#The Aretha Theory

[notchainedtotrauma]

Piper "listened to Aretha's version of "Respect" until I had it completely memorized" and could play it in her head "at will", when desired. Then she went outside. In her words, " The piece consisted of listening to the song in my mind and simultaneously dancing to it. I did a mixture of the Boogalo, the Jerk, the Lindy, the Charleston, and the Twist, with a high degree of improvisation. I performed the piece while waiting in line at the bank, at a bus stop, and in the Public Library.

Adrian Piper recounting the Aretha Franklin Catalysis as excerpted from Embodied Avatars by Uri McMillan

[trendfilmsetter]

Apple Music’s ‘100 Best Albums of All Time’ list:

#1. Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

#2. Michael Jackson — Thriller

#3. The Beatles — Abbey Road

#4. Prince & The Revolution — Purple Rain

#5. Frank Ocean — Blonde

#6. Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life

#7. Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d city

#8. Amy Winehouse — Back to Black

#9. Nirvana — Nevermind

#10. Beyoncé — Lemonade

#11. Fleetwood Mac — Rumours

#12. Radiohead — OK Computer

#13. Jay-Z — The Blueprint

#14. Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited

#15. Adele — 21

#16. Joni Mitchell — Blue

#17. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On

#18. Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)

#19. Dr. Dre — The Chronic

#20. The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds

#21. The Beatles — Revolver

#22. Bruce Springsteen — Born to Run

#23. Daft Punk — Discovery

#24. David Bowie — The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

#25. Miles Davis — Kind of Blue

#26. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

#27. Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin II

#28. Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon

#29. A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory

#30. Billie Eilish — WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

#31. Alanis Morissette — Jagged Little Pill

#32. The Notorious B.I.G. — Ready to Die

#33. Radiohead — Kid A

#34. Public Enemy — It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

#35. The Clash — London Calling

#36. Beyoncé — BEYONCÉ

#37. Wu-Tang Clan — Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

#38. Carole King — Tapestry

#39. Nas — Illmatic

#40. Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

#41. OutKast — Aquemini

#42. Janet Jackson — Control

#43. Talking Heads — Remain in Light

#44. Stevie Wonder — Innervisions

#45. Björk — Homogenic

#46. Bob Marley & The Wailers — Exodus

#47. Drake — Take Care

#48. Beastie Boys — Paul’s Boutique

#49. U2 — The Joshua Tree

#50. Kate Bush — Hounds of Love

#51. Prince — Sign O’ the Times

#52. Guns N' Roses — Appetite for Destruction

#53. The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main St.

#54. John Coltrane — A Love Supreme

#55. Rihanna — ANTI

#56. The Cure — Disintegration

#57. D’Angelo — Voodoo

#58. Oasis — (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

#59. Arctic Monkeys — AM

#60. The Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground and Nico

#61. Sade — Love Deluxe

#62. 2Pac — All Eyez on Me

#63. The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced?

#64. Erykah Badu — Baduizm

#65. De La Soul — 3 Feet High and Rising

#66. The Smiths — The Queen Is Dead

#67. Portishead — Dummy

#68. The Strokes — Is This It

#69. Metallica — Master of Puppets

#70. N.W.A — Straight Outta Compton

#71. Kraftwerk — Trans-Europe Express

#72. SZA — SOS

#73. Steely Dan — Aja

#74. Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral

#75. Missy Elliott — Supa Dupa Fly

#76. Bad Bunny — Un Verano Sin Ti

#77. Madonna — Like a Prayer

#78. Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

#79. Lana Del Rey — Norman F*****g Rockwell!

#80. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP

#81. Neil Young — After the Gold Rush

#82. 50 Cent — Get Rich or Die Tryin'

#83. Patti Smith — Horses

#84. Snoop Dogg — Doggystyle

#85. Kacey Musgraves — Golden Hour

#86. Mary J. Blige — My Life

#87. Massive Attack — Blue Lines

#88. Nina Simone — I Put a Spell on You

#89. Lady Gaga — The Fame Monster

#90. AC/DC — Back in Black

#91. George Michael — Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1

#92. Tyler, The Creator — Flower Boy

#93. Solange — A Seat at the Table

#94. Burial — Untrue

#95. Usher — Confessions

#96. Lorde — Pure Heroine

#97. Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine

#98. Travis Scott — ASTROWORLD

#99. Eagles — Hotel California

#100. Robyn — Body Talk

[imslowlydisintegrating]

look both ways,

before you cross my mind.

! will be pretty inactive and won’t interact as much, sorry beloved mutuals 😞🙏

you can call me evvy, teo, dorian, ruth, or any variation of those names. i use they/he/she pronouns (in order of preference) and i am genderfluid, sapphic and maybe ace :)

‧͙⁺˚･༓☾　and i ran, i ran so far away, i just ran　☽༓･˚⁺‧͙

i do have some personal obsessions on this blog that you’ll find

music (as on record): abba grandes exitos vol. 2 (abba) ✦ the returner (allison russell) ✦ outside child (allison russell) ✦ aretha’s gold (aretha franklin) ✦ self-titled (carpenters) ✦ “awaken, my love!” (childish gambino) ✦ visions (grimes) ✦ self-titled (hozier) ✦ wasteland, baby! (hozier) ✦ grace (jeff buckley) ✦ self-titled (kc & the sunshine band) ✦ be the cowboy (mitski) ✦ bury me at makeout creek (mitski) ✦ greatest hits (queen) ✦ i am the dog (sir chloe) ✦ sawayama (rina sawayama)

tv/movies: bullet train ✦ arcane ✦ spider-verse trilogy ✦ knives out film series ✦ brooklyn 99 ✦ jurassic park ✦ the brothers sun

what’s the screen playing? [jujutsu kaisen.]

i spend my time writing, playing drums, pacing around my room, listening to music, and doing fuck-all with my life ❤️️

☂︎ oh, come on, angel, come on, come on, darling ☂︎

my silly little peoples you’ll find around this blog <3

my official unofficial bandmates: @literatureisdying ✦ @bassguitarinablackt-shirt ✦ @gently-decaying-flowers

mutual list:

@bassguitarinablackt-shirt — asher 🌊

@gently-decaying-flowers — goobie 🛸

@iwouldkickahorse — innocent sin’s no. 1 fan

@rapidlydecayingcorpse — decay 🪦

@takeutothemoon — sun li ☀️

@literatureisdying — attie 🎶

@catinasink — cat 🌸

@dumdumdumsalot — deedee 🧐

@browngirl-inthering — cool mutual ⁉️

@arcangelise — coco ⭐

@talesfromtheunknowable — noorie 🍄‍🟫

@eden-has-rotted — ed 🎸

@gayoticbeing — moth 🐌

@serendipititties — wren 🪶

@ringhoarder — cal 💍

@starryeyeddarlings — cristie ⚜️

@my-lady-macbeth — thea ⚔️

@blood-slushy — taz 👻

@waitingforthesunrise — ari 🪻

･༓☾ so if you need a hero, just look in the mirror ☽༓･

my tagging system:

#ruth speaks — answering asks/joining tag games

#dorian talks to the void — random (usually) text posts

#evvy still uses wired headphones — music related posts

#ruth engages in media consumption — posts about what i’m enjoying at the moment

#teo is typing — stuff about my writing projects

#innocent sin — band stuff

don’t go wasting your emotion, lay all your love on me

eventually i will have a sideblog for writing, but for right now just know that i have two WIPs, Made Of Our Own Storms (#mooos) and Way Down On The River (#wdotr).

mooos is about a group of teenagers doing their best to survive 100 years after the apocalypse while also struggling to balance their mental health and the burden that comes with being alive in the post-apocalypse. tags: (#mooos, #art o’cahan, #arun nidhi, #cy segal, #daya da silva iglesias, #azi tyali, #domi larieux morais, #naia zorita.)

wdotr is about a collection of serial killers that all manage to find themselves on the same riverboat, heading to the same destination. it only gets complicated when they set their sights on each other as their next victim. set in an almost-Earth, wdotr takes place in a steampunk-y world with parallels to earth, but it’s not exactly the same. tags: (#wdotr, #anastasia marie, #cheli malviya, #sam malviya, #zexi malviya, #the triplets, #akachi moriai, #moriai toyoko, #the brides, #ruhi arana, #don nekvasilová, #ash vanich.)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

lyrics used in this post:

‘look both ways before you cross my mind’, george clinton featured on wesley’s theory by kendrick lamar.

‘and i ran, i ran so far away, i just ran’, i ran by a flock of seagulls.

‘oh, come on, angel, come on, come one, darling’, running up that hill (a deal with god) by kate bush.

‘so if you need a hero, just look in the mirror’, after the storm by kali uchis ft. tyler, the creator & bootsy collins.

‘don’t go wasting your emotion, lay all your love on me’, lay all your love on me by abba.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Parker Molloy at The Present Age:

Last week, the Harris-Walz campaign released a video featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in a casual conversation at Aretha's Jazz Cafe in Detroit. The video, a slickly produced 10-minute conversation designed to showcase the ticket's chemistry and relatability, sparked predictable right-wing outrage. The only question was what portion of the video the right was going to act outraged about. At the top of the conversation, Walz admitted to enjoying "white guy tacos," explaining they consisted of "pretty much ground beef and cheese." When Harris playfully asked about adding flavor, Walz quipped, "Black pepper is the top of the spice level in Minnesota." This self-deprecating joke about Midwestern culinary blandness quickly became fodder for right-wing outrage, with conservative commentators accusing Walz of "anti-white racism" and self-flagellation. What was meant to be a lighthearted moment of campaign humanization instead became the latest battleground in America's culture wars.

The right’s flaming hot take.

The conservative response to Walz's taco comment was swift and, unsurprisingly, spicy. Ben Shapiro of The Daily Wire tweeted, "See, folks, it's funny that white people hate spices! Not racist at all! Just funny!" He went on to argue that Europeans' historical involvement in the spice trade proved their love for seasoning. Shapiro's colleague, Matt Walsh, took it a step further, describing the exchange as "blatant anti-white racism." He posed a hypothetical: "Imagine if Donald Trump said that a 'black guy taco' was made with fried chicken and watermelon. Nuclear meltdown." This false equivalence ignores the long history of racist stereotypes associated with those foods, as well as the fact that Walz was poking fun of himself and making a lighthearted joke at the expense of a group he was a part of, not smearing an outside group. Even Senator Ted Cruz felt compelled to weigh in, bizarrely tweeting, "Hispanics are not tacos." This non-sequitur seemed to miss the point entirely, as neither Harris nor Walz had made any claims about Hispanic cuisine or identity. The outrage machine kicked into high gear when Mike Cernovich, known for promoting conspiracy theories, accused Walz of lying about his spice tolerance. Cernovich dug up a 2016 recipe for Walz's award-winning "Turkey Taco Tot Hotdish," which included mild green chilies and chili powder. This "gotcha" moment conveniently ignored the fact that hotdish, a Midwestern staple, is hardly known for its heat. Fox & Friends co-host Will Cain questioned Harris's taco expertise, while New York Post columnist Miranda Devine went so far as to describe Walz as "the Uncle Tom of white rural males." The hyperbole reached a fever pitch, with conservatives painting Walz's self-deprecating humor as a betrayal of his race and region. This overwrought reaction reveals more about the right's hair-trigger outrage reflex than it does about Walz's culinary preferences. It demonstrates how easily a moment of levity can be twisted into a culture war talking point, and how desperate some commentators are to find evidence of "anti-white racism" in the most innocent of exchanges.

[...] Beyond that, it feeds into a narrative of conservative victimhood. By framing every joke, product change, or casting decision as an assault on traditional values, right-wing media can position conservatives as an embattled minority fighting against a hostile "woke" culture. This persecution complex is a powerful motivator for political action and donations. The constant stream of faux controversies creates a boy-who-cried-wolf effect. When everything is outrageous, nothing is. This makes it easier to dismiss genuine concerns and criticisms as just another example of "cancel culture" or "political correctness run amok." The "white guy tacos" incident is a perfect example of this in action. A harmless joke about food becomes, in the hands of right-wing commentators, evidence of a grand conspiracy against white identity. It's a tempest in a taco shell that reveals the true ingredients of conservative media's secret sauce: a dash of fear, a pinch of resentment, and a heaping helping of manufactured outrage.

Right-wing crybabies offended over everything, “white guy tacos” edition: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) admitted to loving “white guy tacos”, and the right-wing media apparatus had a hissy fit over it.

[hologramcowboy]

https://twitter.com/DitchLilyTiger/status/1627331896572100608

you made friends... lol

That less than sharp crayon in the box said in the comments on Twitter that *I* turned off comments because I didn't want responses. The comment can only be turned off by the author of the posts so she's the one who turned them off. Also, why do they have to delusionally look for a conspiracy theory? All I sad was that he looked said and he does. Objectively.

But I guess they are so desperate their presence is somehow special to him that acknowledging he was sad causes cognitive dissonance for them. 🤣🤣🤣

By the way, it's perfectly natural to perceive people's emotions and describe then and doing that a conspiracy theory does not make. It simply means that, unlike whoever immortalized his deep pain, I have the emotional intelligence to know he was going through something and I can sympathize. Jensen's drinking and bad moods keep expanding but hey, let's all pretend he was haaaaapyyyyyy. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Wanna just add that it's inhuman that they took pictures of him in such a pained state, as if he is a circus animal on display and only meant for their entertainment. If I was the photographer, I would have put my lens down and let Jensen have his moment.

Also wanna add, for the person saying he is a powerful singer in the comments: why don't you break that down at a specific technical level for us, right down to the notes. Oh you cannot? Why are you giving you opinion on his singing then? Stick to what you know. You can say you like or dislike it but no actual singer or trained person will ever say Jensen is a powerful singer because he lacks the range, training, emotion as well as sings off key most of the time. Only people as limited as him vocally will think he is "good". I'm not saying he doesn't have a beautiful voice, he does but it needs training, desperately and also it is not by any means powerful, Aretha Franklin's voice is powerful, for example. Let's not make ridiculous statements, Jensen has a nice voice but needs training and is currently at amateur level singing wise. If you can't grasp that then go take a professional singing class and get back to me.

[suckitsurveys]

Do you know a James? My boss’s boss’s name is James. Also a few other people I interact with at work.

Have you ever been to Australia? If not, would you like to? I haven’t.

Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness? Uh huh.

If you had to choose to have a different accent than the one you have now, what accent would you choose and why? I’m fine with the accent I have.

New York or California? I haven’t been to California.

Have you ever or do you currently live in a Gated Community? Nope.

Who was your last text from? T Mobile warning me about my data usage which I never understand because I have unlimited data.

Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? Yes.

If you had to choose one instrument to perfect, what instrument would you choose? Guitar.

Have you ever owned an Axolotl? I haven’t but I kinda want one.

What has been the longest amount of time you’ve spent on a plane? I think close to 3 hours.

How often do you use Snapchat? I don’t have snapchat.

What does your last text say? I just mentioned this.

Have you ever played Habbo? Nope.

What about Runescape? Nope.

Have you ever heard of the band Mumford & Sons? If yes, do you like their music? I have. They’re okay.

Have you ever kissed anyone starting with the letter A, C, N, T or K? C and T.

Have you ever used Valium before? Nope.

What time is it where you’re from? 8:24am.

Have you ever adopted an animal from an animal shelter? Yup.

Where do you usually find Surveys from? From people I follow.

Australia or New Zealand? I don’t know that much about either to form an opinion.

Have you ever missed a flight? Never.

What is your best friend’s middle name? I’m not listing them.

How do you feel about the passing of Aretha Franklin? I will always think of the fact that Pete Davidson was at her funeral because he was dating Ariana Grande at the time.

Did you enjoy any of her music? Yeah.

What is your favourite film from your childhood? Nightmare Before Christmas. I know this makes me sound basic but let me tell you, that shit was my WORLD when I was kid.

Kanye West or Drake? They’re both shitty fucking people.

Do you know anyone who is named after a state? I know a Virginia, but I don’t know if she’s named after a state.

What was the reason for your previous doctor’s visit? I thought I had strep and/or covid. I had neither.

Have you ever been to an outdoor cinema? Yes.

Have you ever had a “bad trip”? If yes, what happened? Yeah. Mark and I were in a hotel in Michigan for New Years Eve several years ago and I got so high I needed to lay down but I was CONVINCED if I fell asleep that I was going to sleep through the entire year and I was inconsolable. It was rough.

How often do you use Instagram? I at least scroll through it everyday and post to my stories often.

Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Yeah, but I never smoked regularly. I haven’t had a cigarette in a really long time and I don’t plan to ever again.

If so, do you still smoke? Nope.

What are you up to tomorrow? I’m working and then I have to pick up my nieces from school.

What type of questions do you like being asked during a survey? I usually like ones that I can elaborate more on as opposed to yes or no questions.

Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey? Adam Sandler.

What is your favourite Ben Stiller movie? There’s Something About Mary.

What is your favourite Spotify playlist if you have one? I have one called These Are For Girls Only that I made for a road trip me and my two best friends took last month that has a bunch of pop songs sung by women. That one is fun.

Firefox or Chrome? I use Firefox at work because I’m too lazy to resave all my bookmarks but I prefer Chrome lol.

Do you enjoy learning about conspiracy theories? Eh.

If so, what is your favourite? --

Do you find hand tattoos attractive on your preferred sex? Sure.

If you had a baby boy, what would you name him? Abe Ortion.

What is your favourite Netflix original series? BoJack Horseman.

Have you ever owned a Tamagotchi? Yes.

Do you have a favourite “survey blog” on Tumblr? If so, who? I like all the ones I come across! Would you rather be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early? 20 minutes early.

If you could be a member of any TV-Sitcom family, which would it be? The Belchers.

Tell me about the 6th person in your contact list: She’s an old internet friend I don’t really talk to much anymore but she did just wish me a happy birthday on IG.

Are you waiting for a text back right now? Nope.

Would you rather be able to control fire or water? Water.

[madampoewrites]

⎘ INTO THE SOFIA-VERSE :

(edit inspo from the lovely @soungodly)

ABOUT SOFIA:

Sofia Louise Carter (professionally known as Sabrina Carpenter) was born on September 13, 2001, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Dahlia and Brian Carter. She is the younger cousin of Vivian Lombardi; Sofia’s mother is the little sister of Helen Lombardi. Her parents are law officials; her mother is an assistant district attorney and her father is a criminal defense attorney. Despite her parents’ judicial background, Sofia’s talents and interests in the arts would dictate the future she’d soon pursue.

Sofia would start uploading singing covers onto YouTube. She’d soon transition to acting, a small role in Law & Order: SVU. In 2013, she’d secure a reoccurring role in the Disney Channel series, Girl Meets World. In 2014, she’d release her debut single, Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying, which was co-written by Meghan Trainor. April 2015 saw the release of her debut studio album, Eyes Wide Open. During this time, her family would move to Manhattan due to job opportunities her parents were offered. Between 2016 - 2022, Sofia released four studio albums; displaying her genre versatility and singing capabilities.

In 2021, she’d sign with UMG’s Island Records and soon released her record label debut, Skin. The song would debut at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100, being her first entry on the chart. July 2022 would see the release of her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send. Emails… debuted and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200, making it her highest entry on the chart to date. In June 2023, it was announced that Sofia would be the opening act for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour for a number of its Latin American, Australian and Singaporean dates throughout 2023 and 2024.

On April 11, 2024, Carpenter released the single Espresso. Espresso topped the Billboard Global 200 and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Released on June 6, 2024, the second single from the album, Please Please Please, became her second global chart-topper and her first US number-one single. With these songs, she became the first female artist to hold the number one and two positions on the UK singles chart for three weeks in a row.

When she’s not in the studio or on-set, she often travels between New York and California, visiting her cousin, Vivian. May of 2024, Sofia graduated from NYU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, specifically Jazz Theory.

INFLUENCES:

Sofia names R&B and soul as genres that influence her the most. Growing up, Sofia was exposed to 70s and 80s vinyl and grew an extreme liking to Gwen Guthrie, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Etta James. In 2011, she’d perform Etta James’ Something’s Got a Hold on Me at the Gold Mango Audience Festival in China. She can play the guitar and is a self-taught Jazz and Soul pianist.

DISCLAIMER ⚠︎︎: This a purely fictional and semi-original portrayal of Sabrina Carpenter. Black, female writer. 21+ This is NOT a lewd or DTF account, so do not approach with sexual advances; you will be ignored! MDNI.

[leonaluv]

u know how tons of rappers pass away early in their career the same seems to have happened for a lot of rock and roll legends like eddie cochran or elvis or richie valens even aretha franklin james dean as well. why do you think this occurs so much with all the former greats? do you think theres any theory imparticular?

I dunno drugs? I heard of the 27 club theory and saw a book ,how they died at 27 right before their saturn return to some celebrities.

I cant say why , if it find out later they were part of cult or something then it would be more of you know scary

[cyarskj1899]

Black Twitter reacts to Jack Harlow finding out Brandy and Ray J are siblings in wild Hot 97 interview

Jack Harlow might want to log off from social media for a few days and listen to some 90s R&B.

Black Twitter is not happy with Jack Harlow right now. Today (May 11), jaws were dropped when the “First Class” rapper discovered the Vocal Bible Brandy and entertainment mogul Ray J were siblings.

While visiting New York’s Hot 97 radio station, radio host Ebro Darden and crew challenged Harlow to a little game of guess that song.

As Darden cues up Brandy’s 1998 hit, “Angel in Disguise,” most figured it would be an easy win for the 24-year-old. They were wrong. Very wrong.

Darden and his co-hosts are seen nodding their heads to the tune as they give Harlow a chance to play the game.

“Oh, uh, Aaliyah?” Harlow asks.

“Nope!” the hosts yell after Harlow confuses the two very different artists.

“Stay with it, stay with it,” they urge him while giving the young rapper another shot. Some sing along while waiting for his answer.

The intro to the song is almost over and Harlow still can’t name the artist or track. One of the hosts asks, “Do you want me to give him a hint?”

“She had a TV show. She starred in a TV show,” Laura Stylez tells him.

“Tell me another hint,” Harlow says. Rosenberg chimes in with, “Her brother is the reason a lot of people are famous.”

With no response from Harlow, Ebro adds, “Her brother had an amazing sex tape.”

After several seconds go by, the “What’s Poppin” rapper asks, “Who’s Ray J’s sister?”

The hosts are shocked. While some throw their heads back with laughter, another can be heard saying, “Yo, he’s serious.” One host comes to his defense reminding listeners that Harlow is only 24.

“Brandy and Ray J are siblings?” Harlow asks as those in the room yell “Yes” in unison.

“Nobody’s ever told me that in my life,” the rapper responds.

Once Twitter got wind of the interview, they were flabbergasted. Most users seemed to feel that Harlow not recognizing the song was absurd.

“Not recognizing Brandy’s voice is why he shouldn’t be doing black music,” one person tweeted. Another added, “Brandy had one of the most recognizable voices. Ugh these generations of rappers.”

Others went a bit easier on the rapper. “Y’all are doing a LOT about Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy and Ray J. As if we don’t see young Black people ‘discover’ new things daily. Hell y’all find out Bobby Caldwell is white every three months.”

Take a look at what Black Twitter is saying about the revelation.

Not recognizing Brandy’s voice is why he shouldn’t be doing black music. — Critical Grace Theory (@Peaceful_Rule) May 11, 2022

Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy got y’all blaming Gen Z when ALL of us know her and that she’s related to Ray J… That’s a JACK HARLOW PROBLEM! — WILD ebony. (@BEYMANll) May 11, 2022

I'm furious!!! Brandy is very important to me. This is the turning point for me with Jack Harlow. 😟 — Petty Betty (@addicted2mess) May 11, 2022

jack harlow just finding out that brandy & ray j are siblings is exactly why y’all need to stop letting #them people capitalize off of our shit. — ☆ (@ALCHEMYSTlC) May 11, 2022

What’s the difference between Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy & Ray J were siblings, and Ella Mai not being able to name 3 Aretha Franklin songs? pic.twitter.com/D1QG8SXRgV — k a r y. (@itsKARY_) May 11, 2022

jack harlow is WHITE! him being 24 don't got nothing to do w him not knowing brandy and ray j are related, i'm 19 and i know that. as much as he tries to infiltrate black culture or whatever y'all can't forget that he is white at the end of the day — 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 🧙🏾‍♀️ (@theenarcissist) May 11, 2022

He wants to be performing Black music and hanging out in Black spaces, and doesn't know who Brandy is or what her voice sounds like?  Stupsee — Carolyn Hinds – Pettite Possee🇧🇧 (@CarrieCnh12) May 11, 2022

Jack Harlow is a 12 year old white boy so him not knowing who brandy is isnt crazy. But do artists not….study music??? — jennysayQuan (@notKissmequan) May 11, 2022

Y’all are doing a LOT about Jack Harlow not knowing Brandy and Ray J. As if we don’t see young Black people “discover” new things daily. Hell y’all find out Bobby Caldwell is white every three months. — Shut up already, damn! (@onlychyld) May 11, 2022

For Jack Harlow to not know Brandy is one of the whitest things ever.  This man gets to frolic like an elf with absolutely no devotion to the genre or craft. — Queer Latifah 🥭 (@TheAfrocentricI) May 11, 2022

Brandy had one of the most recognizable voices. Ugh these generations of rappers🙄 — Freakboi (@Freakboi14) May 11, 2022

first of all, how do you confuse brandy for aaliyah, that’s means he doesn’t know aaliyah songs either but this is who a lot of you simp over and let make hip hop music.. pic.twitter.com/ZW2to66OIG — chu (@chuuzus) May 11, 2022

Went from: "Wait a minute ain't that Brandy's brother?"🎶 -Lil Kim To: "Brandy is Ray J's sister?"  – Jack Harlow Ain't no way.🤦🏿‍♂️ — Dr. Will, LCSW 👑 (@WCoombsDSW) May 11, 2022

Brandy needs to drop a diss track on Jack Harlow.. we saw Queens- she can out spit him ANY DAY OF THE WEEK and ALL WKND pic.twitter.com/1VUQIZ7xG8 — p@ncho’s 🍑✍🏾📝🍓🎞🎬 🥑🍍 (@bici_IV_vente) May 11, 2022

Sent from my iPhone

[madamedupigeonsalon]

Culture : est ce que Beyonce est la meilleure artiste du 21e siècle ?

Category is … Beyonce ! On peut dire que Beyonce est une artiste qui sait ce qu elle fait parce qu elle arrive toujours à monter de niveau lorsqu’il s agit de sa musique . Son dernier album « Renaissance » est album qui s inspire de la culture Ballroom/ Voguing , crée par des gens queer noir et latino américains, Beyonce rends hommage en s appropriant ce style de musique. Elle a juste envie de montrer une culture qui n est pas souvent célébré et pour cela je lui donne 10/10 !

Son concert est un véritable succès , elle se balade dans le monde entier et fait bouger les masses. Je ne peux que la féliciter pour l engouement qu elle crée à chaque représentation. J ai eu l occasion de la voir une fois dans ma vie et cela m a suffit ! Je vous promets , on a l impression d être en présence d un extraterrestre venu d ailleurs . J ai une théorie qui consiste à penser qu elle est un robot ! Comment fait elle ?

Il faut rappeler qu elle est la chanteuse qui détient le record de Grammys dans l histoire de la musique. C est une chanteuse qui vends beaucoup d albums et qui génère beaucoup de clicks sur internet pour ses clips vidéos .

C est une chanteuse et une business woman. Elle fait de la musique , elle a une ligne de vêtements et elle est maman . Rien que ça ? Et bien , c est déjà pas mal ! Elle a révolutionné la musique et elle n a pas l intention a 40 ans de s arrêter . C est une visionnaire qui a beaucoup travaillé sans relâche pour créer un monde dans laquelle on peut rêver et s amuser .

Oui , pour moi, Beyoncé est la meilleure artiste du 21e siècle . C est vrai qu il y a des grands noms comme Michael Jackson , Aretha Franklin , Ray Charles , Céline Dion, Barbara Streisand , Whitney Houston etc etc …. Qui ont définitivement changer la musique mais Beyonce a juste relève le niveau pour qu il soit intergalactique ! Même les martiens écoutent la musique de Beyonce , c est certain !

Et vous quelles chansons aimez vous de Beyoncé ?

Culture : is Beyonce the best artist of 21st century ?

Category is …Beyonce! You could say that Beyonce is an artist who knows what she's doing because she always manages to step up when it comes to her music. Her latest album "Renaissance" is an album inspired by Ballroom / Voguing culture, created by queer black and Latin American people, Beyonce pays homage by appropriating this style of music. She just wants to show a culture that is not often celebrated and for that I give her 10/10!

Her concert is a real success, she travels around the world and moves the masses. I can only congratulate her for the enthusiasm she creates at each performance. I had the opportunity to see her once in my life and that was enough for me! I promise you, it feels like being in the presence of an alien from elsewhere. I have a theory which consists in thinking that she is a robot! How does she?

It should be remembered that she is the singer who holds the Grammys record in the history of music. She is a singer who sells a lot of albums and who generates a lot of clicks on the internet for her music videos.

She is a singer and a businesswoman. She makes music, she has a clothing line and she is a mom. Just that ? Well, that's not bad! She revolutionized music and she has no intention of stopping at 40. She is a visionary who has worked tirelessly to create a world in which we can dream and have fun.

Yes, for me, Beyoncé is the best artist of the 21st century. It is true that there are big names like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston etc etc…. Who definitely changed the music but Beyonce just raised the level to make it intergalactic! Even Martians listen to Beyonce's music, that's for sure!

And you what songs do you like by Beyoncé?

Kevin Ngirimcuti

[septembersghost]

Hmm, interesting background about the development of vocals- especially for females. Reminds me of brain development- "The development and maturation of the prefrontal cortex occurs primarily during adolescence and is fully accomplished at the age of 25 years."NCBI Music is a language & I don't think they were classically trained. Consider the catalog- especially for extended performances- belting would strain the voice- but you need dynamics & variety. Gradual web buildup- simple yet complex.

it's part of why belting without supportive training and care is quite unhealthy and can hurt your vocal cords (leading to tears or developing nodes and such). young voices are developing very much like the brain and body, and need to be nurtured. music really IS a language, i love that you said that. and one can learn it through the technical side of reading it, or become fluent by ear (many prominent, iconic artists never learned to read music but picked it up innately - including judy, frank, barbra, elvis, bob dylan, aretha, prince, iirc paul mccartney has said this about the beatles, the list goes on! i was always a pick it up by ear person myself so i clung to this knowledge as a kid. though i got fairly adept at music theory in paper, i never actively enjoyed it per se? and at one point in time taylor was very much one of those artists too, i don't know if she's learned to read it over time or if this is still true). i don't believe classical training is any arbiter of talent because that idea is used in such an exclusionary/elitist sense, but lessons and technique developed to strengthen that physical instrument for one's own unique talents are valuable!

"you need dynamics & variety. Gradual web buildup- simple yet complex." *nods* exactly

[foreveryoungadult]

Felicity 2.21 "The Aretha Theory"

Ben: "You know what that is?"

Felicity: "Yeah. It's a film canister."

Ben: "Nah, it's a time machine."

[whatilistenedtoatwork]

From October 25th to October 28th, 2022

 25-10-22

LEON ROSSELSON & ROY BAILEY “That’s Not The Way It’s Got To Be”; DIRE STRAITS “Making Movies”; THE HOUSEMARTINS “Now That’s What I Call Quite Good”; A TRIBE CALLED QUEST “The Low End Theory”; NINE INCH NAILS “The Downward Spiral”; PLANXTY “Cold Blow & The Rainy Night”; RICHARD THOMPSON “Daring Adventures “; MUDDY WATERS “The Anthology: 1947-1972”; THE CLASH “The Clash”; KIRSTY MacCOLL “Galore”; VIC REEVES “I Will Cure You”; THE BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND “Keynsham”; THE BETA BAND “Live At Shepherd’s Bush Empire”; PARLIAMENT “Mothership Connection”

26-10-22

RADIOHEAD “In Rainbows(Special Edition)”; THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE “Are You Experienced?”; ROBERT JOHNSON “King Of The Delta Blues Singers”; LOVE “Forever Changes”; ELVIS PRESLEY “Elvis Presley”; THE DOORS “L. A. Woman”; PORTER WAGONER & DOLLY PARTON “Always, Always”; THE CHIEFTAIN “The Chieftains 6: Bonaparte’s Retreat”; KATHRYN TICKELL “Debateable Lands”; DICK GAUGHAN “A Different Kind Of Love Song”; FIONA APPLE “Extraordinary Machine”; KENDRICK LAMAR “DAMN.”;  ARETHA FRANKLIN “Let Me In Your Life”

27-10-22

VIVIAN STANSHALL “Sir Henry At Ndidi’s Kraal”; THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”; APHEX TWIN “Come To Daddy EP”; BELLOWHEAD “Broadside”; XTC “White Music”; JOHNNY CASH “Blood, Sweat & Tears”; THE WONDER STUFF “Escape From Rubbish Island”; UNDERWORLD “Beaucoup Fish”; THE BEATLES “Abbey Road”; THE LEVELLERS “Levellers”; JOHN LENNON & THE PLASTIC ONO BAND “Live Peace In Toronto, 1969”; THE BEACH BOYS “M.I.U. Album”; THE PRODIGY “The Prodigy Presents The Dirt Chamber Sessions Volume 1”; FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE ”Traffic & Weather”; SUPER FURRY ANIMALS “Phantom Power”; LUNASA “Otherworld”; MADNESS “Wonderful”

28-10-22

PAUL McCARTNEY “Tug Of War”; NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS “This Is The Place”; ROBYN HITCHCOCK “Eye”; NIRVANA “Incesticide”; BUFFALO TOM “Let Me Come Over”; NORMA WATERSON “An Introduction To Norma Waterson”; JOHNNY CASH “Live At Newport”; MONTY PYTHON “…Sings”; THE SPECIALS “More Specials”; BOB DYLAN “Nashville Skyline”; TOM WAITS & CRYSTAL GAYLE “One From The Heart”; BILLY BRAGG “The Peel Session Album”; THE OYSTER BAND “Read The Sky”; LINDISFARNE “Roll On Ruby”; THE POGUES “Peace & Love”

[endlessandrea]

PROUD FLESH: So we can make the connection between what you call poesis, the breaking down of the status-quo order of “Man” and something like dub poetry, for example. SYLVIA WYNTER: Exactly! The whole world is organized about this aesthetics of rhythm, you know? It’s sweeping everywhere. I’m amazed at the young people of the world, they live in music. They carry these “Walkmen.” They’re sharing the same stars, the extraordinary knowledge that they have about this music. What we are trying to do is something that’s happening. You could call it the new autopoetics of cognition--when a Billie Holiday sings; the dub poets or the rappers, and its not only their songs but their style which is all over the world and everybody is living that kind of way. Obviously this is a question of what it is to be a good man or woman of your kind in different ways. There is the orthodox way, which is to think economically, and then there’s the thing of, “How do we live our lives?” And I can’t help feeling that the role of Black music has been to bring the spiritual into the secular. The whole idea of “Soul.” In Fanon’s concept, the belief in “spirit” or “soul” is a scientific concept; there is this other thing (consciousness, spirit, soul, even mind) that the body makes possible but which is not a property of the body itself. This is happening in the music; and the paradox is that capitalism is carrying it! All over the world! By means of its market-driven, invented technologies. PROUD FLESH: [Laughter] Okay, finally, for the record, what’s your theoretical relationship to Aretha Franklin!?! Once, you said, maybe paraphrasing, slightly, “When I write, I want to sound in theory the way Aretha Franklin sounds in song.” SYLVIA WYNTER: Yes, I think, I WOULD LIKE TO FEEL THAT EVERYTHING I SAID HAD A LIBERATING AND EMANCIPATORY DIMENSION. That’s what she has. Black singing, at its best, it has this--like Gospel. That I wanted. But also I was always aware that it wasn’t that I was thinking anything linearly. It never came linearly. It tends to come the way a flower blooms. It comes unexpectedly; and it has nothing to do with “genius.” It has to do with this beginning to question your own “consciousness.” It’s the idea of poesis, again; there is also a poesis of thought; a new poesis of being human. These concepts don’t come in a linear fashion. They build up. They build up, you know? So as you’re talking they build up and they build up the way music builds up and up and up until you get that sudden . . .

Sylvia Wynter, Greg Thomas inter/views Sylvia Wynter for ProudFlesh: New Afrikan Journal of Culture, Politics and Consciousness. Nr. 4. 2006.

[laffytaffyhumor]

Rob Benedict as richard coad in felicity s2e21 the aretha theory. Backing that ass up and dirty dancing by himself

[mixedwithcare]

An Open Letter To Weezer

Dear Weezer,

Let’s talk Teal.

But first there is something you should know, long ago I had a nightmare where everything I feared was tinted teal. So from the start, I am fully aware that I came to this album with natural negative bias.

Meanwhile, the internet was overjoyed. No Scrubs was trending again!

So, I listened and discovered that your album Teal is fun.

But song after song, I found myself looking for something else. Something more. Something different. These songs closely echoed their original forms. Well, not Scrubs, but overall, the Teal tracks stuck to the Rivers and the lakes they were used to.

And it bugged me. I wondered about the role of a cover song. Isn’t it supposed to be redone?! Rearranged?! Made new and entirely one’s own?!

After all, it was a cover that morphed Otis Redding’s ‘Respect’ into a powerhouse anthem in the key of Aretha. 

Isn’t that what cover songs are made for?!

Suspecting I was missing something critical, I reached out to my most musically inclined friend whose sound bite of wisdom was two words: It’s fun.

Turns out Weezer, it was never you, it’s me! 

Amid your delightful Teal romp with established songs, I could only hear the steady call of my own covers waiting to materialize. Haunting changing tempos, a siren need to alter instruments, and the ghost of remixed rhythms future.

But creating music doesn’t need to be endlessly challenging and complex. Music can be fun. And fun counts!

Teal fear will no longer will stop me from a life of music evergreen. It’s time to get these songs out of my head, now, where did I put that pick.

Best Adventures,

Amara In Seattle