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mr-styles · 1 year

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Harry Styles' Sonic Evolution: How He Grew From Teen Pop Idol To Ever-Evolving Superstar

Harry's House' not only gives Harry Styles his most GRAMMY recognition yet — it serves as a testament to how much he's expanded his sound over his already storied career.

GABRIEL AIKINS | GRAMMYS/JAN 25, 2023 - 12:02 PM

Watching 16 year-old Harry Styles walk onto the stage for his "The X Factor" audition in 2010, it's remarkable how little some things have changed in the following 13 years. Though his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" was rather unpolished — even receiving a "no" from judge Louis Walsh — his magnetic charisma and natural talent were more than evident. And at just 16, Styles clearly knew he was on the right path.

"Singing is what I want to do," Styles said in an interview before his audition. "And if the people who can make that happen for me don't think that I should be doing that, then it's a major setback in my plans."

Of course, so much else has changed in the ensuing decade. Styles was tabbed alongside other contestants Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik to form the group One Direction. As the band stormed the charts and captured the love of fans globally, Styles grew into his abilities — and now, he's achieved a rarified level of fame.

Even after being part of one of the most successful boy bands of all time, Styles has reached new heights of superstardom in his own right. In addition to selling millions of albums and selling out arenas around the world, he's starred in four feature films and became the first male cover star of Vogue magazine. The depth of Styles' charisma and drive he's shown from that first audition have made him an all-encompassing star like few before him.

While Styles was a solo star as soon as he emerged in 2017 — selling out his first-ever solo tour and debuting his self-titled first album atop the Billboard 200 — he has dominated the 2020s. His second album, 2019's Fine Line, spawned his first No. 1 hit in the U.S. in 2020 with "Watermelon Sugar," which also earned him his first GRAMMY in 2021 for Best Pop Solo Performance. But 2022 was the year he took his stardom to the next level — and it all began with an invitation to Harry's House.

The lead single of Styles' third album, "As It Was," became undeniable, debuting atop the Billboard Hot 100 and spending 15 weeks there — the most in history for a British act. And when Harry's House arrived less than two months after "As It Was," it was clear that 2022 was the year of Harry.

The album, featuring smooth electronic beats and funky bass riffs, went platinum in the UK and US, put four songs into the Billboard Top 10 at the same time, and earned Styles the most GRAMMY nominations of his career. His six nominations for the 2023 GRAMMYs include his first in the coveted Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year categories; Harry's House also earned a nod for Best Pop Vocal Album and "As It Was" is up for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Music Video.

If you ask Tyler Johnson — who has co-written and co-produced the majority of Styles' three solo albums — the GRAMMY nominations may just be Styles' biggest validation yet. "It's really the music community recognizing him as Harry Styles — [his time in the band] is just another part of his resume, it no longer defines him. And that's really exciting."

In reality, Styles hardly ever let his past define him. Even Johnson sensed Styles' star power upon meeting the singer in 2015. "When I first met him, I knew a lot about him from the band, but it was obvious he was a star," he recalls. "Especially how he performed in the vocal booth, it was very brave. I was like, 'Wow, this person has no barriers.'"

With no barriers comes a willingness to always try something new — which is why the Harry Styles of Harry's House sounds much different than Harry Styles of One Direction. The change was heard immediately back in 2017 on his first solo single "Sign of the Times," released ahead of his self-titled debut LP later that year. It's a rock track to its core, starting with hearty piano chords and building to a crescendo of wailing electric guitar and crashing drums. This initial offering was a sign of what was to come, as Harry Styles is built on these rock sounds from beginning to end.

Even if reviews weren't outright surprised by this sound, they noted the seemingly brand new, well, direction. "Few people probably predicted the 23-year-old ex-One Direction superstar to drop the kind of album that makes your uncle or your mom perk up," read Variety's review. Pitchfork mused, "If you only know one thing about Harry Styles, it's probably that the album bucks the established trends governing bids for young male solo pop stardom." Styles becoming a rock star was something new, but looking back at the totality of his work, it's not quite as surprising as it might be at first glance.

When assessing the music of One Direction, the singles will of course stand out. Tracks like "What Makes You Beautiful," "Live While We're Young," and "Best Song Ever" are big and boisterous, with infectiously fun hooks. And while each of the group's five albums had rock influences — queue the Clash-like electric guitar opening of "Live While We're Young" — they're all pop projects at their core. And the writers and producers behind them were pop masterminds, too, including Rami Yacoub, Steve Mac, Ed Sheeran, and Ryan Tedder.

By nature of an essentially constant touring schedule and working with so many other people — especially the four other members of the group — there was simply less opportunity to write. Across the 86 songs in the band's discography, Styles has writing credits on only 21 of them, whereas he serves as lead writer on every track on each of his three solo albums.

"I think it was tough to really delve in and find out who you are as a writer when you're just kind of dipping your toe each time," Styles told Rolling Stonein 2017, recalling some of the struggles of being in a band. "We didn't get the six months to see what kind of s— you can work with."

Listening to the songs Styles did have a hand in writing for One Direction, though, the throughline of his career becomes clearer. Even the earliest tracks he co-wrote include key elements to his later songs.

The chorus of Up All Night's "Same Mistakes" takes his penchant for lyrical repetition, creating a folksy call-and-response feeling and pairing it with powerful guitar chords; he uses a similar pattern on Harry Styles' opening track "Meet Me in the Hallway." Made In The A.M. ballad "If I Could Fly" is strikingly vulnerable lyrically and melodically minimalistic; this combination is seen on Styles' solo ballads, like Fine Line's "Falling" or Harry's House's "Matilda."

Styles' solo success also stems from his versatility. Alongside folksy ballads, he has an ear for rock songs to fill a stadium (and after completely selling out his 2021 and 2022 Love On Tour stretches, stadiums may be where he's headed next). "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" is one of One Direction's most anthemic tracks, tailor made for karaoke or shouting alongside a crowd. It's no surprise Styles is the sole One Direction member on the writing credits for it, and you can hear that same exuberance on his solo rock anthems, from Fine Line’s ultra cool smash "Watermelon Sugar" to the funk rock-infused "Late Night Talking" on Harry's House.

In a 2017 New York Times interview, Styles explained his rock influence — and really, his musicality as a whole — stems from his own musical tastes. "I really wanted to make an album that I wanted to listen to," he said of Harry Styles. "That was the only way I knew I wouldn't look back on it and regret it. It was more, 'What do I want to sit and listen to?' rather than, 'How do I shake up compared to what's on radio right now?'"

Judging by the elevated sounds on Harry's House, Styles' musical interests have grown as he has evolved as an artist. While there are hints of his previous writing and growth on the album, Styles incorporated so many new elements, and that's what makes Harry's House so interesting and so refreshing.

Funk pervades the record, with synths and stylized loops fleshing out tracks like "Music For A Sushi Restaurant" and "Keep Driving." There's a constant sense of playfulness throughout all 13 tracks — something that was apparent to Styles' collaborators long before the world got to hear it.

"Harry just said that he's never been more proud of anything, and Tom [Hull, better known as producer Kid Harpoon] and I are just there for the ride," Johnson says. "We didn't feel too caught up in the kind of reality of who he is and having to put out an album very specific to the commerce side of it. It was a lot of having fun and just kind of burying our heads in the sand and enjoying doing it. That was very different from Fine Line."

Styles can seemingly feel his evolution himself, too. In a wide-ranging interview with Zane Lowe upon the album's release in May 2022, Styles revealed that he tried not to take direct sonic influences on this record like he had in the past. "I kinda felt like you can reference things by the emotions that they evoke," he said.

The same interview points out how much more comfortable Styles has become with being flexible and fluid, both in his own writing and his collaborators. And now that he's found his right-hand men in Johnson and Hull, he finds it easier to bring his ideas to life. This has allowed Styles to continue to expand his writing, and that resulted in an album that launched his superstardom to even greater heights — and showcased Harry Styles simply having fun.

Now 28 (almost 29!), Styles has been a beloved star for nearly half of his life. In that time, fans have watched his musical abilities mature, morph and expand; he has shown a willingness to always have an eye on what comes next — and that forward thinking paid off in a big way in 2022. However he evolves next, it seems Styles will never lose the drive and endearing charm the world first saw on the "X Factor" stage over a decade ago.

"He's a very similar person. He's a very consistent, loyal, kind person, very focused. That is all the same," Johnson insists. "He's just doing what people do when they do it more and more — he's focusing in on who he is more, he's gaining confidence, and he's becoming more and more himself — which is a very potent thing."

via Grammy.com

#harry styles #Grammys 2023

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goodbysunball · 5 months

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Best of 2023

Toledo, OH, Dec. 30, 2023

It's going to take years to unpack the last few months of 2023. Whatever mental trauma is inflicted upon those removed from the situation in no way approximates the devastation and inhumanity occurring daily to millions. That the US is funding it all, and institutions and businesses domestically are punishing those who speak out about it, is sickening and terrifying. The latest Lulu's email newsletter wrote more eloquently about it all than I could, and plainly calls for empathy at the end: "Be good in a bad world."

And we do that, pretending things are normal for the sake of others, our kids, our partners. But things are not normal, and that pressure forces other changes, because while we can to some degree control what happens within our lives, there's no fix for seeing (let alone experiencing) dead, maimed children regularly on Instagram, victims of bombings without caution or consequence. A sense of powerlessness pervades. What we can do is keep talking, sharing and banding together. Being good in a bad world.

Some notes:

Lots more instrumental, or nearly instrumental, music than usual this year on my list, which tracks with the current climate. Music without words, or without discernible words, leaves space for thoughts to become untangled, sure; but a lot of what’s highlighted below felt more transcendent than meditative.

I still listen to rap quite a bit, but very few new songs I heard stuck around past a few days. Call it malaise from living in an era where every other song on the radio has a trap beat. Starlito dropped a clunker, which shouldn't have shocked me but did, and it personally felt significant. Maybe it’s indicative of the old guard’s demise, but hopefully it removes a wall and allows me to engage with newer rap music better. That being said: Veeze's Ganger was head and shoulders above everything else; billy woods' short verse on "As the Crow Flies" made me gasp the first time I heard it (and I also loved ELUCID's verse on "Baby Steps"); and I listened to The Jacka's The Jack Artist most of all.

Of all the books I read this year, two books by Fernanda Melchor, Hurricane Season and Paradais, stood out. Melchor’s prose is incredibly powerful, bleakly funny and vicious in equal measure. The sharp, frank assessments by characters in often ludicrous situations feel like a product of the contemporary but imbued with some ancient wisdom. Shout out to Julia S. for the new and notable South American literature tips.

In the midst of holiday/short day doldrums, amidst endless bleak news reports, it was difficult battling back cynicism to listen to anything, especially back to all of these records and tapes listed below. It ended up being oddly therapeutic, highly enjoyable and maybe necessary, the same as when I force myself out to shows when it's easier to stay home. That feeling chips away at the notion of this list-making exercise as futile, for me certainly, but hopefully also for you. Thank you for reading, and I hope you find something you like, too.

And so:

Lewsberg, Out and About (12XU)

Equipment Pointed Ankh, From Inside the House (Bruit Direct Disques)

The Native Cats, The Way On Is the Way Off (Chapter Music)

Water Damage, 2 Songs (12XU)

VoidCeremony, Threads of Unknowing (20 Buck Spin)

Emily Robb, If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection (Petty Bunco)

CIA Debutante, Down, Willow (Siltbreeze)

Olimpia Splendid, 2 (Fonal/Kraak)

Nusidm, The Last Temptation of Thrill (Bruit Direct Disques)

Incipientium, Undergång (Happiest Place)

Witness K, s/t (ever/never)

Leda, Neuter (Discreet Music)

12"/10"/7"/CS

Chrome Cell Torture, Laugh Then Lie 7" (Scarlet)

Joe Colley, Acting As If 10" (Substantia Innominata)

Disintegration, Time Moves For Me 12" (Feel It)

Life Expectancy, Decline CS (Iron Lung)

Gabi Losoncy, Lieutenant single-sided 12" (self-released)

Peg, We Know Who You Are and Everyone Is on the Lookout CS (No Rent)

Romance, Seven Inches of... 7" (self-released)

Sial, Sangkar 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus)

Slow Blink/Stomachache split CS (Hectare)

Howard Stelzer, oh calm down you're fine CS (No Rent)

Troth, Idle Easel 12" (Digital Regress)

Mark Van Fleet, Vordenal CS (Refulgent Sepulchre)

Stress Positions at the Pilot Light, Dec. 9, 2023

Shows

Bill Orcutt & Chris Corsano duo at Jackson Terminal, Knoxville, TN, April 1

Hell & My Wall at DRKMTTR, Nashville, TN, April 7

Cyberplasm, X-Harlow & FKA Ice at the Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN, May 18

Lewsberg at JJ's Bohemia, Chattanooga, TN, September 27

Stress Positions & Utopia at the Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN, December 9

Five songs favorably commented upon by my 3 y/o daughter*

*Something that happens so rarely that I try to take note when it does

Dua Lipa, "Levitating"

Martin Frawley, "Heart In Hand"

Mount Trout, "Hang Around"

Witness K, "In Knots"

The Young Senators, "Ringing Bells (Sweet Music) Part II"

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bandcampsnoop · 6 months

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12/11/22.

The Bug Club (Monmouthshire, Wales) were first mentioned here nearly 3 years ago. In that time, they've changed a little. First, they are no longer on the label Bingo Records (they've released many great records including Melin Melyn). Second, they've changed their sound some. When we first posted about them, their minimal sound was likened to both Beat Happening and Les Cox Sportifs.

"Rare Birds: Hour of Song" is a hodge-podge of sounds recorded over the past year. This is a double LP and as such, the band called it "a ""South Wales' Double Nickels On The Dime". This has got some weirdness that recalls Gorky's Zygotic Mynci at their finest. But, really, there are sounds that sound like Australian punk/post-punk. Then I saw that this was mastered by Mikey Young.

This is released by Canadian label We Are Busy Bodies.

#The Bug Club #Monmouthshire #Wales #Bingo Records #Beat Happening #Les Cox Sportifs #Melin Melyn #Minutemen #Gorky's Zygotic Mynci #Mikey Young #We Are Busy Bodies #Bandcamp

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divinemare · 1 year

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𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮

ACOTAR ONE SHOTS: Azriel

summary: inspired by lost on you by lp

warnings: none

✧. ┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭

The Inner Circle was conflicted. On one side, they knew they couldn’t sneak out of the House of Wind without him finding out, but for the other, that seemed like a much easier option than to tell Azriel the truth. Morrigan insisted she’d be the one to tell him the truth, maybe that way he wouldn’t take everything so harshly, Feyre wanted to go tell him as well, for Azriel wouldn’t loose it with his High Lady. Cassian argued it should be him and Rhys to go speak with him, since they were his brothers and they had been by his side when all had went down. Amren and Nesta were absolutely over it, Nesta just wanted to go at once, get a good drunk night. Elain…well, Elain had already fallen asleep in a couch with Nyx in her arms, the little winged baby drooled over his aunts arm.

“Rhys! We’re gonna miss it, can we please get over this and we all go tell to him,” Morrigan complained, stressed they would miss the show.

“Tell who what?” As if called upon, Azriel came down the stairs with furrowed eyebrows, surveying all his friends ones he reached the bottom. “You’re all dressed up, where are you going?”

They all looked at each other, before Mor took the advantage of word and took a step closer to him, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

“Az we…uhm, we were just thinking how to tell you, don’t think we wouldn’t have done so, but…”

“But, she’s here,” Rhysand said when his cousin ran out of words.

Azriel’s face paled, tightening, they all saw his throat swallow harshly and took a deep breath in.

“She…she?” He asked, his voice trying hard not to shake.

“Yes, Az, she. She came to me a couple of days ago, asked me if she could come back, work at Rita’s again. I couldn’t say no, Az,” Rhysand had been feeling guilt all those couple of days, thinking he should have spoken with his brother first, but the female had done nothing wrong, she was still his friend, a member of his family, and seeing her again had made him really happy.

“No it’s…ok. She’s singing at Rita’s tonight, isn’t she?” That would explain why they were all dressed up, and why Nesta and Amren looked like they wanted to throw themselves over the stairs to get out as fast as possible.

“Yes,” the High Lord nodded.

“I’ll go,” without another word, before any of them could try to stop him, he disappeared into his shadows, and minutes later, came back in better leathers.

They would not try to stop him, so they could only pray the night wouldn’t turn out to be a mess while they winnowed and flight away to one of their favorite places in Velaris.

Azriel’s heart beat rapidly all the way, thinking that, after nearly a century, he would see her again. He thought about her constantly, he regretted everything constantly, he blamed himself constantly. It had been his fault, he had ruined everything, why had he even thought in coming? That she would forgive him?

𓆩♡𓆪

Celesta looked at everyone gathered around the stage from behind the curtains. There were so many people, drinking laughing and gambling. The place filled her with an underwhelming feeling of melancholy, security, too. It had been so long since she performed on a stage, for this many people, in this very place.

She was infinitely grateful to Rhysand for letting her come back, even after everything that had happened, Celesta wouldn’t had been surprised if he decided to take sides, even if it would hurt her deeply, after all, he had been her friend, close friends for centuries, but Azriel was his brother. Azriel, the Spymaster of Night Court. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about him in all those 70 years, of course she had, a thousand songs were witness of that. Then again, after all those decades, she still couldn’t say she hated him. She could never hate him, that’s what hurt her the most.

She was happy, still, that she at least had her friends back, Rhysand had promised to go see her in her first performance with Cassian and Mor and Amren, he told her Morrigan had cried a river when he told her she was back, Cassian had started singing for hours “practicing to be the loudest fan in all her crowd”, he had said, and Amren, well, Amren had tried not to smile, but that he knew she was glad to have her back, too. He wanted to introduce her to the female that “had saved his life”, in the very literal sense. She had heard about Feyre Cursebreaker, of course, who hadn’t at this point? And she was more than excited to meet the female that had saved not only her world, but her family, too. And of course, meet the sister that had captured Cassian’s big heart. Lady Death is certainly an interesting title. But they weren’t there, and she was merely minutes away from getting out on stage, and she wondered if maybe, thinking about having her friends there in her first night had been too much, considering the fact that their situations weren’t the easiest or most comfortable, even if she knew they still loved her and she loved them too. There was too much history behind them.

“Are you ready, my dear?” Rita adverted her attention from the crowd and her thoughts out of the dark hole they were getting into.

She smiled tightly, she had come back here, to Velaris, knowing perfectly fine it was going to be difficult, but she did it nonetheless, so it was time to take a deep breath and claim her decisions.

“Yes, I think I am,” Rita smiled wildly, and hugged her with a happy sob.

When Rhys had come with her to ask Rita if she could take her back, the female had not giving it one thought before saying yes. “How could I ever say no to the most beautiful voice in all Prythian,” had been her exact words.

“Go out there, my dear, and remind all of them who’s the queen of melodies,” Celesta laughed at the nickname, and took a deep breath in.

“I will,” she smiled when they stoped holding each other.

Rita went out again to give her her last minutes alone before getting out on stage, she heard the instruments being prepared, and then, Rita’s voice announcing her. She closed her eyes, absorbed all those applauses and screams of yearning, and so she took a last deep breath, and opened her eyes with a wide grin on her lips to move the curtains and be spotted by blinding lights. Fae screamed and clapped, making her smile grow wider. Oh, how she had missed the feeling of being the center of the world, everyone jumping on their feet, holding on their seats to hear her sing.

“Well, well, it looks like you have missed me very much,” the public screamed in agreement, and she laughed charmingly. “I’ve missed you too! So why don’t we celebrate this reunion the way only we know how to party!” More and more screams filled her ears with pleasure.

The instruments then started playing, she knew every member of the band, they had played for centuries together, and it had taken only a few rehearsals to connect with each other again. She started moving at the rhythm of the music, absorbing every melody into her very veins, her entire body responded to the sounds with pleasure, almost trembling at the anticipation of the words coming out of her mouth. She closed her eyes, and let the music take everything else away.

“When you get older, plainer, saner,

Will you remember all the danger we came from?

Burning like embers, falling tender,

Long before the days of no surrender, years ago.

And will you know?”

She had wrote that song at least 6 decades ago, it had been of the one to hurt her the most, so she had buried it deep in a box full of other heartbreaking letters and never touched it again.

Until a week ago, when the song had called to her, burned in her tongue to be sang for the first time. So she complied, and there she was, putting every feeling she had felt buried out in the world.

“So smoke 'em if you got 'em

'Cause it's going down.

All I ever wanted was you.”

When she opened her eyes, she saw her friends in a corner, Cassian and Mor screamed harder than anyone else while dancing with drinks in their hands, and Rhysand smiled warmly and proudly at her with a female besides him that moved hypnotized by her voice. Amren was sat besides another female who looked very similar to the one besides Rhys, Cassian pulled her in his arms to start dancing with her, and they moved together. She smiled wildly, looking directly at them and winking before returning her attention to the rest of the public.

“I'll never get to heaven

'Cause I don't know how.

Let's raise a glass or two.”

She got her lungs ready for the explosion, closed her eyes and felt the burning in her chest of emotions and pain that amplified every word she sang out.

“To all the things I've lost on you, ooh-oh,

Tell me: Are they lost on you? Ooh-oh,

Just that you could cut me loose, ooh-oh

After everything I've lost on you,

Is that lost on you?”

She brought back all the feelings that had destroyed her 70 years ago, making sure to pierce every listening heart, and when she opened her eyes and saw all the pained, understanding, and emotive faces, she knew she was accomplishing just that.

“Ooh-oh, ooh

Is that lost on you?

Ooh-oh

Baby, is that lost on you?

Is that lost on you?”

She felt it then, a look so deep and dark it made her whole body feel like liquide. She looked around the place desperately, looking for whatever was making her like her very insides were about to explode but found nothing more than darkness. She swallowed hard, and focused those burning feelings in her every words.

“Wish that I could see the machinations

Understand the toil of expectations in your mind.

Hold me like you never lost your patience

Tell me that you love me more than hate me all the time,

And you're still mine.”

The feeling intensified, and she focused hardly in the darkness of every corner, she knew the feeling perfectly, she just wasn’t ready to admit, not until she truly saw it.

“So smoke 'em if you got 'em

'Cause it's going down.

All I ever wanted was you,”

As she sang those words, the shadows twisted in one corner near where her friends were dancing, crying and singing. Her heart sank in itself and she felt all the air in the room vanish when the shadows took the form of a male, a winged male. With hazel, troubled eyes and a harsh expression.

“Let's take a drink of heaven

This can turn around.

Let's raise a glass or two,”

She looked at him directly, her head raising just a little bit and her expression shifting with pain and harshness. Why had he come here tonight? Was he just trying to torture her? She moved through the stage, her every movements synchronized with her every feelings and heartbreaking words. And then her voice erupted, a beautiful, melodic sound of harsh melancholy.

“To all the things I've lost on you, ooh-oh,

Tell me: Are they lost on you? Ooh-oh.

Just that you could cut me loose, ooh-oh

After everything I've lost on you,

Is that lost on you?”

Her eyes never left those of the Shadowsinger while she sang with deep affliction. His face contracted, his jaw tightened, the rest of the world stoped its tracks, everything became dark, and all there was, was her, the piercing coldness of pain in her words, and him, the responsable for all of them.

“Ooh-oh, ooh,

Is that lost on you?

Ooh-oh.

Baby, is that lost on you?

Is that lost on you?”

He didn’t looked away from her, either, only came into more visibility, not hiding away in his shadows.

“Lost on you,

Lost on you

(Oh-oh, ooh-oh)”

The band sang behind as second voices. Her eyes watered, and she had to swallow the burning feeling in her throat as the melodies sounded in the background. When it was time for her to sing again, she let it all out, all those years of uncertainty, those 70 years of loneliness.

“Let's raise a glass or two,”

She saw Azriel swallow hard as she threw her head back and closed her eyes, taking in every bit of energy and power in her voice for the big final.

“To all the things I've lost on you, ooh-oh,

Tell me: Are they lost on you? Ooh-oh.

Just that you could cut me loose, ooh-oh,

After everything I've lost on you,

Is that lost on you?

Is that lost on you?”

For the last seconds, the band’s instruments were everything that sounded, while she let her body move free with their every note, her eyes still closed, until applauses and screams erupted from every corner of the establishment. Tears slipped from many faces, sobs combined with applauses and screams. She heard Mor and Cassian screaming at the top of their lungs “That’s our girl!”. She laughed with tears in her eyes, of happiness and uncertainty and melancholy. So much mixed feelings that it was hard to contain them all. She looked at Azriel one last time, and after a reverence with the crowd, she disappeared into the back of the stage, the curtains hiding her trembling and sobbing body.

“You were sensational,” the dark voice stoped her sobs, the applauses still sounding outside were silenced by his presence.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, her voice harsh, still giving him her back.

“It’s been a long time since I heard your voice. I had almost forgotten how it made me feel,” she felt him getting closer, her body tensed, straighten up until her back ached.

“Yeah? And how is that.”

He stayed quiet for some time, if it weren’t for his irregular breathing, she would’ve thought he was gone. But she knew better, his shadows caressed her as old lovers, the familiarity in them made her shiver.

“Like I could drown forever in your voice, like it’s my only source of energy, like it twists everything in me and pulls me towards you with the force of a thousand suns.”

She left a sob escape her again, she covered her face with her hands and turned around finally, facing him with burning and teary eyes.

“Stop it, Azriel, don’t you dare be this selfish.”

“Celesta…”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“But I need to say it,” he got a little bit more closer, extending his hands to reach for her, but didn’t touch her. She knew perfectly he wouldn’t do it without her permission.

“Are you even aware of how you hurt me?” She questioned, pain slipping in her soft voice.

“With that song, now I fully do,” he closed his eyes and drew away his hands, closing them and opening them again, as if they burned and ached to touch her. “I’m so sorry, Celesta. Of all the mistakes i’ve made in my life, hurting you has to be the worst of them.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks even tho she tried to cleaned them up with her hands, his words ached her heart in a way she though it would never be possible again since that last time 70 years ago.

“Please, please let me touch you,” he begged, actually begged her to allowed him to come closer. His eyes shined with desperation, a kind of desperation she herself felt burning her whole body up.

“I am not a second option, Azriel. What? Did you finally realized you were after something impossible with Mor?” She loved, truly and deeply loved Morrigan, they had been friends since…well, it wasn’t an overestimation to say that since forever. But she would be lying if she said she never felt jealous of the love Azriel had for her.

“I should’ve known that the moment you stepped into my life.”

“Yes, you should’ve known,” she snapped angrily at him, his eyes fell from her face only for a second, and Celesta hated the fact she felt bad for it.

“I do know now,” his voice was a murmured, but even as the loud noice at the other side, she heard him perfectly.

“I’m not a second choice, Azriel, I can’t be your consolation price because Mor doesn’t want you. You were always, always my first choice. And I lost everything on you.”

Azriel wanted to say something else, wanted to get closer, he took a step, but when she took one back, he stoped dead, his eyes flared with hurt, but he did not said anything. He lowered his head and slowly nodded. She had taken a step away from him, he wouldn’t push it, not if he knew she wanted him far away, so he turned around, with his heart falling apart.

“You were amazing, as always, congratulations, this town needed your light back,” and so he disappeared, in shadows and sorrow.

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princesslftsz · 10 months

Text

Guys, this is gonna be Soooooo long.

wow. fuck Ćv$ employees.

so I went to ćv$ w/ my mom, and I looked around, and after a bit headed to the makeup and found a cute palette and a few lip tints, 4 items in total, BEYOND easy to body conceal. So anyway, I looked around the store, and eventually headed to a stand that was taller than me and covered me pretty much completely. So, I was listening to a podcast w/ 1 earbud in and suddenly while pulling down my sweater this chick pops out of nowhere and asks if I need help. THANK. GOD. I answered casually (I think) and said, no thanks, I was just adjusting my pants( ok, as I typed that out it seems EXTREMELY suspicious, but other than concealing I actually got a wedgie 😞) so she walked off. Well, more like ran to the cash registers and asked for security on the store speaker, acting as if I whispered I was planning to shoot up the store.

So anyway, I internally beat the shit out of myself and ditched everything in a different aisle. Meanwhile, I can sense her looking at me and so I look back and she turns and walks away. Cool, so I walk away too, walking through the entire store acting as if nothing happened, and saw her like 2 more times 💀 both she averted her eyes when I looked at her. So, I'm w/ my mom, right? I CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT HER!!! I SPENT LIKE 15 MORE MINUTES IN THAT DAMN STORE WHILE SHE WAS FURIOUSLY TEXTING SOMEONE!!! I was pretty nervous, so much so that when I lost sight of my mom I actually thought security took her to a room to tell her what happened, show her the feed (even though I didn't conceal on camera) and all that. She was at the makeup aisle too, So I calmed down. Eventually, no one comes, not a single cop or LP in sight.

we leave, and u guys can shit on me all u want, I deserve it. I actually considered taking the stuff and a bit more just to spite that damned wanna-be Batman. I didn't tho, but here's where u guys can send me hate in my DMs. I turned around and smiled at the camera. Honestly, I fuckin hate my spitefulness and cockiness. I srsly need to clam tf down, but I'm just so impulsive. I hope they don't add more cameras because of me, employees are more of a threat than cameras honestly.

Afterwards, I got to thinking. I remembered this guy who hacked a ton of companies (Nintendo, etc)and revealed sensitive info but literally never got jail cuz he was autistic and said he couldn't help himself. SO AM I!!! do u guys think I can use this to my advantage?

Tldr; nearly got caught at ćv$, so I turned around and smiled on camera. also, NEVER HAVE EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES IN, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT PLAYING ANYTHING!!

and absolutely NO MUSIC!

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themarginalthinker · 7 months

Text

RPM

(Prompt for @ria-coolgirl, who suggested a sleepover with the boys listening to cheesy pop music! Sorry if this kinda got away from that, but hopefully you'll think it's cute lol)

Paul likes music, and wants something to keep him and everyone occupied. He decides to hit up his favorite record store.

Call him crazy, call him a tippy-tapping fool, but if ever one was to meet Paul Harris meandering down the Boardwalk, you'd almost have to call it dancing.

Always a tune in his head, always something playing that only he could hear the melody of. Paul danced to the beat of his own drums, and it was some damn good music if he did say so.

Such wandering, feeling the rhythm, took him lots of places. Little pop-up stores that happened over the summer months, here and gone again for the warm nights. Markets and art fairs that stayed active after sunset were fun, Marko liked those. Sometimes he'd mosey into a shop just following an idle thought, see what was about, and under the stares of the clerks (who tried their best to pretend they weren't staring) he'd make his way back out. Usually with something tucked into his jacket or pocket they weren't aware of. (Hey, you can't leave a store without getting something, that was just stupid.)

Tonight, the music in Paul's head was quiet, and disorganized, like a radio you just couldn't get to pick up a signal. It needed tuning - and he needed something to sink his (metaphorical this time) teeth into.

Streetlight Records, his haven away from haven.

Tucked neatly between two much larger buildings, the door for it almost hidden away just around the corner and in an alcove, one might have almost walked right past it. The doorway, however, was lit with garlands of twinkling lights they put out in the summer, and the base of something was humming out into the street, advertising for all who wished to open their eyes and ears, and take a chance.

Paul slips into to the doorway.

The shop was longer than it was wide, and it wasn't a whole lot of that to begin with. Along the left wall and down the straight middle isle, starting basically at the door so close you'd bump into it if you weren't careful, shelves upon shelves of LPs and EPs. Bins filled, racks a mash and collection that a vinyl dragon would go green with envy over. Some were arranged by year, others by genera. Artists' faces in posters and their album art, if they were popular enough, hung from the light strands wound around the ceiling and support beams. Under those were cases of cassettes, displays for tape recorders and the empty tapes to go with them.

The right side was a little less packed, but no less interesting. The glass case under the counter top and register boasted more gift-shoppy material, for those who only knew what played on the radio and when confronted with the font of auditory wonders before them, chose to stay in shallower waters. Racks of post cards, books of music history for the well-listened eggheads, more expensive maintenance tools for people's instruments.

And speaking of, further in the back sat displays of sound equipment for bands. Paul had spent more hours than he could reliably remember giving the old Fender some much-needed love and attention, here with lights and amps where it's rich, rolling sounds could be appreciated.

The place was a feast for anyone looking to discover something about themselves, and Paul was never satiated.

Paul slips past the immediate shelves to get to the front register, hands finding the glass surface and beginning to tap along to the muted cacophony in his head. It was deserted for the moment, but you didn't need supernatural senses to smell that someone had been here not too long ago, partaking in something that made the music sound even better. Paul leans over the desk and eyes the thick, beaded curtain that lead to the back rooms.

"Hey Randy! If you don't come out here someone's gonna come in and steal your signed Grateful Dead shirt!"

Indeed, said shirt was hanging up, proudly displayed on the wall behind the counter. It was a much prized possession - and in some real amount of danger from some fingers more sticky than not. It was also a surefire way to get the attention of a certain shop owner.

There's some sounds from behind the curtain, shuffling and maybe something falling over as someone jumped up, either at the threat or the owner of the voice issuing it. Paul hears the shout back before he can actually make out the words. If there were words being said at all.

Judging from the practically-visible cloud that follows the man who emerges from behind the curtain, it's more likely the latter.

Randy's and older dude, not 'old' but certainly a decade and a half Paul's (visible) elder. His hair is crow black, shoulder length and wavy, held back with a tie and a wrapped, psychedelic bandana. His eyes are blown to space, he's got a red press mark on his face, clearly the picture of a man getting ready to close up for the night and getting the evening come-down started a little early.

He'd probably known who had come in from the shout, but seeing him at the counter changes something in his face. How his back straightens. Eyes dart to the doorway, and then into the depths of the store. Looking for people who follow like ghosts in each other's wake.

His shoulders only relax a little when he finds it's only Paul, still looking at him expectantly. His half-smile could simply be the weed, and being tired. Paul lets it be.

"The man of the hour," Paul says, holding out a hand.

Randy huffs a laugh, and reaches out to take it, grasping it and pulling it in to touch forearms. To his credit, he no longer reacts to the cool skin as it touches him. One too many smokes - or maybe one too many touches with something like Paul to bother reacting.

"Yeah, sure. Only for you."

Paul takes his hand back and places it on his chest. "I consider it the highest honor, dude."

Randy nods a little.

These were words exchanged back and forth easily enough. Informal formalities, but a certain script maintained all the same. Like the glass counter between them. Crystal clear, but a barrier.

The shopkeep shrugs, and leans on his elbow. "Well, you got me here. What's up?"

Paul keeps drumming his fingers on the counter. A pattern only he can make sense of.

"Well, believe it or not, I'm actually not here for anything in particular," Paul says. "I'm uh. Actually looking for something along the lines of. New."

Randy blinks, cocking his head a little. "New?"

"Ya."

Believe it or not, immortality came with downsides. Well. Maybe not downsides so much as reoccurring stumbles. One of which being that the 'new' turned into 'old' faster than one would think, and even for someone who could listen to the same song on repeat for a whole day, there was a whole world of new things being made. New songs, new artists, new sounds. Collecting them to preserve perfectly forever like all the trinkets of the past stored in the cave. Immortal memory.

Randy however, looked over Paul like he'd started growing a second head. However, he knew better than to quibble. The script had run out, and Paul was looking at him expectantly. He was the expert in these things, and his customer had asked for goods.

"Well, we do got some stuff here, towards the front-"

Paul knew what Randy was pointing out, but he shakes his head. The silver bangles Marko had threaded into his hair shake with a metallic clicking, his blade of his earring glinting in the low lights. Randy stops mid-sentence, not about to waste Paul's time on the air it took to make the words. He knew better.

"Nah, man, I don't mean like, new releases. I mean just. Like. New. Somethin' different."

Something to scratch the constant itch of eternal stagnation amidst constant, unstoppable change.

Randy is silent, looking at him. There isn't much of a semblance of the polite, sleepy smile he'd been wearing earlier. Paul keeps looking right back at him, fingers drumming, drumming, drumming away at the counter. Nails clicking against the glass. Dragging.

It's only when Paul moves, shifting from one foot to the other, in a fidget, that Randy comes back into motion.

"Right. Sure. Okay, yeah, I just- hang on."

Paul nods a couple times, a little 'sure' thrown in as well as Randy moves off with maybe a little too much pep in his step, especially considering it's back behind the curtain and into another room. Where Paul's relaxed stare isn't on him the whole time.

There's the sound of boxes being moved, the clack of plastic cases - ans to ears more sensitive, dark mutterings. Paul pretends it's the rattling of the old water pipes along the ceiling.

He reaches over, to one side of the counter, and snatches up a couple jacket patches from the bins left out for sale. Marko had mentioned wanting to potentially start a new jacket project soon. Paul tucks them into his pocket.

Randy comes back after a few minutes. In his hands is a box, and in that box is a mess of things. A couple records, their sleeves looking a little battered, more than a few cassette tapes that looked much more recent, though one had a cracked case.

Paul reaches forward before Randy can say anything and pulls out something from the lot - a magazine, and from the provided pouch in the back of it, a small disc.

"Oh, I love Flexis!" Paul says, grin wide. "They're not making them much anymore."

He holds up the small, colorful record disk, and Randy's shoulders relax a little. He'd pleased the beast.

"There's not a whole lot, I think they only ran that edition with the Flexi for a while, but I had it kinda lying around, so."

Paul snorts. "What, you're using this to pawn your junk off on me, man?"

He flicks a finger at the box, tapping it rather harshly. Randy, again to his credit, doesn't flinch. But from the twitch under his eye, it's a near thing.

Paul grabs the box from him before he can try to say anything else. "I'm joshing you, dude. Jeez. You need some stronger stuff if you're this wound up. You know I'll take anything. You got good taste."

Randy lets Paul take the box from him, fingertips meeting for only a second. Paul's nails are sharp against his skin.

Paul tucks his prize under one arm. With his other, he digs into some pocket or another in his coat. From it, he produces a set of bills. He slaps them down on the countertop.

"You're a pal, Ran-the-man. Catch ya next week!"

Without waiting for Randy to open the till or count the money, or even a goodbye, Paul is already out the door. Barely a sound follows him, just the now empty store, playing its low background music under soft lighting.

When the man does blink out of his stupor, and counts the amount given to him for his motley collection of odds and ends, it's enough to make even his mouth go dry.

He doesn't ask, though. Never does. He simply straightens out the notes, and sets the stained paper in the drawer.

"Oh, I wanna dance with somebody! I wanna feel the heat with somebody!"

The music echoed in the main hall, the voices rising and falling with it perhaps not the most in-tune, but the enthusiasm was all that was really necessary.

David watches Star try to keep her smile down at Paul as he strikes a pose, singing into an invisible microphone, swaying her own head side to side with the melody. He lets himself smile with her.

Marko and Dwayne occupy the couch on either side of her, critiquing the performance.

"Good hip movement."

"You know, if he permed his hair, he might actually kinda look like Whitney."

"I vote eight point seven."

"No way, this is freestyle, tens across the board."

"No, there's always room for improvement."

The tall blond shimmies his way over to her, and Star can't help but let out the suppressed giggle at his exaggerated lip-syncing. She protests a fair bit as she's pulled up, and brought to the 'dance floor', her eyes flitting over to David who only raises an eyebrow, before Paul is pulling her in, spinning them around in a dance that doesn't exist and is made purely of the need to move and feel the music.

"Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody! With somebody who loves me!"

The tune in his step matching the music in his head, and all around him. Harmony.

#the lost boys #drabble #prompt #my fic #music #there was so much research for simple throw away lines lmao #on the other hand I learned a lot and might want to try looking into vinyls #it seems cool #Streetlight Records is a real place and it's in Santa Cruz!#some artistic liberties have been taken with its building description

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yoongisugaagust · 2 years

Text

HOME: The Confession

•Summary: Min Yoongi meets his forever.

The repetitive beat played out loud as Yoongi huffed. He sat at his studio desk with his head leaning against the chair completely exasperated. The sounds of his keypad being tinkered with brought him out of his haze.

“Hyung,” Namjoon stressed. “Your code doesn’t work all the time.”

“It works perfectly fine,” he spun himself around to see Namjoon walk in with Jin and Jungkook. Jungkook took a seat on the couch. “What’s happening?”

“Just got out of the meeting with PD Bang. He wants to put out a special collaboration LP between Cypher and Kosmos for the company’s anniversary. He already has a few songs in mind and the rest he wants us to write and produce on our way. I’m assigning you with Jin hyung so you two can bounce idea off each other. Hoseok is working closely with Jimin and Tae and I’ll be working with Jungkook.”

“We’re doing unit songs?”

“Two songs each group and three collaborative songs. We’re working in units for song concepts. I want you two to bounce idea off each other in the meantime. Write notes, whatever and bring it when we all meet.”

Yoongi nodded his head in confirmation swiveling from left to right in his chair. Seokjin made himself comfortable on the couch as Namjoon and Jungkook made their exit.

“You good?” Jin questioned.

“Yeah just a lot on my mind.”

“We can work on this back at home if that’s what you pref-”

“Y/n said something last night. She was asleep when she said it but..I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel about it.”

“Do she call out the wrong name?”

“No!” Yoongi looked skeptically at his friend. “She said she wants to marry me. Just said it in her sleep.”

“What’s the issue with that? You’re obviously in love with her and I can tell you’ve been thinking of having a future with her. Shouldn’t you feel good that she seems to feel the same?”

“It’s just throwing me off. I don’t know why that is but. I don’t know. What if we’re in over our heads? We haven’t been together for long and now things with the group are about to get even busier than we ever have been.”

“Yeah no I definitely feel you’re over thinking it. Have you two talked about getting married before?”

“That’s the thing. We’ve never mentioned it so maybe we haven’t thought this through fully.”

Jin sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “She loves you enough to want to marry you and you obviously wanted to marry her or at least you’ve been considering it.”

“We’re just assuming she wants to marry me. She never actually said the words consciously.”

“Nobody’s pinning you against the wall forcing you to make a decision. Y/nah is great and she loves you. Take some time to figure out what you really want and have that conversation with her. It isn’t that hard to use that brain of yours.”

————

“Hey,” Yoongi walked into your kitchen greeting you. You faced the stove mixing the contents of the pot.

“Here try this,” you said holding the wooden spoon to your lips blowing lightly to cool down the stew. Yoongi instinctively ate from the spoon.

“That’s really good jagi,” he said around the still hot bite.

“Better than last time?” You asked and he nodded. “I’m so happy!” You rejoiced at how much better you were getting at cooking new Korean dishes. Your best friend Jin was helping you out when it came to the fairly new recipes and you used Yoongi as your test subject.

“Your food is always good I don’t know why you’re always so worried,” he chuckled.

“Yeah my food is good but when it comes to the Korean dishes I want it to taste just as authentic as it should.”

“Well you have nothing to worry about,” he kissed your lips then ushered you off to sit down at the table while he served your plates.

“I wanted to ask you about something,” you brought up bringing Yoongi to stop mod chew. “Sara’s obviously moving out so I was thinking you can move in?”

“You want me to move in here?”

“Or we can move in to a new place altogether.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I just thought since we already spend almost every night together that that would be the next natural step.” Seeing your eyes become glossy had him thinking twice.

“Okay uhh, yeah.”

“You hate the idea, don’t you? You don’t sound confident in the least. You can say no Yoongi.”

“I just want to make sure that you’re sure about this. It’s a big decision.”

In an effort to conceal the tears riding on the rim of your eyelid you sat up and took your plate over to the sink even though you were nowhere near finished eating. Not skipping a beat Yoongi approached your stilled form and prodded you to turn around. You took a moment to wipe away any tears that raced down your cheeks and turned around between Yoongi’s hands on the counter.

“Like I said before we spend maybe every other night together and I wouldn’t have brought it up unless I was certain this was what I wanted.” You looked away from his gaze. “You don’t want to and that’s okay but..” you paused for a fresh breath. “Don’t agree to it just to make me happy.”

“I wasn’t blindly agreeing to the idea.”

“We can come back to this discussion when you’re ready. For now maybe it’s better if you don’t stay over tonight.”

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savageandwise · 6 months

Note

what is 'putting out fire' ?? love your writing, thank you!

Thank you! That's so kind of you.

Putting out fire (with gasoline) is a fic that's been haunting me a while. It's a what if Noel and Mary McCartney met as teenagers? I wrote quite a bit and then Mary threw a wrench in the works by admiting in an interview that she was very shy as a kid. I'm still figuring out how to incorporate that.

A sharp intake of breath startles him. There's a girl standing nearby holding an Echo and The Bunnymen LP under one hand. She's got a huge camera slung round her neck and a jumper tied round her waist. Her eyes are huge in her thin face.

"You gonna take my picture?" he asks, scowling at her.

She shakes her head quickly and then shrugs.

"What happened?" she asks, gesturing towards his face. She has an accent you can cut glass with. Her eyes are very wide and her lashes very long.

"Never seen a split lip before? What's it to you?" he says shortly. Then he puts back the record and legs it out of the shop.

He doesn't want to think about what happened and he certainly doesn't want some posh girl asking him questions about it. He pokes his tongue against his sore lip gingerly. He really wanted that Bowie album. Stupid posh girl. He's a few streets down when he hears someone calling out behind him.

"Hey! Hey stop! Slow down!"

It's that girl, slightly out of breath, holding up a beat up Morrocan satchel. She opens it and pulls out an album. Shirtless, platinum haired Bowie wearing boxing gloves, that turquoise lettering of his last name.

"That's the one you wanted, wasn't it?"

She's looking at him so earnestly. She's got about a million freckles. And a small, neat mouth. She pushes the album into his hands.

Noel stares at her. "Did you just take it?" he asks mistrustfully.

"It's for you."

He looks down at the album, flips it over to read the names of the songs and then hands it back to her. "I can't."

"You wanted it though," she says a bit insistently.

Noel shrugs and then nods. "Did you nick it?" He asks again.

She touches the tip of her tongue to her upper lip and grins, revealing a slightly overcrowded mouth of teeth. He has to admit he's impressed.

#oasis fanfiction #beatles fanfiction

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jonathantaylorthomas · 2 years

Text

[excerpt] “Me and Jack, we keep each other informed on any project we’re working on,” Spears tells Rolling Stone. “We usually take at least a week out of the year just to create with no goal in mind. That’s basically how Red Hearse was created.”

Before Antonoff began to work on Swift’s tenth album, he was cooking up tracks with Spears, Dew, and Zoë Kravitz. (Kravitz revealed earlier this year that she is currently working on her debut solo album with Antonoff). During a brainstorming session, the quartet put together a track that would eventually become “Lavender Haze.”

“It was not specifically meant for anything,” he recalls. “That one was me going through sounds for 15 minutes and eventually hitting one button by accident. Jack’s eyes lit up and was like ‘What was that?’It just happened to be this small little loop that my guy Jahaan [Sweet, fellow TDE producer] sent me a while back.”

Spears twisted up the loop and they added a bunch of effects to make it sound the way it does now. “Sam went in with the melodies. Zoë is actually a creative genius. She’s not just a phenomenal actor. Her ability to create different sonics and find different melodies is next level.”

A few months later, Antonoff reached out to Spears, Dew, and Kravitz to see if he could pitch the song to Swift, who loved it immediately. She wrote lyrics inspired by a Mad Men scene, numerous tabloid rumors and online gossip about her relationship status, and “1950s expectations.”

“When Jack brought us in the hear for the first time, all our mouths dropped. She took it to a whole new world and made it her own. She created different pockets we did not hear.”

“Glitch,” one of the bonus songs on the Midnights (3am) edition, was born from the same studio session as “Lavender Haze.” The bubbly “Karma” came later, when Antonoff reached out to Spears for any other ideas he may have to contribute to the album and its synth-pop vision.

“‘Karma’ was just a last-minute Hail Mary,” Spears says. “I remembered I was working with my guy Keanu [Beats] and had something that was too perfect not to send to her. As soon as I sent it, Jack was instantly like ‘This is the one. Playing it for Taylor now. We’re going in on it.’ The next day, I heard the final product with her vocals on it.”

While it’s still too early to tell which songs will be the runaway successes from the album, it’s clear “Karma” has struck a chord on TikTok, nearing 20,000 videos for the official sound with only a few days under its belt.

“Such a fun song! It instantly rings up and you just feel joy inside. And the messaging is so cool,” Spears says.

Spears only heard a few other songs from the LP prior to its officially release; Antonoff had sent over a sampling of what him and Swift had made so Spears had a sense of the sound they were going for when he went to reproduce the beats following the lyric and vocal additions. He was impressed by the sound, concept and surprise drop of seven extra tracks. He even has favorites already.

“Right now I’m going back and forth from ‘Anti-Hero’ and ‘Glitch.’ Not to toot my own horn, but I like the weirdness of ‘Glitch.’ The breakdown part is everything it was meant to be. This is so amazing to me.”

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autoplaysdigimon · 9 days

Text

I beat Pikmin!!

Damn, that was one of those "every free moment" kind of experiences. From the moment I started playing it, at about 10:00 on Tuesday I think it was?? I just had it in my hands for every single moment I had the spare time. I couldn't very well take the save file of PMD to work, since I'm recording that, so instead it was the little vegetable men who got me through my breaks.

Obviously, I really liked it! Way more than I thought I would, for sure. I'd only ever played Pikmin Bloom, and maybe about a decade ago I watched Chugga's LP of it I think, so that's my experience with the series. Oh, and any comics about it from Awkward Zombie or Brawl in the Family. RTS games have been something I've played a lot before, so it wasn't too unfamiliar I guess.

I didn't find it nearly as hard as I expected to! Sure, I redid days if they didn't go well, but apart from Day 3, which kept going tits up for some reason, and the final boss, it didn't happen too much. I finished on Day 28 even, which was cool. The hardest part of the game was, by FAR, the final boss. And keeping the yellow/red Pikmin out of the water for the entire game, that sucked too. Still, the game itself was chill enough for the most part. Maybe because I'm playing this for the first time as an adult, maybe because I'm a veteran of Digimon World 1. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I really liked the multiple endings, too! I won't spoil, because sometimes people haven't played every game (see: Me.) even if it's a zillion years old. But it was neat seeing the clear distinction between Bad, Good and Golden endings. I think I'm rambling here lmao but the Bad ending was cool. And yes, I did sit through 30 days of nothing just to see what happened.

oh no who put Pikmin 2 on my steam deck how did that happen. anyway goodbye entire next week

#pikmin #what cute little funny guys

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loganslowdown4 · 13 days

Text

RWR Rewatch Faves!

Krocket Is Blasting Off Again! Chapter 4 Episode 11 RECAP

Let’s goooo!!! 🐸

DM: You set an example and showed up those Lagoonatics like it was nothing

YB: we beat their asses!

YB: let’s sneak by, can we roll for stealth?

*Roman rolls and gets 10*

YB: can I sneak by and be stealth??

LMAO

DM: the flies rolled a 19

Roman: my armor class is 18

DM: well you’re gonna take a hit

Roman: I am gonna DIE

DM: the third fly tries to bite your butt

Roman: alright well there’s a lot of flesh there so—

*DM rolls nat 20*

YB: not in the ass!

Roman: NOT IN THE ASS!!!

*fly still attached to Roman’s arm*

YB: I’m gonna throw a dagger and try not to hit you

*YB rolls a 5*

YB: 😬

hahahahaha

*YB rolls 2 fives in a row*

Roman: what is that, a one in 40 chance?

(It’s one in 400 chance*)

DM: not a math gay

*fly tries to punch Roman*

Roman: ??? That was kinda nice? Soft.

*YB & Roman both roll nat 20s twice in a row*

Roman: and the chance of that? One in forty

LMAO

*all start buzzing to the tune of chariots of fire hahahah*

Fly: tell my pupa I loved them!

Roman: oh NOOOOO

Roman not being able to stand killing anything is my favourite thing about him lol

Roman: can we not make the same mistake in the communicave and just try and open the door first

*the door opens easily*

Roman: *trying not to have a breakdown*

YB: *rolls another nat 20*

Roman: Youngblood you’re on a ROLL today

Roman: Timmy! It’s me Roman! And Youngblood remember him? Held you over that well the one time?

YB: lets not talk about that right now

LilyPadton: I’m just glad everyone’s safe

YB: yay more love ok lets go

Roman: and only 3 people died!

YB: I’m gonna attack to defend and throw him off

*throws a knife*

*rolls a 2*

Krocket: *grabs knife out of the air* YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD POWER HERE?! *throws knife back* YOU WILL LET ME MONOLOGUE!!!!

YB: you actually own the lily lot?

Krocket: YES!

YB: how??!

Krocket: YOU CAN’T PROVE I DON’T!

LP: no you don’t

Krocket: SILENCE! DON’T MAKE ME RESORT TO VIOLENCE PAPA!

Roman & YB: papa???

Roman: *realization dawning* *starts giggling*

Roman: what is happening? I feel like I’m in a very weird fanfiction

LMAO

LilyPadton: Krocket calm down

Krocket: peace was never an option Patty Cake!!

Roman: *starts laughing hard*

Krocket: what’s he worth to you? (Timmy)

Roman: everything!

YB: idk you want a dollar?

Krocket: *fires his pistol*

Roman: *immediately jumps in front of it*

YB: *backflips out of the way*

*the pistol is a prank gun with ‘scram’ flag fired out of it*

YB: GIRL

Roman: Krocket you agent of chaos WHAT IS THIS?

Krocket: *blocking the door* No! You’re not leaving with my children and my daddy!!!

YB: *has had it* LOOK BITCH WHAT do you want?? just let us LEAVE! *holding Krocket by the neck*

Roman: look at the bandana man he’s serious

Krocket: *passes out*

Roman: ohhhh

YB: he’s alive

Roman: ok kids, we’re leaving let’s go now right now let’s go

YB: we’re running

Roman: when in doubt, choke em out

Roman: so LilyPadton what was all that about?

YB: why was Krocket calling you papa

LilyPadton: Krocket has an… interest in me?

Roman: ok

LP: it seems a bit strange, they are a power hungry ego maniac and I’m a gardener

Roman: a tale as old as time

*Tenpenny saying he loves the kids but is still mad at them for making a bad choice*

Roman: I’m learning a lot of things

YB: don’t have kids?

Roman: don’t have kids

#one of the more unhinged episodes I love it #RWR #roleslaying with roman #Roman of Reston #Youngblood Ra #RWR recap #krocket is blasting off again #RWR chapter 4 #RWR FROGtown baby #RWR episode 11 #RWR krocket #RWR LilyPadton #RWR fast Timmy #long post

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truly-morgan · 10 months

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[WRH doting on JC]

RuoCheng | Mo Dao Zu Shi 07-04-2021

[#ruocheng] (I forgot wrh canon personality a bit, so let's roll with what I have here)

What if wrh started kind of doting on the ymj heir after seeing the potential he had? Like the kid is pretty good and really hard working, why isn't jfm talking more about him? So anytime jc is at a sect conference with his father, wrh check on him, ask how is training is doing, even train a bit with him if he has the time. jc is not used to this kind of attention and loves it.

Most sect leaders are a bit wary of this attention given to jc, wondering why the man was putting such attention on the heir of a different sect when he barely acknowledges others.

This left an impression on jc, where his opinion of wrh is softened because of it. he couldn't be /that bad/ if he can be this nice and friendly, right?-

then around studying at CR, jc just get really sick of /everything/. jfm won't even acknowledge any of the improvement he does, his mother nearly only focus on telling him to "Do better"/"This could have been better"/"wwx did it, why can't you? you will be the heir" And he remembers the suggestion wrh had given to him of helping train and studying the same way he was doing at CR before going back to LP.

So he goes, figuring it would be a good change of air. he has to reassure wwx and jyl that yes, he will come back in one piece, no he is doing alright, he just needs to be away for a little while. He has for too long lived on scraps of love and barely anything, he just needs someone to give him /some/ attention and praise, and he knows wrh doesn't mind giving him just that. So he goes, getting /personally/ trained by wrh, to the surprise of many who didn't think the sect leader would do so himself. jc of course doesn't see anything wrong since the man has basically been training with him since he was young, he just listens to what wrh as to show him. he doesn't like much the idea that the wens are better than everyone, sometimes even daring to disagree, yet to everyone, surprise wrh only laugh it off a bit amused rather than ready to beat him as he would to anyone else. and so jc who isn't used to any of this kind of falls for wrh, which he poorly tries to hide from the older man. at first, wrh doesn't do anything of it, he had a wife and was happy and isn't looking for anyone else.

yet jc is a breath of fresh air, he love his pretty cute and something pulls him to the young man. So he just let him dance around as he clearly doesn't know what to do with his feeling for wrh.

wrh decides that he won't try anything unless jc approaches him first and it doesn't take long before jc decides to test the water, trying to seek more affection from him, daring more physical touch when they are alone. his most bold move is when he believes wrh has fallen asleep sitting in his study. he dare a shy kiss on his lips, only to jump when he sees wrh open eyes, flushing deep red. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean, it just" he tries to apologise, unsure what to do if the man was to take it badly. he is instead pulled into wrh laps, receiving another kiss, this time a bit deeper. "this is alright". then a relationship settles between them, slowly getting a bit more intimate than it was at first.

then I see two things happening in the future:

a) jc manages to make wrh not try to basically take over the cultivation world once he's basically his new wife helping to direct the wen sect at his side as he also will take his sect leader place later in the ymj sect (happy ending yay)

b) the sunshot campaign still happen because the wen caused some kind of problem and this ends up with jc having to either choose between all the other-

great sect and wrh. he would most likely try to calm everything down until he sees some of the other cultivators turn their back to someone who basically "protects the wen dogs".

wrh tries keeping him out of the war, knowing it would hurt him more than anything otherwise if we feel angsty enough wrh get kill and it jc who has to take over the sect and he manages to settle thing down as he changes thing in the wen sect (which does not please wc, but who cares about him). he probably also take his right at ymj, leading both clan in a mix of how jfm and wrh were, taking the iron grip needed to keep people in place, but nice and diplomatic when needed to not have everyone on his back.

let's say I prefer option A, the idea of Sweet jc somehow managing to tame wrh to not basically kill everyone and take over the cultivation world seems rather funny. He doesn't mind showing it off too, how wrh listen to him. They are both very "See how great jc is, you clearly missed out" to jfm.

Original

#tweet archive #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #ruocheng #wen ruohan #jiang cheng #doting wen ruohan #he looks after jiang cheng #and sees his potential

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mywifeleftme · 3 months

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331: V/A // International Pop Underground Convention

International Pop Underground Convention Various Artists 1992, K Records

My entrée to basically every art scene I’ve ever been involved in was basically just going to whatever extremely DIY festival that scene threw in my city and hoping. You see what seems like an unfathomable number of artists good and terrible (and very occasionally great), hit most of the venues, bars, and spaces worth knowing about, and sometimes even strike up some conversations with people who eventually become your friends. 1991’s International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, organized by Candice Pedersen and Calvin Johnson of K Records, was the indie model for these fests as I’ve known them, and so it’s as directly responsible for a lot of the good stuff in my life as any musical event I can think of. Everything I’ve heard about it sounds like absolute paradise—the platonic ideal of all the times I’ve picked through mountains of sick screenprinted t-shirts by bands I’ve never heard of, eaten some weird and great food by a tattooed baker, and then ridden my bike on shrooms to catch bits of four shows on the same night, all on a dime.

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The lineup on this double-live compilation is all over the place musically, but it does a beautiful job of summarizing the thing indie/alternative music of the era shared despite its sonic diversity: a sense that the music you liked and what it represented could be a space of legitimate opposition to corporatism; that there was something worthwhile in wearing that belief on your sleeveless t-shirt; that the notion of “selling out” had some real conceptual worth; that we’re in this thing together. So, the International Pop Underground Convention LP serves up first-wave riot grrl (Mecca Normal, Bratmobile); DC post-hardcore (Nation of Ulysses, Fugazi); twee indie pop (Beat Happening; Spinanes); noise rock (Melvins; Unwound); grunge-y stuff, primitive singer-songwriter folk, surf rock, plunderphonic DJ sets, and more and more besides, all recorded live and kinda badly but “real.” As individual performances, few are essential, but collectively they are a powerful document of the alternative scene as it existed in the moment right before Nevermind changed everything.

I always think about how crazy it must be for someone like Nikki McClure, an Olympia visual artist who designed a bunch of early K Records sleeves and released a handful of EPs on the label, to have a performance preserved on the same disc as all these icons. On the one hand, it's not like she sits around in awe of like Beat Happening in the same way a fan would—they were friends and part of the same community, and probably still are to this day. But on the other hand, I’m sure when she comes across a copy of this LP there’s sometimes a dazed moment when it seems like that young Nikki singing her funny little a cappella song must be someone else entirely, the record itself an object manifested from a dream. But the International Pop Underground Conventional was real, and in its way, it carries on to this day.

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331/365

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