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girls-scenarios · 4 years

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Lesser-Known Girl Groups You Should Check Out

1. GIRLKIND

First on the list is GIRLKIND! This is a four member girl group that all the admins really like. They come from a poor company, which unfortunately has made some people send them hate, but every single one of these girls is so talented and they do their best with what they have. They do a lot of dance covers, like their recent relay dance of girl group songs from 2010, as well as vocal and dance covers! They tend to reply to comments and interact with fans as well! Medic Jin has such an incredible voice and every single member can dance. It’s sad that they don’t have the funds to show their talent to the world, because they genuinely have so much potential. Their most recent comeback is “Future” and it’s one of my favorites by them, go check it out!

2. Saturday

Second on the list we have Saturday! Saturday is a (now) five member girl group under SD Entertainment. For this group, their songs definitely aren’t for everyone: they’re a mix of cute and silly, but it’s a sound that I personally love! My favorite song by them is “Wifi,” it’s just so catchy and it makes me smile every time I listen to it! They recently posted a dance cover of “Kissing You” with their lightstick that was so adorable, and Haneul, who is all around talented AF, posted a short NCT 127 “Kick It” dance Cover! You can learn more about them by watching them on Fact iN Star. Their last comeback was with “BByong” and it looks like we’ll be getting a comeback soon as some of the girls have changed their hair colors!

3. Nature

Third we have one of my current favorite groups, Nature! Nature is a nine member girl group under N.CH World. They’ve had a couple lineup changes and, most recently, added Sohee, who some of you might recognize from Produce 101! This group is known for their kind of weird, unique yet catchy songs, like “Some (You’ll Be Mine)” and my personal favorite, “I’m So Pretty.” This group has some dancing machines and they post a lot of dance covers, Haru in particular. She just recently posted a dance cover of MC Hammer’s “It’s All Good,” and a dance practice all my friends love is Saebom, Aurora, and Haru’s cover of “Chun-Li.” You can watch them on Weekly Idol, Fact iN Star, KBS’s Try Not To Sing Challenge, Pops In Seoul, Car Talk, and Idol League. They had a reality show with Mnet, but I cannot for the life of me find where to watch it. They upload a lot of short videos to their YouTube channel, some with subs and others without. They also had a pop cover project pre-debut that is incredible! Their latest Korean comeback was with “Oopsie! My Bad” and “Bing Bing,” a side track the promoted! They’re a really amazing group that I’ve totally fallen for!

4. Elris

This next group is an older group, as Elris debuted under Hunus Entertainment in 2017. They recently added two members, Chaejeong (who you might recognize from Produce 48) and EJ, making them a seven member girl group. They debuted with a rather cute concept that they changed up a bit with their last comeback. Sohee, the leader, is probably the most known member of the group. You might know her from her solo song “Hurry Up” with BOL4, she also did some solo things pre-debut. They post both dance and vocal covers on their YouTube channel, as well as vlogs from the members. You can learn more about them by watching Pops in Seoul, Fact iN Star, Broken Karaoke, After School Club, their Weekly Idol episode with Golden Child, and this actually helpful (un)helpful guide to Elris. They also recently appeared on dancing idol! Their most recent comeback was with “Jackpot” and it was really good, be sure to give them a listen!

5. 3YE

Next is 3YE (pronounced third eye) and, even though I think they’re really gaining in popularity especially overseas, I still wanted to include them. 3YE is a three member girl group under GH Entertainment with a criminal concept! Their dances really make them stand out because of the cheer power, and their music would appeal to anyone who likes more hard-hitting music or a typical boy group sound. On their YouTube, you can find Q&A videos (subbed!) and lots of covers! Unfortunately they haven’t had the chance to be on many shows yet, but you can learn more about them through this interview, this (un)helpful guide to 3YE, and this Pop in Seoul video. They have three songs, the most recent being “Queen” as well as “OOMM (Out Of My Mind)” and “DMT (Do My Thing)”.

6. ANS

Next we have ANS, an eight member girl group under ANS Entertainment that debuted in 2019. It’s a bit of a joke in the fandom that they add members every comeback, because, well, it’s kind of true so far. They gained a lot of attention after their comeback “Say My Name” in January, although some people were accusing them of copying Everglow. Thankfully, most of the attention that came from this was positive. This is another group under a poor company trying their best, especially because a lot of the girls have tried to debut before, but I think they did amazing with their last comeback and I’m really hoping their career is able to take off. Also, their dance skills are GREAT. They have so many members who excel in dancing and even choreograph themselves, please watch Bian, Dalyn, and Raon’s “I Like It” choreo and be blessed. They also post vocal covers through their cover project and their dance practice in hanbok was ADORABLE. They went to Fact iN Star during their debut, so you can learn about the members other than J and Haena there. This (un)helpful guide to ANS is really great as well! These girls are incredibly talented, check out both “Boom Boom” and “Say My Name” live stages to see what I mean!

7. Cignature

Okay so Cignature has actually been getting quite a lot of attention since their debut this year, but I couldn’t help but to add them here. Cignature is a seven member girl group under J9 Entertainment. Five of the members were in the girl group Good Day and appeared on The Unit, so you might see some familiar faces! I feel like a broken record, but I’m serious when I once again say that the members are SO TALENTED. They sing live for every performance and even during some dance challenges! On their YouTube, they do a lot of dance covers and they have a lot of short videos called Cignature Piece that are, unfortunately, not subbed but are still fun to watch! You can learn more about them through After School Club, this complimenting challenge, this newsaid interview, this skylife series, Broken Karaoke, and Fact iN Star released a dance video, so they might be appearing there soon as well! They came back with a second debut single ASSA after Nun Nu Nan Na, which is about not caring if you’re an outsider and being yourself!

8. April

April is another group that falls into the area of known, but kind of underrated. They’re a six member girl group under DSP Entertainment that debuted in 2015, and although they had some lineup changes early on (KARD’s Somin used to be in the group) they’ve stayed six members for a while. You probably know Naeun, even if you don’t know that you know her: she’s acted in “A-Teen” and “Extraordinary You” as well as been MC for multiple music shows. The members have also done OST’s and have been in commercials. Somehow, though, Apink still manages to fall under the radar. Their last comeback, Oh! My Mistake was their most popular song (and their best mini album, in my opinion), but then they disappeared for a while. Their songs like April Story and The Blue Bird had more of a soft, dreamy concept and, in my opinion, should have gotten them some wins. Their reality show Here Goes April right after their debut (before Rachel and Chaekyung joined and Somin and Hyunjoo left) does have English subs, but unfortunately most of the short videos they upload now do not. You can learn more about April through their Celuv TV appearance, A Song For You, and their Pops in Seoul interview. Since they aren’t super popular overseas, it is hard to find English subs for them, but Chaewon does have her own YouTube where she posts covers and a few vlog-type videos, and Naeun has appeared on a lot of shows on her own! April will finally be making a comeback this month on the 22nd with their mini album Da Capo, so keep an eye out and please give them lots of support!

There are so many other groups that I love, like Favorite, PinkFantasy, PurpleBeck, ShaFLA, Sunny Hill, PLAYBACK, Sonamoo, NeonPunch, DreamNote, Ariaz, Limesoda, Laboum, Hashtag, and H.U.B! There also groups like gugudan, GWSN, and DIA who are known but need more recognition. If you guys find this helpful, I’d love to do another list to bring light to my girls! - Admin Kiwi

#girl groups #kpop girl groups #girlkind #saturday #nature #elris #3ye #ans #cignature #april #saturday kpop #nature kpop #april kpop #underrated girl groups #kpop #long post

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mimi-cee-hq · 4 years

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Yahaba’s Type - Yahaba x Reader (Part 2 of 2)

[Masterlist]

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Summary:

Although Y/n was known as the clown friend, she wasn’t very comfortable around Yahaba. But that started to change when she saw him awkwardly practising his tosses by himself.

Match-up Request:

Hi I’m here for a match up request~ I’m tall (about 1.80) with blonde middle length hair & light brown eyes I’m a bit plump (usually thin but lately I’ve put on some weight) & sometimes I get self conscious about it 😬 been playing volleyball for 10 years as a middle blocker & my team’s ace ☺️ I also enjoy drawing a lot whenever I have free time Im THAT clown friend who gets really happy whenever people laugh with my jokes & I try to cheer people up that way whenever I see someone being down -🦋

So I found out that actually can save my answers as drafts (but only in the app??). *shrugs* Still learning how to use Tumblr.

Yahaba’s Type - Yahaba x Reader

Words: 2,066

Yahaba took a glance at the second floor before their practice match had started. As they warmed up for the match, he felt like his serves and sets were on point today. He was glad that his setting practice with Y/n had paid off. Chiaki and Y/n decided to watch their game today when Chiaki heard about it. She wanted to know what kind of teammates Kyotani had and wondered how they treated him. Y/n came along as well, which was probably the first time she had ever watched their games. But there were times when he wondered if she should have come.

The match started off with Yahaba’s serve. After bouncing the ball a couple of times, he threw the ball in front of him and ran up to it for his jump serve. But as it hit the top of the net, he held his breath until the volleyball had fallen onto the opponent’s side of the court. He let out a sigh of relief. But that didn’t last long because he heard Y/n shouting at the top of her lungs. “Kya~~! You’re so cool, Yahaba!”

Yahaba quickly turned his head up to her direction to see her laughing her head off. He got a bit annoyed at her since he knew she was just messing around. She wouldn’t have been impressed by his jump serve because she knew how to do one as well. Also, getting a point from a net serve already wasn’t very cool in itself. She was probably just mimicking Oikawa’s fan girls that he had told her about. Now he regretted ever telling her about them.

He gave her a smirk just before his next serve. He made sure she was still watching him. His next serve was a powerful one that he aimed at the other team’s spike-haired libero. When the libero missed his serve, he gave Y/n a smug grin. In response, she gave him a thumbs up and smiled.

“Well someone is showing off again,” said Kindaichi. Yahaba straightened up, remembering that he was in the middle of a match.

“What did you expect?” commented Kunimi. “He’s always been like that.”

As Yahaba got the ball back and walked back to the serving line, Y/n yelled out, “You’d better not miss your next serve!” She then said with a laugh, “Otherwise I’ll expose all of your secrets!”

Yahaba flinched at the thought. He didn’t want his team to know how much he had been practising outside of their usual practices.

“Since when have they been close?” Watari asked Kyotani. He just shrugged in response.

Yahaba didn’t expect them to notice that they were more comfortable with each other now. But with how Y/n was treating him, he shouldn’t have been surprised. The two of them had unintentionally continued to practise with each other for the past few months. He wasn’t planning on continuing their practices together, but he saw how much he had improved because of them.

When their opponents were able to get their first point, Seijoh got ready to receive their serve and attack. But when Yahaba set the ball to Kyotani, it was too high for him to reach. Luckily, Kunimi was somehow able to cover for him, even though it gave the other team a chance ball.

The next few times Yahaba tried to set, he kept on messing up. His fingers felt stiff. He didn’t know what was wrong because he had felt great during the warm up. Yahaba started to feel frustrated because he knew he was failing his team and they needed him. He was now their starting setter and captain. How were they supposed to beat Karasuno the next time around if he was already screwing up this match? He started to wonder if all of the extra practice with Y/n was useless.

Suddenly, he heard Y/n yell out a cheer. “Go, go, let’s go, let’s go, Dateko!”

The court was silent as they stared at the second floor to where Y/n stood. The Seijoh players were the first to break the silence with their laughter.

“What the heck is wrong with her?” said Kindaichi while he laughed hard enough for tears to come out of his eyes.

“Not only is she not cheering for us, but we’re not even playing against Dateko!” added Watari as he held his stomach while laughing.

Yahaba covered his laughter with his mouth. He also found it hilarious but he was equally embarrassed by her. She must have noticed that he was starting to panic. The rest of the team was doing well except for him

As the rest of the court continued to laugh, Y/n justified her actions by saying that their cheer was catchy. She even sang along when her own team played a match against them. She thought it was a lot better than their school’s cheer.

Yahaba then saw the referee remove the whistle from her mouth and turned to Y/n. “Y/n! If you disrupt this match again, you’ll be kicked out and you’ll have to run a hundred laps around the school during next practice!”

Y/n stood up straight and replied, “Yes, ma'am!” She pretended to zip her mouth to show that she had understood.

“I forgot that we got the girls’ team’s coach as the ref,” Kindaichi mentioned to Kunimi.

“If she’s the team’s captain, it must be pretty chaotic with her there,” added Kunimi.

Yahaba felt a bit of second-hand embarrassment from what Y/n just did. But because of her joke, he was able to calm down.

He realized how cold his fingers were. As he breathed on his hands, he remembered when he had jammed his fingers at the community center. Y/n had taken his hands and worried over them. He remembered how soft and warm her hands had been. So even though Yahaba had been trying to warm up his hands, he felt his cheeks heat up instead.

After the practice match had ended, Yahaba walked off the court and grabbed his water bottle for a drink. Y/n walked down from the second floor and the tall middle blocker from the other team approached her.

“We should go to the udon place that’s nearby,” stated the intimidating guy with a large build.

“Oh,” said Y/n with a nervous smile. “I’m not really interested.”

“But it’s really good!” he continued to insist.

Yahaba walked up to the guy who was pestering Y/n and tried to stare him down even though he was more than two meters tall. “She said she’s not interested,” Yahaba sternly told him. It’s not like he hadn’t dealt with troublesome people before. He didn’t want Y/n to deal with him by herself.

“What are you doing?” asked Y/n as she raised an eyebrow. “He’s a friend from junior high.” She continued to explain that a group of them were planning a reunion. She had said she wasn’t interested because she didn’t really like udon. She was more of a rice person.

“Ugh, this is so embarrassing,” Yahaba thought to himself.

“Sorry Hyakuzawa,” Y/n apologized with a smile. Kindaichi and Kunimi snickered at Yahaba for trying to be cool. He just told them to shut up.

As Yahaba walked away from the scene, Kyotani leaned on the wall with his arms crossed. “So what happened to having a type?” he asked with a smirk. He still held a grudge against him after all these months.

“Ugh, I don’t have one, okay?” Yahaba responded in frustration.

*****

After another night at the community center, Y/n plopped on her bed out of exhaustion. Her mom scolded her to at least take a shower. She did what she was told and got ready for bed. She checked her phone and saw a couple of texts from Yahaba.

Yahaba: Did you get home okay?

Yahaba: Since you’re not replying, I’ll just go sleep now. Night.

There was also another text that had appeared about an hour later.

Yahaba: I hope you dream of me

Y/n especially blushed at the last one. She didn’t remember him being a flirt. She knew there was no way he meant that. But a silly grin still formed on her mouth as she tried to lay on her bed to sleep. Unfortunately, it turned out that she was right. The next morning she saw one more text from him.

Yababa: I’m sorry! My sister texted that! Ignore that last one!

She knew that she should have known better. She sighed. It was harder to get over her growing crush on him.

She took a second look at the texts. She realized that he must have been exhausted for his sister to have the opportunity to use his phone. She wondered if they should cut down on their practices together.

Later at school, Y/n asked Chiaki if she was still free to come over for some home karaoke. She replied that she was.

“Can I come?” asked Kyotani.

Y/n had to blink a few times before she excitedly asked, “You want to sing?! Are you serious?!”

“No, I want to watch Chiaki sing.” Kyotani replied.

“Well that makes a lot more sense,” she laughed.

“Did you want to come?” Kyotani asked Yahaba.

“Why would I want to come?” asked Yahaba.

“You should come too! It’ll be fun!” said Y/n.

Kyotani didn’t really care was his response would be so he started to walk away with Chiaki. But Yahaba decided to tag along anyway.

When they arrived at Y/n’s house, her dad greeted Yabaha. But he flinched when Kyotani realized that he had been going to the community center.

“I guess your secret is out,” laughed Y/n. Since Kyotani knew her dad as well, he nodded to greet him.

The four of them sat in the living room. Kyotani and Chiaki sat on the large couch and Yahaba took the other end. Y/n set up the karaoke machine.

Chiaki sang a ballad beautifully. Y/n belted out a different song and sung badly on purpose. “Yay! I got a 68!” cheered Y/n. Her best friend found the whole thing hilarious like usual. Yahaba wondered why he came in the first place.

When Chiaki started to whistle to one of the songs, Y/n tried to whistle too. She couldn’t whistle at all. But she was being stubborn and kept trying anyway.

“You look stupid,” said Yahaba. “You’re getting your spit everywhere.” In response, she purposely got closer to him to tease him some more. “Ugh! Stop doing that!”

But Y/n still didn’t stop. It was kind of fun annoying him and the other two found it hilarious. Yahaba didn’t know how to make her stop. So he kissed her.

Y/n froze. She didn’t understand what had just happened. Yahaba smirked at her. But then his attempt to look cool failed him and his face became just as red as hers.

“W- What was that?!” Y/n freaked out. “Why would you do that?!” She tried to cover her blush with her hands. “You should only do that to someone you like!”

Yahaba looked away as he replied, “So it’s fine then.” He hid his face with his hands when Y/n realized that he admitted to liking her.

“B- But,” she continued to panic, “I’m not even your type.”

“I don’t have a type anymore,” he replied. “It’s just you.”

For once, Y/n was silent. She was trying to process the whole thing. She never expected Yahaba to like her back. She then smiled at the thought that he liked her enough for his type to be irrelevant over these past few months.

She took the seat beside him and inched a bit closer. The two still couldn’t make eye contact with each other. They both tried to steal a glance from each other, but when their eyes met, they quickly turned away again. Kyotani and Chiaki just stared at their awkwardness.

“Yahaba,” Y/n’s dad said in a deep voice. Y/n and Yahaba both flinched, not realizing that her dad was there. “I was wondering when you’d finally say something,” he said with a smirk.

*****

Extras that didn’t fit in the story:

Since Yahaba likes ikura don and Y/n likes rice dishes, they eat it all the time on dates.

Kyotani is actually pretty observant since he was conscious of his old teammates talking behind his back. But because he’s stubborn, reckless and just does his own thing anyway, it doesn’t really show through.

Chiaki is the cunning, protective type that looks innocent, but only Kyotani and Y/n know that.

I wanted Y/n to be the daughter of the guy from the community center who watched the Seijoh vs Karasuno match. But if she was, Y/n would have a (last) name. lol.

I hope you liked it! I actually had a hard time getting “clown funny” down. Other types of funny come more naturally to me (like sarcastic, teasing, and punny.) So I got some ideas from the webtoon Odd Girl Out with Mirae as a character model.

I also had a working name for Y/n because I write better that way. I might also post on fanfiction.net with the working name because they technically don’t allow reader-inserts. But I might not do it because it’s more work. lol. I actually initially started posting stories on FFN.

Check out my other stories too. :) I’m hoping to build a collection of them with all of the requests.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

[Masterlist]

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #yahaba x reader #yahaba shigeru #haikyuuwritersnet #haikyuu!!#next gen captains #pretty setter squad #seijoh #aoba johsai #aoba jōsai #haikyuu requests #haikyuu matchup #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu fanfic #mimi's fanfiction

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shireness-says · 5 years

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You Mean Everything

Summary: Even in the silliest moments, Emma and Killian always manage to find the beat together. A little lighthearted rockstar!Emma AU snippet. ~1.3K. Rated T for mild language. Also on Ao3.

Read from the beginning: On Ao3. On tumblr: Maybe I Won’t Die Alone, Second Verses and Happy Beginnings, Lullaby, Nobody’s Business, Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?

A/N: Have you guys missed reading these? I’ve missed writing them. Thanks to @snidgetsafan for her beta services yet again.

This is completely inspired by that time some friends and I got a little tipsy and tried to sing along to “Come On Eileen” at the restaurant. And found out it’s damn near impossible. Seriously, there’s too many words for how much music there is. Anyways, it was a karaoke prompt waiting to happen. This fic takes place somewhere between the original fic and “Second Verses and Happy Beginnings”, after Killian’s song but before they move in together or get married or any of that. Title taken from the aforementioned song.

Tagging those who have historically like these: @kmomof4, @shady-swan-jones, @effulgentcolors, @onceuponaprincessworld, @mythologicalmango

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Killian groans as soon as the song starts. It’s unusual for him; after all the years of their acquaintance, platonic and intimate, Emma knows he’s not a man predisposed to complaining, and if he does it’s usually displayed on his face or with his words, not so inarticulately.

(Well, there are situations where she can get him to groan, Emma’s learned in the past 6 months they’ve been together, but they involve a lot more privacy and a lot fewer clothes. In the middle of the Jolly Roger on karaoke night is nowhere near the time or place.)

“Oh god. This is the worst song for karaoke, just awful,” he complains.

Emma listens closely for a moment, somehow managing to recognize “Come On Eileen”. Yeah, it’s the kind of thing that groups of drunk old white men would choose instead of Scarlet, but it’s kind of a classic. Sort of. It’s not horrible, at least. “I don’t know about that, it seems catchy. One hit wonder or whatever.”

Killian just glares at her incredulously, a bar towel slung over his shoulder in that way she not-so-secretly thinks is sexy. “Maybe it sounds fun, but have you ever looked at the lyrics, Swan?” he asks. “There’s far too many words for the rhythm provided. Listen:”

He has a point. The singer is practically tripping over his own tongue to get all those words out, and the tempo isn’t even fast enough to make it necessary. “Oh god, that really is bad.” Has she never actually listened to the verses before, only the chorus? The more she hears, the more likely it seems.

“Exactly,” he nods decisively. Know-it-all. “I’m just saying, anyone who chooses this song is unbearably cocky, unbearably stupid, or hasn’t heard the song in years. Or a fearful combination of the three.”

It’s a ridiculous statement, especially since one of Killian’s closest friends is the one currently trying to sing that mess. And failing. No one has ever accused the drummer of having good taste in anything but women, and Emma’s just granting him that because one of her friends is the woman in question. “What’s Scarlet then?” Emma asks teasingly.

“Oh, definitely the horrifying mashup,” Killian grins. “As if you have to ask.”

Obviously.

The more Emma watches, the more it seems like a caricature - Will busting out some terrible dance moves and bopping his hips back and forth, singing into the mic with more enthusiasm than Emma’s seen all night. But the more Emma watches, the more she also notices how all his ridiculousness is aimed right at Belle, like he’s trying to crack her up. It’s working, too; the brunette wears a wide smile across her face and tosses her head back in laughter as her boyfriend executes a particularly absurd butt wiggle.

“Maybe he’s doing it to make Belle smile,” Emma suggests softly, allowing the teasing to seep out of her tone. It’s not a laughing matter, after all; if anything, it’s rather sweet.

Emma can read on Killian’s face that he agrees as well, can see it in the way his own smile softens and the lines around his eyes set into a gentle crinkle. “Maybe that too,” he admits.

Regardless of why Will is making such a spectacle of himself, it’s a lot of fun to watch. Like always, Scarlet throws himself into karaoke like this is the make-or-break moment of his career, something that Emma always gets a kick out of. Killian’s right - it’s really not a good karaoke song at all. She’s a little right too, though, as it’s undeniably catchy. The crowd is loving it, and even Emma finds herself tapping a foot along to the beat on the rung of her bar stool.

Killian obviously notices too, as when the second verse starts, he extends a hand in Emma’s direction. “What do you say, love?” he offers. “Want to dance?”

Emma huffs a laugh in response, looking at him incredulously. “Weren’t you just the one complaining about this song?” It’s tempting, but she’s not even sure how it’d work with this music. Between that and his objections, any attempt at dancing seems a bit doomed from the start.

“Aye, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a fun tune,” he argues. “C’mon, Swan, just a little turn around the floor.”

And somehow, she finds herself accepting.

Neither one of them is particularly graceful, as it turns out, but they make do with a silly little shuffle and sway back and forth. Mostly, Emma revels in the closeness of their position, with one of his hands low and tight on her back and her arm looped under his to hang on to his shoulder. Their other hands are grasped loosely, alternating between being pressed against Killian’s chest right above his heart in during their more sedate movements and propped out to the side, swinging back and forth, during more energetic ones. Killian doesn’t seem to particularly care what they look like, leading her in crazy circles and spinning her over and over again right in a row until Emma’s forced to brace herself against the dizziness. Probably his plan all along - to get her somehow pressed even closer along his body. The happy grin on his face and that eyebrow wiggle certainly suggests it.

That grin drops soon enough into panicked confusion and the song suddenly slows down. Serves him right. Emma can’t help but laugh as Killian practically trips over his own feet as he hurries to get back on beat. “Shit, I forgot about the tempo change,” he mutters, before pulling an embarrassed face as Emma lets loose another snort. She can’t help it - it’s always been adorable to see him flustered.

“Oh, like we were doing so well before,” she teases back.

“Oh hush, you.”

(And then it’s her turn to be a little flustered, as Killian punctuates the admonition with a little nip at her earlobe. Ridiculous, infuriating, sexy, wonderful idiot of a man.)

All too soon, the music is over and Will hops back down from the small corner stage to let the next singer get ready and to go kiss his girlfriend. Emma can’t blame him. Still, she’s a little sad the song is done. Even if she’d been reluctant at first, she’d really enjoyed twirling around in Killian’s arms. Their dancing was nowhere close to ballroom quality, of course, but there’d been a lot of laughter and a lot of fun. Proper waltzes probably don’t have enough twirls and spins in them anyways. They’ll definitely have to do this again sometime, she thinks.

“Still think it’s the worst song ever?” Emma asks, slinging her arms around Killian’s neck before he can move back behind the bar to help Merida. Not that he seems to mind, reaching for her hips on what must be instinct by now. Merida is handling the bar patrons just fine by herself anyways.

Killian snorts, seeing right through her teasing. He leans in close to nuzzle against her forehead before replying. Such a sap. “For karaoke? Yes. To make you smile? No.”

Even if she’s absolutely, definitely, completely charmed, Emma still rolls her eyes. She’s got to keep up her persona or whatever, after all. “Kiss-up.”

“Your kiss-up,” he whispers, dropping a light kiss to her lips. Not that that’s the end of it; maybe he would have left it there, but Emma’s more interested in dragging him into a proper kiss. Who needs to get back to work, anyways?

(Months and years later, Killian jokingly suggests they use “Come On Eileen” for their first dance at their wedding, recreate their first dance as a couple. They’re both willing to settle for putting it on the playlist and laughing all the while at their own private little joke. Killian never does remember the tempo change, but Emma thinks that might be what marriage is like anyways - working around the unexpected together.

They’ll catch the rhythm again.)

#captain swan #cs ff #captain swan ff #my writing #You Mean Everything #Maybe I Won't Die Alone #rockstar!Emma verse #rockstar!Emma #bartender!killian #and some terrible karaoke #Scarlet just has the worst taste honestly

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stcllify · 5 years

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34 Music Meme - Etoile

TAGGED BY: @shards-verse <3 TAGGING: Anyone who opens this. > >;;; If you want to!

THE RULES:

You have to randomize, so no hand-picked theme songs! [Break the rule if you want though, because why leave this stuff to chance??]

Copy the text and post as your own! DON’T REBLOG! Give it some pizzaz! Grab a screenshot! Have fun with this~

Tag meeeee [@myymsaetayuun] [please?] so I can see the wonderful music that you all connect with your characters! I absolutely love seeing all the inspirations that everyone has out there. I also really love music!

It’s 34 prompts long. Why? I dunno, it seemed like a cool number to stop. Also, they have no rhyme or reason to the order to facilitate the shuffle effect! If you have more to add, ADD THEM! Go wild! Now then, let’s get started:

Etoile Delarmes

1. How the world sees them

Are You Lonely? - Steve Aoki & Alan Walker

2. A song to play on a good day

Crush - Jonathon Ng / The Eden Project ( ??? I suppose. o A o; )

3. What acquaintances and the random person thinks of them

WAVE - Crasher-P, Shoose Cover

( Lyrics for the song on the left, the actual covered song on the right~ Idk, this is a weird one to get for this one LMAO but it’s catchy )

4. A song for those who want them [sexually]

Lay With Me (Ft. Vanessa Hudgens) ( O-Oh, okay LMAO )

5. When they make others happy

Be Happy - FRND ( BUT THIS ISN’T A HAPPY SONG, I’M GONNA CRY ;;; )

6. When they are happy

Quo Vadis - M2U

( Eh, sure. o A o )

7. A theme for a life goal

Sandglass - M2U ( This is the theme song I had in mind for another OC of mine tbh but this... weeps ;; ; __ ; )

8. Giving bad advice

Beast in the Beauty - LUZ (LMFAO AGAIN, ANOTHER OC’S THEME SONG BUT THIS IS VERY BAD ADVICE INDEED? PLEASE DON’T. ETOILE?? THE STORY IN THIS SONG IS ABOUT A GIRL WHO GOT FED UP OF BEING CHEATED ON AND USED / SCAMMED BY HER “LOVER” SO SHE KILLED HIM ;;;; )

9. Giving good advice

Falling in Reverse - Jonathon Ng

10. What they think their theme song is

Finesse (SNEISEN Remix) - Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B ( LMFAO OH NO... NO ETTIE ;; )

11. Their funeral song

Daiji na mono wa mabuta no ura - KOKIA ( The Most Important Things Lie Behind Your Eyelids)

12. What everyone else thinks is their theme song

Icebreaker - Luz & Sen ver. ( //// NO FKJSHFS OH MY GOD?? WHY THIS SONG... I THOUGHT IT WAS CATCHY SO I SAVED IT TO MY LIST AND I JUST LOOKED UP THE LYRICS TO ATTACH TO THIS AND THEY’RE.. HJFSDFSDJF THEY’RE LEWD LMFAO ;;; MY CHILD ISN’T LIKE THIS )

13. When they see someone they love

My Dearest - SUPERCELL (yes goOD!! English Lyrics Here )

14. When they are having a bad day

Kataomoi - Aimer ( ; - ; Mmkay, yeah. This is a sweet song. ;; )

15. A song about their life’s purpose

Gravity - Eden Project / Jonathon Ng

16. When someone reminisces about them

Degrees of Separation - Hands Like Houses

17. A song that might be constantly stuck in their head

Paper Love - Allie X

18. A song someone might serenade them with

Paris in the Rain - Lauv ( I like the Lauv songs kicking in on shuffle for this?? Yes. )

19. A song they would serenade to someone else

I Like Me Better - Lauv ( OKAY PERFECT THIS ONE IS CUTE. )

20. A song they might hum or sing along with

Drowning - Eden ( Jonothan Ng ) ( T-This is so sad though wtf )

21. A song they would perform, or at least karaoke

Blessed Messiah and the Tower of Al - Team O.B.N.N. ( T-This is a really epic song but it has a lot of different parts and singers so Ettie idk how you’re gonna karaoke this alone LMFAO... Make Sorrel [her bard friend], Kakera and Enra (other characters of mine, meant to be a bard and dancer respectively) voice act a bunch and perform with her? LOL )

22. A theme when they are in the general public

Innocent Wish - Zektbach

23. A theme for them in private

Victim - FUZI x Mili ( D: Oh. )

24. A theme for their deepest desires

Come Back Home - Lauv ( can I... can I cry? Yikes ;;; )

25. Thinking back on a traumatic, sad, or unpleasant memory

Birthday Kid - Mili ( cries ;;; )

26. A song to their best friends

Dearly Beloved - Amalee’s Lyrics ( OKAY, I had to choose for this. LMAO. )

27. Waking up in the morning [Or night if they are nocturnal!]

Flamingo - Original by Kenshi Yonezu, but! DAZBEE Cover ( English Lyrics here! )

28. Finally being able to fall asleep

Fukurou ~ fukurou ga shiraseru kyaku ga kita to - KOKIA ( Why are these sleeping/waking songs both related to birds? LOL )

29. When they fall in love/lust

Masked BitcH - Shoose ver. ( ... /ETOILE/?????? I DID NOT RAISE YOU TO BE LIKE THIS JKFDHFKJDSF THIS SONG IS A BIT??? SEXUAL?? Also very fling-y, which definitely isn’t like her buT HEY SHUFFLE SPOKE?? CRIES... English Lyrics here!!) ANYWAYS UM... H-Here, this is more like her: Conveying Love, or Something Like That ( ... Or “I Want to Convey Love”? I don’t know what it is in English ;;; ) - Aimyon, but this is a Luz Cover!

30. Thinking back on a happy, serene, or pleasant memory

Ifuudoudou - Shoose ( ///// UM HOLD ON? GIRL, WHAT KIND OF MEMORY ARE YOU RECALLING?! djkahs Okay, uh, warning, the song is steamy and you know it’s going to be that kind of song from the... erm. Intro. It’s saucy. LOL ;;; ... You know, I don’t want to link the English lyrics... ///// )

31. A song to their family (also of choice, but kinda partly not since she has her half-brother)

Yoake no Uta - Dazbee & M2U ( okay this is fine jkdasd )

32. Dissociation music

[A]ddiction - GigaReol, feat. EVO+ - ( English translation here~ )

33. Manic music

Persecution Complex Cellphone Girl - GIGA & Shoose ( ... I feel like this one and the one she got for dissociation music needs to switch LOL ;; ... English lyrics here~ )

34. A final theme that means everything

Shuffle gave me: Enemies - Lauv (Which is a good song and I enjoy it bUT!!) I’ll pick this: Last Dance - Sakuzyo

#{ ooc: SOME OF THESE SONGS ARE SAUCY??? }#{ ooc: SHE'S NOT THIS THIRSTY I PROMISE LMFAO }#{ a page taken from someone else's book | meme }

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smilingformoney · 5 years

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America’s Most Eligible 3 Diamond Scene: Karaoke

You: You had me at ‘karaoke’. Let’s do this! +50

You and your fiancée claim spots on the couch as your wedding party floods into the karaoke booth. Around you, the neon lights buzz, and your friends laugh and joke as they settle in. You: This is surreal. Looking at us now, you’d never know we were competing against each other a few months ago. Fiancée: Weddings are all about bringing people together, and tonight, specially, should be about bonding. We can’t forget to spend time with everyone. You: Then I’ll go ahead and get this party started. You glance around the room. Near the front, Bianca and Slater argue as they adjust the setting on the TV while Han, Kiana, and Eden pore over the song book on the coffee table. On the couch, Mackenzie, Derek, Jen and Adam muse about the wedding.

Who should sing? -Bianca and Slater

You: Hey, you two. Less arguing, more singing! Bianca: We would if we knew the song lyrics! We thought there might be a button to turn them on, but we can’t find it. You: If neither of you knows for sure, what’s to stop you from performing your own lyrics? Bianca: Okay, but if this works, I’m adding singer/songwriter to my list of many talents. Slater: Who knows, these lyrics might even be better than the original. Thanks for the idea, Jamie! You: Sure, but you know you could’ve just picked a different song, right? Slater: Everything else was too slow. We wanted something that really kicked things up a notch. Bianca: And nothing brings the energy up like an upbeat song. A fast-paced tempo plays loud over the stereo, and you pass each of them a microphone. You: Good to know. Have fun!

-Kiana, Eden, and Han

You: Hey guys. Ready to jam? Kiana: Not really. We’re having a little trouble picking something everyone wants to sing. Han: I still think we should go with pop. It’s the music of the masses! Eden: Call me a purist, but I didn’t study violin for ten years to turn my back on the classics. Kiana: My inner band geek feels for you, but I’m not sure that’s the best genre for karaoke. Personally, I prefer EDM. Han: Hard pass on the robot music. You: And now I see how you got stuck. Let’s just hope the DJ at the reception takes requests. Eden: I think it’s more important that they play something everyone knows. Kiana: Nothing brings a crowd together like wailing the lyrics to a familiar song. You: I’ll keep that in mind, but right now, you’ve gotta get up there!

-Mackenzie, Jen, Derek, and Adam

Best Man: It’s insane to think that you two are really getting married. You: I can’t believe how fast it’s all happening. We’ve barely had any time to plan the ceremony. Officiant: The wedding’s the easy part. But between the toasts, the first dance, and choosing the menu, the reception’s a completely different animal. Fiancée: You know, we haven’t really discussed what we want to do for the first dance.

-If you’re marrying Adam

Adam: I always saw myself gliding around the dance floor, just me and my bride. You: I guess I’d better practice my waltz.

-If you’re marrying Derek

Derek: I’ve always wanted to surprise the guests with my own choreography. It’s our chance to give them a show they’ll never forget! You: There’s no more personal touch than that.

-If you’re marrying Jen

Jen: As sentimental as it sounds, I think I’d want to dance with my mom first. I want to honour her at our reception. You: I’m sure she’d love that.

-If you’re marrying Mackenzie

Mackenzie: I say we ditch the idea altogether and just party from dusk ‘til dawn. You: Good think I packed my dancing shoes.

Best Man: No matter what you two decide, you should definitely play a few slow jams at the reception. Maid of Honour: It’s the perfect opportunity for a dance break between fast songs. Officiant: And they give you an excuse to get cuddly. After all, weddings are supposed to be romantic. You: I’ll be sure to remember that, but I think they’re playing your song.

You watch as your friends perform, laughing, clapping, and singing along as they jam in time with the music. As you cheer for the last group, your fiancée calls you out. Fiancée: And last, but not least… Jamie! You: Oh! I forgot to pick a song. Slater: No time like the present. Jen: If I had to go up there, there’s no way you’re getting out of it. Bianca: But you can’t just sing… You’ve gotta perform! Your best man hands you the thick book of songs to pick from. Best Man: So what’s it gonna be, Jamie?

You: I’m gonna… -Rock out!

You choose a rock song from the list and launch right into your best Jimi Hendrix impression! When the song breaks into a guitar solo, you whale away on air guitar. Slater: Leave some awesome for the rest of us. Kiana: All right, Jamie! You fall to your knees, fingers moving quickly to pluck at the invisible strings, before slamming your fist down, nailing the last chord. You: Thank you, Miami!

-Slow it down.

You punch in the numbers for an R&B love song, pick up a microphone, and set your sights on your fiancée as you serenade them! You point and grab at the air with a dramatic head toss. Fiancée: This is not happening… Maid of Honour: It definitely is. You dip the mic stand low as the music swells and lower your voice to a seductive grumble. You: My first… my last… my forever, baby…

-Party like a pop star!

You pick a pop song and sing along with its catchy chorus. Around the room, some of your friends ooh and ahh along with the harmonies. Eden: This reminds me of Friday nights at the sorority house. Han: I used to have this as my ringtone! You bop around the stage performing the choreography from the music video before striking a dramatic pose to finish. You: I just want a bite of your candy apple heart!

You and your friends sing well into the night, until finally, you sit, exhausted and hoarse, letting the melodies and the moment wash over you.

Late that night… Wrenn pulls the production van up to the mansion to drop off your friends. You: Thanks for coming out with us, you guys. Fiancée: Yeah, I don’t know how I’ve lived this long without hearing Slater’s rendition of, ‘Oops… I Did It Again.’ Slater: Life changing, right? You’re welcome. Eden: Who said the night has to end here? I’m thinking pool party! You: Why don’t we raid the kitchen while you-- Suddenly, the back door flies open, and Vince stalks out to the driveway, Carson hot on his heels!

#playchoices #choices stories you play #choices ame #choices america's most eligible #america's most eligible

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octoberdecemberwrites-blog · 6 years

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“I thought you said this was an 80's party…”

Alec grimaced, as he looked around Magnus’ now suspiciously-spacious loft. “Why are people dressed up like that?”

Alec was specifically referring to the several partygoers who danced in wild, wide circles, all dressed up in elegant corsets and powder-white wigs.

Although, the pulsing electronic music didn’t suit their conservative wear, with the dignified visual clashing with the unrefined aural. Alec quietly watched as sophisticated dresses and expensive three-piece suits were tested to their limits, as partiers spun in impossible time with the throbbing beat.

“It is an 80's party. I just left it up to the people to decide which century they liked best.” Magnus smiled up at Alec, before offering him a swift kiss on the cheek. “Unsurprisingly, it appears that immortal beings prefer the past to the present.”

“Yeah, but the 1980's was like a million years ago.” Isabelle tossed back her dyed blonde hair, while adjusting her over-sized men’s suit. “How could the 80's still be the present?”

“Izzy, my love, when you’ve lived a thousand years, the decades start to run together.” Magnus suddenly gave Isabelle a slight curtsy. “And my apologies for not greeting you properly, Ms. Madonna, my queen.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem, darling.” Isabelle grinned, as she put on an awful, British accent. “Now, where’s your alcohol? You know, vodka really helps me express myself.”

“It’s all laid out on the kitchen table. Catarina will help you find it.”

“Thank you, darling.” Isabelle eagerly made her way to the loft’s kitchen, seemingly stepping in time with the loud music’s rhythm.

“And what are you supposed to be, Alexander? You look like you’re still wearing your clothes from work…” Magnus frowned, as he scanned Alec’s outfit up and down.

“I’m the guy who’s letting his boyfriend throw a themed party in this loft on a weekday.” Alec grinned, as he bent down towards Magnus. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Magnus beamed up at Alec, before leaning forward into a soft kiss. “I’ll be sure that you know how truly thankful I am later tonight.”

“Or…we could just go to bed now…” Alec’s suggestion was followed by wrapping his arms around Magnus’ waist. “Just kick everybody out. They’ve been here for at least an hour, right? They’ve partied enough.”

“Alexander.” Magnus’ answer came out like a warning, even though he couldn’t stop a smirk from appearing on his face. “Come on. Don’t be so rude. Go say hello to Catarina for me. I believe Ragnor may be somewhere around here, too, probably reading a bland book in one of these corners…”

Alec wanted to respond to Magnus, but his thoughts were cut short by a rough pat on his back.

“Alec! Magnus! Party!” Jace’s words were slightly slurred, as he winked over at Magnus. “But I bet you two are gonna’ party in private, yeah?”

“Jaceeee. You can’t just…you can’t just ask…” Maia stumbled over her phrasing, while soon appearing at Jace’s side. “Holy shit. I’m so drunk. Oh my God.”

“What the hell? You two just got here? How are you already—”

“PREGAMING BITCH!” Jace screamed right in Alec’s face, before carelessly waving his arms back and forth. “Hunter’s Moon! $1 Tequila shots!”

“Tequila! Tequila! Tequila!” Maia noisily chanted, as she leaned towards Jace’s chest—

And instinctively, Jace held her close, close enough to press a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“You two are made for each other.” Alec’s voice was thoroughly stoic.

“Thank youuuuu.” Maia’s reply was warm and sweet…

And Magnus reached out to tenderly pat Maia’s shoulder. “Would you like to lie down? There’s plenty of room on the sofa.”

“Yes. Yeah. We’ll take that deal. Fuck yeah.” Jace began to move towards the sofa on the other side of the room, with Maia holding onto his side. “Come on, princess.”

“Don’t…don’t call me princess…that’s so lame…” Maia groaned, as she fully put her weight onto Jace, now letting him carry her in his arms.

Alec watched as his drunken parabatai somehow carried Maia as if it was the easiest thing in the world, managing to not trip over his feet even once—

But Alec’s attention was soon drawn to Simon, who now stood in front of Magnus.

Alec was a little taken aback by Simon’s outfit, not used to seeing him all dressed up in an open beige vest, with a perfectly matching beige hat atop his head and a faux whip thrown over his shoulder.

“You remind of the babe…” Simon’s smile went wide, as he excitedly clapped. “You’re supposed to be Bowie from Labyrinth, right? I freakin’ love that movie, dude!”

Magnus spun around a few times, happy to show off his costume. “I met Bowie in London back in the 70s, wearing this exact outfit. Imagine my surprise seeing it on film! I think he wore it pretty well, though...but I’m still not sure he wore it quite as well as me.”

“No one could wear anything quite as well as you, Magnus Bane.” Clary smirked, while pulling Magnus into a tight embrace. “Awesome party, by the way.”

“Thank you, Ms. Lauper.” Magnus idly ran his fingers through Clary’s cotton candy pink wig. “I’m happy you made it! Alexander told me that you’d been locked up in your room, working on a new rune or two.”

“Hey, I would never miss one of your parties, Magnus.” Clary stepped away from their hug, as she reached for Simon’s hand. “Besides, girls just wanna’ have fun.”

“G-irls! Just w-anna’ h-av-e f-un!” Simon sung the next line of the song, as he nodded along to music that wasn’t actually playing. “Okay. I’m gonna’ go whip us up a drink or something. Awesome party, Magnus!”

Once Simon and Clary were out of earshot, Alec moved closer to Magnus’ side. “Magnus, what’s Labyrinth? I thought you were just wearing something from your closet.”

“Alexander, weren’t you listening? I am wearing something from my closet! Bowie stole that look from me!” Magnus whined, before taking in a deep breath. “But no matter. I have the film, somewhere. We can watch it on one of your days off.”

“Honestly, Magnus, I could just watch it right now...just sneak to the back and let you enjoy your party. You know this isn’t really my scene—”

“KARAOKE TIME!” Jace was shouting again, but Alec couldn’t place where his voice was even coming from. “First up! Magnussssss Baneeeee!”

“Fun!” Magnus clasped his hands together, as he looked up at Alec. “Sing a song with me, Alexander? Please?”

Alec blanched at the thought of embarrassing himself in front of what seemed like the entirety of the New York Downworld.

He wanted to say no, and the more seconds that passed, the more sure he was of his answer—

But then he looked back down at Magnus…

The warlock’s eyes were all adorable and pleading, with obvious hesitation etched into his expression—

Because Magnus was worried that Alec wouldn’t say yes—

And Alec’s heart twisted at the thought of letting Magnus down, especially when it came to such a harmless request. “Yes. I’ll sing with you, but just one song, okay?”

“Okay.” Magnus snapped his fingers, calling for blue sparks to appear in his palms. “Just one song.”

Another snap of his magic, and two mics appeared, one in each of Magnus’ hands. He gave one of the mics to Alec, as blue sparks swirled upward towards the loft’s ceiling—

And the song immediately shifted into something that sounded incredibly loud—

And incredibly cheesy.

“I don’t know this song—” Before Alec could even finish his sentence, a lyric sheet appeared between his fingers. He scrunched up his face as he tried to read the words in time with the grossly upbeat rhythm. “Uh… ♪ Lookin' in your eyes, I see a paradise ♪ This world that I've found is too good to be true ♪ Standin' here beside ya, want so much to give you ♪ This love in my heart that I'm feelin' for you…”

Magnus calmly cleared his throat, before moving his mic towards his mouth. “♪ Let 'em say we're crazy, I don't care about that ♪ Put your hand in my hand, baby, don't ever look back ♪ Let the world around us just fall apart ♪ Baby, we can make it if we're heart-to-heart…”

Magnus then suddenly grabbed onto Alec’s mic, and offered it to a passerby on the dance-floor. They excitedly took the mic and began to belt out the chorus—

And soon, Magnus gave his own mic away to another passing partier.

He then turned back towards Alec, barely able to contain his growing smirk. “Oh, Alexander. You sang for me.”

“Well, I tried to sing for you. I’m not really that great—”

Magnus stopped Alec’s self-critique with a lingering kiss on his lips. “Shh. You did beautifully…although, your pitch could use a little work.”

“I thought you just said I did beautifully—”

“You did! You have the voice of an angel, Alexander…” Magnus nuzzled his face into Alec’s chest. “But you have the pitch of a Shax demon.”

Alec laughed as he held Magnus even closer, letting his hands rest on Magnus’ sides. “You’re completely ridiculous.”

“And yet, you still find a way to love me.”

“Always and forever—” Alec’s declaration of love was broken off by a mic directly hitting him in the neck. “What the fuck? Ow! What the fuck?”

“Alec! You’re on verse 3!” Jace screamed from across the room, as he now stood on top of the living room table. “Simon! Verse 2!”

Simon held up a glass of what looked like wine, but what was probably blood, as he nodded over towards Jace.

“Magnus! Can you do your…thing?” Jace proceeded to enthusiastically wave his hands around, obviously imitating Magnus’ magical moves. “I’m not a big fan of the 80s. You ever heard of Migos?”

“Of course. Just because I’m ancient, doesn’t mean I live under a rock.” Magnus’ magic swirled once again towards the ceiling—

And soon, a strangely catchy beat that was emphasized by whistles and…a human making dog sounds?

Carried through the air.

“♪ Dance with my dogs in the nighttime! ♪” Jace confidently yelled into his microphone. “♪ Trap n—”

“Oh my God, Jace, if you say the N word, if you fucking say the N word—” Maia was already shaking her head in disappointment, as she sat up on the sofa behind him.

“What? I wasn’t gonna’ say it! I was gonna’ say Nephilim.” Jace scoffed, as he held the mic to his chest. “Do you really think I’d do something like that, babe?”

“Yes.”

“Maia, no. I would never disrespect you like that! I like…love you, my little wolf baby.”

“Jace. You’re drunk.”

“Yes! I’m very fucking drunk!” Jace brought the mic back to his lips. “And I’m very fucking in love with you!”

“Shut up! Stop screaming!” Maia wobbled as she rose to her feet, and she eventually stood on the table in front of Jace. “I love you, too…even though you’re the most annoying man in the world.”

“Not as annoying as Simon.” Jace casually suggested, before chuckling directly into the mic.

“What the fuck, Jace?! I thought we were cool.” Simon gave Jace a pained expression—

And Jace then looked down at the mic in his hands. “Oh. Sorry, man. I…uh…I thought the mic was off.” Jace nonchalantly shrugged, as he placed the mic down by his feet.

Clary then reached for the mic, as she pulled Isabelle closer to her side. “Ooh! Izzy! Let’s do a Madonna song!”

“Magnus, do you know ‘Dress You Up’?” Isabelle politely asked, as she leaned into Clary’s mic.

“Do I know it? I co-wrote it! Of course, I was only given ghostwriter credits, so you won’t see my name anywhere on the album, but the lyrics? All mine.” Magnus smiled, as he soon sent the opening notes of Madonna’s hit song through the loft.

“♪ You've got style ♪ That's what all the girls say ♪ Satin sheets And luxuries so fine… ♪” Clary perfectly belted out the line, keeping her eyes on Simon as she sang. “♪ All your suits are custom made in London ♪ I've got something that you'll really like… ♪”

“♪ Gonna’ dress you up in my love ♪ All over, all over…♪” Isabelle joined Clary in the chorus, taking the mic into her hands. “♪ Gonna’ dress you up in my love ♪ All over your body! ♪ ”

“Are they…are they both singing to Simon?” Magnus whispered his question up at Alec. “What’s that all about?”

Alec shook his head in confusion, before letting out a shallow sigh. “Don’t know. Don’t care. My main focuses are The New York Institute and the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Everything else is just background noise.”

“Your sister is either in an unfortunate love triangle or a loving, trusting poly-amorous relationship…and you consider that background noise?” Magnus lightly laughed, letting his fingers splay across his chest. “I hope I’m truly not that distracting.”

“Not distracting. Just more deserving of my attention.” Alec smiled—

And Magnus happily smiled right back. He then reached for Alec’s hand, as he shuffled towards the middle of the living room. “Dance with me, Alexander.”

“I don’t really…uh…” Alec hemmed and hawed, as Clary and Isabelle harmonized through another verse. “Maybe I could just watch?”

“Okay.” Magnus subtly nodded, as he twirled in front of Alec. “You can just watch.”

Every swing of Magnus’ steps were both effortless and so very thoughtful. His moves matched the pace of the music, and as he expertly, ecstatically rolled his hips, Alec felt like he caught a glimpse of a different side of Magnus, one entirely unconcerned with the affairs of the Downworld, completely removed from the day to day of his warlock responsibilities—

And Magnus, in all of his fitted freedom, had never been quite so beautiful.

“I love you…” The words came out as a murmur, as Alec’s eyes were still transfixed by Magnus dancing in his line of sight.

“I love you, too.” Magnus returned the sentiment without a second thought, still focused on staying in the groove. “Ooh. After this, I’ll try to get Ragnor to sing ‘Wang Chung Tonight’. He hates that song. But he loves it when he’s drunk—”

Alec’s sudden kiss cut off Magnus’ thoughts, as Alec rested his hands on Magnus’ waist. He chose to deepen the kiss even more, letting his tongue momentarily explore Magnus’ mouth.

“I love you, I love you, I love you.” Alec broke away from Magnus, just long enough to catch his breath.

“Alexander…” There was a blush creeping across Magnus’ expression. “Are you feeling alright? You’re being a bit more…publicly amorous…than usual.”

“You’re just…so incredible…when you’re…happy.” Alec nearly stuttered, before he let out a shallow sigh. “And I just love you. I love seeing you so…happy.”

Magnus leaned forward, as he let his palms softly find their place on Alec’s shoulders. “Then you should know that nothing in the world makes me happier than being with you.”

In that moment, Alec could feel an invisible weight threatening to press down on his shoulders—

Threatening to bring him to his knees—

Something in him suddenly and desperately wanted to propose to Magnus Bane.

Right here. Right now.

And it wasn’t as if Alec was totally unprepared. He’d been waiting for the perfect time for weeks, already having purchased the ring and currently carrying it in his jacket pocket.

“Magnus…” Alec’s knees felt so strange and unbalanced, as he slightly began to move towards the ground. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you—”

“Wang Chung!” Ragnor came up behind Magnus, playfully nudging his friend in the back. “Play ‘Wang Chung’ next!”

“Ah, old friend! I thought you would never ask.” Magnus spun towards Ragnor, his blue magic already shining in his hands—

But Magnus then quickly turned back towards Alec, with a puzzled look on his face. “Wait. Alexander. Didn’t you want to ask me something, as well?”

“It can wait.”

“Are you certain—”

“It can wait, Magnus. I promise.” Alec bent to give Magnus a hasty kiss on the cheek. “Go. Sing drunk karaoke with your friends. Have fun.”

“I’ll be right back in a few minutes.” Magnus beamed up at Alec—

Before he intertwined his arm with Ragnor’s, soon magicking a mic in each of their respective hands. “Come on, Ragnor. It’s time to show these people what one and ½ inebriated warlocks can do.”

Alec smiled to himself, as he watched his boyfriend confidently climb on top of the living room table, with Ragnor still in tow.

The resultant song that soon blared from the loft’s ceiling made Alec’s skin absolutely crawl—

And he inwardly decided that he’d had enough of the party for now.

He wordlessly headed for his bedroom—

And made sure that the door was locked, tight.

**********************************************

Alec woke up with Magnus curled against his chest…

He’d felt his warlock slip into their bed, sometime around 5AM or so.

The clock near the bedside dresser blinked out 8AM—

And Alec turned away from it, instead choosing to tenderly runs his fingers alongside Magnus’ spine.

Magnus grunted at the touch, burying his face even further into Alec’s skin. “Alexander. Stop. I’m barely awake. I’m barely alive.”

“I have to go into work soon. I just wanted to say goodbye before I—”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” Magnus groaned through his statement with finality. “You have to stay. What if I need to throw up?”

“Magnus, you’re a warlock. Can’t you just…magic your way through a hangover?”

“I couldddd.” Magnus groaned again. “But what if I wanted my boyfriend to take care of me?”

“Oh. Well, in that case, I guess I would have to stay, wouldn’t I?”

“Mmhmm.” Magnus nodded against Alec’s warm skin. “You would have to stay the whole day…and then…stay for the rest of your life…and we were already halfway there…last night…”

“Already halfway there?” Alec prodded, as he slightly shifted under Magnus’ frame. “What are you talking about?”

“You…you were going to ask me to marry you…Weren’t you?” Magnus stayed in the exact same position, his voice not wavering for a moment. “Before Ragnor and I sang that wondrous duet…or maybe I was already drunk…maybe you have no intention of marrying me at all—”

“Yes, Magnus. I was going to ask you to marry me.”

“Askkkkk. Ask. Ask.” Magnus pleaded, now raising his face so he could look Alec in the eye. “Please?”

“Okay…” Alec steadied his breathing, as he stared down at Magnus. “Magnus Bane, will you marry—”

“No! Not like that!” Magnus firmly shook his head, before resting it once again on Alec’s chest. “Ask when I’m…sober. And maybe not in the middle of a party. Maybe something nice and sweet. Like at dinner with your family.”

“Are you trying to give me instructions on when I can ask you to marry me?”

“Yes. No. Be spontaneous! But also, not so spontaneous. Whatever you decide will be perfect.” Magnus nodded into Alec’s chest.

“This seems like the karaoke thing all over again.” Alec softly chuckled under his breath. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”

By the time Alec finished his sentence, Magnus had already fallen back asleep…

And so, Alec reached for his phone, swiftly dialing Isabelle’s cell number.

She picked up on the third ring, as she groggily sighed right into the phone. “Hello? Alec? What the fuck? It’s so early.”

“It’s not that early. You’re just hungover.” Alec shook his head, even though Isabelle couldn’t see the movement. “But I do have a question…uh…How do I pop the question?”

“To who? Magnus?”

“Yes, Izzy, oh my God. Who else would I even be—” Alec stopped his own words, realizing that his sister’s response was most likely due to her just waking up. “Yes. Magnus. My boyfriend. Yes.”

“Uh…you should just….brrrrrgoooooooo…”

“What?”

“You know what I’m talking about, Alec. You just…um…pffbttttt. And then, congrats! You just made a baby.” Isabelle’s tone was self-assured—

And Alec brought a hand to his face in frustration. “Did you drink Seelie liquor last night?”

“Maybeeee.” Isabelle giggled into the line, before snorting with a laugh. “Hey, can you put Magnus on the phone? I wanna’ ask him about Bowie.”

“Bowie was amazing.” Magnus somehow replied to Isabelle’s question, even though Alec’s phone wasn’t on speaker. “And Izzy, if you got into the Seelie liquor, you’ll need to sleep it off for about three days, my love.”

“Freetooppppppp! Freevornnnnn.” Isabelle wistfully sighed, before suddenly clicking her teeth. “Okay. I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you on Mars, big bro.”

“See you on Mars, Izzy.” Alec hung up the phone, as he peered back down at Magnus. “And I thought you were asleep—”

Magnus was once again already deeply asleep, with his back quietly rising and falling…

“You are the oddest, most magical creature in the entire universe.” Alec’s voice was lined with awe, while he kept his eyes on Magnus’ frame. “And one day, you’ll be all mine.”

“Already yours. You just need to sign the receipt.” Magnus’ reply was low, before he was seemingly knocked out for good.

“Mmhmm. Just need to sign the receipt…” Alec smirked, as his own eyes came to a gentle close. “Can’t wait.”

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delicatelythoughtfulpatrol · 4 years

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How Pop Music’s Teenage Dream Ended

A decade ago, Katy Perry’s sound was ubiquitous. Today, it’s niche. How did a genre defined by popularity become unpopular?

Story by Spencer Kornhaber

“I am a walking cartoon most days,” Katy Perry told Billboard in 2010, and anyone who lived through the reign of Teenage Dream—Perry’s smash album that turned 10 years old on August 24—knows what she meant. Everywhere you looked or clicked back then, there was Perry, wrapped in candy-cane stripes, firing whipped cream from her breasts, wearing a toothpaste-blue wig, and grinning like an emoji. She titled one world tour “Hello Katy,” a nod to the Japanese cat character on gel pens worldwide. She made her voice-acting debut, in 2011, by playing Smurfette.

Perry’s music was cartoonish too: simple, silly, with lyrics stringing together caricature-like images of high-school parties, seductive aliens, and girls in Daisy Dukes with bikinis on top. Kids loved the stuff, and adults, bopping along at karaoke or Starbucks, enjoyed it too. (Maybe that’s because, like with so much classic Disney and Looney Tunes animation, the cuteness barely disguised a ton of raunch.) Teenage Dream generated five No. 1 singles in the United States—a feat previously accomplished only by Michael Jackson’s Bad—and it went platinum eight times.

Perry wasn’t alone in achieving domination through colorful looks and stomping songs. Teenage Dream arrived amid a wave of female pop singers selling their own costumed fictions: Lady Gaga, a walking Gaudí cathedral, roared EDM operas. Beyoncé shimmied in the guise of her alter ego, Sasha Fierce. Nicki Minaj flipped through personalities while wearing anime silhouettes and fuchsia patterns. Kesha, glitter-strewn and studded, babbled her battle cries. Taylor Swift trundled around in horse-drawn carriages. Each singer achieved impressive things, though arguably none of their albums so purely epitomized pop—in commercial, aesthetic, or sociological terms—like Perry’s Teenage Dream did.

A decade later, that early-2010s fantasy has ended, and Perry and her peers have seemed to switch gears. Rihanna has put her music career on pause while building a fashion and makeup empire. Beyoncé has turned her focus to richly textured visual albums that don’t necessarily spawn monster singles. Gaga, after a long detour away from dance floors, has returned to sounds and looks comparable to those of her early days, but she cannot bank on mass listenership for doing so. Swift keeps reinventing herself with greater seriousness, and little about her latest best seller, Folklore, scans as pop. Perry’s latest album, Smile, came out Friday. Regarding her new music’s likelihood of world domination, Perry told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “My expectations are very managed right now.”

For the younger class of today’s stars, Teenage Dream seems like a faint influence. The Billboard Hot 100 is largely the terrain of raunchy rap, political rap, and emo rap, with a smattering of country drinking songs thrown in. Ultra-hummable singers such as Halsey and Billie Eilish are still on the radio, but they cut their catchiness with a sad, sleepy edge. A light disco resurgence may be brewing—BTS just strutted to No. 1 on the American charts while capitalizing on it—but that doesn’t change the overall mood of the moment. Almost nothing creates the sucrose high of Teenage Dream; almost nothing sounds as if Smurfette might sing it.

The recent state of commercial music has led to much commentary arguing that pop is dying, dead, or dormant. That’s a funny concept to consider—isn’t popular music, definitionally, whatever’s popular? In one sense, yes. But pop also refers to a compositional tradition, one with go-to chords, structures, and tropes. This type of pop prizes easily enjoyed melodies and sentiments; it moves but does not challenge the hips and the feet. It is omnivorous, and will spangle itself with elements of rock, rap, country, or whatever else it wants without losing its essential pop-ness.

The early-2010s strain of it seemed like the height of irresistibility, and yet it’s mostly faded away. There are many reasons for that, but they can all be reduced to what Perry’s journey over the past decade has shown: Life and listening have become too complex for 2-D.

Pop has seemed to die and be reborn many times. When the 21st century arrived, the music industry was near the historical peak of its profitability—in part because of slick sing-alongs catering to teenagers and written by grown-up Swedes.

But over the first few years of the 2000s, CD sales crashed thanks to the internet, boy bands such as ’NSync began to splinter, and Britney Spears’s long-running confrontation with the paparazzi reached an ugly culmination.

Around the same time, women such as Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Ashlee Simpson, and Avril Lavigne began scoring hits inspired by mosh pits but more appropriate for malls. Gwen Stefani moved from rock-band frontwoman to dance-floor diva during this period as well. Such performers, though often assisted by the same producers and songwriters who helped mold Spears, flaunted unruly personalities to a reality-TV-guzzling public hungry for a kind of curated grit.

Katy Perry capped off this rock-pop boomlet. The California-born Katheryn Hudson had kicked around the music industry for years, first as a Christian singer—her parents were traveling evangelists—and then as an Alanis Morissette–worshipping songwriter.

She finally hit on a winning combo of sounds for One of the Boys, her delicious 2008 major-label debut, whose spiky rhythms, crunching guitars, sneering vocals, and juvenile gender politics earned her a spot on the Warped Tour, a punk institution. But the gooey, sassy hooks of “I Kissed a Girl,” “Waking Up in Vegas,” and “Hot n Cold” really made her a household name.

Some of those songs benefited from the touch of Max Martin and Dr. Luke, songwriters-slash-producers of 2000s pop legend. (In 2014, Kesha filed a lawsuit accusing Dr. Luke, her producer and manager, of rape and abuse; he denied her claims and eventually prevailed in a years-long, very-public court battle over Kesha’s record contract.)

By late 2009, when Perry set out to record her follow-up to One of the Boys, the musical landscape had shifted again thanks to the arrival of Lady Gaga, a former cabaret singer with mystique-infused visuals and an electro-dance sound. What made Gaga different was not only her thundering Euro-club beats, but also her persona, or lack thereof.

Gaga’s work overflowed with camp fun while keeping the singer’s true nature hidden under outrageous headpieces. By forgoing any attempts at banal relatability, Gaga seemed deep. In this way, she updated the glam antics of Prince, Madonna, and David Bowie for the YouTube era. Many of her peers took note, including Perry.

Teenage Dream was lighter and happier than anything Gaga did, but it was electronic and fanciful in a manner that Perry’s previous work had not been. The cartoon Perry was born.

The conceit of Teenage Dream’s title track—“you make me feel like I’m living a teenage dream”—really boils down pop’s appeal to its essence: indulging a preposterous rush while also reveling in its preposterousness. “It is Perry’s self-consciousness—her awareness of herself as a complete package—that makes her interesting,” went one line in an NPR rave about the album. Even skeptical reviewers gave credit to standout singles such as “California Gurls” and “Firework” for being effective earworms. Perry had laid out her intended sound by sending a mixtape of the Cardigans and ABBA to Dr. Luke, who was part of a production team that pushed for perfection.

“People on the management side and label side were pretty much telling me that we were done, before we had ‘Teenage Dream’ or ‘California Gurls,’” Luke told Billboard in 2010. “And I said, ‘No, we’re not done.’”

Such efforts ensured Teenage Dream’s incredible staying power on the charts through early 2012. The album’s deluxe reissue that year then generated a sixth No. 1 single, “Part of Me,” which also provided the title of a self-produced documentary that Perry released around the same time. Much of the footage showcases the stagecraft behind her 2011–12 world tour, a pageant of dancing gingerbread men and poofy pink clouds that would presage her hallucinatory 2015 Super Bowl halftime show. Perry comes off as charming and willful, and the film currently sits as the 11th-highest-grossing documentary in U.S. box-office history.

Yet the movie is best remembered today not for the way it shored up Perry’s shiny image, but for the way it complicated it. Over the course of the tour, Perry’s marriage to the comedian Russell Brand dissolved, and the cameras captured her sobbing just before getting on stage in São Paulo. It’s a wrenching, now-legendary scene. But elsewhere in the film, the viewer can’t help but experience cognitive dissonance as the singer’s personal dramas are synced up to concert footage of grin-inducing costumes and schoolyard sing-alongs. By hitching Teenage Dream’s whimsy to real-life struggle, the movie seemed to subvert exactly what had made the album successful: the feeling that Perry’s music was made to escape, not amplify, one’s problems.

Perry released her next album in 2013, a year that now seems pivotal in mainstream music’s trajectory. That’s the year Gaga pushed her meta-superficial shtick until it broke on the bombastic Artpop, which earned mixed reviews and soft sales.

It’s also the year Lorde, a New Zealand teenager whose confessional lyrics and glum sonic sensibility would be copied for the rest of the decade, released her debut. Then in December, Beyoncé surprise-dropped a self-titled album whose opening track, “Pretty Hurts,” convincingly critiqued the way society asks women to construct beauty-pageant versions of themselves.

Later on the album, Beyoncé sang in shockingly explicit detail about her marriage to Jay-Z. Tropes of drunken hookups, simmering jealousy, and near-breakups were reinvigorated as specific and biographical, thanks in part to Beyoncé’s fluency with rap’s and R&B’s storytelling methods. She ended up seeming more glamorous than ever for the appearance of honesty.

The title of Perry’s album, Prism, not-so-subtly advertised her trying, too, to show more dimension. But the songs’ greeting-card empowerment messages, hokey spirituality, and awkward genre hopping made it seem as if Perry had simply changed costumes rather than had a true breakthrough.

Still, both the cliché-parade of “Roar” and the trap-appropriating “Dark Horse” hit No. 1., and Prism’s track list includes a few examples of expert, big-budget songcraft.

The album would turn out to be Perry’s last outing with a key collaborator, Dr. Luke. While she has maintained that she’s had only positive experiences with the producer, Perry hasn’t recorded a song with him since Kesha filed her 2014 lawsuit.

The Kesha-versus-Luke chapter added to a brewing sense that the carefree pop of the early 2010s was built on dark realities: Perry and Gaga have both described their most profitable years as personally torturous. Broader social and political developments—Black Lives Matter, the #MeToo movement, and the election of Donald Trump—also proved impossible to ignore for even the most frivolous-seeming entertainers.

“When I first came out, we were living in a different mindset in the world,” Perry said in a recent Rolling Stone interview. “We were flying high off of, like, life. We weren’t struggling like we are.

There wasn’t so much of a divide. All of the inequality was kind of underneath the mat. It was unspoken. It wasn’t facing us. And now it’s really facing us. I just feel like I can’t just put an escapist record out: Like, let’s go to Disneyland in our mind for 45 minutes.”

If that point of view sounds blinkered by privilege—who wasn’t struggling before, Katy?—Perry probably wouldn’t disagree. Her 2017 album, Witness, arrived with a blitz of publicity about how the star had become politically awakened and had decided to strip back her Katy Perry character to show more of the real Katheryn Hudson. A multiday live-stream in which fans watched her sleep, wake up, have fun, and go to therapy certainly conveyed that she didn’t want to seem like a posterized picture anymore.

Yet neither Witness’s attempts at light sloganeering (the anti-apathy “Chained to the Rhythm”) nor its sillier side (the charmingly odd “Swish Swish”)

connected with the public. It’s hard to say whether the problem was more temperamental or technological: By 2017, streaming had fully upended the radio-centric monoculture that stars like Perry once thrived in.

Her new album, Smile, is an explicit reaction to the commercial and critical disappointment of the Witness phase. Over jaunty arrangements, song after song talks about perking up after, per Smile’s title track, an “ego check.” There are also clear nods to her personal life. “Never Really Over” ruminates on a dead-then-revived relationship much like the one she has had with Orlando Bloom. “What Makes a Woman,” Perry has said, is a letter to her daughter, who was born on Wednesday. But she’s still mostly communicating in generic terms—lyrics depict flowers growing through pavement and frowns turned around—and with interchangeable songs. The explosive optimism of Teenage Dream has been replaced by ambivalence and resolve, yet the musical mode hasn’t really changed to match.

This leaves Perry tending to longtime fans but unlikely to mint many new ones. That’s because pure pop, the kind that thrives on doing simplicity really well, is largely a niche art form now. The delightful Carly Rae Jepsen will still sell out venues despite not having had a true hit in years. Today’s most acclaimed indie acts include the likes of 100 Gecs and Sophie, who create parodic, deadpan pastiches of pop clichés. Fixtures such as Lady Gaga do still have enough heft to ripple the charts (and thank God—her sense of spectacle saved the VMAs on Sunday). But her recent No. 1 single, “Rain on Me,” benefited from Ariana Grande, whose ongoing success comes from smartly channeling R&B.

The current status of Dr. Luke, who has retreated from the public eye but still works with lesser-known talents and while using pseudonyms, seems telling too. He can’t land a hit with Kim Petras, a dance diva in the Katy Perry lineage. But he can land a hit with a rapper: He’s behind Doja Cat’s recent smash “Say So.”

Streaming, now the dominant form of music consumption, does not reward bright and insistent sing-alongs that demand attention but offer little depth. It instead works well for vibey background music, like the kind made by Post Malone, who’s maybe the most cartoonish figure of the present zeitgeist. It also works well for hip-hop with an obsession-worthy interplay of slangy lyrics, syncopated rhythms, and complex personas, all of which are presented in a context that feels like it has something to do with real life.

Last week’s No. 1 song in the country, “WAP,” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, radiates some of the fantastical thrill of the 2010 charts. But it delivers that thrill as part of a lewd verbal onslaught by women whom the public has come to know on an alarmingly personal level. The video for “WAP” is bright and pink, yes, but also immersive.

It’s not a cartoon—it’s virtual reality.

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tonguetiedmag · 5 years

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music: weekly roundup (our favorite song submissions of the week

The Indigo Project - Sertraline

This track reminded me of a poppier Arctic Monkeys. One of my absolute favorite things, as I’m sure I’ve said before, is when a vocalist’s accent doesn’t disappear when they sing and this song is a prime example of that phenomenon. This is a love song for antidepressants, which is a dialogue I love to see in music - it’s definitely something we should all be talking about. Despite it’s heavy content, this track is presented in such a catchy way. The vocals, lead and backing, really pull you in and the guitars are so exciting.

steve. - Ankle Biter

You know I just have to have a punk track each week, and this week’s selection from DIY rockers steve. is exactly what I’m looking for all the time. This track packs such an intense punch into only a minute of music. The attitude in the vocals is palpable from the very first line: “I’ll be your disposable friend, yeah I’m pissed off with how it ends.” If that’s not relatable, I don’t know what is. The guitars are in your face, the drums are wild and unstoppable, and the ending is abrupt - exactly what I’m looking for in my angry outbursts. As someone who’s seen a lot of close friends come and go, this is the anthem I never knew I needed. Please excuse me while I listen to it every day for the rest of my life.

Anna Sofia - No Fun

As someone who hates most “going out” activities - going clubbing, going dancing, karaoke, etc. - this song just gets me. The vocals are laid back, cool-girl chill and the instrumentals are so interesting, they really pull you in. I’m a sucker for a track with a little bit of brass in it, so the 2:00 mark really sold me (as if I wasn’t sold already). She sings “I just wanna go, I just wanna go home” and I felt it. Stay home girl, I’m with you. We can listen to this song, because you know it’s on our chill playlist.

Pink Leather Jackets - Wasting Time

The intro to this song made me laugh, which of course immediately won me over. It’s the perfect start to this track and preps you for the vibe of the song perfectly. I would expect to hear this song at a house show somewhere, maybe there’s a couple making out on the couch, maybe someone jumps in the pool with their clothes on, who knows. The vocals sound real; they’re not overly polished, but they’re just right for the punk undertones of this track. While the outro is maybe a bit much, it really fits and pulls the intro through the song, and what’s more pop punk than an outro that makes you go, “what?”

David Corson x Corey Hale - Wait a Little While

This is a song that wouldn’t be out of place in a 90’s teen movie, most likely over a rom-com like montage of a misguided couple that’ll figure it all out in the end. The acoustic guitar intro pulls you in, the vocals are low and a little rough (swoon), and the instrumentals keep it all upbeat. The instrumentals in this seriously rock, so make sure to pay them the attention they deserve. This track is perfect for: your road trip playlists, staring out the window thinking about unrequited love, slow sunday mornings sitting in the sun.

BENEE - Supalonely ft. Gus Dapperton

This song was a bit of a surprise for me - I normally don’t go for tracks that are mostly electronic beats, but thirty seconds into this I knew I wanted to hear it again. The vocals on this just ooze confident, cool-girl energy. The backing track is so intensely catchy it’s almost frustrating; the pacing is upbeat but still lowkey and a little meandering. The song grabs your hand and takes you with it on a really self-aware journey about being by yourself. Everytime I listen to this track I find myself singing, “I’m a lonely bitch,” to myself under my breath. It’s true, I am. Relatable.

KNASH - Waste My Day

Another synth-forward track this week, but this time the vibe is a little more hypnotic. The first thing you hear in this track is a low hum over some really crisp drums. When the vocals kick in, they are so smooth and cool that all I wanted was to hear them in my ear forever. This song reminds me a lot of those really fantastic 90s girl alternative anthems. This is the anthem I needed about a day spent doing nothing. It’s my lazy day theme song now.

Egomi - waiting on you

This week was full of surprises for me on the style-preferences front. A really interesting combination of electro-pop backtracking, smooth R&B style vocals, and mainstream pop lyrics, this song had me hooked at precisely the 00:36 mark. Each chorus takes the energy the song has and winds it into something just a touch more intense. In a really strange way, this song made me a little stressed, and that’s exactly how I knew it was a great track. The cadence of the vocals pulled me so far into the story that I felt like I was living it. Definitely don’t overlook the lyrics here, either - they’re so tender and raw.

WINEHOUSE - Pretty Lips

The vocals on this are seriously ethereal. This woman could sing me the phone book and I’m pretty sure it would make me feel beautiful; her voice is somehow sultry, delicate, and mature all at the same time. The instrumentals are a beautiful foil to this: between the drums and the stunning brass outro, they’re full-bodied and really round out the sound. The lyrics on this are sugar sweet. Seriously, I want her to be singing about me.

Bumblebee Saturday - My Farm

This track is laid back, easy listening. It rounds out this week’s playlist for the more low-key listeners with a beautiful, almost Beatles-esque track. The first time I listened to this track, it lulled me into such a calm. This song just ambles along and takes you with it as it goes to any old place. It sounds the way a lazy, late-summer Sunday evening feels, when you don’t have a care in the world and everything is that beautiful shade of sunset-golden. If you listen to this song and aren’t lulled into some kind of serene daydream as they cycle through mini-odes to farm animals, you need to listen to this song again.

Listen to all these fo all these songs on our playlist!

Article by: Jacq Kozak

#jacq kozak #music #weekly roundup #submithub

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shieldmaiden19 · 7 years

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Theme Songs of the Batfam

Contribution #1 of who knows how many for @camsthisky and her #batfamcontentwar.

A/N: By ‘theme songs,’ I mean the song an individual member listens to on repeat, identifies the strongest with, will crank the volume when the song comes on the radio, the song they constantly return to, etc.

Bruce Wayne - Someday by The Strokes, covered by Postmodern Jukebox. It completely encapsulates his life and how he relates to everyone in his life. I think his parents listened to lots of classic jazz when he was young, and he has continued listening even though he didn’t always like it. Now he loves it.

Dick Grayson - Help I’m Alive by Metric. This man is under so much pressure (much of which he puts on himself as the oldest child), and he keeps coming back to the song that so captures the immense pressure he feels to perform and provide a smiling face to the world. It’s also one he bobs his head to while he’s listening.

Barbara Gordon - Woman (O Mama) by Joy Williams. Nothing says strong woman like this powerful song, and Barbara sings it everywhere (but never on comms). It’s not the typical empowerment/pump up song, and I think that’s one of the reasons she likes it.

Jason Todd - I’m Still Standing, sung by Taron Egerton. This would be the song Jason would sing whenever he’s sick of Bruce or when he’s in fuck it mode (which is probably a lot). It’s catchy, scrappy, and really fun to sing. It’s also his go-to for karaoke.

Tim Drake - Wait For It by Lin Manuel Miranda. This song would be the one he reassures himself to when he’s feeling particularly excluded or denigrated - that he is strong and he will achieve his goals. He’s just waiting for the right moment.

Stephanie Brown - Feel It Still by Portugal, The Man. She’s a ‘rebel just for kicks,’ but when she commits to something shit’s gonna go down. Nobody fucks with her and survives unscathed, and heaven help you if she sees you bullying someone who can’t fight back - she’s that person in the movies saying, “Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size?”

Cassandra Cain - Air on the G String by J.S. Bach. I think she still struggles with words as a manner of communication, so classical music is her favorite. Its aching soars and low, hopeful melodies match Cass’s experience of the world. It’s a song she sinks into and dances to when she can.

Damian Wayne - Ah W Noss by Nancy Ajram (English lyrics here). For one it’s in his native language of Arabic, and I imagine Talia singing it to him before he became ‘too old for that nonsense, Mother.’ I also imagine him dancing to it in traditional Arabic dance (leading the line like this badass kid), and for all the fandom builds him up as this gruff, tough little guy, he’s still a kid and he probably needs reminders of his first home once in a while.

Harper Row - Your Love is My Drug by Ke$ha. Harper’s got a similar attitude about life to Jason’s, so this song is right up her alley. She listens to this song all the time, and she and Stephanie regularly do impromptu karaoke in their apartment with it and similar songs.

Duke Thomas - Halo by Beyonce and covered by Postmodern Jukebox. It combines his love of Beyonce and old jazz/Motown/big band jazz. I have a headcanon that he was named for Duke Ellington, and he listened to all of his music when he was little so PMJ’s music speaks to his soul.

Alfred Pennyworth (yes, Alfred is human and therefore has a guilty music pleasure) - Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon. It was the theme for a Bond movie (The Spy Who Loved Me), and it’s elegant, powerful, and catchy, and I can just imagine Alfred playing it in the kitchen as he prepares meals or bakes cookies, reminiscing of his days as British paramilitary agent/spy

and as a bonus, Selina Kyle - I Put a Spell on You by Annie Lennox. I think Selina would eat Annie Lennox’s music up with a spoon, especially this song. It’s slightly minor and spine-tingling, and it definitely plays into her sense of self as a strong, alluring woman.

Here’s a link to the Theme Songs of the Batfam playlist.

#batfamcontentwar #batfamily #batbros #catwoman #oracle #arab dance #j. s. bach #black bat #blue bird #red robin #damian wayne #cass cain #nightwing #batman #kesha #the signal #alfred pennyworth #duke ellington #beyonce

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wopcalmetacriticthings · 5 years

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Allmusic - SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SPACE AND TIME (Troye Sivan)

80/100

Highlights: "TIGER TEETH", "DANCE TO THIS" (FEAT. ARIANA GRANDE), "SUNSET", "LOS ANGELES" & "EXPLORERS"

Something unique and refreshing always lightens up the massive pop-rap and hip-hop domination over charts, specially if it's something completely unexpected and the opposite of the ruling genres - and that's exactly what Troye Sivan brought to the table. Going full force in a 80's album, Sivan placed his bets at the new wave, synthwave and electropop categories, working with one producer only, Martin Bush, in the whole SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SPACE AND TIME album. Wondering if it has features on it? Yes, it does: the Billboard Hot 100 queen, Ariana Grande, appears in one of the tracks. In a risky move, Sivan put his hopes in a relatable-content project as he clarifies his struggles, his new begginings and telling stories not only about his fight with alcoholism but also about relationships and life itself.

The album opens up with the second single, "TIGER TEETH", a great opening track that sets the mood for what's coming next. Even though the lyrical content isn't something never seen before, Sivan knows how to put magic in his words and finds a beautiful and energetic way to captivate the listener in a song that has almost 6 minutes but that feels like 3.

"LYING TO YOU" comes up as the second track from the project, aiming for a synthpop meets new wave type of beat but with a modern touch; the melody takes some time to grow but when it does - at the chorus specifically -, it grows like a flower in Spring. Does it sound a bit like that guilty pleasure you'd sing at karaoke while getting drunk with your friends? Yes, but that also could mean that it has a potential to be a classic someday.

The third track is "DANCE TO THIS", featuring Ariana Grande, the only featured artist in the album (well, officially at least, you'll understand later). With a smooth and chill pop beat, the song keeps the electro vibes attached but in modern essence; it's catchy, Sivan and Grande's voices are a great combination and the song screams single material. The production is sweet and soft and the lyrics are catchy, with a hidden sensual meaning.

Sivan brings the Journey and Bon Jovi's inspirations in the fourth song, "FAINT OF HEART", with powerful vocals, a typical 80's beat and a sing-along classic type of melody. Even though the lyrics are a bit repetitive and the melody gets a bit tiring after some time, Sivan delivers a captivating tone and the song seems unstoppable and never ending - which can be seen as something good or something bad, it's up to you.

"INSTANT CRUSH" comes as a possible watershed to the album, bringing an indie and experimental pop/rock sound to the tracklist; with inspiration and influences from Daft Punk, the song isn't the best but it's not insufferable, it's just an interesting move. The chorus do make the song a bit better but the verses are hard to swallow - sonically and lyrically, although Sivan mentioned the song being about a hard topic such as fake love, the verses don't really soften up the track and you might get yourself waiting for the chorus... or for the song to end.

Making up fromt he previous move, Sivan comes back with the synthpop new wave element on the sixth song, "SUNSET", another long track that doesn't feel like it at all. Just like "FAINT OF HEART", Sivan makes the 70's and 80's band influences clear as the song sounds like the Gen Z version of "Don't Stop Believin'". With a cohesive production, an outstanding guitar solo made by Shawn Mendes (remember the unofficial featuring previously mentioned?) and lyrics filled with references and metaphores ("They say it’s darkest before the dawn / We’ve been in this twon for far too long"), the singer delivers one of the most outstanding tracks of the album.

Confirming the long tracks, "SHADOWS" comes up as the seventh song on the tracklist, with a dark (no pun intended) tone but with powerful vocals, Sivan takes us through a private journey about his struggles with addiction, in one of the most personal tracks of the album, served on another impeccable and cohesive production. As noticed in most albums on the album so far, the choruses are the highlights of the song, the looped vocals have an incredible meaning and the productions plus the whole instrumentals can take you in an out of body experience.

"TILL SUNRISE" comes up with Troye Sivan whispering words in a sexy mood over a 80's summer jam, along with hypnotizing backing vocals in harmony. Giving us a sexy John Travolta scene type of feeling, the song doesn't go much anywhere but its main niche, but it works in a very cohesive way - it's not a super long song so that helps a lot. It's sexy, it's fun and it might be a new addition to your 'love' playlist, if you know what I mean.

The first single "LOS ANGELES" is the ninth track off the album, keeping up with the new wave meets electropop and synthpop feelings in a beautiful and inspiration composition. With captivating verses, a strong chorus and a flawless production, it's clear why Sivan chose this track as the first step of the era. "Helicopters against moonlight / Our holy mother of the midnight / And we live forever, let us live forever tonight" is poetry to our ears and we appreciate that.

And when we thought things couldn't get better, Sivan closes the project with the outstanding track "EXPLORERS". The best song in the entire album, it works as a tribute to "those who are wild at heart and are restless spirits" as said by Sivan himself, in a melodic, vulnerable and marvelous composition over an incredible production. Spoken verses and an inspiring chorus, the song kicks off in a great approach and an impressive way, it keeps getting better and better. References to films, distorted vocals and emotional lyrics - it's sold. It's a simple track, but extremely and beautifully polished in every aspect.

Somewhere between space and time, we try to find ourselves after experiecing the true comeback of Troye Sivan - not that his previous release wasn't interesting, but with SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SPACE AND TIME, Sivan shows how to make yourself relevant going against the tide of the radio waves and how to keep being yourself in the most authentic and peculiar sonical way. Through a fantastic journey, Sivan not only satisfies his already established fanbase but also reaches new audiences - that might include teenage kids influenced by the 80's aesthetic fans of VHS Cam apps and also 40s parents that were born in mid-70's and that might warm up their hearts by revive their golden young years with the sound. Unexpectedly outstanding pieces of works are the best ones because you can't see what's hitting you, and that's what Troye Sivan did. From the epicness and flawless "EXPLORERS" to the radio friendly "DANCE TO THE THIS", SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SPACE AND TIME takes you to outer space and by listening to the album, we're not sure you'll want to come back.

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