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sixbillionstars · 6 years

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Before Game of Thrones and the newest Star Wars films, flights to Iceland only left from Denver, Washington DC, Baltimore, or New York. When I learned that the voyage embarks from Port of Hamburg, I figured I’d be flying into Berlin. And after years of watching closely for new United States destinations between the two main Icelandic airlines, this made my heart sing knowing full well St. Louis had recently become a Wow Air destination with cheap flights to many European cities, and of course... stopovers in Iceland on the way.

I won’t go much into how long I had anticipated this experience, however I will say it was a painful wait. First it was celebrities one by one slowly making their way as it grew appealing to more and more travelers suddenly during my freshman year of college and onward. Then it was friends who happened to have stopovers, who could afford it before me, or who were nearer to new departure cities before me... In those ways it was thrilling to feel inches and inches closer all these years. I even had a whole trip planned once to visit Iceland by myself to celebrate the New Year and hang out a week before and after. For a plethora of important reasons I had to cancel that trip, which to this day I still stand behind. So sadly, the most suitable and affordable window of time I had to work with to be in Iceland this time around was twenty hours, since it was a stopover, but a solid twenty hours we spent. An old friend used to joke all the time, “what if you go and absolutely hate it?” which was a possibility I have weighed heavily, even after countless hours over the years reading entire wikipedia pages of tiny, unpronounceable coastal villages with their black sands and fjords, delving into Vimeo videos of Icelandic scenery, and my favorite, the man in a lopapeysa sweater teaching you how to knit. I knew damn well I’d have to come back after such a short time even if it did turn out not so ideal. But after a seven year wait, I am happy to announce that it truly was everything I could have hoped for and even so much more. Maybe because I already knew where to look, or at least where I wanted to look, or maybe it really was calling me all this time.

I was taught a German expression today "Knapp daneben ist auch vorbei” which means, “coming close is the same as missing it.” It’s been circling my mind like an echo of congratulations from the void for just finally being able to do the damn thing.

It is now late into Thursday, our second day in Berlin. Yesterday was spent locating our Airbnb, experiencing jetlag, showering, etc... completely pretty much rebirthing ourselves after twenty hours with none of the checked luggage I truly thought the Keflavik airport would let me access during that amount of time.

I can’t exit this post though without telling a couple of the stories from those hours (and some pictures!) It was by far the most eventful twenty hours of my life...

As soon as we landed, it was time to grab the rental car. I picked out a lovely whatever the car was. At first the reservation said manual shift, which was exciting because I learned to drive on a manual but also I knew the Icelandic roads would be more vulnerable to drivers so I wasn’t sure how revisiting a skill like that there would go. Luckily we ended up with an automatic somehow anyway. Since the Wow air flights are so cheap, they get off by charging passengers for every other thing including meals, so I had not eaten since Missouri by this point (mainly because I wanted to sleep). I felt weak and tired at the rental counter so I asked my friend Alicia to get me something at the cafe nearby. She came back with the first food we were to behold: a caprese panini, but instead of panini bread, it was the body of Christ or something. I apologize to anyone that offends--I mean it in the sense that it was cracker bread meant specifically for religious purposes and not to feed a malnourished traveler. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted good, however the depth of my ketosis and the richness of the pesto was too much. Literally as I stood at the counter facing my first ever Icelandic stranger and transaction, I felt the sudden urge to vomit and ran to the nearest trashcan while Alicia had to sign everything for me in a VERY crowded airport. I don’t think any of us knew how to react honestly, though the woman at the counter was very sweet and brought us bottled waters after seeing my pale sweaty face, despite not totally knowing how to ask if I was okay in English.

Getting to Þingvellir was not an issue, however the drive there involved more of the previous situation sadly. While the girls caught up on sleep, I found our way out of Keflavik onto the highway and quickly back off of it after having tried a couple more bites of the Jesus panini. The first time around I wasn’t entirely sure if it was that was what made me ill or just all of the conditions at once. This time I knew it was that. There was nowhere to even pull over as all of the road space in Iceland is very carefully planned, with roundabouts every few blocks and signs placed not too often or too scarcely. So I stopped in the middle of the road out of sheer desperation -- one of the few very crucial things I had JUST been told you’re not supposed to do with an Icelandic car. I had already begun out the window as I drove simply because my mind was already racing for options. What is the best way here - puking on myself and cleaning that up? No - my luggage I thought I could have today is on its way to Germany. Puking solely into the car? Hell to the no - I don’t care if I bought the insurance, we have the whole route ahead of us and back. Okay well in the time it took to ask myself those questions, all of the above happened anyway. Everywhere. Alicia and Morgan immediately woke up of course and without judgment scrambled into their things for a new shirt and pants for me, helped me clean the car, et cetera, alllllll while locals were angrily and confusedly passing me on this tiny exit I had chosen under the impression it was low-trafficked. Did I mention I chose not to wear underwear on this day of all days? Yes. In my first hour in Iceland I was forced to change BUTT NAKED pretty much on the side of the highway. Needless to say, we threw the Jesus panini away as if it was the one ring to rule them all.

Þingvellir was breathtaking. Every little plant, moss, lichen, dewdrop was so quietly and calmly welcoming. The wall of boxy-looking rocks you may have seen in Games of Thrones was to the left of this photo, with its waterfalls and all. It was confusing finding the dive spot where our snorkel tour was, but once we arrived all of our sorrows were gone. First we met Luis, a cheery Mexican from Cancun, then Manuel the French man who helped us into our dry suits, and then Juan from Madrid was our guide through the crevice of the opening between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

The moment I entered the water my heartbeat changed for good, not just because of the chilling 2*C temperature, but because it was then I realized I was really, really there. Until that moment, it was all a dream. Simply putting my mask down to see what was below... I still cannot find the words. Our suits were designed to keep us warm, so the crystal clear stream swept us and this rad Australian couple in our group gently along the divide as if it were a lazy river. Silfra is the only spot on Earth where one can touch two plates at once, and I cannot emphasize enough that the land itself gives you that vibe alone, whether you do the tours or not. For as long as I live I don’t think I could forget how it felt to lay completely still on top of the water looking down, like just another little seagull feather or algae, feeling one with the whole damn country.

Finally.

After a pit stop at a petrol station for edible food and something to make the car smell better, we rerouted from planning a drive all the way to Vik (3.5 hrs there and back) to just spending the time comfortably in Reykjavik where we could get back to the airport by 3am, when the rental was due, and for our flight at 6am.

Downtown was as quaint and beautiful as I had imagined, though of course a completely different layout than what I originally pictured. This happened in New Mexico too when I moved there after a year of picturing the places where my friends’ stories from their phone calls were playing out. We found a cute bar to meet locals in called the Smokin’ Puffin, which turned out to have just opened three weeks prior. Made many friends, including Moe the bartender/plant geneticist from Iran, and Joanne, a bubbly expat from the UK.

Hallgrimskirkja and the walk to it however was the crowning jewel of the evening, with apartment windows all open, most of them displaying cute decorations and cats and succulents of all colors and sizes peering out.

I knew it was a rather large church, I suppose I was not prepared for just how large. Walking past the infamous Leifur Eriksson statue to approach the entrance with its tiered architecture and powerfully rhetorical lighting, I lost my breath again. It was a bittersweet goodbye, though I am nearly grateful we did not stay overnight so I couldn’t get too attached to Iceland’s physical presence.

Was honestly just taking a photo of this sweet cat, and realized its owner was behind him drawing. I almost cried.

Moe’s specialty cocktail: coffee martini :)

Me in my very attractive after-puke outfit with this handsome Iranian plant geneticist bartender who was really sweet to me anyway.

#iceland

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deadcactuswalking · 5 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 25th August 2019

Top 10

On the US Billboard Hot 100, after “Old Town Road” dissipated, they’ve been treated with a couple #1s switching in and out. “bad guy”, “Senorita” and probably “Truth Hurts” and unfortunately “Ransom” soon enough... while here in the UK, “Old Town Road” was only at the top spot for a week, and instead we’ve just had “Senorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello for six straight weeks... Nice.

“Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid is at number-two still, and we actually have a pretty busy week that did not translate to the Top 10 – it never does.

“3 Nights” by Dominic Fike is steady at number-three but I’m not complaining; this song is great.

I’m not upset about the one-space boost for Kygo and the late Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love” either at number-four, it’s not a bad song and if anything I’m just excited to see Houston on the charts again.

AJ Tracey returns back to the top five with “Ladbroke Grove” up a spot to number-five.

Aitch’s newest major single, “Taste (Make it Shake)”, is down two spaces to number-six, but that’s still way too high. I honestly do not understand the appeal in this one, it’s not quirky or interesting, it’s over-long, it’s barely got a chorus. Out of all UK rap singles to hit the top 10, this is easily the most puzzling hit.

I’m also not exactly pleased about “Ransom” by Lil Tecca zooming up six spaces to become his first top 10 hit here in the UK... why?

Unfortunately, this means “How Do You Sleep?” by Sam Smith is down a spot to number-eight, and honestly this song is just growing on me.

Speaking of unfortunate, at number-nine is “So High” by MIST and Fredo, also down one space, and while I’m not that big of a fan of this song (Yet) or the discography in general, MIST has recently been stabbed, and he says he’s been recovering well, which is good, I just wanted to note that these things do happen to people who seem like they can’t be touched due to fame and success, especially recently. I hope he’s okay.

To elevate the mood, there is quite literally a Love Island anthem in the top 10, as Joel Corry and Hayley May get their first ever UK Top 10 hit with “Sorry” up six positions to #10. It’s not a bad song, but come on, guys, really?

Climbers

Outside of the Top 10, we have one climber and it’s not exactly notable either... Jax Jones and Bebe Rexha’s radio fodder “Harder” is up five spots to #25. I mean, when so much of the Top 40 is rap, I guess the radio’s got to have something to safely play without having their audience hear a bunch of censor bleeps every ten seconds.

Fallers

Now, we don’t exactly have many fallers, but a lot of them are very notable as these are massive hits dropping incredibly low, starting with #40 which is the top five hit “Location” by Dave featuring Burna Boy down a whopping twenty-three spaces and barely gripping onto that last spot in the chart, after having a brief rebound thanks to the video. While I prefer “Disaster”, “Streatham”, “Black” and pretty much all the songs on PSYCHODRAMA, I’m so happy that Dave and his album have had so much longevity and chart success considering how great this album is (Since this does seem to be the end of the album cycle). This year’s been very kind to British rap both mainstream and underground (Check out Little Simz, she’s mind-blowing) and this is definitely one of the achievements the genre can display proudly. Other than that, we have another top 10 hit in Sigala’s “Wish You Well” featuring Becky Hill dropping down 14 spaces to #38, as well as the faller I’m obviously the happiest about. Despite the fact there might be a rebound due to a video release, I’m going to live in blissful ignorance about that, since “Hold Me While You Wait” by Lewis Capaldi, which has been the worst song in the top 20 for like three straight months, is out of the top 20, falling 17 positions to #26. It’s not out of the chart entirely, but I’ll take it. Oh, and “Panini” by Lil Nas X is down five spaces to #36 but Thog don’t caare

Dropouts & Returning Entries

There aren’t any returning entries this week but since there are five new arrivals, there are obviously quite a lot of drop-outs. “Find U Again” by Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello is one of them, dropping out of the charts entirely from #37, which really sucks because that song is amazing. Otherwise, we have some notable but very much expected drop outs for “SOS” by the late Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc and its impressive chart run from #32, “You Need to Calm Down” by Taylor Swift out from #38 (God, what an awful song), “Vossi Bop” by Stormzy finally out from #39 (Although I think that song is great actually) and off of the sole debut last week, we have “Hot Girl Summer” by Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign out from #40. I know American female rappers haven’t exactly crossed over here yet but I thought this would have least lasted a week, and it is a pretty damn good song, it’s got a video coming soon though so we’ll see what that’ll do.

NEW ARRIVALS

#34 – “Post Malone” – Sam Feldt featuring Rani

Produced by Sam Feldt – Peaked at #7 in Ireland

Sam Feldt is an irrelevant Dutch DJ, to put it bluntly. Two years ago, he made a song with Akon and that was his second biggest hit until 2019, second to his only actual hit, may I add. So, what better way to make a name for yourself in America than to go viral with a meme song that references pop culture and has a drop expressive enough for TikTok. Indeed, it worked, he was on the top of the Spotify Viral 50 with “Post Malone”, because if you want to keep your target white audience as an EDM-pop or rock artist, the only hip-hop artist you can seemingly admit to liking is Post Malone. Even the Jonas Brothers are shouting them out in (Absolutely dreadful) hit songs like “Cool”. It didn’t even work, by the way, it barely peaked in the top 10 of the American dance charts but it worked on like all of Europe, especially on the chart that isn’t actually in the EU, technically, maybe. Funnily enough, it’s not that big of a hit in his home country of the Netherlands, peaking at #85. I don’t know who RANI is, do you? Listen, it’s Feldt’s second UK Top 40 hit, his first since 2015, and it’s from his Magnets EP. RANI is a female singer who seems to specialise in being a puppet for EDM DJs, and had a minor hit doing so with “Crying with the Sun” last year, but this is her first appearance on the UK Top 40. Hiring RANI seems to be the cheap option compared to an actual celebrity, the girl doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page, and the whole song in fact is really cheap, with a couple 2014-esque synths carrying a flat, tinny EDM beat until that chorus hits, and Jesus, this song was not meant to ever have “Post Malone” in the lyrics. It’s lodged in that chorus with all the care of a bull in a china shop with crowd cheering in the background before the generic build-up of hi-hats until a pretty simple vocaloid drop and yeah, I question why anyone thinks this song is worth listening to. The drop ends abruptly with literal silence instead of even transitioning into the verse all that well, which is lazy and nonsensical on his part because he’s going to have to transition this into other songs in a DJ set, he wants that to be smooth. Yeah, skip this, it’s trash, which is exactly what I expected.

#30 – “Motivation” – Normani featuring uncredited vocals by Ariana Grande

Produced by ILYA – Peaked at #20 in Belgium and Scotland, and #33 in the US

Fifth Harmony’s disbandment let one star really get a lot of shine, and that was Camila Cabello, who is still gathering a lot of success to this day, but what I didn’t expect is a push towards another pop girl with Normani, whose debut solo single has been racking up a lot of streams and chart success pretty much worldwide. It’s not that massive yet but it does have the potential to be, especially with the high-profile collaborations like Khalid and Sam Smith that Normani has been greeted with this past year by her label, so it seemed inevitable. I fully expected Normani to go the R&B route, probably a more throwback 90s style, and yeah, I was right, but I really didn’t expect a song this good. Written by Normani herself with Ariana Grande, ILYA and Max freaking Martin, this song is an earworm determined for success, and has hence become Normani’s third UK Top 40 single. Starting with an intriguing Ariana Grande-esque voice memo of some sort, it immediately lands into the bass-lead R&B beat that feels 90s and 2000s at the same time yet definitely modern due to Normani’s sultry vocals, but in the chorus, the kiss-off lead by harmonies and subtle background vocal samples from Grande feels very anthemic and almost sarcastic. I do feel like maybe it’s a bit too minimalistic of a debut single, but there are a lot of little quirks, including the eerie Caribbean vocal sample in the bridge coupled with a smooth horn section, and I don’t have much to say about this one evidently, but it succeeds on every level at just being a pretty perfect pop song. The idea of Normani telling her ex to “Think about it” afterwards isn’t a pledge from Normani here, though, it seems very much like she’s bragging and telling this guy to re-consider the fact that he dumped someone with a net worth more than his lifetime salary, it’s almost kind of hilarious how she sasses this guy around, especially in the verses. The title seems to be based around the fact that the guy ever had a girl as good as her... which is considered “motivation”. Well, that’s just pretty epic. Yeah, great song, and I’m really excited for whatever Normani does next.

#23 – “Lover” – Taylor Swift

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift – Peaked at #4 in Malaysia and #19 in the US

Ah, Taylor Swift and the messy roll-out of her newest album, Lover, which I have yet to really form an opinion on but it’s gotten a lot of positive reviews which I didn’t expect because of the absolute trainwrecks that were released as singles, such as “ME!” which the general public soon showed their distaste for, so much so that Swift had to edit out the most cringeworthy lyrics, “You Need to Calm Down” which had a very polarising reception mostly because of how people believed she was pandering to the LGBTQ+ community with the music video, and had some cringeworthy lyrics there too, but it was a bit more positive. Then things took a large turn for the better with the release of the promotional single “The Archer”, which a lot of people loved and seemed to think was a return to form, but I wasn’t impressed. It was boring, and while the songwriting is good, when there’s not a musical climax, it feels like a lot of wasted time and overall, the song feels like an overproduced synth-mush and I was really not a fan of that one, but it wasn’t awful... and it only peaked at #43 here. Then she released this song, which seemed to have shifted the public opinion on the album entirely, even among critics, because it’s a Jack Antonoff-produced return to the country pop sound of her previous work, and while “You Need to Calm Down” might have been pandering to LGBTQ+, I think this should be clowned more for pandering to Pitchfork, but I digress. Is the song any good? Well, it’s her 27th(!) UK Top 40 hit, and it might as well have convinced me too... mostly because this is a Christmas song – albeit a bit more of a intimate, downbeat, guitar-lead country ballad of a Christmas song, but with a direct reference to the holiday, I know what she’s going for. She sounds a lot better on the song than usual, I’m not a fan of Swift’s voice in general but she definitely uses it to her advantage here, staying mostly subdued on the verses until an admittedly janky pre-chorus, until that title drop, which is fantastic, especially with the bells and guitar that follows but honestly, the star here isn’t Swift. It’s the string section and the choir, who elevate that pre-chorus with a lot of cheery vocals and the plucky strings in both the bridge and the brief burst of violins in the second verse, really emphasise the lyrical theme of devotion. While I dispute the fact that Taylor Swift has ever heard a dirty joke in her life that wasn’t made by Kanye West, that bridge is incredible, and honestly this whole song is pretty great, and I think THIS is the return to form she needed. There’s a lot of genuine groove and swing to this ballad and the chorus is heavenly, and may I say that the cover art fits perfectly. This is good, check it out, next.

#22 – “Both” – Headie One

Produced by Nastylgia and PJ Pipe it Up

I’m going to be honest here; from what I’ve heard from Headie One, I don’t really like the guy. I don’t think he’s as witty or entertaining as his peers and more often than not, he’s just a tad dull, but with his seventh mixtape release, Music x Road, I have been somewhat intrigued to check it out since NME described it as “far from drill”, which means he is branching out and this could either be a surprise success or complete wretched failure. I believe this is Headie’s third UKTop 40 hit and, well, to be honest, it’s not that bad. I love that guitar loop, it sounds straight out of the intro to a metal song, and the way it’s pitch-shifted to act as an eerie synth is pretty cool when it gets to the verse; if I’m honest this trap beat is pretty great... and so is Headie. To say he doesn’t ride this beat would be a lie, I don’t like the guy that much but he bodies this, not with much wordplay obviously but his delivery is tough and very straight to the point, no-nonsense, which is interesting when being put against the gospel choir sample which is absolutely mangled and just kind of placed every couple bars, and it sounds great, really intense. I’m not sure how I feel about that bridge though, the subdued, mumbling flow with the distortion and Auto-Tune sounds cool but it kills the momentum and doesn’t really fit with the guitar-lead trap beat. I’d prefer maybe to get rid of that part entirely and just have the beat cut out for the start of the chorus without the transition, or have Headie harmonise with the sample from “Free” by Ultra Nate, that could have sounded pretty cool. As it is, it still bangs, and looking at the lyrics there’s a lot of detail I don’t usually see, and somehow he made peanut butter on oats sound cool, so you know what, Headie, I like this one. Check it out.

#18 – “Be Honest” – Jorja Smith featuring Burna Boy

Produced by Cadenza and IzyBeats

Jorja Smith has had a pretty quiet 2019. After 2018 and her BRIT Award wins and impressive performance, she’s understandably laid low with only a couple of features including one on my favourite British rapper Loyle Carner’s second album, but this seems to be the birth of the roll-out for her sophomore effort, or at least a standalone single. I didn’t really like Jorja Smith because I knew her for her EDM collaborations but after listening to Lost & Found, I’m not going to lie, I really enjoyed her UK garage and trip hop-infused brand of R&B, especially the single “Blue Lights” and her sample on AJ Tracey’s banger “Ladbroke Grove”, which added to the song immensely. A new song from Jorja won’t connect with me at first, they never do, she’s one of the artists who has to grow on me, but I like Burna Boy to an extent so I doubt this’ll be any less than decent... and yeah, it’s not bad. I like the sweet guitar and synths/flute(?) that start off the song as the primary melody (which I believe is a sample) and the steady drum beat adds to the tropical, summery feeling of the track. Jorja sounds great as always, with a pretty sensual performance she can do pretty well, but the chorus is pretty weak and I feel a tad underwritten. Burna Boy’s verse is pretty fun and bouncy but this isn’t standing out to me as anything that great initially. It’s definitely not bad, but underwritten and a tad sub-par perhaps. Also, I like the horns in the final chorus but it’s too little too late at that point.

Conclusion

Honestly, this is a pretty great week on the chart, with four out of five new arrivals that I quite enjoy, and the Summer-Autumn transition is looking good. Best of the Week is tough but I’ll give it to Taylor Swift for “Lover” – hey, I’m a sucker for Christmas songs – and a tied Honourable Mention to Normani and Headie One for “Motivation” and “Both”, while there’s nothing worth a Dishonourable Mention here other than our Worst of the Week, going to Sam Feldt and RAMI for whatever “Post Malone” is. Follow me on Twitter @cactusinthebank for more musical ramblings and I’ll see you next week!

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amberlovesanimation · 7 years

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First Thoughts on the Anastasia Broadway Cast Album

So I grew up watching Don Bluth’s Anastasia, like a lot of people, and it’s now definitely one of my favourite movies of all time. I’m also a huge theatre geek, so when I first heard whispers about an Anastasia broadway musical, I was VERY excited. Sadly, I haven’t watched the show because I live in Manchester, England (I read the plot online and I am VERY disappointed that Rasputin isn’t the antagonist), but I pre-ordered the cast recording asap (I don’t think it has every single song on it, though) and they’ve recently released it onto soundcloud here and I have opinions that I want to share lmao. Also, these are just my FIRST thoughts, after hearing the album ONCE - in my experience, I tend to grow more attached to songs the more I listen to them, so these definitely aren’t my final opinions on this soundtrack.

Prologue / Once Upon A December - This very first song actually made me cry because of the nostalgia XD and also Mary Beth Peil has an AMAZING voice.

A Rumor In St. Petersburg - I also really like this song, including the additions they made to it. Not much else to say really.

In My Dreams - I got chills listening to this song; it’s so beautiful, I can’t wait to learn it.

Learn To Do It - Admittedly, I personally prefer the faster pace and more upbeat original version of this song, however this new version saved itself with the part where Anya flips her shit and has a go at the boys. Amazing.

The Neva Flows - So this is the antagonist’s (Gleb) first song, and uh...it’s pretty good, I guess, especially during the crescendo. They’re definitely trying to create a more humane “villain”, showing how he’s been affected by what he witnessed as a child. Still would’ve preferred In the Dark of the Night, though...

My Petersburg - I like the energy of the song, very upbeat, I love the ending buildup. And I’ve always loved how adaptations of films delve deeper into the characters’ backstories a bit (like Shrek the Musical)

Once Upon A December - Beautiful. I’ll probably always prefer the original, due to nostalgia, but Christy Altomare did a really good job capturing Anya’s emotions in this more vulnerable moment. They were right to not mess with this song too much.

Stay, I Pray You - I have no idea who tf Count Ipolitov is but this is a very emotional choral song, and has a beautifully melancholic melody. I love how Anastasia ends it.

We’ll Go From There - Awh, this song is so cute! I’m glad they gave Vlad (ha that rhymes) a song about Sophie- sorry, I mean Lily. Nevermind all three of the gang are singing it....I like it! It’s a good, quick way to show their feelings (which are mainly anxiety) at this point.

Still - Um why the fuck is Gleb in love with Anya. I HATE that. Haven’t they met, like, twice at this point? I’ve only read the wikipedia page for the plot so maybe I’m wrong. But still....fuck this subplot. So yeah this song is ok I guess, I think I’m just too stubborn about my dislike for the changed story lmao. I also quite like the whole....idea? of this song, how it ends with “but still...” like, it doesn’t need t explain what comes after the “still”, it just needs to show his hesitation/inner conflict.

Journey To The Past - I’m not bothered by the fact that they moved this song to this point in the story, it still fits well actually, and like with OUAD, they smartly didn’t change it much. And like with OUAD, I’ll always prefer the original, but this version is also amazing.

Paris Holds The Key (To Your Heart) - It’s a great chorus number, and definitely a good one to start off act 2 with. Again, I prefer the original, although I like how Anastasia has a solo in this one too.

Crossing A Bridge - I love this song, tbh I’ve realised I think I just love any added Anya moment now lmao. I’d love to see this live, to see the image of her on the bridge singing this.

Closing/Close The Door - (the wikipedia says “Closing” and the soundcloud name says “Close”). Like the Anya moments, I will lap up ANY added Dowager Empress moments, too! Her tired, hopeless emotions were shown a little bit in the original film, but I love how this explores them further. So low-spirited and heart-wrenching.

Land of Yesterday - Another thing this musical explores more in-depth is Russia in general, the state of it, its people, and this song is really cool. Lily’s voice is amazing!!!! (Caroline O’Connor)

The Countess and the Common Man - Awh Vlad and Lily have a love duet!! Fuck yeah! This is what I signed up for!! It’s funny, flirty, and all-round lovely.

In a Crowd of Thousands - I don’t mind that the story of how Dmitry and Anya’s pasts were linked has changed, because the new one they made up is presented so beautifully in this song. I absolutely LOVE Altomare’s voice in this, possibly more than in the other songs, and omg when she realises!! When she realises!! You’re like oh shit ! It’s her and they both know it now!! It’s also a nice development to Anya and Dmitry’s relationship.

Meant to Be - This was also in the original film, and I think it’s done wonderfully here. ‘Nuff said.

Quartet at the Ballet - The Swan Lake music gives me huge Barbie nostalgia! And then it blends so seamlessly in and out of the OUAD tune...ahh I love it. I like how it shows all these inner thoughts of these different characters, like We’ll Go From There. The ending with the overlapping solos is beautiful omg.

Everything to Win - This is a good song, but not one of my favourites or anything, it’s nice to see Dmitry’s conflict. The ending is sweet (or I guess bittersweet).

Once Upon A December (Reprise) - I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!!!!

The Press Conference - Yet another good chorus number; I love the typewriter sound effects. And Vlad & Lily’s parts are quite funny (it’s funny when he spells out his name, for some reason. And her high notes at the end..DAMN GIRL). I’m slightly feeling like they’re being kind of lazy with the use of the OUAD tune, however.

Everything to Win (Reprise) - Nice!! Good! I like it!

Still / The Neva Flows (Reprise) - Can Gleb just shut the fuck up already. Yes, I’m still salty. (although admittedly this is a good song - I especially love Anya’s fierceness in it).

Finale - I’m not surprised they decided to end on Once Upon A December, and this is exactly what you’d expect from a musical finale, tbh.

In conclusion - I love the musical’s soundtrack, yet I’m still iffy on the whole villain thing. Feel free to reply or reblog with your own thoughts, it’ll be fun to discuss!

#anastasia #don bluth #anastasia the musical #anastasia broadway musical #broadway #musical

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willowdidnothingwrong · 7 years

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answer ALL THE QUESTIONS

sharanya there are a hundred!! but ok

1: is there a boy/girl in your life?

No!

2: think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them?

I’m really fortunate that no one has really hurt me since, I guess, high school! And I definitely forgive high school shenanigans because wow, I thought my friends and I were mature then but this was not true!

3: what do you think of when you hear the word “meow?”

nyan, nyan, nyan! nihao nyan~~~~~

4: what’s something you really want right now?

a really awesome nerd dance party!

5: are you afraid of falling in love?

No!

6: do you like the beach?

I used to love the beach, or any water, a lot! But I had some weird ear injury, and now it’s hard for me to swim much without getting ear problems. So I still really like the beach, but it makes me feel a bit wistful.

7: have you ever slept on a couch with someone else?

Yep.

8: what’s the background on your cell?

An aesthetic shot of Bay-Enterprise train station, in my hometown of Edmonton!

9: name the last four beds you were sat on?

My summer housing bed, a hotel bed in hartford, my bed at home, my bed at school last year.

10: do you like your phone?

Yes. It cannot successfully type ‘t’ or ‘u’, but this adds to the charm! also I’ve gotten really creative at using words which don’t have those letters so that’s cool

11: honestly, are things going the way you planned?

I didn’t plan, I guess!

12: who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?

I think… a model united nations conference help staffer’s number?

13: would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler?

why have either when you could have MY DOG. Which I can. (And you can’t.)

14: which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?

Emotional pain lasts longer, I guess?

15: would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?

Art museums, because zoos are nice but they also make me sad when animals aren’t well cared for or don’t have enough space! It would be so sad to live your life on display. That said a lot of zoos care for their animals in an amazing way – unfortunately too often, it seems like this isn’t the case though :/

16: are you tired?

No!

17: how long have you known your 1st phone contact?

As in, my first one to ever be added? I guess my parents, so my whole life. As in, the person I’ve texted the most over my entire lifetime? Since high school. As in, the person I talk to most over the phone now? Also since high school.

18: are they a relative?

For the first of my three alternatives.

19: would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes?

No! They’re all great people but our relationships ended for good reasons. I hang out with all of them though.

20: when did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with?

Wednesday?

21: if you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today?

No, well yes, depending on what ‘knowing’ means! If a 100% infallible oracle told me that this was the right decision, I guess! But if it’s just the ‘knowing’ of the moment, no! It’s good to have a time-distributed sample of ‘knowing’.

22: would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

No!

23: how many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?

zeeero

24: is there a certain quote you live by?

“Je pense, donc je suis.”

25: what’s on your mind?

my head. But also my physics research, and thoughts about people! Mainly about how lucky I am to have acquired Amazing Summer Friends, which reminds me to tell them about why they’re great. **does so **

26: do you have any tattoos?

No.

27: what is your favorite color?

Red!

28: next time you will kiss someone on the lips?

When it happens, I guess!

29: who are you texting?

sharanya it’s you!

30: think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch?

Yes.

31: have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right?

Roughly as often as chance predicts.

32: do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?

Honestly… almost all my friends are nonmale? I have like, one, maybeee two male friends I can talk to about serious stuff? But I am in the process of acquiring a new male friend and I’m Really Excited about this!

33: do you think anyone has feelings for you?

Maybe? Unclear!

34: has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?

On occasion.

35: say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you?

I would be surprised! But good for them!

36: were you single on valentines day?

Yep!

37: are you friends with the last person you kissed?

Yes!

38: what do your friends call you?

By my first name. or sometimes nerd

39: has anyone upset you in the last week?

I guess, but the perturbation led to me reaching a higher energy state!

40: have you ever cried over a text?

Six years ago.

41: where’s your last bruise located?

I don’t think I’ve had a bruise for years honestly.

42: what is it from?

Hence I forget.

43: last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad?

Hmm, probably not for three years, when I accidentally wandered into an unfamiliar and possibly sketchy part of Edmonton at midnight through a long and curious chain of events!

44: who was the last person you were on the phone with?

My mom!

45: do you have a favourite pair of shoes?

I love converse more than my own sole. (hahaha.) But they break pretty frequently, so whatever pair of converse I’ve had for longest that hasn’t broken!

46: do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day?

No, I only wear one hat and only when I’m feeling cool enough for it because damn it’s way cooler than I am.

47: would you ever go bald if it was the style?

i really like hair for dramatic dance moves;;;;;

48: do you make supper for your family?

Sometimes when I’m home, but honestly my mom does way more of the cooking work even then! The balance is slowly shifting in my favour as I learn better to make things my mom likes and get less lazy!

49: does your bedroom have a door?

Yes.

50: top 3 web-pages?

mspaintadventures,metafilter, wikipedia!

51: do you know anyone who hates shopping?

Most of my extended family!

52: does anything on your body hurt?

No!

53: are goodbyes hard for you?

Hmm. Usually they’re really easy, but when I’m hanging out with really cool people I’m always so awkward about it because they’re like ‘Bye’! and I’m like “bye…” but I’m really thinking “WAIT BUT YOURE SO COOL WHY NOT JUST KEEP HANGING OUT”

54: what was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?

Green tea!

55: how is your hair?

Wet post-shower!

56: what do you usually do first in the morning?

grumble, pull my blanket up, attempt to get into a comfortable sleeping position, decide I oughtn’t sleep, turn on my phone, log on to metafilter

57: do you think two people can last forever?

Yes!!! Of course!

58: think back to january 2007, were you single?

I was 10.

59: green or purple grapes?

I’ve never given it thought, I just eat them!

60: when’s the next time you will give someone a big hug?

this reminds me that I have not given a big hug for a long time! so whenever I have the chance!

61: do you wish you were somewhere else right now?

I wish cambridge ma were magically transported into canadaland because canada’s great! But Cambridge is nice and I’m happy to be here as it is.

62: when will be the next time you text someone?

Hmm, likely the next five minutes.

63: where will you be 5 hours from now?

Sleeping!

64: what were you doing at 8 this morning.

Reading differential geometry;;;

65: this time last year, can you remember who you liked?

My then-girlfriend!

66: is there one person in your life that can always make you smile?

Tons of people! My friends K and X and S. B., for a start!

67: did you kiss or hug anyone today?

Non non mon ami

68: what was your last thought before you went to bed last night?

“Zeta functions…. or hater functions”

(my brain’s dumb thoughts inevitably involve math. im sorry.)

69: have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

Not really! Not that everything has been Successful, but a lot of it has and when things haven’t, it’s let me move onto other things which it turns out are hella cool and I really like so **happy shrug**

70: how many windows are open on your computer?

Seven!

71: how many fingers do you have?

ten

72: what is your ringtone?

The default one… but I’ve never turned on my volume ringer, like, ever?

73: how old will you be in 5 months?

74: where is your mum right now?

In Edmonton, Alberta! I’ll see her in three days and I’m excited!

75: why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love?

We lived 9 timezones apart with limited internet access, then turned out to have very different attachment styles! But we’re still like. almost best friends! And it turns out this is a much better dynamic for us!

76: have you held hands with somebody in the past three days?

Non non!

77: are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago?

Yes! Almost all of them, though since I’ve moved countries sometimes not in the frequency I would like. Like I really wish I could talk to my friends B.D. and T.J. more! But they’re both in California time.

78: do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7?

A., who was one of my best friends but in retrospect I was definitely gay for;;;; (A. is most definitely Very Straight.)

79: is there anyone you know with the name mike?

Yes! My cousin! He’s a great guy and has two AMAZING AND CUTE KIDS who I really wish I could spend more time with!

80: have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms?

Yes!

81: how many people have you liked in the past three months?

Definitely one, maybe two?

82: has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days?

No!

83: will you talk to the person you like tonight?

No current crushes!

84: you’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with?

Yelling at people from car windows is not ok and very objectifying! I am not doing this and if my friends are they’re getting a stern talking to!

85: if your bf/gf was into drugs would you care?

Yes, it’s probably not a for sure dealbreaker but it is almost certainly a dealbreaker.

86: what was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie?

THE MOVIE HAD AMAZING BABY SPIDERMAN and I got to get really excited with a friend about cute. baby. spiderman. who i love deeply.

87: who was your last received call from?

My mom! Honestly I only call my mom.

88: if someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?

…no.

89: what is something you wish you had more of?

…knowledge of algebraic geometry? Ok, on a personal level, I wish I was better at talking to friends about personal issues? I used to be really good at this, but over the past few years I just have been really fortunate and I haven’t really had many personal issues at all! So I’ve become used to dealing with them myself, and I haven’t been very good at this at all.

90: have you ever trusted someone too much?

People have betrayed my trust, yes. But I’m happy I trusted them because even if it didn’t work out, the alternative of being suspicious seems too dark!

91: do you sleep with your window open?

Yes! the outdoors is nice and i want it in me!

92: do you get along with girls?

Yes! most of my friends are women!

93: are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?

No!

94: does sex mean love?

They’re definitely distinct concepts! That said, I would find it pretty impossible personally to consider sex without love! Definitely that isn’t true for other people and that’s cool!

95: you’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem?

No! Except neither of us are good at breaking locks oops

96: have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?

No!

97: did you sleep alone this week?

Yes!

98: everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?

So many people in my life! My mom, my dog, my friends are all so awesome! I’m super happy and fortunate.

99: do you believe in love at first sight?

It can probably happen! But people are deeper than their appearance, and I think most successful love probably does not rely on first sight!

100: who was the last person that you pinky promise?

Probably a drunk dutch girl in hong kong who wanted me to pinky promise swear that we’d hang out more?

#ask #questions #self #self post #@shanakin

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