last screaming fan died down and started speaking again.
“I would like to thank you all for coming to see my show and supporting me.” He waited for the screams that had started again to die down. “Really, I love your enthusiasm, but you need to let me speak.” No more screaming. “As you probably already know, my new album under my bed comes out in a few weeks.” He let the crowd scream again. “And I decided that I would play a song from that album on stage today.”
He had thought about doing this for a while, but he wanted it to feel right.
His newest album wasn’t the happiest.
After his breakup with Andrew, which hadn’t been a clean, mutually agreed upon affair (a screaming fight that had ended with Andrew storming out of Neil’s apartment and a crying Neil), he had put all of his emotions into writing lyrics and producing songs and he had an album.
Kevin hadn’t been too sure about Neil’s coping mechanisms. He had more than once, nine times to be exact, found Neil curled up on his sofa eating ice cream. (Andrew loved ice cream and it was all Neil had back then.)
Anytime Kevin would ask Neil about the argument Neil refused to answer. Kevin had assumed it was because of stubbornness or that it was too fresh in Neil’s memory. In reality, Neil didn’t know what the argument had been about. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. They had had a few smaller fights, the one's long-term couples usually tend to have, in the weeks before the argument, but something had blown up and Andrew had just walked out without an explanation and hadn’t gotten back.
Aaron came to pick up his things.
It was over.
But it was fine.
He was fine.
“Matt, if you would be an angel and get my guitar from backstage.” Matt got up from where he was sitting behind his drumset to go get the guitar Neil always had backstage. (You can never know when the inspiration to write will hit.)
Matt returned with his guitar and when he handed it over he asked quietly. “You didn’t inform us of this, do you need our help with the song?”
“No, I’m playing favorite crime .” Matt gave him a concerned look.
“Are you okay, Neil?”
“I want to play it and I’m fine.” He gritted through his teeth.
“If you insist.” Matt left Neil on his own. Neil returned his attention to the crowd.
“The song I’m going to play for you tonight is one of my favorites from under my bed . It can be about many things, depending on how you interpret it, but to me, it’s about a relationship with someone you know is not a good person, everyone tells you they’re not a good person. They know they’re not a good person, but it’s fine because you’re not a good person either. So when the relationship ends it’s so heartbreaking you don’t know what to do with yourself. This is favorite crime .”
The crowd screams were so loud that Neil felt like his eardrums would break. The guitar was already connected to the sound system, so Neil could just start strumming the first chord.
“Know that I loved you so bad, I let you treat me like that,” he sang. He prepared himself for the feelings that would come up for the duration of the song and continued through the first verse.
“I was your willing accomplice, honey
And I watched as you fled the scene
Doe-eyed as you buried me
One heart broke, four hands bloody”
He had written this song the day he saw the pictures of Andrew and Roland making out in Eden’s. He’d been incredibly angry and hurt and had needed an outlet for his emotions. This song was the outcome of that.
The chorus was where he broke.
“The things I did
Just so I could call you mine
The things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime”
His voice started breaking but he would make it through.
No one had been happy when Neil and Andrew had gotten together. Everyone thought Andrew would be a bad influence on Neil because of his past like Neil’s past was any cleaner.
Neil’s friends had been skeptical at first but his time with Andrew turned out to be some of the best moments in his life.
“You used me as an alibi
I crossed my heart as you crossed the line
And I defended you to all my friends”
Neil could still remember a fight he’d had with Allison about Andrew. She said she couldn’t understand why Neil was throwing away his life on a man everyone knew had a criminal past. She didn’t find him reliable and good enough for Neil. Neil had defended Andrew with his whole heart, but now he wished he hadn’t.
“And now every time a siren sounds
I wonder if you're around”
Neil had found the lyrics very clever when he first wrote the song because it had a secret double meaning.
It could be used as a metaphor for saying Andrew was a criminal.
But a secret that only Neil and Andrew knew was that their first kiss had been while they had been watching some stupid cop show. There had been sirens in the background as they first kissed. It had been a long time coming.
“'Cause you know that I'd do it all again”
He would.
He was definitely crying when he started the chorus again.
“Oh, the things I did
Just so I could call you mine
The things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime”
He stopped playing for a second, inhaling a slow and shaky breath.
He started on the bridge.
“It's bittersweet to think about the damage that we'd do
'Cause I was going down, but I was doing it with you
Yeah, everything we broke and all the trouble that we made
But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face
Oh, look what we became”
The tears were running down his face, his vision was blurred and he could barely breathe.
Fuck.
“Oh, the things I did
Just so I could call you mine
Oh, the things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime
Your favorite crime
Your favorite crime”
The last line would break him. He couldn’t cry. Not there.
“'Cause, baby, you were mine”
He finished and for a second the crowd was completely silent.
They exploded.
-
Ida was crying.
And screaming.
And probably dying.
Her hand was squeezing Ella’s arm tight and the two girls both had mascara running down their faces.
“He didn’t!” Ella said shaking her head in disbelief.
“He did! He fucking did!” Ida couldn’t believe it. Neil had played the saddest song he’d ever written at their concert. She was one of the first people to ever hear a brand new Neil Josten song!
“It has to be about Andrew!” Ella suddenly realized.
Ida, who’d been crying uncontrollably, started sobbing even harder. “Fuck! You’re right! I can’t believe they’re over! I was so sure they were going to be it .”
“Me too,” Ella said. “Did you see him crying on stage?”
“Yes! Oh, my God, I’m so not ready for the album!”
“Me neither. It’s going to break me.”
After about five minutes of complete chaos from the crowd, Neil’s band started the intro of another song. The crying fest was over, time to get back to the concert.
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Neil Josten Plays a Song From “under my bed” During His Concert In Oslo
Neil Josten Crying at His Concert While Playing The Song “Favorite Crime” From His Next Album
Is Neil Josten’s Song “Favorite Crime” About Andrew Minyard?
Everything You Need To Know About Neil Josten And Andrew Minyard’s Relationship: From Their First Meeting To Josten’s New Song
“Favorite Crime” by Neil Josten Analysed
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Ella and Ida went home to Ida after the concert. They were both tired but neither of them wanted to sleep. How could they possibly process all this?
The breakup had been heavily rumored and speculated for months before it was actually confirmed. (When Andrew had been seen making out with some random dude at a club.) But seeing actual confirmation from Neil in person at the fucking show !? That was too much for Ida.
The girls didn’t speak for a good 30 minutes. They were dead silent communicating through eye contact and body language.
It was Ida who broke the silence first. “How?” was all she managed to stutter out.
“I don’t know,” was Ella’s response. She looked as stunned as Ida felt.
They crashed on Ida’s bed around 3.00, but too much had happened for them to get any quality sleep, and they had school in the morning.
They could skip. They didn’t have any important exam or anything, it would be okay. Their parents would, hopefully, understand.
-
Andrew had a secret.
He always watched Neil perform. It didn’t matter if it was in fucking Asia or Europe, he would watch it.
Earlier he would’ve been backstage watching him, and getting quick glances from his boyfriend on stage.
Now he had to find livestreams of his concert on secret accounts (he couldn’t have anyone knowing, not even Bee knew.)
But it was better this way. Not better for Andrew, but better for Neil.
Of course, he had watched his performance in Oslo.
He noticed the crowd’s unusual enthusiasm.
He noticed that Neil did too.
He recognized that Neil was thinking about something. Considering something.
He saw the moment Neil decided.
He noticed that Matt didn’t know what he was planning.
He knew something would happen when the guitar was brought on stage.
He realized he was fucked when Neil said he would play a song from his “under my bed”.
He saw Neil’s tears, even on the bad live stream.
He wanted to hold him.
He wanted to comfort him.
He wanted him to stop hurting.
He wanted .
But he couldn’t want. He couldn’t want Neil . It was better off this way. Andrew didn’t deserve Neil. Neil was far too good for him.
The first thought he’d had about Neil had been. “I hope he’s gay.” He wasn’t proud of it, but Neil had been so gorgeous that Andrew couldn’t get him out of his head for weeks. They had met through Kevin. They had both been new to the music industry and Kevin, the nepobaby he is, had introduced them. Kevin thought it was important to have friends in the industry.
They became fast friends. Neil’s friends didn’t like Andrew, and Neil would always have a response to any not-so-nice comment Wilds or Reynolds would throw at them.
When they got together the comments worsened. The media didn’t care that they were friends but when they decided to announce their relationship, everyone became crazy.
They dug up Andrew’s past to prove he wasn’t worthy of Neil. At first, Andrew didn’t care, they didn’t know anything about them and it wasn’t like Neil was some innocent baby. He had quite the background. But the press didn’t care.
And soon it started to bother Andrew, who was known for being unbothered. His mood worsened and he started to fight more and more with Neil. He saw how terribly he treated Neil and how much better someone else could.
He couldn’t give Neil all the affection the touch-starved boy craved so badly.
He couldn’t comfort Neil like he should’ve been able to as his boyfriend.
He couldn’t be Neil’s and he knew it.
Neil was just too… Neil.
And during that fight, he didn’t even know what it had been about, he realized Neil needed better. He deserved better than Andrew.
So he walked out.
That night he cried. It was the first time he had cried in years, but he needed to cry then, so he did.
He hadn’t seen Neil since that day. (He’d even sent Aaron over to get his things.) And during their time apart he did some things. Some things he wasn’t proud of, making out with Roland and getting photographed, getting drunk and calling Neil only to hang up after one ring, and tattooing Neil’s middle name, Abram, on his heart that same night. But he was proud of a few things too, such as…
He didn’t have anything.
Fuck.
-
“Neil! What the actual fuck was that!?” Matt asked, rather aggressively as they got ready for bed in their hotel room. “You could’ve at least given me a warning before breaking my heart like that!” He said dramatically:
“It was a decision made very last minute,” Neil mumbled.
“ Obviously ! Neil. What did Andrew do ?” Matt asked putting his hands on Neil’s shoulders.
“Well, that song was written after the Roland thing…”
“Jesus Christ, Neil!”
“I’m sorry.” Neil raised his hands in defeat. “I can’t help I’m not over him!”
“It’s been months, Neil! This is pathetic,” Matt sighed.
“But he was the literal love of my life. I can’t just ‘get over it’!”
“I know it’s hard, dude, but he’s obviously moved on! He’s not worth your energy anymore.”
“I just can’t believe it’s over.”
“Me neither, if I’m gonna be honest.”
-
Andrew woke up the next day to his phone ringing.
He rolled over to investigate who was disturbing his slumber.
It was Aaron.
Of fucking course.
He picked up.
“Hello, dear brother, why are you waking me up this early in the morning?” He said and tried to show how annoyed he was with his tone.
“Why do you think I’m calling?” Aaron said, skipping the bullshit.
“Nicky died?” Andrew deadpanned.
“No, Andrew, Nicky didn’t die. What the fuck? I’m calling to ask you a question.” Andrew groaned. He knew exactly which direction this was heading but continued with Aaron.
“What’s the question?”
“What the actual fuck did you do to Neil? And why is he crying on stage months after your breakup? You said he’d understand!” Andrew had thought Neil would understand he was so much better off without Andrew, but Neil had apparently not.
“I thought he would’ve,” he answered honestly.
“You said it was ‘for the better’.” Andrew could hear the light mocking tone in Aaron’s tone.
“I still think it’s for better,” he answered, stubbornly. “Neil can’t revolve his entire life around me , he needs to find someone better for him.”
“I don’t think Neil wants someone better, Andrew. He wants you .” Andrew did not need to hear that.
“What if I don’t want him back?” Andrew lied.
Aaron groaned. “You’re joking, right? You’re trying to convince me you don’t want Neil back?”
“I don’t,” Andrew lied again.
“Andrew.” Andrew didn’t reply so Aaron continued. “If you were really over him, you would’ve sent back his things, and I know you still have all of his shit hidden in a box you keep under your bed.”
Well, Aaron was correct about that .
“Okay, maybe I’m not over him, but he should get over me !” Andrew started. “I’m not good for him, none of his friends like, our relationship was a fucking disaster-”
Aaron cut him off. “Was it? Because I remember everyone on the fucking internet saying ‘I wish I could have what they have’. ‘They’re literally perfect for each other.’. And, for once, I agree with them. Neil made you a better person, and you made him comfortable, in private and in public. You balance each other out and have a bond stronger than any other couple I know of, and I’m counting my own in that statement.”
“If it was so perfect, why did it end then, Aaron?” Andrew was too desperate to even try and make sense of what he was saying.
“I don’t know, Andrew. Maybe you can tell me? Or maybe you can tell Neil?” This made Andrew stop. He, obviously, knew why he and Neil didn’t work, it just wasn’t good enough for Neil, and Andrew had thought Neil had realized that too, and that was why they’d been fighting more than usual. But when had Neil said, ‘I deserve better’? He hadn’t, because he was too stupid to see it.
But still…
Neil had never expressed that he didn’t want Andrew.
Andrew hung up on Aaron without another word. He needed to think without his twin’s voice telling him how and what to think.
-
Neil was alone in his New York apartment the night of the album release.
It was 1.27 and the album had been out since midnight. He’d been tagged in so many social media posts. Some were positive while others were negative. He didn’t care, it was all part of the job.
He should’ve been celebrating. That was what people did after releasing an album, it was what he used to do for his other album releases, but it didn’t feel right. It wasn’t right because Andrew wouldn’t be there.
Dan and Matt had called him to congratulate him but didn’t pressure him to come out.
He was happy the album was out and the fans could finally listen to it, but he had never been so vulnerable with his songwriting before and he’s not sure what to do with himself.
He was on the sofa staring into nothing when he got the excellent idea to eat ice cream. In the months since the breakup, it’s become his comfort food.
He carried himself to his fridge and took out the first pint he saw, cookie dough, and got out a spoon. He walked back to his sofa slumped down on it and opened it.
He was about halfway through the pint when there was a knock on his door. It was probably Kevin or someone. He thought it was for the better to open it, just in case it was something important. If someone knocks on your door when it’s almost 2.00 it’s probably important.
He took one quick look in the mirror before opening his door, trying to make it not seem as if he was a zombie.
He was wearing grey sweatpants and one of Andrew’s hoodies he’d hidden from Aaron, it was black and had long strings he could play with. He wasn’t wearing any socks and his hair was messy, but it was fine.
When he saw the person standing outside he smacked the door close so fast and tried not to start hyperventilating.
Andrew was standing on his doorstep. Andrew, who he hadn’t spoken to in months. Andrew, who had walked out of his apartment. Andrew, who had made his brother get his things from Neil’s.
And now he was here, again.
Neil slowly opened the door. When it was fully open he looked down, not daring to look at Andrew’s face.
They stood there for a minute before Andrew coughed. “We need to talk,” he said.
Neil’s emotions weren’t exactly stable at that moment, and he felt anger flare up in his stomach. “Maybe we do,” he bit out looking Andrew straight in his eyes.
Andrew took a step back at Neil’s tone. “Can I come in?”
Neil left but left the door open in invitation, knowing Andrew would understand. He sat himself down on the sofa again and continued with his ice cream.
Andrew had taken the hint and stood in his living room. Neil couldn’t look at him.
“I listened to the album,” Andrew started. Neil looked up to find Andrew’s eyes. Blue met hazel in a way it had never before.
“Did you like it?” Neil asked. Not like he cared if Andrew liked it or not, but all the songs were about him.
Andrew didn’t answer and continued with what he was going to say instead. “And I saw your show in Oslo.” Neil had not expected that. He’d been sure Andrew didn’t care anymore, not enough to watch his shows. “And Aaron told me something and I might have realized something.” Andrew looked down.
“What did you realize?” Neil asked, knowing Andrew would answer without the question vocalized.
“We might not have the same view on our breakup.” Neil was normally very good at knowing what Andrew’s body language meant, but he wasn’t able to understand then.
“Tell me, Andrew, in your own words why we broke up? And why didn’t you give a fucking explanation!?” Neil got up from the sofa and stood up so he could be closer to Andrew.
“I’m not good enough for you,” Andrew said. His words were quiet, barely audible, and they made Neil stop in his tracks.
“What the fuck?! Excuse me!” He couldn’t believe it. Andrew, who was famously known for not caring about anything was bothered that people had said he wasn’t enough for Neil. “Why would you even think that?” Neil was so confused.
“It’s true, Neil. You deserve someone better, someone who’s going to take care of you properly. In the way you deserve.” Andrew tried to explain himself to Neil, but Neil wasn’t having it.
“I don’t want anyone else. I only want you. I don’t care you’re not the perfect boyfriend, neither am I! I don’t give a shit about what you think I deserve when everything I need is standing right in front of me!” He had not planned on being so honest. He felt tears of desperation on his cheeks. “I need you , Andrew. I want you . Not someone who’s going to treat me the way the media has decided is the right way. Isn’t that obvious?”
“But why?”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Andrew! I fucking love you! I love you and I have for years! And I thought you did too, but then you just fucking left me and I didn’t know what to do with myself. Why would you just leave like that? And why would you kiss Roland? It’s fucking cruel.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t love me. I’m not lovable, and your love should be given to someone far more worthy than me. But there’s no one I’ll ever love more than I love you.”
Neil needed to breathe. This was the first time they had ever said those three words. After years of friendship and more, they had never said those three words.
And now, they were over.
He wanted Andrew back. More than he’s ever wanted anything.
“I want you back.” He didn’t know what Andrew would answer. He knew what he hoped the answer would be.
“Do you?” Andrew’s hand cupped Neil’s jaw in the same way it had done thousands of times before.
“More than anything,” Neil answered.
“Yes or no?”
“Yes,” Neil sighed and Andrew pulled him in for a soft kiss.
-
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Are Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard Back Together?
Andrew Minyard Kisses Neil Josten’s Cheek at Allison Reynold’s Birthday Party
Everything We Know About Neil Josten and Andrew Minyard