#I listened to her new album and honestly I’m disappointed

[theevilcactus]

I have to wonder

Did Taylor schedule her “threatening legal action” so soon after announcing a new album on purpose? Because she thought we’d all be too busy squealing about the new album announcement to get upset about it?

I’m thinking the answer is Yes.

[trashywritestrash]

Brutal

Pairing: Avengers x Singer-Songwriter!Stark!Reader (platonic/family)

Word Count: 1,220

Warnings: Swearing, no specific age is given for reader, but she's between 18 and 21. Probably bad writing, heavy dialogue, song lyrics… Idk if half of those are warnings, but that’s what I’ve got.

A/N: This isn’t going to be the best thing I’ve written by a long shot. This whole thing is just like a daydream I have sometimes and I was encouraged to just write it out because maybe that would help me unclog the writers block. Honestly, I’ve just been drained lately and I don’t have the energy to be creative, so I’m cranking this thing out in the hopes that it’ll spark something. I’d call this a crack fic but I don’t know if it’s unhinged enough to qualify.

Song Reference: Brutal by Olivia Rodrigo

gif by jameschildress

As the daughter of Tony Stark, you had been in the spotlight your entire life. So when you announced that you would be releasing your debut album as a musician, the internet was hyped up immediately. You didn’t need to promote it at all, but you still released small clips on social media and dropped a single before the release of the album.

The Avengers are close to you, they’re your big found family… But when they asked to listen to the album before the official release, you still said no. Obviously, they continued to ask and even attempted to bribe you, but you were adamant that they would have to wait like everyone else.

Finally, the album dropped. To celebrate, everyone gathered in the common area while you set up a camera to record their reactions as you all listened. In the living room sat your father, Pepper, Steve, Bucky, Sam, Natasha, Thor, Bruce, Clint, and Wanda. The “extended” team members like Peter Parker, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Carol, and Dr. Strange were listening on their own and simply texting you their thoughts.

“Okay, guys. Get your snacks and stuff now because I’m not going to wait ten minutes in between songs for you to grab something,” Tony bosses, completely impatient.

You chuckle, “You do know that I’m controlling the music, right?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll have Friday override the speakers if I have to.”

“Alright, are we ready yet? Yelena is already trying to text me about it and I don’t want spoilers,” Natasha complains from her spot on one of the couches, bowl of popcorn in hand.

“Yeah, yeah, settle down.” Once everyone is sat, you take your spot on a stool by the camera, “Okay, if you need me to pause or rewind, raise your hand or something. Or listen to it again later on your own. I’ll pause between songs so you can get your comments and questions out. Sound good?”

Sam waves his hand, “We got it, just play it already, we’re tired of waiting.”

“Patience, Samuel. Alright, the first song is called ‘Brutal’.” You press play on your phone, which is bluetooth connected to the speakers in the room.

The song opens with classical instrumental music, surprising the group. They’ve heard the clips released on your social media, and this doesn’t seem to fit at all.

I want it to be, like, messy.

Suddenly the music is louder and faster paced, taking on a more punk rock sound. Tony grins wide, “That’s my kid!”

I’m so insecure, I think

That I’ll die before I drink

And I’m so caught up in the news

Of who likes me, and who hates you

And I’m so tired that I might

Quit my job, start a new life

And they’d all be so disappointed

‘Cause who am I, if not exploited?

Reactions across the room are mixed. Bucky and Steve look a little thrown off, not used to this type of music. Tony looks prouder than ever. Pepper and Sam look proud, but you can tell they’re not sure what to think about the tone of it. Natasha and Clint have “I told you so” written all over their faces. Thor is enthusiastic and smiling wide. And Bruce and Wanda seem to be trying to dissect and analyze the lyrics as they listen.

And I’m so sick of seventeen

Where��s my fucking teenage dream?

“Language,” slips from Steve before he can stop himself. “Also, you’re not seventeen anymore?”

“I wrote it a while ago and I decided to leave it like that. I wanted it to be truthful to where I was in my life when I wrote it.” The group nods as the song continues.

If someone tells me one more time

“Enjoy your youth,” I’m gonna cry

And I don’t stick up for myself

I’m anxious and nothing can help

And I wish I’d done this before

And I wish people liked me more

“Awe, sweetheart,” Wanda frowns. Everyone seems conflicted. Like they’re unsure whether they should be banging their heads or offering you hugs.

All I did was try my best

This the kind of thanks I get?

Unrelentlessly upset (ah, ah, ah)

They say these are the golden years

But I wish I could disappear

Ego crush is so severe

God, it’s brutal out here

You frown at how the mood was brought down by the lyrics. Quickly, you pause. “Guys, stop that. This is supposed to be a fun song.”

“It is fun, but you’re my daughter, of course I’m going to be concerned,” Tony pouts. “Why didn’t you talk to me about this stuff?”

“Because I didn’t feel like I needed to. I get these feelings out in therapy and in my songs, so it’s not like I’m bottling it in. I have some healthy coping mechanisms.”

Bruce takes the opportunity to speak up. “Some?”

“Nobody’s perfect, Bruce. You guys don’t need to know everything.” You chuckle to diffuse the tension, but resume the music before anyone can argue.

I feel like no one wants me

And I hate the way I’m perceived

I only have two real friends

And lately, I’m a nervous wreck

‘Cause I love people I don’t like

And I hate every song I write

And I’m not cool and I’m not smart

And I can’t even parallel park

“Are we not your friends?” Thor pouts, genuinely sad.

“You guys don’t count. You’re family.” That answer seems to appease them, but they’re clearly still concerned. The chorus plays once more before the music starts to wind down.

Got a broken ego, broken heart

God, I don’t even know where to start

The song ends, so you pause before the next one automatically starts. “What did you guys think?” You wait nervously for their response. They mean a lot to you, so you want them to like your music.

“I loved it, but the lyrics are kinda sad when I think about them…” Pepper admits cautiously, not wanting you to think she didn’t like it.

You give her a nervous smile, “I’m gonna be honest. Some of the stuff on here is sad. Some of it is probably gonna upset you… I don’t tell you guys everything, and there are some things in here that you guys don’t know about. I’m sorry about that; but the last thing I want is for you guys to pity me or anything like that.” Chuckling, you attempt to lighten the mood. “I’m an angsty girl. In this album I get a little sad, a little angry, a little petty, but try not to get too heartbroken over it. Please?”

“No promises, kid. We’re your family. We’re absolutely going to get protective.” Sam grins, keeping his comment lighthearted, even though he means every word.

“Fine, I’ll take it.”

Steve raises his hand patiently, “Are all of the songs this… upbeat?” He asks, unsure of what to call the sound.

“No, some of them slow down. But some of them are more punk like this. I won’t give you a heart attack.” He laughs at your joke, rolling his eyes.

“Okay, I think we’re ready for the next one,” Clint says, causing the others to nod. “Hit us with it!”

You laugh, pulling up your music app. “Okay, okay. Here we go…”

—————

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[torturedpoetdean]

i’ve avoided leaks cause i’m going to a listening party but i’m so curious and scared… is ttpd good? is it as bad and annoying as the redditors are saying?

and ftr i loved the sound of midnights, i’m a synth pop enjoyer, idk if that affects the consensus

tbh I didn’t like midnights on first listen and now it’s in my top 5 and ttpd is SO GOOD if you’re a tried and true taylor swift fan you’ll like it it has everything a taylor album is she’s got cringy lyrics jack overusing the synth and sudden lyrics that slap you in the face and leave you absolutely winded!! i had a blast listening to it and honestly i think most of the hate is people disappointed that she didn’t drag joe through the mud

i LOVE that she called out annoying swifties and told them to mind their own business, for that song alone I stan this album

Is it my favorite taylor album? No. But i had fun and some of the songs are certified bangers and honestly im just happy we have new taylor music to freak out to

Also who knows ive only listened once maybe when i go back to listen tonight ill love it even more

Idk i think people are too caught up on folklore/evermore like yes that is her magnum opus she’s probably never gonna do it again so just listen to the music and have fun if you can’t then well. leave.

Anyways have fun at the listening party!!! I hope you don’t like matty healy cause she murders him with this one and you like synth pop so im sure youll love the album

[nonsubstantial]

MARCH 2024 DIARY POST

I'm keeping up the habit of writing a monthly post to catalogue all the things I've been obsessed with in 2024. At the end of the year, I want to be able to look back and remember what was making me happy all year long! If you are reading this, I hope you will enjoy hearing about these things or checking them out too! First, a chaotic collage of those things!

VIDEO GAME: As you may already know, Splatoon is probably my favorite video game franchise of all time. I really cannot overstate how important it is to me. Naturally, I was highly anticipating its new singleplayer DLC, titled Side Order, but when it finally came out at the end of February, my elbow was fractured in a way that made it painful for me to play. So, I had to wait until about a week into March for my elbow to heal a little. Then, I spent about 10 hours obsessively playing it, and I loved pretty much every second of it. It featured by far the most difficult levels ever seen in a Splatoon game, which was a treat to me as a player who was disappointed by the rather simplistic story mode of the base game. Splatoon 3: Side Order took the form of a roguelite battle tower, similar to Salmon Run but with new enemies, unique (and sometimes puzzling) stages, and customizable weapon builds. Even players who find it a bit too challenging at first can eventually mod the difficulty to an extent that (hopefully) makes it doable. The story was nothing crazy, but the gameplay and visuals were so unbelievably good that I honestly wished I could erase it all from my mind and play it again from the start. Just yay 💕, I love Splatoon so much.

TWITCH STREAM FAN EDIT: If you don't already know who Jerma is, he is a prolific video game streamer that I became a big fan of a few years ago. His unique humor has consistently impressed and appealed to me, and his fan community has proven itself to be both creative enough and motivated enough to persistently churn out edited “best of” versions of his streams. For better or for worse, Jerma announced his retirement from streaming last year, leaving his eager fans with nothing but his earlier content to dredge for, well… content. One such fan edit that was released this year, post-retirement, was a massive compilation of all his Nancy Drew playthroughs (save for one). This edit in particular was one that I found overwhelmingly funny and good, and it inspired an ongoing fanfic that I’m still currently working on writing. Oddly enough, watching this caused a domino effect that got me back into writing in general and has given me the surge of confidence and inspiration that I needed to keep working on creating the fiction that has lived inside in my head for years. I really hope this feeling never dies. You can watch the stream that inspired me, linked here!

MUSICAL ARTIST: Peach Kelli Pop is probably tied (with a few other artists) for the title of my favorite band of all time. Their entire discography is only about 2 hours long, but they were still my most listened to artist for several years in a row. It’s due to the consistency of the vibe across all of her work: upbeat and positive while still delivering a profound emotional impact. I've been able to just listen her entire catalog of music over and over and over again on shuffle. I might describe it as DIY rock, or feminist punk, and if you haven't heard it before, Gentle Leader is probably the best album to start with. Listen here!

MUSICAL ARTIST: After listening to nothing except Peach Kelli Pop for about a week straight, I started to look into similar bands that I hadn't already checked out and found one that really caught my interest. That's how I was introduced to Tacocat! Their band name is both a palindrome and euphemism, and their album Lost Time was love at first listen. They have cozy lyrics about aliens, birth control, and creating your own values, and their music has left me in a good mood every time I've thrown it on. You can listen to the first song that I heard, linked here!

SONG: It's Don’t Rain On My Parade, by Barbra Streisand!! I still haven't watched the musical that this song is from, but the drag queen Plasma mentioned it on RuPaul Season 16, which is how I ended up hearing it. This song gets an individual mention because I was absolutely blown away by this one individual track! It's brilliant and catchy right out of the gate, "Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter! Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!" It's from 1964, but its recording sounds crystal clear and it channels its intended emotions perfectly. I felt compelled to listen to it over and over again, because it really is just so cheerful and artistically inspiring. I feel like it's a perfect piece of music. Listen here!

SONG: I have to give another song an individual mention! It's Mood Indigo, by Nina Simone!! I’ve been a big fan of Nina Simone for years now, but more often than not, I've stuck to my favorite album, Pastel Blues. I did branch out and listen to this song a few times in the past, but it only recently dawned on me just how perfect it is. Wikipedia says that it was recorded in 1964, about the same time as Don’t Rain On My Parade, and while it's technically a cover of an old Duke Ellington song, Nina Simone’s version has a totally unique vibe, evident from the first few bars. Its lyrics are meant to be cathartic, as they discuss suicidal ideation, while the drums, bass, and piano create a beautiful and upbeat swing melody that perfectly juxtaposes and rebuts the content of Nina’s vocals. It's menacing, catchy, uplifting, and truly perfect! I now believe it to be a landmark in Nina Simone’s career, and the whole of music history in general. Listen here!

MUSICAL ARTIST: Okay, one last music rec, I swear!! I was really feeling the vibes this month (but mostly just listening to bands that I already know and love). Along with Peach Kelli Pop, another one of my favorite bands is King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Ever since 2017 (aka, the year of the gizz) they have probably reigned supreme as my #1 most listened to band. They just have so much music, with so much variation, that I can usually find at least one of their songs that appeals to me. Since the start of this year, I've been collecting and organizing a playlist of my favorite songs by them, titled 31 Days Of Gizz. Not for any particular reason, but just because I find it fun to make lists! At the last minute, I decided that I would organize the songs, specifically in the way that I would play them if I were introducing someone new to the band. So, if you haven’t heard their music before, maybe it’s time I introduced you? But no pressure, I just like their songs and I made my playlist just for me! I'm linking to it on spotify, HERE, if you’re interested! (forgot to put this one on the collage, lol)

VIDEO GAME: Right before the month ended, I bought the new fantasy tactics game, Unicorn Overlord, and I am fucking in love. I’ve been a longtime fan of the fantasy tactics genre, so as soon as this game started making waves, I begrudgingly accepted that I HAD to play it. I really don’t have a lot of time in between trying to take care of things at home and working on my writing, as I mentioned before, but I briefly dropped all my other hobbies and managed to fit about 10 hours of gameplay in before the month ended. I really wish I had time to obsess over it, because I feel like it is a masterpiece, even if the rumors about there being gay content ended up being a disappointing exaggeration (the game was developed by Vanillaware, but was published by homophobic giants ATLUS and SEGA, so I’m not surprised). Despite the story being pretty much dog shit though, I believe the gameplay is damn near perfect, and even revolutionary within its genre. I’ll probably be sinking all my game time into it until the new Elden Ring DLC drops. If you’re a person who also likes fantasy tactics, then I highly recommend playing it (I got it for the Nintendo Switch, where it seems to run perfectly).

(that’s it. It is now APRIL!! There might be some repeats this next month, or I'll leave them out... we'll see. Hope you have a good day! ♡)

[autoantonyms]

Jumping in onto the JO album discourse for a second.

I never had one album where I like to listen to every single song. But I do with Demoni and Umazane Misli. I enjoy every song, even if not every one is my favorite. They all have something special about them in their own way. I also listen to the english songs/versions as well. They definitely had to grow on me over time but I can find something nice in them. (But I would never prefer New Wave over Novi Val for example.)

With that being said. I saw a lot of different opinions on this topic. And everyone is right about theirs, because music is such a personal thing.

What I don’t support is the way some people try to have a „who is the better fan“ contest. It is so nice if you wanna support JO whatever they do, whether the album will be in slovenian, english or whatever language they want it to be. BUT telling people their not a real fan because they prefer the „original“ languages or are sceptical of the english stuff is such a disrespectful thing to do. You can not decide if someone is a „real“ fan just because they do not like everything an artist does. Music is so subjective and you can be a fan and not like every fucking thing the artist puts out there! I’m a fan of Miley Cyrus since I‘m fucking 9 and you wanna tell me I‘m not because some of her songs aren’t for me and I don’t like album X or Y?? And even if someone stops being a fan - that does not erase the fact that at one point they were. YOU can change and the artist is also allowed to do so!!!

Yes I would love them to „stick to their roots“ but if they wanna try something else then that’s also ok for me. Maybe they’ll surprise me, maybe I’ll be disappointed as fuck - who knows?!

The only thing that’s on my mind is that I want them to do stuff because THEY want to do it!

We’re all just able to enjoy their songs and their content because they let us be a part of it. So I really hope that if they do more english songs it will be their hearts that want this and not only because of international fame.

I mean of course they want to reach a bigger audience and of course you’re putting your art out there cause you want people to see and connect with it but art should be something from yourself to yourself. It should be something you as the artist can relate to.

I guess only time will tell how this will go down but I honestly hope they’ll see that they do not have to go this route to stay successful.

[bucky-munson]

What's Hidden in the Shadows | 4

Summary: Bullies are everywhere. They manifest as a group of jocks at school who think you're fat and want to make sure you know. Sometimes they even manifest as your own father. But can they manifest as the love of your life? No probably not.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Words: 1.4k

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Plus Sized!GN!Reader ; Steve Harrington X Plus Sized!GN!Reader

Warnings: descriptions of an anxiety attack, Bullying, abuse, swearing.

a.n: Cat's out of the bag with this one I think, but can someone just kiss y/n and tell them to calm down pls.. A bit Steve heavy but regularly scheduled programming next part ^^ (honestly I was so torn about who to make the other guy but I think I like Steve and Y/N, please don't be too disappointed ;; I've got an Eddie planned for later)

Taglist: @harringtonfan4 @jubilee40 @cevans-winchester

Weekends offered a welcome reprieve from the paranoia of looking over your shoulder everyday at school, but in a small town like Hawkins, you still had to be careful. There were places you deemed “off limits” and avoided like the plague; knowing that it made you an easy target simply by existing in them. So when word spreads that Billy has become a lifeguard at the Hawkins Community Pool, you mentally pat yourself on the back for already avoiding it, even at the cost of a day of fun with a couple of your friends. 

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?” Nancy pouts, trying her hardest to make you feel included, but with a simple shake of your head she concedes. You assure them multiple times that you don’t mind hanging out alone at the mall, but ever the self-sacrificer, Steve pledges to keep you company instead. Eventually you realize that no number of “It’s okay”s that you spout will change his mind. 

“Fine but when we’re in the music shop for 4 hours, I don’t wanna hear any complaining,” you finally sigh, ignoring his soft cheers as he waves off the others to enjoy their day at the pool. 

And that’s how you’ve found yourself, filing through the various plastic wrapped cassettes with Steve practically leaning over your shoulder. 

“I didn’t know you listened to any of these bands,” he starts, his eyebrows pinched together as he tries to decipher one of the many rock band’s logos. 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Steve, but funny enough I’m not looking for something for me, I’m looking for a thank you gift for a.. uhm.. Friend,” you reply, squinting as you try to jog your memory of the group that blasted out of the speakers of Billy’s car. The cashier had assured you that the shipment was fresh and that there were tons of new albums to pick from, so you were sure you’d find something he didn’t have yet. 

“List off some names, I might not be into them but I can help,” Steve smiles as he jumps into action, digging through the various cassettes as well.

“That’s the problem.. I don’t know any of their names..”

The sudden halt of movement beside you makes you pause for a moment, looking up to see Steve even more confused than before. 

“You’re looking for something and you don’t even know the name??”

It took about an hour of extra digging, but you clutched the Scorpions cassette tape tightly as you walked through the busy food court, smiling a bit and proud at your find. Steve had ushered you through a line to grab lunch and found a table a little ways away from everyone else to sit at, sighing in relief once he hit the hard plastic chair.

“Finally, no more standing around that dingy record shop,” he groans, stretching a bit before starting to eat the slice of food court pizza he had grabbed. If anyone had asked two weeks ago where you would be on a Saturday afternoon, eating lunch across from Steve Harrington would have been the last answer on your mind, and yet, here you both were, surrounded by the rumble of the crowd you were sharing the moment with. It seemed almost unreal and it’s then the thought creeps into the back of your mind, no louder than a whisper.

He just feels sorry for you. Do you really think he wants to be here instead of the pool? 

“So, y/n, what do you want to do after this?” Steve asks, a bright smile on his face even though his lips are pressed tightly together as he chews his pizza. It’s almost laughable that this was the former King of Hawkins High, sitting across from you, one of the biggest rejects in the school. 

How could you think any different? You think both Billy and now Steve are paying attention to you? You’re just a charity case.

“Y/n?” He repeats softly, but it’s muddled over the sounds of the people around, almost like you can suddenly hear every breath they're taking. The lights beat down on you, neon pinks and blues and there’s an unbearable heat rising across your shoulders and onto the nape of your neck. 

“I.. I can’t do this anymore,” you mutter out, standing and practically racing out the door of the food court, Steve left in utter shock before grabbing the forgotten cassette and following behind you. You can hear him calling your name, but your feet don’t stop moving until he finally reaches you, gripping your wrist firmly to keep you from running again.

“Hey what is happening? Everything okay? Did I do something?” You see the apprehension on his face, but you quickly face the ground, trying to think of anything to say but the words don’t form. 

“I… I want to go home, please,” 

“What? Why? Weren’t we having fun?” His voice is softer now and you can tell he’s being genuine but you can’t stop yourself from pulling away.

“I just want to go home, Steve! You don’t have to keep taking care of me just cause I’m alone, go to the pool with the others and let me go,” the words come out a lot harsher than you meant them to and a hush falls over you both. Steve doesn’t even bother replying, only giving you a soft nod before guiding you to his car. You begin to protest, saying that you can walk but he quickly cuts his eyes to you. 

“Like hell I’m letting you walk, get in or we both stay here,” he jerks the door open and looks at you expectantly, almost waiting for you to try and fight more but you flop down into the seat, looking up at him as he closes it behind you. You brace for the slam of the door but it never comes and he quietly gets in on his side as well. 

The drive to the trailer park is quiet, Steve never even bothering with his radio to allow you to muddle in your own thoughts. 

Give it a few days and this will all wear off.  You almost wished you could believe yourself, everything feeling too overwhelming to comprehend. Even Billy’s promise of the “one time thing” was starting to feel like it would fall flat, but could you really let that happen. He had been so vile to you since he moved to Hawkins, could you let all that go just because he was nice after he felt bad about your father? 

“Alright, we’re here,” Steve mumbles softly as he pulls into the trailer park. An apology dances on your tongue but before you can say anything he simply holds his hand out, offering you the Scorpions cassette you had abandoned on the food court table. “I wouldn’t have wanted this entire day to feel meaningless for you.”

“Steve, I-” You begin, but he simply brushes it off, waving his hand a bit. It stings more than you anticipated it would, hoping he would just let you apologize and yet you knew his pride would never. You rest your hand on his arm for a moment, squeezing gently before climbing out of the car, shutting the door behind you and turning to head towards the trailer you called home. Giving one last look back as you open the front door, you wholeheartedly expect him to be gone, but he’s still there and gives a gentle nod before finally backing out. 

You allow yourself time to lay on your worn mattress, one hand holding the cassette as the other rubs the fabric of the comforter. Was this idea stupid? Absolutely, but there was no going back now that you had the main piece. Holding it above your head, you examine it for a bit before finally pulling the plastic off and opening it. There’s a soft creak from your bed as you sit up, digging into the drawer of the table beside it, searching for the last true gift your father had ever given you. Placing the cassette inside, you turn on the walkman and put on the discolored headphones, the familiar guitar playing out softly. You let it play to completion before quickly grabbing a notebook and tearing out a small scrap. The pen scribbles a quick note in blue and you fold it up, replacing the cassette inside the plastic container over it. A soft sigh escapes and suddenly you almost can’t wait for Monday. 

[thepalmofyourfreezinghand]

You are one of a very few tumblr users that I follow with Taylor-related content, and I genuinely wonder with what you’ve been showing at the moment, where is your stand in the fandom? As an ex bipoc fan of Taylor who cannot listen to her songs anymore, I feel so confused with what you show with all the q&a and you still seem to support her music? I know you can do whatever you want as a fan and I don’t mean to sound like i’m attacking you. I just can’t understand how people preach on the way she goes against what she had showed in years and yet still stream the new songs like nothing happened, it’s quite confusing for me to see

Don’t worry, you’re not attacking me hahah. And I honestly feel quite confused myself most of the time.

For example, yesterday night I was about to go on another rant about Matty because I cannot stand people calling him “a leftist”. They were eating up his “advocacy” for Scottish independence which is honestly laughable because the Scottish self-determination movement is probably the most supported and less controversial one in the entire world, especially after Brexit. Like, call me up when he tells his government to get the fuck away from the Chagos Archipelago, for example. Preaching for Scottish independence is hardly leftist.

But then this morning I woke up and the first thing on my mind was going online and checking the surprise songs. And when I realized that she had sung False God (which is literally my third favorite song from her ever) I proceeded to watch like ten videos of the performance.

It’s difficult to get over her and get over what she means to me, because when I think about my highest and lowest points in my life in the last fourteen years, her music was always there.

And it’s not the first time I’ve felt seriously disappointed in her. A few months ago, when she encouraged people to get up and applaud for Nicki Minaj (a woman who’s doing exactly what Taylor is doing, only her partner is obviously much worse than Matty), I was so disgusted that I didn’t listen to her music for a few days. But I came back because it’s hard to get away from something that constitutes such a big part of my life.

I guess deep down I still hope that this is till a big “mistake” (I mean, it’s clearly worse than a simple mistake, but you get what I mean). I still hope that in a few days/weeks MH will be gone. I’d never look at her the same way ever again, but at least I’d feel less guilty about continuing to support her.

If she stays with him forever, though, I’d stop supporting her. It’s difficult to do that right now because it’s been less than a month since they started dating and I’ve been following her for like 160 times as long. She’s such a huge part of what I like and what I am.

For what it’s worth, I won’t be buying the Speak Now TV album. I don’t like buying albums anymore anyway, but I initially thought about buying this one because of how gorgeous the cover is, but I decided I won’t do that anymore. I also won’t stream any music she makes with MH. If I like it I’ll download it illegally and call it a day.

(And yeah, I don’t need anyone to come and tell me that the money she loses from me is nothing - I know that and that’s not why I’m planning on doing that).

(And I also recognize that the fact that I’m able to act so hypocritically comes from a place of privilege).

The only thing I’m 100% sure about is that if she stays with him in the long term, then I’ll stop supporting her and talking about her and liking her beyond her music.

In the short term, while I don’t justify what she’s doing (and I don’t get how some fans can say “she’s attention-starved, it makes sense that she’d go to MH”), it’s hard to leave it all behind because she’s such a huge part of my life.

Does that make sense?

[you-turn-it-into-light]

H-el-ical// - Kaihouku (解放区) (2022) Album Review

Sorry I’m a bit late to the party, I was busy and waiting for the physical album to arrive. I’ve given it one listen so my thoughts might not be super coherent but I’ll also give some updated thoughts on the songs that reappear in the track list.

Overall Thoughts:

The promo image made me think that we’d see a larger picture of Hikaru, there’d be more of that paint and we’d see the full outfit, so I’m a little disappointed with the cover art especially the regular edition.

No extra booklet coming with the limited edition is disappointing as well

While I enjoy that Hikaru branched out with composers more, I wish she kept writing more of the lyrics. I like it when artists write their own lyrics because it feels more like their song and Hikaru’s lyrics added a lot of character and a feeling of connection with her through the songs. I hope she doesn’t go down the route of continuing to only let people write lyrics for her songs.

I’m a bit let down by the new songs, I only love one of them lol.

I like the new route she’s taking, most of these songs sound different that stuff she’s done before and it’s a nice break from the samey stuff from her last few mini albums. Even though I’m sad there weren’t more dark or epic songs in this album, it’s really just my personal preference.

Altern-ate- (7/10)

This song is interesting in some ways, I really like the verses and the bridge especially. The arrangement is quite epic and I love the choir in the beginning and the strings section near the end. I like how the lyrics incorporate both lines from within the anime with 「二人で一つ」(the two of us become one) and 「この物語の集約じゃない」(I am not the protagonist of this story) as well as the actual Gleipnir norse mythology. Hikaru really did but a lot of effort into these lyrics and they’re so interesting. The main strings riff however is a little boring and the chorus is also quite bland. There are also a couple of moments in the studio recording that I go ‘okay Hikaru you didn’t want to do a second take?’ like the ‘nazo wa tokenai mama’ and parts where she was obviously straining her voice but at this point I expect this is every Hikaru song.

Rasen no Mayu (螺旋の繭) (6.5/10)

I don’t mind this song, it sends like a very generic pop-rock song. I like Hikaru’s low notes in the verses and the chorus is growing on me with each listen to be honest. The subtle additions of two harmonies is a nice touch but the chorus is honestly my favourite part. The instrumentation and arrangement is honestly kind of generic and forgettable, nothing much to say about it. I like the song fine but it’s probably the most forgettable out of all the new songs.

The Sacred Torch (4/10)

This song is just kind of... okay? I don’t mind the verses and I like the urgency of the the pre-choruses but the chorus is boring and bland. The flavour of this song isn’t really my thing and it’s definitely my least favourite A-Side in all of H-el-ical//’s single’s thus far. The final 「灯かかげ」 sounds cool but Hikaru sounds very strained in that part as well. Also why do the strings sound midi? Can they not afford actual strings?

Ambient Border (6/10)

Are those midi strings again? Ugh. I love dramatic songs in musicals and this definitely gives me that vibe. The verses are boring but I like the chorus and especially the bridge (mostly the line ノイズと残響酸性雨の中で錆び付いた) it’s very dramatic and feels like it could be in the climax of a story. Similar to Rasen no Mayu, the instrumentation and arrangement is nothing to write home about and neither is the song really. I feel like I’ll enjoy it more if I hear it in the context of the musical.

YES NO (イエスノウ) (8/10)

This song is so 80′s it’s so great. The combination of electronic sounds and the guitar phrases are very funky and I love the sound. The chorus is great but the bridge is so sexy, definitely my favourite part. Hikaru’s low notes in time with the bass and cowbell in the background and then the guitar comes back in? Sounds great. The piano solo was also great. This is a great song to dance to and it’s one of the sexiest things Hikaru’s ever sung. I have this song’s rating as an 8 because while there are lots of things I like about this song, I don’t think there’s there’s anything I LOVE about it.

Kanashii Kedamono (カナシイケダモノ) (9/10)

My favourite song in the album. The guitar riff and chill vibe caught me immediately then Hikaru’s singing in the pre-chorus successfully got me in. It sounds similar to YES NO but I feel like it’s more dramatic. The bridge though??? The melody is so good, and the arrangement and instrumentation of the lines 「震えるまま　ありのままの」 is so dramatic I love it. The arrangement isn’t anything super interesting, but I like the guitar in the verses and the horns in the chorus, none of it sounds midi so I love it. The last chorus is especially great. Definitely my favourite.

Kawaisou da yo (かわいそうだよ) (7/10)

Hikaru’s singing in this song is mostly great, she conveys a lot of emotion in the lyrics, especially the line 「I hate youでも逢いたくて」sounds very raw. The breathy way she sings in most of the song makes the final chorus with its key change more impactful in my opinion. The arrangement is nothing to write home but I like the sound of the shirt it was very nice. The lyrics are nice as well, they’re more raw than anything else Hikaru’s sung and it’s a nice change. I really wanted to love this song but it just reminds me of too many other generic J-Pop ballads (in my opinion) that I can’t fall in love with it. It’s one of those songs that I only like because Hikaru’s singing it I guess.

disclose (8/10)

I remember I fell in love with this song the first time I heard this song, it was what I always wanted in a Hikaru solo song and it’s still really great. The arrangement is interesting and dramatic, I love how Gushimiyagi contrasts the arrangements between the verses. The instrumentation in this song is heavy and impactful and the addition of sound effects and occasional midi choir in the background really adds to the effect. Hikaru’s singing is very strained in the chorus but I think it adds to the desperate feeling the song is going for. Similar to other songs Gushimiyagi has composed, the chorus is my least favourite part. Repeating the same two notes over and over again isn’t really interesting to me. But overall, love this song.

clea-rly- (7.5/10)

I still love the heavy rock feeling of this song, it suits Hikaru very well. I love the arrangement of this song it’s so cool and the added electronic elements add rather than detract from the arrangement. Again though, the verses and pre-chorus are the best parts (except for the bridge cause the way Hikaru sings 「感覚を味わいたくない？」is soooo sexy) and the chorus is just boring because it’s just the same phrase over and over again like STOP. I like the idea of Altern-ate-’s single songs being from the perspectives of the main protagonist even though I hated the show. Anyway, This song is a lot of fun and I really like it, even if it can sound a bit basic.

JUST DO IT (4/10)

I actually like the chorus the best in this song, it sounds more dramatic and less cheesy than the rest of the song (even if it’s a bit repetitive). I guess I’m against the very premise of this song because I’ve heard what the anime’s about and it’s so stupid lmao. The rest of the song isn’t really my cup of tea, the technological electronic sounds fit the tone of the show but I don’t really like them. The english parts of the intro and outro are so cheesy I can’t handle them. Overall, IMPOSSIBLE LOVE is better go listen to that.

landscape (5.5/10)

I like the verses of the song, the guitar phrases are really calming and give a very atmosphere to the song, the strings in the second verse are also lovely. I don’t mind the electronic elements of the song but the chorus isn’t really my thing. I like how experimental and layered this song is, but it’s interesting but also boring at the same time. If they entire song was like the verses I would probably like the song them a lot more.

pulsation (English ver.) (5/10)

The only real thing to talk about with this version is the lyrics and some of the new arrangement choices I guess. I don’t mind the English lyrics, but the way Hikaru chose to space the syllables in the line of ‘The sky is so blue’ always bothers me, like why did you decide to speed ‘the sky’ together then extend ‘sky’ when you could just sing ‘the sky is’ evenly, like it fits... Also the way ‘anymore now’ is extended is so strange and kind of interrupts the flow of the song in my opinion. The arrangement changes are interesting if a little overwhelming and obnoxious (in the case of the bridge). This version is a nice alternative, but I prefer the original.

Favourite Songs: Kanashii Kedamono, YES NO, disclose

Least Favourite Songs: JUST DO IT, The Sacred Torch, landscape (not including pulsation (English ver.))

[lordmayokcorner]

IVE I'VE Review

-- written April 10th, updated May 4th --

-- image: NME --

First full length album by the Korean pop girl group IVE under Starship Entertainment. Many high expectations were set on this album considering it followed three “A/B” style single releases, Eleven, Love Dive, and After Like, which all topped charts. Love Dive even made #10 on the Global Billboard. 11 songs long, it was released April 10th 2023, with a single “Kitsch” pre-released on March 27th. The title track of this album is song 2, I AM.

This was written on the day of release, so I have no idea what will end up being popular, a fun game indeed. I’ve (haha no pun intended) listened to each song three times to give me a relatively good perspective on each. I’ll describe the song as I’m listening to it, give my thoughts, and rate it on a scale of 1-10. A 5 is completely neutral, no thoughts good or bad, with 1 and 10 being the worst and best possible songs to my taste. Take my rating with a grain of salt, and no hate please!

Blue Blood - 8/10

Update: 7/10. Less exciting throughout most of the song than it used to be.

Immediately this song demands attention. The dark synths and powerful drums remind me a little bit of Love Dive mixed with a bit of LION by (G)-IDLE. The simplistic but consistently driven feeling of this song is magnificent. I’m very happy to see how many lines are given to Gaeul. She may be my bias, but I really do think she is a talented vocalist, on top of her excellent dance. Whatever instrument is used in the post chorus is a really good choice and a very interesting sound. I love the almost south asian/middle eastern sound this group has on some of their releases. Sound quality on the vocals could be better. Love it overall though.

I AM - 6/10

Update: 7/10. I like this better. The chorus is fun.

Very different from the last. Keeps the synth and drum sound, but much more fun and dancey. It would be well described as bouncy. The vocal processing in the chorus is very pleasant, and the bass is smooth. I don’t love the sound of the vocals on the verses however. The “three” feel of this song feels quite repetitive so this song becomes very boring after a bit of hearing it. That said, the production is VERY powerful and it’s certainly a fun track.

Kitsch - 7/10

Update: 7/10. Not much changed.

The little whistle sound at the beginning is nice. Instantly the bass is infectious and I love the feel. It feels like a happy, laid-back Love Dive. Verses are excellent, in the vocals, production, instrumentation, mixing, everything. Pre-chorus is disappointing. Much more formulaic and the clap is not for me, however I do like the low synth sound a lot. If the pre-chorus didn’t hurt enough already the chorus of this song falls completely flat. It doesn’t fit the rest of the song well at all and the vocal lines are just not it, but the bass is very smooth. Post chorus I quite like. The rapping is decent and the bass is simply incredible. It really reminds me of Charli XCX. I love this song but the chorus just isn’t it.

Lips - 6/10

Update: 6/10 still. Nice.

Kiss Me More. Immediately. I’ll try to judge this as its own song, but it really is just a copy of Kiss Me More (Doja Cat and SZA). I like the guitar and percussion sounds in the background. They help to set the vibe. The vocals are nice in this track. The concept is a bit overdone though. Honestly I don’t have much more to say. It’s alright. Nothing too against it or for it aside from plagiarism.

Heroine - 9/10

Update: 7/10. Not as into this one now.

Oooooh this one is nice! The intro is quite soft and flowery. The synths sound excellent in this song. The reverbed vocals are beautiful. The chorus is nothing new, but has a nice feel. The post chorus on the other hand is infectious. The way this soft beautiful song drops into this bad*ss minor key with more reverbed vocals. Before you know it, it’s gone back to being soft and sweet. Toward the end of the song, we get more and more of this badass smooth dark feel. An ominous buildup and a little spoken word and we’re back into an extended version of the post chorus. I love this song overall.

Mine - 5/10

Update: 6/10. Production and mood is really nice.

Vocals are a bit breathy at the start, but the little sine synth is nice sounding and reminds me of BAYNK. Pre-chorus and chorus have so much energy! The sidechained distorted synth is incredible. Unfortunately what feels like a pre-chorus ends up fading into verse 2, making me think there is no real chorus. After verse 2, we get more of a formal pre-chorus which is absolutely beautifully done. The instrumentals here are so soft. It almost feels like a more electronic version of parts of Snail Mail’s Valentine, or some songs on Chloe Moriondo’s second record Blood Bunny. I’m a little disappointed by the fact that this song never really feels like it goes anywhere. The whole middle section of the song is excellent, but it just feels like one giant build up. Despite its good parts, I don’t love this song.

섬찟 (Hypnosis) - 5/10

Update: 6/10. Banger.

Wow this is different. But oh no. Oh no Ive. This is the second song on this album that is just brutal plagiarism. The vast majority of sounds, melodies, and vocal/rap lines in this song are literally just Ashnikko’s Daisy. The resemblance is SO strong. I would enjoy this more if it wasn’t a copy of another song, but I must say I do prefer this copy to the original. The production is much more solid and punchy. While it may lack some of the interesting melodic elements of Daisy, it hits harder. Around halfway into the song, the vibe totally switches and we get distant reverbed vocals (a common theme on this record), deep synth bass, and an old school drum ‘n’ bass beat. I prefer this to the main vibe of the song, but it turns back to the Daisy sound pretty quickly, but the song doesn’t end too fast for some incredible rapping to fit in the end. Like Lips, I think my opinion comes out net zero.

NOT YOUR GIRL - 3/10

Update: 6/10. This one really grew on me.

Initially it feels a little weak and circa 2010. The guitar and bass lines make it feel a bit cheesy. The pre-chorus turns it around however; The piano is powerful and the chords are smooth. The chorus combines the verse and the pre-chorus to form a sort of Twice-like feel good hook. Definitely big Twice vibes combined with some elements of classic early teens pop hits. I think it’s well done, it’s just not for me. I would be fine hearing it in a store or something, I just would rarely ever play it if I had the choice.

궁금해 (Next Page) - 9/10

Update: 9/10. Still love it.

This one is clean as fck. Love the relaxed Hip-Hop/R&B beat in the verse. It’s giving Red Velvet and Purple Kiss. The pre-chorus feels almost like a rap breakdown, but also building up. The chorus is nice, but it loses some of its ability to be effortlessly cool like in the verses. An example of a song which starts out as good as this but keeps it and builds on it in the chorus would be Day n Nite by Moon Sujin, if you know it. I’m definitely liking the fun vibe after the second chorus though. The synth stabs sound pretty awesome. Kind of like Love Dive (a 10/10), the beginning of this song is the best for me. The whole song has a sort of lush quality that I can’t get enough of though.

Cherish - 9/10

Update: 9/10. Still favorite on the album.

Another R&B bop! They’re really bringing the funk here. Sounds a lot like some of the more laidback stuff Le Sserafim has put out such as Impurities and Sour Grapes. Wonyoung’s little pre-chorus vocal line sounds so nice, and Gaeul and Leeseo work incredibly well together on the chorus. The synth stabs that come in are just so clean and classic. The background synths and piano in the end help tie the whole thing together and add sustenance to the beat. This one is certainly effortlessly cool, though it lacks a bit of the pure lushness of Next Page. It makes up for it with its undeniably infectious vibe. This song succeeds at what Next Page couldn’t: being cool as fck all the way through!

Shine With Me - 2/10

Update: 3/10. Production is decent.

Oh no, last song, these are rarely good. The little arrhythmic background synth at the beginning and the chimes are cool, but there isn’t much else. The vocals are very very autotuned. I think that they could’ve done much better with an end song. If you like this song, I totally respect that, but personally I do not like it. Listening to it three times has been a little difficult. I do think that on this song, and throughout the album, the instrumentals are incredible, it just does not tie together well at all.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this is an INCREDIBLE record. It’s very rare that I find a pop album that I like this many tracks of. I think that they could’ve done a bit better with a couple tracks, but even most of the ones I disliked are quality songs that could easily be loved by people who like different styles than I. When I saw that this had 11 tracks (reference to Eleven?) I was very worried many of them would be weak, but I was not disappointed in general. 

I don’t want to give anything a 10 because I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I think that my favorite track on this album as of now is track 10, Cherish! This is a bit of an outlier, but it is just simply amazing. The production is amazing, and it really brings out the strengths of the three voices that generally are less strong, Leeseo, Gaeul and Wonyoung. Don’t fight me on Wonyoung, just an opinion. This track is effortless and amazing. If anything is a 10, it’s Cherish. 

Thank you for reading this 1700 word beast of a review! Let me know what you think about this album.

- Maya

[magnys-voss]

Heroes- David Bowie

released October 14, 1977

Here we have the centerpiece to Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. Truthfully I was quite unfamiliar with his work at this time until just this year. A lot of this album is still very new and fresh to me, aside from the title track of course. I do enjoy a lot of it but my absolute favorite track besides the obvious is also Moss Garden. I really like the Brian Eno instrumental pieces that came out during the Berlin trilogy. Moss Garden is one of my favorites to relax to before I attempt sleeping (I’m unfortunately terrible at sleeping when I should and shouldn’t). This song in particular is great for meditation, along with Subterraneans on Low, and Crystal Japan, and the list goes on.

Beauty and the Beast, Joe The Lion, and Sons of the Silent Age are all great jams I adore! I honestly have to skip Sense of Doubt a lot because it makes me so anxious….. which seems like the purpose of it. 😅 I like Neuköln and what it’s doing but it has to be for very specific times because it’s such an ear feast it’s too much to handle at times, but I love it for that.

Now for the song many may consider Bowie’s magnum opus. Heroes has been on my radar from the beginning. Not long after my friend showed me Labyrinth she was like “Oh you like this funky old guy? Get a load of this!” and showed me Moulin Rouge. 😂 I was sorely disappointed to not see him in it despite her insistence he’s “in it”.

Which technically yes, he sings Nature Boy in the beginning which is lovely. But what did stand out to me was the Elephant Medley scene…. Especially the sequence they begin to sing Heroes. I listened to the original not long after and it was amongst my top 3 for many years. It’s like an old friend whenever I put it on now. Something to remind me of hope in the darkest of hour; a triumphant anthem to belt out on drives to release those disruptive emotions of fear.

I only just recently learned more about its connection with the Berlin Wall and how impactful it was. Also he sang it for a charity event in support of 9/11 first responders. It’s definitely one of his most powerful songs and I’m forever grateful it’s there in those terrifying moments when it feels like all is lost as a reminder that we can be our own heroes just by living on in defiance of despair. Thanks again, my hero. You created something revolutionary and the world is brighter for it. 💖

#davidbowie #heroes #heroes1977 #heroesalbum #davidbowieheroes #recreation #drag #dragking #dragartist #artist #photoshop

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Paramore - This Is Why in-depth album review

As for someone growing up in the emo scene, Paramore has always been the band that meant constant change for me. The band that could release any type of music tomorrow and I could bop my head to it. I enjoy pretty much everything they released so far in their career and I must say, when I heard the singles I didn’t know that this album would hold this many surprises.

1. This Is Why

Both the first single and the opening track of the album. The guitar is really funky, much like on the previous record After Laughter, the melodies are classic Paramore, just how everyone in the Parafamily likes it. I personally don’t know the writing process of the lyrics but it sounds like it was written during the quarantine times because it sounds like Hayley was actually a bit agoraphobic, and was actually scared to leave her house. I also adore the video of this song, it’s the weirdness and the quirkiness that I love this band for.

2. The News

Second single, second song on the record. The News is about being scared to watch or listen to any news outlet because all they do is bring the listener/watcher down. The parallels between the dark thoughts in someone’s head and the happenings that are actually out there are terrifying. The instrumental is a really dark but clean melody that with a little distortion could sound like an early Paramore song, even the pre-chorus reminded me of crushcrushcrush. This song is one of my favorites off the album.

3. Running Out of Time

This song is pretty straightforward, as the title suggests it’s about running out of time, always making excuses and being late. Around the bridge Hayley realizes that it’s best to accept that she’s never gonna be not out of time. Instrumentally the song follows similar song structure as This Is Why, the guitars are similar to that song too, barely any distortion or effect, weird time signature, it looks like that’s Paramore in 2023.

4. C’est Comme Ça

Undoubtedly the weirdest song on the album. Many of the fans didn’t like it after the first listen but honestly, for me the weirdness of this song is what makes it so good. C’est Comme Ça or in English ‘That’s The Way It Is” is about acceptance of failure when it comes to getting better. As someone going through hardships currently the line that say: ‘In a single year, I aged one hundred’ got instantly memorable for me. Hayley talks about healing and how her own self prevents being healed, self-sabotaging herself to the point of regression. She even admits: “getting better is boring”. Everyone has doubts about themselves getting better and this song shows Hayley is no exception.

5. Big Man, Little Dignity

For such an chill song this is one of the angriest lyrics I encountered in recent Paramore songs. Hayley sings about a man (or it can mean people like him in general), that are not held accountable for their actions. She says “she can’t look away” because they’re like “a movie that she loves to hate”. She’s waiting patiently for the demise of the previously mentioned men but when it doesn’t happen she gets disappointed. It looks like it’s the same old story over and over again and she’s really disappointed. She hopes for a different outcome too but that’s also not happening. Instumentally this song is nothing special, some chill guitar playing and slow tempo, but the lyrics are in the focus anyway so it doesn’t matter anyways.

6. You First

Not gonna lie, the first couple notes of this song were a little jarring to my ear. The drumbeat sounded also a little off. But when the verse kicked in it transformed this song to the best song on the album for me. The verses and the chrorus sound like they could be from the All We Know is Falling era. It’s like Hayley voice can’t get older from her 16 year old self. The song follows a similar theme as the previous one, she sings about revenge and that karma will reach us all. The best line on the album is in this song too: “Turns out I’m living in a horror film, where I’m both the killer and the final girl”. This song is pure emo excellence. I love it.

7. Figure 8

To my surprise You First wasn’t the only nostalgic sounding song on the album. This song is about endless pessimism, the fact that she can’t break away from these negative thoughts, these go on on forever. “spinning in an endless figure 8″. These lyrics are probably the most melancholic sounding ones so far. Eventually the song got a little boring for me. The chrorus undoubtedly screams early Paramore though which is one of the best things about it.

8. Liar

This song is about Hayley’s love to fellow band member Taylor York, and how admitting it to herself must be wrong. She says she got good at fighting it, Around the bridge she admits her love and says she’s not ashamed of it. This song is a sappy love song about being vulnerable with someone and how hard it is for everyone who feels that way. It’s a little too bland for me but it’s a really chill one for melancholic nights.

9. Crave

Probably the single most relatable song for me on the record. Crave follows a similar thought that After Laughter started back in 2017, but is about accepting the journey through mental illness instead of denying it. “I romanticize even the worst of times When all it took to make me cry was being alive” - these lyrics have to be relatable to everyone who have dealt with depression in the past, The chorus is a little repetitive but has a lot of power in it. Definitely the song that needs the most replays for me.

10. Thick Skull

This melancholic closing track features a mellow instrumental with drone sounds, shoegaze elements, weird drum patterns, the whole package. The song is about leaving the toxic managers and naysayers behind that caused Hayley and the rest of the band many insecurities in the past. As Hayley said in an interview: “This being the last album of this era of our career as part of the same contract I signed as a teen, I just want to leave all those fears and the bullshit here. I’m not taking it with me any further.” Good for her and for the whole band, It’s really an end of an era that is this song is the perfect closure for.

[samusique-concrete]

My fav albums of 2022!

I’m trying to at least squeeze in this post in January 2023, hehe :p 

I’ll go from last to first. Let’s go!

10: Dawn FM - The Weeknd

I’ll be honest, i’m not in love with the entirety of this record. I think it has some of the best pop songs that’ve dropped recently (back to back even!), but after track 7 it’s not quite the same (am i alone in this?? let me know!!). It’s a shame too, because at 16 tracks total, the “great” part ends up being less than half of the album. Sooo why is it on my top 10 at all? Well, because i did still play it and replay it tons of times. Those first songs on it... man. Immaculate vibes. Though after Out of Time ends i almost always turn it off 😅

Side tangent regarding Out of Time, btw: I’ve always liked OPN, and getting the chance to listen to his production on big artists like this is kind of a treat. When i heard OoT though i was like “Damn! They arranged this?! This is really precise and detailed and far beyond the scope of what i thought they were capable of...” So then when i learned that the backing track was actually sampled from Tomoko Aran’s 1983 song Midnight Pretenders i was really disappointed (i’d even listened to that album AND song before, i just didn’t remember it). We’ll leave the discussion of how i feel about covers/sampling in general for another day though!

Fav song on it: Gasoline

09: The Ruby Cord - Richard Dawson

I’m telling you man, that Hermit song? Those 41 minutes go by reeeal quick. Don’t be scared of pure beauty! On top of it there are also some other banging tracks as well. The Fool’s soundscape is another highlight for me, for example.

Fav song on it: The Hermit

08: Fawn - Foxtails

I like heavy shit, although i’m not usually into screamo stuff... but i’m kinda slowly changing that. This record was great for me in that regard cuz it’s not all entirely sung in that style. Great entry point if you wanna get attuned with that general sound, probably. I didn’t know this band prior to hearing this, and now i can say i’m a fan! These tunes rule. They sound younger than me though, and i’m still trying to cope with that LOL

Fav song on it: Space orphan

07: Tropical Dancer - Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul

Brilliant dance/club/techno/house from these two. I would say “biting social commentary” if 1) it wasn’t the most clichéd phrase ever and 2) if it wasn’t at least the baseline """wokeness""" society should just operate at nowadays, honestly. It’s also charming and funny. And danceable AF. Great great great record; not many like it.

Fav song on it: Reappropiate

06: Super Champon - Otoboke Beaver

Punk! Heavy! Fast! Fun!

Fav song on it: First-class side-guy

05: Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

Lmao, speaking of musicians that’re younger than me. This album’s a certified instant classic, and you probably know that already. You don’t need to hear it from me again. You can listen to it again, though!

Fav song on it: Haldern

04: Renaissance - Beyoncé

Not much i can add to the discussion of this album, or Beyoncé in general... Well, actually, one thing that comes to mind is how this record comes off as extremely pro-capitalist and individualistic on her part. Idk i admit i don’t usually listen to her, so idk if that’s her usual spiel. It makes sense tho, with her being a gajillionare and having a completely different lifestyle than any of the people who listen to her. This album’s whole aesthetic is money. Even in the sound! It sounds like it was very expensive to make and like every single little beep and/or boop on it was analyzed and tested by a large team of specialists in order to fit perfectly in a song. I will say, though, it sounds fucking amazing. Really pristine production. Bop after bop. I’ve danced to this album a lot.

Fav song on it: Virgo’s Groove

03: Pigments - Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn

I loooove the concept of this album. It reminds me of 2021′s Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra in how a musical motif is introduced at the start and how it gets developed across the whole runtime of the record. I don’t wanna compare these two albums though; they’re very different. This one’s also really groovy at times! Love the composing, arranging, instrumentation, singing and everything else in this. And also, little details like the naming of the songs after... well, pigments, and having those pigments in order of appearance on the cover go a long way to making an album feel like a holistic, thought out experience for me. Love it!

Fav song on it: Crimson

02: Hellfire - Black Midi

Insane. Go listen to it if you haven’t already listened to it like 500 times like me. Or! Better yet, if you’ve heard it 500 times go and listen to it again. Insane! These kids really are pushing the whole jazz rock/prog rock/alt&art rock in general scene forward. I also love how each story (i.e. song) on this feels like a very different but still very tangible depiction of a hellish experience.

Fav song on it: Dangerous Liaisons

01: Motomami - Rosalía

Motomami’s an excellent record. That’s just how it is. It’s also special to me specifically because it dropped right around the time when i moved away from home, and i had it constantly on repeat on my new place. However, the real reason it’s on my #1 spot is because it kinda changed things, culturally speaking. It was a force of nature to be reckoned with, upon release. You see, i live in a natively Spanish speaking region, and over here this album was some sort of a cultural reset. I think that’s bigger than me or anyone else’s preferences, and it’s more than enough to warrant the top spot. I also just happen to love it!

Fav song on it: Diablo

Anyway. Have some honorable mentions as well, in no particular order:

Until next year!

[janelevy]

tagged by @rachel-bloom ily!!

what book are you currently reading? 

before i fall by lauren oliver. just a quick reread before i (hopefully) get some new books for christmas!

what’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year? 

well i only saw 2 in theaters (top gun: maverick and don’t worry darling), sooo out of those 2... i guess it would have to be top gun

what do you usually wear? 

currently i’m loving sweaters/flannels/hoodies + basic blue jeans or black leggings. my fave jacket atm is my yellowjackets letterman that i spent way too much money on

how tall are you? 

i guess like 5′3-ish? but honestly people tell me i seem taller so? maybe the doctor has been lying all these years who knows

what’s your star sign? 

gemini, unfortunately

do you go by your name or a nickname?

i prefer my nickname! just em for me, thanks.

did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? 

i went through a few phases as a kid tbh. first i wanted to be a vet, then a teacher. neither of those have panned out. i’m still in school and i’ve been writing as a hobby for over 10 years so i guess you could say i’m still doing what i liked to do for fun when i was a kid? but career-wise, so far nope.

are you in a relationship? if not, who is your crush if you have one? 

i am not. and currently my only crushes are talented famous people who don’t know i exist.

dogs or cats? 

dogs!

if you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year?

i jumped around several fandoms and projects this year, but my baby for 2022 would have to be my yellowjackets time loop fic “freeze”. probably my favorite line for it atm is “In every version of today, Jackie is falling for her best friend. On another today, she even got to kiss her. That will have to be enough.” god i just love jackie and shauna so so much

what’s something you would like to create content for?

there are several fandoms that i get momentarily obsessed with and then they seem to pass through my awareness like sand in a sieve. i would be quite late to the party, but i’d still like to finish that paper girls fic i started someday. i also want to write something leighton-focused for the sex lives of college girls because yeah, i obviously have a Type when it comes to characters.

what’s something you’re currently obsessed with? 

yellowjackets, always. also sex lives of college girls and wednesday (was not expecting that one, but here we are)

what’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year? 

don’t worry darling 🙈 i’m such a big florence fan so i really was looking forward to it. i also thought i was let down by taylor’s new album but i’ve warmed up to midnights after a few more listens (still feel meh towards it compared to folklore & evermore, tho)

what’s a hidden talent of yours?

umm... is it weird to say problem-solving? just like generic everyday issues, sometimes it seems like i look at them from a different angle than my family does

are you religious? 

nope! still celebrate certain “religious” holidays tho

what’s something you wish to have at this moment? 

call me materialistic, but a nice new car. the speaker system/radio in mine is completely shot and i’m just tired of it lmao

tagging @avatrices @wannaliveattheholidayinn @wirypsychiatrist @crockettmarcel @flythesail @lessonincanvases @alittlebitbrave but zero pressure ofc

also tagging anyone who sees this and wants to do it!! i’d love to learn how y’all are doing!

[wtflife01]

Is anyone a bit disappointed at Taylor Swift’s new album? As a fan of hers I can honestly say it’s not her greatest and I’m quite let down and this is the first album of hers I’ve said that about. With all the hype around it I’m just like “oh… okay”. Not bad ofcourse but it’s no Folklore or 1989. /

Same. I mean, I still love it and the lyrics is immaculate as fuck as always. But the production is lacking. I needed more, I was hoping for more.

It's still great and I am still going to listen to it on repeat but it didn't live up to the hype and expectations.

The anti-hero video though👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻. Chefs kiss. Made the song 100× better.

.

[vanilladaises-rp]

You know what was the disappointing thing about BP’s comeback this time around? The music video. Like this was supposed to be YG’s most expensive MV to date and for what? To show off how many cameras they bought to make the camera angle switch five time a second to make me dizzy? Or to buy new computers and editors to edit this video? Like I felt like there were more cutscenes than actual seconds in the MV? 

But what was really jarring about the whole video was how inconsistent it was in terms of style. Like their outfits were clashing with each other and it seemed like they were trying to connect with each other but ultimately failed in their execution. Like I really enjoyed Jisoo in her traditional Korean clothing, then somewhat comfortably transitioning into Jennie’s red clothing, but then you get to Lisa’s style reminiscent of her outfits from her solo debut, and then Rosé’s rock n’ roll outfit. It seemed that each of the girls planned and did their own thing and they tried to mix it into one MV without much success. And viewing the video a second time, you get the feeling Jisoo/Rosé and Jennie/Lisa are in two completely different songs/videos. 

Also it seems like a staple for Rosé to be running away and crying and honestly it’s getting to be really fucking annoying. 

This was supposed to be the most expensive? 🤨 I honestly didn’t see anything special or different about the sets, I liked a few of the solo ones like Jisoo’s and Rosé’s but besides that nothing else really caught my eye tbh.

I like a lot their outfits but as you said they didn’t compliment each other’s, except the scene in the first verse I really like that set with the beige and their outfits were nice but the next verse, they were all clashing.

I’ve listened to the song quite a lot now and decided it’s just messy and boring, I only like the chorus and chant in the beginning. Now I’m just patiently waiting for the album, hoping they’ll be better songs to come.

[1892]

Lmao I am also in the well informed but critical taylor swift club and I definitely see ur points. I don’t agree with all of them but like, objectively, ur right

thank you!!!! there need to be more of us i'm sick of swifties who will eat anything up it's so frustrating like if you unironically like midnights (or even ironically. honestly) you are actively supporting an artist going absolutely nowhere with her career. truthfully she peaked at 1989 and will forever be chasing that high imo . folklore was different enough that it stood alone. & i have a whole fucking page of evermore takes that i will post below the cut

evermore take (in track order) the best songs are tis the damn season, cowboy like me, and tolerate it.

willow was a stupid single, it’s actively boring bad pop music, doesn’t live up to even the weaker songs on folklore (i’m looking at you mad woman) and it really only serves to prove that she is TERRIBLE at choosing which songs should be singles/get mvs (lwymmd, blank space, and ootw excluded) like she chose me and yntcd on lover for fuck’s sake. so yeah. willow is bad. champagne problems is good, it really exemplifies her strengths in storytelling and should be recognized for that, but in terms of staying power i don’t think it holds out. it’s a good story, but the melody gets old kinda quickly (though the bridge is one of the best she’s ever written, honestly). gold rush sucks. another average pop song with a shitty beat, overproduced and doesn’t fit the vibe of the album at all (same with long story short but we’ll get to that.) tis the damn season is absolutely crazy good. with an interesting time signature and fantastic lyricism it is absolutely one of her best songs, it’s my favorite of hers atm. this one doesn’t get old for me, in fact it’s grown on me the more i listen to it. i think it brings out all of her strengths. tolerate it is great as well, though for different reasons. slower and more held back, tolerate it is subtle but it creeps up on you! i think again, it’s a great story. evermore has good stories, but a lot of them could be scrapped! tolerate it is NOT one of those tracks. no body no crime is a pretty fun take on something like the chicks’ “goodbye earl” though it’s a little more somber, i think it’s good but not that good. also disappointing that she restricted her features to backing vocals. but she always does so what’s new. happiness sucks. weak lyricism, too slow. dorothea is so pretty, it’s a pretty song if that makes sense. it’s light and airy and she uses a lower register at times which is refreshing! she went there a little bit on folklore as well. dorothea, which i’m almost 100% sure is the other pov of tis the damn season, is pretty good! however...i wouldn’t die on the dorothea hill if someone told me they didn’t like it. i think it’s fine. coney island is good....ish....i really only like it because of the theory that in the lyrics the order of the rerercords is hidden because i think that’s silly. “we were like the mall before the internet” is such a fucked up and terrible line i can’t stress enough that it ruins the song for me. pass! wouldn’t miss it. ivy is ok. i liked it a lot when the album first came out but honestly it doesn’t stand up to the better songs on the album (like ttds) at all. it’s an ok story but in comparison to the better tracks it is nothing to me. cowboy like me is one of the single best songs she’s ever written. this is a fact. the lyricism, the storytelling, the vocal performance, the smooth fucking key change and the beautiful verse, cowboy like me is a feat in her career. long story short sucks the end. it’s corny. marjorie is corny (”never be so __ that you forget to be ___” is stupid) but i love that she utilized her grandmother’s vocals in the background, i think it adds depth to the song, and the verses are generally good! but again...i wouldn’t miss it. closure sucks...it’s not the vibe. stop. evermore, the song, i think is quite good...slow but well paced i think its a great way to close an album.

SORRY.