Theme: "Name That Tune" - Each song is rephrased fitting the "what line" in the clue.
23. Power line?: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.
33. Life line?: I WILL SURVIVE.
49. Party line?: LET'S GET IT STARTED.
68. Opening line?: I'VE GOT A BLANK SPACE BABY.
91. Time line?: YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE.
107. Dividing line?: GO YOUR OWN WAY.
119. Shore line?: UNDER THE BOARDWALK.
Not sure about 68A. Is it a song title? I only know it's a line from Taylor Swift's "Blank Space".
Otherwise, I really like this theme set. We've seen "... line" rephrase theme before, but not with the extra song layer. Congrats on your Sunday debut, Katy and Rich!
Across:
1. "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" novelist Jamie: FORD. His debut novel. He's half Chinese.
5. Low-end speaker: BASS. And 18. One throwing out the first pitch?: OBOE.
9. Emulate successfully: PASS AS.
15. Cooling units, for short: ACS.
19. __ research: some dirt-digging: OPPO. Opposition research.
20. Baseball level just below the Majors: TRIPLE A. And 22. Hall of Fame slugger Mel: OTT. 86. One of Nolan Ryan's record seven: NO-HIT GAME.
26. Parched: DRY.
27. Two-time Best Female Golfer ESPY winner Ko: LYDIA. Kiwi. She was born in Korea.
.jpg/800px-Lydia_Ko_MNZM_(cropped).jpg "Sunday May 5, 2024 Katy Steinmetz & Rich Katz (2)")
28. Leaf wrangler: RAKE.
29. Bewitch: ENTHRALL.
31. Fright: TERROR.
37. Like some candles: SCENTED.
39. Home of many Goyas and El Grecos: PRADO.
40. "Fire" gemstone: OPAL.
41. Unlikely duo?: ELS. The two L's in "Unlikely"
42. "The Boy and the Heron" genre: ANIME.
44. Gifts at some Honolulu hotels: LEIS.
46. The blue in blue cheese, e.g.: MOLD.
54. Follower of up, down, and mid: TOWN.
56. Shake: LOSE.
57. Ireland, to the Irish: EIRE.
58. Like some adoption records: SEALED.
60. "The Matrix" hero: NEO.
61. Train cos.: RRS.
64. Prehistoric: OLD.
66. Data on dashboards: MILEAGES.
75. Yoga asana that requires balance: TREE POSE.
76. MSNBC journalist Cabrera: ANA.
77. Like this clue's number: ODD.
78. "Am __ time?": I ON.
79. Require: ENTAIL.
82. High point of the "Odyssey"?: OSSA. Mount Ossa.
85. Meter or liter: UNIT.
89. Dirty: SOIL.
95. Swap __: MEET.
97. Room in una casa: SALA.
98. HS course covering the facts of life: AP BIO.
99. Curse: HEX.
100. Guides with keys: MAPS.
103. __-panky: HANKY.
105. Writer of pastoral poems: IDYLIST. Spell check does not like this word.
111. Didn't cook, but didn't order in: ATE OUT.
112. Totalitarianism, metaphorically: IRON RULE.
113. Villain's hangout: LAIR.
115. Rims: EDGES.
118. Relieved (of): RID.
124. Female deer: DOE.
125. Spring agricultural machines: SEEDERS.
126. Beauty spot?: ULTA. Mecca of beauty products.
127. "That could work for me": I MAY.
128. "Weekend Update" show, casually: SNL.
129. Restoration poet dubbed "Glorious John": DRYDEN.
130. Headed to overtime: TIED.
131. __ pool: GENE.
Down:
1. Duck or goose: FOWL.
2. Comply: OBEY.
3. Consumer Reports tasks: ROAD TESTS.
4. "Merci" response: DE RIEN.
5. Social media annoyance: BOT.
6. Goddess of love who had five children with the god of war: APHRODITE. One of the kids is Eros.
7. Fishing tool: SPEAR.
8. "__ it to me!": SOCK.
9. Old school crowdfunding org.?: PTA.
10. Branch: ARM.
11. Wee drink: SIP.
12. Pitch: SPIEL.
13. Mets slugger Pete nicknamed "Polar Bear": ALONSO. New York Mets. Patti's team.
_(cropped).jpg/800px-Pete_Alonso_playing_defense%2C_March_25%2C_2023_(1)_(cropped).jpg "Sunday May 5, 2024 Katy Steinmetz & Rich Katz (7)")
14. Mocked: SENT UP.
15. Vietnamese tunic: AODAI. Pretty. China's qipao is pretty too.
16. PC paste shortcut: CTRL V.
17. Flair: STYLE.
21. Place for a spiritual retreat: ASHRAM.
24. Livestock marker: EAR TAG.
25. Successor: HEIR.
30. KOA option: RV LOT.
32. Actress Russo: RENE.
34. Mickey's co-creator: WALT.
35. Brainstorming output: IDEAS.
36. French wine valley: LOIRE.
37. Go like hotcakes: SELL.
38. Egyptian queen, familiarly: CLEO. Cleopatra.
39. Gas, across the pond: PETROL.
43. Nintendo avatar: MII.
45. Snail mail need: STAMP.
47. Piece of cake?: LONG A. The A in "cake".
48. Square peg in a social circle?: DWEEB. Ha.
50. Durable twill fabric: SERGE.
51. Ward with two Emmy Awards: SELA.
52. Director Kazan: ELIA.
53. Big name in car batteries: DELCO.
55. Snoopy: NOSY.
59. Heroic act, say: DEED.
62. Tug of war need: ROPE.
63. Full of rocks: STONY.
65. Genetic letters: DNA.
67. Pop star Paula who was once a Lakers cheerleader: ABDUL. I did not know this.
68. "Can confirm": IT IS.
69. Noise made while playing with a Matchbox car: VROOM.
70. "__ Meenie": 2010 pop single: EENIE.
71. Regarding: AS TO.
72. Quaint baes: BEAUS.
73. Two half hitches, maybe: KNOT.
74. Verb that comes from a corruption of the ballet term "chassé": SASHAY. Another fun trivia.
80. Mogul Carl: ICAHN.
81. Former TV drama about SoCal attorneys: LA LAW.
83. "How's it hangin'?": SUP.
84. Get in the middle of, in a way: ARBITRATE.
87. Currier and __: IVES.
88. Words on a page: TEXT.
90. __ juice: LEMON.
92. Gran: NANA.
93. Log flume, e.g.: RIDE.
94. Went up and down, say: YOYOED.
96. Many a spring birth: TAURUS.
101. Cut back: PRUNED.
102. Machine shop alloy: SOLDER.
104. Six-time NBA All-Star Lowry: KYLE.
_(cropped).jpg/1200px-Kyle_Lowry_(26715268738)_(cropped).jpg "Sunday May 5, 2024 Katy Steinmetz & Rich Katz (11)")
106. __ van Beethoven: LUDWIG.
107. Supports: GIRDS.
108. Constellation with a belt: ORION.
109. Sound that comes from on high: YODEL.
110. Like some unkempt gardens: WEEDY.
111. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI. This one seems to have egg yolks.
114. Border: ABUT.
116. Flair: ELAN.
117. Ione of "La Brea": SKYE.
120. __ velvet: RED.
121. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRE.
122. Channel for bargain hunters: HSN.
123. "Gnarly": RAD.
