#again having two world tours in less than 2 years while still having 4 comebacks is weird to me | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ahgapride98 · 5 years

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REFLECTION ABOUT GOT7’S COMEBACK

Hello baby birds! I know it has been a long time since I last posted and I’m so sorry about it, I’ve been extremely busy with college and life in general and couldn’t find time to post anything here. But… good news: I’m finally free and I plan on finishing my ‘Memory Lane’ series, but first I need to address some things regarding this comeback that I’m not so happy about.

1. GOT7’s ‘Eclipse’ MV views in the first 24h. It’s no secret that we only got 6’5M views for Eclipse in the first 24h after its release (less than the views for ‘Miracle’ and ‘Focus On Me’ – JUS2 subunit). Now, I don’t really know who we should blame for this: YouTube or ourselves? While streaming the MV I noticed that the views were frozen for approximately 1h whole hour, and the worst part of all is that we never got those views back. I was so mad at YouTube for doing us dirty when we were putting all of our best efforts there for the boys (we had a great start, 500.000 views in just 1h after the release); But another thing I also noticed was that our streaming party didn’t really work, it was like ahgases were not working together to reach our 15M goal. It almost felt like we weren’t there, and that makes me sad because we almost got the same result as we did with ‘Look’ (6M views). I really had big hopes of breaking Lullaby’s record (10M in the first 24h), but it seems like we are going backwards instead of forward. This made me feel like the fandom decreased instead of growing - something that is not true because our fandom got bigger after the world tour. Now, like I said before, I don’t know if we should blame YouTube for this or ourselves. I honestly think it’s a combination of both, YouTube really did us dirty but we should have tried harder for our boys. (Funny thing: our views in the first 24h were really low but we managed to reach 30M views in just 5 days, beating our own record…).

2. Melon issue. This is something I talked about in my ‘Lullaby Comeback Reflection’ post, and I still think the same thing. I don’t know why Melon hates us, but they do. On the first day (20/05), we debuted at number 52, and just went downhill from there reaching the 71st place. Then, on the second day (21/05), it seemed like we went up for a bit and managed to reach the 45th position, then we dropped to 55 and from there we charted 100 and eventually disappeared from the chart. On the third day (22/05), we appeared again at number 90 only to drop to the 91st place, and then go up to 75. Finally, on the fourth day (23/05), we charted the 82nd place and after that we disappeared from the chart. As you can see our results are not good enough, ‘Eclipse’ charted really low compared to other songs. On top of that, we only charted for four days before completely disappearing from the Melon chart. I’m positive this is Melon’s doing, they did us dirty in our last comeback too and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are supressing our listeners and sabotaging our streaming party. I’m so sorry for the boys because they worked really hard for this, but their efforts are still not recognised in Korean charts (specially Melon).

3. Timing. This is a really important point. We have to be honest and admit that GOT7’s comeback came in the worst time ever. First of all, it was scheduled shortly after Bambam’s ‘Black Feather Tour’ in Thailand, Jackson’s birthday fan meeting in China and JUS2 debut and tour. Many ahgases spent a lot of money buying the new subunit albums and tickets for all the shows. Also, we have the world tour just around the corner, so it makes sense that many ahgases prefer saving their money to buy tickets for the tour instead of buying the new albums. On top of that, we can’t forget that the majority of the fandom are teenagers and young adults that have final exams around this time of the year (myself included, the day of the comeback I had my first final exam in college). This obviously made the fandom focus on other things that were by far more important to us than the comeback (sad but true).

4. Sales – Album stock. This is closely related to the last point. Because of the timing the comeback was scheduled, our sales weren’t good either. On the first day, we sold 62,002 copies (our best result ever), but throughout the week we only managed to sell 214.125 copies (not good enough to win on music shows). Now, this has to do with the lack of stock: for some reason there weren’t enough albums and a lot of ahgases had to wait until Wednesday to be able to purchase them (that’s a whole day lost there, thanks for nothing JYP…). I don’t understand why this happened, especially if we take into account that GOT7 is the best album-seller under JYP Entertainment (‘Eyes On You’ sold 223.844 copies in the first week, the best-selling album under the company). They should have been more prepared and have stock ready knowing that even though GOT7 are not digital monsters, the rock with album sales.

5. Music shows. We don’t have to be geniuses to know that with our bad charting and lower sales, we have very few options of winning with ‘Eclipse’, even if we do well with MV views. In music programs, they give more importance to digital sales than physical album sales, and since we are not even charting anymore (in most charts), I am going to be honest here and say that I don’t think we are going to win anything (‘You Are’ 2.0). My thoughts are based -specially- after today’s Show Champion: we were nominated but didn’t win. Usually the time to bring trophies home is during the first week after the comeback was released (or the second week of promotions), after the first week winning is really hard. But based on our horrible start and everything that happened last week, I don’t think we are going to get any trophy with this comeback (just my opinion, I could still be wrong).

EDIT: I WAS WRONG, WE WON ON MCOUNTDOWN (30/05), MUSIC BANK (31/05) AND INKIGAYO (02/06)!!!!! 💚💚

6. JYP Division 2 - Promotions. This is something that has to do with this comeback, but also something that I have been accumulating for months now. The way Division 2 handles and promotes GOT7 is pure shit, it’s like they are not even focusing on them. First, they barely put them on variety shows, and the only one they went to -Idol Room- was lacking promotion music wise; and the promotion period is just two weeks (meaning that this upcoming week is the last one we will be seeing them on music shows). They spent the first 30 minutes of the program talking and messing around with Doni and Coni, and then introduced ‘Eclipse’. For a non GOT7 fan, an outsider, this could get boring pretty fast. Secondly, the album stock situation: because of that mistake we lost sales, sales that were crucial for music shows. Thirdly, the time they decided to release the comeback was extremely bad calculated, they should have known this could happen. Also, their decision of debuting a new subunit and sending Bambam on tour was something benefitial at the moment but with not so good long term consequences, as everything now seems rushed and poorly done. I understand that it’s really hard to schedule comebacks, specially if we take into account the company as a whole: Itzy’s debut - JUS2 debut / Jinyoung drama - StrayKids comeback - Twice comeback - Itzy comeback - GOT7 world tour - Twice world tour - StrayKids world tour... but even though everything is packed, I still think that things could have been done differently. There’s something wrong with the management team in Division 2 that is affecting GOT7 negatively, and that also makes me fear for Itzy (as both groups are under this division).

7. JYP strict rules towards fans – Fansigns problems. This point has to do with issues that happened weeks prior to the comeback, but that is clearly affecting the promotions. In case you didn’t know, ‘fans’ followed GOT7 members everywhere (yes, even to their homes), the situation got so out of control that even the boys had to post in their personal Instagram accounts the official statement released by JYP Entertainment, and because of that JYP reinforced the rules that ahgases must follow when they are with the boys. But this rules have gone as far as to not even allowing the fans to touch or high five the members in fansigns (now, let’s remember that the fans that go to the fansigns have spent a ridiculously huge amount of money on albums just to get the chance of going), and not letting the members write the names of the fans in the albums (they just basically sign the album and that’s it). And not only that, recently ahgases that went to one of the fansigns last week took to Twitter to express their discontent with how they were treated by the staff. I’ll leave some of the messages that ahgases posted on Twitter:

I do agree that we must protect the boys, and I think those rules are great to be followed outside. But on a closed space with security to watch over everything that’s going on in the event, not allowing fans to even get a high five with the members is going a bit too far. Also, the staffs’ attitude needs to be checked: they are there working, not having fun with their friends. They should know their position in the fansigns, and not disturb the conversations going on between fans and the members of GOT7. I really hope JYP Entertainment thinks things over, because if not the consequences could be catastrophic. Take as an example the upcoming tour, no info about VIP tickets has been released yet. In fact, for the America leg of the tour there are no VIP tickets. That makes me wonder how things are going to be done in the tour.

8. Album and comeback thoughts (focused on just the boys and music). After so many negative comments, the only good thing about all of this is seeing the boys together and doing what they love. I can’t express with words how happy I am to see them together again after so much time. Also, the whole album is a bop. It’s the bop of the year (fight me on that): all the songs are amazing, the vocals, the raps, the lyrics, the music, the style, the concep... just everything is out of this world. I’m so glad that they get to perform on stage and carry out the message this album has. I couldn’t relate more with the meaning of this album, and I know we all ahgases feel the same way. Even though a lot of negative things have happened in the past few weeks, I’m still happy to see they are back and better than ever. As their fans, the only thing we can do is support them no matter what and be there for them just like they are here for us when we need them the most. Also, I can’t wait for the tour to start and I can’t wait to see them again this year. I’m so excited that just listening to the songs of the last tour makes me feel tingly on the inside!

Well baby birds, that’s it for today’s post. I’ll update my ‘Memory Lane’ series as soon as possible as some of you have been asking for the remaining members. I love you all!!! 💚🐥💚

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goldstarnation · 4 years

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FEBRUARY 2020 GOLD STAR MEDIA SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of March 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: January schedule posts are due by the end of February 7 KST.

Overall Company

The company building spent a month free of Christmas decorations before the building was adorned in tasteful pinks and reds to celebrate Valentine’s Day — not that the idols are allowed to celebrate the holiday in the halls of the company building, of course. Most of the company artists are holding tours or fan meetings or traveling overseas this month, so the decorations might as well be more for the illusion of effort than any real attempt to raise company morale. There isn’t much to be said for news and events from the higher-ups this month again, though.

Important dates:

N/A

Gold Star Soloist 1

By the first half of the month, the tracklist for her mini-album is officially locked in and she’ll finish up recording what she needs to by the end of the month. “Love Poem” has been chosen to be released in March before her album comes out in May. It won’t get a music video, but Gold Star knows she doesn’t need one to be met with success. She’ll need to shoot the photo book for her album this month, as some of the images will serve as teasers for “Love Poem”.

Important dates:

February 20: Love Poem teaser image photo and photobook shoot.

Gold Star Soloist 2

Her Korean tour begins at the very end of the month (see January schedule for special stages). This means long hours in the dance practice studio and, as the concert nears, at the venue. Tickets have already gone on sale, but on the first of the month, she’ll go into a photo shoot for concept photos for the tour that will be used in further advertising and announcements regarding the tour.

Important dates:

February 1: National tour concept photo shoot.

February 29: I AM : RE-BORN tour concert at Incheon Culture & Arts Center in Incheon, South Korea.

Gold Star Soloist 3

Gold Star has set a comeback date for him in April. As had grown increasingly likely in discussions with the company, the single, “Love Die Young” will be entirely English to prelude his upcoming all-English album. It’ll be the first song he officially records off of his album, but it’s been chosen for what Gold Star hopes to be crossover appeal in Western markets while still, hopefully, staying within a marketable sound for the South Korean market so that he doesn’t isolate his domestic fans completely.

Important dates:

N/A

Silhouette

Silhouette takes off for their four date Japan tour mid-month and they’ll be in Japan for around a week, from the evening of the 15th to the morning of the 22nd. Before they leave, they’ll be given the demo guide of their next Japanese single “Bad Girl For You”, which they’ll need to be ready to record once they’re back in Seoul in the final week of the month. The MV won’t be shot until next month, but the members will go in to make sure their outfits for the music video are flattering at the end of the month.

Important dates:

February 16: Silhouette 2020 Winter Live Tour -TROUBLE- concert at Zepp Namba Osaka in Osaka, Japan.

February 17: Silhouette 2020 Winter Live Tour -TROUBLE- concert at Zepp Nagoya in Nagoya, Japan.

February 19: Silhouette 2020 Winter Live Tour -TROUBLE- concert at Zepp Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan.

February 21: Silhouette 2020 Winter Live Tour -TROUBLE- concert at Zepp Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan.

February 28: Japanese single MV outfit fittings.

Aria

As they gear up for a fan meeting next month, Aria will need to attend fittings as well as shoots for the poster and some VCRs that will be used during the fan meeting itself. It hasn’t been long since fans have seen them, but it won’t make their audience any less expectant for a good show, so at the end of the month, they’ll begin having days of rehearsal in earnest to prepare for the dates next month.

Important dates:

February 5: Fan meeting poster photo shoot.

February 15: Fan meeting stage out fittings (examples: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

February 20: Fan meeting VCRs 1 & 2 shoot.

Origin

On the eleventh, the members will be on set all day to shoot a CF for Indonesian e-commerce brand Tokopedia and three days later, they’ll be on set to shoot a CF for Formula E racing. Following that, Gold Star has granted the members a two week vacation, something that serves as an incredibly rare opportunity for them to travel and rest (granted, with manager supervision) if they’d like, or focus on their individual activities. Their vacation comes to an end so that they can attend another awards show at the end of the month. Gold Star have let them skip some of the minor awards shows, but they need Origin in the good graces of news outlets like the hosts of this one, so they aren’t done with awards shows yet.

Important dates:

February 11: Tokopedia CF filming.

February 14: Formula E CF filming.

February 15-28: Vacation period.

February 29: Performance at The Fact Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: WISH, Alien, 7ROPHY, Fuse).

Impulse

After their extended Seollal break, the Impulse members are back in action for the Oceania leg of their tour. There are only two dates, so they’ll only be in Australia from the 12th to the 17th before returning to Seoul. Next month, the members get the opportunity to hold a seven-show fan fest in Bangkok where each show will highlight one member who gets to give a solo song or dance cover of their choice for that performance, so the members are expected to be practicing their chosen solo covers this month ahead of that.

Important dates:

February 13: Keep Spinning World Tour concert at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

February 16: Keep Spinning World Tour concert at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.

Fuse

As recently designated Swiss tourism ambassadors, the members are off to Switzerland for ten days where they’ll film a series of promotional videos around the country called “Walk, Ride, Fly With Fuse”. They are working, but they’ll get some time in between to explore for themselves too in hopes the trip will leave enough of an impression on the members for some free promotion later on. They’ll have some time to recuperate from the trip once they get back before another awards show at the end of the month.

Important dates:

February 8-February 17: Trip to Switzerland and promotional video shoot.

February 29: Performance at The Fact Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: WISH, Alien, 7ROPHY, Origin).

Element

Element finishes off their North America tour mid-month with a short trip to the US and even get to spend Valentine’s Day with their fans in Atlanta (extra fan service toward fans for the holiday is expected). Once they return to Seoul in the second half of the month, it’s time for them to record their comeback single. A mini-documentary will be filmed for their YouTube channel that shows the lead up to their comeback to show fans the process behind preparing for comeback ( — if there’s the slightest chance it shows Element working hard enough that fans will be less annoyed with Element’s recent rate of one comeback per year, that would be a bonus).

Important dates:

February 13: 4lement in North America Tour concert at Patio Theater in Chicago, IL, USA.

February 14: 4lement in North America Tour concert at Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, GA, USA.

Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale’s first world tour continues! That means their video diary reality series does as well with a few new episodes in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. During their time in between, they’re continuing to prepare for their comeback with fittings and learning the choreography. They have a shoot for next month’s issue of Marie Claire Korea as well. Next month will be busy with overseas travel and preparations for their comeback and Coachella performance, so management recommends they get all the rest they can between this month’s schedules to prepare.

Important dates:

February 1: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at Asia-World Arena in Hong Kong.

February 6: Marie Claire Korea March Issue photo shoot.

February 8: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines.

February 17: Comeback MV and stage outfit fittings.

February 21: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

February 29: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at Malawati Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

#fmdschedule #queued post

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treasure-my-aurora · 5 years

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Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

A/n: Just to be clear, this is not a y/n fic because I seriously can't write in "you" form (or whatever you call it) to save my life. Oc/reader is scandinavian because a major plot point is her blonde hair and blue eyes. Sorry not sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This can be read as a seperate work but there is a refrence in it that comes from my previous work, 'Making Love Out of Nothing at All' so please check that out first if you haven't ♥

Pairing: Hongjoong / fem!Reader

Genre: Porn with Plot, fluffy af

Summary: I worked shifts in a small club underneath a 4-star hotel in the middle of Seoul, as a hostess. I wasn’t a prostitute, my main job was to entertain, serve drinks and host events. But I wasn’t allowed to decline if someone wanted a private session. The clock neared midnight a hot wednesday evening the 10th of July and my hope of getting a good days pay was dissapearing with every minute. But the anxious feeling in my stomach was interrupted when a group of eight almost fell through the entrence door and one certain red haired promised that he'd make my night.

I thanked the power of air conditioning for the hundredth time that day. It was hot outside, the summer sun cooked anything underneath its beams, and I squirmed, uncomfortably in the white Qipao dress I was wearing. The fabric hugged my body, with golden details and embroidery that made my pale skin shine, packing it tight and I swallowed again, contemplating if I should just excuse myself for a few minutes to push a finger down my throat and throw up my lunch because I was fighting to keep it down anyway. “Hey you!” A man’s voice echoed between the walls of the booth I was serving, and the snap of his fingers made me flinch, “You don’t get paid to just stand there and look pretty, serve me my drink or get me someone who can” I felt my face flush, thankful that my make-up covered it and set down the tray of drinks I had in my hands. Rough, calloused fingers found their way to the lower parts of my thighs as I leaned over and I swallowed, repressed the vile taste that rose in my mouth. I let the action happen, not being able to do anything as the hand reached higher, touching just below my buttock. I cleared my throat, “A private session will be 121420 won” The slap against my thighs that followed made me fall forward and I nearly spilled the drinks when I caught myself on the edge of the table. I made eye contact with a co-worker and close friend, who gave me a sympathetic look, seated between two others in the company we were serving. “Don’t kid yourself woman, I will not pay that much for you” The man laughed and muttered something about foreigners while pointing at me like he couldn’t believe what I was saying. I looked down, ashamed, my hair hanging like a curtain to hide my red cheeks. I was born and raised in Korea, but my family was Scandinavian and even though I consider myself equal to the rest of the black haired and brown eyed population, many would disagree. My blonde long locks and blue eyes spoke of my difference and it’s been multiple times when I had to tell people that I could understand everything that they whispered about me. The man and his three friends roared with laughter, hands pounding the table and my co-worker clenched her jaw, so subtle that you wouldn't notice it, stress visible in her eyes as the man next to her threw his arm around her shoulders. I don’t think he meant to, but we’d been serving them for hours and they were quite drunk, and my co-worker, who couldn’t be more than 160 cm and weigh less than 50 kg was easily manhandled to the ground underneath the table. She shrieked in surprise and I signalled to the barkeeper, a big and burly man, at least 2 meters high and with biceps as thick as my thighs, who had been watching us the whole time. My heart broke from not being able to rush forward and help her out. The men’s laughter reflected on the walls and I found myself swallowing again, trying not to puke as one of the men grabbed a handful of my co-worker’s hair. Her screaming silenced by the barkeeper’s sharp open hand against the man's head, who immediately released her and jumped up, ready to give out punches to the person who’d slapped him. “You’ve had enough, leave now and there won’t be any more trouble” the barkeeper ordered and the men held up their open hands, when they realised that they it wasn’t worth getting their asses beaten, an innocent look on their faces and they got up from their seats. The one that had slapped my thigh, grabbed my chin forcefully, coming disgustingly close to my face, “I’m not done with you yet; you better be careful. I didn’t get to finish my beer. I’d sleep with one eye open tonight if I were you” I flinched at his breath, the smell of cheap vodka burned my nostrils and he chuckled before spitting on the floor in front of me before he grabbed his coat to join the others. My co-worker stumbled over to me and I invited her in my arms, “Let’s get you cleaned up” I said while patting her back and gave the barkeeper a thankful look before I lead her to a private toilet at the back, behind the bar. We worked shifts in a small club underneath a 4-star hotel in the middle of Seoul, as hostesses. My employer owned the club and was brother with the barkeeper who just helped us. I wasn’t a prostitute, my main job was to entertain, serve drinks and host events. But I wasn’t allowed to decline if someone wanted a private session. The prices ranged between 121420 won to 2428400 won, depending on what kind of session it was and even though it was rare, only twice or thrice a week, I wasn’t always happy with it. I enjoyed sex, I enjoyed when men (and women) worshipped my body, taking me and using me to get themselves of. It was empowering, most of the time and it gave me a hell of an ego boost. It was safe, we always used protection, got tested regularly and the barkeeper had his eyes on us and was sure that we escaped a worse fate than what just happened to my co-worker. But there would always be people who thought they were entitled to one more session, one more dance, one more drink and that’s where things could get dangerous. Just as early as last week, an 18-year-old a few blocks down, was strangled to death and I always feared that it would happen to me, or to one of the girls I was working with. I looked down at my co-worker, just barely knowing her real name and age. She was closest to me but didn't enjoy talking about things that was too private and I didn’t want to guess. Her hands trembled in her lap when I wet a towel and removed the tear smeared makeup, patting her back with comforting movements. “I hate this, I hate it” She whispered, and I hushed her, scared that someone would hear before I nodded. More tears welled up in her eyes and she looked away, down on her hands, her leg anxiously bouncing, and I let her act out her restlessness as I washed her face. I led her to our changing room and made her sit down in a chair while getting the makeup. It wasn’t complicated; some blush, mascara and a red lip and she was ready. “Are you ok?" I asked and she gave me a weak smile. I knew that she wanted to tell me that no, she wasn't and that she probably never would be, doing the work we did but those words were unspoken, and I gave her a hug instead, holding her tight. "Let’s go” I told her, and we went out again going our separate ways when she noticed one of our regulars. It was getting late, closing in on midnight and I fiddled with the hem of my dress nervously, prepared to greet the next client that walked through the door. It was a Wednesday and we didn’t count on much more activity. Just the usual regulars and me, not exactly being new but still one of the newest, had most of my regulars throughout the weekend. One of my other co-workers walked up and joined me on the lowest step, watching the door three steps up and gave my arm a squeeze. I thought for a second that she’d joined me for my company, but the door opened just as the clock hit 11:10 and one of her regulars walked in. She gave me a small smile before leading him directly to the back, knowing his schedule and what he wanted by now. I sighed, feeling how my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. I’d made enough today to eat and pay my rent, but tomorrow was Thursday and those days were even slower than today had been. If no one would enter by 12 am I’d have to seduce someone first thing tomorrow and though I didn’t mind the sex, the seducing part, the part when I felt that I wasn’t in control, scared me. 11:30 and my back hurt as I arched it, needed to constantly carry my body in that beautiful S shaped form. Suddenly several clamping feet over the floor above me, interrupted my concentration and my heart jumped as the door opened and a whole gang of eight entered. I forced down my shoulders so that I wouldn’t look tense, clasped my hands over my midriff in the same way a prude princess from a fairy tale would. Lips curled up in a way that invited to conversation, eyes open and curious. Lovable, sweet and gorgeous, honey sweet with my blonde hair and white Qipao. “Damn look at you” One of them, with a silver blonde bowl cut said, his eyes scanning me from top to bottom and I gave him a brilliant smile, “Hyung, I don’t think that you need to look much further. If you don’t choose her, I might do” he continued and I couldn’t help but smirk, it wasn’t rare for me to see one or two K-pop groups come by, and this moment was one of those times where it was so obvious that K-pop was their profession. Their hair colours ranged from the silver blonde, to light brown, black, blue, red and the blonde that had been called ‘Hyung’. My work came with secrecy and I could only observe in silence as the beautiful men (and occasional women) that ruled our music industry released weeks and sometimes months of training and stress from world tours and comebacks in our laps. I didn’t complain, almost teary eyed with happiness as the anxiety I’d been feeling in my stomach disappeared when I realized their intentions as they flocked around me, like dogs around a treat and I felt my cheeks flush when the blonde that had been called Hyung looked at me with hungry eyes. The bar keeper’s voice thundered down on us, suggested them a table and something to drink and the group dissolved around me just as my co-worker from before joined me, being done with her client. “How’s your scalp?” I asked, not looking at her because my focus was supposed to be on the group that just entered. I could hear her scoff out a small laugh though, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her Qipao, hers a gorgeous green that matched her eyes. She’d accidently spilled that she had roots in England over a glass wine too many just over a year ago. Her grandmother an immigrant and though the red hair that she used to have wasn’t passed down to my co-worker, she considered herself lucky enough with the exotic eye colour. “I’m fine, thank you” She whispered just as the blonde whistled. “You, you’re going to join me later” He pointed at me and I gulped at the sudden proposal. My co-worker sighed beside me in defeat, she needed the money just as much as me and after everything that had happened to her today, I felt like she deserved a treat. It wasn’t a secret that idols where the best kind of clients, all of them young and fit with almost endless stamina and most of them just wanted casual sex, nothing too complicated and were generally generous back. I couldn’t help but smile big, putting my hand on her back and pushing her slightly forward, “Why settle with just one when you can have two?” I asked and the blondes smile disappeared. My request made his mouth fall open; eyes wide with surprise that it was even an option. His friends hit him on the back, screaming for no apparent reason and I wondered how much sugar they must’ve mixed with alcohol before coming here. Their energy was insane, and I would’ve taken a step back if it wasn’t for the positivity they radiated. “Can I just pipe in with one thing” One of the guys, the smaller with light brown hair and delicate features, “It’s San’s birthday and of course he deserves the best but…” He turned to the red head across the table, “Our leader deserves something nice as well, Aurora has received amazing support and I think that he did a really nice job” I suppressed the reflex of raising my brows as the leader, who I first thought was the maknae rose up and bowed to the small applause that followed. “Winner gets the blonde” the black haired screamed and a couple of people in the club looked over at the spectacle as the apparent Hyung and leader proceeded to play rock, paper, scissors. It was close but, in the end, the red head was victorious with 3-2. He downed the shot that had been placed at their table at their arrival and scooted past the blondes upset face, extended his hand for me to take and said, “Shall we"?” Before sticking his tongue out at his friends. I bit down on my lips, suppressing a giggle because it would be inappropriate to show any sort of enjoyment from their game. I turned around just as we rounded the corner to see my co-worker smiling as the blonde haired; San, quickly got up, not slow to show her everything he first intended to show me, spun her around and dipped her, her laughter bounced on the walls and I smiled to myself while leading the red haired to my room. He closed the door behind him, and the sudden silence was deafening, my slightly soundproof walls just picked up the beat of the music. He sat down on the bed, smoothed out the white linen and I propped myself up against my wardrobe, ready to obey his every command. “I’m sorry about what just happened” He said softly, not looking up at me, the light strand above my bed softly illuminated his features and I gulped, “What that just happened?” I asked, fearing that he might call me stupid, but he just chuckled, “You’re worth much more than just three papers in a row but I just had to have you for myself. Even though it’s San’s birthday and I feel just slightly bad that I ripped him off but I just… He leaned back against his hands, eyes at the ceiling and I gulped. It has been some time since I had someone that looked so good in my bed. His skin looked so smooth it was almost ridiculous and the contrast with the red hair made it glow in the soft light. He wore a simple black t-shirt with a print that I couldn’t fully read, a blazer and matching black slacks and I almost groaned at the sight of him, “I just couldn’t lose. Not this time” He looked over at me, intensity in his eyes and I wet my lips, suddenly nervous. The feeling settled uncomfortably in my stomach and my heart jumped. It had never done that before, no matter how handsome the person in front of me were. I knew that I looked good, I was fortunate with a nearly perfect body according to most beauty standards. I was curvy but at the right places, a bit thicker than my co-workers and men, especially foreigners, seemed to love it. But even though I felt blessed now, with a healthy diet and daily exercise, I used to be bullied in school for my extra fat. My Scandinavian roots didn’t make it any better and, in the end, school was the main reason why I ran away from home. My parents had tried to understand me, but they were so busy with work that they barely even had time for each other, and I felt lost, abandoned. So, I ran, and tried to get by with a few thousand won, some clothes in a backpack and my phone. That was seven years ago, and I’d been through some bad shit since then. I quickly got addicted to alcohol and became a sex worker for almost four years after I ran away. It was a literal hell hole to climb out of and I lost a whole year to a battle I never ever want to experience again. Quite quickly after that, I moved to another part of Seoul, wanting to start anew. I found a contact who knew one of my old co-worker’s. She set me up where I was working now and even though some would argue that it was basically the same job, there hasn’t been a day where I regret my decision. I have another purpose than just being a body to fuck. I’ve been trained in the art of standing still for hours, never breaking my smile and never waver from my position. I learned how to elegantly walk with a tray of drinks, how to talk, sit, laugh and move properly and I like to think that I am good at my job, having most of my clients from Friday to Monday when it’s busiest and most of them were people who wanted to just get a quick fix, be it attention, affection or sex. The age range is big, from rich middle-aged agents looking for someone to dominate them for a chance, unhappily married middle class office workers, poor students who only increased their debts and the occasional group of idols who came in to blow out some steam. “Why?” I asked, coming back from my train of thought and the man chuckled, and I had to bite back a smile as his eyes squinted and a perfect set of white teeth were revealed, “You really want me to say it, don’t you?” He had something teasing in his voice and I could feel my heart jump again, “Yes… tell me why you couldn’t lose” My voice was low, and my body writhed slightly against my arms that were locked against the closet I was leaning against. He got up, slowly, like a carnivore ready to attack its prey and I gasped at the duality of him. One moment he was sweet, squinted eyes and a big smile and now I had to lean back, as if his presence had grown a meter. He managed to look down on me even though he couldn’t be more than a decimetre taller and I felt my body quaking before him. He licked his lips and stepped into my intimate zone just half a meter or so from my face. “I knew that I wanted you since the very second I saw you. You are special... reminding me of someone I met a few months ago” Something sad shadowed his features and I felt my heart drop, realising that I wasn’t special because I was me but because I was like somebody else. “Who was she?” I asked quietly, determined not to let his words hurt my ego and he sighed, pulling his fingers through his hair, “Just a fan really, but she taught me a lot. About what to do, what to say…” He trailed off and bit his lips, “She was my noona, are you as well?” I swallowed. Damn these younger groups and their age kinks. I clenched my jaw, “How old are you?” I asked and crossed my arms across my chest, determined not to let him push me around if he was younger than me, “21” He answered, and my heart picked up harshly in my chest, “Then I’m your noona” I said, and I could swear that something glazed over his eyes. He took another step forward, but I put a hand on his chest to stop him from going any further. He flinched slightly as if I burned him, but I kept my hand in place, feeling the muscles under his shirt clench and I swallowed again, my mouth dry and I could feel my stomach doing somersaults. I collected myself, cleared my throat and then said as definite as I could, my voice still shaking a little, “One basic session is 121420 won for 30 minutes and then prices range up, depending on how nasty you like it” He only nodded as if he wasn’t interested in either how much it would cost him or much time we had and placed a warm hand on my waist, thumb pressing on my hip bone. I shivered involuntarily and he flushed his body against me, all lean strong muscles and soft skin and I bit my lower lip. “What’s your name?” I asked, my voice but a whisper and he smirked, “Hongjoong” Before meeting my lips in a soft kiss. I groaned against him and he smiled between the kisses as if he knew the impact he already had on me, his hands traveling up my sides to my throat and my breath hitched as he cupped my face and deepened the kiss, licking his way into my mouth. I tasted the shot he’d taken earlier on his tongue and underneath that, traces of strawberries from a previous drink. He consumed me, pushed me against the wardrobe with his body weight. His taste, the smell of his cologne and his body against mine made my heart pound. I’d fucked hundreds of men, kissed even more and it was rare that I felt the sweet feeling of butterflies in my stomach. This was one of those moments though and I could feel my body flush with excitement as he pushed one knee between mine, softly separating them and grinded agonizingly slow against me. I gulped at the apparent boner poking against my thigh and he chuckled when he realised that I’d noticed. I placed my hands on his chest, my want and lust overshadowed any kind of soft foreplay and he gasped as I pulled his blazer over his shoulders, the fabric of it softly crinkling as it hit the floor. I broke away from his lips and pressed him closer to me, placing kisses from the corner of his mouth, down his cheek to his throat and I could feel him swallow as I nibbled over the big artery on the side of his neck. A groan escaped his lips from the teasing, and I pushed him backwards, the back of his legs hit the bed before he fell. His back hit the bed first with a small thump and I bit my lip to suppress a giggle as he gave out a small surprised yelp. He raised himself up on his elbows and I swallowed, serious again as my hands reached for the buttons of my Qipao. I’d done this more times than I could remember and yet, this time hit differently. There was an almost intimate feeling between us, and he cocked his head to one side, biting his tongue and his hooded eyes met mine as I slid the dress off my shoulders, letting it pool around my ankles, revealing a white lace set. “God, noona… you’re gorgeous” He said, voice almost a whimper and I bit my lip when I noticed his cock twitching from anticipation in his black slacks. His legs rested on the side of the low bed and I twirled a lock of hair between my fingers, watched as his chest rose with every fast inhale, “Tell me what you want me to do” I said, voice sugar sweet and he groaned softly, eyes rolling as he popped open the button on his slacks, “I want you to suck me off noona, please? I promise I’ll do you after if you want, I just need…” I didn’t hesitate for a second as soon as he gave me the command, dropped to my knees and earned a small gasp of surprise when I unzipped him and pulled down the slacks and underwear to his midthigh in an instant. My mouth watered, breath hitched, and I could feel my heart pounding in my ears as my hand closed around the girth of his cock, “…need some release” He breathed out the rest of his sentence as he threw his head back when I pumped him lazily, feeling how he grew harder under my touch, inspecting how his facial expressions changed to see how I could get him off best. “Please” He whined, hands reaching out to touch my cheek and I looked up at him, confused. His brows furrowed, bottom lip between his teeth and his fingers pulled on my hair, downward and I understood that teasing wasn’t really his thing. I paused my movements and locked my gaze with him, watching as his mouth fell open when my tongue flicked out. I lapped the head of his cock a few times, feeling how my panties got soaked as a low guttural moan escaped his throat. The salty taste of pre-cum laid heavy on my tongue as I took him in my mouth and swallowed, letting him hit the back of my throat, my gag reflex non-existent from doing this for years and he choked out a sob, grabbing my hair forcefully but I didn’t mind. I loved the taste, loved the weight of him on my tongue and I placed my hands around his hip, pushing him down as my nose bumped onto his pubic bone. I hollow my cheeks and came up for air, bobbing down his length and licking my way up, dipping my tongue into the slit at the top and he was a writing mess underneath me, one hand thrown over his eyes, panting breaths escaping his mouth and his other hand tangled in my hair, holding me in place. I swallowed down around him again and his chest heaved with irregular breathing and I could feel him holding back his need for release. I let go of his hips, placing my hand on the sides of his thighs instead, pulling his hips upward a few times and he quickly got the idea. A deep choked out growl made me squirm and I could feel how saliva coated my chin as he thrusted into my throat, first carefully, as if he was scared that he’d hurt me but I’d been through worse and he got bolder, pushing my head down to meet his thrusts and I could feel my eyes tearing up from the raw friction as he fucked my throat, using me to get himself off. My arousal burned between my legs with the confirmation that I got him into the moaning mess he was underneath me. I was the one who got him panting and gasping and moaning for release. “Noona… I…. I’m…” He gasped, pulling on the sheet with his free hand, thighs shaking, and I swallowed around him again, his thrusting irregular and offbeat and I knew he was close. I kept him there, moaning at his desperation and the vibrations of it set him off him and he came undone, mouth falling open, head thrown back and body freezing and then shuddering as hot spurts of cum filled my throat. I groaned at the surprisingly sweet taste, fantasized that maybe he’d been planning on getting here and have been on a strict diet of fruit all day for my enjoyment. He shook, and I let him ride out his orgasm before letting him go and leaned back to see what I’d done to him, reaching for a napkin on the windowsill to clean myself up. I watched him as he came back from his high, beautiful as a painting, face and neck flushed a gorgeous pink, his lips red from biting onto them too hard and cock still twitching. I tossed the napkin away and he looked up at me with drunken eyes. “Wow, I needed that” He said, and I smiled back, just happy to help. I sat up again in front of him, my hands resting on my knees, ready for him to give me another command. “What are you waiting for?” He asked, puzzled as he sat back up, looking down on me from the edge of the bed. “What do you want me to do?” I asked again, my job was to please, and I didn't want to make any decisions for him. His eyebrows rose in a ‘huh’ expression and he leaned back against his hands, “Undress for me” he said, a smirk on his lips and I swallowed, standing up. My hands reached back, and I unclasped my bra, keeping eye contact with him and he deflated like a balloon when my breast sprung free and I pulled down my panties. A low gasp fell from his lips when he saw me standing there, naked as the day I was born. My hands fiddled with each other and I felt how my heart skipped a beat. My skin flushed from arousal and I looked away, suddenly shy from his gaze as he looked at me like he wanted to devour me. There was a clear stain on the inside of my thigh where my wetness escaped my cunt and Hongjoong smirked when the light behind him reflected in it. His ego blew up like a fire when he realized the influence he had on me. It filled the room, suffocating me and I involuntarily took a step back when he got up. He stepped out of his slacks and underwear and pulled the t-shirt over his head in one swift movement and I felt my breath hitch in my throat as he stepped into my intimate zone, putting his arms around my waist and pushing my naked body against his. His touch send electric jolts through my skin and goose bumps made my skin prickle and nipples harden and he cupped my breasts, delighted to see such a reaction from me. I let out a whiny moan and looked away as he teased one bud between his fingertips, his other hand moving up to my throat and I swallowed, my heart beating so hard I that I was sure he could hear it. “Come” he said softly and lead me to the bed again. He pushed me down softly with a hand on my chest so that I lay on my back, much like he’d done just a moment ago and I felt like my heart was going to burst when he laid down between my separated legs, pressing his body weight on me again. He cupped my face, softly and I sobbed silently against his lips when they met mine in a chaste kiss. I’d never experienced that someone wanted to take it so slow. To just enjoy me and my company. Most of the men I was with would be done by now, not giving me a second glance and here he was, Hongjoong, looking down at me like he saw through me. Past the fact that we only had a moment, the fact that he would pay me when he was satisfied, the fact that he was just one of many. He saw me, my personality, my insecurities, my passion and lust for him at this moment and I could feel how he radiated from satisfaction that he made me feel as hopelessly lost to him as I made him feel lost to me. His hand travelled from my sides, up my neck to my cheek and he cupped them, looking into my eyes and I could feel his chest rising and sinking against mine. “God, I’ve missed this” He whispered and leaned down to kiss my lips again, another slow chaste one and placed his thumb on my lower lip, carefully pushed it between my teeth into my mouth. His tongue flicked out, tasting my lower lip before slipping it into my mouth in an open kiss. My own tongue met his and it was wet and messy, and I loved it, my body writing underneath his as I felt my arousal tick like a small bomb between my legs. He groaned when tasting the traces of himself on my lips and I gasped as his hand flicked over my right nipple. He squeezed my breast, kneading it hard, a desperate gasp escaping his lips and he grinded down heavily on me with his body as if he wanted to disappear within me. His already half hard cock poked at my thigh and I spread my legs wider to allow him to sink closer to me. “You’re going to be the death of me, Jagi” He moaned and I swallowed, feeling how my eyes teared up to the sweet nickname, something you only called someone you really liked, someone beloved and the butterflies that was flying around in my stomach picked up their speed. He paused, sensing the difference in the energy I emitted, and his brows furrowed when he saw my emotional state. “Wha-?” “Call me Jagi again” I begged, and he smiled, scoffing out a small laugh and brushed the hair from my face. “My beautiful Jagi, who’s made me all hot and bothered” I stuck my tongue out as he teased me. “Do you like me all sweet and smiley, Jagi? He continued in a voice dipped in honey as his hand travelled down between my legs and I gasped when he put his hand flat on my vulva, “Or do you want me to take control? How much do you want me Jagi?” he asked, voice dropping an octave and I swallowed, excited that his nature could switch so fast, “Tell me” he breathed into my ear and I shivered with wanton lust, my thighs rubbing his hips and he grinded slowly against me, the underside of his cock rubbing my clit in slow movements as his fingers separated the folds and he shook with the need to restrain himself from plunging into me. I was so wet that he glided over me, the delightful burning pleasure made me choke on my breath, “Tell me how much you want me; how much you want me to destroy you” I wasn’t one for begging, preferring the men I slept with to beg for me. Loving the feeling of being in control of their need, their release but I couldn’t help but squirm under Hongjoong’s gaze, his eyes so black that the sweet brown was just a thin circle around his eyes. “I want you to fuck me, want you to take me and use me until you are completely spent. I want you to walk out of here knowing that you’ve left me drenched in your cum” He inhaled sharply as I played out the scene of him using me and I could feel his cock twitching between our bodies. “Play with yourself Jagi… I want to watch you lose control” I whined out a gasp, biting my lower lip and I grabbed my breast, flicking my nipples between my fingers and my heart jumped with excitement as his eyebrows raised and he motioned for me to move my hands lower. My fingers stroked down my sides and I bit my lip as they reached my legs, rubbing my inner thighs. He leaned back to see properly, and I inhaled sharply at his figure. He was more turned on than I’d guessed, cock already angry red and blood filled. Rock hard and pointing proudly against his belly button and I shuddered from need as I raised my legs to wrap them against his hips. My fingers reached their destination and I pressed down on my clit softly, my back arched as pleasure shot through my body. “Damn Jagi, look at you” He moaned and wrapped his hand around his cock, not able to contain himself at the sight of me, melting under his own touch and I gasped out a breathy moan as his head fell back. He tugged on himself a few times, beads of pre-cum smearing over his clasped hand, panting increasing and I lazily stroked my clit while watching him, my heart beating hard in my ears and I couldn’t help but whine. “Hongjoong please, I need you inside me” My voice seemed to wake him up because he growled and reached over to my bedside table where the condoms were, opened one with his teeth and rolled it over his cock, hands shaking and I held his gaze as he pulled my body against his hips with a sharp tug, locked my legs around his waist, hands gripping my thighs hard as he lined up. He entered me with one swift movement of his hips, the eagerness of not letting me adjust to the size of him had me gasping and he burrowed his face in the crook of my neck when he was fully inside of me. His labored breathing in my ear and my own heartbeat was the only thing I heard, and I pushed on his lower back with the heels of my feet, making sure that he was so deep into me that he could. Not able to help myself from moving, I rolled my hips agonizingly slowly, clenching around him, teasing him and he groaned before pulling out of me, just slightly before jolting his hips forward and I held onto him as the friction made me writhe. He was deliciously slow, feeling me up and bringing me down with every snap of his hips. His hand cupped my face and his lips met mine again, all lips and tongues and playful nibbles as he thrusted harder, faster, pounding my body into the mattress and soon I was a gasping mess underneath him. “Fuck Jagi, you’re so wet” he moaned against my lips, “Feels so good…” his moan turned into a choked sob as he bit down on his lower lip, hands on my hips, pulling me down on his cock to meet his thrusts and I swore, my hands pulling on the red strands of his hair, “Touch yourself, I need you to come first” He growled against me, sitting up again and my fingers reached between us. I rubbed myself, angling my hips down and he bit his lips, a groan leaving his lips and his head cocked to the side when he looked down. My fingers spread the wetness around my clit as I rubbed myself, a small gasp escaping his throat when he watched with hooded eyes, the lips of my cunt swallowing him down, over and over again and I moaned, loved seeing him coming undone from the sight of me. His body was covered in a sheen layer of sweat, chest heaving and thighs shaking but he didn’t seem like he needed to slow down at all. Quite the opposite, as he placed one hand on my chest to stabilise himself and hoisting me into his lap, leaning back, toes digging into the bed and his other hand threatening to bruise my waist and my head fell back against the pillow. I could feel my entire body move with every powerful thrust and I felt myself tipping over the edge embarrassingly fast. I clenched up and Hongjoong moaned when he felt my walls constrict around him, watching my face as I came harder than I’d done in months. “Fuck Jagi, I’d gladly pay to see you make that face again” He swore, and I choked out a chuckle. He slowed down as I came down from my high, leaning forward again to press down a kiss on my lips and I hummed against his lips, meeting his slow thrusts and enjoying the afterglow. He wrapped his right arm around me, holding himself up slightly with the other and buried his face in the crook of my neck, placing soft kisses there and I wrapped my arms around him, feeling my heart swell as we laid so close against each other. The sweet burning stretch of his thrust made me squirm with bliss and I wanted to pause time. To take a snapshot of this intimate moment to fill my mind every time I was with someone who was less giving. I swallowed as he got up again, locked his eyes with mine and the tender look he had made me want to cry. His fingers brushed my forehead and I melted against his gentle touch as he combed my hair from my face. His lips met mine again and he paused, as if he wanted to capture this moment as well and I felt my heart skip, “We don’t need to take it slow” I whispered, his forehead against mine, his hard, warm breath against my face and my fingers played with the short hair in the nape of his neck. He chuckled softly, “I know, I just wanted to give you a breather” My brows furrowed and I only caught a glimpse of a mischievous twinkle in his eyes before he pulled out and flipped me around as if I was light as paper. He hoisted my hips up and entered me again with one sharp snap of his hips and I cried into my sheets when he didn’t give me time to get used to the new position. He pounded fast into me from behind and I immediately arched my back, ass in the air, arms above my head while supporting myself on my elbows. He groaned, gripping my hip with his left hand and I bit down on my lip when he dug his fingers into my flesh, desperate and needy to claim, to control. His other hand grabbed a handful of my hair and he twisted it before pulling and my head snapped back, the sweet pain in my scalp made me choke on my breath. He pressed a sloppy kiss on the nape of my neck, kissing down my spine and I felt my skin prickle as he flushed his chest against my back. He moaned, the hand holding onto my hip traveled over the round of my ass and he kneaded my buttock harshly before bringing down his hand, flat and hard over the soft skin, the slap echoed between the walls of my room and I whined out a moan as the sharp sting shot straight to my core. “Damn, I can’t get enough of you Jagi” He gasped, voice low and husky and I groaned in response, not able to find my voice as his hand left another stinging slap on my butt cheek. I clenched around him with surprise and a thick moan left his throat, “Do that again Jagi… fuck… I’m so close” His voice erratic and I clenched around him again, loving the sounds that spilled from his lips as his thrusting became irregular, thighs shaking and his grip on my hair hardned, arching my back so that he could fuck me harder, deeper and i let out a choked sob when i felt him tensing up behind me with one last thrust and I shuddered, feeling how his cock twitched as he pushed himself balls deep into me, a whimpered growl leaving his lips as he softly bit down on my neck to stifle his moan. The motion so ancient and primal that it was on the verge of being animalistic and I felt my heart beating hard in my ears, the thumping deafening. He let go of me a moment later and i turned over to lay on my back again, winching slightly from the pain in my scalp and back. I looked up at him, his flushed cheeks and the red hair spread in every direction, beads of sweat on his forehead and in the roots of his hair. Chest heaving and cock still half hard and I bit my lip, feeling how my own arousal still burned between my legs. He left me for just a second, discarting the condom into a bin next to my bed before he placed his hands on my thighs, fingers tapping butterfly soft on my inner side of them. It was supposed to be a sweet gesture but I couldn’t help but gulp, still very much turned on and his eyebrows raised when I rubbed my legs together, wanting nothing more than those fingers inside of me. “You’re not done yet, are you?” He asked almost amazed, voice so incredibly low that I shuddered. He leaned forward, rubbed circles on my thighs, urging me to seperate them and I complied, my face burrowed behind my hands and I could hear him sigh softly when he watched me. “Look at me Jagi” He ordered, voice silky smooth but the dominant undertone made me gulp and I inhaled sharply when I removed my hands, feeling my face flush when I met his eyes again. He kept his gaze locked with mine and his left hand on my thigh, holding me in place, my legs on either side of his hips where he sat on his knees. His right hand caressed the inner side, just a decimetre from their destination and I sucked my lower lip into my mouth, clenching around nothing when soft fingertips stroked over the sensitive skin there. “Tell me what you want me to do” His voice husky and i could feel tears forming in my eyes from arousal as he repeated the same words as i had used at the beginning of our session, as if our roles were changed. He looked down on me, eyelids heavy and fingers tapping just centimeters from where I craved them “You gave me a promise” My voice was needy and whiny and I could feel my heart pounding, not being used to be the one in control, to be the one getting worshipped. But he only smirked, happy to please and laid down on his stomach, kissing my inner thighs on his way down and I shuddered from the sweat gesture, his lips soft on my skin. He placed my legs over his shoulders and I choked out a cry when he placed his tongue flat on my folds, licking between them and I shuddered against his face. I could feel him smiling, nose bumping against my pubic bone as he began eating me out, drinking my juices like a starved man. I borrowed my fingers into the red of his hair, loving the scene of it between my legs. He gently sucked on my clit, paused to come up for air and I could feel my eyes tearing up as he smirked to my reaction, chin wet and eyes hooded, hair tousled from being pulled and I gasped breathlessly when he leaned closer, pushing his body against mine, fingers pressed onto my clit and my back arched as they rubbed softly and agonizingly slow. He bit his lower lip, keeping eye contact with me when his finger travelled down between my folds and my mouth fell open when he pushed in his middle and ring finger to the knuckle, softly hooked in a “come hither” movement and a whiny gasp left my lips when he tickled my sweet spot. “Need one more taste” he groaned and leaned down again to lick my clit, fingers still pumping lazily into me and my back arched, the back of my head pushing down on the pillow and a silent scream leaving my lips when my eyes rolled back from the pleasure shooting through me. I could hear him breathlessly chuckling against my folds, the obscene sound of him slurping my juices filled the room and i got drunk on them, got drunk on him, the mixed smell of sex and his cologne surrounded me, clouded my senses and I never wanted him to stop. His left hand gripped my thighs harder as he pushed himself closer to me, as if he couldn’t get enough either, wanting to reach deeper, his toungue lapped against me, pushing against his fingers as he tried to fuck my hole in as many ways as possible and I could feel myself standing on the edge, hands in his hair and mouth dry. I licked my lips and whined out, “Don’t stop” while moving my hips against him, riding his face and he gripped my thigh harder, picking up speed with his fingers and i was gone within seconds. My mouth fell open as I convulsed against him, my hearing blown out and body going numb as pleasure shot through me. He let me ride out my orgasm and came back up when I was down from my high and I choked on my own breath. He looked so wonderfully fucked out that i wanted to cry and I swallowed hard. He bit his lip and his cheeks flushed red when he suddenly clasped around his cock hard. I looked down, surprised to see him leaking from precum, a clear stain where he’d laid and I gulped as he tugged on himself, a breathy moan escaping his lips and eyes glossy from arousal. “Can I come on you?” He asked, voice husky and I nodded almost embarrassingly quick as I took a shaky inhale, not even realising that he was so far gone already. He placed his left hand on my thigh again, fingertips digging into my skin as his head fell back. His movements where fast and erratic when he started to fuck his own hand, slowly grinding into it and I groaned from the sight, touching myself and writing from the oversensitvity. Beads of pre-cum dripped down on my thigh and he locked eyes with me again as I separated my legs, letting him see my wetness, putting on a show for him as I dipped my fingers into my hole. An animalistic growl left his lips and he pushed his cock down to slide the head between my folds, and I didn’t stop him. I got checked regularly and knew that I didn’t carry anything. Normally I’d scoot away, not trusting the person I was with to be healthy as well but his despreration clouded my judgement and found myself not caring as I just pressed down on my clit harder when he dipped the head of his cock into me, furiously jacking himself off at the same time, his breathing labored, eyebrows furrowed and his lower lip between his teeth, threatening to draw blood. The overstimulation from pressing down my clit became too much and soon I was coming again, my body tensing up and Hongjoong whined when he noticed me clenching around the head of his cock without warning, his name fell from my lips as I writhed underneath him and his hand tightened on my thigh, face contorted from coming for the third time that night. Body convulsing as hot ribbons of cum painted my lower stomach and chest and I groaned with satisfaction. He fell forward, caught himself with one hand and I swallowed when his lips suddenly met mine again. It was slow, sweet and I felt my eyes tearing up when I realised that it was a goodbye kiss. His lips moved against mine and he pulled on my hair to hold me closer, a gasp fell from my lips and he hummed back, sharply inhaling through his nose. We separated, the need for air taking over and I smiled when he cupped my face, placing a playful kiss on the tip of my nose before getting up and walking over to the bathroom. He came back with a wet towel and I thanked him when I took it, debating with myself if I should just let him leave with his cum still stained on my stomach, marking me like his. But I decided that even though I loved the feeling, waking up with it crusty would be less pleasant. He stood up again, looking for his clothes and I swallowed, feeling my cheeks flush as I cleaned myself before putting away the towel and I asked before I could stop myself, “Can you… stay?” I bit my lip, my jaw clenching. It wasn’t something I ever asked, the moment we had was over and I had only asked it once or twice over the years I’d been working here but he smiled. His eyes squinting again and my heart swelled, thumping hard in my chest. “Of course, for a little while...” he said, pulling on his underwear and dragging the duvet over our bodies as he laid down next to me. I could feel how my body froze, so used to causing pleasure that simple cuddles made it feel awkward. But he laid on his side, placing his right arm under the pillow I rest my head on and the other around my body, intertwining our legs and placed his chin on the crown of my head. I took a sharp breaths of air, my own arm around him and my nose nuzzled into the crook of his neck. The musky smell of sweat and cologne filled my senses and I allowed myself to relax in his arms, welcoming a deep sleep.

……….

I woke up when the sun peeked from underneath my blinders the next morning, my bed cold and I shuddered, pulling the duvet closer around me. I was alone and I bit down on my lip when I felt empty sadness fill my heart and poison my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I forced myself up, placing my feet on the sun-heated floor. A letter was placed on the table next to my bed and I frowned, picking it up. My heart picked up in speed as a stack of 20 ‘50000’ banknotes fell into my lap. A gasp escaped my lips at the sight of the money and my heart raced as I read the note,

We’ll meet again, Jagi

#kim hongjoong/reader #kim hongjoong smut #ateez hongjoong #please read this uwu

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inseomermaid-blog · 6 years

Text

An Inner Circle First-Timer’s Concert Experience In Seoul [#WINNEREverywhereTourinSeoul]

So. If you tell me freakin’ one year ago if I’d be flying to Seoul for a Kpop concert, I’d smack you for slander.

Buuuuut here we are, a week after WINNER’s Everywhere Tour in Seoul :))))) I’ve just begun to recover. Literally, it took me a week to get through the stages of mourning and to accept that it’s over HAHAHUHU

Anyway, here’s my (and Liz’s) experience in attending a concert in Seoul!

---

Why we wanted to see them in Seoul (when it was sure they were gonna go to MANILA anyway):

1. It’s Liz’s annual bday trip gipp!! Or idk, this is part of the rationalization we thought of AHAHA. Initially, we were set for Singapore as it would be way cheaper for sure, but another reason came up....

2. We wanted to see them in their most “comfortable” version - Not sure if comfortable is the word, but I guess we wanted to see them how they were in their home country?? Speaking comfortably in Korean and all? We were anticipating that for other countries it would probably be just Yoon speaking most of the time (not that it’s a problem with us HAHA), and we wanted to see all them four being their natural makulit presence on stage (without them thinking about the language hinderance--even if kami yung hindi makaintindi sa kanila :)))) I know it’s a weird reasoning but :)))) And it’s been a long time since they’ve done a full concert in Seoul! We just wanted to be there in the kickoff concert. I mean, if we were willing to fly out to see them, o di todo na namin diba? Seoul it is!

How we got the tickets:

Here’s the thing: this is not our first rodeo. We’ve already successfully watched Coldplay in Singapore last year after (WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ALREADY) a bloody online ticketing war. Coldplay tickets were wiped out in 20 minutes, I think? But I was able to secure 7 tickets (3 VIP standing, 4 upper box tickets) after much death and resurrection.

We thought we were prepared for a WINNER ticketing war lol. We were not. Everything (or at least the seats we targeted) was more or less gone in less than 4 minutes.

There were two waves, one week apart. Both of them were intense :)))) I guess our third-world country internet cannot compete with their 5G data network?!

A HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to Cams and Dianne for basically hand-holding me throughout the entire process of securing tickets from Seoul!! T_T Without them, we probably wouldn’t have gotten tickets. All transactions were smooth and hassle-free. There were a lot of K-ICs who also wanted G-ICs to attend the Seoul concert and thus were purchasing tickets so scalpers can’t get to them first. They also helped me with tips and advice on where to stay, where to go, etc etc as it was our first time in Korea. Sobrang bait and helpful nila as in! T_T

---

Of course that was only half of the problem:

In less than a month, we had to book flights (ANG MAHAL NA NITO SIYEMPRE), book hotel (Thank you Agoda for your occasional flash sales) and of course, VISA. We highly recommend TravelPros for your Korean visa processing needs! We spent around 700 pesos for this, and we got the visa in exactly 6 days. Super fast. Pero may drama pa kami dun sa visa requirements LORD HAHA pero hindi ko na kwento haba na nito. BASTA when we got the visa I wanted to throw a fiesta, ganung level =))

---

CONCERT D-Day~~~

We wanted to get in early-ish because we were anticipating the DVD / merch line.

The train was a bit confusing for this stop!! We knew we were not the only ones because some of the Koreans were also confused where to get off haha

This ad greeted us before the exit!

Entering the Olympic Park Stadium~

Sure enough the line was at least 500m already when we arrived at around 10:45.

AAAAAND YES I lined up for 2 hours for the DVD 0_0 Under the heat of Korean summer 0_0

Questions in my mind while in queue:

1. why does everyone look so fresh except me

2. how to spot foreigners: they use umbrellas for the heat

3. Don’t be weak

4. why am I doing this again

Anyway, tada~

Let’s just ignore the part where if we waited until 3pm, or at least when the line tapered off, I could have gotten it without the sunburn on my batok but where’s the fun in that no?

Liz and teh boyfriend lined up for merch (mercifully it was shorter) and they were able to buy 2 lightsticks (OUR FIRST ONES YAY! Hirap daw lagyan ng battery lol) and shirts (X and XL lang ang available sizes but it still works out!?? What is this Korean sizing sorcery?!)

---

All the cafe / restos were full (Mamamoo was also having a concert that day!) so we had to settle for convenience store food :))) It wasn’t bad!

Met Cams and lots of other PH-ICs who travelled from MNL! You can check out #ICsPHGoesToSeoul to see what everyone was up to while in Seoul.

We got a lot of fans (as in pamaypay) from different fansites (and thus we didn’t have to line up, yay!) and actually saw the faces behind big accounts* HAHA it was surreal.

Actually, the whole thing was pretty surreal (YA THINK) in a good way. Since it’s our first time to attend a KPop concert, we didn’t know a lot of things. One of those was... lining up for freebies given by fansites.

Girl, INTENSE. As in, pila kung pila ang mga bagets and not-so bagets. Paano naman kasi ang cute ng freebies! Fans, stickers, photocards, etc. Looking back feeling ko dapat pumila/bumili kami BUT holehhhshit it was really so hot, and after lining up for 2 hours we wanted to just save our energy.

Super tita namin right?!

Also most of the masternims who were offering their freebies were all speaking in Korean (malamang) so we didn’t know if it was free or for sale... AH BASTA MAGULO isip namin hahaha yeaaaah looking back we should have at least tried BUT yun nga, it was really too damn hot to walk around talaga. Maybe next time!! (next time talaga?!)

Kill time! We just randomly sat anywhere we could #ifItfitswesits

At some points, we could hear the sound check so medyo spoilery siya (we heard Jinwoo’s solo performance HAHA) at the same time we were like OMG 0_0

---

FINALLY TIME TO ENTER!

Our seats were 2F (as in second floor). We were initially planning to aim for 1F but giiiiiirl waley. 2F wasn’t that bad! Ang nasa isip ko MOA Arena levels where it’s too high up. This was okay (as if may choice kami HAHA). 1F would be the best seats talaga. Standing is a gamble because there’s a chance you won’t be able to see anything BUT the interactions that WINNER made with the standing group was really worth it :))))) WATCH THE FANCAMS IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I MEAN

I tried to use MIXLR for the first time pala, since I wanted to kinda pay it forward. The first time I “experienced” a WINNER concert was through Cami’s Fukuoka?? mixlr concert and back then I thought, it’s amazing that someone would really try to share this experience with us that can’t make it to the concert.

(Now that I’m replaying my mixlr, I AM SORRY FOR THE THOUSAND OMGs I SAID =)))) I swear I’m more coherent than that--except when you know, Mino was body rolling live, Hoony was lifting his shirt to reveal his perfect 6-pack abs, Jinwoo with his ethereal voice and stage presence, and Yoon’s powerful vocals and performance. Wala na talaga ako masabi kung hindi OH MY GOD =)))) So I’m not sure if I’ll ever mixlr again hahaha kasi marami naman who does it and is more pro about it??? let’s see :)))

Here are some notable thoughts I remember from the concert (sorry more Tagalog here because all the feels)

1. ANG GWAPO NILANG LAHAT. I mean, fo sure I didn’t stan them for visuals (promise talaga! It was really about the music. Sawain ako sa visuals actually) BUT hooooshit. They are different irl. I’ve seen them before in NAIA airport for like.... 10 seconds and like I knew they were really good-looking. BUT ON STAGE. IN FULL PERFORMANCE GLORY. THEIR VISUALS ARE INSANE.

youtube

2. SOLO STAGES. WHERE TO BEGIN. I didn’t know I’d see Mino perform Body live ever (I thought he had retired the song and I’ve accepted it) BUT GOOD LORD. The “mashup” for Body and TOTL was just made to be together. The stage and performance was oozing with sexiness and charisma and my mind was just a puddle at this point. Mino doesn’t do full-on sexy very often (am I right? It’s like between deliberate sexy and swag, he’d go for more swag) so when he did this... live... the body rolling... the kinda grinding.... we died.

3. JINWOO. Jusko. Where to start with Jinwoo. I’m rewatching our fancam of his Untitled 2014 performance and it’s the only one who made me feel goosebumps. Especially the part where he went up the stairs and the spotlight was on him, and he was singing so passionately and the audience was just in complete awe. IT WAS A MAGICAL MOMENT I CAN’T EXPLAIN. It’s like as he walked up the stairs and sang, it was like he was taking his rightful place as a superstar. Jinwoo is not even my bias but I super kaduper want him to succeed and become more confident with this abilities (I am speaking from someone who watched Who is Next haha). After his solo stage, my immediate first thought was: JINWOO IS READY TO HAVE A SOLO ALBUM.

4. YOON’S SOLO STAGE. Lol I cried. Ever since I’ve heard It Rains (his solo song), I’ve wanted to hear it live, but I didn’t expect that he’d sing it ever again--maybe he’d sing Wild and Young but not It Rains. The arrangement was “simple” but the experience was HOLY. As in, it was like angels were singing. His clear and strong voice filled the whole arena. The adlibs he did were insane. Literally it was like going to church. The lights and the background visuals were stunning. Sobrang full on drama / rocker Yoon mode! It is something to behold live. Also... INSTINCTIVELY. I also never thought I’d see Yoon perform with a guitar ever again. (Ang drama?? never talaga?? hahaha but I never know with Yoon kasi! He’s so experimental with genres that when he’s already done something already, it might take a long time for him to comeback [in this case, to his rocker roots]). When he took off his blazer... BAKLA SIGAW TALAGA AKOOOOooooo =)))) Looking at him perform like this, I can’t believe he didn’t go solo. I know he’s happier with a group (and I am thankful) but his presence as a solo artist is still very much there. I hope Yoon can release his solo album soon because Liz and I will definitely fly again to Korea when that happens!!! :)

>>>[OPEN FOR A SURPRISE]<<<

Grabe thissss pic.twitter.com/AvxeuT4Xoh

5. HOON. How so even begin writing about Deputy Lee’s stage. He performed Ringa Linga (modified with Hoon’s rap which was a cool touch I think) and Serenade (EVERYONE’S WAITING FOR THIS). I don’t know where haters get the idea that Hoon can’t dance. Like... are you guys BLIND?!?!? He’s one of the most naturally gifted dancers I’ve ever seen--because he dances to feeling**, not with just choreo. Ringa Linga was a perfect choice for him because he was able to showcase his vocals, dancing prowess and abs all at the same time. The dance breaks were insane. AND MY GOD, Hoon’s body is perfection. His arms, torso, legs... ART.

6. The costumes, lights (LIGHTS), pyrotechnics, over-all stage design was just A++++. I don’t know why I thought it was going to be a much simpler stage but they really went all-in with everything.

7. The nebula ocean was beautiful. I keep saying in the mixlr... “I’ve never seen so many Inner Circles in my entire life” because it’s true! For some reason there is a notion that we are a small fandom and maybe that’s true compared to others... but we are not less powerful. At least 99% of seats were taken, the standing was packed. Everyone was doing the fanchants. Almost everyone had the lightstick. It was humbling and inspiring to see all the fans who love WINNER come together in one venue, screaming their voices out and singing to the songs (while still being respectful and attentive to each stage performance).

4winner 4ever 💙💙💙💙#WINNEREverywhereTourInSeoul pic.twitter.com/dKXYst03v4

8. The boys really love each other. As in, you can feel their chemistry and their teamwork onstage. Of course, I don’t understand the ments while it was going on (by now I’ve seen the translated fancams of course) but I can definitely tell from their body language and the way they regard each other that they are brothers. And they were just so happy! Running to and from the stage, taking fan’s phones, they were on FULL-ON fanservice. I could feel the love from where I was sitting.

9. I want to pick my favorite stages but I don’t know how. It was surreal to shout “Neol johahae!” for REALLY REALLY and answer Hoon’s pizza pasta so so with “YUM YUM!” =))))) Sobrang surreal na nangyayari siya sa harapan ko at hindi sa Youtube (with subtitles). Love Me Love Me stage was super cute, Moviestar was tear-inducing. Speaking of Movie Star, the fan event was so funny! They were really surprised because it happened right smack in the middle (usually it happens at the end, but they were expecting it kasi). All four of them were very confused and I feel like they really didn’t see the video as much because they were busy being... confused with what was happening. But when they understood they look like they were touched and slightly cross that we were able to fool them HAHA.

Also:

MINYOON MINYOON MINYOON

10. There were many cute moments of ICs that I witnessed. Like, before the concert started, they were playing WINNER songs on the screen. Then suddenly, Body was played. Inner Circles all screamed =))) BASTA SOBRANG FUNNY. During Mino’s kissing scene, half of ICs were turned on, half were saying “Nooooo” =))) Then during encore, we were supposed to sing We Were (as in the whole song). When it was already the second stanza, the singing became softer and softer, because it was apparent that ICs haven’t memorized the lyrics. Everyone laughed hard. IT WAS SOOOOOO CUTE T_T

BONUS:

After the concert, we kinda rushed to the back exit to wait for WINNER. Lol it took more than an hour for them to come out (of course lots of picture-taking, maybe even speeches for the team, etc etc). We saw Yang Hyun Suk (ICs began to chant his name too #insidejokefromtheconcert and sure ako labas sa ilong yun hahaha), PO, Jinwoo’s dad, Yoon’s mom, most of the dancers (Gahee my love were you there) to name a few.

Again, it was a tender moment because the van was supposed to “cover” their exit from the door, but the fans cried “Noooo” and begged security to let us see them :)) So after a few minutes, the van adjusted its position, so WINNER could walk out and wave to the crowd outside. They looked very very very happy and thankful to see us. <3

---

We met with some of the PH-ICs again to talk about the concert IN TAGALOG PARA TODO YUNG FEELS :))) I can’t wait to see everyone again in November!

---

Aaaaand by 12 am we were back in our hotel after getting lost in Dongmyo exit HAHA. Can’t blame us, all our braincells were left in the Olympic Park Stadium :)) It was really a memorable experience that we hope we can repeat for sure on November (WHICH IS MY BIRTHDAY MONTH). Aiming for nearer seats this time, but let’s see what the universe will give us.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I thought if I finally see WINNER live I’d be finally scratching an itch--like I’ve already see them live and that’s that. But NOOOOOooooooOOOOOooo. It’s completely the opposite. Now YouTube and mixlrs are not enough anymore T_T When you’ve seen them live... you just want to repeat the experience over and over again.

To all Inner Circles still reading up to this point: CONGRATS and THANK YOU:))

Also, my god. You can forget everything you’ve read up to this point but just remember this.

SEE

THEM

LIVE.

See them live.

I am not kidding around. You should, at least once in your life. Even if it’s just General Admission ticket or the farthest seat***. It’s different when you are in the same venue and you see them performing LIVE right in front of your very eyes. In my opinion, Yoon’s voice is 10x better live---recording absolutely does not do him justice. Same with the Mino, Jinwoo and Hoon. Their vocals, dance skills, over-all charisma cannot be simply captured by the camera. YOU HAVE TO SEE THEM LIVE TO KNOW WHAT I MEAN, WHY I’M SO ADAMANT ABOUT THIS :)))) I’ve seen performers that are exactly the same live as they are in YouTube or sound the same like Spotify but I can say with complete confidence: not WINNER. I can say their true strength is live performance.

I’m sure I’ve missed a lot but this is becoming a research-paper already HAHA so I’d end it here. SO glad we pushed for this trip, so blessed that everything worked in our favor (we were the last flight out before the NAIA airport incident happened huhu) and we’re already looking forward to November in MNL****! :)

till then bye~

P.S. If you want to chika more or need me to translate the Filipino bits lol just hit me up on teh Ask :)

*we saw at least 2 big Yoon masternims that we avidly follow talaga, 2 european ics we follow (lol “european” what is dead giveaway lol) and 1 of the 3 japanese KSY fans we also like HAHA so cute T_T

** I’m not a dancer, but my boyfriend is, and I remember him saying that personally he has more respect for dancers who dance according to what he feels--because it’s one of the highest forms of expression (as opposed to just relying with choreo). It’s a testament to a dancer’s ability that he/she is able to catch the beat without “thinking” about it too much--so the dance becomes the story of the dancer, not the choreo. LOL I think I’m botching his explanation about it but it’s just I remember Hoon whenever my boyfriend and I talk about freestyle dance.

*** Of course it you can’t make it due to various reasons that’s okay, but if you have a chance to make it happen, don’t hesitate. I’d say it’s worth every penny you’d spend to see them live.

#yg winner #winner yg #위너 #WINNEREVERYWHERETOURINSEOUL #ICsPHGoesToSeoul #YOON #강승윤 #JINU #HOONY #MINO

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aquacai · 6 years

Text

compilation of bts/army tweets i retweeted but doesn’t actually appear on my profile (TWITTER WHY)

TEXT POSTS:

Namgi are actual prodigies, how did bang pd just casually pick em up like that

ARMYs give BTS amazing promo but it only works cause...

And just in case anyone doesn't know, we call K-army "diamonds" because...

namjoon: i made espresso!! jungkook: i wanna try it namjoon: u hate bitter coffee

seokjin couldnt give less of a shit!!!!

Hoseok is Rock Lee

We have faves that are so willing to educate themselves...

I actually adore the final verses of The Last so much.

Hobi’s pseudo-triple entendres

why is this something i feel like rap line does in the studio

the funniest part of this run ep was when taehyung said...

BTS teletubbies @ MBC Gayo 2017

every update this year

top three betrayals are bighit not releasing tony montana feat jimin...

When I first began to fully get into BTS, I had a pretty jaded view...

Dear BTS 2013, its ARMY 2018.

MY DNA

*Yoongi's dating rumour*

this episode (run ep. 46) was so full of innuendos

fake trans on jin’s supposed feelings about the SIN separation

whoever is directing run should be reigned as the nation's hero...

What do you call a company that surpassed and outsold the big3?

bts are the definition of hyping ppl up for doing the bare minimum

an actual conversation that happened (run bts ep 46)

suran suga again and army

So I suddenly remember when Namjoon said these during Wings Tour The Final...

She was pushed by another members of staff while doing namjoon’s makeup

I WAS IN THE SHOWER BLASTING BTS AND ONCE I GOT OUT...

to the female staff who consoled jimin and keeps saying “you didn't mess up”...

they went from pardon to what was that

What happened at the first two episodes just made me respect Namjoon more.

on a serious note, it would be nice if when bts gets a special someone...

Next time during BTS concert, instead of screaming “encore encore”...

yall ever wanna think about how namjoon said that jimin needs lots of love and attention and thats probably why he shared a room with hoseok bc thats what exactly hoseok gives him

if I have any feeling towards BTS thats stronger than Love then it's RESPECT

the reason Jin was going on and on with his (R)evolution (E)volution (D)rop in the ocean thing might be because he was "hinting" at Youtube Red

one day, there will be a last...

namjoon came to post a selfie and left with a dating scandal

remember when hobi said “i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for bangtan”...

Namjoon admitting that he’s also “just a kid” ...

"The reason I make music is because, after all, I am also afraid of the world."

Yoongi's scalp is braver than any US marine

Sometimes we forget that Namjoon is also just trying to figure out the world.

PUMA fansign: thank you for making music that changes the world

Everyone has a musical preference & enjoy when their artists reflect that.

let me talk about taehyung and how amazing he is as a friend

i like when seokjin shares stuff about his childhood, we get to know his orijin

BTS is also for redefining masculinity (hiphop is their way of life)

from humble beginnings to legends

burn the stage makes me realize that whenever rm post photos of nature ...

what exactly makes namjoon the sexiest for me ...

the reason seokjin’s chest and shoulders are so wide

Bighit: O! R YU DEAD, 2?

"What's your favourite song currently?"

the mask guy: u didnt bring anything to exchange so i cant help u

namjoons exchange [in the Fake Love Teaser 1] is so funny to me...

here are some of my favourite joon interviews

"How did you join BTS?"

jin: i’ve been doing it for 4 years

I hate it when people say armys have two brain cells like bold of you to think we even have a brain (sarcasm lol)

i’m a new generation anpanman

When the Billboard news was released this morning... (wisha)

interviewer: so what are your goals?

sometimes i still think about how the fanchant of cypher pt4...

"Hoe calm down, my shoe lace is untied"

“itʼs ok, we all found bts when we needed them in our lives the most”

i’m so sorry but it’s fake love

i want to see the world from taehyung’s view

just for youuuu

i love that taehyung is never anything but proud when talking abt the fact that he’s gained weight

i bet taehyung gives the best hugs

Our bomb is like a permanent reminder...

remember when we were like omg hixtape‘s mv gonna have bomb ass choreography lmaooo

no but it's so cute bts call it family pictures and not group pictures??

there's an undeniable sexual energy between yoongi nd every trophy...

bh staff: describe yourself in one word

jin: man, blowjobs sure are a mouthful (incorrect bts quotes)

THREADS:

I came across the Deloitte 2018 Media and Entertainment Industry Outlook

hoseok is one of the best dancers in the industry...

meaning behind whalien 52

KPOP101 LESSON 8: THE MINIMALIST ART OF THE KOREAN BALLAD

getting people flustered is hoseok culture - a thread

MY TOP 10 BTS SONGS (by KommonSense)

an explanation of rap lingo BTS use in their lyrics: a thread

I have some free time so like for an unpopular opinion. (hobybIo)

My Favorite Soft BTS Moments - A Thread! (odie)

Burn The Stage made me feel extremely vulnerable. (Aileen)

as Kings of Korean History [A thread] (KommonSense)

a thread of my favorite bts-related tumblr posts

Why and how the BTS rapline's experience with rap mirrors that of OG rappers

Everytime a BTS member was supportive of the LGBT community in any way

Namjoon (RM) Owning Up to His Mistakes

odie

Bangtan dancing styles thread

hoseok is one of the best dancers in the industry

Sky’s experience as a veteran ARMY

Jimin’s gliding technique (more threads on his dance technique)

analysis of how well DNA is structured as an EDM-pop song

I took a closer look into BTS’ intro Serendipity

Park Jimin is one of the most graceful and beautiful dancers in the industry

ok newbie kpop stans, welcome to history class (fandom shit)

An Introduction for the New, the Confused, and the Curious

BTS introduction thread

Science & literature are intrinsic to understanding how BTS and ARMY

how Singularity choreography coincides with lyrics

WHAT BTS ACTUALLY SAID - A MEGA THREAD

BTS song recommendations based on genres: a thread

rap line’s verses analysis

Mnet Comebackshow (LY:Tear) pre-recording review - THREAD -

"remember when" (BTS edition)

I'm watching a BTS music video and I don't know what the hell is going on, a thread:

LY: TEAR - MUSICAL ANALYSIS.

You know why I never will trust or listen to people who say "I left because of the fandom"

Type out what the bighit intro sounds like

Tyra Banks and her biological sons; a thread:

a thread about how BTS uses their music in their storytelling

for hot100, bts did what fans suggested

"Silly Little Trivia: Literal Choreography" thread for Fake Love

UNDERSTANDING BUniverse

BTS showing LGBT+ representation and support, a thread (this, too)

BTS meets Western standards of “cool” established by 1960s music, particularly rock ethics

BTS’ success: human brand x fan relationship

to celebrate bts festa, here is a thread of army stan twt’s best moments

MEME PICS/VIDS:

Jimin in the Danger mv

save Cook-Jin

Hope as mom : can you even get in any college with these grades?

Namgi & their annoyingly jumpy kids

IM WHEEZING JIN DID IT AGAIN

Everything makes sense noW (spider bite, cooky bite)

when they let you love them

When you need to wake em up

coming soon: Kim Seokjin only wanted a boyfriend

salt baes

EXPECTATION: "We aren't talking about BTS enough!

summary of run bts ep 46

i-armys and k-armys (suga’s ghost patting the clay)

Heaviest objects in the entire universe

"You will witness taehyung and jin fighting"

The battle of the year.

Hangsang with my thug

"Tangina mo," - J-Hope, 2018

choose your mineral water.

We all know... K-ARMYS & I-ARMYS

so who is giving them the candy?

I AM FUCKING DYING LAUGHING AT THEM IGNORING ALL THE KNOCKING IN THIS SCENARIO

I got bored and made ART

remember when namjoon asked for armys to edit him in because he missed the group picture with halsey

me listening to bts album skits

hoseok: hangsang with my thugs || his thugs:

we're finally getting the country comeback we deserve

fixed Jimin’s shots in LY:Tear

jungkook: made before i was born

this is what your food looks like inside the microwave

is this a theory?

is this an invitation?

He returned from the war

avatar Jimin

Yoongi and JK’s muffled convo

im just trying to take a nice screenshot....

ah yes, the four elements: fire, earth, water and snickers

Tyra Banks: The BTS ARMY is devoted and crazy (in a good way!) xD

BTS [MV] - You Will Never Do a Live Alone

the nation's #1 producer & bts' hype man

namjoon: you. me?

jungkook when he first met joon

fierce lil meow meow

RM spinebreaker???

this looks like rap line were a group of friends who stuck together...

V was written all along in Jimin’s tweet lol

jwimin-ssi

Hangs out with Tyra Banks ONCE...

learn the alphabet with BTS

TRANS:

When Bighit said they’ll donate 3% of LY album sales, u guys mocked us...

Kim Seokjin strange points

k-netz’ reaction on the Suga-Suran dating scandal

"Can bangtan fans please not get swayed by rumors?”

BTS trainer instagram re:B.T.S.

Music critic Kim, Youngdae nim’s MINI REVIEW on “Face Yourself”

Music critic Kim, Youngdae nim’s MINI REVIEW on “Euphoria”

bang pd and namjoon about his post supporting macklemore's song 'same love'

Konkuk uni student who became Seokjin's fan after speaking with him

I'm a multi-fan, I watch and listen to many idols, but I'm truly scared of BTS

an older woman(non-celebrity) admitted how much she loved BTS

So many warm teas in this article wrote by producer/musician Seiji Kameda

#LOVE_YOURSELF_轉_Tear Album HYYH Notes Translation Thread

180518 Love Yourself 轉 Tear - Thanks To Translations

“The lyrics in BTS’ album are so great Huge congrats to receiving at BBMA ”

response to #1 Billboard 200

BTS 2018 Festa Member’s profiles

VIDS:

KBS Happy Together 3 - Spring Day sung in karaoke room

imagine being this close to sunshine

Ashes - Lim Jeong Hee ft. BTS (2011)

kook's carelessness brought out his sunshine laugh just like that

Remember when bts proved to armys that they are all really spiderman

that time the cameraman was filming bts and jungkook started telling him...

i still get so soft over this the way jin hugged taehyung...

Seokjin killed it in this part in boy in luv

the sound of their footsteps is so satisfying omg

Remember when Jin and Ken met on a year end event rehearsal and they just...

Jungkook’s ‘yes’ and smile when Miri jumped through his arms...

seokjin and his interactions with camera men

Remember when Yoongi & Namjoon sang the high notes in Young Forever...

look at the difference between taekook and jinkook’s handshake lmao

this dance break has a special place in my heart :')

remember when Taehyung accidentally cut his real hair...

Nver forget that iris stevenson was the first one to believe in taehyung...

did yall notice that fdjghgd i’m shaking (run ep 46)

To remember the great SiN/YoonJin moment...

the wings era might be over but this snippet of each member’s solo songs...

Yes, Mom. This man right here. I love him. No more questions?

this is the best video of jin to ever exist

here’s jungkook having fun dancing to mama and lie

slush ft. jin

tell me why is it so funny that yoongi only opened 1/10 of his door n went back so fast

nothing but respect for my choreography leader

when jungkook opened the window well aware that it was raining

what makes you laugh? seokjin’s face

Bringing this back when taehyung was dancing nae nae...

SOMEBODY GIVE THIS BABY BLANKET AND BED...

i love this performance so fucking much!!!!

your ultimate mood booster (hobiiii)

HOLY SHIT MIN FUCKING YOONGI DID THAT

susko sobra ung bucket hats

THE WAY YOONGI AND HOSEOK SAY "RM" TOGETHER

remember when seokjin and hoseok were recognized by fans in america

jungkook imitated namjoon's finger heart and wink in a cute way

A compilation loop of Hoseok sneezing because it’s cute. Bless you!!

remember when jimin was hyping about their concert but hoseok

Hoseok left the group during Trainee days

heres 12 seconds of yoongi doing That Scream™ ...

this is what happens when you openly listen to bts without prejudice

when i say i want a rock song, i want THIS.

When Jungkook couldn’t pronounce Army bomb because of his Busan accent

U kno the thing joon does when he finds something?

reminding all of you that the special talent yoongi prepared is... imitating a doorbell

Here's a compilation of musicians getting shook by the sudden change to major in Jimin's 'Lie'

He actually blew a kiss how adorable

The fanboying level on this video is just

Hoseok doing background vocals/harmonising in Let Go (??)

...namjoon literally gets amused at the toy which blows a ball in the air...

NAMJOON DROPPED THE MIC HE WAS HOLDING AND JIN...

Lie rough instrumental

rough draft of Autumn Leaves, Young Forever, Wings (RM), Wings (JK)

Joon’s voice in the BBMA nomination teaser

Jin's reaction when I (sky) told him I brought him a present...

why BTS was nominated for BB TSA 2018

taehyung was fighting back his tears when they won TSA at 2017 BBMAs

Yoongi forgot his lines in Ma City and he just...

mannequin Tae

Bangtan ended ALL fashion weeks tonight !! (4th muster japan)

members cheering jimin up, wings tour macao

RM’s ending ment, Wings Tour the finale (Day 2?)

never forget bts' iconic reaction when they won their first daesang

When Jin was bowing, Jimin held him down and Jungkook immediately ran to sit in front of him.

jimin and seokjin debating whether dolphins could breathe underwater

look at tae's reaction when bang pd's voice broke

interviewer: what?

“DonT FiGht, Dont Fight!” :(((

RM: “we want to focus on our career”

Q: what's your favorite thing about yourself? yoongi: ᶤ ˡᶤᵏᵉ ᵖᵘᵖᵖʸ

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT HOW JOON TRIED TO DO THE LIL DISNEY WAND THING WITH HIS FINGER IM HURTING

jungkook’s closeups

BTS with Ciara at the BBMAs 2018

don’t ever forget that seokjin is one hell of a snowboarder

“the reason why bts, who was not supported by big agencies, succeeded, is that they tried to read the world and to breathe [with the world] together”

this is what happens when u leave namjoon and jimin alone together

this video of seokjin being hype then instantly stops when his manager look at him will never be not funny

LMFAOOO WAIT TAEHYUNG AND NEYO WERE JAMMING TOGETHER

An exclusive interview with #BTS ! (MBC News)

i love this version of airplane pt. 2 so much (jk+jm part) (jimin mode~) yt link full

john cena getting asked whats his favorite song off love yourself tear

The female staff who video tapes BTS bangtan bombs is amazing

WHAT THE FUCK JUNGKOOK LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE SEOKJIN...

Q: Please say something to international ARMYs

awake (short harp cover)

airplane pt. 2 dance cover

compilation of yoongi stuff in raps

wHY IS JUNGKOOK LIKE THIS

the way he said "what's your name?" and shouted "michelle!"

full vid of the two links above

#ISeoulU bts vid 2015

Tyra Bank’s music vid for Fake Love

vmin in sync is scary

fake love original choreo

jungkook said ‘mic drop!’ after he stepped on the wire and made the mic fall

tae acting in euphoria

puppy jungkook is still the most ᵘʷᵘ :(

hobi jk mirror dance with finger heart (mcountdown)

ONEW WAS THROWING CONFETTI AT TAE PLEASE THATS SO CUTE

Look how Jiminie gave the trophy to Yoongi cuz baby boy knows

tae: so show me army: i’ll show you~ {music core)

minho and tae hugging (music core)

tae’s aegyo in board game run ep

look at taehyung acting all cute in the back

when seokjin goes like (•3•) its the cutest thing ever

wow jimin was that an accident

YOONGI REALLY IMITATED HIM IM SKFJDJ

What 시 (si; hour) is it?

SUGA: honestly, I rlly liked pro-wrestling

a fancam of taehyung spilling his water on his face

ARMY giving hobi a flower with his face on it (fansign) (180603)

BTS: *on their way to a very serious interview on one of Korea's biggest news channels*

yoonkok instant hug BV S1

sunud-sunod na aegyo in anpanman outfits

jungkook pulled off straps and threw down two straps then taejin picked them up

legends say this is the closest rep of how hoseok looks in real life

Kihyun really had the courage to throw confetti in yoongi's face tho

52 year-old man is a director of a company in Japan dancing DNA

I stan a king of fan service he's so adorable!

when taehyung was fake crying and jimin came & softly hugged him from behind

this or that game

jk imitating his hyungs (180607 fansign)

HOW UNSEE THIS IM LAUGHINF SO HARD shkhhh (awake)

biggest mystery in kpop - who's collecting who in the background??? (taejin?)

SEOKJIN ENDED THE PERFORMANCE DOING A FINGER HEART... 180607

hopekook's modified mirror dance 180607 mcountdown

jk reacting to ariana grande bbmas 2018

Look a joonie :( look at him go :(

REMEMBER WHEN HOSEOK SAID HE WAS CLINGY WITH YOONGI (BV2)...

noona fan giving hobi and jimin “allowance”

namjoon drunk-tweeting?

carbonara

LOOK AT LIL MEOW MEOW GO (basketball)

look at jimin’s reaction when a noona gave him a finger heart

they had to throw the yellow cloth at the finish of the performance...

OTHER PICS:

tae being so accepting in star king ;w;

i may be not here since 2013, but im still lucky to witnessed yeontan's lil growth

remember when bangtan was running late for their show...

NAMJOON’S REPLY TO THE SELCA JIN POSTED OF HIM...

hobi and his hearts

ep 1& 2 of B.T.S. has at least cleared up 2 main issues in this fandom

RM has a little #WednesdayWisdom from Burn The Stage.

This photo is a complete mess.

yoongi’s kind of humor is my favorite

Their biggest dream isn’t to break records, its to stay together for a long time.

They recorded their interviews for the documentary when they did Gayo track 15

what jimin said here was really interesting and great

the most powerful twins

They decided not to blur these faces of people who's behind BTS’ success.

BTS calls their staff with nicknames, noona or hyung...

it really went from edits to jungkook actually saying it

IM CRYING BIGHIT PAID FOR YOONGIS TUITON :((

LMFAO at none of them even touching the salad

tae’s uneven eyelids

when jin got allowance from his dad to buy steak...

LOOK AT YOONGI RUN SJDNDNDNDN

give me a better photo transition I'll wait #euphoria

love yourself 起 wonder (2018)

jin being peymous even pre-debut

THIS STILL GOTTA BE THE FUNNIEST THING JOON HAS EVER SAID

the most remarkable twins in history

a turkish tv show asked for ppl to send in pics w their siblings and someone sent in jin and jimin

taehyung’s a legend that listens to music on his laptop on the go

onigiri yoongi

MY MOTHER CAME INTO MY ROOM AND ASKED IF JIMIN IS MY BOYFRIEND

jung hoseok aka the king of mirror selcas

Tiny bestfriends vmin who have been inseparable since kindergarten AU

old bts pics I still can't believe exist: a thread

yoongi at namjoon's graduation (w/ hoseok)

I COMBINED TAEGI'S PICS TOGETHER AND OH MY GOD SJSB

"i put sticker on my carrier" yeah ryt

oh nothing just seokjin casually putting his LG G7 ThinQ at his jacket pocket

He show his flower uwu

taehyung accidentally becoming a meme on diplo's snapchat

Never forget Jungkook's Hongdae adventures

THANKS JIN for not killing jungkook

liam’s post of namjoon :D

that one time namjoon tweeted a picture of them with the caption of “we are all fools”

A 59-year-old friend of mine talking about Love Yourself:Tear

I was worried because I thought yoongi kept doing some kind of gang sign but--

This has to be the best reaction to a non-fan of BTS...

when you are sitting beside BTS but mcflurry ice cream is life

why is this exactly what all of their mixtapes sound like

dispatch - yoongi, fake love

taehyung’s chubby cheeks when he smiles

taehyung and his tea

OMFGGMFM LOOK AT Tyra Banks when boys went up for their award she’s a whole Mood I love her

BTS FESTA 2018 prediction

carry him again, jin

I KNEW THEY WERE GONNA CLOWN HIM

top10 mistranslations betrayal

Yoongi doing ᵗʰᵃᵗ smile

wide open yoongi

brigada eskwela stairs album art

jin flower petals (fansign)

namjoon vs svt jihoon

yoongi continuing his lil meow meow agenda

These two cuties just melted my whole heart (tae and tanie)

So... are we gonna talk about how they drew one stickman thicker than the rest

Low key promoted BTS the past 3 weeks in our hospital...

The exact same cat, same plant & same island taken 1 year apart. (ARMYSelca)

yoongi bunched up(?)

#bts #twitter #my post

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artificialqueens · 7 years

Text

Say You Won’t Let Go Part 5 (Biadore) - Fucking Awful

A/N: No fan fare, no excuses. Just an apologetic author who finally got her hands on a computer.

For those joining this party now – here’s the link to the first installments:

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Welcome to the post-All Stars landslide, kids. Let’s cry together.

Say you won’t let go.

October 2015. Danny was locked in the guestroom of his mom’s house in Azusa, writing. He had only a few days left of recording in the studio, so he needed to focus on finishing up the last few songs of the new album before he ran out of time and money.

The album – he and the producers decided it would be called After Party – was coming along really well. His team was pleased that it had plenty of upbeat and synth-y tracks that they hoped might get him into radio play, and Danny was already storyboarding the lead single music video.

And as for those moodier, melancholy tracks Danny was hoping to write earlier in the summer – those came in spades after “The Incident.”

Danny used “The Incident” as mental shorthand for Roy’s housewarming party; calling it something neutral took away its power over him…and kept him from having to decide whether it was his own breakup or Roy’s hookup that upset him the most. As soon as he got home that night, he wrote the lyrics for “I Can’t Love You” on the first takeout napkin he could find. He spent the next few days perfecting the melody to fit his words – the opposite of his usual work pattern – and had the track laid down within the week. “I.C.U.” came next, after waking up in a cold sweat from a dream where he was chasing some kind of glowing light in a sea of darkness. He got that one done just a few weeks later.

Then he broke for All Stars. Literally, broke. Danny didn’t last 3 days back at Drag Race, but that was going to be common knowledge eventually. He went in as a confident artist healing from a breakup and the less-than-year-old death of his father, and he came out a shaken chiona with fresh wounds where all his Band-Aids had been.

Luckily this gave him yet another treasure trove of sadness and disappointment, from which he pulled out two more real gut-wrenchers like “Save Your Breath.” Danny wanted some really dark stuff on this album, and Life sure as hell gave him something to write about. Music was therapy, just as it always had been.

Music also gave Danny an excuse to hide. That was why he was holed up in Azusa, going nowhere but the studio and the house, because he was working on the album – definitely not because he didn’t know how to deal with his friends after The Incident and his All Stars freak out. Danny hadn’t seen anyone but Bonnie and her boyfriend in weeks, and he’d only spoken to Chris over the phone.

Isolation agreed with him. He working on the chorus of one of his bubblier tracks when his phone vibrated. In the zone and unwilling to be distracted, he ignored it. But, much like that crazy bitch from Fatal Attraction, the iPhone would not be ignored, Dan. Periodic vibes became constant buzzing, moving from short text alerts to the long drone of disregarded calls. After a sold 20 minutes of all out iPhone assault, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck?!” Danny yelled into his phone, picking it up without checking the caller. “Is the Goddamn universe ending?” He had been off in his own creative world, and resented whoever was pulling him back into the real one.

After a long second of silence, a hoarse but recognizable voice spoke. “See, where was this type of anger and hate 2 years ago? Damn, you could’ve at least given me some real competition with that shit.”

Danny froze. Roy.

“Uh, I…Wha…I…” Danny stuttered, hard. He didn’t have a comeback, partially because he was coming down from his moment of rage and partially because he was so surprised to hear that voice.

“That’s more like it. Confused and adorable. How’s my pussyfart doing? Why haven’t you called me? How have you been?“

Confused was right. Why is Roy calling? Danny told him he’d be gone for 10 weeks to do All Stars, but it had barely been 5.

And Roy sounded weird. There was this thing he did with his voice when he was straining to be nice - it got quiet and soft, like he was speaking to a baby bird, and it sounded almost an octave higher. Normally it made Danny laugh, because it sounded so ridiculous in comparison to Roy’s normal voice and reminded him that Roy never understood how warm and comforting he could be without even trying. But in this moment it was unsettling, because he didn’t know why Roy was speaking to him like that.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. You just surprised me, why are you calling me ri – ” Danny realized it all at once. His fucking mom called Roy and told him what happened at All Stars, that was the only possible explanation. Confusion turned into anger and embarrassment. “Did my fucking mother call you and tell you about All Stars? Oh my God, I am not a child anymore. Jesus Christ, she called you and told you I – ”

“Whoa there, calm your tits kid. She didn’t tell me anything more than you’re back home in Azusa a little earlier than expected, and that she’s worried about you holing yourself up in the studio.”

Danny had set the phone down and was rubbing his face. “Fuuuuuck.”

After a few seconds of silence and a deep breath, he picked the phone back up. “Oh my fucking God, I’m sorry she called you. I am so mort - no, I am fine. I am so totally fine. I don’t know what the hell the woman formerly known as my mother was thinking, but seriously everything is ok. Great. It’s fucking spectacular.”

Danny knew the sarcasm in his voice wasn’t thick enough to cover up how exactly not-at-all-ok he actually was, but he thought he could trust Roy enough to just drop it until he chose to elaborate. He was right.

“Clearly, you sound so balanced and even-keeled right now.” Roy was returning the thick sarcasm in kind. “Look, your mama loves you and knows I’m the only motherfucker around here who can pull you outta whatever fucked up funk you’ve gotten yourself into after being sent home.”

Danny tried to interrupt. Sent home? He must be confused. “No, Roy I -”

But Roy cut him off at the pass. “Just shush and listen to your elders for a second. Cocooning yourself off in your own little sorrow…cocoon, fuck I can’t think of another word…anyway that isn’t going to do you any good. Let’s get out and do something, I’m coming to pick you up in an hour or however long it takes me to drive from Hollywood to ass-fuck Azusa. Just do what I say and for the love of God take a shower before you’re back out in public.”

And with a click, the call ended.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Roy didn’t know how he went home. He thought he got kicked off early and that’s why he was sad. Not because he pussied out within 48 hours and left after crying to Michelle and RuPaul on national television. Not because he couldn’t handle harsh criticism from That’s So Raven. Not because he was so emotionally shattered over other events and wasn’t able to focus on a stupid TV competition. And not because he was too scared to fail so he quit instead.

All things I will now have the pleasure of explaining to Bianca fucking Del Rio. To say Danny wasn’t looking forward to that part was about the understatement of his lifetime. But at least I get to see Roy. And that thought made it all ok again.

So Danny sighed, stood up, and shuffled upstairs to shower - shouting and cursing at Bonnie with every other step, and smiling in between.

…

Roy showed about an hour later, around 4 in the afternoon. He came to the door and hugged Bonnie - Bonnie the traitor, as a still slightly angry Danny thought of her - before grabbing Danny out from behind her and pulling him into a hug.

The hug seemed to defy all rules of space and time. It was bone-crushing at the same time as it was soft and warm. It gave Danny goosebumps and made his chest tense up, but it also sent waves of relaxation down his spine and made his head buzz like it was full of fireflies. It went on forever, but was over way too soon.

“Hey kiddo, how ya doin?” Roy said quietly to Danny as he slowly disengaged from the embrace, gently stroking Danny up and down his back while he did so.

Danny let silence hang, and then it hung for too long. When he realized the pause was getting dramatic, he nearly screeched his next words.

“Better now that mommy called a clown to cheer me up.” He was trying desperately to make a joke. The situation was becoming far to sincere and intimate and confusing for his brain to process, and he was just trying to find an eject button. “What, no balloons or giant shoes? I at least expected a piñata.”

“Oh god, you know I hate when you do that fucking chola voice.” Roy rolled his eyes, the spell of the moment broken. “C'mon you little brat, let’s go.” He bounded down the steps of the house and headed for his car.

“Careful, grandpa, you’ll break a hip! I don’t think Obamacare covers clown-related injuries on anyone over sixty!” Danny yelled after him, gathering the rest of his things from behind the door and trying to shoot a glance at his mom that simultaneously said Thank you and I hate you so much right now.

Roy was already in the car and backing out of the driveway when Danny turned around. “If you aren’t in this car in 30 seconds I’m leaving Delano. You better run - run like you’re chasin’ some of Detox’s trade.”

Danny sauntered slowly over to the car, swaying his hips just a little when he noticed Roy focusing a lot of attention on his body. He held his middle finger up all the while.

…

Roy drove Danny all the way back into LA. They spent the over-an-hour-long car ride catching up on all their quick-and-easy stuff: families, gigs, albums and tours, who of their friends had hooked up with who. It only veered into uncomfortable territory once - when Roy brought up the Handsome Blonde Man who haunted Danny’s dreams. Apparently he was named Tom and also now Roy’s boyfriend. Danny changed subjects as soon as the familiar aching feeling in his chest made his stomach hurt, sharply pivoting to talk about some ridiculous fight he and Chris had over Miley Cyrus. He made sure to fully dodge the other conversation bullet - All Stars - for the full drive.

They ended up at a record store in Silver Lake. Two stories of floor-to-ceiling vinyl, used and new, from beat up old soul 45’s to limited edition Bowie box sets to brand new Chance the Rapper albums.

“Do you actually come here?” Danny asked quizzically as he dug excitedly through a bin marked “Hole.” In all the years he’d known Roy, he’d never known him to be into vintage records. Clothes definitely, books maybe - but Danny had never seen so much as a framed album cover in Roy’s apartment.

Roy was a few rows over, casually flipping through the Musicals section. “Of course, I’m here all the time. It’s not that far from my house, and they have a really, uh, great selection, and there’s good coffee nearby, and over there they’ve got books…”

Danny scoffed. “You’re such a bad liar.” Roy had just done all of his lying “tells” - rambling in a weird cadence, going into unnecessary detail, and not making eye contact.

“What?” Roy kept his eyes on the Rogers and Hammerstein. “I am not, you don’t know everything about me, Daniel. I could be here every fucking week buying records for my…” He trailed off.

“For what? Tell me what you play these on, Mr. DJ.” Danny put a hand on his hip and stared challengingly at Roy.

This was fun, he loved catching Roy in a mistake. Their natural relationship dynamic always made him feel like he was at a disadvantage - as if Roy was smart and he was dumb, Roy was successful and he was a fuck up - so Danny seized on any opportunity to reassure him that they were equal. Especially since he knew he was about to tip his own scales back towards ‘fuck up’ whenever Roy decided to finally ask about All Stars.

“My record player, it’s a…um…it’s…oh fuck it.” Roy stopped pretending to look at through the showtunes stacks and rolled his eyes at Danny. “No, I’ve literally never been here before. I asked Raja for a good place to go for music today and this is what I got. Not bad though, huh?”

Danny was surprised by how quickly Roy gave up. Usually there was at least some kind of fun back-and-forth fighting over who was right, or trying to cover up what they didn’t know, or just full on teasing.

“Why? You always listen to everything on those ugly ass Beats headphones anyway, what would you want with a record?”

There were only a few seconds of awkward silence, but Danny would’ve sworn it was a solid minute.

“I wanted to bring you somewhere to take your mind of things, and I know you love record stores.” Roy looked at Danny with that same sincerity from the hug on the front porch. “I figured you could use the distraction.”

And once again, it made Danny’s heart beat wild. Not because Roy was looking at him with genuine care and compassion. No, of course not.

And not because Roy was willing to sacrifice his very limited time off to do something he knew only Danny would enjoy, and that wasn’t something people did normal friends.

Nope, definitely not. It was certainly because Danny was just afraid to tell him about All Stars, that he wasn’t kicked off but instead made the decision to walk away…

“Oh.” That was all Danny could muster.

They spent about 45 more minutes wandering the shop before the owner came out from behind the poster-littered cash wrap and told them both he’d be closing down for the night. Danny bought a new Lana Del Rey album and a beat-up bootleg of a Nine Inch Nails concert from the late 90’s. He was surprised when Roy followed behind to buy a book on Stevie Nicks’ impact on fashion - leave it to him to find a book about clothes in a warehouse full of music.

Danny was starving, and it was far enough past sunset that he didn’t feel like a senior citizen for suggesting dinner. Roy knew of a good Mexican place with strong margaritas a few doors down, and they headed over.

Two hours later, tacos were came and went, margaritas were inhaled like water, shots were knocked back at machine-gun pace, and Danny had officially exhausted all his small talk options. Oh, and also he was drunk. As fuck. In sum, officially out of ways to avoid talking about the elefante in the room.

“So Daniel Noriega.” Roy was slurring his words just a bit, but he was at least two notches less drunk than Danny.

It’s that fucking New Orleans thing, Danny thought to himself. Roy is like a fucking steel tank. He may as well be sober.

(He wasn’t.)

“It’s time to ‘fess up. What’d you wear to piss off Michelle so much that she shoved her fist up Ru’s ass and made him send you home?” Even when tipsy Roy knew how to be hateful. Shit, maybe even more so when he’d been drinking.

“Well, you cunt, it was actually that dress youuuuu -” Danny waved another shot of tequila under Roy’s nose as he gestured towards him “- gave me for the show. Did you and your precious new boyfriend just want to sabotage me?”

Roy grabbed the dangling shot from Danny’s hand and slammed it back. “No way, not possible. That dress was fucking beautiful, it was black and sexy and it sparkled, bitch.” Roy tried unsuccessfully to tongue pop, a sure sign he was getting more drunk by the second; only drunk Roy dug unironically into the Laganja-isms.

“Yeah, well, Michelle thought otherwise. She told me I had hogbody again.”

“What? That shady whore, I swear I -” Roy tried to interject but Danny talked over him, cutting off whatever tirade against Michelle he was about to launch.

“But it didn’t matter, it wasn’t about the dress. Not really, at least. It was about me. How I didn’t care. How I didn’t try, I don’t try, I never try.”

As he spoke, Danny began to feel an unfamiliar emotion in this story: anger. When he’d recounted it to Bonnie, and every time he’d gone through it in his own head, he’d only ever felt embarrassed and sad. But now he felt a fire in his stomach - no doubt fueled by tequila, but still.

“Who the fuck did she think she was, talking to me like that? I’m the fan-fucking-favorite of all time. Of any Drag Race season. EVER. And she thinks she can tell me I don’t care and I don’t try? And that goddamn Raven…”

Danny steamrolled over Roy whenever he tried to respond or ask a question. “Raven was there?”

There was no derailing him, though. The floodgates had been opened, and the weeks of anger Danny had been repressing now flooded out like blood through the halls of The Shining hotel.

“Michelle just made it ok for Raven Simon - Simone - Salmon - ugh, however you say her name. She fucking tore me to shreds for no fucking reason. What has she done since her Disney Channel show like a million years ago? Talk about a joke, someone who doesn’t do anything. Where the hell does she come off saying I’m a bad singer or that I’m fat or that I’m lazy and untalented…”

“She said what now?”

Danny was basically talking to himself at this point. “Screw both of them. They’re idiot fucking people with idiot fucking opinions.” He knew he didn’t mean it all - he loved Michelle like a father - but he just needed to say it.

“Well that’s a constructive, adult response to the situation.”

“Whatever, I’m glad I quit. I’m better than all that anyway.” Danny said it so confidently he almost believed himself.

The moment of drunk, anger-high reassurance was gone as soon as it came.

“You did what?” Roy looked at Danny in disbelief.

Danny was so surprised by Roy’s surprise - and so drunk from the tequila - that he didn’t think to sugar coat anything.

“I quit. They were cunts to me on the first day, so on the second day I quit.”

Uncomfortable silence crashed the party once again. Roy was just staring at him, his eyes slightly squinting and his focus darting around. It was like he was trying to compute whatever Danny had just said, and it went on unbearably long.

“I stood up for myself, Roy.” He couldn’t take the quiet stare, so he broke eye contact and directed his words at the empty shot glass he was idly spinning. Danny knew this made him look like a nervous little boy.

“It was the only thing I could’ve done. If you’d been there, you’d have told me to do the same thing.”

Roy’s expression didn’t change, but he looked away now, too. His eyes searched for the waiter, who he waved at aggressively. “Hi, excuse me. Hello!”

“Roy, I know I should’ve told –”

But Roy wasn’t listening. The waiter had arrived. “Can we get the check please? Actually, just take my card.” He fumbled for his wallet, yanked out his Amex, and threw it on the table. “Faster you bring that back, the bigger the tip.”

He then proceeded to pull out his phone and start dialing, continuing to ignore all Danny’s attempts to speak. It was freaky when Roy got like this, slipped into tunnel vision and disregarded everything around him. Danny knew it was his way of keeping his emotions in check. A Roy this focused was a Roy trying to keep cool.

“Look, I –”

“Justin? Hey, sorry if I woke you up.” Roy ignored Danny and spoke to the voice on the other end of the call. “No, no I’m fine. I need a favor - can you come get my car from El Coyote and drive it home? I’m here with Danny and I’m too drunk to drive. I figured if you’re not out you could…Ok great, thanks. It’s in the valet, I’ll tell them you’re coming. We’re jumping in an Uber. You’re the best, Thunderfuck.”

The waiter came back and Roy signed for the bill. True to his word, he left a 50% tip.

“Come on, Danny. We’re leaving.” Roy acknowledged his presence for the first time in maybe 10 minutes, but still wouldn’t make eye contact. “Uber is outside, I can’t take you home so you’ll stay at my place. Tell Bonnie.”

“Um, I’m not a child going to a sleepover.” Given the childishly defiant way in which he was speaking, and the childishly ashamed way he’d just been sitting, Danny recognized his own deep hypocrisy. “You don’t get to order me around and –”

Roy stood up from the table and finally looked at Danny. “I don’t want to fight with you right now. Can we please just go?”

The exasperation in Roy’s voice was apparent, and it caught him off guard. Frustration, condescension, even anger - those would’ve made sense. But somehow he just looked sad and tired.

“Okay, sure.” Roy walked towards the exit, and Danny stood to follow.

…

The silent car ride gave Danny just enough time to spiral. Both he and Roy were staring out their windows, probably making the Uber driver think they had just gotten into a huge fight. Danny almost wished they had - at least Roy would be talking to him if they were fighting, and yelling at each other must be better than not speaking at all.

Instead, the absence of words led him down a rabbit hole of thought. Roy has never been this quiet, not with me. Is he that angry? Did I let him down that badly? He must’ve known I couldn’t get far without him, that I’d disappoint him in the end. Him, my mom, my fucking fans…

It was a particularly dark rabbit hole, and one he’d become deeply acquainted with since he left All Stars. He knew every nook of self-doubt, every cranny of anger, every pothole of depression. By the time the car pulled up to Roy’s place, Danny was approaching the final circle of his own personal hell.

Roy had been in his own head enough that he didn’t notice. Danny trailed behind him from the car to the elevator to the hallway, tears welling up all the while.

Inside the apartment, Roy threw his keys on the table and walked straight towards his kitchen. He wasn’t watching Danny as he poured two giant glasses of water, but he began talking immediately.

“I’m trying to think of what to say here, Danny, but I’m just at a fucking loss. You left? You fucking left?” He still wasn’t yelling, but there was a tinge of annoyance in his tone that wasn’t there before.

“You’re so special, so talented and amazing. You couldn’t just believe that enough to tough it out and win? You know you would’ve won if you had just –”

The speech was cut off by Danny’s own sob. One heave, two heaves, and then a waterfall of breathes, apologies and shudders tumbling out while he leaned on the door for support. The combination of too much tequila, chased with a mixer of his own and Roy’s disappointment, was too much for Danny to handle.

That caught Roy’s attention; he dropped his Brita and nearly jumped over the kitchen counter, sliding his hands around Danny’s waist just as he was about to collapse under the weight of his own crying.

“Oh, hey. Babe, shh.” Roy guided them over to the couch. “I didn’t mean to make you…I just don’t understand what happened. Help me understand what happened.” He was trying to talk to Danny, who was too busy trying to catch a deep breath between hiccuping and not inhaling tears.

“I - I’m so sorry - I let you down - and I’m - such a - shit - to everybody - I -” Danny got out 15 words before another wave of sobs. He and Roy had settled into a somewhat comfortable position on the couch - Roy seated, Danny resting his head on his left pec and soaking his shirt in the same spot. He took a few minutes to gather some words.

The steady beating of Roy’s heart under the weight of his head, matched with Roy’s in-rhythm stroking of his hair, eventually calmed him enough to speak again.

“Roy, I know I made a mistake. What they said, it just -”

“What did they say to you? Dan, you have to tell me.” Roy was trying to sound calm, but in a sharp tone that Danny could tell was holding back anger.

“I can’t, and you’ll see it eventually anyway. You’re going to think it’s so stupid, I just couldn’t take their shit after everything that happened this summer. I walked in there and I was ready to fall apart from the beginning. I had just had my fucking heart ripped out of my chest, and - ”

“Oh, babe. I thought you were okay with the breakup? You told us you were fine after he -”

Danny scoffed. That’s not what I meant, idiot. Obviously I mean you.

“No, I - it wasn’t that. I guess not. I just, I couldn’t handle knowing that I was going to end up disappointing everyone.” Danny could feel the tequila making him real ramble-y and real honest, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“The way Ru and Michelle were looking at me on that stage, like I had fallen from a pedestal or something. And Michelle, when we talked it was just, like, pity. I don’t know, it just like broke my brain to see how I failed them.” He paused to wipe his runny nose.

“And thinking about how I would let down my mom and my fans and you - I mean, letting down other people is one thing but when you know you can’t live up to the expectations of the person you’re in lo -”

Even in his most hammered of hammered states, Danny would’ve cut himself off before he finished saying the words “in love with.” But before he could self-censor, he was silenced by the violent change in Roy’s heartbeat. Just as he began the phrase, the pounding on the warm chest beneath him went from the rhythm of soft jazz to the thump of an Afrojack track.

“What?”

Danny didn’t respond, he didn’t know what to say. He was mesmerized by the heartbeat, afraid to speak in case the words he wanted to desperately to hide would come spilling out. This was not the time for this conversation - not while Roy had a boyfriend, while Danny was lying in his arms blubbering like a baby, while they were both drunk, while he wouldn’t get the response he so desperately wanted.

But Roy wouldn’t abide the silence. “Dan, what were you going to -” Roy’s voice cracked, something it never did. And for some reason that made Danny cry all over again, all the way to sleep.

As he drifted off, tears rolling down his face, he would’ve sworn he felt some falling on the top of his head like rain drops.

He would’ve been right - they were Roy’s.

…

Danny woke up around 4:30. He was still nestled up in Roy, but they’d fallen into a more laying down than sitting up situation. The right side of his face was damp, as was the bit of Roy’s chest he’d taken up as a pillow for the last five hours. He was safely wrapped in Roy’s arms, one of which wrapped around his waist while the other laid atop the long black hair he’d been stroking.

Danny gave himself just a few deep breaths to enjoy the moment - the warmth, the safety, the peace - before his eyes snapped open and his head began to throb. It throbbed from salty shots and margaritas, from embarrassment, and from the memory that Roy had a fucking boyfriend.

Knowing Roy was a heavy sleeper, Danny slowly slipped himself out of the dare-he-call-it-spooning position and stood up from the couch. He saw Roy adjust slightly at the loss of an extra body, also losing the dopey smile that was plastered on his sleeping face.

Watching this, Danny’s stomach started to turn - and not just the normal hangover nausea. He was getting the same stomach pangs he felt when his dad passed, the same ones he felt when he lost Season 6 - a pain he’d come to associate with losing something he didn’t have in the first place.

Danny knew he had to get out of the apartment. He grabbed his phone - still in his pocket and alive, thank God - and called for an Uber. He knocked back both the glasses of water left on the counter before scribbling a note on Roy’s whiteboard:

Sorry I had to leave, needed to get home for mom stuff. Don’t tell anyone what we talked about or you owe me the contract violation money, bitch. Love you x 10000.

Danny spent the hour long ride back to Azusa writing out the lyrics to “4 a.m.”

#adore delano #bianca del rio #biadore #say you won't let go #fucking awful #rpdr fanfiction #submission #sywlg #canon compliant

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bunkershotgolf · 4 years

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» Nebula Black » Tales Album » Sooil 2017 Drama

PERSONAL LIFE.

november 2nd, 1995 - 9:27 PM

after twelve grueling hours of labour, nam sooil is born. he reportedly screams so loud that patients in the hospital’s neurology ward, two floors up, issue complaints to their nurses. his mother soon falls asleep, but she and her husband spare a moment to share a smile - with that kind of voice, there’s no doubt, their son will belong onstage.

january 19th, 1998 - 8:04 PM

his mother is on a world tour, performing pieces from her most notable operatic roles and a few of his father’s best compositions, and sooil is given permission to follow along. tonight they are in sydney, australia, and he is so tired from the flight earlier that day, and it’s so close to his bedtime. as his mother’s makeup artist completes her finishing touches and she heads towards the stage, the tears come. he’s crying, his mother takes an extra thirty seconds to hug him and wipe his tears, and her manager crouches down to his height and tries to reassure him that “she’ll be back soon, i promise!” they carry him backstage and let him watch his mother perform from the wings, but he doesn’t care about that anymore - his eyes are fixated on the audience, the applause. he��s fascinated. he watches the stage for the rest of the tour, and doesn’t cry once.

april 12th, 2000 - 2:48 PM

he sits at a shiny grand piano, stacked on top of a pillow and the bench so that he could reach the keys. his father blows notes through a harmonica and he plays them, matching each one perfectly. another man (dad says he’s korea’s best music teacher but really he just seems kinda loud and scary) laughs and claps his dad on the back. he is not entirely sure why he smiles as he keeps following along.

january 30th, 2002 - 9:15 PM

he is at the piano again, but this time there are people watching and lights pointed at him that make him squint. his feet can’t touch the floor but his knee bounces; sitting still for stretches of time makes him restless, and he wishes he weren’t stuck there. but he can see his parents standing backstage, beaming and giving him a thumbs up, squeezing each other’s hands. he knows what they want so he complies - his small, six year old fingers find their places on the keys and he plays. the reviews that come out the next day are glowing - how could such a young child play chopin so easily and so skillfully? with the parents he has, it’s no wonder it comes so naturally to the boy. he becomes a name in the classical world overnight.

september 22nd, 2003 - 10:34 AM

the park near the nams’ house has a community centre with a kids’ baseball team, and sooil begs his parents to let him join. they have a hundred concerns - if he hurts his hands now, he risks losing a career that has hardly begun. but the coach comes over to talk to them. they’re just kids, they don’t hurt themselves too bad, he’s careful, and if something does happen, he’ll heal quicker now than when he’s older. finally sooil gets to do something he really wants. he runs around, rolls in the dirt, catches and throws and bats to his heart’s content. for the first time ever, he is able to run all the energy from his body.

august 26th, 2006 - 12:09 PM

he’s out with his friends getting burgers for lunch when a car drives past them, blaring some kind of noise with an upbeat rhythm that he can feel through the pavement. he stops walking, his heart pounds. in his ten years of life, he’s never heard something like it. one of his friends says “ugh my noona always plays super junior so loud i hate it” and sooil is hooked. he stays up all night listening to old shinhwa and tvxq cds borrowed from the library, and he fills an entire notebook with compositions that week. they’re messy and awful, but he knows he has to keep going.

december 15th, 2008 - 6:17 PM

it’s not like he’s given up classical. he’s still playing recitals, helping his mother rehearse, dropping by her concerts every once in a while to accompany her. but one day over dinner he announces that he’d auditioned for an entertainment company, and that they’d offered him a contract, and he can see it. his parents hate it. they think he’s wasting the gift he has on garbage. they don’t say much about it, until it’s too obvious, and everyone is sensitive and everyone is yelling and he’s tired, so so tired of it all.

march 3rd, 2010 - 7:54 AM

he thought being a piano prodigy would’ve been a bit more of an asset in the music industry, but boy did he know now. after just over a year of training, sooil has discovered every flaw and crack in his talent that exists. training to be a vocalist should be easy for the son of a celebrated opera singer, but sooil’s narrow range proves that not all of his mom’s gifts were passed on to him. he’s a hard worker, and he knows they see a debut ahead for him - his compositions are where his talent really lies, and even his not-ideal vocals are improving. it’s just a matter of determination and patience.

february 10th, 2013 - 12:41 PM

it took a while, but now he’s here. onstage, grinning from ear to ear, a mic in his hand, his sweaty palm no match for his vice-like grip. for a moment he forgot about the blood, the sweat, the tears that brought him this far; he forgot that his parents were likely not watching the broadcast at home. sooil felt that he’d climbed everest, and now he had no choice but to go further, higher, into the stars.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES.

+ comfortable: sooil is very comfortable onstage, in front of a camera, in front of the public. his infectious bright energy allows him to draw attention towards himself, which is a great asset on variety shows and much appreciated by shyer group members.

- anxious: since early on one of the best ways for him to contribute to the group was by composing, but when halcyon went through their decline soon after debut, it was easy to put the blame on himself. as they’ve started picking themselves back up, sooil still can’t shake the threat of easy and quick failure that lurks around every corner.

+ sponge: sooil is good at picking up skills and learning quickly. even if he can’t quite master something completely, he can usually get to a decent level of comfort with it - it’s helped him a ton in his acting career, especially right at the start.

- spread too thin: while sooil is obviously multitalented and versatile, it’s impossible that he masters everything. the expectations placed on him to write music, act, work on his voice, ignore antis, and keep his bubbly energy up means more stress and less confidence.

+ vitamin: sooil is the cute, youngest halcyon - he learned from the start how to work it. he’s good at making people smile and laugh, even if it’s at his own expense. when things start going in the wrong direction, sooil turns the mood back up.

- proud: although he learns easily, sooil is not usually ready to admit he needs help with anything. this means that a problem that could be fixed with a few pointers and practise runs takes way longer, way more convincing, and way more frustration than necessary.

2017 INTERVIEW.

being famous was great when they were the rookies everyone loved and talked about, but it got old real fast. about a year after their debut, halcyon had their highly anticipated second comeback - another full album, with four whole tracks written by sooil. the press fawned over them, the fans counted down the minutes, the album was polished with pride. they released it and the responses were… tepid. it was worse than if they had been truly bad. after a year of so much praise and popularity, sooil scrolled through chatboards and twitter threads calling his music, the music he and his group wrote and poured so much work into and bled for, “boring”, “repetitive”, “old”. as soon as he heard it, he knew the fans were right. suddenly he hated performing the songs, hated having to talk about them over and over on tv, hated having to write new ones. he hated standing onstage and seeing fewer signs with their names, fewer lightsticks in their colours, hearing less and less voices chanting along.

for the next comeback, sooil tried to write songs that were more upbeat, uptempo, exciting, a dance track like the ones he’d found and fallen in love with as a kid. nebula turned them down. they kept releasing more of the same, they kept watching fans go. by 2015, sooil could walk around town without a mask on to hide his face. after hex debuted, there was another, more exciting boy group from nebula. the fame and recognition they had worked so hard to earn was being taken out from under them.

now that he’s earned some more personal fame from acting and that halcyon’s recent releases have gotten better responses, sooil’s ego is sufficiently pampered with crowds waiting to take his photo at the airport, full schedules, sold out fansigns. but fame has a new edge to it now that he knows how easy it is to lose it, and how hard it is to earn it back.

#glr: profile #glr: black #glr: halcyon

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dimensionsunited · 5 years

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SEPTEMBER 2019 DIMENSIONS ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of October 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: August schedule posts are due by the end of September 7 KST.

Overall Company

A break for Dimensions idols has been a rare sight recently, but they’ve all been granted Chuseok off for a three-day break unless they have other individual voluntary activities to attend to. For many of the artists under Dimensions, this won’t so much be enough time to recuperate after their recent schedules as it is the eye of the storm of their nonstop activities as Dimensions attempts to cash in as much as possible on their rise.

Important dates:

September 12-14: Chuseok break (no activities save for specific voluntary individual schedules).

Dimensions Soloist 1

The Asian leg of her tour wraps up mid-month in Tokyo and at the end of the month she begins her European leg of the tour, which is the final leg of the tour for her. Her comeback has been internally confirmed for October, but executives have made the final decision to do a single release instead of an album as they’d originally planned since the release will be too late to have much of a chance at awards. By the end of the month, the song will be completely recorded and mastered and she should know the choreography to the song by heart.

September 6: Warning Tour concert at Taiwan University Sports Centre in Taipei, Taiwan.

September 19: Warning Tour concert at TSUTAYA O-East in Tokyo, Japan.

September 26: Warning Tour concert at Indigo at the O2 in London, England.

September 29: Warning Tour concert at Progresja in Warsaw, Poland.

Dimensions Soloist 2

It’s finally the month of his first solo concert so management around him is buzzing in a way that usually only happens during comeback season. The tickets have sold well, so things are looking food for him as long as the concerts go off without a hitch, which Dimensions plans on ensuring by making sure the set list is drilled into him over and over again with practice leading up to the big weekend.

Important dates:

September 21: Ever After concert at Yonsei University Auditorium in Seoul, South Korea.

September 22: Ever After concert at Yonsei University Auditorium in Seoul, South Korea.

Gal.actic

Their pride festival performances last month went well and Dimensions is considering the possibility of expanding their target demographic more now. In the mean time, they’ve managed to book a deal as the new faces of sports wear and sports equipment brand Sports 7330 and will film a CF for them. Additionally, they’ll begin filming the reality show they were promised and the concept will be revealed to them as a show where they attend college to study skin care and cosmetics alongside a male comedian and a rising male model. The show will be titled Gal.actic Beauty School. The first of four episodes will film at the end of the month. They’ll learn about the making of cosmetic products and brainstorm about what product they want to make in teams, then they’ll have a meeting with their team leader’s friends which will be filmed with a “group date” vibe this episode for the “college experience”.

Model team: Leader/main vocal, main rapper/main dancer/vocal, and vocal

Comedian team: Lead vocal, maknae/vocal, and lead rapper/lead dancer/vocal

Important dates:

September 19: Sports 7330 CF filming.

September 27: Gal.actic Beauty School episode one filming.

Alien

Though they’re in the middle of music show promotions, Dimensions have opted for a big push overseas, which is evident in Alien’s schedule. Early in the month, they’re set to perform in the Philippines, and after Chuseok, their English version of Play It Cool releases as a prelude to a a few performances in Las Vegas. After they officially wrap music show promotions, they’re booked for a German K-Pop festival and once they return to Seoul, they’re on the clock quickly ticking down to the beginning of their world tour next month.

Important dates:

September 7: Performance at Klook Cosmic Celebration at Hall D, World Trade Center in Manila, Philippines.

September 18: Release of Play It Cool English Version.

September 20: Performance at iHeart Radio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

September 21: Performance at Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

September 21: Performance at iHeart Radio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

September 26: End of music show promotions.

September 28: Performance at Finger Heart Festival at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany (also performing: Element).

MARS

English lessons are on the schedule up until Chuseok along with practice for their Canadian fancon. There will be cameras present at some of their lessons and practices to record clips for a mini docu-series on the fan-con Dimensions plans to release on YouTube. They leave for Toronto on the 25th and in the days leading up to the fan-con they’ll film more for the mini-series by exploring Toronto together, with the itinerary mostly being up to the members. On the 28th, they’ll do a surprise public performance of “Cactus” and “Callin” and will later in the day stage a surprise for a dance cover group who is performing their song in public by joining them.

Important dates:

September 25-September 30: Mini docu-series filming.

September 29: MARS Global Fan-Con in Toronto, Canada.

September 30: MARS Global Fan-Con in Vancouver, Canada.

7ROPHY

Music show promotions end with only one win, but that’s still better than was expected from them before this year. Dimensions has taken advantage of demand for them in Thailand by booking them two different performances there at the end of the month, but before that, they continue their job as Kaja Beauty brand ambassadors and continue refreshing their Japanese for their Japanese comeback next month.

Important dates:

September 6: End of music show promotions.

September 10: Kaja Beauty photoshoot and individual interviews.

September 21: Performance at K-Crush 2019 Concert at Impact Challenger Hall 1 in Bangkok, Thailand (also performing: Gold Star Soloist 2).

September 29: Performance at KCON Thailand at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand (also performing: BC Soloist 1)

Unity

The beginning of the month will look promising to fans who have been asking for Unity to be given a break, but contrary to their lack of public schedules, they’re hard at work behind the scenes to learn and record the English version of “Highway to Heaven” which will be released, non-promoted, next month. Following Chuseok, they’ll fly back out to the US to film the music video in the Mojave Desert over two days before returning to Seoul. Starting from the 21st, they’ll have a series of overseas performances and appearances to keep them busy.

Important dates:

September 16 & 17: Highway to Heaven (English Ver.) MV filming in the USA.

September 21: Performance at K-FLOW2 Concert at National Taiwan Sports University Arena in Taipei, Taiwan.

September 23: Angel Japan 1st Meeting 2019 Welcome To Our Playground Part 1 & Part 2 fan meetings at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

September 25: Release of Awaken Japanese album.

September 26: Awaken Hi-Touch at Roppongi Hills Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

September 28: Performance at Global Citizen Festival at Central Park Great Lawn in New York City, NY, USA.

Lucid

Their second block of Lucid Look After Our Dog shooting is set for this month, on top of two college festival performances and a cover video filming. Dimensions has arranged for Lucid to prepare a mash-up dance cover of some of the year’s boy group releases, Origin’s “Boy With Luv”, Knight’s “Love Shot”, Alien’s “Alligator”, and Unity’s “Simon Says”, for an industry YouTube channel, which will give them a chance to show off their more girl crush charms that have been less prevalent this year. For this month’s Look After Our Dog filming, they remain in the same teams, but meet new dogs for two new live streams. Team B once again wins for episodes 3 and 4 while Team A wins for the first time for episodes 5 and 6.

Team A

Main vocal/lead dancer (Team Captain)

Main dancer/vocal/rapper

Maknae/vocal

Episodes 3 & 4: Binu (Maltese) & Shampoo (Maltese) - Missions: Go camping, feed them cabbage, give them an afternoon nap

Episodes 5 & 6: Danchu (Coton de Tulear) & Kkomaengie (Coton de Tulear) - Missions: Do a wedding photo shoot for the dogs, make a cake for them, throw a birthday party for them

Team B

Main rapper/vocal (Team Captain)

Lead vocal

Leader/lead vocal/lead dancer

Episodes 3 & 4: Kwansun (Afghan Hound) - Missions: Take for a walk, go to the salon and style her hair, create fun memories

Episodes 5 & 6: Nicole (Welshi Corgi) & 7 puppies - Missions: Name the puppies, feed the puppies, go to the clinic and get the puppies’ first vaccinations

Important dates:

September 7: Lucid Look After Our Dogs episode three and four filming.

September 11: Hello82 2019 Boy Group Covers video filming.

September 18: Lucid Look After Our Dogs episode five and six filming.

September 26: Performance at Changwon National University Festival in Changwon.

September 27: Performance at Gyeongbok Provincial College Festival in Yecheon.

#fmdschedule #queued post

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cringeynews · 7 years

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New Post has been published on

New Post has been published on http://cringeynews.com/featured/to-understand-britney-spears-you-need-to-understand-her-hair/

To understand Britney Spears, you need to understand her hair

Pogs. Furbys. Juicy Couture tracksuits. American Pie. Willa Ford.

These are just a few of the trends Britney Spears has outlasted in her long and storied career, which spans nine albums, 20 years, and countless iconic moments that today’s celebrity Snapchat wars could never hope to replicate.

Even as new generations of bobbleheaded pop stars keep cropping up to snatch her crown, Britney has been a unique fascination from the moment she danced her way around a Catholic high school in 1998’s “…Baby One More Time” video.

Even escaping to Las Vegas for a multiple-year residency — an eternity in the celebrity news cycle — hasn’t stopped Spears from being one of the biggest and most instantly recognizable stars on this whole dumb planet.

When the aliens come, don’t be surprised if they don’t care about us taking them to our leaders when they could meet Britney Jean Spears instead.

She’s also gone through so many career transformations, rock bottoms, and comebacks that it can be hard to remember how, exactly, Britney Spears became the icon she is today. As any of her devoted fans will tell you, though, Britney’s always played the poker game of celebrity with one painfully obvious tell: her hair.

If you want to know how Britney Spears is doing, all you have to do is look at her hair (or the wigs and weaves she wears to approximate it) — which, when you think about it, makes her about as relatable as a pop star can get.

So as we celebrate Brit’s 35th birthday, let’s take a break from our own mundane lives to look back at the 20 years that brought Britney Spears to this point, by way of her mood ring hairstyles.

1) Britney Spears Original Flavor: dirty blonde (1998–2001)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

When Britney Spears charged into the spotlight on the edge of a new millennium, her naughty Catholic schoolgirl routine for “…Baby One More Time” was tempered by the fact that the bubbly 17-year-old also seemed like your kid’s favorite babysitter — a contrast that was, of course, purposeful.

As we later came to realize, Britney’s family and managerial team carefully calibrated her public persona, and in the beginning that meant selling sex while being a paragon of virtue. So while the other pop starlets in Britney’s early orbit — Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, even Mandy Moore — defaulted to brighter, louder blondes, she started off as a softer honey blonde, to slightly undercut her salacious image.

2) Blonde(r) ambition (2001–2005)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

Soon enough, though, Britney couldn’t escape the blonde — nor, arguably, did she want to. Though her team kept assigning her a virginal narrative even throughout her high-profile relationship with cocky N’Sync leading man Justin Timberlake, Britney pushed back against that sterile persona, becoming more openly sexual, even a little dangerous.

By the time she debuted her legendary “I’m a Slave 4 U” performance at the 2001 VMAs, she’d amped up not only her dance moves but also the amount of peroxide in her perpetually whipping hair.

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From there on out, Britney made clear that she was — say it with me/I am so sorry — not that innocent. (First and last one, I swear.) She became the sex symbol her image had always teased, vamping it up with a self-aware smirk. This glorious time included her 2003 album In the Zone — widely considered one of her best — not to mention her 2003 hit “Britney makes out with Madonna at the VMAs.”

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But by 2004, Britney’s grip on her world was starting to slip — or maybe more accurately, Britney started to slip from the world. Forces within both her own circle and the salivating music industry were pulling the sweetly dorky Louisiana girl in a thousand directions, and it was only a matter of time before she broke.

2004 was the end of polished Britney. Reports of drug use and mental health breaks started circulating in the tabloids, and then a Vegas trip with childhood friends ended in a spontaneous wedding — and hasty annulment — that gave the press ammunition for years. She met Kevin Federline, a backup dancer with cornrows and a “who gives a fuck?” vibe that Britney probably found refreshing. Finally, her tour got delayed when she tore her ACL during dance rehearsal — and shortly thereafter, she proposed to Federline.

This time is maybe best summed up by the 2005 reality show Britney and Federline starred in, featuring footage they shot of each other acting stoned and snorting through Cheetos: Chaotic.

3) The debut of “Brunetteny” (2006)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

One of the first signs that Britney was about to go even more dramatically off script came when she ditched any semblance of blonde for a dark brown weave in 2006.

Two years after she tore her ACL, “Brunetteny” — as her fiercely loyal self-described “Brit Army” of fans call this bizarro version of her — played by a different set of rules than the pop star we’d come to know.

She abandoned her old persona completely, embracing the chaos of being exactly the opposite of everything people thought she was before. Then Britney got pregnant, and Brunetteny became an even more clearly different persona, separate from her previous blonde teen princess act. She had two sons within two years — Sean Preston in 2005, Jayden James in 2006 — and backed off the grueling performance schedule she’d been under since she was just a kid herself.

Britney was done trying to be the slick package of sexed-up stardust the industry had sold her as, and Brunetteny was her way of saying so.

But if anyone thought Britney’s rebellious stage would culminate in something as banal as a Vegas wedding, an ill-advised investment in a shady backup dancer, or brunette wigs … well, they were mistaken.

4) Shaved hair, don’t care (2007)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

In 2007, Britney’s marriage to Federline crumbled into a fine powder, and her mental health became the subject of worldwide discussion. Once her family and Federline took her sons away from her, she spiraled hard.

She tried rehab, ditched rehab, and cut out her family and friends for a new circle of people whose close ties with the paparazzi ushered in an unprecedented new era of scrutiny into Britney’s personal life at the exact moment when she was at her lowest.

The situation, Rolling Stone wrote then, was dire. When Britney left rehab without completing any kind of program, her family and friends wondered if she was about to self-destruct:

She arrived at Federline’s house for her babies, but he had joined forces with Lynne [Britney’s mother] and Rudolph [Britney’s manager], and wouldn’t talk to her until she registered at the Malibu rehab center Promises. She circled his house three times, furious at having to concede to their demands, before pulling into a random hair salon in the Valley and taking her hair off in big clumps, less as a penance than a liberation. Then she stayed up for forty-eight hours straight, driving around, sucking down dozens of Red Bulls, afraid that she was being followed by demons, or that a cell-phone charger was taping her thoughts, and obsessively listening to the radio for news about Anna Nicole Smith’s death earlier that month. That was her fate, she declared — she was next.

Everyone — including Britney, apparently — thought they knew what was coming. But when she did snap, she still managed to surprise the hell out of all of us.

You know the pictures. Britney, peering at herself in a mirror, shaves off what’s left of her brown hair with a giant grin. Britney, bald head peeking out of a loose sweatshirt, gets tattooed. Britney, wild-eyed, grips an umbrella and beats the hell out of a paparazzo’s car.

As “fuck you”s go, though, this one was pretty spectacular.

5) The pink wig (2007–2008)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

The moments after the head shaving were dark for Britney. Rehab wouldn’t take, she had lost custody of her kids, and Kevin Federline was screening her calls. But Britney’s always been able to put on a show, and in 2007 she might’ve singlehandedly staged the most compelling entertainment of the year. (Google reminds me that the Oscar winner for Best Picture that year was The Departed, but I don’t care, I stand by it.)

Britney’s biggest fans at this point might have been the paparazzi, who stalked her from her driveway to Starbucks and back again. They learned how to anticipate when she was likely to give them something of interest beyond detailing which Frappuccino flavor is her favorite. (She revealed in 2011 that it’s strawberry, and also, the fact that we still cared about what her favorite Frappuccino flavor was a good five years after we were done caring about Frappuccinos speaks to Britney’s strange charisma.)

One detail of Britney’s appearance was a particularly solid indication that something strange was on the horizon: a hot pink bobbed wig, crumpled and frizzy, like she’d just fished it out of the bottom of a long-forgotten Party City sale bin. As one charming paparazzo told People then: “When she puts on the pink wig, you just know something crazy is about to happen.”

And so it did. She’d throw on the wig and tear around the Los Angeles canyons, leading the paparazzi on wild goose chases while taunting them in a British accent, seemingly manic and desperate for approval. Sometimes she’d even stop to hang out with them — which is how she met boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, a former paparazzo whose job used to be to follow her around.

Consider all this when you realize that in October 2007 — eight months after she shaved her head — Britney still managed to put out Blackout, her best album to date.

The wig reluctantly went into retirement once her father, Jamie Spears, stepped in, securing a temporary conservatorship over his daughter’s life and finances — a drastic measure, and one that’s since become a permanent fixture of Britney’s life.

Britney still loves wigs, but that pink bob is imprinted on her history like a bruise that refuses to fade.

6) Finding a new normal through questionable blond weaves (2008– 2013)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

These were the best of times. These were the worst of times.

As Spears tried to grow out her hair underneath a series of excruciatingly bad weaves, her career ramped back up into high gear — though she clearly wasn’t ready.

Watching her now-infamous performance of “Gimme More” at the 2007 VMA’s is like watching someone sleepwalking, and not being sure if waking her would be the best or worst thing. Instead of really dancing — always Britney’s favorite part of performing — she listlessly wandered across the stage, looking less like a pop star than a figure skater who got bored and started thinking about where to get lunch.

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In a 2008 cover story titled “The Tragedy of Britney Spears,” Rolling Stone called her “a perfectly proportioned twenty-six-year-old porcelain doll with a nasty weave.”

Slowly, though, Britney clawed her way out of her hell. Though her father’s conservatorship monitored her every decision — and, again, continues to do so today — she recommitted to being a pop star. She released solid pop albums Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011), before the more introspective Britney Jean (2013). In 2013 she announced her Vegas residency, a show called Piece of Me that would run 50 times a year.

In her exclusive announcement with Good Morning America, Britney smiled from behind enormous sunglasses, a helicopter whirring away behind her. “I’m definitely ready,” she said.

And she was right.

7) A new contender — “Auburtney”? “Redheadny?” — appears (2014)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

As Britney settled into the role of anchoring her own Vegas experience, she turned back to her Brunetteny roots, this time with more of a red sheen than she’d ever had. This was a brief period, but still significant if only because Britney trying brown hair on for size usually signals a restlessness with her own image.

Vegas was a whole new stage for Britney’s career, and though she ended up embracing it to the point where she’s now extended her stay through 2017, she was still figuring out exactly what it — not to mention she — was going to be. For Britney, that usually means dusting off another wig, slipping on a different persona, and trying something new for the sake of it.

8) Mermaid Britney (2015)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

Maybe the best sign of Britney’s improved mental state is her Instagram. In 2015, the boilerplate posts telling fans to go to Vegas in unsettlingly stilted social media speak disappeared. Britney’s Instagram became way more personal, filled with videos of her sons doing skateboard tricks in their Vegas backyard, motivational quotes, and more pictures of sparkly fairies and apple-cheeked babies than Anne Geddes could stuff in a teapot.

At one point, Britney got her hands on a phosphorescent mermaid tail, which she wore to lounge around the pool with her sons and niece in the Vegas heat. She dyed the tips of her hair to match, and thus, Mermaid Britney — a determined performer and goofy mom — got her name.

Also: Mermaid Britney came to slay.

When she started the show in 2014, she was tentative; in 2015, she owned that stage. Her performing is more solid than it’s been in a decade, as she switches up her Piece of Me dance numbers and incorporates new jams for dozens of high-octane performances a year.

9) Back to blonde (2016–?)

Javier Zarracina / Vox

Today, Britney Spears has settled into her role about as comfortably as could be expected, given the fact that she’s spent her entire life trying to be a person while everyone surrounding her tries to fold her into boxes.

But at 35, Britney’s fully twice the age she was when “…Baby One More Time” came out and her life changed forever. She’s a mom who posts inspirational memes and videos of her sons with her giggle as their soundtracks. She’s a performer who churns out show after show, who released a ninth album that has more variation than any she’s done, who knows everything you think of her and has become her own person in spite of it.

Glory be.

Via

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rynehambright · 7 years

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20 Not So Sweet 16.

2016 felt like the weirdest mixed bag. Like one minute you could reach in to find a delicious piece of your grandma's homemade peanut brittle and the next you might pull your hand out to realize three of your fingers were missing. "It is what it is” so they say, and this year certainly...was.

Below you will find my top 20 of '16. On this list there are records, movies, books and more. Eligibility was granted to anything and everything that 1. entertained me and 2. had an original release date in the calendar year. Anywho, I've got to keep this short before our new President takes over and this domain changes to Trumplr.

20. Hello, My Name is Doris

As terrible as 2016 proved to be in the taking of some of our greatest artists, thank the Lord not a hair on Sally Field’s head was harmed. Turning in her quirkiest and most charming performance to date, Field plays Doris, a young-at-heart sixty something who is trapped between the comings of old age and the millennial workplace. When a new hire, played by New Girl’s Max Greenfield enters the picture, Doris finds herself falling for a man that could comfortably be her grandson. It all sounds so horribly wrong but feels so honestly right. You do you, Doris. (SPOILER ALERT: She does.)

19. Cleopatra - The Lumineers

With the strength of a thousand fedoras, The Lumineers roared onto the scene with 2012's Top 40 hit 'Ho Hey'. The self-titled album that housed the track proved to be a powerhouse of its own, expertly blending folk and Americana instrumentation with pop melodies. This year's followup, Cleopatra continues to expand the band's discography both sonically and narratively. Handily overcoming the pitfalls of the sophomore slump, the album finds The Lumineers shining bright as ever.

Standout Tracks:

'Sleep on the Floor', 'Cleopatra' and 'Sick in the Head'

18. Life's Too Short to Pretend You're Not Religious - David Dark

When I hiked 250 miles of the Appalachian Trail earlier this spring, I took one book with me: David Dark's The Sacredness of Questioning Everything. Early on in my read, I started underlining what were some of the most profound and relatable thoughts on Scripture and faith that I had ever come across. By the time I finished I realized I had highlighted something on every single page. Dark’s followup is, in the best way, more of the same. ‘If what we believe is what we see is what we do is who we are, there's no getting away from religion." Again, I recommend a Costco pack of highlighters.

17. 10 Cloverfield Lane

2008′s Cloverfield single-handedly reinvigorated the found footage genre. I remember sitting in the theater being completely overwhelmed and shocked by the true horror and helplessness I felt coursing through me. The only thing that would come to shock me even more was to learn a sequel of sorts had been filmed back in in 2015 under a false project name. Some eight weeks after the first official trailer dropped early this year, 10 Cloverfield Lane found itself in wide release, a true feat in the digital age where major spoilers daily flood the pages of blogs and forums. Set in the same universe as the original, the film takes place days prior to the first attack in New York City. With a whip smart script and a powerhouse performance from John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane left me wanting more, a LOT more, from the Cloverfield chronicles. Thankfully, this October, we get just that.

16. Integrity Blues - Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World is one of maybe three bands I can think of that have put out multiple perfect records. Both Bleed American and Futures are, in my not so humble opinion, flawless from front to back. Since their crossover smash ‘The Middle’ was released, the band has spent the last two decades building an impressive, albeit under the radar, discography. And while the band’s more recent releases have been more inconsistent than those releases, Integrity Blues is a step back in the direction of perfection. Showcasing what has become the staple Jimmy Eat World sound while also ushering in a new future, the album is the perfect companion for a night drive when you have nowhere to be. Continuing the tradition of having THE best album closers, ‘Pol Roger’ is the denouement of Integrity Blues and finds the band wings outstretched, taking full flight. (Aside: Clear winner for album artwork of the year).

Standout Tracks:

'The End is Beautiful', 'Integrity Blues' and 'Pol Roger'

15. Glory - Britney Spears

I’ve always had an idea for a meme of Britney Spears playing Quidditch, flying high on a broomstick, arms outstretched for the winged, golden ball with the words ‘IT’S BRITNEY, SNITCH’ in bold. Felt like the right time to put that million dollar idea out there. Truth be told, I’m always rooting for Britney. As horrible as it sounds, I feel like she should have probably died in her late 20′s. She had an infamous breakdown in 2007 that I’m not sure we will ever quite know the extent of (even now her parents still have a conservatorship over her) that would have taken most of us out. Since then, she’s released three full-length studio albums, secured a multi-year Vegas residency and slowly built herself back into form. Glory is the culmination of it all. Easily the most underrated effort of 2016, the album is absolutely STACKED with bonafide pop anthems and what Tom Haverford would deem ‘bangers’. Had the majority of these tracks been released by Selena Gomez or Katy Perry they would have ruled the roost and the airwaves but alas Britney has become a dark horse of sorts. It’s the comeback we knew was a ‘when’ not an ‘if’. It’s the phoenix from the ashes. It’s Britney, bitch.

Standout Tracks:

'Do You Wanna Come Over?', 'Hard to Forget Ya' and 'Liar'

14. Don't Think Twice

Mike Birbiglia has quietly and carefully been crafting a name for himself in the comedy community for some time. I was introduced to him by my good friend Netflix when the 2012 Sundance darling Sleepwalk With Me was added to Instant Streaming. While that effort left a lasting impression, this year’s followup, Don’t Think Twice leveled me. Often times, the things that move us the most serve as mirror held close, expanding our field of vision and allowing us to see things the way they are. For 92 minutes, Don’t Think Twice made everything clear, even when it hurt.

13. This is Acting - Sia

Any artist would kill to have a single chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Most would kill AND sell their first born to have that single reach the summit and be deemed ‘Song of the Summer’. Sia did that all of that...with a B-Side track (see: Cheap Thrills). Undisputedly one of the most prolific and talented songwriters currently working in mainstream pop, Sia Furler had exclusively been known as the go-to girl for artist like Rihanna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Adele. Then came 2014′s Chandelier, a global phenomenon and top 10 hit that allowed Sia to became her own brand and ultimately her own artist. This Is Acting feels in some ways like a massive middle finger to the cutting room floor, as every single song on the album was intended for another artist who ultimately chose not to use it. Believing the material was good enough to stand on its own, Sia chose to release what had unintentionally become B-Sides under her own moniker. The album is further proof that everything Furler touches is gold and serves as a reminder that we have a Midas in our midst, even when we foolishly forget.

Standout Tracks:

'Bird Set Free', ‘Move Your Body' and 'Reaper'

12. Arrival

Everything about Arrival is different. It’s a slow-burn drama about the power of communication disguised as a sleek sci-fi. It’s a fictitious work serving as a very real warning sign. It’s a testament to Albus Dumbledore that “Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” With yet another tour de force performance from Amy Adams (is there anything the woman can’t do), Arrival is the kind of film that sits with you for days and makes you feel distinctly human. Not because you’ve been made to stand beside an alien, but because you’re reminded that, in the end, we all want understanding. Even though I figured out the slight of hand the film tried to pull quite early on, it didn’t even matter. Arrival is that good.

11. Hero - Maren Morris

I was late to this party. I had heard for months that this debut was something special, but because I wanted to spend another night in or had a Netflix marathon to run I never showed. Then, the week after Thanksgiving, I finally decided to RSVP. Maren Morris’ Hero is a rarity in its distinctness and maturity, something that seems far too developed and harnessed for a first timer. ‘I Could Use a Love Song’ is arguably one of the best country ballads of the year while ‘80′s Mercedes’ could have a seat at the table with the best of Taylor Swift’s crossover hits. A firecracker that doesn’t care much for self-restraint, Hero attests to the fact that Less isn’t Morris.

Standout Tracks:

'I Could Use a Love Song', '80′s Mercedes' and ‘Once'

10. 4 Your Eyez Only - J. Cole

J. Cole is an Avenger. He, with the likes of Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar have assembled to save hip hop. 4 Your Eyez Only isn’t about the material world, a place modern hip hop seems to have set up shop. It’s about the big questions: What is society’s perception of me? Why? How have I found love and what do I do with it? Am I worthy? Do I want to be alive? J. Cole wrestles with it all. Like all of us, there are times when he has to tap out and others when he can go another round. Riddled with insecurity and vulnerability, the album ultimately serves as one huge love letter to his new wife. One written from the exact opposite perspective of Nicholas Sparks. One that seems a lot more real.

Standout Tracks:

'She’s Mine Part 1 and 2', 'Neighbors' and 'Foldin Clothes'

9. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

You may not know this (I tend to keep it quiet) but I am a Harry Potter fan. Everything about the magic, the world, and most importantly the characters exhilarates me in way few things in life can. If I had to pick a safe word it would probably be ‘Expecto Patronum’ (which, with more thought, seems horribly fitting). After the final book was released and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 had long left theaters, Potter Heads everywhere were left with a hole that could only be filled by revisiting the series. Then, last year, in an apparent attempt to give millions of people worldwide a heart attack at exactly the same time, author J.K. Rowling announced that she would serve as the screenwriter for a new prequel trilogy taking place some 70 years before Harry’s time. Rowling more than made good on her promise. The originally planned trilogy instead became a five part series, kicking off with this year’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film is an expertly crafted launching pad for the 1920′s story of magizoologist Newt Scamader and his discovery and documenting of magical beasts throughout the Wizarding World. The film evokes all the nostalgia and excitement that comes with reading a new Potter book for the first time -- the highest praise I know to give.

8. Where Am I Now? - Mara Wilson

The film that single-handedly shaped my childhood the most was Danny DeVito’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. It’s also one of a handful of films from that time that I can still watch as an adult and completely holds up. Naturally, when star Mara Wilson announced she was releasing a memoir that would heavily discuss her time as a child actress on flims like Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street AND Matilda, I Amazon Primed the shit out of it. I had been following Wilson on Twitter for years prior because of her prowess as a young writer and also because we had had a brief exchange about how good the songs in A Goofy Movie were. Where Am I Now? is an absorbing read that seemed to constantly rotate between warming my heart and breaking it.

7. Manchester By The Sea

I will burn the Academy to the ground (a pun that’s in poor taste here) if Casey Affleck doesn’t take home the Oscar for his work in this film. He gives absolute and full commitment to a man processing one of the worst tragedies imaginable, all without the gimmicks of losing a lot of weight or crawling into a horse carcass. For all the heartbreak Manchester by the Sea serves (and I’m telling you it is a LOT), I somehow left the theater slightly hopeful. Not because of a happy ending or because it has an uplifting message but because anytime this degree of honesty is put on display there’s not much else to do but be inspired.

6. Stranger Things

The pop culture event of the year, Netflix Stranger Things was something I stumbled upon on a Sunday morning in July. I had no clue what it was (except that it had an incredible poster) but I DO remember that some eight hours after I started episode one I finally surfaced from my room for a burrito. Led by a very welcomed return from Winona Ryder and five young finds, The Duffer Brothers truly and utterly turned my world Upside Down.

5. Coloring Book - Chance the Rapper

The uncontested breakout of the year, Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book doesn’t worry about staying in the lines. Not only is the content different from what any other artist is doing, so are the means. Chance is 100% unsigned, operating without the backings of a major label and offering large amounts of his music (this album included) at no cost to his listeners. Coloring Book is a polaroid of the 23 year old rappers life growing up in Chicago, a snapshot of what navigating the waters where faith, family and life coalesce looks like. Chance is a modern day prophet, who’s not for-profit or for sale.

Standout Tracks:

‘Blessings', 'Same Drugs', and 'All Night'

4. Blond - Frank Ocean

The hype surrounding Frank Ocean’s follow up to 2012′s Channel Orange was legitimately palpable. With each passing day of 2016 you could feel it a bit more. After a mock library due date slip with over ten various dates showed up on Frank’s website, each apparently representing possible release schedules, it was as they say ‘lit, fam’. However, one by one, the dates came and went, with the Internet breaking and subsequently repairing itself just in time to repeat the cycle again. Finally, on August 20, the Ocean’s tides changed and Blond washed ashore. Filled with vibrant use of unexpected instrumentation and vocal manipulation, Blond (originally titled Boys Don’t Cry) continues to push the envelope and break the boundaries of who Frank is and what his work is capable of.

Standout Tracks:

‘Ivy', 'Solo', and 'White Ferrari'

3. La La Land

La La Land is what would happen if someone personally asked me for the ingredients to a perfect film recipe. You take my two favorite actors, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, add a scoop of Damien Chazelle (who’s last project Whiplash was my favorite film of 2014), a dash of a L.A. based musical and let set 2 hours 8 minutes. Truth be told, I hadn’t been this excited for a film all year (including Fantastic Beasts) and rightfully so. La La Land not only lives up to every bit of its potential but takes the parts of its whole and makes them into something bigger than we could have ever imagined. It’s a film for dreamers, a film for lovers, a film for the ages.

2. Kubo and the Two Strings

Prior to the start of the year, I don’t think you could have done anything to convince me that there was even a chance of my liking another film more than La La Land. Yet, here we are. Yes, it’s animated and holds a risquè PG rating, but Kubo and the Two Strings really is as good as it gets. With the breathtaking stop motion animation that Laika has become known for, a rousing script that sees its young hero navigating some of life’s hardest lessons and brilliant voice over work from the likes of Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, Kubo finds itself in a league of its own. 'If you must blink, do it now’, says young Kubo. Great advice before the film begins, as you won’t want to miss a thing.

1. (TIE) Lemonade - Beyonce

I know that having two number one’s might seem like a cop out but this is my list and, as I plan to say quite often when I become a dad, "My House, Ja Rules". Having to choose between Beyonce’s ground breaking Lemonade and Broadways’ show-stopping Dear Evan Hansen seems a crime on par with The Office or Parks and Rec? What Beyonce has done with her sixth studio album is unprecedented. It’s un-Bey-lievable. Albums like this only come beyONCE in an artist’s lifetime. Okay, I’m finished. But in all seriousness Lemonade is an evolution. From angry, heartbroken, questioning, to free, powerful, secure the album delves into the relationship of music’s most prominent couple. And that would be enough. But on repeat listens it starts to feel that maybe Beyonce isn’t simply speaking to the plight of the person who’s been cheated on but the person who is seemingly always cheated. The downtrodden of society, the least of these, the marginalized. In this case the black community. Lemonade is her attempt to reconcile it all. Darwin was right, life really is about the survival of the fittest and Lemonade finds Beyonce not just surviving but thriving. As the old adage goes, ‘”When life gives you lemons, make the album of the year”.

Standout Tracks:

‘Sorry', 'Freedom’, and 'Formation'

1. (TIE) Dear Evan Hansen

If you didn’t have a reason to go to New York City before now, I’m giving you the only one that matters. I saw Dear Evan Hansen in previews over a month ago and am still putting myself back together. What Ben Platt does everyday, sometimes TWICE a day, on the stage of the Music Box Theatre is nothing short of super human. The show had been recommended to me by someone I trust on these matters, so I went in knowing absolutely nothing prior to my showing. Looking back, it’s the only way to do it. Let the show wash over you and make you better. Go in unsure and lost and I can promise, you will be found.

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