#What Else Is There's 100 Songs Of 2019

[fists-on-up]

My Thoughts on the Loie Fuller + Taylor Swift Connection (Part 1)

INTRO

I tend to keep most of my posts on Twitter or TikTok somewhat neutral and objective because neither are good platforms for nuanced conversations. I cannot fully explain why I have a certain opinion on either platform and it is extremely frustrating for me to try, so I just avoid it.

I also don't like the potential for the general public to happen upon a gaylor-centric post of mine if that post is more nebulous vs fact and evidence based. They simply will not have the foundational knowledge to be able to digest it, and nothing good can come from that.

I've been mulling over the topic of this post for months, but I don't think I can do it justice on any other platform, and I certainly can't discuss it without mentioning Karlie, who people have lost their goddamn minds about, so here we are.

THE EXCERPT

In a 2019 Vogue interview - in fact, the infamous "community I'm not a part of" interview - there was a brief discussion of Taylor's dedication of the song Dress to Loie Fuller during the Reputation Tour. It stuck with me for a few reasons:

The author considers Loie to be "the most illuminating clue for reading both Lover & Reputation".

The author glosses over Fuller's interest in artists owning their work, focusing instead on the center of what her work actually meant.

The author's mention of the Cocteau & Mallarme quotes.

Specific mention of the Serpentine Dance & Butterfly Dance.

I also believe Loie is a fundamental part of understanding Reputation & Lover, but moreover I think she's fundamental to understanding Taylor's approach and perspective regarding her own public image during this time.

Mentioning that Loie created "the phantom of an era" is an interesting choice. It struck me because of Taylor's suggestion that she could be a phantom - something that exists in appearance only - in ...Ready For It?, along with the choice to include a fallen chandelier in the music video for Look What You Made Me Do. The chandelier crash is an iconic moment in Phantom of the Opera and symbolizes a vow of revenge. A vendetta, if you will (and I will).

A DIZZINESS OF SOUL MADE VISIBLE BY AN ARTIFICE

But the thing that's brought me back to this excerpt again and again is the Mallarme quote describing Loie's performances as "a dizziness of soul made visible by an artifice".

Sometimes I will read, write, or think a phrase or sentence that just... sticks. It burrows down into my brain and roots itself there. Sometimes it's a line that's just perfectly crafted and I need to admire it over & over. Sometimes it makes me think. It's usually both. As a writer, these are the lines I live and breathe for. They're the lines I'm trying to build and when I hit them, there's no other feeling like it.

This line stuck with me, and I think it's possible that it stuck with Taylor too.

A dizziness of soul made visible by an artifice.

A truth displayed for all to see, hidden by falsehoods, but only visible because of those falsehoods.

Loie Fuller was on stage, but her genius was in her use of movement, fabric, and lighting to ensure the audience could only see glimpses of her. Her dances gave the illusion that she was not a woman, but a snake. A butterfly. Not an out lesbian, a desexualized human being hidden at the center. There, but not there. Visible, but only as something else. Hidden in plain sight.

DRESS

How fitting, then, that Taylor chose to dedicate Dress to Loie Fuller each night? A song that embodies the description of "a dizziness of soul made visible by an artifice". The song itself is an artifice. A love song that is very obviously about Karlie, but that the general public 100% contends is about Joe. She could write a song about her best friend during a time at which the entire world knew who her best friend was, then sing that song to that best friend live, and only a few would even hear her. All you need is some fabric, some lighting, a red herring about a buzzcut, and you're invisible. We see the soul, they see the artifice. We see the woman, they see the serpent.

Dress even tells the story of embodying this line in real life, does it not? It's the story of pretending to be one thing in public so that the public does not realize you're another. The story of an electrifying, maddening, all-encompassing love that's out there in front of the entire world, masquerading as something else. Hidden as "best friends". Holding hands, being one another's date to events, being so obviously in love in public, on video, in pictures, and yet ignored because the public believes the artifice. And that artifice is the only reason they were able to love one another in public at all. It was a beautiful love made visible by, ironically, the complete, unquestioning dedication to heteronormativity most of the public cleaves to. Made visible by the inherent invisibility of sapphic love. We saw a great love, they saw "best friends". We saw the soul, they saw the artifice.

We see the queer genius at the center, they see the paper-thin public image they want to believe. And they hate us for daring to say she's a woman, not a snake.

#gaylor #gaylor swift #lgbetty #taylor swift

[mr-styles]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

via Grammy.com

#harry styles #Grammys 2023

[solarwynd]

Right?? This whole week as LC was increasing I saw non stop tears and recriminations because "guys we need to focus on new releases". But somehow LC reaches one billion and now suddeny the new focus is getting every member to 1B. They don't even seem to be that sad that neuron has completely left the chart. It's been 1 week 💀

Anyway the project is doomed to fail like anon said. Many armys nowadays seem to have no concept of how charts or streams work. I don't think most of them have worked out how long it's going to take to get all of them to 1 billion. With the numbers as they are SNTY and LMA would probably be the easiest to get to 1 billion and it would still take at least half an year more to get that done. Reminds me of that one army yesterday who had no idea that the spotify counter is for unfiltered streams or that army from a few weeks back who tried to cover up being an anti by saying let's get LC to 1 billion in 3 days when it still had 20M left to go.

I used to think armys (and other solos) were being deliberately obtuse about things because there's no way they don't see the payola JK got or not know how the hot 100 or radio works but I'm becoming more and more convinced that the armys of today are not the ones from 2018-2021 because they seem to have no clue what's going on most of the time.

Fandom is already divided as hell - with the anti-company stans and boycotts, the pro-company stans demonising other armys, some outright antis masquerading as ot7s and everyone else only being here for bragging rights and fighting other kpop stans, things are not looking good for 2025. BTS better bring their a-game for their next work because if they're planning on skating by with some boring ballad as a title track, weak concept and with all of them sitting on chairs, its going to land them nowhere with the fandom in this state.

All I know is armys better point that finger at themselves if hobi doesn’t chart on hot 100 next week, cause I’ve never seen such a lack of effort for a bts member’s comeback in all my years of being in that fandom.

“I'm becoming more and more convinced that the armys of today are not the ones from 2018-2021 because they seem to have no clue what's going on most of the time.”

You’d be correct. A lot of people left with the english trilogy and onward and got replaced by the chart obsessed ones here now. Which sucks cause army twitter was better 2018-2019. It definitely still had it’s issues but armys back then were a lot more useful.

“BTS better bring their a-game for their next work because if they're planning on skating by with some boring ballad as a title track, weak concept and with all of them sitting on chairs, its going to land them nowhere with the fandom in this state.”

Chair era was the absolute pit. I know it was concentrated around the more ballad type songs but even spring day had choreo. Pair that with both LGO and YTC being dull songs everything was just so lackluster. And after seeing Jimin do smf2 level choreo, having to watch him go back to sitting on chairs would do me in. So I honestly hope that they don’t come back with that. Or them damn white dionysus clown boots!

[sunshinelore]

ok here are my very scrambled thoughts (remember this is just silly theorizing based on the lore taylor has given us)

karlie = betty

taylor = james

maybe liz or zoë or someone else = Augustine

in my personal opinion, it’s very apparent in taylors songs that the love of her life was karlie, and in my own interpretation, taylor messed up and karlie left her.

“i lost you, the one i was dancing with”

“when a good (wo)man hurts you, and you know, you hurt [her] too”

“I was dancing when the music stopped”

all of betty taylor apologizes, proving she’s the one who messed up

“I can go anywhere I want just not home”

“I’ll be getting over you my whole”

and more and more and more and more

and as we’ve seen taylor cant stop with the kaylor references on tour, fashion, lyrics, etc. if she had ended things I don’t think she’d be as hung up as she is. I know she has a hard time getting over things/people, but she really is in deep for karlie. Here is my theory I just came up with 5 minutes ago but in my opinion makes sense. disclaimer: im not an lsk i don’t really believe they are in contact but no shame to lsks! I love y’all and again nobody knows what the truth is but them so all love to everybody and I accept all theories🫶

here’s how I think things went

kaylor is dating and they plan their big coming out. circa 2019 lover era. I think she planned the coming out, her and karlie were excited (nervous, but ready to be free) and ready to spent the rest of their lives together (not in a marriedlor way, not yet. I think taylor wanted that regardless, but karlie only wanted it if they came out maybe.) i think karlie wanted a family/kids but clearly they couldn’t have that unless they came out.

“Give you my wild, give you a child.”

I don’t think her and karlie were broken up when she was writing lover. The only song that I think really hints at that is dbatc which I just think Taylor got inspired like I don’t think it was based on current feelings.

maybe taylor got scared or the masters heist stopped it, idk, but coming out fails. I personally believe that taylor got scared because we know how important being liked is to her (I don’t wanna sound too invasive or parasocial 😭) but the sudden switch from colorful to black, the gay pride buildup just for nothing, and miss americana being a…political documentary.

Going from this

To this

We could see how anxious she was from The Archer

“I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible smoke, and all of my heroes die all alone, help me hold onto you”

“Combat, I’m ready for combat”

ALL of evermore (the song). I think that song is about the failed coming out 100%

“I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, tryna find the one where I went wrong”

“I rewind that tape but all it does is pause, on the very moment all was lost”

The whole bridge is so failed coming out coded

And when I was shipwrecked I thought of you (the coming out) In the cracks of light I dreamed of you (the coming out) to be certain we'll be tall again (that she’ll get back up) It was real enough (it was gonna happen, it wasn’t just an idea) To get me through (the knowledge that she would one day come out was enough) But I swear You were there. (Maybe she’s talking to karlie, maybe she’s talking to fans, maybe she’s re assuring herself that it was a plan and she didn’t make it up or something)

I think maybe after that taylor fell into a dark spot. I’m trying really hard not to be weird and invasive but based on songs, her graduation speech, and Taylor always having lots of drinks at any gathering, I think she might’ve become too fond of alcohol? I wouldn’t say this if This Is Me Trying didnt exist. And also:

“I’m fine with my spite, and my tears and my beers and my candles”

“I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone”

Again, really don’t wanna get too invasive but I think she might’ve cheated on karlie, as maybe an act if self sabotage, a common theme in her music.

“Why'd I have to break what I love so much?It's on your face, and I'm to blame, I need to say Hey It's all me in my head I'm the one who burned us down But it's not what I meant Sorry that I hurt you”

“I thought you were leading me on I packed my bags, left Cornelia Street Before you even knew I was gone”

“I broke his heart 'cause he was nice He was sunshine, I was midnight rain He wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain”

All themes of self sabotage, so maybe she cheated on karlie.

or the failed plan drove a wedge between them, and that’s when Taylor cheated. I think that’s where the folklore triangle comes from. I think karlie broke up with her after finding out. And then we get folklore and evermore

anyway that’s just my own thoughts lmk urs!

#gaylor #gaylor swift #karlie kloss #kaylor #lesbian #lgbetty #sapphic #the eras tour #taylor swift #swifties #wlw #swiftie #lgbtq #gay

[girlgerard]

from the new mcr billboard article... "the band had a specific vision for the return, one that didn’t include a comeback album or media blitz. “It was always a less-is-more thing – they just wanted to play the music for the fans,"" ..... 🤔 oh

honestly doesn’t worry me in the slightest! this confirms that foundations really was a pandemic project (which we all thought anyway) and that makes a ton of sense given just HOW MUCH has changed since shrine.

i was never an album truther in 2019 tbh shrine really seemed like exactly what it was and nothing more (which was incredible don’t get me wrong). the fact that foundations was made during lockdown and the fact that the entire song is so self-reflective, coupled with the complete aesthetic flip the tour went through (green to purple, necromancy to growth, etc) really makes me like…….insanely excited for what’s coming. mcr didn’t expect to make a song. they didn’t expect to fundamentally change the tour theme. we certainly didn’t expect ANYTHING that we’ve gotten so far, let alone a professionally recorded show and a potential doc. and yet look what happened.

the entire motivation behind this tour seems to have shifted - in that article it lays out that the purpose was just to play the songs that people loved and not release anything new, and yet they’re playing incredibly niche sets that contain songs 80% of listeners don’t even know about AND they dropped a fucking 6-minute rock ballad about getting up and doing something terrifying. i don’t think that would have been possible without the pandemic earning them two more years of introspection. this tour has become just as much for the band as for the audience; gerard even said that something completely changed between 2019 and now, and that they really, really needed this tour for their souls.

either way stakes are low like what we’ve gotten has already blown all expectations out of the water and it’s barely even started yet. but 100% something’s gonna happen after this tour lol we know this. whether it’s a doc, a live album, a professional concert video, mcr5, whatever the fuck else, it’s gonna happen.

[lvminae]

How about Alastor? :P

These answers aren't spoiler free!

My first impression:

It's so hard to say cause that was all the way back in 2019... as far I can recall, he was an immediate fave.

My impression now:

STILL VERY MUCH A FAVE, NOW WITH CONTEXT BEHIND IT. He was already really endearing to me with his sarcasm and clear hidden power (I love me a good villain), the design, etc. Seeing a bit more of his personality ('you don't have to fuck to be fab' from the VA trying to excuse this deer's fruity ass behavior in the episode 7 preview I love it), seeing what gets to him as a character, finding out that he's also got some pretty fucked up shit happening to him? I want to unravel this man like a ball of string.

Favorite thing about that character:

I can't choose one I love so much about him... TBH I think the potential of him might be it. With what we have been given I have so many thoughts and hopes about him. Whether canon lives up to expectations or blows me away, I'll have a lot of fun with him.

Least favorite thing:

If his trivia page is to believed, my man apparently has rancid dental hygiene. I choose to Ignore it.

Favorite line/scene:

So far it is tied between what we saw in the episode 7 preview and his reaction to Husk saying that he is on a leash. Love my man being so close to Losing It.

Favorite interaction that character has with another:

Calling Husk his pet. His little near sing song exclamation of that made my brain go a little rabid.

A character that I wish that character would interact with more:

All of them.... Husk and Niffty, or a focus on Husk. Husk seems to know quite a bit about Al and even (sometimes) has the balls to stand up to him. I want to see more of that.

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character:

Snatcher. It doesn't help that Husk reminds me of Conductor and I dig a fan dynamic of Snatcher doing Soul Shenanigans with the Conductor.

A headcanon about that character:

He has a tail. I think that has been confirmed as not true but you can rip that tail from my cold dead hands.

A song that reminds of that character:

I haven't actually found any that remind me of him that aren't ABOUT him because the genres he likes are outside of my preferred listening range.

I'm gonna link the Time Warp though because I think the music at least is up his alley.

An unpopular opinion about that character:

I don't know what the popular or unpopular opinions are, cause I look for fanart/fan writing and avoid everything else like the plague... A lot of people seem to really be clinging to the idea of him being like a father to Charlie thanks to ep 5, and while it is cute and I wholeheartedly support the content and want more....

That whole debacle was NOT Alastor wanting to be seen as a father figure. It was 100% to get under Lucifer's skin since Luci just completely undermines him/his power (I also have theories about it that can not currently be confirmed so..) Dad!Alastor is great but that's just the Incorrect interpretation canonically speaking.

I still will happily enjoy the fancontent though.

Favorite picture:

HIS LITTLE KICKS

#asher.txt #asks #hazbin hotel #alastor #hazbin hotel spoilers #SORRY I FORGOT TO TAG THAT Y'ALL MY BAD

[sonicenvy]

so I found about this cool website that @annieversary3 created that displays a recommended album submitted by anyone each day, and i got a little excited about submitting some cool stuff from bandcamp that i like. i also thought i'd share them here, because, well, why not? what else is having a blog for anyways?? lol so, here are the albums that i (sorry) spammed annieversary3's website with that you all now also have to see.

From the top, left to right:

Puberty 2 Mitski (2016) ❀ Fav track: A Burning Hill

Carrie & Lowell Sufjan Stevens (2015) ❀ Fav Track: Should Have Known Better

Top 25 Austin Bands of 2012 [comp] Sonic Vault ❀ Fav Track: 7 Mile Creek Blues

You Had Me At Goodbye Samantha Crain (2017) ❀ Fav Track: Antiseptic Greeting

On Oni Pond Man Man (2013) ❀ Fav Track: Deep Cover

Narrow Stairs Death Cab For Cutie (2008) ❀ Fav Track: Talking Bird

stray ikea graveyard (2014) ❀ Fav Track: Parker

The Birds & The Beats M.anifest (2009) ❀ Fav Track: Ghana, 52

Easy Way The Cactus Blossoms (2019) ❀ Fav Track: Got a Lotta Love

sidenote, to find more cool tunes 🎵, in addition to annieversary3's awesome website, y'all should also check out:

❀ birp.fm (download and listen to a monthly 100+ track playlist of new, old, and emerging indie music)

❀ radio.garden (Find and listen to online streams of FM/AM radio stations from everywhere in the world on a cool 3d globe)

❀ radio paradise (ad free internet radio 24 hrs per day.)

❀ @despite-everything's radio station & spotify (just good stuff 😊)

❀ 90.9 FM WDCB (Jazz, Blues, and Classic Radio Shows)

❀ streamfinder (find internet radio stations)

❀ 8tracks.com (yes, it still exists)

❀ boilthefrog (generate a playist on spotify to get you from one random artist to another)

❀ lofi-fi hip hop beats to study to infinite stream on YT (all instrumental)

❀ NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

❀ Streema (find more internet radio stations)

❀ egoisticalgoat.de (clone of turntbl, pop in anyone's tumblr url to get a playlist of all of the songs they've shared on tumblr)

❀ musicmap (type in one artist to see artists that are related/similar to that artist)

❀ classical wfmt (for all your classical music needs)

#music #playlists #radio #long post for ts #trying to mostly rec stuff that's not spotify related (though it did sneak in 2x) #not because i specifically hate spotify (i do actually pay for it lol) #but because i think radio is awesome and wonderful and that spotify isn't the end all be all best music listening place #not 2b my mom on main but actually everyone should check out public radio. like not weird corporate radio actual public radio #listener supported public radio & internet radio is where it's at - i say sounding more like my mom everyday lmaooooo

[moldygreenblue]

Sometimes I forget that 'Cats (1998)' trailer appeared on Barney's Great Adventure as one of the previews

Having finally watched Cats (2019), it's not as bad as everyone made it out to be when it first came out. Like it is very not a good film, but there's a charm to it that I can't help but like (some parts have more charm than others; Skimbleshank's number is a good example of it). But honestly speaking, I wouldn't watch it again.

Or at least, the not whole movie in its entirely. I feel maybe if I watched it as a bunch of disjointed music videos with a theme being an adaptation of T.S. Eliot poems, I enjoy it a lot more (with edits that omits the interruptions; The Rum Tum Tugger number really could have done without the Rebel Wilson's interruptions).

And having watch Cats (2019), and knowing I have Cats (1998) and being obsess with Cats in my younger years (mainly pre-teen years) and still on occasional listen to the songs of any production I can get access to (chores, excising, trying to drone out stuff by putting in my headphones, etc), I realize that I haven't watched the movie in a few years. And I figure, "Hey! Why not watch the movie you watched so many times when younger that annoyed the hell out of your family?"

And I re-watched it. I honestly forgotten how much I enjoy it! Got to love the obvious edits in parts of songs especially so (I know that some cut parts were release/found, and I hope someone managed to edit them back in in an ultimate fan edition).

Having re-watched it, and maybe it's because Cats (2019) omitted this part out due to the restructuring of having Victoria as the protagonist + audience stand in, something finally occurred to me that never did crossed my mind before.

Why is 'The Man Over There' in the junkyard in first place?

(Note: I know this applies to other/all productions, but since I watched the 1998 movie, it's the one with 100% focus)

This legit had me going down a spiral of over-thinking, and an answer (of a wild mass guessing kind), which will be under the cut for this post got a bit longer than I expected:

So, during the pyramid section of Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, a boot drops from a nearby house or apartment/flat [near/over the junkyard] to interrupt them. The cats don't stop their singing. Sure, they pause, but they go back to the singing in seconds. And also steal away the boot (they don't want anyone tripping over it).

It's only after they finish the number does Asparagus notices that "there's a man over there". We now have a random human stumbling on a bunch of cats singing and dancing so late at night (how late, very late for Jemima to eventually sing 'Daylight' and let us know it's almost dawn near the end of the musical).

And on a similar note that I swear is related to to the topic at hand, Asparagus is the cat to notice the man first before everyone else. I don't want to say he ratted the man's flabbergasted look of 'wtf is going on what is a jellicle cat'. But I'm 100% certain Asparagus is smirking as the rest of the scene unfolds. That to me, personally feels as if he knew what likely going to happen next (re: the man is now stuck with them for the rest of the night).

So, back to the topic. Why is 'The Man Over There' in the junkyard in first place? Why did the man came to the junkyard of all nights?

Because 'The Man Over There' (who Asparagus knows and/or recognizes), dropped the boot into the junkyard in the first place.

Stay with me. This make sense when you overthink all the details.

The Man Over There lives near/over the junkyard. He has a window over it. It's not the prettiest sight to look at, but he's not cursing its existence. It's not causing trouble.

Until now, on this particular night. On this particular night, a colony of cats are suddenly meowing and screeching together. The cats in their congregation, wakes the Man up. And the Man is not happy. He is grumpy for getting waken before his alarm could do it, and he thinks he can get a bit more shut-eye if he can gets the cats to stop their 'singing'. And what does the Man does? Throw one of his boots.

There is silence for about five seconds, before the 'singing' starts up again. The Man was not expecting that outcome. He thought they would scattered and leave. Now being fully awake and realizing he needs his boot back (it's a good boot, and it wasn't cheap), the Man decides to go to the junkyard to get it back.

In the junkyard, the Man is rightfully freaking the hell out. He is now hearing the cats sing. Like, actually singing that he can understand. He sees them dancing (are they dancing like they appear in the musical or are they dancing like actual cats on hind legs, I don't know). He is rightfully freaking out, and confused as fuck because he truly has no idea what is going on, in terms of his situation AND due to his sudden ability to understand the singing cats.

As the Man is freaking the fuck out, Asparagus sees the human. Very shocking to see a human in the junkyard of all nights! And the human here is one Asparagus knows! Or rather, seen more frequently than he likes. The Man is a familiar face Asparagus has the odd luck of running into in many places in London, though the Man never seems to notice Asparagus.

And Asparagus quickly connects the dots regarding the boot from earlier ('Oh, so it's HIM who dropped the boot? Well, he's going to get a night he will NEVER forget.') and rats the Man out.

And to be honest, the fact that the Man did in fact, stay for the whole ball, is something I feel is fanfic material and shock there isn't a single fanfic from the past to now that explores this.

#moldy watching movies #cats #cats musical #cats the musical #cats 1998 #wild mass guessing #*checks to see when i used that tag before* oh! okay that makes sense it was during pre-p5 release. fun days

[thestarsarecool]

@fujoshi-simone-weil tagged me in a "things to get to know me" game! Fun, thank you! You have the best url on tumblr. Also, someone else tagged me in this game, like, a month ago and I kept meaning to do it (it was on my to-do list and everything!) but I forgot and now it has disappeared from my notifications. Also, I don't 100% remember who it was. But still, I wholeheartedly apologize to that person for neglecting their tag. I don't love you any less. Anyway, on with the show!

Last song I listened to: Answer Me from The Band's Visit. You can take the theater kid out of the theater but you can't take the theater out of the kid. Or maybe you can. I don't know. I am taking a class on songwriting for musical theater right now so I am listening to more musical theater than I have in a while, though not as much as I did in like 2019.

Favorite color: Purple!

Currently watching: Nothing really? I'm not much of a TV or movie person. I just finished watching the Fionna and Cake TV show which was surprisingly good. My siblings and I watched all of Adventure Time together a while back (we like to rewatch cartoons together), so we all facetimed to watch the finale, which was really nice. I'd missed them :)

Last movie I watched: Hmm. I don't remember. Let's think...nope, still don't remember. Sorry film nerds of tumblr.com. I wish I was as cool as you.

Currently reading: Psychoanalysis: The Impossible Profession by Janet Malcolm! It's a really fascinating look into the underlying contradictions of psychoanalysis and also a great overview of the history, but it's all done through an actually engaging character study! I think it was originally a lengthy piece in The New Yorker, published around 1980. Also, I just started The Tale of Two Cities, which is very fun because the only Dickens I have ever read before is Oliver Twist!

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: I want to say savory, but the answer is actually sweet. I put wayyyyyy too much sugar in my tea for me to be picking anything but sweet.

Last thing I googled: The last thing I googled was "Ray Donovan Music" and I will explain why because, yes, I know that that doesn't make any sense. So, I am finishing up work on this song I am writing and whenever I get to that "almost done" stage, I post to r/Songwriting to get feedback because it's fun and occasionally helpful. And someone in the comments said that my song sounds like if "the little girl from Moneyball and Ray Donovan had a brainchild with Regina Spector [sic]." Which, like, ok. Let's unpack that. The comparison to Regina Spektor is very kind. I have gotten that a few times, though I think Reddit just doesn't know any other women who write songs on the piano. The little girl from Moneyball is such a funny comparison to me. Like, she's not a songwriter? She's just Brad Pitt's fictional child. But like, sure, I get what they mean. I sing kind of light and talky sometimes which makes it sound childlike, I guess, like a Moe Tucker sort of thing. But Ray Donovan??? I literally do not know what this commenter is talking about. All I can find for who Ray Donovan is the guy from the TV show. Like, does TV criminal Ray Donovan write songs or something? Is my song particularly evocative of the Ray Donovan soundtrack? Did this commenter mash together Ray Davies and Donovan's names? I asked him who he is talking about, but received no reply. Someone save me from this hell. Who is Ray Donovan and why did he birth my song?

Current Obsession: Still The Beatles, I guess, though it's not nearly as debilitating as it was a year ago. Which is quite nice, actually! I can actually be productive now.

Current Thing I'm Working On: Well, I've just about finished up the aforementioned song! All it needs is a title. Also, I'm writing a paper on The Epic of Gilgamesh, which is fun. The guy who wrote my translation is a professor at my uni so I may go to his office hours to ask him about it!

Ok, I tag @torchlitinthedesert, @idontwanttospoiltheparty, @veidelon, @theallenklein, and @mydaroga. I know this one already made the rounds though (I think) so no need to do it if you already did it. Or, really, no need to do it at all.

Cheers, everyone!

#my thoughts

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

Okay just ignore if you don't want to like as a new fan of jimin, I just want to someone here for a long time than me to tell what they perceive him as from what he's show like his personality, ethics, strength and weaknesses like as a whole how he's as a person and what you admire and dislike about him and others can also tell about it, because I like these kind of fandom discussions..

It's just that I've never been someone who randomly starts mindlessly praising or talking about Jimin, or anyone really. I have to have a context, otherwise it just doesn't come to me.

I've written pleeeenty about Jimin, tho. I'm just going to link the posts. Some posts might have mentions of other members or Jimin's relationship with them, because I think it's also relevant to who Jimin is.

And this thing he said in the BTS book that was recently released:

JIMIN: I think the most ideal kind of person is an honest person. In the past I tended to sweat the small stuff, and I would often hesitate in speaking out even when I had something to say. I wanted people to be smiling and have them near me, which is why I would sometimes resort to exaggeration. I'd be acting like someone else, in other words. Then, from 2019, I would stay silent when I wanted to be silent, and tried speaking out against things when I didn't like them. And that's when I began to see it clearly. It's not that I didn't want to be alone, I just didn't want to be left behind.

In a post about the memories 2021 DVD, I also said:

I was reminded once more that Jimin has such a great personality. He's so bubbly and bright, never a dull moment with him. He just loves life and he comes across as someone who's 100% present in whatever he's doing, whatever he's saying and whoever he's interacting with; just very involved in whatever's going on around him. It must be so pleasant to have him around.

[raccoonfallsharder]

Hello, dear friend. I’d be interested in hearing your take on any of these questions. I always love hearing your thoughts.

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

E: What character do you identify with most?  Is there a certain fic of yours that captures these qualities particularly well?

F: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]?

H: How would you describe your writing style?

K:  Do you have a guilty pleasures in fic (reading or writing)?

L:  Which of your fanfics was the most emotionally challenging to write?

Q: Do you like getting prompts from your readers?

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

X: How would you categorize your fanfic reading?  Are you a voracious reader?  Do you carefully pick and choose?  Something in between?

so many questions!!! you sure do know how to indulge a girl ♡ thank you, dear friend. you are my favorite daffodil full of sunshine.

A. window across the galaxy and adorations are my favorites. i think window’s the best longform piece i’ve ever written (and probably ever will) and i poured so much of myself into it. it was everything i wanted for rocket and it was healing for me, and i love and identify with jo so much. and adorations just makes me happy. ohhh you know what? i also really like ugly sweater and traditions. and machinery from prompt week. and triptych, sunshine, sweatshirt girl, and reconnaissance for beginners. and some of headcanons & imagines. shit.

E. i put a lot of myself in every oc and reader tbh. sweatshirt girl and jo are probably the most transparent self-inserts so far and came from places where they were 100% what i wanted to give rocket + the comfort i needed (sweatshirt girl was very much a reflection on my life at the time). well, and reader from tomorrow, which was 100% my attempt at self-comfort after a bad day at work. i reflected a lot of my real-life experiences through those characters, and i based the way they interact with others almost entirely on how i try to move through the world. i also expect to identify with noa at least as much as jo (oc from other duties as assigned, which might be why it’s so hard to write it). and honestly? i identify with rocket a lot. he wears his pain differently than i do but we both have skeletons that are not doing what we want them to do, chronic pain, and buckets of survivor’s guilt. plus i headcanon rocket has a sequencing disorder like me (ꈍᴗꈍ) i allude to it a lot in cicatrix and certain headcanons (like the sudoku one!) and some other things and i'm trying to write a fanfic about it lol

F. the only fic i have a mental playlist for is the very boring adventures of space pilot & sweatshirt girl, and it’s mostly chillhop essentials winter 2019 and aviino’s plush and cocoon albums but the thing is it HAS to be on vinyl because that’s the whole sweatshirt girl vibe

H. my writing style is chaotic, exists entirely outside the bounds of space & time (mostly because of the sequencing disorder) and is more about feeling than making sense. my word choice is self-indulgent and erratic and based more on what tastes right to me than anything else. emotions are way easier to write than plot. (huh. maybe that’s the sequencing disorder too.)

K. do i have any guilty pleasures in fic-writing or -reading?? girl i write raccoon porn. it would all be a guilty pleasure if i believed in guilty pleasures. but i don’t. i try really hard not to feel guilt about any of my pleasures. life is short. capitalism sucks. write about raccoon dick

L. it’s hard to say which piece of fanfiction was the most emotionally challenging for me to write because i think writing is actually a way of organizing and processing emotions for me. if anything, writing emotional scenes feels cathartic — a relief. but finishing things always feels risky. endings rarely satisfy people. so the more people like a piece of mind (blackmail material, window, windfall), the harder it is to end. it's more about trying to manage imposter syndrome than anything else i guess

Q. GIVE ME ALL THE PROMPTS

R. markus zusak has been one of the most influential writers for me. i love that every character in his books has their own story, their own value and journey, independent of the main narrative. jonathan safran foer writes the sentences i want to write. the read like a gut-punch. (he gets quoted a lot in other duties.) both of these writers would probably be horrified by this because im fairly certain they do not write smut, especially not featuring raccoons

X. how do i characterize my fanfic reading? it really depends on what is going on in life. we all have to ration our time and i hate having to choose between reading and writing and drawing, but here we are. if it’s a fic by an author i like, i prioritize it. it can be really hard for me to read things that are released chapter-by-chapter over an extended period, so i am more apt to read things that are short-run or that are close to being finished. but i especially like to support writers i know — which is why i always ask folks to add me if they have a taglist ♡

#rfh asks #you're such a peach #a shiny gem #thank you for these #about me #ask game #fanfiction ask game #hibatasblog #rfh fanfic #just fanfiction things

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Hey BPP! I hope you’re doing well 😊

I was wondering which artists’ work are you looking forward to in 2023? Aside from the remaining BTS’ members’ solos.

*

Ask 2: BPP I don’t consider myself a New Jeans fan as their music hasn’t grabbed my attention yet but you sparked my interest in them so I’ve been keeping my eye out as an outsider. Holy shit their numbers are amazing considering this is their 1st comeback?? They will definitely be dominating SK this year as the Korean GP seems to like them and are paying attention to what they’re putting out. Hype Boy did amazing in the US too even though it was hardly promoted over there. Maybe this is a little too early to predict but I feel like in a year or too they will start dominating the GG scene and maybe even give BP competition internationally if their still active by then???

*

Ask 3: Seeing Hybe’s trajectory is crazy. From a struggling company barely able to support their artist to now having not just the biggest band in the world BTS but also New Jeans who has been a sprinting since debut, getting the 2nd fastest song to debut in Melon 100 after BTS. I’m not a fan of NJ but damn Hybe is killing the game. In just a few years they’ve established a pretty great roster of artists in Korea not even counting BTS’ global dominance and now they’re also slowly building up their artists base in Japan too. Hybe’s name carries a lot of clout now (ofc thanks in a large part to BTS) to be able to sign Techi and snatch famous former Prod48 artists. They hav stumbled a lot especially last year with LSF and trainee a but it still hasn’t changed the fact that they’re growing at a fast rate. No wonder kpop stans hate the company. I know armys joke a lot about how BH planned BTS’ career hundreds of years ago by the way that they plan albums and concepts months even years in advance but seeing the company slowly reveal their plans and acquisitions is surprising, I remember how shocked everyone was when they acquired Ithaca. It will be exciting to look back in a few years to see what they turn into and how they influence the industry.

*

Ask 4: I'm a little in awe about your insight into kpop. You were the first Army blogger I saw talk about NewJeans, supporting them in spite of the controversy and everything you said is what has happened. Forgive me for asking but do you work in the industry?

*

Ask 5: Now I see why you said NewJeans reminds you of rookie BTS. They are monster rookieing like nobody else rn

***

Hi Anon(s),

Anon in Ask 1, aside from BTS members, the artists I'm most looking forward to in 2023, are NewJeans and Esperanza Spalding. Since NewJeans is likely more relevant for my readers in this space, I'll explain why I'm excited about more music from them this year, and I'll be using comments in all your asks as touchpoints.

"Now I see why you said NewJeans reminds you of rookie BTS."

They aren't directly comparable of course, but there are parallels. Three things made me notice BTS when they debuted in 2013:

Their music

The cohesiveness of their storyline/concept

The reaction of wider k-pop fandom/industry to the group

All three bulletpoints for BTS also hold true for me with NewJeans, and is the reason I've been into them since July 22, 2022, and why I'm excited for them in 2023. I'll work my way from bottom to top.

The Reaction of Wider K-pop Fandom / Industry to the Group

Some people think BTS weren't well known and loved in Korea until their breakout in 2016, but the reality is the reaction to BTS from nearly everyone was overwhelmingly positive. Comments from an old forum:

(this particular user was still active on the forum until 2019)

"They will definitely be dominating SK this year as the Korean GP seems to like them and are paying attention to what they’re putting out. "

BTS were the definition of monster rookies, they won the rookie awards etc, and most everyone (peers, gp, and industry leaders), took notice of them and loved them. People talked about how they had a different sound, more engaging performances, and an interesting take on the school concept with songs that appealed to their age group and others. But if there's one thing to never forget about k-pop, it's how insanely hyper-competitive it is, and we all know what happened to BTS between 2013 and 2018 at the hands of k-pop stans who at BTS' debut had loved them. The stakes are higher for k-pop stans in 2023 than it was in 2013, so for anyone reading this who genuinely loves NewJeans, just be prepared. You've all already seen that NMIXX, IVE, Classy, Lapillus, etc all debuted in 2021/22 with members aged 13 - 15 under the management of a 'creepy/pedo' CEO (and ad infinitum for groups debuting in previous years), but no group has gotten more controversy for it than NewJeans, curiously only starting after their debut album pre-order numbers were released. K-pop stans are predictable because of the incentives that drive them, so for the girls' sake and your own peace of mind, try as much as possible to engage only positively in the fandom and with others.

Don't engage with the noise, which will only be amplified after YG debuts their new girl group this year. Just keep receipts. Believe me you'll have a lot of it before the year is over. And you'll need it.

*

The Cohesiveness and Execution of Their Storyline / Concept

(this section includes spoilers)

The biggest clue to whatever NewJeans is, is their icon: the white rabbit.

It's everywhere - in their MVs, in their outfits, in their lore and concepts, their fandom name, and in their sound which is notably both dreamy and bouncy/groovy. The way NewJeans expresses this motif in every single thing they do is easily one of the most brilliant things I've seen in k-pop. And this is partly because of how both subtle and obvious it is, and how they've taken an old tale and modernized it so it feels familiar but also self-aware.

What is this concept I'm talking about?

It's Alice in Wonderland.

Doing a full analysis of their discography so far would make this post too long and analysis isn't my forte anyway, but if NewJeans' summer release introduced fans to their sound, gifting bunnies a 'Cookie', then in their winter release NewJeans are inviting people to follow the white rabbit into their maddening, dreamlike universe. The wonderland of NewJeans is one of eternal youth and good vibes, and not necessarily Y2K as is widely believed. In my opinion.

Every group from debut Itzy to Red Velvet to XG to Triple S has tried a Y2K aesthetic and not one of them feel as nostalgic or youthful as NewJeans. Why?

From the straight unadorned long black hair, to the inclusion of Black and queer characters into central storylines about young love, to using the bunny as a metaphor for playfulness and awareness, the expression of youth and fantasy in NewJeans is so subtle and yet pervasive to me, it's obvious it has come from the mind of someone obsessed with the idea, someone who has studied what makes someone youthful beyond the temporal sense.

Much has been said at this point about the end scene in OMG and how that is Min Heejin clapping back at her detractors (lol, k-pop stans make me laugh on a daily basis y'all), but for anyone who has actually watched the MV, it's clear that everyone (including the doctors) is said to be mad or a little insane or inside this 'dream-like reality'. Everyone, including the viewer. In Ditto and OMG, NewJeans' not only break the 4th wall, they demolish it completely. You're left wondering what is real and what is an illusion. And that's the point. With that final scene in OMG with Minji bringing the hater with her into the insane asylum, and the final scene in Ditto where an Inception-like flip happens when Ban Heeseo watches her old tapes (Heeso being a representation of their fans), the creative team at Ador has brilliantly conveyed the reality of para-social relationships fans develop with their idols, as well as enclosing their fans in their own universe and memories. Not even their haters are exempt.

It's genius.

And the really exciting thing about NewJeans is they're only getting started.

I've said before that HYBE is best at storytelling, and nowhere is this more evident than in NewJeans and BTS.

*

Their Music

One way I like to describe NewJeans' sound is: a return to basics.

Like BTS, NewJeans' debut style in music and choreography is primarily influenced by old school (or 90s) hiphop. The primary difference between the two groups in terms of music is that NewJeans also incorporates the mirror sound (R&B) more than BTS did at debut (BTS leaned more into R&B in 2014 and 2018), and without unnecessary rap verses typical of k-pop girl groups. In other words, NewJeans is more Aaliyah (lol) than they are Janet Jackson, but the effect of listening to their music is the same.

For example, I heard OMG and immediately thought of Paradise by BTS, a song considered by a lot of ARMYs to be the tannies' best song (it's not lol, that title belongs to UGH, or HOME if you hate the sound of gunshots). OMG has a UK Garage type beat, and Paradise is the trap + lofi expression of the same idea. For the nerds like me, Paradise's producer recently did a breakdown of how he made that song and it's worth watching.

*

Neither 250 nor Jinsu Park have done a similar breakdown of their process for NewJeans but I'll post it here soon as they do. :)

"I’m not a fan of NJ but damn Hybe is killing the game. In just a few years they’ve established a pretty great roster of artists in Korea not even counting BTS’ global dominance and now they’re also slowly building up their artists base in Japan too."

I don't think there's anybody who disagrees with you Anon. The company has had time to prepare for BTS' enlistment and it shows. What I've always enjoyed about how BigHit manages BTS and TXT, is how they seem to prioritize music production and go in the opposite direction of where their peers are heading in terms of music/styling/concepts, and even the few times there's directional overlap, it still feels 'different'. A lot of groups will be returning in 2023: the entire SM roster, Zico, Stray Kids, etc, and I'm curious to see how HYBE will differentiate themselves without BTS.

Anon in Ask 4, no I don't work in the industry.

*

Updated song ranking:

Hurt

Cookie

Ditto

OMG

Hype Boy

Attention.

#newjeans #new jeans #kpop #fandom behaviour #hybe #kpop music #old school hiphop #ditto #omg #bts #kpop fandom #bunnies

[hanramm156]

Paulchard fic snippet

Soooo, since Paulchard has gone quite wild during the tour -22, I couldn’t stop writing about these two even though I thought I was over of them. Here’s a snippet from a longer fic that has a working title of “Paul Landers—Your Licensed Kissing Practitioner”. 100% dumbness and fluffiness (and some sexy shit as well, heh) ahead. Not proofread or edited, we die like men.

Enjoy.

***

Paul slouched on the sofa, not bothered at all by the fact that he had ruined Richard’s important nail polish project. The duo sat in silence for a while, the air thick between them. After years spent together, Richard knew what this meant.

That expression meant that Paul had something—most likely, nasty—in his mind.

“I’ve been thinking…” Paul said, but stopped and smacked his lips, as if tasting a new brand of coffee.

Richard knew his nail polish was going to be ruined anyway, so he gave up, leaned back, and crossed his arms. “Yes?”

Paul, the fan of dramatic pauses, still didn’t say anything. Richard considered standing up and minding his own business before Paul said:

“We must redo 2019.”

Paul’s serious tone made Richard’s stomach do a flip. He cleared his throat. “Yes, we have almost the same setlist and everything, so—”

“I don’t mean music-wise,” Paul said and turned to Richard, shifting closer. “I mean we should still do our number.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”

Oh. Richard blinked and tried to come up with something to say yet nothing came out.

What Paul said made sense: their thing in 2019 proved to be successful. Audience liked it, they got a lot of attention on social media. The act even earned them the nickname “guitar husbands” among fans. Richard had to admit he wasn’t immune to the praising—yet there had been critics as well, of course. 

Under the scorching gaze Richard felt like a half-melted ice lolly on a summer day. Whether he liked it or not was another question—what he knew was that when that expression was sculpted on Paul’s face, it never promised anything good.

And for whatever reason, Richard found himself being the target of Paul’s mischievousness way too often.

“The audience spends a fortune to us, so we must give them what they want.”

Richard felt stupider than ever, like a human question mark. He swallowed. “C’mon, stop being so damn poetic.”

Paul’s head tilted on the side slightly. “It means that you and me,” he said, poking at Richard’s chest, “should give those greedy bastards what they want.

“And you know very well what they want. Drama, action. Spice. Something to provoke them.”

The last sentence was accompanied by a guffaw. If Paul wasn’t going to get quieter soon, someone would come and see if everything was ok.

Richard definitely wasn’t ok. He had a vague feeling what Paul meant with that “spice”. He had no idea though how Paul would put this in action. “What do you mean?”

Deliberately, Paul raised his eyebrows. “What do we usually do when we want to master a song or make our shows better?”

Since when did they start doing riddles? What was going to be the punishment if he answered wrong? “I don’t know. Practice?”

Paul raised his finger. “Ah, exactly! See, you already know what I’m trying to tell you!”

“But how does this have anything to do with the…” Richard lingered on the moment on purpose—he didn’t want to say it out loud. “…umm, the thing we did in 2019?”

If possible, Paul shifted even closer. He licked his lips, only inches away from Richard’s face. He was so close to Richard’s ear that he could sense the bastard’s smug smile on his skin. “Simple. We prepare. We practice our asses off.

“Because when the tour starts, we must do it perfectly.”

Richard’s breath hitched. Paul placed his index finger under Richard’s chin, tilting it slightly. They looked at each other in the eyes. The playful glint still was in Paul’s eyes yet there was something else as well that Richard’s poor heart couldn’t handle.

He looked so… tender, caressing Richard’s chin. So out of character. Gosh, I hope this isn’t a joke.

Without a prior warning, their lips locked. It lasted only seconds, but still Richard felt like someone had punched all air out of him.

If he wanted to master this, he needed to focus since he couldn’t faint when Paul did this—they were only two of us now, so he couldn’t even imagine what happened when they were in front of everyone.

What had changed so much even in three years? Back in 2019 this was much easier. Back to the editing table it was then.

Even the little taste made Richard crave for more—he was in shock, yes, yet he didn’t want Paul to go yet.

Three years without Paul’s presence had made Richard a mess —that was the only explanation for the turmoil inside Richard’s mind.

Paul stood up. He blinked a couple of times, but avoided Richard’s eyes. “Make sure you can do much better the next time.”

Next time. So, this meant that...?

Before Richard could defend himself and tell he wasn’t expecting this at all, Paul already waved and was out of the practice room as quickly as he had arrived.

When Paul was gone, Richard wished the sofa could suck him into some other universe where he wasn’t this awkward. Richard stared at the table—he suddenly forgot what nail polish was and what you should do with it.

Someone with loud steps arrived. Richard startled and to his embarrassment, also screamed.

“Calm down, it’s only me.”

Richard turned around and saw Till munching a sausage. He stopped and moved his gaze to the messy table. He hadn’t swallowed though, so half-of the sausage was still in his mouth—a hamster with his cheeks full.

Richard rubbed his forehead. “Please, don’t cause me an early heart attack.” Because someone else did that already.

Till swallowed. “Holy shit, what’s that mess?”

Exactly, Richard thought. If you could just please tell me what I signed up for.

#rammstein fanfic #paulchard #my fics #sneak peek #hanhan's ramblings

[forfoxessake]

February (2023)

A good month over all, I spent half of it travelling abroad and still managed to come across good things with the time that I had. 

I saw 5 movies this month, finished reading 2 books (I’m currently reading 7 and I’m listening to a radioplay).   I just noticed that I have yet to go to the cinema this year, but I want to fix that as soon as possible.

Ghost World (2001) - I somehow missed out on this film while growing up, I do get why it wasnt so easily available, there’s some difficult subjects in there, but I think my teenage self would have found something important here. And I miss Thora Birch 

Tuesday (2015) - “Aftersun” Charlotte Wells is just as brilliant in a ten-minute short and I don't know why I'm surprised.

Apollo: Missions to the Moon (2019) -  I like all things space and I love documentaries, and even the whole moon race thing, but this was not a great one.

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) - I like Daisy Edgar-Jones a lot and she deserved better than this film that just slowly goes nowhere. 

Unpregnant (2020) -  Two girls who used to be close friends reconnect on a road trip where the goal is an abortion. It's not your usual coming-of-age story but it's an important one that needs to be represented just as much as anything else. Haley and Barbie do a great job of having enough chemistry to carry us on this emotional but also fun-crazy-political ride.

...

Dial A for Aunties by   Jesse Q. Sutanto - I have a feeling that some books from the romance contemporary genre are writen as if people are expecting it to become a rom-com movie. Some of the plot is clearly meant to be watched, not read, and it makes it boring, which was really sad in this since the first 100 pages are really interesting and different from the usual. 

Twelfth Night -  William Shakespeare - I have been following an youtuber Shakespeare challenge and now that we are almost over I don’t think I want to keep it up, it’s been fun, specially when so many plot points are easily reconizable from inumerals references in every media ever since, but it’s also been a while since I was hooked by one of his plays, peharps the best is behind us now. 

...

I finished What We do In The Shadows - season 04, it was absolutely perfect, not a single episode out of place, it left me wanting more and I love that they always manage to keep the plot in focus and move the story fowards.

I’m still halfway through Andor, I’m moving slow, it’s an universe I love and I like that it’s more serious and complex than anything else in Star Wars but I’m having a hard time focusing on it.

Doom Patrol is another one I’m moving slowly, still 6 more episodes until the end of the 1st season, and I’m truly enjoying it, the characters, the crazy plots and this universe that is so funny sometimes that I can’t believe this is not bigger. 

...

Albums

Turnstile - Glow On has been a favorite this month, they didn’t win a Grammy but they were my favorite out of all the nominees this year. 

Songs 

Tragician - Frank Iero and The Cellabration - the album version and this acoustic perfomance on the link that I wish was an official recording too.

#february #2023 #blog #movies #tv shows #music #Rachel Lee Goldenberg #female directors #Charlotte Wells #Daisy Edgar-Jones #Haley Lu Richardson #Barbie Ferreira #Olivia Newman #Where the Crawdads Sing #unpregnant #ghost world #Thora Birch #Scarlett Johansson #What We do In The Shadows #Andor #Star Wars #Doom Patrol #Frank Iero and The Cellabration #Turnstile #Frank Iero #brendan fraser

[convenientalias]

Which is my favorite Kdrama network?

When I'm bored I like to list and categorize things. Today I've decided to discover, statistically, which Korean drama network is my favorite based on shows I've watched.

Including both shows I've completed and shows I've dropped bc in this case, the shows I don't like are relevant.

Using my ratings from MyDramaList :) which means however I felt the first time I finished watching a show, basically. Not including networks where I've only watched one show (e.g., Disney+, Wavve, Channel A).

JTBC:

Agency--Dropped

Beyond Evil--6

Itaewon Class--Dropped

My Country the New Age--10

Private Lives--Dropped

Reflection of You--Dropped

Sisyphus: The Myth--Dropped

I can't believe this network produced My Country the New Age when everything else I've watched by them has been a flop for me. Beyond Evil came the closest to breaking the curse but even then. Itaewon Class is one of my least favorite shows I've ever tried to watch; I've forgotten most of the details now but a bad taste lingers.

KBS:

White Christmas--10

Mad Dog--8

The King's Affection--10

River Where the Moon Rises--Dropped

Should I have given River Where the Moon Rises more of a chance? Bc apparently this network only makes bangers.

MBC:

Extraordinary You--7

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung--9

The Veil--7

Idk what to say about this one. RHGH is pretty damn good but I think I would probs like it less watching it now than I did in 2019, newish to kdramas and ready to love anything. But it's a fave regardless, and Extraordinary You and The Veil are both fairly watchable. A serviceable network.

MBN:

Perfect Marriage Revenge--Dropped

Sponsor--Dropped

A network to watch a few episodes with the desire to see dogblood plots, and then leave.

Netflix:

Bloodhounds--8

My Holo Love--Dropped

Gyeongseong Creature--Dropped

Song of Bandits--8

The Silent Sea--7

It's Netflix. I don't know that they're ever going to make a real favorite for me but they're fairly competent.

OCN:

Save Me--8

Duel--Dropped

A Superior Day--Dropped

Apparently it takes Seo Ye-ji and Woo Do-hwan's powers combined to make me finish a show by this network. You'd think it would be easier bc they seem to enjoy angst and whump, but I think they pour it on a little too thick.

SBS:

Doctor Stranger--Dropped

Lovers of the Red Sky--8

Revenant--9

The King: Eternal Monarch--7

The Killing Vote--Dropped

Remember: War of the Son--Dropped

Honestly I might come back to at least one of these dropped shows. Their track record on plots is okay, but their actors are really good.

TVN:

100 Days My Prince--Dropped

Alchemy of Souls--9

Bad and Crazy--Dropped

Circle: Two Worlds Connected--9

Confession--6

Devil Judge--9

Eve--8

Flower of Evil--10

Hotel del Luna--Dropped

It's Okay to Not Be Okay--8

Mine--8

Mr. Sunshine--8

Our Blooming Youth--Dropped

Pandora: Beneath the Paradise--Dropped

Psychopath Diary--9

Tale of the Nine-Tailed--Dropped

Clearly I just start the most show by them. Do they make the most shows? I don't know. Good concepts and good cinematic quality on most of these shows, with just a few exceptions. Pretty solid network.

Viki:

Color Rush--8

I Picked Up a Star On the Road--6

Where Your Eyes Linger--8

You Make Me Dance--6

Mixed bag.

The takeaways:

I should probably watch more KBS. On my to-watch list, that translates to Youth of May, the Bridal Mask, Hwarang, the Bloody Heart, and Orange Marmalade. So mostly historical dramas, which is a pity bc apparently I also like their thrillers.

Really, though, my to-watch list at this point has a ton of SBS and MBC on it for some reason, at least with shows that have already come out. According to my stats so far, my odds are pretty mixed on liking them or not.

Somehow, one feels, I will actually end up watching more TVN instead... but that has yet to materialize. (except the one kdrama I'm currently watching is a TVN drama. so.)

Did I really learn anything? No. and on that note, good night.

[spade-riddles]

I am not a fan of Karlie’s. I would be the first person to jump on the band wagon of Taylor with someone else. But it is not reality.

Submission: Honestly SR I applaud your bravery and your honesty. You'd be surprised to know the amount of people who feel exactly the same, but are too afraid to admit it publicly. I also stopped being a fan of Karlie's a couple of years ago. The pandemic and the way she and her family behaved during these horrific times completely changed the way I view her. She became a totaly different person. I can't recognize post-2019 Karlie. She doesn't feel like the person Taylor wrote Rep and Lover for.  I could start listing all the incidents that made it unbearable for me to even look at her, and I tried (pun intended), but it honestly made me feel sick so I gave up. That being said, the Roe v Wade march photo-op with the Kushner will forever be engraved in my memory. This was when I realized there's no end to Karlie's subservience to the Kushner family. She would do anything for them. And she does. She proved it once again yesterday.

The only reason I still support Kaylor is because Taylor is so hopelessly in love with her, and despite all her faults, I truly believe Taylor is a uniquely good and special human being. As long as Taylor chooses her, I'll stand by Taylor choice. Despite wishing it was another.

PS: I'll never buy into Taylor being 100% in on all the Kushner-related decisions Karlie has made and will continue to make. Sure she probably goes along with most of them. After all and despite what she likes to claim, she doesn't keep her side of the street clean, so there's not much room for push back. But there's no way in hell Taylor, who is on her way to becoming a billionaire this year, has no issues and is completely fine with JK being front and centre in her partner's life and playing the baby daddy to her own kids. Lest we forget the IBYTAM mv. That's all Karlie and Taylor simply... goes along.

Besides, Taylor shows remorse - she even wrote a song about it - for the way she treats us. Karlie never does. She only does damage control. By posting eye pics... and open pretzel bags? Spare me.

#submission