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Arcade Fire photographed by Anton Corbijn (2007)

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Porno; A deep dive.

Arcade Fire's ‘Porno’ is about love, intimacy, and desire in a world saturated with superficial imagery, particularly during the “Reflective Age”,  a time when people are caught up only in abstract reflection and thus complete inaction, standing in contrast to a “Revolutionary Age” where meaningful change is possible through action. 

We’re not talking about that kind of porno, but rather a reflective piece that challenges us to consider how modern culture shapes our perceptions. The title alone, ‘Porno’, grabs your attention, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of relationships and authenticity. The word evokes something raw and provocative, but the song subverts this expectation, moving instead toward a longing for genuine connection. It challenges listeners to confront the complexities of relationships and authenticity. 

The opening line, "Take the makeup off your eyes. I’ve got to see you," sets the stage by juxtaposing surface-level appearances with a raw yearning for connection, framing the narrator’s plea for sincerity. With the line "just take it off" playing on a common cliché often directed at live adult performers, where "it" typically refers to their clothing. When coupled with the line above ‘And all your makeup’,  the meaning changes to a plea for authenticity, the narrator yearns for the subconscious patterns cemented by society to be broken in their partner. Yet, the repeated “I know” introduces an ambiguous tone, at times empathetic and understanding, but also potentially controlling, mirroring both sides of society, one side where people genuinely understand, and the other side, where they act like they understand but turn a blind eye. It also highlights the messiness of real relationships where intentions and emotions are rarely clear-cut. The chorus "You can cry, I won’t go. You can scream, I won’t go." seems, on the surface, to be a declaration of unwavering commitment, but it carries an undertone that could be possessive, emphasising the tension between devotion and control. 

The lyrics continue, singing ‘Every man that you know would have run at the word go’, this line serves as a double meaning, referencing how a simple man would take the opportunity to spend time with a woman, further objectifying their value, the lyrics also mean that most men would rather leave a tough situation like this if given the chance, but what’s needed is effort for a stable relationship in this ever-changing world.

The repeated line “Little boys with their porno” broadens the song’s critique, as the narrator attempts to separate himself from the shallow, performative approach to love that dominates modern culture, and highlights how people treat love like it's a performance, like it's something meaningless. However, his assertion raises further questions: is he genuinely capable of the deeper love he claims, or is he merely convincing himself and his partner of this distinction? As the song unfolds, his confidence falls, reveal rare vulnerability with lines like “Makes me feel like something's wrong with me. Can you see me?” This self-doubt strikes a universal chord, capturing the fear of being misunderstood or rejected in a world obsessed with façades.  The narrator wonders, “Is it me?” “Am I wrong for wanting something real?” Which is something a lot of people can relate to. That feeling of, “am I the one who's out of sync here?” 

Musically, the shift mirrors this emotional arc, moving from defiant energy to quiet introspection, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of unresolved tension. The closing repetition of 'I’m not over it' sees Win passing the mic to Régine, giving voice to the other side of the story, the perspective of the marginalised and objectified. This shift offers a poignant contrast to the previous narrative, underscoring the uncertainty and leaving questions about the narrator’s motives and the relationship’s future unanswered.

 Finally, the lyrics end with a resolution, ‘And boys they learn some selfish shit until the girl won't put up with it on and on and on we go I just have to know I'm not over it’, while the narrator admits that they can’t do anything to stop these men from hurting other women, he acknowledges that though men are told to "get over it," that it's normal, and that they should just "man up", he can’t and won’t concede to the toxic idea of objectifying women, and he refuses to "get over it." As he shares the lyrics with the other narrator, they both sing "I’m not over it," presenting two perspectives: one from the man, who struggles with the guilt and complicity ingrained in masculinity, and one from the woman, who is told to move on but cannot simply heal from the deep scars that society leaves on women.

By refusing to tie its narrative into a neat conclusion and its refusal to offer easy answers, ‘Porno’ challenges the listener to confront the ambiguity, vulnerability, and complexity of human connections. It forces us to examine our own values and assumptions about love and intimacy, asking whether we are truly authentic in our desires or simply products of a culture steeped in surface-level ideals. Porno becomes a poignant reflection on the complexity of love and desire, highlighting the importance of vulnerability and self-reflection. It questions whether genuine connection can survive under the weight of unspoken conflicts and contrasting desires, particularly for women who may wonder, Are they really listening to how I feel? By leaving its narrative unresolved, the song itself becomes a metaphor for the tangled nature of life and vulnerability , challenging listeners to examine their own roles in the search for authenticity.

‘Porno’ offers two perspectives, holding up a mirror to the listener and asking: What about you? What are you willing to fight for? What compromises are you making? Are you being true to yourself? Overall, the song repeats the album's original meaning, everything is a reflection of humanity, but there's still a place to find the good under all the bad. :) Written by Lumiéres (gaiazy) !

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Arcade fire is so unserious because this picture seems so innocent.. but then you look at the background

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i love them so much but why is richy always getting abused haha

Arcade Fire - 2005/6

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Juste un réflecteur

ruetcelfér nu etsuJ

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Régine Chassagne with her ribbons are so mesmerising

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Artist Profile; Bella Amor

(reuploading from my insta)

Blooming straight from the Gold Coast, 22-year-old singer-songwriter and musician, Bella Amor is best known for her blend of indie, punk and pop.

For Bella, she sees music as therapy, as she was immersed in music from a young age, largely because of her parent’s artistic background with her mother being an opera singer and a vocal coach at Bellas highschool, it provided solace and a safe space for her thoughts. As Bella puts it, music has always been there for her, she fondly reminisces on how her father would listen to music to hype him up before his football games, teaching her to create peace with melodies.

She states how her family always supported her creative endeavours, and they were never surprised when she put out a cheeky song or two. Asking permission to upload a cover became a habit of Bella’s family, who were proud to showcase her musical talents. Writing her first song at 12, Bella started to experiment with music from then on, testing the limits of what she could create, she states how her first song was “yuck”,  as it was about a boy from school that she had a crush on, despite the cheesy nature of this song, it highlighted the major potential and talent that the young artist had. When she wasn’t involved in her studies, Bella would give up her school lunchtimes to spend time in the music rooms, which is why it was no surprise that she released her first EP before she even graduated high school, with the help of a teacher who was also a producer.  Despite all of her major music feats at such a young age, Amor states how she “never really thought it [music] would be the main part of my life”.

The future seemed to prove Bella wrong though when Amor got signed by Sony Music Australia, it was clear that all the work she did to get to that point, from performing small gigs to releasing covers that could have easily been lost among the sea of aspiring indie artists, had finally paid off. Finally, in 2022, Bella got the green light to start releasing music under Sony, and Amor debuted with her first major label single ‘can’t get laid’, writing about how heartbreak arose after Amor broke up with her first love, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bella continued to release music throughout 2022, securing her first headlining tour shortly after her debut and earning her ‘ones to watch’ status. Spotlight Report writes how Amor ‘Finds the balance between her glowing falsettos and punchy hooks, everything Bella does is hinged to her infectious positive energy and open book attitude.’ This statement was further followed up by 2 more enchanting singles, ‘does it get boring’ and ‘play the part’ working with Konstantin Kersting (Tones & I, Jungle Giants) to produce these gems, Bella states how both the songs were written out of ‘genuine curiosity’ 

Since her debut tour, Bella has performed at Goat Valley Crawl, supported Lime Cordiale, featured on Young Henry’s Best Served Loud Gold Coast lineup and The Long Sunset festival, also a sneaky mention to Grapevine 2023. And in 2024, Bella Amor shows no signs of slowing down, this year, the musician states how her focus is on upcoming shows and performances, and getting into the studio as much as she can. It’s safe to say, with infectious melodies and beats and her beaming kindness, it’s clear that Bella Amor is here to stay.

Songs I recommend by Bella: Heart Attack, Play the part, Does it get boring.

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Summer 2015; Charli and Jack Do America!

The Charli and Jack Do America Tour, also called The America Tour, was a co-headlining tour between Charli XCX and Bleachers, supporting their albums Sucker and Strange Desire, rocking the summer of 2015.

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BØRNS and Zella Day on healthy competition, thrifting and nipple-bearing blouses (okay garrett?)

I miss when they were friendss

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Havana was once a place of resistance to Capitalism. Now the doors to this magically exceptional place, which everyone falls in love with at first sight, are visibly opening...

There's something about Cuba.

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Only here for Petite Meller <3

Still loving the fact that these photoshoots were on the same set! Anyone have the image origin for Petite Meller? I neeeddd the full shoot and I have zero info about it!

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"I like going crazy. And not just for art - I like extremes in general."

Grimes for The List. X

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Børns, Julia Garner, and Lineisy Montero @ the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards.

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Mars Argo @ Milwaukee Summerfest 2012 ★ (P2)

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"Its different, but I wanted to make something that I had fun with"

New Mars Argo song out now!

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BENEE - Live at the Powerstation - 28th June 2019

(Tumblr killed my quality)

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City Of Angels 🌅

Pic 1: 2017

Pic 2: 2015