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trigunsbbygirl · 11 months

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I read both your Vash and Knives reverse isekais and loved them. I wad just sad that the brothers were split up again, so what if you wrote both brothers appearing in our world? That way they can be together and be happy?

ofc!! they deserve to be happy and just be silly little brothers together again hhbmmn

anyways sorry in advance I think I was possessed by like Miku or smth bc I do not shut up about music for the first like 600 words idek why

also kinda bring up potential v relationship for a bullet point or two, but yeah, many thoughts on the two of them..

•do not split them up! (I say after having split them up lol)

•but what I mean is, congratulations! you now have two(2) roommates!🎉 (rip if you live in a v small apartment lol)

•like I said in my Knives isekai hcs, he gets into composing music, but! this time Vash learns along with him and they make music together often. when they collaborate the songs usually end up being longer than 5 minutes and they always have intense emotions put into them. there'll be a soothing piano/violin/flute part before it crescendos into chaos.

•this is kinda their way of dealing with their past with eachother. they haven't talked about it all yet, (they will eventually, it's just a very big can of worms to open that will probably take years to go through and neither one is quite ready) but for now, making music together like this is how they deal with it,,

•over time, especially after Vash and Nai have started deailing with everything,, their songs together do get less anguished, pained and sad, and overall feel much more light. they took a bit of a break during that time, but after the two got past the hardest parts, they wanted to make a new song together and it was rather peaceful. a bit melancholic at times but the song ended happy.

•Vash gets into writing lyrics more than Nai does, although Nai does read over Vash's work and gives suggestions when asked. but when Nai does write lyrics, damn does he do an amazing job.

•Vash does the singing too! unfortunately, I don't think Nai would be too into singing, maybe just being a low harmony just barely audible against Vash's voice and the music. it's a shame, he probably has an insanely good singing voice;(

•if you're into singing Vash begs you to sing the songs he writes, even if you're not great at it. if you agree, he's got the biggest grin on his face, his eyes sparkling. Vash listens very intently, taking in the way you sing every note and syllable. he's committing it to memory and when you're done, Vash bombards you with compliments, saying you should sing more.

•Nai is a little more subtle with asking you to sing any songs he writes, but the way he stares at you a day after you sang for Vash is not. Nai won't ask for you to sing for him, rather, waiting for you to come to him and ask. (it's something Vash is trying to work on with Nai, that it's okay to ask for stuff and that you won't appear weak or next or whatever. idk how to explain it but I hc Nai trying to twist his wants/emotions to appear that you want it rather than him bc of pride and stubbornness? if that makes sense)

•anyways, you tell Vash about Nai staring at you a lot lately, and Vash thinks for a moment before saying he thinks Nai just wants you to sing for him, but he's just stubborn. Vash suggests that you ask if you could sing one of Nai's songs since he doesn't think Nai will actually ask.

•when Nai is listening to you sing, he switches between listening with his eyes closed and watching you carefully. it's honestly a little nerve-racking, but when you're done singing he opens his eyes with a small smile barely showing on his face and says, "you have a nice voice."

so sorry I went crazy with music for a second anyways

•Vash forces Nai to join in on movie night every weekend. Nai doesn't really care about movies but Vash loves them and there's so many he wants to see!

•Nai will watch them but he's got a scowl on his face the whole time, especially if it's a romance or comedy. or both.. he does like mystery and horror movies if they're done well. (I think he'd really like 1982 The Thing (much to Vash's dismay.) Nai really likes the practical effects and mood of it.)

•Nai is also lowkey really happy that he can watch cowboy movies again. unless a movie has really caught his eye, he usually picks westerns. they both really like Rango!

•Vash on the other hand, hates horror movies, especially if they're gorey. but, it was Nai's turn to choose so he'll try to endure it. he stays glued to your side, hugging your arm, and if he's too scared by the end, Vash will ask to sleep with you.

•Vash loves animated movies and comedies! he rewatches a lot of movies like Into the Spiderverse, Puss in Boots. he loves signing along to songs in movies, it's really cute.

•stupid thought that just came up but, if somehow Vash hadn't learned about rabbits and he watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail, he'd sit there wondering if that's what rabbits are actually like.

•there's a song called SEKAI-chan and KAFU-chan's Errand Ensemble and I can envision Vash and Nai having moments like the song.

like Vash wants a certain food, but they don't have ingredients and Nai is like just wait, we're going to the store tomorrow we'll have this instead. but Vash refuses and forces Nai to do rock-paper-scissors, and when Vash wins he's forcing Nai out the door.

•Vash usually forces Nai to go shopping with him. the times that he doesn't, Nai notices that Vash buys a lot of donuts and so Nai brings himself with everytime now so it doesn't happen again. Vash whines saying that they're cheap, but Nai argues that they've got so much dessert at home thanks to Vash already, they don't need more. Vash has a donut restriction now;( 3 a week and he can only bring a box home once a month. the only exception is when Vash makes the donuts himself. you guys always have so many donuts.

•Vash and Nai get insanely good at Mario Kart and they're both brutal too. they get really good at sniping with green shells and bananas it's a little scary. so, good luck getting first. Vash may be nicer and cheer you on if you get into first, but Nai is ruthless and competitive;; (okay there may be a few times where he let's you win but he'll never admit it, even if it's obvious.)

•they aren't afraid to play dirty either lol. they'll punch and push eachother and Nai will use his blade tentacles(?) to try and obscure Vash's vision. Vash will try to just grab Nai's controller and keep it away from him.

•you know it's just silly sibling rivalry, but sometimes you worry it'll just turn into a fist fight. it never actually does and when they're done playing Vash turns to Nai and says "haha good games, I had fun:)" and Nai replies, "likewise."

•it's the same with other games like that too.

•while Nai is more into cooking, Vash loves baking! you always come home to see Vash decorating a dessert or pulling a loaf of bread out of the oven. he's really excited and wants to try as many foods as he can. there's so many different types!

•Vash tends to make a lot of deserts and bread, especially donuts, so when that happens, he's offering them to the neighborhood or apartment complex.

•Vash also shows Nai recipes he wants to try eating and begs Nai to make them. Vash helps by cutting any vegetables or shredding food, but Nai does the mixing and cooking. you've asked if they needed any help but Vash just smiles and says that 'they've got it and that you don't to worry about anything. you just sit back and rest until the food is ready!'

•it's the least they could do they think, since they most likely can't get a job, you know, with no ssn, birth certificate and identity cards..

•you still do the dishes though and Vash always tries to help. if you refuse he kinda sulks before just wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your head. it makes it a bit difficult to move around but you don't mind. he just wants to hang out with you<3

•getting into romance hcs a little, neither of them would make a move on you until after they've started talking and working on their past. not only are tensions high between them, but it would also be too many emotions to deal with. especially Nai. he hardly even acknowledges you in the beginning.

•Vash on the other hand jokingly flirts with you, and if you're comfortable with touch, pats your shoulder, puts an arm around it, hugs you and so on. but it never passes from friendly gestures, even if he does like you.

•if they find out they both like you, it kinda gets tense in an awkward way. they just started learning how to live with eachother, now they have to navigate having feelings for you?

•Nai is actually the first one to bring it up to Vash, stating bluntly that they both like you and it's getting annoying skirting around it. there really isn't too much to talk about, they decide to let things play out. if you end up having feelings for either twin, the other would be happy and supportive. if you like both Nai and Vash, it takes another little talk between all three of you before they're nodding along and saying that they could definitely try for you. it's a little bumpy at first, but you guys make it work<3

•also they don't try to fight over you or try to win you over in any way. Vash may be a little more touchy and Nai more expressive with you, but it's just to try and show you that they like you.

•Vash loves painting everyone's nails. Nai grumbles a little, but he always indulges Vash as long as it isn't a neon color.

•Nai dresses formally in a comfortable way, a (usually white or light blue) button up with the sleeves rolled up and dress pants. it's always either black or white socks and they go past his ankle too so you can't see his skin when he sits down</3 he also always irons his clothes after they've been washed.

•Vash on the other hand dresses a lot more casual, maybe picks up on streetwear? lots of hoodies though, he loves them! his wardrobe is colorful, but there's still more red than any other color

•after 120+ years, they finally get to celebrate a birthday together:(!!! and really, I think it's the first time they'd actually celebrate their birthday in general, Nai seeing no point in it really and Vash thinking he doesn't deserve to celebrate it.

•but! it's their first birthday together again after they've made up so Vash wants to go all out and celebrate eachother and the fact that they have made up.

•lets ignore that money exists for a bit but, Vash goes ALL out. he's decorating the whole living room and kitchen with streamers, balloons, flowers, anything he can get his hands on. Vash buys his and Nai's and favorite drinks and snacks, he's setting the snacks up in fancy looking plates, and even if it were just juice, he's pouring it into wine glasses.

•he gets a fancy two teir white cake with the edges frosted a light blue, with those pearl candies evenly placed on them. there's also frosted flowers placed in certain areas too. the top has happy birthday! written in cursive. (I can't describe it for shit but trust me it's a really pretty cake.)

•a week before, Vash is begging you to take Nai grocery shopping on the day of their birthday so Vash can set everything up.

•Nai knows something is up when Vash refuses to go shopping, trying to keep a straight face, but he decides not to question Vash. he supposed it had something to do with their birthday, so the two of you go shopping.

•Nai can't lie, he's actually really happy to be spending birthdays with his twin again after so many years. he may not have celebrated his birthday, but it was a bit of a lonely and upsetting day. he's thankful that he can be with Vash in peace now, that their presence with eachother is no longer filled with exasperation and violence.

•when you two get home and Nai opens the door, Vash is there, pulling on the string of a confetti popper, yelling out happy birthday before throwing himself at Nai for a hug. Nai only grunts a little, taking in the decorated house as he wraps an arm around Vash. "you know we're going to have to clean this all up?"

Vash only laughs, pulling away with the biggest grin, "it's our first birthday together in forever! of course I had to go all out!"

•even though it's just the three of you, it's a lot of fun. Vash completely spoiled Nai with presents (some heartfelt, others practical, and a few that were just gag gifts. Nai scowls at those much to Vash's joy.) Nai had gotten him a lot more useful/practical gifts, but he did buy Vash a geranium earring and when Vash opens the box, Nai explains that he has the second earring. Vash tears up, immediately putting it on and forcing Nai to put on the other one. he takes a lot of selfies with Nai after that.

•towards the end of the day Vash is asking to make a pillow fort so that you all can have a movie marathon of everyone's favorite movies. it's a little crowded at first with how tall they are, but you all get comfy and they end up cuddled against you.

•you and Vash fall asleep first and Nai notices that, he turns off the movie and device before quietly getting out of the fort to put away leftover food and drinks. once he's done, Nai gets back in and gets back into the position he was in earlier, cuddled up to you, deciding to sleep as well.

#trigun headcanons #trigun x reader #vash the stampede x reader #vash x reader #millions knives x reader #reverse isekai

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a-trick-or-two-with-lepers · 3 months

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A Decidedly Unserious Review of Hair 2001 (ft. Drew Sarich)

I’m back for another lunatic review. This time: the 2001 recording of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. This is so silly. I literally decided to do this like two hours ago because @peppi-mint wanted to hear my thoughts on it. Well, peppi, prepare to get an earful because I had some THOUGHTS

(I’m so sorry)

Aquarius- um. This is literally so cool. The hip-hop beat sets the tone, which is vastly different from every Hair recording I’ve heard. And then the violins come in and it’s like YOOOOO. And then the broadway singing comes in and it’s like YOOOOOOOOOOO! And then the dissonant harmonies hit and it’s like YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I really like this. Very different and fresh and new and Y2K in the best way. I can’t stress how fucking amazing those harmonies sound.

Donna- Ok, Drew!! Give us that punk-rock energy! The electric guitar sound is really neat, and I kinda dig the reverb as well as the way Sarich sings most of the lines straight intentionally. Whereas the harmonies were highlighted in the last song, they act more as a part of the orchestra in this song, but it still feels full and tasteful. Really enjoying this so far.

Hashish- I’ve literally always skipped “Hashish.” It’s boring to me. I’m a sober loser. But THIS?! What are they doing to my boring hashish!! The instrumentation is so experimental and interesting to listen to. I like that the cast isn’t going over the top with the vocals, too. They’re supposed to be high, so going full belt and vibrato isn’t really the vibe.

Sodomy- I’m literally Debbie Reynolds-ing right now. This guy’s voice has me biting my lip for real. Catch me joining the Holy Orgy ™ any day of the week.

Colored Spade- This production is obviously informed heavily by black music. Which makes this song slightly more comfortable to listen to. I can’t really speak on it though- I’m white. All I can say is: it’s a bop. Also, the second half?? So fucking groovy. Yes I’m using that word unironically. It’s a good word.

Manchester England- Stripped down acoustic guitar… mkay I can get with that. Makes the full orchestration pop out more. Loving these glam rock vocals from Kyrre Kvam.

I’m Black- It was literally 22 seconds long and sounded like a car commercial with that fade in and fade out I’m lmao 😭Where’s my Ain’t Got No?!?!?!?

Dead End- Ok so I rarely hear this one in any recorded productions. I’ve only ever really heard it in college production bootlegs I watch on Youtube. This version has me saying WHY DID THEY REMOVE IT?!? It’s seriously so good.

Air- The vocal affectation that Jeannie usually has tends to annoy me, which I guess is intentional, but I’m glad it’s more toned down here. The industrial sound of the instruments clashes with the light and breezy vocals in a really fascinating way. It’s like a big burly man wearing a flowery perfume. Thumbs up from me.

I Got Life- Teehee if you take out your left earbud you get an a capella intro 🤭Anyway, I always love this song. This version is no exception. Treat Williams is still top, tho (Rest in Peace, King).

Hair- The titular bitchular! (-Athena P on YT). Something about the way the sound is split between each ear in the intro (vocals in one ear, guitar in the other) is ticking me off. That’s just me, though. Overall, this sounds so fucking good and it’s such a vibe. I’m not sure if it’s Kvam or Sarich who hits those high notes but they hit, man.

My Conviction- Hehehehehe this sounds so out of place I love it. (It’s supposed to- just like Herod’s song in JCS)! Also how are these vocals from a man?? They aren’t my favorite but they sound soooo much like a woman that’s crazy. Anyway gender is fake

Easy To Be Hard- Um. Can we say elegant? Can we say… mystical? GORGINA?!? BRO when the,,, fuck what is it, a marimba or some shit comes in with that overarching angelic tone- fuuuuuucccckkkkk. So good. Also the shaker keeping the beat tastes good. I can taste this song. It tastes like a capri-sun on a hot day. I’m in love. Hold up- added verse? Why haven’t I heard this-

Frank Mills- Awwwwww this is cute. I like this woman’s voice. Very smooth and nice to listen to. What I’m noticing so far about this album is that they treat each song like it’s its own person, you know? Like- every tune sounds coherent and like it belongs, but it also sounds like its own thing with its own special instrumentation. It’s just. So neat.

Be In - Hare Krishna- The speaker shifting got me like 🫠so good. It’s like ASMR. Another thing I’m noticing about the ensemble vocals is that they’re so… earnest? They aren’t worn like clothing, they’re like a part of the individual. ... Any arrangement that can make me describe music like this deserves the world.

Where Do I Go- Fuck. I just love arrangements that do something new. This sound is so clean and genuine and beautiful. If I could insert John Savage’s vocals into this it would be perfect (No shade to Kvam- I just love the movie version of this song so much). This is probably my favorite song from the musical (I literally wrote a 30k+ word fanfiction based on its lyrics), and I’m sooooo utterly pleased with this interpretation of it. All I’ll say is that the end could’ve been a bit louder/more intense- it is an Act I closer, after all. More drums, please!

Electric Blues- TELL ME WHOOOOOO DO YOU LOVE MAN! *guitar* Ermmm I love Electric Blues I love it. I wanna inject this song into my bloodstream. This version doesn’t stray too much from the original, and it slaps. Always does. Also I just realized this came out before the Broadway revival. I wonder if the revival folks took a bit of inspo from this version 🤔

Black Boys- ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS (I love the staccato guitar chords, offbeat, percussion, tonal shift during the solo represented by the instrumentation, and just everything else about this).

White Boys- My eyes literally rolled to the back of my skull during that intro. So good!! So tasty! Also these VOCALS! Less energy than the others I’ve heard, but that’s not a criticism. It’s more reminiscent of the original cast recording. Once again, ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS. 🍽️

Walking in Space- dodo do do dodo dooooooo. (guitar). Again, the vocalists aren’t overdoing it, which is working. I’ll probably smoke marijuana to this song at some point. Looking forward to it. Also when she sang “ 🎶floooooooaaating, flipping, flyyyyyying, tripping 🎶” I was like 😶‍🌫️(that’s me floating flipping flying tripping). . I want to consume these vocals

The War- Don’t think I’ve heard this one in any other production? It definitely fits the vibe they’re going for. I’d love to know the context for it. Eh, actually, I think I can guess...

Three-Five-Zero-Zero- Listening to this is making me realize how important the bass guitar is as an instrument. Songs would sound so much less full without its constant, droning presence. Also, I would’ve loved to see them lean even further into the experimental vibe for this one so that the tonal shift would sound more stark. Regardless, it all sounds really good. Love the harmonies, especially at the end.

Good Morning Starshine- I have a poster of these three words in my room. Also, I like this version of the song. Very 2001. Kinda reminds me of that song “Walking on Sunshine,” similar vibes. Not my favorite version, but still a bop and very fun.

The Flesh Failures/Eyes Look Your Last- Guitar is so yummy. I don’t like the chorus singing the first part. I’m just too used to it being a soloist or Claude. Also, it feels kinda too fast? Sorry, I have ridiculously high standards for this song. I think it’s one of the best songs ever written. Given that fact, it’s hard to fuck it up. So, this sounds really good still, obviously. Just didn’t hit quite as hard for me. I feel like they tried so hard to make every other song sound unique and they dropped the ball a bit here. It sounds like they’re trying to just get it over with… which is very contradictory to the song’s message. Also, why isn’t “Let the Sunshine In” a part of the title? Seems kinda important 😬

Hippie Life- …huh?

Aquarius (Bonustrack) - director’s cut- It’s the remix 😎

Overall, I was really impressed by this album. I’m glad I took a listen. It seems like a very approachable version of the controversial musical. I think it’d be a good album to show friends that aren’t into musicals but should still get to enjoy Hair. Some choices weren’t my style, but I’m genuinely so astounded and excited by others. Act I was better than Act II. Drew Sarich was great, and so was the rest of the cast. Ultimately, a very cool take on one of my favorite musicals of all time. Thanks again to @peppi-mint for recommending this to me- I’m so happy I got to do another silly little stream-of-consciousness musical review!

#hair #hair the musical #drew sarich #musicals #silly

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adorethedistance · 3 years

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A Pretty Good Bad Idea - Owen Joyner x Reader

JATP masterlist

Warnings: swearing, peer pressure kinda, very mild n fluffy

Words: 1865

Summary: Touring with the Julie and The Phantoms cast as a dancer has been the best time of your life, and the only thing that could make it better is the reciprocated affections of a cute, blond drummer.

A/N: So this piece is 1) inspired by this interview and 2) entirely self indulgent. It’s something I haven’t been able to get out of my mind every time I’m doing warm ups, and putting it down on ,, digital paper is my only way to get rid of it lmao. I hope y’all enjoy bc I know this scenario makes me really happy and I love sharing my joy with y’all.

I let out an involuntary whine when I roll forward into my almost-center splits. My hips are so sore from yesterday’s performance I had to force myself to start stretching in the first place. Getting a head start, I arrived at the concert venue an hour earlier than call time to get my lengthy stretching routine out of the way before the other girls show up. Slowly but surely, the rest of the dancers arrived and we began getting ready together.

“I have a speaker!” Tori announces to the room upon entering which makes me jump up from my seat.

“Yes! May I do the honors and bless y’all with my musical theatre playlist?” The rest of the group cheers, exposing themselves for the theatre kids that we are. After hearing the chime that signifies the speaker-phone pairing, a few seconds pass before “Cell Block Tango” begins to play. The entire group feigns outrage but we know all the words and soon indulge in such shameful pandering. A good pre-show playlist is what really gets me amped up for performing and after yesterday’s queue of ‘today’s hits’ pop, the musical theatre is a nice change of pace.

Since I’d gotten here so early, I decided to do my makeup before stretching and I still had time to spare. The only thing left for me to do was to get in costume but I’d wait until a little closer to showtime so that I could still eat and drink for the time being. This also meant I was free to roam and bother other people as they got ready, doing what I’d done almost an hour ago.

“So, Y/n?”

“Hm?”

“What’s going on with you and Owen?” I feel my breathing halt for a microsecond before looking up at, one of the other dancers and also my friend, Ella. My eyebrows are cinched in confusion as I try my best to figure out what it is she’s getting at.

“I don’t know, Ella. What is going on with me and Owen?”

“Oh come on. Your Instagram story from yesterday?” Oh. That.

“We just went to lunch?” I seemingly ask more than state.

“Yeah. Just the two of you. Don’t hold out on us, we wanna know what’s going on!”

“Really, Ella, there’s nothing going on. We’re just getting to know each other better.”

“Just getting to know each other better? Or getting to know each other better?” Tori butts in, dusting her cheeks with a subtle highlight.

“The first one?”

“How many times have you hung out?”

“Just the once.”

“Are you planning another date?”

“It wasn’t a date-”

“Do you want us to help wingman you?”

“I really don’t-”

“Hey.” The rapid-fire of questions cease when the gang of us look up to see Owen himself standing in the doorway.

“Speak of the devil,” Tori snickers as the rest of the girls slowly disperse and smugly resume doing their makeup. Owen makes a face in reaction to her comment but chooses not to pry.

“Could I borrow some hairspray? This one piece of hair won’t stay.” Despite each of the girls having a full can of hairspray on hand, nobody makes a move to give him the product, indicating that I should be the one to help him out. Rolling my eyes at the look Ella is giving me through the mirror, I stand from my chair and hand Owen the can of hairspray. He then looks straight ahead and moves to use the product but I stop him before he can.

“What’s your plan?”

“What?”

“Are you just gonna spray the piece?”

“...yeah?”

“That’s not gonna work since the rest of your hair already has product in it. Can I help you?” Owen nods amiably and takes a seat after I gesture for him to sit in my chair. I then realize my mistake as I need the comb on the grey countertop, and have to consequently reach past Owen in a way that wouldn’t be so compromising had I not worn such a low-cut top. Thankfully it’s over as fast as it began, and walking to the sink in the corner of the dressing room, I run the cool water over the bristles. It isn’t until I turn off the tap that I notice how eerily quiet the room had gotten. None of the girls are talking, attentively studying my every move as I cross back to Owen.

“Is this Chicago?”

“Uh, yeah, We’re listening to my musical theatre playlist though, not the whole soundtrack,” I respond in spite of the nervous laugh that falls from my lips. The slight slouch in Owen’s posture doesn’t help me to see what I’m doing clearly enough. Using my index finger and an upturned palm, I tilt his chin up to get a better look at his hair, willfully ignoring the fact that he’s staring at me right now.

Still, silence fills the room as I take the wet comb through the front section of his hair where the stubborn strand won’t stay put. Once the water binds the pieces together, I grab my can of hairspray and struggle to uncap it. The outside is slick from god knows what, but thankfully Owen doesn’t let me struggle anymore and holds up his hands to wordlessly offer his help. I hand him the can, and he pops the top off after barely struggling. Handing the can back to me, he holds onto the lid, and the entire exchange remains completely silent.

I have to work quickly in my next step, but it’s not enough to distract from the fact that everyone in the room is watching me intently. Holding the aerosol can away from the crowd of people, I put some of the product on the comb and quickly work it into Owen’s hair while it’s still wet. Once the comb has formed his hair to my liking, I stop brushing it through in fear of the now dry hairspray ruining the shape. Then, I use my left hand to shield Owen’s eyes from getting any product in them before spraying the offending area to seal in my hard work.

The sound of a cell door sliding closed signifies the end of the song, and I wait for a second, eagerly anticipating the next song to play. Upon hearing the staccato piano notes of “Bad Idea” from Waitress, a smile appears on my face.

“I love this song.” Lunging back on my right leg, I create a little distance between us to make sure I didn’t completely butcher the rest of his hair, singing as I do.

“It’s a bad idea, me and you.”

“I know, I totally agree.” Pleasantly surprised by his joining in, my smile grows bigger.

“It’s a bad idea, me and you.”

“I’ve never known anything so true-”

“It’s a terrible idea, me and you.” The effortlessness that the two of us find in harmonizing is a genuine shock and an absolute thrill all at once. Once Owen sees how excited I am by his joining in me, it’s like a switch had been flipped; the two of us immediately slip into Actor Mode and begin to sing the song as if we were performing it on a Broadway stage.

“You have a wife.” I take a small step back out of the character’s hesitation.

“You have a husband.” Owen mirrors my action.

“You’re my doctor-” I cross my arms across my chest, but release my right hand to gesture to Owen standing in front of me.

“You’ve got a baby coming-” He uses both hands to gesture back to me in my ‘pregnant’ state.

“It’s a bad idea, me and you,” the two of us turn slightly away from facing one another in false bashfulness. When the music picks up, the two of us avidly step toward one another to come together. In perfect synchronization, I grab Owen’s forearms and his hands face upwards to hold onto my elbows.

“Let’s just keep kissing ‘til we come to.”

“Heart, stop racing, let’s face it-” Owen pivots his step out to the side to face forward, extending his right arm which cues me to turn into him and take his other hand to spin out.

“Making mistakes like this will make worse what is already pretty bad.” Then he extends his right arm forward, and I turn into him once again.

“Mind, stop running. It’s time we just let this thing go.” Instead of spinning out again, I stop in front of him where he wraps both of his arms around me.

“It was a pretty good bad idea,” in our harmony I cast my gaze upward to see Owen staring right back down at me, and I feel like I’m seeing stars, “Wasn’t it though?”

The two of us continue dancing and singing with one another as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. It’s only the two of us, here and now. The other girls in the room don’t miss the way I seem to smile like never before, and I sure as hell don’t miss the way my stomach fills with butterflies. When he holds me so close and dear for each intimate moment of the song, I’m seeing stars. A bold happiness consumes me, the same happiness I felt when Owen and I laughed over lunch in that small pizzeria.

The final harmony draws the song to a close and when it finishes, the two of us fall into a breathless kind of laughter.

“I didn’t take a big enough breath for that last part.”

“Me neither.”

“Your hair stayed intact.”

“I must have a pretty good stylist.”

After recovering from our laughter the two of us wind up in a palpable stupor as we stare into one another’s eyes. A few blinks and my trance is broken, I become aware of our surroundings.

“I should get dressed soon, and you definitely need to get dressed.” Owen nods still somewhat breathless.

“Yeah. See you later for pulse?”

“Save me a spot,” I joke as he backs out of the threshold of our dressing room. Leaning against the doorframe I watch him disappear into his assigned dressing room with a small smile still lingering on my features.

“Just getting to know each other my ass!”

“What the heck was that?”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to wingman you?”

“Do you even need a wingman after something like that?”

Turning on my heel, I face the bunch of insatiable dancers and shake my head in disbelief.

“We were just acting, you guys.”

“Liar.”

“Excuse me?”

“Maybe you were acting, but he sure as hell wasn’t. Did you see the way he was looking at you? He is totally in love with you.” Ella shakes me by my shoulders.

“He’s just a really good performer is all.”

“When is your next date?” she completely ignores me.

“Okay-”

“Oh, and I want to be the maid of honor at your wedding-”

“It was just a song, Ella.”

“-Oh my god you guys are gonna have the cutest kids! I mean, your hair with his eyes and cheekbones? Ahh! The cutest.”

***

A/n: the way that being on tour isn’t the most unrealistic part of this fic, but instead Owen actually knowing the lyrics is? Work diva.

Taglist: @caitsymichelle13 @kaitlyn2907 @itz-jas @crybabyddl @kcd15 @kinda-really-lost @calamitykaty @morganayenneferburnham @n0wornever @dream-a-little-bigger-x @mrstodorooki @vicesvsvirturesfanfic @curlybrownhairedboys @amazinggracy @kaitieskidmore1 @asdfghjkl-fanfics @ghostlygreenbean @juliefromaustralia @merceret @jemimah-b99 @ifilwtmfc @thesweetestsinner @imsydneywalker @lovesanimals @thebloodthirstyvampress @bumbleberry-pie @losers-club6 @tefilovesreading @dmcfarland1@joynerxmercer @kexrtiz @talk-on-the-street @phantompogues @konciousdreamer @sunsetcurvej @warmnesss0ul @celestialmolina @lilyjoyner

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bananaofswifts · 3 years

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Taylor Swift review, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) – Wisely not trying to rewrite history

Swift’s re-recorded versions of her 2008 album is a timely reminder of some of the best pop songs committed to record

4/5 STARTS

By Alexandra Pollard

Taylor Swift has made a point, not a new album.

In order to wrestle it from the clutches of Scooter Braun, the singer-songwriter has re-recorded, word for word and note for note, 2008's Fearless.

It is a complicated backstory, but the crux of it is this: when she was 15, Swift signed a 13-year deal with record label Big Machine that gave them ownership over all her future master recordings. When she was 28 and one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, she signed a new deal with a different label, and Big Machine sold those rights to Scooter Braun, a man she claimed had bullied her for years.

Since 2019, Braun has had ownership of and control over Swift’s first six albums. “This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept,” she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post at the time. “And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it.” And so Swift announced her intention to re-record every single song that Braun now owned.

She has begun with her second album, Fearless. Pointedly named Fearless (Taylor’s Version), this is not a new take, remix or reimagining. Tracks such as the Romeo and Juliet-inspired country ballad “Love Story” and the lilting pop song “You Belong With Me” remain almost exactly the same, each banjo note, guitar chord and harmony painstakingly reconstructed. I had wondered if she might use the opportunity to tweak things here and there – “You Belong With Me” aims very un-2021 barbs at a love interest’s current girlfriend – but wisely, she has not tried to rewrite history.

This is the perfect moment for Fearless (Taylor’s Version): there’s no time like a pandemic to be given a dose of nostalgia, and it’s nice to have a refresher of some of the best pop songs committed to record. Even the six “from the vault” tracks that didn’t make the cut first time round feel oddly comforting. “We Were Happy”, with its strings, wistful guitar and lush harmonies (courtesy of Keith Urban), is just lovely. “Mr Perfectly Fine”, meanwhile, slots perfectly into the late-Noughties country pop vibe, helped along by the fact it was supposedly written about a months-long relationship with Joe Jonas (on Instagram, his now-wife Sophie Turner described the song as “not NOT a bop”). These new tracks allow Swift to unleash, for old time’s sake, that “mortally wronged-in-love” persona she wore so well but has quietly retired. She’s recruited shiny young popstars Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Grey in the album’s marketing campaign – a canny reminder that she is the godmother of Melodramatic Teenage Feelings.

When she was 57, Joni Mitchell re-recorded “Both Sides Now”, a song she wrote at 24. No longer sung in dulcet tones but in a husky rasp brought on by a lifetime of cigarettes, lines like “I’ve looked at life from both sides now/ From win and lose and still somehow/ It's life’s illusions I recall/ I really don't know life at all” took on a newfound poignancy. It would be a stretch to say the same has happened here, because Swift’s voice has remained almost exactly the same, but there is certainly an added layer to songs like “Fifteen”. “Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now,” she mused back then, at 18, and again now, at 31. “Back then, I swore I was gonna marry him someday/ But I realised some bigger dreams of mine.”

Only occasionally has something been lost in the re-recording process. Perhaps it’s because she has grown weary of it after thousands of renditions, but “Love Story” somehow lacks the wide-eyed spark of the original. If there's a discernible difference, it’s that the build of the middle eight is a little less steep and a little less triumphant. But I’m splitting hairs. Swift has done what she set out to do.

There is a long history of women being locked into bad record deals that come to feel more like prison sentences: TLC; Kesha; Megan Thee Stallion; Toni Braxton; Kelly Clarkson. Maybe Swift is doing this for them, too. Bring on the next five.

#taylor swift #fearless #review

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maybedefinitely404 · 4 years

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Day 16: Prinxiety

@tsshipmonth2020

Heeey, look at that, I’m behind! Day 16: When your soulmate listens to music, you hear it in your own head as well.

Content warnings: assumed death of a soulmate (he’s not dead), depression, general sad vibes.

Word count: 2.6k

Note: the songs referenced in this fic are IDK You Yet by Alexander 23 and Love is Gone by SLANDER. Both of these songs make me cry and were the inspiration for this.

It was at midnight on December 19th when Roman’s soulmark first appeared. He didn’t realize this until 1am.

Granted, he didn’t know it was his soulmark for the first hour.

At first, the almost imperceptible steady beat in his head just seemed like a song that had gotten stuck in there. He didn’t remember ever hearing the song, but it wasn’t unlikely that he’d heard the tune at the store or on the radio and it unconsciously ingrained itself into his memory. He was working on an assignment that was due in the morning, a script analysis for one of his Theatre courses, and had begun to bop his head along to the music when his roommate walked in, eyes bleary and arms laden with books.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” He asked through a yawn, dropping the books on his desk and flopping into the bottom bunk.

“I could ask you the same question, Pat,” Roman hummed, completing his conclusion paragraph with a dramatic flair of his hands. “Just finished my paper. Going now.”

“Lost track of time at the library,” Patton murmured in response, draping his arms over his eyes.

Closing his computer, Roman popped his back and climbed up the small ladder into the top bunk, using his cellphone as a flashlight. He assumed Patton was already fast asleep (the man could fall asleep at the drop of a hat) and tried to follow suit, only to sit up in annoyance after several minutes.

Whatever song was stuck in his head was keeping him up.

He remembered a tip he’d seen on the internet once, that said if you sing the last part of the song, it’s easier to get out of your head. Something about ‘your brain needing to complete it to be satisfied’ or whatever. As hard as he focused, though, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what song it was, much less the ending.

The more he concentrated on it, the louder it seemed to get, until it was no longer a hum of bass in the back of his skull, and he could make out the lyrics, the guitar solos, everything. He definitely hadn’t heard this song before. It wasn’t the kind you’d hear playing in public; it was loud, swears thrown in every chorus, just generally the kind of thing you’d hear in a Hot Topic but nowhere else.

And then it stopped.

For a split second he was pleased, thanking his brain for finally shutting off, and conceded to lie back down. He might be able to get six hours of sleep at this rate. Pretty good, for a college student.

Except as soon as he closed his eyes, another song started. It was another one he didn’t know, one he would have no way of knowing each word to. The realization hit him hard and his eyes shot open, nearly falling off the ladder in his haste to climb down.

“Roman? Everything okay?” Patton drawled, clearly having been woken up by Roman’s enthusiasm.

“My soulbond!”

“What?!” That got his attention and he jerked up, narrowly missing whacking his head on the top bunk.

“The music in my head all night, it’s my soulmate! It must be his birthday!”

He was pulling up music on his laptop before he’d even processed it, hands freezing over the keyboard as his brain grasped for something to play. What could he play that would properly introduce himself to his soulmate? A show tune? Something from the 80s? But his mind had gone completely blank, and he couldn’t think of a single one.

“What do I play, Pat?” He gasped, tapping the mousepad in time with the upbeat tempo in his head.

Patton was suddenly leaning over his shoulder, clacking a name into the search bar before pressing enter. Roman narrowed his eyes

“Why that one?”

Patton shrugged, “It’s kind of cheesy romantic, like you. And the first line is fitting.”

“A valid point,” Roman announced, closing his eyes to listen for a pause as the music switched. The second the song ended, he slammed the space bar, begging it to play before the next one started.

How can you miss someone you’ve never met?

Because I need you now but I don’t know you yet,

But can you find me soon, because I’m in my head,

Yeah, I need you now but I don't know you yet.

A little more depressing than he initially would have chosen, but he could see Patton’s point. The music on the other end had been paused and he smiled in accomplishment, knowing that he must have heard. He let the song play to the end of the first chorus before pausing it, waiting with his roommate with baited breath.

The silence was almost unbearably long, Patton watching him intently for some kind of indication that the music was back.

Hello,

It’s me.

Adele’s soothing melody filled his mind and he absolutely wheezed with laughter. Patton grinned and let him explain through gasps for air, and he let out a giggle in response.

“Okay,” Roman snorted, “What next?”

Patton passed out probably an hour later after helping Roman pick out songs that would adequately encompass him as a person, but the theatre student didn’t sleep last night. Eventually him and his soulmate found a nice rhythm, each playing a song in turn. It didn’t take long for him to assume that his soulmate was emo (a fact that had him blushing furiously), simply due to the overwhelming amount of My Chemical Romance and Green Day played in his head, and he figured it was probably pretty obvious that he was a theatre kid. The second song he played was from Heathers, afterall.

When his eyes finally started drooping too much to ignore, he knew he had to end this soon. The soulmate’s song ended and he quickly pulled up the first thing he’d thought of, a children’s lullaby, trying to indicate that he had to sleep.

There was quiet on the other end when the song ended, before the beginning trills of Baby Shark started playing and he groaned, quickly muffling the sound with his hand so as to not wake his roommate. He didn’t let it play past one verse, thank Olympus, and then his mind was quiet for the first time in many hours. It seemed like a mutual agreement that ‘now is sleep time’, and Roman went to sleep with a smile on his face.

Their new norm was quickly established in the following weeks. It became obvious almost right away that playing their music at the same time was cacophonous and only caused headaches, so they eventually settled on switching days. Every second morning, Roman would wake up to his alarm and quickly start his morning playlist, a set of rousing, uplifting, exciting songs to get his blood flowing for the day. It was his day to choose the music, so he’d set his walking playlist for class and his study one for the evenings, sometimes playing an adventure podcast or something to spice things up. The other days, he’d be woken by the soft notes of melancholy tunes, starting the day slowly. As the morning progressed, usually by the time he was eating breakfast, the tone would change to something a little more fast paced, as if his soulmate needed to warm up before getting to the main act. As much as the music wasn’t his style, he found himself keeping pace to the beat with his steps, bopping his head along to the melody, humming a harmony to the more commonly played ones. Just knowing that this was his soulmate made it better.

And then, one day… the music stopped.

He’d woken up around noon, not a big deal since he didn’t have classes until after lunch anyways, but he knew for a fact that his soulmate was always up by 10, latest. Whether the other had classes or a job that kept his schedule, he didn’t know. It was an oddity for sure that there was no alarm.

He put it off to the other probably having a sick day, or a free schedule, and he was sleeping in for once. The worry only started creeping in near the evening, when usually at this time, the music would start slowing down again as the sun set. There hadn’t been a peep all day, which was very unlike either of them. Even though the silence bothered him, he wouldn’t dare intrude on the other’s day, so he studied and ate dinner in silence, tapping his pencil against the table. Of course, he put it off to a one day fluke.

Except, two days after, when it should have been his soulmate’s turn again, there was no music. And the time after that. And the one after that. It was almost two weeks of radio silence on the other end before he called Patton through broken sobs, pleading for him to stop studying and come back to the dorm. Obviously, he made the ten minute walk in five.

And then Roman admitted the way his anxieties had been spiralling.

“What if- What if our soulbond broke? Did the universe realize we were a mistake? Or… or what if he died?! What if he’s hurt or dying or alone and I’m just-”

Patton shushed him gently, rubbing his back as Roman hiccuped into his shoulder. “When did this start?”

“Two- two weeks ago.”

“Then isn’t it possible that he just isn’t listening to music for a little while? Maybe he’s… somewhere without wifi. Or his phone broke.”

Even though he very much didn’t believe a word Patton was saying, he nodded along messily, clutching Patton’s shirt tighter. He eventually agreed to give him more time, hold on just a little longer, before completely giving up.

It took about a month before he did, and it didn’t get better from there.

Their consistency had been their norm for almost nine months, over summer break and now into the new school year, and now it was torn away without warning. Roman refused to listen to music on days that weren’t his, even though Patton tried to tell him it was okay, but he wouldn’t. It didn’t feel right. He mourned his soulmate the same way he would mourn a close friend’s death, for he truly believed he was gone for good. The person he’d barely gotten to understand, much less meet, and he was just… gone. He was going to live the rest of his life without a soulmate.

Most nights he just did the bare basics of the homework he had to do, without any of the old flair he’d put into all his work, and curled onto his bed to watch a show or, on his days, listen to music. His old playlists had shifted to the bottom of his rotation, now only bringing sadder memories that Patton had insisted he not indulge in at this point, so it was usually just automated lists he found. Nothing was special about them anymore.

Today was his day, an uneventful Saturday where the most exciting occurrence was Patton convincing him to come to the cafeteria and eat with other people. It had been tiring and only made him feel more alone, so his daily scheduled moping times had come up a little earlier. Patton had given him a hug and a gentle kiss on the head, telling him he had to go meet some people for a group project, and to call if he needed anything, before grabbing his bag and leaving. Roman didn’t miss the sad look tossed his way before the door shut.

Despite Patton’s advice, he was feeling particularly shitty today, and his fingers, seemingly with a mind of their own, pulled up one of his older playlists. One of the ones that was reminiscent of days when he actually had a soulmate. He clicked shuffle and tossed the phone onto the pillow next to his head, curling that much deeper into his blankets, as if he could somehow refill the void that had been cut out of him.

How can you miss someone you’ve never met?

Because I need you now but I don’t know you yet,

But can you find me soon, because I’m in my head,

Yeah, I need you now but I don't know you yet.

The first song he’d ever played had become a sort of inside joke between them. Despite the song’s sad melody and somber lyrics, it was a reminder of the first time they’d interacted; an awkward, laughter filled night. At least, it had been on Roman’s night, and he could only hope it had been the same on the other end.

He didn’t even realize he was crying until the pillow beneath him was tear stained and gross to lay on. Why had the universe chosen him as the target for its cruel irony? Not that he wished this on anyone else… but why couldn’t soulmates be foolproof? Why was there that margin for error, the always-there possibility that everything you’ve ever dreamed of will be ripped out of your hands just as soon as you think you have it? So close, but so far. At least before they’d connected, he’d lived in blissful hope and ignorance.

The song ended and he pressed pause lethargically, not able to find the emotional strength to listen to more. Maybe Patton had been right. A glance out the window showed that it was well past nightfall, the full moon gleaming into his window, and he decided to just sleep the emptiness away. It hadn’t worked so far, but maybe tonight was the night. He turned off his phone screen and plugged it in to charge, rolling away to face the wall, and waited for the soothing peace of sleep to take over him.

At first, he thought it was just a hallucination, wishful thinking. More than once in the three months since his soulmate disappeared, he’d thought he’d heard music, only for the feeling to disappear as soon as he focused on it. A soulbond only became louder when concentrated on, so he eventually realized he was doing it to himself subconsciously, his mind struggling to fill the emptiness that had once been filled by the other’s music.

When it disappeared, he figured it was music from someone else’s dorm filtering through the thin walls. But no, this was too clear, too distinct, too ingrained, to be coming from an external source.

He calmed his racing heart before he could jump to conclusions. This music isn’t like what his used to be. It must be your brain, because he’s gone. He’s GONE, Roman.

Much as he tried to push it down, he couldn’t. It was becoming evident that no, something was happening, and it had to do with his soulmate. As he had done for the time he’d known (could it be considered ‘knowing’) the other, he concentrated on the lyrics, because those were the only feeble ways they’d interacted in those times.

I’m sorry,

Don’t leave me,

I want you here with me,

I know that your love is gone.

I can’t breathe,

I’m so weak,

I know this isn’t easy,

Don’t tell me that your love is gone,

That your love is gone.

Patton walked in after his group meeting to see Roman sobbing in his bed and, immediately assuming the worst, he jumped onto the bed and pulled him into his arms. Through gasps for breath, Roman was able to choke out that, “He’s back. He’s playing music. He’s back. He’s back.”

Part 2 HERE

#lywrites #tsshipmonth2020 #sanderssides #sanders sides #prinxiety #roman sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #sad tw #depression tw #ts soulmate au #sanders sides fanfiction #sanderssidesfanfiction

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alexandradavisonlma32 · 4 years

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Heathers Rehearsals: Candy Store and Script Work

The next number is ‘Candy Store’ and this song is the moment that really highlights to the audience how much bullying and nastiness the Heathers are capable of. It is a number that I am heavily involved in, as I am a Heather and so I did some research, self reflection and a lot of practice to help me achieve this number successfully. Our tutor told us that we would have to get the movements into our bodies as it’s quite an intricate dance routine with isolated positions and bitty sections where we swap and change and very rarely do the same movement at the same time except small sections, but if done right this routine will be very effective.

Script

Before the number begins, there is a section of script that happens between the Heathers, Veronica and the Jocks. We are at the front of the stage at this point, not long after ‘Beautiful’ has ended, so it is important we continue the mean girl approach while still getting our individual characters across to the audience. This part of the script is where Heather Chandler, who now knows of Veronica’s forgery skills after ‘Beautiful’, orders Veronica to write a note to Ram pretending that its from Veronica’s best friend Martha as Martha has had a crush on Ram for such a long time and the Heathers know it will bring a lot of embarrassment for Martha as they know that Ram has no feelings for her. Veronica’s hesitance is what starts the number, springing the Heathers into action of peer pressuring Veronica into the task. A part of the script I have is “oh my God, I totally forgot, Ram kissed Martha Dumptruck, it was disgusting”, and the way I deliver this is with a high pitched and ditsy voice, making sure to emphasise the purposeful mispronunciation of the name to highlight the bullying that the audience members have probably seen many times in their real lives and triggering a potential memory.

There is an interesting moment between the Heathers, Heather Duke collects Veronica for Heather Chandler, and when she arrives back to Chandler and McNamara, Heather instructs Duke to bend over so she has something to write on, which made me even more sure that there was a definite difference between the treatment of Duke and McNamara, which continues throughout the number also. This lead me to continue playing my character as if she is stupid, as it works for her and means that Duke is always the one who gets mistreated as opposed to McNamara, but this could also mean that McNamara is cleverer than she lets on. When this happens and Duke has bent over for Chandler, I decide to shift on my feet and look away from what is happening after shooting Chandler a scared look from behind her and stepping backwards, as McNamara has an ongoing battle with her morals, without fully knowing how to handle them yet.

Vocals

When learning the vocals, this number is especially finicky as there are many chops and changes as to who is singing and when, which sounds fantastic but took a lot of learning, focus and practice. In an earlier post I discussed our timetable, and this was very useful for me for this number as I could look ahead and learn as much as I could to ensure that the harmony work could go smoothly and I could focus on learning the vocals without having to worry about the lyrics, and this will also make it easier for my tutor and the rest of the cast to continue moving forward to work on bigger ensemble pieces.

All of the Heathers were placed on the melody, so we could keep up with adding lots of character and producing a strong routine, and our version of the show has been amended to have all of the cast added onto the harmonies to make the vocals stronger, and to support us through the number and I think it makes a good improvement on the number. The final high note riffs have also been changed and we have created an innovative idea and other cast members do the high notes and form their own group of Heathers for a split second before the original Heathers wave a hand and they cut off. There was one particular part that I struggled with in the vocals, however, as on the last set of ‘it’s my candy store’s I am on the middle harmony, and was really struggling to match it without clashing to the track. To overcome this is took a lot of repetition and practising with the soundtrack to hear other voices and continue to stay on my harmony and slowly this started to improve and I now can produce the harmony successfully. Below is a link that takes you to a video where I have included the final section and the bit I was struggling with.

Dance Routine and Acting Through Dance

The dance routine I found very challenging but I was determined to get it right and do it to the best of my ability because I understand that this number is one of the well known numbers and also the one that asserts the Heathers power and so it can’t be shaky or unsure in any way. I have to include an effortless sense of dance, that this is something that comes easy to McNamara, as she is head cheerleader whilst also adding enough attack, but not so much that it looks too much or overdone.

I asked my tutor before we started the dance rehearsals what kind of intention she envisioned behind the dancing, as I was aware that throughout the show there has to be a difference in level between Heather Duke and McNamara and Heather Chandler as Heather Chandler is above everyone and my characterisation so far has been klutzy and stupid, and I recognised that this mightn’t be the correct intent for the atmosphere this song needs to create. My tutor suggested that we should all be nasty, sassy, mean girls in this number, and leave individual characterisations at the beginning of the number and pick them back up at the end of it. I really liked this take on the song, as it makes it more threatening and shows the audience why we’re in charge of the school. A big part of the movement of the number is moving in uniformity and as a unit, we move together whenever we move around the stage and try to keep the same triangle that we always come back to.

In some of the dance sections, the bit I struggled with was retaining all of the movements. It’s very rare for us as the Heathers to do the same movement apart from in some sections which adds to the effect of the dance but I had to use extra focus to remember which move was on which count and not get distracted by the other Heathers and what they were doing. The only thing I found helped me with this was constant rehearsals and making sure that I had the movements well memorised so I could add character on top of this and make sure the movements looked well polished and technically correct.

For example, the link below contains a video of the dance routine when it was first blocked and is it is a very rough version, but I felt like this helped me see where I need to improve more as it wasn’t clean and perfect. I noticed that I need to be much more muscular in my approach with my arms in certain moves like the motorbike handle section, and I spent a lot of my time off stage and at home practising the way I walk as on the video I realised I move my arms too much and it doesn’t look sleek enough, and so I used the technique from ‘Beautiful’ and made sure to lead with my chest and have my arms relatively still with only natural swing, this actually helped me to stay in character as well as letting some of the Heather McNamara character be present even though I’m quite sassy in this performance.

A problem that I also encountered was stamina. I realised that throughout this number I was struggling to sing and dance at the same time, and this was picked up on from my tutor and it was discussed that it was something that I needed to improve, which I dramatically agreed with, even more so considering that I have solo lines that have to be delivered in the middle of the song and this song cannot show any flaws it has to be precise for the point of it to be understood. You can see in the link to the video below how out of breath I am for my solo section, and how much the energy drops because of this. To overcome this obstacle my tutor and I discussed in feedback that I should dance and sing completely full out on every run of this number and drop out on vocals where I need to, but be mindful on where that is and try to get further as I progress, and I noticed a definite change and was able to start singing my parts quite well.

Research Into Candy Store

Upon research, I discovered that this song had actually replaced a song called ‘Human Connection’. It is said that this version of the song made had Chandler justify her nasty ways with twisted logic that would make the audience question their morals, however, according to Playbill (2018), Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy reveal that “ this approach weakened Chandler’s character. As undisputed dictator of the school, Chandler would have no reason to lie. She fears nobody and nothing, so she readily admits to Veronica that she enjoys hurting people because she can” which confirms that the girls would have a nasty but nonchalant approach to this number because they can do whatever with a click of their fingers. Playbill, (2018) also goes on to say that Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy suggest that this is when ‘Candy Store’ is discovered: “we dug deeper and found a song that makes Heather’s cruelty feel fierce and joyful” which will be a thrill for the audience to watch as it could be confusing as to them as to why they’re thinking its a good number and song when it’s about something so cruel. That will be enticing for the audience as well as “a more retro sound that felt a bit like Ann-Margret and Amy Winehouse were throwing a party with En Vogue. A happy accident and fun to dance to too.” as it is a sound that is quite new for a musical theatre production but one that will be nostalgic and is catchy which makes it a crowd pleaser, and this as well as a good performance is one that is important.

Link To Rehearsal Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvFUI2P0TS4&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1YOobjh4pwCG-Jfim5kFa_EqIlBcz3n9fH12TN1seMgJXar3Vwyf7H4bQ

This is the link referenced throughout this post!

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iwriteficsnottragediesladies · 7 years

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Girl Can SING (Part 1)

Request: Can you please make one where the reader is newly friends with Brendon and she sings but she's shy and she doesn't want him to think that she's only friends w/ him cause he might get her places. And they sorta have crushes on each other (no hate to Sarah) and he finds out that she sings and he brings her on stage and she sings and they kiss and fluff? Can she sing Run To You by Ptx or Hallelujah? I covered both on my blog under the tag #juju sings if you wanna listen!

A/N Here ya go! Sarah doesn’t exist in this (sorry Sarah!). Hope it’s what you had in mind. I ended up splitting it into two parts, then adding more chapters by other users’ requests. Let me know if there’s anything you want changed up @jared-padaloveme

You had your overnight bag all packed up. You were so flattered that Brendon had asked you to come hang out with him and the guys. Having a “sleepover” was like a throwback to middle school slumber parties but hey, sleeping in the same house as Brendon Urie? You had zero complaints.

You ring the doorbell and are greeted by Brendon, and of course Penny and Bogart.

“Hey Y/n!” He gives you a big hug. “How are you?” He asks you mid squeeze. You pull away and he keeps his hands on your shoulders.

“Hey Brendon! I’m great, how are you doing?” You say, unable to contain your smile.

“Good, good,” He wraps an arm around your shoulder and starts to guide you down the hallway. “You can drop your stuff anywhere. Full disclosure, everything you own will probably be covered in dog hair by the time you leave.”

You giggle, putting your duffel bag down. As you enter the living room, Dallon, Ken and Dan all greet you in unison. “Y/n!” the chorus exclaims. Have you ever been in a room with so many attractive men? Gees. “Hey guys!” You give them a shy but enthusiastic wave as you plop down on the couch next to Dallon as Brendon joins you. It’s like a Y/n sandwich… A very hot Y/n sandwich. Ken reaches behind him to grab a beer from the cooler and it’s passed over to you. “Thank you,” you said melodically, twisting off the cap. Damn, you felt so cool.

It’s not long before you’re all hanging out comfortably, chatting, the alcohol heating your throat. Penny cuddled in your lap.

“Wow, she really likes you!” Brendon remarks at one point. You are officially Penny-approved.

Hanging out with them is just so easy. Brendon is most definitely the life of the party, he has everyone dying laughing.

The boys pick up their instruments for a casual “jam session” as they like to put it. “Do you play anything, Y/n?” Brendon asks. Do you lie? Or do you tell him about how your life revolves around singing? God, you practically were born singing. It’s the only thing you can imagine yourself doing, and it’s the one thing you truly love to do.

“Not really,” You reply. It’s technically not a lie.

“Aw come on, weren’t you at least forced to play an instrument when you were little?” Brendon teases. Your eyes grow wide with embarrassment.

“Oh god,” you reminisce while rolling your eyes, “The flute.” You practically shudder.

“Was it that bad?” Dallon asked with a chuckle.

“Um YES,” you stated with sass, “It was I-passed-out-in-the-middle-of-band-class bad.” You had the boys’ full attention, so clearly you had to elaborate. “I couldn’t get that thing to make a sound, but I would try so hard. I used up all of my breath until I actually passed out in front of my entire class.”

You were laughing. The boys were laughing. You just admitted your great musical failure to some of the best musicians in the country. Your cheeks were rosy with a mix of embarrassment and joy.

“It was the worst,” you concluded with a giggle.

Once everyone had gathered themselves together, they began to talk about what to play. They decided to start with some panic stuff. Victorious was up first. You mock-drummed on Penny, who seemed to enjoy the bizarre belly rub. You were mesmerized by Brendon. The sound of his voice, the shape of his lips, the way his hair would flip while he played... You try not to stare, but my god, what a beautiful human. When they finished, they looked up and gave each other proud smiles.

They played a couple more, including Miss Jackson, which was one of your favorites. Brendon had Dallon for back up, so he didn’t have to sing every part all at the same time like he usually did for acoustic performances. Brendon suddenly turned to you.

“How about a request, Y/n,” he says, “Not panic, something different.”

Your favorite song immediately pops into your head and just the thought of Brendon’s voice singing it made you melt. You pretend to think about it.

“Hm, well my favorite is Hallelujah, like, Leonard Cohen,” you clarify. Ken’s head popped up.

“Oh hey, isn’t that one of your favorites, Brendon?” He exclaimed. Brendon bites his lip, nodding, clearly a little embarrassed by Ken. You begin to think that maybe Brendon told the boys to play it cool around you.

“Yeah,” Brendon looks at you and then the ground with an adorable smirk, “It actually is.”

Your heart is beating faster.

“C?” Dallon confirms what key everyone wants, trying to put Brendon out of his misery. Brendon nods and begins.

The way the lyrics pour from his lips is pure poetry. Oh gees, you’re staring again. You admire how expertly his fingers move on the strings, arpeggiating the chords he plays so perfectly. He begins to sing the chorus and you don’t even realize you are singing the harmony quietly. You were so accustomed to singing it.

Brendon looks over at you and does a double take, still singing. He’s caught up in trying to confirm the sound was coming from you and his fingers stumble to the next chord. You silence yourself, suddenly embarrassed. Was he judging you? Oh god, why did you even open your mouth? He thinks you suck, you just know it.

You are silent for the remainder of the song, but Brendon keeps glancing over at you. You pretend to be lost in petting Penny, unwilling to make eye contact with him.

When they finish, they also seem kind of surprised at their success. It was so beautiful, even they were kind of impressed with how nice it was.

“Wow,” Dan said, “Haven’t played that in a while.”

“That was amazing,” you said, trying not to be too starry eyed as you looked at all of them, your gaze ending on Brendon. You swore you saw his cheeks pink up again as he looked at you.

“Alright, it’s past my bedtime,” Dallon joked nervously, as suddenly the boys felt like they were interrupting something.

Brendon nearly cleared his throat in the most cliche way. Everyone agreed and you all departed from the couch. You picked up your bag and Brendon went into host mode, guiding you to your rooms.

“Alright, so there’s shower stuff in both of your bathrooms,” he gestured to your room and the other room the Dallon, Ken and Dan would be sharing. “And there’s towels in this closet,” he pointed to a door a few steps down the hall. You felt kind of guilty that the boys had to pile into one room, just because you were a girl and it was kind of customary not to stick you with a bunch of men.

All of you were in and out of your rooms, retrieving towels and shouting across the hallway to each other, talking about random shit. You leave your door to your room ajar and enter your private bathroom, locking the door. Again, you feel kind of guilty, but secretly happy you don’t have to share.

You get undressed and try to turn on the shower. You end up spraying yourself with cold water. You suppress a squeal and giggle to yourself. Idiot. You figured out which dial controls the temperature, and after some trial and error, the water heated up. You gratefully step into the warm water. Jesus Christ, fancy showers are complicated.

You begin your shower routine and start singing mindlessly. It’s just what you do. I mean, who doesn’t sing in the shower? Hallelujah was obviously stuck in your head after such an incredible performance, so it’s flowing from you without a thought. You’re not belting it out or anything, but the acoustics in the tiled room were amazing.

Unbeknownst to you, Brendon comes to the door of your room, knocking lightly and since it was open, he cautiously pokes his head inside. “Hey, Y/n--” he wanted to make sure you had everything you needed, but he is met by the sound of your voice, echoing in the bathroom. He opens the door to your room fully, listening intently to your singing. He hears every note, spot on, and so beautiful.

Dallon is passing by and Brendon catches him by the shoulder, silently nodding his head in the direction of the bathroom. Dallon steps up next to him. Ken and Dan see them gathered in the doorway and join them curiously. Everything becomes clear to them as they listen. They find your voice to be casual and effortless, clearly performing for no one but yourself.

“Damn,” Ken murmurs quietly, very impressed.

“She ‘doesn’t play any instruments’ my ass,” Dan adds.

Meanwhile, you climb out of the shower and wrap yourself in a towel. Your clothes are in the duffel bag on your bed. You nearly forget to turn off the shower, using the correct dial purely by luck, and push the door open.

You look up and are shocked to see the boys in your doorway shuffling around, the epitome of “act natural” and failing. Your eyes grow wide and so do theirs. You hold your towel tighter around yourself.

“Um, can I help you?!” You exclaim with a chuckle. Shit, were they listening to you? Oh my god, your tone deaf, aren’t you? Your cheeks run a hot red, not just from the heat of the shower water. Everyone was too stunned to move.

“Uh, we, um,” Dallon was the first to speak up but trailed off, probably feeling the most awkward out of all of them, seeing as he had a wife and kids at home. Here he was watching a half naked woman in front of him. This is not what it looks like, Dallon thinks to himself.

“Well, we just couldn’t help but,” Brendon kind of winced nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, “But hear you singing, and...” He trailed off as well.

Oh my god, they were about to laugh at your singing. You could just tell. Oh dear god, you’re so embarrassed.

“GIRL CAN SING,” Ken finally exclaimed sincerely.

Wait, what?

“Oh gees guys, you don’t have to--” You start, but Brendon interrupts you.

“Y/n, your voice...” He says softly. It is at the moment you realize that Brendon is not wearing a shirt. He continues, “It’s amazing.”

The wonder in his eyes paired with the sweetest smile makes you realize... They mean it. These are not just obligatory compliments... They truly mean it. BRENDON means it. You might throw up. You might pass out. No, no, don’t pass out. You are naked and have four guys staring at you. Do NOT pass out right now.

Brendon must realize what’s happening because he nonchalantly makes his way over to you, but concern is evident in his eyes. You think he doesn’t want to embarrass you by making a big deal out of it in front of the guys, but he is worried. He sits you down on the bed.

The rest of the boys enter further into the room.

“What are we going to do with this one?” Brendon turns to them with a certain glint in his eyes, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“Jesus, take her on tour?!” Ken says enthusiastically.

Brendon looks back at you with a wide smile.

“Oh, guys, I barely even sing at open mic nights,” You chuckle nervously.

“We can start off slow, Y/n,” Brendon says, “Why don’t you come and play with us a bit, just here at home.”

You nod slowly.

“We can work on whatever you want,” he says soothingly, “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Well, I’m damn comfortable half naked with you touching me, you suddenly think to yourself. You push your dirty thoughts aside, concealing a smile.

“Are you sure?” You ask, needing to confirm that something so amazing could possibly be happening to you.

“Very,” Ken said confidently.

Was this real life? Would you wake up soon? Everyone just kind of paused, smiling.

“Um,” you started, sorry to interrupt the moment, “Can I get dressed now?” you giggled.

“Oh, right, yeah sorry,” The boys were all remarking, remembering that you were still in a towel. They quickly made their way out of the room, Brendon the last to leave. He paused with his hand on the door. He looked at you with this kind of smirk. He knew that this was the start of something. Something amazing.

“Goodnight, Y/n,” He spoke quietly.

“Goodnight Bren,” You replied.

He shut the door, and you realized you had called him by a nickname. You hoped that was okay. You soon were smiling like an idiot, unable to shake this incredible feeling. You finished getting ready for bed and climbed under the covers, your smile never leaving your face. You didn’t know it, but Brendon laid awake, the same smile stuck on his lips.

This was the start of something amazing.

A/N: Like and reblog if you’re feelin’ it!

#brendon urie x reader #brendon urie #fanfic #fanfiction #panic! at the disco #fluff #singing #request #bandom #dallon weekes #girlcansing

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jefferyryanlong · 6 years

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Fresh Listen - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Wave (A&M Records, 1967)

(Some pieces of recorded music operate more like organisms than records. They live, they breathe, they reproduce. Fresh Listen is a periodic review of recently and not so recently released albums that crawl among us like radioactive spiders, gifting us with superpowers from their stingers.)

Elevators. Supermarkets.

In a popular culture that distorts and deforms every aesthetic absorbed into its parasitic and ever-decaying life cycle, bossa nova has long been a joke, drained of its musical significance through juxtaposition with the most banal of circumstances. Elevators. Supermarkets. But how many of us has really ever heard bossa nova in the elevator, or lowly emitting through hidden speakers in the grocery store, as soulless muzak? The last song I remember hearing at my neighborhood market was “Emotional Rescue” by the Rolling Stones. And I ride a section of the best elevators everyday, and the only recurring sound is the synthesized likeness of a clacking keyboard while my fellow riders type things into their phones.

The myth of elevator music, specifically, bossa nova, is, for me, akin to an implanted replicant memory–I assume that it has happened to me, that at one point I sprinted to that monumental job interview, and when I slipped between the closing doors and pressed the button for the thirtieth floor, the gentle strains from “The Girl from Ipanema” with its maddening rhythmic syllables magnified my anxiety to something unbearable, and the ride was a never-ending ascent toward failure. Or I stepped into the elevator with the beautiful girl from a floor above in the dormitory, and bossa nova made a fool of both of us, robbing us of our ability to speak. For what could elevate the banality of bossa nova? Sometimes I feel that these things must have happened to me, else I would have no opinion of bossa nova at all. But no, these made up situations were simply collected, copied, and transferred from the weak imagination of someone else’s consciousness.

These memories don’t belong to me. They are the result of years of compounded gags in movies and television. I believed in the joke, and when I felt compelled to truly come to grips with the form, when I was mature enough to treat it as a sincere expression of composers and musicians from a country lousy with genius composers and musicians, I couldn’t take bossa nova seriously. In my mind I was playing out the fiction that had been programmed into me, that bossa nova’s cultural meaning is defined as a punchline in American popular culture.

It was in an auditorium on the University of Hawai’i campus that bossa nova grabbed me by the collar, shook me up, slapped me in the face a couple of times, and threw me down the stairs. Who was I, some twenty-something fuck who believed rock’n’roll to be the epitome of artistic expression to cast dispersion on this internationally beloved music genre’s meaning or intent? Bossa Nova: The Sound That Seduced the World was not a definitive documentary, but it made me realized how stereotypical my thoughts on this form were. (A later documentary I saw in the same auditorium had a similar effect on me: I’d never been all that impressed by the records of Chet Baker until Let’s Get Lost showed how age and personal devastation had transformed him into a broken yet exceedingly eloquent instrument). An early insight I received from the documentary had to do with the form’s characteristic mellowness–as one musician explained, in the crowded apartments of Corcovado, the practitioner of the emerging sound of bossa nova had to pick on his or her guitar gently, lest the neighbors on the other side of thin walls become enraged. In those subdued living rooms and bedrooms of urban Brazil, the insistence of samba evolved into a kind of melancholic eroticism, its rhythms designed to inspire smaller movements in the body, a slight sway of the hip instead of a complicated step, a lingering good-bye kiss instead of a twirl or a spin.

Though I had a slight familiarity with Astrud and Joao Gilberto, as well as some of the work they recorded with Stan Getz, the artist I felt could truly expose me to the meditative soul of bossa nova was Antonio Carlos Jobim, composer of the most celebrated works of the genre, a maximalist arranger and minimalist musician. I had been dissatisfied with his 1963 album The Composer of Desafinado, Plays, with its sentimental string sections sapping the melodies of any real emotional weight, but was drawn to his 1967 record, Wave, by its striking cover. The dark image of a solitary giraffe, its spindly legs gathered under its body as if captured in mid-run, bisected by a horizon splitting the sky dyed green and a desiccated landscape dyed blue. The image was significant to me because I needed it to be significant. It spoke to me, and I believed Jobim’s interior music would explain the giraffe’s lonely trek through a freak environment. Before I played Wave, I expected psychedelic dissonance (if psychedelic dissonance could be achieved in the mode of bossa nova). I expected earth pleas, the rumblings and complaint of a ravaged world. What would be the meaning of a rejuvenating wave to the depopulated world of the cover?

The music turned out to be, well, bossa nova. Not avant-garde explorations of tone and harmony. The music was conventional, but it was immaculately constructed and luxuriant in its unhurried sweep through the air it occupied. Although Jobim’s songs, as it turned out, had nothing to do with the giraffe on the cover image (maybe it was just the art director’s take on those trippy times), they did, as a collection, show how melancholy can shade the surrounding world into alien colors–the inherent sadness that seeps through much of the music on Jobim’s Wave filters the perceptions of the listener with blue and green.

The first thing prospective listeners should understand in experiencing Wave is that it is, above all else, a guitar record. Though the music has the same symphonic imagination found in The Composer of Desafinado, Plays, and incorporates piano, flute, piccolo, harpsichord, and strings (thankfully, more tastefully so), the focal point of Jobim’s album, rhythmically and harmonically, is the plucked, picked, and occasionally strummed acoustic guitar, played with such precision that it almost seems mechanized. Jobim’s style is hardly hair-on-fire axe wizardry, though its surprising nuances, the significant press or release of a finger here and there, establish the guitar as the instrument around which every element of Jobim’s songs are based. The guitar sets and maintains the the tempo for the percussion, and it establishes the chords melodies are birthed from. Though his guitar, Jobim is given access to the blueprint of an aural architectural scheme that both reinforces and transcends bossa nova. Even the bass and drums are subordinated to the percussive framework laid out by Jobim’s complicated guitar patterns.

The album’s title track, “Wave,” is put together like a breezy twelve-bar blues, Jobim’s single-handed piano lines messing around with ad-libs of the melody line. This isn’t of the waves along the coast of Big Sur that drove Jack Kerouac into the throes of death depression. This wave rolls up around your ankles easy-like, taking nothing from you as it slides away, coolly and obligingly. Throughout the record, Jobim makes interesting moves with woodwinds, directing the flutes to ride low, fortifying notes ai for a lighter, higher pitched piccolo to step lightly upon.

“The Red Blouse’s” seemingly chill groove is subverted by a brisk rhythm that pulses in the bloodstream, sugars from the alcohol of a brunch-time mimosa as you’re awakened from a nap in the sun. It’s melodic refrain, maybe less a melody than an insistent riff, is taken up by a variety of instruments, each progressively grating as the song reaches for its climax.

Though in the classification system favored by records stores bossa nova is generally shelved in the jazz section, its forms, as well as its harmonic interests, are perhaps too premeditated, in opposition to the obligatory improvisational freedom offered through jazz musicianship. “Look to the Sky” is the most “jazz-like” song on Wave, though the lead horn is less about spontaneous composition around harmonic possibilities than about playing straightforward variations of the melody.

The calculated and clean “Batindha” is, essentially, a guitar exercise, Jobim subtly altering chord expressions toward an understated display of the beauty of a broken heart. “Triste” could be an extension of “Wave,” except Jobim cleverly inserts the lofty blown notes of a Fench horn between the simple piano runs. The melody of “Mojave” is a conversation between the piano and the other instruments, each player’s sentence ending in a definitive period. “Dialogo” emphasizes the romanticism of expressing art through a gauze of sadness, while “Lamento” with its sole vocal performance of Wave, attacks depression with a quick beat. “Antigua” allows the bass, for the most part overshadowed by the more prominent rhythmic operations of the guitar, to move around, to reach for the kind of fluidity that the previous songs have inhibited. Bass legend Ron Carter takes the opportunity to display his presence without drawing away from the totality of Jobim’s vision. The album’s final track, “Captain Bacardi,” disposed of the accumulated melancholy and infuses the atmosphere with the feverish motions of a party, and the song’s Brazilian percussion at last moves the thesis of Wave away from leisurely reflection to a physical self-actualization, in which dancing is free and open.

We plod through this world alone, mostly. Even to closest friends and loved ones we only reveal those aspects of ourselves we feel will be understood. The dark stuff, the fear and sadness, we may even hide from ourselves, until that darkness comes to perch on the headboards of our beds, keeping watch over an interminable insomnia. Wave washes over the unspeakable sadness of its author with brief, pretty tunes, and those notes that resonate within our darkness are relieved by the possibility of also being brief, easy-going, and pretty.

#freshlisten #wave #antonio carlos jobim

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