#Video Review: Get Away From Me (Freestyle)

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: Donna "La Mulatta" Shares Swaggering "Get Away From Me (Freestyle)"

New Video: Donna "La Mulatta" Shares Swaggering "Get Away From Me (Freestyle)" @heygroover @romainpalmieri @DorianPerron

Donna “La Mulatta” is an emerging, underground Paris-based artist. In a freestyle accompanied by a chilled out and psych jazz-influenced production by Lille, France-based producer Fair’Son, the Parisian artist spitting bars full of mischievous wordplay with a swaggering, self-assuredness reminiscent of Rapsody and Lady of Rage. Simply put, I thought this was fire. And I’m looking forward to…

[heathered-beinn]

BangtanTV Youtube Vids 4

130217 SUGA (feat.RAP MONSTER) - YouTube Suga’s Log 17/02/13 (UK date)

So this is Suga’s first log! I love that fluffy black hat he’s wearing!! Obviously the heating is still not great in the studio since he’s also bundled up in a thick jacket ☹ I don’t have much else to muse about for this this video as it’s pretty short and not much happens or is talked about. It’s mostly Suga trying to make a log but laughing and complaining at Rapmonster constantly distracting him in the background. They obviously get on well both as colleagues and friends and it’s nice to see the two of them messing around having fun. So far they have tended to be the quieter, more serious, members of the band so I love seeing them act in a silly manner. I also look forward to hearing more from Suga in the future when RM isn’t distracting him!

흔한 연습생의 Harlem shake.avi - YouTube흔한 연습생의 Harlem shake.avi - YouTube

WTF did I just watch lol?????

The first time we see so many of them together on their official YT channel and it’s 20 seconds of chaotic WTF are you doing ridiculousness. Six of them – not sure who is who except RM and probably Jimin doing the headstand on the couch and maybe Jungkook in red – doing random things to the beat of Harlem Shake. Okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkay Moving on ROFL

 130206 RAP MONSTER FREESTYLE - YouTube Rap Monster Freestyling

No picture just RM rapping. Thanks to Megan R (credit Genius) in the Youtube comments for the translation.

Reading through the translation it seems RM is back on the path of feeling lost “a deserted island among my friends” - only it seems worse this time. He talks about being an adult now but all of his music peers have found success but he hasn’t yet. He doesn’t feel like there is a path for him, that he is stuck, and there’s no fuel to move him forward. His friends are suggesting he goes to college instead but RM doesn’t want to give up on his dream. My heart goes out to him. It really does. What he wants seems to be insurmountably far away to him (although it actually isn’t really – hindsight really) and I want to say I am so proud and very impressed that he got through that hard time to become the star he is today.

 방탄소년들의 졸업 - Making Film - YouTube Behind the scenes of J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook’s Music Video

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww <3 <3 <3

This was so cute. A short compilation of clips of them messing around, dancing, laughing, and running about, having fun together behind the scenes of their little music video (This was in the last lot of BTV videos I watched). Can I just say wow at Jimin’s running cartwheel!! Lol, at least Jungkook tried. However, Jungkook’s basketball shot was also pretty impressive too!

The three of them seemed to get on well. There is definitely a tight little friendship developing between them – particularly between Jimin and Jungkook. I noticed in the scene where they are in the café and crowded around the laptop that Jungkook was comfortable getting so close to Jimin he was millimetres from resting his chin on his shoulder. It was cute and only of note because he seemed such a shy boy in other series and appeared a bit uncomfortable with being overly touchy-feely (like a typical teenager). It makes me wonder if his discomfort was more rooted in doing those softer kinds of things in front of the camera rather than doing them fullstop. This is another reason I am so keen to watch these videos – we are more likely to see who they really are and what they are like in real life when there is less editing and scripting involved. Even these more candid videos will never be true reflections either unless it’s a moment where they genuinely don’t realise they are getting filmed. I do wonder how Jimin and Jungkook’s friendship pans out over the years though. There wasn’t much in Carpool Karaoke to make a judgement but I remember it was Jimin, J-Hope, and Jungkook in the middle seats which suggests to me they remain fairly close.

My finale musing on this video is, yet again, another moment of marvelling how this little cutie grew into this beautiful man.

 130228 RAP MONSTER - YouTube Rap Monster 28/02/13 (UK date)

There is no translation for this video but I think, I think, he is just rapping along to a famous rap song? Either way, it’s cute lol and he seems to be enjoying himself.

Can I take a moment to point out that we have not seen one glimpse of V in these videos so far!! ☹

 130227 J HOPE & 정국 - YouTube J Hope and Jungkook 27/02/13 (UK date)

Cuties!! <3

As soon as I saw these two I was ridiculously excited. I feel like this, so far to me, is an odd pairing and I can’t wait to see what they are like together :D Thanks to Hopeful Mang in the Youtube comments for the translation.

Okay, now that I’ve seen the video and read a vague translation I can’t help but laugh on rewatching. There doesn’t seem to be anything of note in what they say, however their antics were hilarious and silly and I’m still not entirely sure I understand what they were on about lol. What I most noticed was just how confident and talkative and generally at ease Jungkook was with J-Hope, like just J-Hope’s presence was enough to push back Jungkook’s shyness. It was so lovely to see! It’s clear the two of them get on well and spend quite a bit of time together. There was definitely a big brother / little brother vibe going on and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn if J-Hope was one of the ones who looked out for Jungkook the most back then – and brought him out of his shell. I mean, J-Hope is just a ball of sunshine – who wouldn’t be buoyed up in his presence?!

130304 J HOPE & RAP MONSTER - YouTube J-Hope and RM

Another pairing I’m so excited to see together! Thanks to Hopeful Mang in the Youtube comments for the translation.

J-Hope starts off by commenting the colour scheme is black and white. RM says this is coincidental but emphasises that the band is one that works well together without having to say a word. J-Hope agrees they are an awesome team. So… this is the first time in these BTV vids that I’ve seen RM talking about the band being a team and talking to another member as a teammate, which is an interesting and positive change to behold. Only a month ago (4 videos up) RM was talking as though he had no path and was somewhat lost in what he was doing with his life. This ‘team talk’ is a significant change in direction. How deep RM is in this change remains to be seen but it’s good to see him interacting with the others in a band-like way. I’m wondering if there has been significant movement in forming the band behind the scenes since the start of February. There were barely any logs between this one and RM’s one where he was describing himself as a deserted island so it’s possible their time has been spent working on the band – which, if the case, brilliant!

Lol, RM asked J-Hope what he had done that day. J-Hope said he’d been relaxing and watching a movie and could not be more vague about said movie – he really gave it a stellar review lol. RM said he had been around Seoul looking for music inspiration but ended up resting instead and being distracted by pretty girls. J-Hope says this is pretty typical of RM, suggesting he knows him and his habits fairly well by now.

Then it gets super interesting as they say their schedule for the week ahead is packed because BTS debut day is approaching. I wonder if that’s what’s got RM suddenly talking about teamwork? Perhaps now that things are gearing up for a debut he’s feeling like he finally has a focus – a path. The question is, does he still, deep down. think about himself as a soloist or is he now becoming accustomed to the idea that his future lies in a band? Does he truly think the band will work out? It’ll certainly be very interesting to see how this plays out over the following weeks.

Final musings on this video: RM and J-Hope seem comfortable with each other but not super-comfortable with each other. There’s not the same silliness between them as there was between RM and Suga or J-Hope and Jungkook, which suggests to me that at this point they have a friendly colleague-type relationship but are not yet super-close.

 130304 SUGA - YouTube Suga’s Log 04/03/13 (UK date)

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuga!!!!!!!!!! <3 Thanks to Nana Na in the Youtube comments for the translation.

ROFL!!! Suga starts by saying that because RM isn’t there the log is going to be easy. Funny enough, both RM and J-Hope did a log on the same day in the same studio?! It’s probably much later in the day. Suga tells us that the song playing the background is “Fly” by Epic High, which he says guided him into the world of hip hop. He says this song made RM and himself choose to rap and further explains that in 2006, while in elementary school, it was this song that made him decide he wanted to rap. This small titbit gives us such a little insight into how Suga got into rapping and just how long he’s wanted to be a rap star for. The fact that he knew so early on what he wanted to be and is still working hard to make that dream come true shows just how dedicated he is and just how well he knows himself. He finishes his log by saying when he’s tired and exhausted, like he is today in the video, he listens to this song “Fly” and it inspires him to make good music.

 130309 SUGA - YouTube Suga’s Log 09/03/13 (UK date)

Takes place 4 – 5 days after his last log – same hat! Thanks to Hopeful Mang in the Youtube comments for the translation.

It’s Suga’s birthday!!! <3 He says he used to anticipate his birthday when he was younger but not anymore now that he is older.

Then J-Hope, Jimin and RM come into the studio singing happy birthday and carrying a cake. Suga says it’s too cliché but seems pretty pleased by the gesture. He blows out the candles, J-Hope punches his arm a few times, which Jimin then wants to do but can’t because he’s holding the cake. Suga tells J-Hope to quit with the punching. RM says to turn up the music and Suga ends the log.

It’s sweet to see them celebrating each other’s birthdays. I hope as the years go on we get to see them do this for every member! I wonder if they buy each other presents – with 7 in the band that could get complicated and expensive lol.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Suga, sweetheart <3 Sorry for being belated by 8 years!!!

 130306 정국 - YouTube Jungkook’s Log 06/03/13 (UK date)

This seems to be a few days out of sync with the video for Suga’s birthday but it’s no big issue. Thanks to nana na in the Youtube comments for the translation.

Jungkook is almost painfully cute at this age. He starts by saying he still feels shy shooting a log alone and is not sure what to talk about <3 He says the background music is what he has recently been learning choreography to and finds the dance moves funny and exciting. He also says he is really tired and sleepy but he still has things to do and will go to bed after finishing them because he promised. This concerns me a little. There’s nothing to indicate the time but it does look like it might be pretty late in the day. He’s still young, still at school (presumably a school night since 06/03/13 UK date was a Wednesday) and he’s also working on band things. The fact that he said he promised to go to bed to someone means that someone else – much closer to him than the fans - thinks he has been working too much and not getting enough rest ☹

 130308 J HOPE - YouTube J-Hope’s Log 08/03/13 (UK Date)

Thanks to Hopeful Many in the Youtube comments for the translation.

J-Hope says he walked in as Suga was going to record a log (he calls him by his real name Yoongi, and I forgot that even back then they were probably pretty new to their stage names and probably don’t call each other by their stage names behind the scenes). Suga is quietly sitting up the back. J-Hope says he wasn’t planning on playing any background music but he liked the MR so he let it play – it reminds him of cherry blossoms and first love. He says he thinks he should work on a song like that. However, he is extremely busy as reality is approaching. [I guess he means the band’s debut]. He admits he has been sleeping less and working hard and hopes the results will reflect how much work he is putting in right now. He finishes the log by saying they should all go to the cherry blossom festival, in which Suga agrees. I find it simply beautiful that BTS have grown up in a culture where their masculinity is not questioned because they want to see some pretty flowers.

Not much more for me to muse on other than I like J-Hope’s top <3

[punkscowardschampions]

Liam & Edie

Liam: [okay so wrong number text which isn't actually we know, which is just the location of some illegal rave moment that she'll wanna go to] Edie: treasure? ❌🗺 Liam: wooden leg would be useful to hide all the treasure we're bringing in Edie: Gutted I don't know anyone who's ever had an abscess go full necrotic ☠ Edie: and who wants to cart around a treasure chest Liam: don't wanna do your share of the heavy lifting, big surprise Edie: is it? Liam: outgrow this pussy behaviour before tonight as a favour to me Liam: I don't wanna cart that much dead weight about Edie: As I remember it, you owe me though Liam: your memory's in the 🚽 Liam: I owe nobody nothing Edie: yours is selective Edie: can't even get 11 digits down Liam: a barcode's got 12 & I told you it's your business if you wanna walk round inked like you've only lived that many years that's your lookout Liam: not holding your hand Edie: even more gutted, no doubt Edie: 💔 Liam: if you won't be talked out of it, put it on your balls where no-one'll see it Edie: Will you think I'm tough then? Liam: what kind of gay shit is this? Edie: 😂 Edie: go easy on your mate Edie: you got the wrong number Liam: fucked the 11 digits Liam: that's what you were trying to say Edie: mhmm Edie: that's what I said Edie: but a barcode tattoo is a shit idea Edie: agreed Liam: sick of being the voice of reason around here Edie: I find it's more entertaining to let people make the bad decisions, personally Liam: would be jokes until I look a sad twat by association Liam: wants it on his head Edie: 🙄 what's it gonna say, product of the system? Edie: pretty sure a serial killer has already done that Edie: or some shit rapper Liam: he is a shit rapper Liam: [link] Edie: oh Edie: I know him Liam: serious? Edie: by association Edie: I'm a less shit musician in general, not that that's any brag Liam: can I get a listen or you're just here to promo to set me off on a ❌🗺 as payback? Edie: depends Edie: who's heading the rave you linked? Liam: [deets] Edie: alright Edie: you're not 12 like your pal Edie: [links him her music] Edie: [definitely pictures and videos along with, as if you don't know who she is but pretending you don't lol] Liam: come tonight instead of him Edie: talking to strangers is one thing, boy Liam: you leave the bad decisions to everyone else Liam: don't sound as entertaining as it could be Edie: I meant for your safety Edie: could be anyone Liam: be full of nobodys and anyones when we get there Liam: I'm still gonna go Edie: what makes you stand out? Edie: as you ❌ the barcode Liam: when I track you down, I'll listen to your opinion about me Liam: I'm bragging before then Edie: 🤞 we can't hear much of anything over the bass Edie: not that you're intriguing enough to show up for Edie: but the invite is sound Liam: you'll still know what I think, never had an issue with body language over bass Edie: I think I can guess already Liam: 👌 guess Edie: don't take a mind reader Edie: body language and 💭 are one in the same Liam: it don't take a mind reader when you know you're beautiful and talented Edie: ha leave it out Liam: 🧯 Edie: less of that as well Edie: not a wet blanket Liam: 🧨 Edie: that I like Liam: buying 🎇🎆 if you have any requests Edie: [all the party drugs not in code 'cos we're not bothered] Liam: 👾 Edie: NOW I look forward to 👀 you Liam: guessed it Edie: what gave it away? Liam: the vids you linked me to Edie: that's your review? Edie: at least give me some ⭐s Liam: 3.5 Edie: 👌 Liam: I'll give you another 1/2 when the anti barcode tat song drops Edie: what about the other whole? Liam: get him on the track Edie: 😂 Edie: you're on Liam: 👌 Edie: thank god for the edit Liam: & that only you're allowed to freestyle it rule we just invented Edie: good thing I'm more talented than even you are demanding Liam: I'd agree but you've heard it once & you weren't a fan Edie: you can agree when you see it in person Edie: I don't do this online fake shit Liam: I'll have my turn at looking forward to 👀 you Liam: more than down to Edie: good luck Edie: I can't find any cars with spare seats, so it's gonna be a crowd clearly Liam: yours is in if you want his Edie: how will I get my freestyle if he can't catch a ride? 🤔 Liam: shit like that is what earns you the rest of the ⭐s Liam: talent's not just Liam: 🎤🎧 Edie: yeah, I'm well kind and considerate Edie: known for it Liam: good thing I am Liam: [pic of all the drugs he has picked up] Edie: 🤪 Liam: got a 🐷 mask to fit in post raid, can stick it on early if 🥴 isn't doing anything for you Edie: 💡⭐ Edie: if you can't hang with your gurn we can't hang, like Liam: [a gorgeous gurning pic from a previous rave moment] Edie: fit Liam: ha ha ha Edie: don't act like you don't know Liam: I do 👌 out of my mugshots Edie: convince him to get that tatted instead Liam: too gay Edie: alright I'll do it Liam: before or after you take his seat Edie: if you tell me your name I'll save you a spot to earn mine Liam: Liam Edie: alright, Liam, thanks for not having a long and hard to spell name Edie: give me 🖐 Liam: you can have 3.5 again Edie: [purposely leaving it a full five before coming back with his name stick n poked and then a shoddy box for the mugshot portrait to go in] Edie: tada Liam: 👏 Liam: I didn't think you would Edie: if I say I'll do something, I will Edie: why not Edie: loads of Liam's in this town Liam: don't act like it's a standard trick to pull Liam: he's been oohing & ahhing for months over identifying as frozen peas when his face gets scanned Edie: it's a win-win for me, no need to think on it Edie: either you end up being sound, then it's a memory attached, or I get a cool story about getting a tattoo of a mugshot to get a lift to a rave to tell my grandkids Liam: I wanted you to sit next to me 5 mins ago, I can be impressed, can't I? Edie: I accept impressed Edie: and 👏 of course Liam: what did it feel like? Edie: it's somewhere between a scratch and a burning sensation Edie: but deeper Liam: you'll have to do me Liam: I like the sales pitch Edie: what do you want? Liam: what can you do? Edie: on you, a lot better than I can myself Edie: anything you want, I'll make it happen Liam: thanks for accepting impressive Edie: I intend to be so I can Edie: not here to disappoint Liam: I only was willing to be when I thought I was talking to that little bitch boy Edie: no gay shit Liam: unless you like one of the girls in the car Edie: ha Edie: we'll 👀 obviously Edie: where you starting out, anyway, and when Liam: [a time and place, I like to imagine it's a longish drive to give them time to #bond UGH] Edie: [and usually is to go to a middle of nowhere moment so agreed[ Edie: I'll be there Liam: would make me laugh if you don't show now Liam: longest chat I've had for ages Edie: even if I missed you 🚗 I've hitched before Edie: and it's been ages since I've been to a decent party so Liam: my pic could've fooled you but that last one was shit Liam: got a better feeling this time Edie: I feel you Edie: 💊🥤 just makes it tolerable Edie: down to 👀 yeah? Liam: Yeah Edie: better go find my glitter and gemstones out ✌ Liam: I feel you, will take me a while to paint my 💪 UV Liam: not got as steady a hand as you Edie: damn, that was almost impressive Liam: I'll work on it Edie: your steady hand or your bragging about your 💪? Liam: which one's letting me down the most? Edie: 🤔 Edie: you don't need to tattoo me yourself Edie: you are good looking enough you could get away with being cockier, go with that Liam: 👌 but now you've made me wanna tattoo you myself Edie: maybe Edie: if you think of a good idea, we'll overlook the shaky lines Liam: I'll try & think of an idea where wavy lines are part of it Edie: smart Edie: I like it Liam: 🌊 or something Liam: but less shit Liam: 📻 ones maybe Edie: you have any? Edie: professional ones, like Edie: you asked what stick n poke felt like so obviously not Liam: spend my money as fast as I have it Liam: what are you gonna charge me? Edie: what else are you gonna do with it though Edie: see how nice or poor I'm feeling Liam: I won't let the 💊🥤 run out, you'll feel a lot better than nice Edie: deal 🤩 Liam: be me blinded by your glitter & gems Edie: not actually my first rave Edie: but I can raid my little sister's shit if that's part of the deal Liam: see you in a 👑 will I? Edie: that's just standard day to day tbh 🤷 Liam: how many raves have you done? Edie: I've tried not to be in at the weekend since I was like 12 myself so Edie: enough that I know there's nothing fun or attractive about freezing your tits off in a neon bikini in a field Edie: what about you, you're [the year he'd be in which is either 2nd to last or last, either way], right? Liam: hasty to go with unattractive Liam: but yep, you're not wrong Edie: 😏 Edie: I get it, you wanna match 💪 Liam: no gay shit, your own words Liam: I didn't go to my first one until I was like 15, still not impressing anyone here Edie: me either Edie: middle child syndrome or whatever Liam: trade you oldest and only son if you want it Edie: Attention is grand and all but too much parental attention isn't what I'm aiming for Liam: can't offer you it Liam: my parents attention is elsewhere Edie: yours still together? Liam: nah Edie: oh good Edie: wouldn't know what to do with a dad Liam: not lots you can do with mine Edie: might be stuck being ourselves for the foreseeable anyway Edie: not a convincing freaky friday/parent trap situation you and me Liam: shame I won't get to 🎸 & lay down a track with your talent Edie: just buzzin' off all the things I could lift obviously 💪 Liam: this where I get cocky like you said? Liam: go on about how much I can Edie: you could Edie: but I'm clearly impressed before you need to use that tactic Liam: it's too desperate Liam: we both know I can pick you up if you get stuck in the mud later on Edie: we both know it's every man for himself when the 🐷 show Liam: I got you a mask Liam: yours has lipstick and more eyelashes, so we know Edie: thank god Edie: fragile femininity anyone? Liam: prefer toxic masculinity Edie: same Liam: 👍 Edie: if the daddy issues weren't glaring the 👑 will make 'em blinding Liam: we can pretend that since you're with me no-one'll be looking at you if you want Edie: the freedom Liam: I'll give you 🛢🧨 to play with Liam: 🔥 will take the attention Edie: really? Liam: 🎇🎆 wasn't only a code Liam: I do have some Edie: 🤩 no joke Edie: I wanna blow shit up Liam: that's all I ever wanna do Edie: yeah Edie: feel that too Liam: if you can capture 🔥 in a tat that'd be something worth considering Liam: not in a gay way like 🎲💀♠ Edie: that's overplayed, and doesn't mean anything Edie: I'll do some designs, providing I make it home alive Liam: supposed to see my dad tomorrow for the first time in months, don't think I'll rush back Edie: 🛢🧨🎇🎆 why would you Liam: don't feel you have to either, unless you're catfishing me Edie: I'd pick someone else if I was Edie: and you accidentally texted me Liam: I'm into the someone I accidentally texted, full fucking offense to whoever you wanna pick Edie: then I'll stick around too Edie: nothing I'm rushing back for Liam: it's in writing I'm not kidnapping you Liam: have to do a mugshot monday instead or something Edie: feel free Edie: I can't see that I'd mind Liam: being kidnapped or sharing a cell? Edie: hmm Edie: both Edie: though the involvement of bars to keep me about is unnecessary really Liam: does hitchiking only work if you're a girl with killer eyes? asking for myself before we torch the car Edie: as you're toxically masculine, most people'd be afraid to stop for you alone but as we're together, you should be safe and not an axe murderer Edie: unless I'm pulling a Hindley Liam: when we go for that we'll think it through more Liam: 🐶 or 👶 on board Edie: I can borrow one Edie: 👶 more likely Edie: people don't like cats enough Liam: I'll get over a fence to grab us a dog Edie: in one step, like Liam: depending on the fence Edie: sure, don't wanna oversell it Liam: you don't want no online fake shit Edie: just telling you so you know Edie: not the same Liam: thanks for telling me Edie: yeah alright Edie: didn't lecture you did I Liam: nah you didn't Edie: there we go then Liam: [quotes some of her own lyrics at her that he likes because genuinely listening to these tracks] Liam: you could sell that harder Edie: I'll work it out in my freestyle Liam: 🛢🧨 Edie: 🔥 Liam: 🎇🎆 Edie: 🤩 Liam: let's see your glitter Edie: checking it's not a catfish? Liam: can't show you mine first, too cocky behaviour Edie: [a rave lewk when we've clearly done the most to do the least you know the vibe] Liam: [I like to think he's written her name in body paint wherever she put her stick n poke so have a pic of that gal] Edie: 👍 Edie: approved Liam: what do you want your i dotted with? Liam: about as artistic as you'll get me to be Edie: ⭐ Edie: has to be Liam: [an adorable little star has been added so have another pic] Edie: perfect Liam: thanks for having a name that's short and easy to spell yourself Edie: oh yeah, snap Liam: except I haven't met another one of yours Edie: maybe an 👵 Liam: prefer a silent snatch & grab Edie: 😂 Edie: alright, then I can be the one and only Liam: do you wanna guess what I think about it? Edie: I have Edie: be too cocky to say Liam: I'll do it then, you said I can get away with more of it Liam: I think it'd be good if you were Edie: let's see if you're right Liam: feels like I am but yeah we'll 👀 Edie: it is weird Edie: how you randomly found my number instead Edie: how many # were you out by? Liam: you'll have his if you didn't before Liam: last number Edie: crazy Edie: another good story Liam: should've been a 6 but I did a 9 Edie: 🤪 love that Liam: I'll lose my phone again if you're what I find Edie: I'll save your number then Edie: or add it to the tat Liam: since you love how it feels Edie: and I'm no less liable to lose my phone, so Edie: the pain is just a bonus Liam: I can add it as fuel to the 🔥 any time you'd like an excuse to cross my number out & go again Edie: I won't run out of ideas either way Liam: what about space? Edie: not anytime soon Edie: I'll have to go back to biro and keep it less permanent after that Liam: leave it on the bodies of our victims like the shittiest calling card for the 🐷 Liam: call me Edie: ooh Edie: we could get really zodiac with that though Edie: only murder people on days ending in 9 Liam: I like it Edie: I'll go solo if you piss me off and do it on 6 days Liam: I'll start staging them like they've starred in your vids to get your forgiveness Liam: attention to detail for attention from you Edie: we can communicate through corpses Edie: that's new, no one's done that before Liam: when I keep the 👀 as a 🏆 you'll know I wanna see you Edie: romantic, aren't you Liam: toxic like my masculinity Edie: good Liam: ☢️ better than a barcode but not by a lot Edie: I could do you a Chernobyl victim tat Edie: get the toxic and the 🔥 in a really untasteful onner Liam: 👌 you're beautiful, talented & smart Liam: don't give me any flaws to pick at then Edie: I did say untasteful instead of distasteful, if you wanna be pedantic and take away smart so you can save some toxic masculinity points Edie: one-ner, also, doesn't translate to typing Liam: when it took you pointing it out, I don't think I can take anything away from you Edie: you can try Edie: again, like kidnapping, might not mind Liam: I can't help thinking it'd be better to give you things Edie: 🎇🎆🛢🧨? Liam: all that Liam: ⭐🐶👶 Liam: & anything else I've not remembered Edie: we can keep the puppy right Liam: what else would we do with it? Edie: just letting you know I draw the line at puppy killing Edie: get that out of the way now Liam: me too Liam: never microwaved any 🐹 or thrown them at the wall Edie: imagine how big you look to 🐹 Liam: 🏙🦖 Edie: definitely made that 📹 as a kid Liam: I'll be in the remake next time you're stuck for a vid idea Liam: if you still have it, we'll kick it frame for frame Edie: you'd be perfect for my next project Liam: sign me up Edie: [tat pic again like I already did] Liam: what else have you got? Edie: [just a comprehensive pic rundown of your tats that are all just silly ones you've done on the whole hope you've not got them anywhere too scandalous but realistically gonna need to be able to hide them when school so it's probably mostly legs at and like, upper arm and ribs/hip vibes] Liam: 😍 Edie: I'll tell you all the stories later when we're smashed Liam: no awkward silences in the car Liam: great idea Edie: not if the other girls are hot Liam: there's one I think you'd like Liam: you'll have to tell me if I'm wrong Edie: I'll flash a 6 or a 9 and you'll know Liam: she can be our first victim either way Edie: 😈 Liam: 🚗🔥 Liam: 🔐 Edie: 😍 Edie: you win Liam: how do you feel about playing games? Liam: 6 or 9 Edie: 9 Liam: same Edie: I know Liam: yeah, you're smart, I gave you that Edie: how smart is it that I wanna play with you? Liam: I'd call it a good decision, which maybe isn't smart if you only like bad ones Edie: I just like doing what I want Edie: good or bad is mostly irrelevant Liam: so do what you want Edie: you to be here now Liam: direct me 🗺❌ Edie: [at least you've had the good sense to be in town not at yours] Liam: [lord imagine] Edie: [like sure Rio ain't about but still don't need to be inviting you in quite yet lol] Liam: [her room is still there and no thank you hun] Edie: [not today huns, we can either skip to post rave now or post this as is?]

[aguestinourhome]

Then the next step is to send a warranty claim and they warn in big bold letters: If you send two claims, we will deny your warranty request!!

I almost feel like i'm causing them a serious inconvenience with my warranty claim. mastitis, engorgement, baby feeding, not having a pump for two weeks are all problems that they seem very unconcerned about.

Buy this pump. Seriously, stop looking, buy it. This review is long but will hopefully answer any questions you have. Or post one and I'll try to answer it.

Earlier this year I had twins born at 34 weeks. They were doing well, but did spend some time in the NICU. When babies are in the NICU, you become super obsessed with how much milk they are getting. They can't go home until they take their "minimums" and gain weight. As a result, I've pretty much been exclusively pumping since they were born. My girl would latch, but I couldn't tell how much she was getting and she would get tired after a few minutes and wouldn't take the rest of her bottle. My boy had breathing problems at first and was being fed with a tube for the first 10 days. After that he had to learn how to eat and would get tired, so I didn't try to nurse him. Since I had to feed two and wanted to share my supply, pumping was the way to go.

Since I had preemies, my insurance paid for me to use a Medela Lactina pump. This is the big blue thing that is "hospital grade" and retails for a boatload ($1500 for the love!). I used the Lactina for the first two months but wanted something more portable (I bought a car adapter so I could plug it in and pump in the car on long days out). And, the Lactina is loud as all get out, which was annoying and I actually covered it with a blanket to muffle the sound so I could pump in the same room my husband and 3 year old daughter were watching TV in so I could be part of the family. I contemplated getting a Medela Freestyle, but read mixed reviews about being able to maintain supply. Having twins I did not want to risk my supply going down.

I took a leap of faith and bought this pump using gift cards for about half the cost. I figured if it didn't work at least I wasn't out all the money. Best. Decision. Ever.

Awesomeness: -It is SUPER quiet compared to the Lactina. I have no idea how it compares to other pumps, but it is going to be nice to have at work and be able to answer the phone while pumping. -It is pretty portable. I wanted something I could clip to my belt and walk around the house, but that is the Freestyle and I couldn't risk it. This is pretty lightweight, and I'm actually contemplating putting a ribbon through the handle and putting it over my neck. It never fails that when I'm pumping my husband is out of the house and my older daughter needs something. At the very least, I've put it on with my hands-free pumping bra (Simple Wishes brand- buy that too) and been able to put it on the kitchen counter to make bottles or lunch or whatever. Haven't tried cooking dinner yet, but that may happen. -Nightlight is pretty neat, and has two levels. -Timer is a cool feature. Most folks don't need to pump for more than 15-20 minutes, but most folks don't have twins. The timer shuts the pump off after 30 minutes which is how long I pump for. I used to set a timer on my phone, but don't need to do that so much anymore. -Massage feature is pretty nifty. This pump almost pulses when creating suction. It was kind of weird at first since the other pump didn't do it, but it actually makes pumping pretty comfortable. The "massage" feature speeds up the pump and is designed to stimulate letdown. Once you have letdown, you are supposed to turn off the massage feature. (I don't, I like the fastest speed for my pumping. But again, twins.) -Memory feature- the pump remembers what your last "normal" and "massage" settings were and goes back to them. -Vacuum control- I use the pump on either level 2 or 3. It has 12 levels. Wow. As a nurse I'm really wondering who would need level 12. Maybe for someone with inverted nipples. Maybe if the battery ever gets weak I'll need to go up.

Quirks: -It took a LONG time (probably 12 hours) to fully charge the battery when I first got the pump. It also says it can run plugged in, which is true, but so far as I can tell actually uses the battery regardless of whether or not it is plugged in. I could be wrong. -If you use the nightlight feature while pumping it will drain your battery faster, and you will likely not get a full three hours of pump time. Probably not a problem for most people but worth noting. -The bottles and pump kit are pretty cheap. That would probably be my biggest gripe about the whole thing. If we are spending this much money on a pump, the kit should be stellar. (Most pump kits are pretty terrible, so this is about par for the course.) But all is not lost. The ends of the tubing actually fit into my kit I had been using with my Medela. Also, and this is a problem with most pump kits, most women would need to lean forward to get the milk to drop down when sitting upright. So, my Lactina kit had removable flanges which I promptly tossed and used the angled ones from Pumpin' Pal. (Buy those too.) Also, I bought a pump adapter kit that worked with the Playtex bottles I was using so I could pump directly into the drop-in liners. (Cleaner that way, eventually the bottles will get gross no matter what you do.) -If you are not using their backflow valves, you need to pay attention to your tubing. I am not, and have gotten some moisture into one of the tubes on the end. I just blow it out with a hair dryer in a couple of seconds. The tubing is nothing special and you could easily replace it with something from the hardware store if you needed to. It would also be pretty easy to jerryrig the tubing from another pump kit, which I may do so I can attach the backflow valves.

The "cons" I listed here may seem like a lot, but to me it wasn't enough that I would take away a star. I've had it for two weeks and I love it, and haven't noticed a drop in supply. I'll update this review if anything changes, but I don't see that happening.

So go buy this pump. Or put it on your registry or wishlist. You won't be sorry.

Links for the products I mentioned: Pumpin' Pal Super Shields, Angled Pumping Flanges, the Best Flanges By Far in a Complete Set of All Sizes Mom Will Need Simple Wishes Hands-Free Breastpump Bra, Pink, XS-L Playtex Drop-Ins System Breast Milk Storage Kit

Updated 10/16/13 -A couple more product links for all the parts I'm using with my cobbled-together homemade kit. You really don't NEED anything but the angled flanges and hands-free pumping bra, but if you wanted to piece something together that's a bit more user-friendly, here are the links: Medela Personal Fit Breastsheild Connectors - Medela 87071 Medela Valves & Membranes (Set of 1)

UPDATE 10/28/13- I've gone back to work and am taking this pump back and forth. I just put it in a small tote bag I had at home. I made two pump kits so I can leave one at home and one in my office at work and all I take back and forth is the pump. That probably wasn't necessary, but I probably would have ended up forgetting something one day so this was my way to make sure that didn't happen. Pump is awesome, and nobody can hear it when I answer the phone. The doctor in the office next to me is pumping as well, and you can hear her pump down the hall... -Also, I finally attached the backflow valves. I basically just cut the tubing and attached one piece to either side of the valve. It's a small challenge to get the tubing on the large side, but it does fit. Now I can still stick the end of the tubing into my homemade Medela kit and it works great and I don't need to worry about moisture getting into my pump.

If you've got questions, post 'em and I'll do my best to answer! (I should probably just make a video...)

Best pump ever (only pump I've used but only one I will ever need!) I am a full time working mom. I was lucky to get 13 weeks of maternity leave. I was concerned when I had my baby because I have breast implants (below muscle). But after birth (via csection), my baby latched and we were in business.

I breastfed only for first 3 weeks. Then I introduced 1-2 pumps a day. I didn't get much-but that was expected. Around the 5-6week mark I began pumping and stashing more frequently. By the time I went back to work at 13 weeks pp I had 800oz in my deep freezer.

My baby is now 23 weeks old and I have 1750oz in my deep freezer and she still nurses. This pump is AMAZING! It's nice to have the mobility of a rechargeable battery Bc I can pump and do chores and even pump in the backseat of a car while someone else is driving.

I have been separated from my baby for up to 20 hours and this pump is amazing! I would highly recommend to anyone over any of the other brands. I have even convinced some of my second time moms to switch to this pump (since it is free w insurance) and they have loved it and thanked me a 100times over.

The attached pictures are of my frozen milk stash and the other is a picture of my morning pump (after breastfeeding my baby girl).

Cheers and happy baby feeding!

I purchased this pump out of pocket and then mailed receipt and reimbursement application to tricare and they returned my money 100%. So worth it because if you go through a retailer they will only give you the S2 (which is not rechargeable).

Wow. Just wow. Why did I not hear of this pump sooner? Comfortable, portable, lightweight, oh- and more than double the milk!! Seriously, it is almost a crime that the insurance companies just give out inferior pumps when this is available. I was concerned when returning to work with my second baby that I would not be able to produce enough milk. With my first, I pumped like 6 times a day at work to make enough with my Medela PISA. Now, those worries are gone. Totally gone! The proof is in the pictures. 10 mins of total comfort and quiet on the Spectra vs 20 mins of loud wrenching and pulling on the PISA.

[erenblogs1]

Halsey released her 3rd studio album Manic on the 17th of January. I fell in love with her and her music since the debut Badlands. Halsey is not a common pop artist; she has always been creative and inspiring on her musical journey. For Manic I had mixed feelings and wasn’t actually aware of what to expect. Therefore, I really wanted to review her new body of work and share my thoughts with you. And I know most of you love her music as well.

Let’s start with the singles of the album. Without Me was not meant to be her lead single in the first place but after an unexpected fascinating commercial success, her team must have changed their mind. Without Me is her first #1 solo hit single in the US. Since I was obsessed with this song, I even reviewed it last year. Here you go – Single Review – check it out! Also confusing was that Nightmare, which is a great dark rebellious track, was supposed to be the lead single, but was taken out from the album later on. Halsey explained this decision with the tweet: “I sat down to make a dark mean album and found nothing but calm, introspective, acceptance in my heart”. I was sad about it because I love Nightmare and I think it still would have been a great contrast to the rest of the songs. Halsey then released Graveyard last September as a foretaste of her upcoming album. Now she was singing about being in love with the wrong person and even following them to the graveyard. She wasn’t mad anymore but the track was still upbeat and the chorus dynamic. I must say I couldn’t connect with this single as much as I did with her earlier releases. Halsey continued to bombard us with other singles.

She released clementine at the end of September on her 25th birthday. On this introspective track, sounding childish and fabulous, Halsey imagines her ideal world and talks to a nonexistent lover. Even though she claims that she doesn’t need anyone, she knows that she needs someone. We got the same lyrical content on I HATE EVERYBODY, which makes Halsey kind of repetitive on the record. I don’t think that clementine was single-worthy. It didn’t achieve any commercial success, just like her following single Finally // beautiful stranger. I actually really liked this slow acoustic love song with a calming melody and story-telling lyrics. Halsey wrote it about her ex-boyfriend Yungblud, whom she dated last year. You should be sad, is definitely the masterpiece of the album, it was released one week before the record with a scandalous music video, in which Halsey rides a horse naked. She exactly knew that this would be her last chance to get back commercial attention. However, I think everyone loves this country-influenced pop song with a mad Halsey singing about heartbreak again.

Besides the singles, Manic has so much more to offer with sixteen tracks in total. Ashley the intro track, named after her real name, is a poetic introspective start with dark and serious lyrics. Halsey worked with the famous producers Cashmere Cat and benny blanco on this one, but the track is rather focused on the lyrical content than its production. All these facts also count for Forever … (is a long time), which also sounds similar to clementine. These two tracks are too experimental to be seen as pop songs, they’re rather written like interludes. If you know me, I hate interludes or short tracks on albums in general. In my opinion, they’re just unfinished songs and function as placeholders. Manic counts even three of them. Let’s take a look. Dominic’s Interlude isn’t interesting at all and sonically pleasant for me. So, I allow myself to continue with the next one. Ok, take a deep breath cause this one is crazy! Alani’s Interlude is the part of the album, where Halsey embraces her bisexuality, just look at these lyrics: “Your pussy is a wonderland and I could be a better man. And my girl, she always wore a skirt in the classroom, eatin’ my dessert in the bathroom”. Yeah, I was shocked too. Alanis’ vocals during the chorus just sound awful, to be honest. SUGA’s Interlude is sonically more pleasant but we can’t understand SUGA’s verses anyways unless you speak Korean. I believe that this interlude was a collaboration just to achieve more commercial success since BTS and K-Pop have become more popular and due to the fact that it was also released as a promotional single before the album.

If you want to dance to a track on this album, then 3am is your crazy upbeat rock n roll anthem. Halsey wrote it about the lonely moments you have. When you return from a night out with your friends but still feel lonely deep inside. And you desperately look for someone to talk to just to keep yourself far from your own thoughts. I think it’s relatable to everyone. This new era of social media is really toxic to our social lives. If there wasn’t a You should be sad on this album, 3am would have been my masterpiece of this record. The rather dark and furious killing boys represents Halsey’s attitude after a breakup. For the title, she was inspired by the horror movie Jennifer’s Body (2009, starring Meghan Fox), well represented in the intro. I must say I don’t like the melody and the production of this track. It doesn’t sound new, since the way she sings no more and anymore will remember you of the track More. These two songs together can cause a more-poisoning. However, just to say it once again her single Nightmare would’ve been great next to killing boys. Speaking of More, you can definitely recognize Cashmere Cat’s typical futuristic production in it. But this story-telling track has so much more to express on a personal level. Halsey admitted that this one was the hardest to write since she opens up about her endometriosis and miscarriages. This lullaby-like track is dedicated to her unborn child, whom she just wants more. It’s a touching must-listen for Halsey fans.

If you’re looking for an exquisite production you have to listen to Still Learning, which Halsey co-wrote with Ed Sheeran and Louis Bell. Sonically a masterpiece and regarding the lyrics it’s a self-love anthem. In my opinion, Halsey is one of the most confident artists out there. Therefore, I was shocked when I listened to this track for the first time. I couldn’t believe that she’s still learning to love herself. She also described self-love in an interview as a journey and not as a destination. I hope that she’s going to release this one as a single. The poetic outro track 929, named after Halsey’s birthday (29th of September), is probably the most honest song on Manic. Halsey said that the freestyled lyrics are confessional about her family and fans. She especially references topics like her life before and after becoming famous and even picks up her relationship with G-Eazy. What I love about this track is the smooth guitar-riff. Halsey proofs that not much of production is needed to have an inspiring track. It’s a great way to end the album since Halsey mentions everything that inspired her to write this record.

When I streamed Manic for the first time I wasn’t impressed right away, but I must say that most of the non-singles grew on me later on. Just like Selena did onRare, Halsey also worked with Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, on a track. Finneas co-produced Lose You To Love Me for Selena and I HATE EVERYBODY for Halsey. After he produced the most-selling album of 2019, he must be getting a lot of requests to work with major artists. I’m sure that I’ll see his name more often.

Manic is probably Halsey’s most personal album so far and I can’t wait to see her live on the European leg of her Manic World Tour this spring. Her stage presence and performances are always fascinating.

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Let me introduce you MANIC! Halsey: Honest and Personal on Manic – Album Review Halsey released her 3rd studio album Manic on the 17th of January. I fell in love with her and her music since the debut…

[aftermathdb]

DEATH BATTLE Review: Aquaman vs. Namor

Marvel and DC’s Aquatic kings of Atlantis duke it out in this Season 6 opener. Who will reign supreme, and who will end up sleeping with the fishes?- We’ll find out in the Season 6 premiere of DEATH BATTLE!

Woo hoo! It’s good to be back, folks! Man! It’s been a while. There have been a lot of changes. Like the new schedule for their podcast, the new location change of said podcast, and a whole bunch of other stuff like changing the Youtube channel name. With that said, let’s dive right into the first episode of the season.

Aquaman′s Preview.

We start off Aquaman’s lap by going over his origin story. And thanks to the new movie that’s been swimming around theaters, I’m sure we know his story by now. A good ol’ romance between the land and sea that would make one of the most remembered heroes around. The one and only, Aquaman.

With his origin story now out of the way, we can freestyle right into the powerset of the Atlantian King. And get used to those swimming, water, and ocean puns, because they’re not drowning out anytime soon.

And we even get to go over a lot of his powers about communicating to fish, though, not all of them…

(Don’t worry. Arthur got better).

And that “Clear” thing gets explained around here:

But there is one aquatic sea creature that he can’t mess around with, like his friend, Topo. Who goes from a goofy octopus to…

That.

But as it turns out, Aquaman isn’t just limited to sea life. He can also talk to birds and other less intelligent animals. And while he doesn’t have total control over humans, he can still mess with their heads and disorient them enough to win fights.

DAMN! Aquaman is scary when he wants to be!

But no true Atlantian King would be complete without his trust weapon of choice, his trident………s……… Please note the plural.

(Poseidon is in Boomstick’s hand, Neptune’s trident is in Wiz’s hand).

Aquaman also has plenty of strength feats to back him up as well. Like the time he lifted a ship comparable to the size of this thing thanks to his water magic:

And he’s got plenty more feats to back him up.

Now, blocking the Dead King’s scepter is an impressive feat. As that was the same scepter that sunk Atlantis in the first place.  Since Atlantis is considered a continent, it has to be bigger than Greenland, the largest island on Earth.

Which, in simpler terms, means that the total size of Atlantis swims at about

836300 square miles! In order to sink or destroy it, the dead king Atlan would have to have managed to take down this much volume in one blow:

In order to do this, Atlan would have to have struck it with a grand total of 

over 155 trillion tons of TNT! And Our boy Arthur blocked that!

But even with all of that power, Aquaman isn’t exactly invincible. He’s susceptible to dehydration, and his durability has limits (as we’ve seen with the piranha thing).

But he’s found different ways to work around that weakness. Like that one time where he used blood to refuel himself. And no, I’m not showing a screenshot for that. It might not be as bad as Elfin Lied, but I’d say that for a guy like Aquaman, one time in the blood pool is enough.

And the end line really should have been a line from Brave and the Bold. Literally any time he would shout his signature “OUTRAGEOUS!” would have been nice to hear. But we just get his word  of warning from the Superman animated show instead.

Namor′s Preview.

We start off Namor’s lap by going over his origin story. And thanks to the new movie that’s been swimming around theaters, I’m sure we know his story by now. A good ol’ romance between the land and sea that would make one of the most remembered heroes around. The one and only, Namor.

Except this time, Namor would spend more time in the sea rather than on land. Basically, Aquaman is Surf and Turf, while Namor is just… Surf.

With his background out of the way, let’s delve deeper into his arsenal and powers.

(Wow… Never seen that before…)

Uh, anyways, Namor is also Marvel’s first mutant… Well, kinda. See, Namor isn’t the first mutant to be born, he was simply the first that Marvel introduced. This is because Namor is part Atlantian and part Mutant. Where the mutant part comes from is anyone’s guess, but maybe he just had an X-Gene laying around. This gene is what allows Namor to fly with those wings of his.

And Namor has plenty of other powers to fish for as well.

He can mimic marine life to copy their abilities. He can also communicate with other marine life as well, and his Atlantian education makes him a worthy heir to the throne of Atlantis.

He’s also got a trident named after Neptune.

Wait for it…

(God. I love the fact that I’ve figured out my screenshot editing skills. Makes things so much easier to work with).

Anyways, Namor’s trident isn’t just a fancy fish fork, it has hydrokenisis, mystic blasts, mystic formation, and can even animate objects.

And if he needs backup, he can use his horn to… Huh? What’s that (inaudible whispering) He doesn’t use it in the fight? (Inaudible whispering) And Aquaman doesn’t even call for Topo either? (Inaudible whispering) And now you’re telling me that we need to get to the feats?

Oh………

Y’know, the fact that they didn’t go over the Island Utopia’s weight kinda shows that Namor……… Probably wasn’t going to win this. I mean, tossing  a 9000 ton naval destroyer is impressive, but when compared to the 255 thousand ton ship that Aquaman threw……… It’s not exactly reassuring to the Namor fans.

But, much like DC’s Atlantian royal, Namor isn’t invincible. He also needs water. Not to survive, but to maintain mental stability. This can sometimes cause him to be the villain. Though it should be noted that this isn’t how bipolar disorder actually works.

But as long as there is water left in his body, Namor will continue to be the defender of Atlantis.

And again, we could have gotten his signature battle cry of “IMPERIOUS REX!” From the 2006 Fantastic Four show. But no. Much like Aquaman, we get a word of warning from the 90s version of the show.

The Battle Itself.

Luis is lead on this fight, with Zack, Kiid, and Kayas helping out. Aquaman will be voiced by Kaiji Tang, and Namor will be voiced by Todd Haberkorn. Jerky is the sprite artist, as per usual, Kings of the Sea by Therewolf, Chris Kokkinos lead on sound.

I should also note that instead of his usual “Alright the combatants are set! Let’s end this debate once and for all!” Wiz now says ‘Alright the combatants are set, and we’ve run the data through all possibilities!” It doesn’t have the same feel of epicness that the previous line had. Maybe they’ll change it back, or maybe it’ll take some getting used to. But at least they kept the good old line from Boomstick.

“IT’S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLE!”

So, with DBC’s new schedule, we didn’t actually get the full audio for the fight. Shame though. Friday was enough time to not only see  the battle, but to also gather enough questions for them to answer. Also, now broadcast can’t force Achievement Hunter out of the studio anymore with the excuse of DBC since they moved. But the just of it the story of this fight is that Aquaman does a splash in the pool, and it ticks Namor off.

So they do battle underwater. I should also note that the pool says “50 ft” which implies that it’s that deep. There’s also no “FIGHT!“ Soundbite. Which takes away from the overall feel of it. I miss that announcer. Hopefully, they’ll get it back next episode. Because that sound is something that I’d use for a text alert.

They even exchange a few fisticuffs in the air before crashing onto a beach.

And we also get to see a little Easter Egg too!

(Roshi rebuilt his house. Yay! (Commentary suggests that this takes place before or during that fight though, but I like my idea better mostly because it feels better continuity-wise))

And Namor decides to bring out the big fish, by using his animation powers to summon a few rock golems to do battle with Aquaman.

But Aquaman doesn’t drown easily.

So they take the battle to the water again, where both of them call their aquatic armies to fight. But Aquaman’s army is also backed up by the Clear, so they obviously win there. So they take it even deeper where they clash.

Oh. Right. The finishing blow.

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

(Y’know, I tried to make this a gif, but the website I used didn’t want to use videos from the website. So it’s back to using screenshots).

Well……… That’s quite the predicament you’re in, chum.

Verdict + Explanation.

Well, both were evenly matched in terms of ability. That was basically a no-brainier. Comparing abilities on their own basically means that you could essentially flip a coin to determine a winner

Namor had wing feet, but Aquaman had magical flight thanks to his trident. Neither side really held advantages in any category.

But while Namor could win in some scenarios, Aquaman had more intense abilities to win out more times than not.

Remember how Namor could match Savage Hulk?- That’s an impressive feat of strength, considering that Hulk could lift a 150 billion ton mountain. But Aquaman could stop Atlan’s Atlantis-Sinking strike. Which had over a hundred times more energy put into it. It’s not exactly a 1-1 comparison, but Aquaman has more feats that back up his own strength.

Namor once kept Utopia from falling into the ocean. Calculating it, that means that Namor managed to hold up a little over 1400 tons of TNT. While the force Aquaman stopped was nearly 200 billion times more powerful.

And when it came to speed and reaction, Namor could catch the Human Torch, who breaks the sound barrier on occasion and regularly flies 140 mph on his normal days. But Aquaman has gone toe to toe with Wonder Woman on multiple occasions. And we all know how fast she is.

Aquaman also had the edge in the whole “Controlling sea life” thing too. While Namor could communicate and command them, Aquaman could dominate their will. And giving them a Clear fueled edge-up also meant that Namor was stuck commanding regular fish while Aquaman was controlling super-fish. This not only meant that Aquaman’s aquatic telepathy was stronger, but it also meant that whatever he was commanding was also stronger.

In the end, both fighters had plenty of counters and abilities, but Aquaman’s strength, speed, and telepathy made Namor fish food.

Overall impression.

I feel a bit… Unsure about this. Not only is the “FIGHT” soundbite missing, but we didn’t get Wiz’s usual “Let’s end this debate once and for all!” line. Don’t get me wrong, this is still very well-researched, and the fight was pretty fun (When you could see it, anyways), but the voice acting was a bit……… weird. Not bad, it took some re-watching to get the feel of it, but for first-time viewers, it would feel weird.

The rock golems aren’t exactly that great-looking either. This kinda feels a bit… rushed. Like we go the unedited version instead of the more polished version. If I’m right on this, and the polished version is out by the time this goes up, then sure. Let’s go. But the overall feel of it doesn’t feel like one of Luis’ fights. More like… a rushed product. It kinda hearkens back to the old Captain America vs. Batman fight that was also filler. Maybe it’s because they said that they planned this for last season, but this doesn’t feel like a strong start.

7.0/10. It’s not a bad fight, but it’s……… Unfamiliar waters.

Next Time…

Well……… This should be a mega battle. We haven’t had a battle royale fight since… the Kanto battle royale. Should be fun, though now I have to write in every single Mega Man.

I’m thinking X might have this, if I’m not forgetting anything about the other robots. He was built to be better than classic Mega Man, so… It’s a reasonable guess. But it looks like I’m going to need to find a way to differentiate later on.

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

A battle of Mega-proportions!

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24/04/2021 (AJ Tracey, Young Thug/Gunna/Drake)

On this week on the UK Singles Chart, we get a well-deserved break after last week’s chaos but we still have seven or so new arrivals – half of last week’s amount. Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” is unfazed by any of it as it spends a fourth week at #1, and welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

So last week was busy but a lot of what debuted and returned didn’t actually sustain so we have a plentiful amount of drop-outs and returning entries this week as well. For notable drop-outs – as in songs that had peaked in the top 40 or spent at least five weeks in the chart (specifically the UK Top 75, which I cover) – we have “Anyone” by Justin Bieber, Drake’s “What’s Next” after only six weeks, “What Other People Say” by Sam Fischer and Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift’s re-recorded version of “Love Story” and “Headshot” by Lil Tjay featuring Fivio Foreign and Polo G as well as the late DMX’s “X Gon’ Give it to Ya” off of the return last week.

We do have an oddly large amount of returning entries as a result of this because I guess there’s not enough new stuff to fill in the cracks, as “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles is back at #75, “Heat” by Paul Woodford and Amber Mark at #69, “Anxious” by AJ Tracey at #68 off of the album boost, “Another Love” by Tom Odell at #67 and “Cover Me in Sunshine” by P!nk and Willow Sage Heart at #62.

Then we have songs actually on the chart that are moving about – first off, let’s start with our notable losses, falling about five spots or more on the chart. We don’t have an excess of these, but we do have “Calling My Phone” by Lil Tjay and 6LACK getting ACR’d at #23, “Latest Trends” by AI x JI and remixed by Aitch at #33, “Mercury” by Dave and Kamal. off of the debut to #47 (good!), “Black Hole” by Griff at #48, “All You Ever Wanted” by Rag’n’ Bone Man at #49, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” by Taylor Swift at #50 off of the debut, as well as “Anywhere Away from Here” by Rag’n’Bone Man and P!nk also off of the debut at #51. Oh, and again, falling after last week’s debut, we have “Way Too Long” by Nathan Dawe, Anne-Marie and MoStack at #52. Other fallers that actually lasted at least one more week on the chart include “6 for 6” by Central Cee at #57, “Paradise” by MEDUZA and Dermot Kennedy at #63 and that’s about it. Also, somehow “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” by Drake featuring Rick Ross is sticking to the charts at #71 despite all of the more pop cuts off of that EP – and by that I mean the songs that aren’t six long minutes of pure rapping – dropping out. How that is I have no idea but it does bring us to our gains.

Our gains are always more interesting and we do have a fair few of them this week, like “Starstruck” by Years & Years at #56 off of the debut, “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)” by Fred again.. and the Blessed Madonna somehow surging up to #55 off of the debut, “Beautiful Mistakes” by Maroon 5 featuring Megan Thee Stallion at #54, “Summer 91 (Looking Back)” by Noizu at #53, “Last Time” by Becky Hill at #46, “Don’t You Worry About Me” by Bad Boy Chiller Crew at #45, “Medicine” by James Arthur at #44, “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK at #41, “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd rebounding at #40, “Runaway” by AURORA making the top 40 at #34 (six years late), “Levitating” by Dua Lipa bizarrely rebounding at #32, “Didn’t Know” by Tom Zanetti at #31 and that’s pretty much it other than big gains for Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu” up big to #12 and “Let’s Go Home Together” by Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan breaking into the top 10 at #10. A lot of these new entries are concentrated towards the bottom of the chart, so let’s start with something that’s actually pretty great.

NEW ARRIVALS

#74 – “How Does it Feel” – London Grammar

Produced by London Grammar and Steve Mac

London Grammar are an indie pop band from Nottingham that just scored their second #1 album with Californian Soil, one I found genuinely promising but absolutely meandering. For all of the great, swelling and powerful tracks there were – many already on the pre-album EPs and singles – there were pointless, time-consuming ballads that feel if anything underwritten and dull. My personal favourite track, “Baby it’s You”, was the lead single and it actually charted, though this cut is the highest-peaking track from the record and also, thankfully, one of my favourites. Hannah Reid has a smoky, unique voice and it always swells over these atmospheric, reverb-drenched instrumentals, full of subtle bass and those infectious guitar links before it drops into the borderline vocaloid drop in that distorted synth-pop chorus that... okay, is pretty anti-climactic and there for no reason other than to give an excuse for the band to incorporate that 80s production into the rest of the song. Regardless, it’s still a damn good production and that chorus is unreasonably catchy, even if she’s hitting falsetto notes I’d never be able to sing along to. It’s not a song that ends too early so it can stream well either; this is a pop song constructed like one of old, and is just as intricate, especially with those twinkling keys in the final chorus. This isn’t the best on the album by far but it’s understandably the one that’s the most accessible and upbeat so it makes sense it’s here. I don’t expect it to stick around but I wouldn’t mind if it did.

#73 – “Sunshine (The Light)” – Fat Joe, DJ Khaled and Amorphous

Produced by Cool N Dre and Amorphous

So, Fat Joe might be back? I’d be hard-pressed to find out way until I look at this... comeback single of sorts and realise that the chorus is just straight-up taken from a Rihanna song, that being the verse of “Kiss it Better” from 2016 layered over this almost disco-sounding sample of Luther Vandross and that’s pretty much the song as far as the beat is concerned. In that way, I guess it’s kind of fun and harmless but Rihanna’s vocals are mixed pretty horrifically on this instrumental without any attempt to cover it up with some backing vocals, which would have been a really good touch. DJ Khaled is only here because he finishes Fat Joe’s punchline and he contributes literally nothing else. In fact, Fat Joe is a waste of time here as well, especially in that really odd bridge and second verse. Admittedly, I guess his first verse has one clever line but it’s all clearly so unfocused even when the sample gives you a lot to work with in terms of content. By the time the Luther Vandross vocal sample is oddly dribbling over the beat, I’m out of this.

#72 – “Ski” – Young Stoner Life, Young Thug and Gunna

Produced by BabyWave, Outtatown and Wheezy

Slime Language 2 was a project I thought was actually fairly enjoyable given its runtime and content. I mean, it’s 23 tracks running at about an hour and a half of just mindless flexing, sex and gunplay from Young Thug and YSL affiliates but it has an energy and camaraderie that I rarely find is all that noticeable during these label or collective albums, and whilst not any particular rapper shines on more than one track, we still hear a lot of voices on the record that are far from unpleasant and can hold their own against Thug, one of them of course being Gunna. I’m surprised the songs with Travis Scott or Lil Uzi Vert didn’t debut but this Thug-Gunna cut did, but I guess that video pushed it over the top and I’m glad because this is by far one of my favourites on the album on pure, stupid and mindless energy. That camaraderie that I mentioned is in full force here as Thug and Gunna trade bars over this basic watery beat with some catchy strings and, of course, awkward bass mixing. The first intelligible words are “Spider sex” and then Thug just goes into yelling “Yeah!” because, sure, that’s a chorus. Thugger delivers his typical flow-switching charisma with a lot of loud, fun energy and whilst not anything of lyrical standard is said here, I love how he and Gunna trade each other’s names on their versions of the post-chorus. It’s a clever, little touch that makes songs like this feel just that bit more fun, if the manic ad-libs didn’t already show that. Gunna’s verse might be the best of the two here as he actually comes with some unexpected energy over that beeping synth loop that sounds great finally coming from Gunna, and, yeah, what can I say? It’s a mindless trap banger that will be out as soon as it was in – both for the charts and your ears – but it’s so much fun and with Thug’s poppier projects, that’s all that matters.

#66 – “You” – Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae

Produced by Regard

The Kosovan DJ that brought us that great remix of Jay Sean’s “Ride It” as well as original song “Secrets” with RAYE is back and bringing... Troye Sivan and Tate McRae with him. Okay, I mean, sure, maybe Regard can pump up the production to get either of these singers to sound enthused. The content is pretty basic, with the “coming back to an ex” story we’ve heard before and not much interplay between Tate and Troye – not that there can feasibly be but that’s beside the point. This isn’t all that important to a song like this, though, but it can be done so it always feels anti-climactic when these EDM songs don’t have good lyrical content anchoring its groove and catchy hooks. That said, this song is actually pretty good, trading much of the more fast-paced house grooves and minimal deep house drops for a pretty slick, almost synth-funk production with some hard-hitting 909 bass and Troye’s laid-back mumbling falsetto actually sounding pretty great over electro percussion and this blend of really cool, retro synths that aren’t afraid to sound jerky and out-of-tune in that post-chorus. They almost remind me of Plastic Beach if this isn’t that ludicrous of a comparison. Tate McRae barely exists here but that’s fine – sadly she has the only verse and her voice just doesn’t mesh that well with Troye’s outside of some of the chorus harmonising, and on its own just sounds kind of unwarrantedly raspy on pretty clean, smooth production. Regard’s addition of those distorted backing vocals and the lenient vocal manipulating in that bridge make sure you know this is intricately produced to every detail and I just love that ramping of intensity even if the final chorus doesn’t really act as that impactful climax so the song ends on kind of a low note where I can tell Regard didn’t know where to go from there. Otherwise, this is a pretty great synth-pop track and I really hope it sticks around. I knew Regard had an ear for more unique EDM production since he came onto the charts for the first time with “Ride It” so I hope to hear what’s next from him as well. For now, oh, God, please make this a hit.

#61 – “Kukoc” – AJ Tracey featuring NAV

Produced by Yung Swisher and Pxcoyo

This is our first of two songs that debuted this week from AJ Tracey’s album Flu Game, which I decided not to listen to on the basis that it was nearly an hour’s runtime with a NAV feature. It’s just my luck then that for whatever reason, the British public decided the NAV song was the second most important track to listen to when the album dropped. Well, I guess this beat isn’t bad, especially with that synth flashing over the acoustic guitar inflections and the Pop Smoke-esque rattling drill percussion creating an oddly-mixed and cluttered beat but one that I guess still hits pretty hard. NAV sounds more enthused than ever over a drill beat – maybe he should stick to that – but I still feel like this is just a pointless song. The content is primarily just flexing and AJ Tracey’s energy is there but not in a particularly likeable, charming way or in an intimidating, menacing way so he just ends up out-shined by NAV’s cheaply Auto-Tuned and simple, basic flow in his verse where he emphasises how he’s a grown man at 30 years old – yet still not showing any sign of maturity, seemingly. This is listenable for sure but at best it’s a mildly amusing drill track and at worst it’s sensory overload. The build-up is only in the intro here and it’s just full force for the next two minutes making it kind of aggravating to even listen to and keep up with. Oh, and “Kukoc” is some Croatian basketball player mentioned once in the chorus. That’s about as interesting as this content gets.

#36 – “Solid” – Young Stoner Life, Young Thug and Gunna featuring Drake

Produced by Foreign Teck, Elvas, Wheezy and OZ

It’s an unwritten rule that if you release an album, the song with Drake on it will always debut on the charts, and often particularly high. Okay, I guess it didn’t work for Drakeo the Ruler – sadly – but it did work for Slime Language 2. “Solid” which absolutely did not need the four producers it has is pretty much just the trio being as uninteresting as possible as they slide over a synth-based trap beat with, say it with me, odd bass mixing. I guess Drake’s hook is mildly catchy and the steel pans in the verses are kind of fun even if they’re there for pretty much no reason. Gunna probably delivers the best verse, if not the purest as he brags about having solid friendships, and boasts wealth over the beat which gets a lot more eerie and downbeat with Gunna over it for whatever reason, even when he’s spitting ridiculous sex bars. The best part of this as with most of the YSL label projects is the interplay between Young Thug and Gunna, as over an increasingly badly mixed beat and some slick organ licks, Thugger ends off the track with an effortless verse and... well, it sure is a trap-rap song by Young Thug, Gunna and Drake. That’s for sure. It’s not bad at all and this beat could be a lot better if there were more steel pans and better mixing, it’s just that none of these guys deliver as well as they can and like most things he’s on nowadays, Drake is the worst part of it.

#29 – “Little More Love” – AJ Tracey

Produced by Venna, Mark Raggio, RyFy and Yoz Beats

I’m surprised there’s little fanfare about this song and the album in general, especially given how big songs like “West Ten” and “Bringing it Back”. Sadly, I think this might be a case of waiting too long to get the record out or just AJ’s star fading away and towards – unfortunately – Digga D. This cut got the music video treatment and hence debuted the highest of any entries this week but it was set for a top 10 debut from the album and video boost, but just seems to have stalled. I actually think that’s pretty unfortunate as this is a great song, with that tropical guitar lick that sounds cheap when drenched in the reverb and especially when the beat comes in and it’s mixed too loudly, but that doesn’t really obscure the trap knock and groove, particularly in that chorus with AJ’s expected dead-beat delivery. That delivery really works for this song, though, as it’s about the paranoia that comes with unexpected fame and success for someone from a background of poverty. I wish the beat gave AJ more room to breathe but he still flips the typical UK flows on his verses so they’re a lot more catchy and smooth, particularly over those soulful vocal loops that come in at the same time. That second verse is pretty excellent too, as whilst it’s short, it runs through some pretty excellent flows and some interesting lines, like about how he sees himself as Che Guerava, represents his Trinidadian identity and how he’s “got God” so he and his crew don’t need to wear a bullet-proof vest, which is actually kind of profound for Tracey. The horns at the end of this beat deserve some credit for making this song great too, and with all the sounds packed into this song, I think I understand why this one has four producers, even if this cluttered mix could use halving that total.

Conclusion

This is a pretty solid week all things considered, with a lot of good to great songs, so much so that it’s difficult to give out titles. I guess Best of the Week is going to “Ski” by Young Stoner Life, Young Thug and Gunna but I’m convinced to give a three-way tie for Honourable Mention. I think I’ll just stick with giving it to Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae for “You” but it was close. Worst of the Week ends up going to “Sunshine (The Light)” by Fat Joe, Amorphous and DJ Khaled almost by default, with a Dishonourable Mention to AJ Tracey’s “Kukoc” featuring NAV, even if I still kind of like the song. Here’s our top 10 for this week:

Hopefully next week will keep this quality going, but in terms of new arrivals I can’t really make any concrete predictions other than a boost for “Save Your Tears” and hopefully an impact from Jorja Smith and Little Simz. I guess time will tell however, so thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

BLINDSPOTTING REVIEW [SXSW 2018]

Carlos López Estrada’s Blindspotting is the kind of cultural phenomenon that can render an audience silent, dead serious and crippled by oft-ignored realities mere seconds after striking wide-sweeping hysterics. Always reshaping, never shying from harsh realities. I lost my breath laughing, stared speechless at bleeding-raw depictions of societal fears and felt paralyzed (even ashamed) more than once – that is the power of Blindspotting. You sit down, you shut up and you listen.

Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs spent nine years pitching and developing a screenplay that grew dishearteningly more relevant with each passing day. Almost a decade’s worth of time for correction, yet written dialogue has only sharpened its piercing sting. Casal and Diggs tumble down an incendiary rabbit hole of helplessness and unease that’s still effortlessly, invincibly “dope,” but far more vocally outraged than entertainment-driven. A sensational Ted-Talkin’ bombshell meant to obliterate comfort zones.

[...] Casal and Diggs take everything into consideration with Blindspotting. This isn’t just some angsty plea for cheaper bottled drinks or a weak attempt to capitalize on national tragedies. By spotlighting gentrification, racism becomes part of the equation. When handling themes of disenfranchisement, poverty must be addressed. Collin and Miles, for example, are tasked with “cleaning out” a dilapidated shack previously owned by unwealthy tenants – literally throwing away their memories so wealthy realtors can erase “ugly” blemishes in favor of a marketable new prepster dream home. Scene to scene, Estrada oversees crisp transitioning between what’s taken for granted in a manner you can’t ignore. Foreign to those of us lucky enough to not quantify such change, degradation, and shackled paranoia, now openly shared.

That’s not to say entertainment is forgone. In the same way common folk sling humor to relieve stress, Blindspotting benefits from mile-a-minute jabbing between characters who do the same. A hilarious tone-setting probation violation serves as an introduction to the film’s lenient but serious tone, trapping Collin inside his bud’s pimped-out ride with six different firearms. Stakes absolutely real, attitudes sarcastic and comical. You better believe hipsters are mocked every chance Collin and Miles get – obnoxious bikes with novelty-sized wheels, Vegan burger joints, calling white bros everything from Topher Grace to Jason Biggs – and we’re allowed to snicker. Trust me. You’ll know when to burst out laughing just like you’ll be prompted to zip those lips and wake up – two elements that are extremely crucial to delivery.

Of course, you all know Daveed Diggs from Broadway’s Hamilton – and yes, he does lyricize. Casal himself an accomplished beat-poet who does the same. Maybe it’s just knockaround rhyming to kill time (“…hung up in the hood until I’m discarded…”) or maybe it’s a nightmare Collin has that turns his courtroom ruling into a red-and-blue lit music video where Miles drops bars like gunshots (astoundingly prolific). Messabout freestyling becomes the rhythmic pulse of Blindspotting, until Collin’s third act mic drop brings existence to a crashing halt. A moment so profound, so prophetically overtaking, so rooted in Def Jam’s heavyweight class, that it weaponizes song and drops a nuclear-sized truth like it’s another day at the office for Diggs. Straight fire.

[...] There’s no way around it – Casal and Diggs are superstars together. Casal the “entrepreneurial” grifter who can flip a run-down boat for $300 (amazing dealmaker scene) and also the immature family man who risks everything for “protection” (a frozen audience moment). Diggs the frustrated but positive-thinking ex-con with a violent past (an epic story when told by an excitable bar patron, horrifying from Val’s perspective), saved by unstoppable flows and classified by his surroundings. Both with the power to lighten up moods and drop a Spike Lee sized hammer with equal presence (their “n___” argument a standout). Supporting roles play their parts from wives (Jasmine Cephas Jones) to storytellers (Utkarsh Ambudkar), but Casal and Diggs’ explosive energies make Chernobyl look like a campfire. Chemistry class is in session.

[...] Knowing something has to change, both men looking forward and to society as a means of reform. This is, in large part, what Blindspotting means to me. How we all need to stop seeing what we want, to respect cultures and circumstance, to read surroundings and not assume unearned privilege. Goddamn if Blindspotting doesn’t drill that point home fierce and furious.

[jayce-space]

Devilman Crybaby (review)

Okay, since some people showed interest I'll start with the last one I watched as it's fresh still.

First of all I'm going to give this a major content warning for those that may want to watch it. It has graphic themes and hides nothing from view including things that may be triggering. It's designed to disgust, fascinate and leave you feeling uncomfortable as you watch. If anime like berserk, elfen lied, various hentai or music videos like DYE fantasy are something you have a hard time with it's taking that up a notch. If you like that stuff (or at least aren't too bothered) or was a major fan of Evangeline you'll probably enjoy this.

So moving on, I'll start as spoiler free as possible so excuse vagueness at times.

Animation:

The animation was... Different. It's not what a lot of anime looks like with the exception of a few movies. The style is flat and at times doesn't read very well. You see what you need to though and as the episodes progress it does improve and your eyes get used to it. It works for it though, it gives the show a very almost drugged feel or appearance which works well for this type of show. It wouldn't have worked if it was polished and sharp like most modern anime. You knew how you were supposed to feel by what was shown. The actual animation was dynamic and actually quite detailed in subtle ways... Though goofy too... I'm looking at you running animation. But it was serious when it needed to be and expressed emotion, emotion was its main goal! As said before you will see a lot of graphic murder scenes, sex scenes (among all genders and living or dead), nudity and other such themes. They did this well and it will leave you both desensitized and uncomfortable by the end.

Music/sound:

At times it was on point, at others it left you going "what?". I watched it in both dub and sub (it's not a long show) and both are decent though the engrish in the sub version can hurt... Though the Japanese in the dub version can also grate on your ears. The opening, hated it... I usually don't say that as I'm one who listens to openings typically... But I wanted to skip it. There's also a lot of freestyle rap in both English and Japanese and if that's not your thing... Well get used to it for the first half at least. The other scores and sounds were good though and didn't leave me complaining; it matched the animation style well.

Characters:

They did a really good job fleshing out the characters and making you feel for them. Main and side characters were pretty well covered and gave you a lot to choose from for favourites. The only character I felt was rushed especially motive wise was Ryo. They sort of just exist to push Akira along; but aside from seeming like they're crushing major hard, has no real motivation until the end and just character flips after learning a few things. So they felt dryer. With all that said, and major spoiler, essentially everything and everyone will break your heart and stomp on it. So be ready for that. The bits that got me the hardest were with Akira and his adoptive family. Like I was sobbing like a baby because things are unfair.

Plot:

I won't give much away if I can help it. The plot is based off a 70's manga and follows it pretty closely. There were 2 other anime series and some ovas too, though I haven't watched them to compare. I've seen clips though and they don't appear as depressing. Basically you're following Akira who starts as a wimpy crybaby just trying to get by in life. He meets up with an old childhood friend Ryo and they take him to a nightclub that is overun by demons in human skin. Ryo triggers an attack and then sacrifices Akira to become a demon himself. The next while is them tag teaming to kill non human demons.

It's fast and has pacing issues at times but considering they covered as much as they did in 10 episodes it's not bad. You won't be too confused by the overall plot, just some of the motives. The end will leave you empty though, no loose ends to tie at least.

Overall:

I liked it for a Netflix anime and would probably watch it again I'm a few months. It's not something that could air or TV or really even cruncyroll and I'm okay with that. It really grew on me the more I watched and I couldn't even take a break, sat through the full thing like it was a movie. And that's the best way to watch something like this in my opinion. I'd give it an 8.5/10 overall and recommend it to those that aren't bothered easily.

[reviewsv]

The Best 3D Scanners Professional On Automotive & Jewelry In 2019 Review

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a 3d scanner? They’re fancy, they’re effective and most importantly – they get the job done. Here’s a short review of the Professional 3D Scanners For Automotive & Jewelry – based on the number of satisfied customers.

# Preview Product Price 1

DAVID Vision Systems Bundle SLS-3 3D Scanner, TT-1 Automatic Turntable and DSL-1 Desk Scan Lever

Check on Amazon

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2

Matter and Form MFS1V1 3D Scanner

$807.50

Check Now!

3

2019 EinScan-Pro Multi-Functional Handheld 3D Scanner, White Light, 0.05mm Accuracy 2s Scan Speed, 4 Scan Modes, Lowest Cost Industrial Level 3D Scanner for Design Research Industry Art Education

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4

Xbox One Kinect Sensor

$299.00

Check Now!

5

BQ Ciclop 3D Scanner Kit Advanced Laser Scanner

$249.94

Check Now!

6

Occipital Structure Sensor with Bracket for Ipad

Check on Amazon

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7

EINSCAN-S 3D SCANNER

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8

Fuel 3D SCANIFY Handheld 3D Scanner

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9

DAVID SLS-2 3D Scanner

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10

3D Systems SENSE2 3D SCANNER (350470)

$456.28

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12. TT1 by DAVID Vision Systems

Boasting a high-quality industrial-grade lens, this scanner has the largest focal range amongst similar-rated models. Its video projector comes equipped with a customized lens giving you a wide dynamic focal range. It has a high-resolution scanner that sadly gives it the hefty price tag.

11. 3D scanner from Matter and Form

Possibly one of the few 3D scanners utilizing precise laser mapping. With this scanner, you can create 3D scans of (very) small objects and import them directly into your favorite application. Even though the scan quality id faintly impressive, its unsuitable for commercial applications.

10. EINSCAN PRO 3D HANDHELD SCANNER

Generally speaking, it’s a great scanner – offering the best of both worlds: Convenience and functionality, However, there’s a catch, it won’t pick fine details on shiny objects.

9. Xbox based 3D scanner

Looking for a cheap alternative? There’s a way to set up an old Xbox Kinect into a 3d scanner. Decent enough for personal use

8. 3D Scanner Kit from BQ

This scanner is unique in that its powered by an open source project making it the making it the ideal for developers. There’s a huge community online you’ll never get stuck, or worse run out of printing ideas.

7. iPad based -structure sensor

You’ll get value for your money. Turn your average unused iPad into an advanced 3D scanner and you’ll be capturing data at 30 FPS in real time.

6. Einscan-S

You’ll get two scanning modes – the automated scan and the freestyle scan. In the auto mode, place your (small) object onto the spinning turntable, and the scanner will do its magic – to the nearest .1mm. Pretty decent if you ask me

5. Scanify from fuel 3D

Probably the fastest scanner money could buy. Technically speaking, it takes 3D photos. Who cares? As long as it captures objects in a tenth of a second, well buy it.

4. SLS-2 by DAVID Vision

It uses unique light scanning and that’s why it has a hefty price tag. Scan anything, insects to elephants. It’s so fast that you won’t believe it exists

3. 3D Systems SENSE2 3D SCANNER

A user-friendly scanner at a price that won’t scare you away, what more can you ask for? Cal it whatever you want but it’s the best scammer money could buy. Value for money, right?

2. MakerBot Digitizer by MakerBot

Even though this is one of the company’s most expensive devices, it works by rotating. It has a 3-in-one capability making it the ideal scanner/ printer/ engraver for personal use.

1. Open Filament from XYZprinting

This scanner accommodates for third-party filaments. With their new calibration system, tuning the device is easier than ever. You can adjust anything – from speed to heat, to retraction.

What can you compromise on? When choosing the best scanner, set your priorities right and you won’t have to strain your budget. Let us know what you think.

[quickresearch-blog]

Hiatus Kaiyote

I’ve been struggling for a bit on how I want to do music posts. I think I don’t even really have an answer, but more like a range of options. Posts could be album reviews, musical analyses, music theory/theorems, styles and pioneers of music, etc. I’m excited.

I’ve grown a lot during freshman year. Experiences, preferences, opinions. Especially on jazz and R&B. I met a lot of people, and one of them was showing me his CD collection. It was during a house party, with great music and an even better environment for sharing it. It was obvious who cared about music and who didn’t, and those who did were extremely enthusiastic and open for discussion. It was one of the best environments I’ve ever found myself in musically, and I think back to it often. Anyways, back to the kid showing me his CD collection. His favorite band ever was a band named Hiatus Kaiyote (which I internally laughed at, I mean a name like that is just too hipster). They had the ugliest album art work I’ve seen, or maybe it was just really misleading. It made me think of a classic rock band, which turned me off. Still, with all music, you entertain it, and I’m really glad I did.

Twice Grammy-nominated, Australian neo-soul/R&B/jazz/new-funk/indie band Hiatus Kaiyote has done, in their own words, multi-dimensional, polyrhythmic gangster shit. The band is fronted by singer Nai Palm, a complex character whose themes and reflections on life come across in her esoteric lyrics. Influenced by Stevie Wonder, Eryka Badu, and FKA Twigs, they bring a progressive, alternative sound to the R&B field. But they aren’t just influenced—they influence hip hop from Chance the Rapper, to Drake, to Anderson. Paak. Existing for only 6 years (2011), their sound started from the get-go as something definite, unique, and very much so theirs. Unafraid to leave the parameters of 4/4 and unapologetically performing key-changes mid song, Hiatus Kaiyote proliferated the amount of directions neo-soul could grow into. Every aspect of their songs fit perfectly. It’s beyond mastery of genre-bending. It’s just like the best aspects of music all convened into a bunch of songs. And that’s not just a one person effort. Paul Bender, on the bass, keeps the entire groove complex and interesting. He and Perrin Moss, the percussionist, swap shifts of keeping tempo; while one is keeping the groove going, the other is doing a freestyle-esque jazz fill or a countermelody. I fully believe the reason their music is as flawless and connected as it is, is that they are four people who have mastered their craft and understand how they relate in a musical context.

So the kid at the party put on Molasses, track 17 on their latest (2015) album, Choose Your Weapon. Immediately, a course, controlled, unique voice intertwines with a brilliant groove of a baseline. The percussion and baseline proceeds to start these syncopated rhythms and calculated breaks to a groove that demonstrates the band’s utmost mastery of tempo and feel. You can’t sit still listening to this groove. As the song progresses and intensifies, jazz fills and synth trills add layers and layers of complexities. It’s a masterpiece by the end of about 5 minutes. Similarly, Borderline with My Atoms starts and grows into a louder, percussion-heavy reiteration of “borderline, with my, atoms”. My favorite part, however, are those descending voice flourishes that work well with the “underwater” theme, sounding like flutes, mermaids, and bubbles, all while never distracting from the vibe. Actually, this structure is common across the length of the album, but it’s a unique sound that works well for them. The entire album in itself I find hard to listen to, as some tracks vary in more abstract, progressive, sample-based electronica. They never really lose the Jazz or soul vibe, but a rock influence definitely comes out a lot more in some tracks than others.

But they don’t just stop at those genres. My favorite pieces by Hiatus Kaiyote are arguably the ones with rappers. Q-Tip, Drake sampling them, and my personal favorite, Anderson. Paak. I’ll probably write an entry on him in the future. Nakamarra’s crisp snare and lush, keyboard, 30-second note licks that end Nai Palm’s rich lines like punctuation would a sentence create a beautiful jazz and hip hop hybrid. Everything is brilliant, the song coming to a new chapter 2.5 minutes in where Q-Tip’s drawn out, annunciated verse kind of propels the groove in a new direction, away from the lush vocals and into the cleaner snare, hip hop beat that’s holding everything together. His choice of emphasizing certain syllabus just compliments those syncopated rhythms perfectly. His rap verse ends abruptly as he softens and sings the last lyric of the stanza, “simply, love me”. Not only was it a brilliant way to introduce Nai Palm back to close out the song, his persona softens and he conveys a different message than if he were to have rapped it. Laputa begins a little differently, with Nai Palm playing around with her emphasized consonants and words ending in “uh”s. They apply a cool filter to her voice, and she does these separate vocal steps that are incredibly hard to replicate, due to nature of rhythm and pitch. A very unique sound I’m glad they had the creativity and boldness to pursue. Anderson. Paak’s signature hoarse voice makes a welcome entrance in a dreamy, minimal vibe, allowing him to tumble and manipulate his rhythms to create symmetric, stacked consonants and a jazz beat played on cymbals and a hi-hat. It’s brilliant, and very Anderson. The two work incredibly well together, and it’s genuinely a pleasure to listen to.

Sources:

Hiatus Kaiyote, Biography by Andy Kellman. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hiatus-kaiyote-mn0003045620/biography

Hiatus Kaiyote Embrace the Elements in ‘Breathing Underwater’ Video. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hiatus-kaiyote-embrace-the-elements-in-breathing-underwater-video-20150810

Hiatus Kaiyote. http://www.nicheproductions.com.au/artists/hiatus-kaiyote/

Hiatus Kaiyote: Choose Your Weapon Review—Psychedelic Adventure Land.  https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/01/hiatus-kaiyote-choose-your-weapon-review-psychedelic-adventure-land

Australia’s Hiatus Kaiyote Carves out a Crazy Path. http://www.npr.org/2015/05/15/406767661/australias-hiatus-kaiyote-carves-out-a-crazy-path

[easyobsession]

DWTS24: WEEK 6 (LO RECAPS)

I have got shit to do. Term papers to write, end of the semester shit to finish up, major family stuff going on, my newfound obsession with Sons of Anarchy, and a WWE Payperview this weekend. I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS.

And yet here my ass is typing this up for all of you at 1Am. Because after what went down tonight, I’m hot and ready to go all Lima Heights up in this shit and I gotta get it out.

So here we go. This recap turned rant starts right fucking now.

*I’ve given up listening to the judges. I don’t even watch their comments 99.9% of the time anymore. At this point they could replace them with monkeys and I’d be cool. Just an FYI. Though I do adore Nick Carter and wish he’d won his season. (See my season 21 recaps)

SIMONE AND SASHA. SAMBA. 9899=35/40.

As far as costuming goes, I think this is the best she’s looked all season. Absolutely stunning. The boots took away from the footwork though. Technically it looked good, though she messed up a few times. To me it looked more like a dance you’d see the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (shoutout to Melissa Rycroft- haaay!) do at halftime though. She was too smiley and struck her poses too hard.

BONNER AND SHARNA. RUMBA. 8877=30/40.

HIS FACE DOESN’T CHANGE. I DON’T UNDERSTAND. IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME. HAPPY, SAD, SEXY, ANGRY, STRESSED- IT’S ALL IDENTICAL. But aside from that… he did better than I expected, tbh. It wasn’t great. Worth a 7. Stiff, his hands looked like they were trying to hold her head like a basketball, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. And Nick and Sharna’s friendship (DO NOT GET ME STARTED OR ASK ABOUT A FIC, I’M TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE) always makes me beam. But the cowboy needs to go.

NANCY AND ARTEM. PASO. 9888=33/40.

Okay. First of all, a few notes on set and aesthetics: the flashing lights were distracting as hell. The color of her dress didn’t work at all, and the cage thing at the beginning sucked. It seemed like she got a little flustered this week- I didn’t see the package for this one btw, and overall it was just… okay. I know she can do better. It just felt more like everything got too hectic in the arrangement.

NICK AND PETA. JIVE. 7777=28/40.

He tried. Peta looked fucking gorg. I don’t even know what happened in the middle. Too slow and boring. Next.

NORMANI AND VAL. SALSA. 1010810=38/40.

I’m sitting here typing this up and watching these videos back and I literally am about to stand up. THAT IS A FUCKING DANCE. FIERCE AND ATTITUDE AND POWER AND THOSE HAIR FLIPS. She was fluid and her movements all connected- it didn’t look like she was doing a series of poses like Simone. This is what I’m talking about. This is what we want. THIS IS A GODDAMN DANCE. EVERYTHING. ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. I AM SO DAMN PROUD. Also, Len can see himself out. BYEEE.

DAVID AND LINDSAY. ARGENTINE TANGO. 7877=29/40.

Couldn’t see the package for this one either. Goddammit Youtube . But I’m in a hurry so whatever. Loved the choreo. Lindsay = a star. Obv. What I like about David is that he seems like the most relatable of the stars this season. It’s like watching your dad or your uncle or your neighbor- he seems like a regular dude. He’s not incredible, but he does his best. Almost dropped Lindsay, but otherwise the tricks looked good. Is he ever gonna be incredible? No. But I like watching him anyway. And I think he did just fine.

RASHAD AND EMMA. TANGO. 91099=37/40.

Didn’t see the package. I want his jacket. Love Emma’s bangs. Pretty good, though instead of looking away from her it looked like he was staring at the ceiling, which was distracting. But overall pretty good. I’m 95% sure at this point he’s going to win the season. We’ll get to that later.

HEATHER AND MAKS. RUMBA. 10101010=40/40.

“Played like a star, danced like a champion.” That says it all. I saw it. I saw the story in front of me. She looks like a fucking professional. That is it. Done.

TEAM BOY BAND. FREESTYLE. 8988=33/40.

The package was gold. I was dying. I want to hang out with them. As for the routine… it started off less than impressive. Then they got to the chairs and my jaw actually dropped. Literally. I was a little uncomfortable to be perfectly honest. It looked like a strip show. Carrie Ann is actual garbage but what else is new and I’m pretty sure Rashad was the only one to get a minute on his own. Overall it was out of sync and kind of a mess. They tried, but it flopped and the costumes didn’t look good either. I liked the end though. Oh, and RNB+D? Seriously?

TEAM GIRL GROUP. FREESTYLE. 8989=34/40.

“Simone, put your hands on my ass.” Oh my god. “At this point I could put on a tutu and you could call me Mary. …Don’t call me Mary. And I’m not gonna put on a tutu.” Oh MY GOD.  And now to the dance. I’m going Grey’s Anatomy here. ….seriously? SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY. WHO CHOREOGRAPHED THIS? What the hell? The beginning was awful and way too staged and awkward, the sexy part was almost cringe worthy, and then suddenly they’re doing kicks and getting into hold? Also, the mix of both teams songs was downright deserving of imprisonment, because they both sucked. I appreciated each duo getting a second in the spotlight but… This was NOT GOOD. I’m shocked and so disappointed. Oh my lord. An actual mess.

THE ELIMINATION:

I mean… I’m beyond words. Like, there’s red hot fire and then there’s white hot. Blistering. That is where I’m at. Not pissed, not upset- it’s fury. Like, I’m still in shock.

Let’s talk for a second.

I’m going all the way back. I’m starting at season One. Oh yeah, that’s how bad I’ve lost it.

Joey McIntyre. Drew Lachey. Mario Lopez. Monique Coleman. Joey Fatone. SABRINA BRYAN. Mel B. Mario. Marissa Jaret Winokur. Lance Bass. Lil Kim. Mya. NICOLE SCHERZINGER. Brandy. Roshon Fegan. Zendaya. Elizabeth Berkley. Corbin Bleu. Amber Riley. MERYL DAVIS. ALFONSO RIBERO. Nick Carter. Wanya Morris. Normani.

All dance experience. I’ll excuse a few like Nick and such because while they did dance, they weren’t “dancers.” And Meryl and Charlie technically didn’t dance beforehand though they were trained by Derek for a period of time. Whatever. A good portion of that list made/makes a living dancing as part of their lives.

This show, believe it or not, is not based 110% in reality. It is a television show. It is for celebrities that have never ballroom danced before to pair up with a pro and learn a routine each week to perform for America. We have people like Geraldo Rivera and Kenny Mayne who couldn’t find a beat if it ran them over with a car, and we have the Alfonso Riberos and Corbin Bleus who grew up moving to music.

It does not fucking matter.

Despite my continued long ass rant, I have no words.

She didn’t deserve this.

I love David. Bonner, meh. Nick has actually impressed me though I’m still positive he’s a douchebag. Nancy is great. But they’re not better than her.

Rashad is a contender I didn’t see coming. We knew Normani and Simone would be lit.

Those are your final four.

I didn’t expect her to win, if I’m being honest. And now more than ever, since that Contemporary, I’m pretty damn certain it’ll go to Rashad. Which, I mean, good for Emma.

But I am honest with these reviews. I have no reason not to be. All I wanted was for Val to get his overdue win and he and Rumer earned it, but Riker and Allison were by far my favorites. I wanted Nick to beat Bindi even though she was the better dancer. And while I wanted Laurie to take the title, James and Sharna stole my heart.

Heather is the best one there. And the fact that she doesn’t get to at least make it to the end and experience this entire journey, even if she got fourth, really says something.

If this is as unfair as everyone keeps saying, fine. If she’s as good as Allison, then bring her on as a pro next season. Let’s go.

I don’t know if it’s America or TPTB, but… I’m in awe.

I’m in awe.

(This is my metaphorical mic drop)

-done

[duonghoangkim43-blog]

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[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 17/04/2021 (Polo G, Dave, Doja Cat & SZA, Taylor Swift)

Okay, so, UK Singles Chart time – all hell broke loose. I knew Taylor Swift and Dave would make an impact but I was also not expecting all of the chaos to come with it. With that said, Lil Nas X is still at #1 for a third week with “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” and let’s just get through with this. This is REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

In this starting rundown segment, I’ve got a lot to cover so I’ll make it quick, no nonsense. First of all, I cover the UK Top 75. Why the top 75? I’m difficult – even though it’s actually more convenient. Secondly, the notable drop-outs – songs that peaked in the top 40 or spent more than five weeks on the chart that are gone from the top 75 this week thanks to this avalanche of 14 or so new arrivals. This week, we say goodbye to a bunch of our debuts from last week as well as “telepatía” by Kali Uchis, “Bringing it Back” by Digga D and AJ Tracey, “You’re Mines Still” by Yung Bleu and remixed by Drake, “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus, “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers and several #1 hits, including “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Sweet Melody” by Little Mix, “Mood” by 24kGoldn featuring iann dior, “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I and finally, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi, after spending a whopping 113 weeks in this region... despite being terrible. I mean, it’ll be back next week but celebrate the little victories, like our returns, for example. “X Gon’ Give it to Ya” by the late DMX is back at #72 after the passing of the hip-hop icon last week. This legendary song was actually one of his later hits – not even a hit in the States – and originally peaked at #6 in the UK back in 2003. We sadly don’t see anything else from DMX returning but we do also see Taylor Swift’s re-recorded version of “Love Story” revisiting the charts at #45 off the album boost.

Now for the songs that fell or rose this week, starting with the notable losses, being songs that dropped five spots or more. First, we have “Your Love (9PM)” by ATB, Topic and A7S at #13, followed by “Don’t Play” by Anne-Marie, KSI and Digital Farm Animals at #17, “Hold On” by Justin Bieber at #20, “Save Your Tears” by the Weeknd at #22, “Up” by Cardi B at #23, “Commitment Issues” by Central Cee at #25, “Latest Trends” by AI x JI plummeting at #28, “Patience” by KSI featuring YUNGBLUD and Polo G at #29, “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo at #34, “We’re Good” by Dua Lipa at #35, “Anyone” by Justin Bieber at #40, “Black Hole” by Griff at #41, “All You Ever Wanted” by Rag’n’Bone Man at #43, “WITHOUT YOU” by the Kid LAROI at #44, “Binding Lights” by the Weeknd at #46, “Goosebumps” by HVME and Travis Scott at #47, “6 for 6” by Central Cee at #48, “Medicine” by James Arthur at #49, “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK at #50, “Met Him Last Night” by Demi Lovato featuring Ariana Grande at #54 off of the debut, “Paradise” by MEDUZA and Dermot Kennedy at #58, Doja Cat’s “Streets” at #60 and “Best Friend” with Saweetie at #61, “Tonight” by Ghost Killer Track featuring D-Block Europe at #62, “Get Out My Head” by Shane Codd at #63, “Beautiful Mistakes” by Maroon 5 featuring Megan Thee Stallion at #66, “Track Star” by Mooski at #67, “Headshot” by Lil Tjay, Fivio Foreign and Polo G at #73, “What Other People Say” by Sam Fischer and Demi Lovato at #74 and finally, whatever’s left of Drake as “What’s Next” is at #68 and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” with Rick Ross is at #70.

Our gains are arguably more interesting, as it’s impressive to climb five spots or higher or reach the top 40 for the first time in the midst of all this nonsense. Therefore, we do have just a few gains, those being “Runaway” by AURORA at #51 off of the debut, “Nice to Meet Ya” by Wes Nelson featuring Yxng Bane making a surprise attack at the top 40 going to #39 off of the debut, “Good Without” by Mimi Webb at #18 and “Ferrari Horses” by D-Block Europe and RAYE continuing its gains up to #16. That’s pretty much it – still took a while – so let’s get through those 14 new arrivals, huh? God help me.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 – “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)” – Fred again.. and The Blessed Madonna

Produced by Boston Bun and Fred again..

This is one of the songs that really padded out our new arrivals list – to explain, a lot of the time, these songs were released weeks ago and only now gain enough traction to debut within the top 75 and hence be discussed by me. This one just happens to have popped up in a week where everything is going on already so it kind of gets lost in incoherency but regardless, this is a song from Ed Sheeran’s producer Fred Gibson, who I refuse to call by his stage name, from his most recent project featuring vocals from The Blessed Madonna, most commonly known right now as the producer and DJ behind the club mix edition of Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia and hence the “Levitating” remix with Missy Elliott and, well, actual Madonna. The song itself is one I’m surprised is about anything but has these mostly spoken word vocals about how we as a world have “lost dancing” to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as hugs, and, well, that’s all she decides to elaborate about. She also guarantees that once everything is over, “what comes next will be marvellous”. Whilst I appreciate the sentiment, I think it’s almost a dangerous promise, given that we’ll be in this pandemic for longer than anyone expected and it’s pretty evident that we’ll still be keeping to social distancing as the vaccine roll-out continues all throughout this year. At this point, we’re still in lockdown and international travel will still be stunted for years after the fact. This song feels like The Blessed Madonna getting on her pedestal about the arts and their impact on people without going into any detail that warrants the soapbox, bizarrely over some synth-heavy deep house beat that decides to do little more than flutter through the entirety of the five-minute runtime. Yeah, this is pretty insufferable. Next.

#71 – “Slumber Party” – Ashnikko featuring Princess Nokia

Produced by CallMeTheKidd

Okay, so TikTok picks this one up and the label then decides to push this over “Deal with It”, a brilliant pop song that was right there and already had the high-budget video to boot? Regardless, this is taken from Ashnikko’s debut mixtape of sorts, Demidevil, and whilst as a whole the project does little more than act as harmless fun guising as anything more, a couple of the singles are genuinely pretty great, including this one, which seems to be a break-out hit for rapper Princess Nokia. This song relies on the jerkiness of its almost DJ Mustard-esque club beat and that warped might-be-a-flute loop to support Ashnikko’s similarly sloppy delivery, which decides to be as in character in possible – of which I mean that it is obnoxious and frankly ridiculously stupid. This isn’t a “slumber party” at all, and whilst the childish implications are if anything kind of unnerving, there is a lot of fun to be had here if you get past the “kawaii hentai boobies” in the chorus. Nokia’s verse continues the album’s general early 2000s aesthetic with her referencing many hits and singers from that time period in a pretty slick albeit one-and-done verse that should really be extended further than it is. I mean, I would have preferred that to Ashnikko’s second verse comparing her girlfriend to the little girl from The Addams Family, before mentioning how her eyes go black when she orgasms and that her spit tastes like Juicy Fruit gum. Okay, so when it comes to filthy lesbian rap I think I prefer acts like BASSIDE but for what it’s worth, this is surreal and fun enough for me to like. I hope it does well, but know she has better songs even on that same tape.

#69 – “Versus” – SL and M1llionz

Produced by Lucas Dante and Yng Cld

Oh, hey, another drill track by two guys produced by two guys for two guys to rap about how cool it is to be the two guys they are. I guess the gimmick here is that the single actually has an instrumental version as well for whatever reason; I guess they want people to remix the track. That would make sense, as this beat is immediately recognisable from that chipmunk squeak of a glitched vocal sample they use. In fact, I think I prefer the instrumental version because when those booming 808s come in, it hits really hard especially with the scattering drill percussion. SL and M1llionz are trading bars here in what is basically one verse and it’s not like they’re saying nothing of interest here as there is a viable enough amount of detail here in these bars about exactly what you’d expect. But that’s exactly what it is: exactly what you’d expect. By the first verse, you’ve already heard SL talk about watching The Boondocks and that’s about as interesting as it gets. Sure, the interplay between the two guys in this case is pretty smooth, but it goes on for about a minute too long and M1llionz has a lot more charisma than SL so it does feel like half the song is wasted away. The producers know that too, as they decide to fade the song out very quickly after M1llionz stops rapping his final bars. This is fine – on some days, I’d probably call it really good – but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.

#64 – “Starstruck” – Years & Years

Produced by Mark Ralph and Nathaniel Ledwidge

We’re not even out of that bottom third of the chart and we’ve still got a lot ahead of us before we get above that point. Here, we have “Starstruck”, sadly not the Lady Gaga or 3OH!3 song but instead the first officially solo song by Years & Years, which is now just frontman Olly Alexander after his bandmates’ departure, similar to Panic! at the Disco except the members seem to be on good terms, or Ritt Momney, except no one here is a Mormon missionary... yet. Whilst you could see this from a mile away if you had listened to that last album, it would be deceiving to say it’s only Olly this time around as he’s enlisted several outside producers and writers to craft a pretty straightforward love song. Well, is it any good? I’m not entirely sold on it, mostly because it seems to reject all of the lyrical intrigue there was in those past two albums – at least intermittently – for a pretty generic if not pure and lovely content, with the most interesting of lyrics being about sipping his partner up like cosmic juice, which I’ll admit got a laugh out of me. It is fitting for how this janky dance-pop song sounds as sonically it’s kind of a quirky mess with a lot of bassy grooves in the verses only to be replaced by a shiny synth blend that completely shrouds the chorus in video game sound effects and French house-esque filter effects. This sound is very much a late-2000s early-2010s throwback in some ways and throwing it back even further in others, which creates an interesting sound but not enough to not let this become easily stale after just the second chorus, especially if it’s going to purposefully fumble its climax for an awkward build-up that involves basically revealing the drop measures before it should have. Yeah, I want to like this but it just seems kind of confused as it is. I’m still going to listen to that third album whenever it comes, but I’m somewhat disappointed with this lead single thus far.

#57 – “Lingo” – Deno featuring J.I. the Prince of NY and Chunkz

Produced by Da Beatfreakz

Alright, so British rapper Deno has enlisted New York rapper J.I. – who I refuse to call by his full stage name – and Chunkz, who I’m pretty sure is some YouTuber, to hop on a beat from DaBeatfreakz, specifically this watery R&B beat with vocal loops drowned out by bass and some awkward mixing. Deno isn’t much of a presence in the verse or chorus, J.I. talks about some girl not chewing him right and Chunkz, who sounds awful on any beat with the whiny Auto-Tuned mumble, somehow doesn’t say anything of interest despite being the semi-professional comedian of these three guys, or at least not before Deno takes over his verse and they all give up for the last couple measures. Yes, that was one sentence – this song doesn’t deserve much more.

#56 – “Shy Away” – twenty one pilots

Produced by Tyler Joseph

I’ve never been that big a fan of twenty one pilots, but I was actually pretty fond of her most recent album, Trench. What fascinates me about them is how they seemed to have done really well for themselves that one time in the Blurryface era and have coasted off the success of that to fund some of their more out-there and experimental musical aspirations. I don’t think they’re looking for big hits anymore – which is good because this won’t be one – but people will always be looking out for what they do next, and they’ve just announced a new album coming soon with this as the lead single. Thankfully, it’s not that COVID-19 pandemic pandering from last year which got on my nerves a lot more than it should. “Shy Away”, instead, goes for... 1980s dance-punk, because, of course. I do love that jerky synth lead and how well it’s backed by that chugging bass and percussion, which we’ll always know is organic coming from Josh Dun. The song itself is a somewhat vague motivational track but not for no reason, as these lyrics actually originated from when Tyler Joseph was giving advice to his brother, a budding musician, trying to get him to see himself in a new light and find his unique purpose in music and not to “shy away” from continuing with his dreams. I can get behind that, especially if it’s going to have squealing guitar segues, an infectious power-pop chorus that will probably not leave my head for a long time and the excellent swell of guitars in that third verse before the brief breakdown in the post-chorus with all those squibbling synth effects. It’s just a wonderfully constructed song on all accounts, even if it sacrifices some of that unique personality we usually get from Tyler for the sake of making a tighter pop-rock song.

#52 – “You Belong with Me” (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift

Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe

I guess the best place to start with these re-recordings is the original song, which I’ve never liked. I’ve never seen a reason to enjoy Taylor’s entitled adolescent whining over some pretty garbage production making what may as well be organic country instrumentation sound like MIDI tracks. She doesn’t deliver a particularly good vocal performance, or at least one good enough to excuse “She wear short skirts, I wear T-shirts, she’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers”. There isn’t enough detail to make this seem like a toxic relationship so she ends up just sounding bratty. This new version, from a matured Taylor Swift a decade later, has decided not to change any of these lyrics and it just sounds worse coming from a Taylor who clearly knows a lot better and is in a happy relationship. Okay, the instrumentation sounds a lot more organic and has more of a groove than it used to, with some more intricate production moments that are cool, but that’s really the only change that improves on an already mediocre song. Taylor’s voice has improved a lot since that original recording but so has she, and her selling these lyrics with as much conviction while in her 30s just ends up sounding sad. It only makes sense to “reclaim” these songs if you’re going to try and make them your own again, and not representative of someone I don’t think Taylor is anymore. Alas, it’s listenable, but this could have been one of the more interesting re-recordings and nothing was done with it past the better mixing and a pretty epic guitar solo, even if it does feel unwarranted by the content.

#42 – “Way Too Long” – Nathan Dawe, Anne-Marie and MoStack

Produced by Scribz Riley, Tré Jean-Marie, Nathan Dawe and GRADES

For someone who is solely a producer and DJ, I say that’s two or three too many credited producers, but regardless, before we get to more Taylor Swift, which we will eventually, we’ve got some leftover house track with B-list stars that starts with the words, “Hey, yo, yo, it’s Stack Rack”. With that said, I actually kind of like this song with its strings swelling more than the usual track and its bass-heavy club groove in the verses being more complex in its percussion, especially when the sound design is that interesting in the second half of the verse as all of these effects and different synth patterns occur in the back of the mix, which kind of lets me forgive how anti-climactic the drop is. It’s not really an EDM song as much as it’s a light-hearted pop track and Anne-Marie isn’t taking it as seriously as she could, especially on that vocoder-drop chorus, which makes the song a lot more fun that it should be. MoStack is who really shines on this track though, as his verse is – probably unintentionally – very funny, as he twists the meaning of the song to a phallic joke, happily engages in monogamy, particularly with every British pop-star he can think of and says “forget quality, I want quantity”. He just lists famous singers by the end of this verse that he finds attractive and is completely gone off the deep-end by the time he’s ignored by Anne-Marie’s swell of a chorus. It’s not a great song and definitely falls into the traps that most EDM does but as it is, it’s a fun track with a surprisingly hilarious and sloppy guest verse from MoStack that I was not expecting, as well as just being inoffensive across the board.

#33 – “Mercury” – Dave featuring Kamal.

Produced by Manny Manhattan and Kyle Evans

Dave released a double A-side single – or at least whatever the equivalent for that is in the streaming age – and this was the less popular track, “Mercury”, with singer Kamal. If you don’t know Dave is, he’s one of the biggest and most celebrated rappers in the UK and this is his first solo release since 2019. I’ve usually been pretty happy with Dave’s releases – hell, Psychodrama was one of my favourite albums of 2019 – but I’m not entirely sure I can endorse this lazy trap beat relying on some gentle but overbearing pianos and groovier bass knocks. Really, the beat is pretty minimal so we can focus on what Dave’s saying, right? Well, we could, but why would we want to? Sure, there’s some good wordplay weaved into here and I don’t dislike his stories about gang violence and paranoia, even if they’re delivered in the most checked-out almost condescending way possible, but I can’t get behind the misogyny that seems to run a lot deeper than it does in typical rap. Sure, he makes the same googly-eyed observations about attractive women, describes some parts of the sex but interestingly not any part he plays, and also describes her as a “work of art”, but this is all after he dismisses women in general for not “forgiving him for his sins”, in some thinly-veiled Ariana Grande reference that leaves me more pissed off than he is, especially since Dave’s not as self-aware as he thinks he is, particularly because he himself can barely forgive himself for his wrongs in that second verse. Instead, he shrouds it in hedonism like any other rapper – what have the women got to do other than make good decisions for themselves about who they sleep with? He doesn’t go into disgusting detail like Digga D on “Toxic” but it rubs me the wrong way, especially if he’s going to then complain about the myth that is cancel culture. If this comes from a genuine place where he was genuinely attacked for something he didn’t deserve the abuse for, I’d understand, but why even complain about the supposed mob of Twitter users when the only tie you have to it is something reported on your brother by the right-wing press that everyone ignored? Other than missing the point terribly, it’s not like this song is catchy or notable. Even he acknowledges that this five-minute bore wouldn’t make the album, and it’s for good reason.

#32 – “Anywhere Away from Here” – Rag’n’Bone Man and P!nk

Produced by Rag’n’Bone Man, Mike Elizondo and Ben Jackson-Cook

So this is Rag’n’Bone Man’s second single from that upcoming album, or at least the second to chart, and after the surprisingly great post-punk rocker that was “All You Ever Wanted”, I’m excited to hear what a duet with P!nk could sound like. After all, they’re both rougher voices in the pop sphere, even if P!nk’s been doing it for much longer. Sadly, it’s a ballad... not to say they can’t do ballads well but this is a pretty minimal piano-lead track with some really badly mixed vocals from Rag’n’Bone Man as he channels an unintelligible Dave Grohl that’s way too loud in the mix, especially when the strings come in and cloud the mix. I do like the content once again with Rag’n’Bone Man as he continues to discuss the careless days of his youth, but this is more about growing older and eventually growing discontent with that lifestyle and each other, just wanting to be somewhere else. P!nk delivers this in a way that’s a lot more flattering to her voice and the instrumental, but when the borderline choir vocals come in with those terribly-mixed harmonies between the two and that pointless bridge, I give up on this song. It just refuses to go anywhere, I’m sorry, and it had a lot of potential but these voices don’t particularly mesh together especially over some basic piano and strings. This could have been great and as is, is less than mediocre.

#30 – “Mr. Perfectly Fine” (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – Taylor Swift

Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff

I didn’t listen to the re-recorded version of Fearless; instead I just listened to the six or so bonus “from the vault” tracks because that’s the only new content and I’m not big on any of it. It sounds exactly as you’d expect a 31-year-old woman reciting lyrics she wrote and shelved when she was a teenager, not even thinking they were good enough to release then, decades after the fact, and most of the songs just aren’t interesting at all. I think “Bye Bye Baby” is a great pop song but besides that there’s nothing much to enjoy in these tracks, at least from me. I know that Taylor’s biggest fans will love how she re-recorded leaked and rumoured songs that had been circulating but as someone detached from that, it does nothing for me. This song in particular is about Joe Jonas, because, of course, it was, and it’s a petty, sarcastic break-up song Taylor should be able to deliver confidently but ends up falling flat based on almost that awful verse melody alone, which is just janky, unpleasant and stretched out to the point of annoyance, especially if it’s going to be produced this well. She dug up this track seemingly only to get Antonoff on the record, and, sure, the chorus is catchy and has that one great moment with those crashing guitars, but it enjoys killing its momentum as soon as it gets going... for five minutes. Yeah, I’m sorry but I’m not interested in what was left on the cutting room floor a decade separated from the release of this re-recording, especially if this fully-fleshed instrumentation does little more than distract from how dreadfully boring this song is. Wake me up when she re-records Speak Now or especially reputation, because that will truly be fascinating.

#10 – “Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat featuring SZA

Produced by tizhimself, Carter Lang, Rogét Chahayed and Yeti Beats

I’ve forgotten to mention that three of those 14 new arrivals actually debuted in the top 10 this week, meaning, yes, whilst we’re nearly done, we’ve still got a lot to cover and we start with what seems to be the lead single from Doja Cat’s upcoming album, as she enlists SZA to assist her on this classily unclassy disco-pop song. Those main guitars do sound great, especially with Doja’s signature cooing over them, and that’s before we get to that slick pink disco groove not dissimilar to “Say So” but with a tighter, fun bassline and how quickly Doja strips off the subtlety. I could do without that mess of a post-chorus that is just a blend of too many, not very great vocal takes, but I do love how it leads into Doja’s unsubtle sex bars that actually go into some interesting detail, but not as much SZA being kind of filthy but also delivering a pretty great vocal performance, even if she starts with asking her partner for that “gushy stuff”. I do find it odd that it decides to censor “dick” of all words, but this production is great and I actually particularly like that final chorus and post-chorus once SZA starts harmonising on it. As is, it’s a pretty tight and likeable disco jam from two charismatic performers... co-written by Dr. Luke. Goddamn it, Doja, I don’t know what contract he’s got you in but Jesus, someone do something about that.

#9 – “Titanium” – Dave

Produced by Kyle Evans and P2J

This is our second Dave song and obviously the more successful of the two, at about three minutes shorter – thankfully – debuting in the top 10. It’s much better than “Mercury”, even if the song literally starts with him bragging about not needing vibrators to make his girlfriend orgasm. That said, the lyrics here are actually a lot slicker, flowing much like he did on “Streatham” as he lists so many precious metals you’d think he’s Bender. I do like the intricacies in these lyrics, even if he doesn’t really adapt it into any wordplay. He mentions how awkward that it is that his neighbours are going to vote Conservative as he brags in an almost freestyle-like structure in the single verse he spits, which has a couple flow switches and a lot more empty space than it should for a beat this awkwardly mixed, as whilst I like the trap percussion here, it really does not sound that great over borderline MIDI pianos. The little string inflections and drum fills here are cool though, and those intricacies are what makes Dave’s verse so interesting, as he foreshadows his bar about Tyson Fury with an ad-lib that Fury used himself as a build-up for his boxing matches. His JAY-Z references are also on point and pretty clever, it’s just that there’s still not much to this past that and I’m left pretty underwhelmed with these releases from Dave, even if they’re not from that next album, whenever that’s coming.

#3 – “RAPSTAR” – Polo G

Produced by Einer Bankz and Synco

Well, Lil Tjay debuted at #2 a couple weeks ago so I guess it’s only fair for his fellow “Pop Out” rapper, and the one I personally immensely prefer, Polo G to have his surprise, kind-of-out-of-nowhere top 5 debut. Much like “MONTERO”, this track was being teased for nearly a year, having first been shown as an acoustic collaboration with professional ukulele player – yes, seriously – Einer Bankz, who’s also credited with production here, in May of 2020. Just shy of a year afterwards, we get “RAPSTAR”, in the same vein of other all-caps trap songs about musical success like “ROCKSTAR” or “POPSTAR”. Maybe next we’ll get “NEOCLASSICAL DARK WAVESTAR”. Regardless, this song is basically just about being epic and Polo G can effectively sell that even in his more basic flexing because of that intermittent detail like when he says the only woman he talks to is Siri, which isn’t even a brag or a flex, more a sad admission of his crippling loneliness which I don’t think was intended. He also does more than empty flexing, discussing his past drug addictions and how he coped with that alongside all of the struggles he had to overcome at the same time. That second verse may start with him saying he’s 2Pac reborn but it goes a lot deeper into his anxieties than I expected. All of this is over a melancholy guitar-based beat with some great bass and better mixing than is expected of these pop-trap singles, even if it’s still far from perfect. Those eerie vocal loops in the background add a lot to this song and I think that chorus has a pretty great build-up, even if the percussion may seem a bit too basic and uncomplicated as an effective drop. I can’t really complain about this at all, though, as it is really good for what it is and I’m glad it’s this high.

Conclusion

And with that, I’m finally, FINALLY finished with scouring through these new arrivals and I’ll admit that it was less of a mixed bag and more of a generally positive week, at least for me, as I found more I liked than anything I disliked, particularly with Best of the Week as that goes to twenty one pilots for “Shy Away”, with the Honourable Mention going to Ashnikko’s “Slumber Party” featuring Princess Nokia, although there’s a lot to praise on the charts this week. In terms of Worst of the Week, it’s probably going to go to Fred again.. and The Blessed Madonna for “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)”, with a Dishonourable Mention for, sadly, Dave’s “Mercury” featuring Kamal. I would like to note that Taylor Swift was awfully closer than she should be to getting that this week. Here’s this week’s top 10:

What to expect from this week? Gosh, I don’t know. AJ Tracey? Young Thug? Either way, we’ll see whatever happens to all this – whether it gets flooded out or they all end up sticking around – next week, so I’ll see you then. Thanks for reading.

[placetobenation]

Happy (sort of) Independence Day to all! As we discuss in this space every year, yours truly is a man of traditions and there is no tradition greater than crushing hot dogs all day and night during a summer cookout, meaning the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is as peak tradition as it gets. And I am here for you to review this epic event each and every year! As usual, we are coming to you live (via tape for me now, natch) from the home of the contest and the original Nathan’s Famous in Brooklyn on Coney Island. And this year, ESPN has moved the full replay of this event to ESPN+, so I had to sign up for the free trial of that grift just to do this. You’re welcome.

We open up our coverage with one of our usual epic intro packages, this one putting some focus on the greatest carnival barker of all time: George FUCKING Shea. I say it every year, but if you are to watch this thing for one reason, it should be for George, who we see high above the masses on a pulpit pitching his pitch for this contest of kings. That is followed by a look back at the key players and their history with the contest and their path to today. That includes the infamous 2015 battle where Matthew Stonie knocked off the GOAT Joey Chestnut, handing him his only loss over the past 11 years. And last year, Chestnut broke his own record with 72 dogs taken down. This recap tries hard to make us think Stonie and Carmen Cincotti have a shot today but time will tell.

Adam Amin and Rich Shea officially welcome us into Coney Island and narrate us through the arrival of the competitors. Amin is new to the show, replacing our old friend Paul Page. I assume Pauly must be in a hospital somewhere because I can’t imagine how that guy would miss this event. Page compares Chestnut to other sports legends and the titles they have won. We also check out the historical hot dogs eaten chart for the career of Chestnut.

We then visit with our intrepid sideline reporter Melanie Collins, who is back for year #4. And just in case you forgot what we are working with there, here you go…

Hi, Mel. Melanie chats with Chestnut, who is fired up and says he won’t be lazy today and is interested if Cincotti can break 70. Melanie breaks down the conditions for us and its possible affect on Joey. What a fucking pro. And while we talk about Matt Stonie’s YouTube success and dramatic drop off here in Brooklyn over the past two years, let’s just pay tribute to our favorite Nathan’s Famous sideline reporter of all time. The First Lady of Salty, Cobbled Together Meatlike Products Consumption Contests, the gorgeous Renee Herlocker.

Renee is gone. I’m pouring beer out for my shorty who ain’t here. Give it up for my shorty. Renee. We get more talk pushing the cases of Cincotti and others, as Adam and Rich think this is the dopest field we have seen in quite some time. I will believe it when I see it, boys.

After a break, we check out some clips from promotion work the competitors have done and it is really clear that Cincotti is getting the Jesus Push as the top contender yet again this year. It is a lot of pressure and the biggest story of the day may be whether or not he can hold up. That is followed up by a look hyping the women’s competition, focusing on our reigning champ Miki Sudo, who has won the last four Mustard Belts after dethroning Sonia Thomas. We transition right into brief highlights of the women’s battle, which featured very little drama. Sudo won it again, outpacing second place by nine dogs but also matching her second lowest total of her run. The heat certainly played a role there, I am sure.

Congrats, Miki! Hopefully they can find a legit challenger to her soon before she just keeps piling up these straps. We do find out that her family was in attendance for the first time today, so that is cool. Mel chats with Miki, who says she knew she had a strong lead and just kept pace enough to win. She joins Chestnut and Kobayashi as the only five time champions here in Brooklyn.

Melanie returns and walks us through a video profile on Cincotti, the local hero done well. Of course, fittingly he was born on the Fourth of July and has risen the ranks of competitive eating as the years have ticked along. We get words from his family, including his mom, who wasn’t happy that she funded his college tuition and then went into competitive hot dog eating, but she seems proud nonetheless. Today on his 25th birthday, he goes for the gold.

Upon returning from a break, we get a plug for American Cornhole League action and then get an in depth package on Mr. Chestnut himself, including talk about all his head-to-head wars with Kobayashi. That is immediately followed by a hype piece on Japanese import Max Suzuki, a YouTube sensation that prefers Ramen noodles as his gluttonous delicacy of choice. He qualified for this contest by knocking down 42 dogs in the Las Vegas qualifier and credits Kobayashi as his inspiration and hero.

And after a break it is now time for the competitors to enter… and as always, I implore you to watch this part for yourselves because no man can do the Immortal George Shea justice as he does his thing. The field:

Matt Hazzard: Qualified in Valdosta, GA by finishing off 22 dogs and buns

Derek Jacobs: A weightlifter that won a Kroeger Contest and for some reason, he is barefoot

Juan Neave: Won the San Antonio qualifier and has a multicolored mohawk

Adrian “The Rabbit” Morgan: #7 in the world; Acme Oyster eating champion, killed 42 dozen in eight minutes

Pablo Martinez: Wearing a Lucha mask for his entrance and is a paranormal investigator

Eric “The Red” Denmark: Habanero eating champion of the world; Won the Portland, OR qualifier

“Buffalo” Jim Reeves:”His good cholesterol is low, his bad cholesterol is high and his BMI is borderline Presidential”

Steve Hendry: #16 in the world; 28 dogs and buns in Viejo, CA; has eaten 144 chicken wings

Juan “More Bite” Rodriguez: #12 in the world; personal trainer and won the Des Moines qualifier

Ronnie Hartman: Debuted in 2013 while on leave from Army duty in Afghanistan; training to be a pro wrestler

George Chiger: A massive dude and a rookie who qualified on his fourth try

Nick Wehry: Odds on favorite for MLE Rookie of the Year; won the Citi Field qualifier

Gideon Oji: Ranked #6; Kale eating and green chili stew champion of the world

Eric “Badlands” Booker: The Fucking Man and he and Shea do an awesome combo freestyle rap

Rich “The Locust” LeFevre: #13 and 74 years old; Shea basically says is on his deathbed; Spam eating champion of the world and oldest competitor in 101 year history of the contest

Max Suzuki: #1 in Japan; Has eaten 20 pounds of Ramen

Geoffrey Esper: Pepperoni roll and pizza eating champion of the world

Darron Breeden; Uses the “Tallahassee Two Hand” method

Matt Stonie: #2 in the world; 2016 Nathan’s Champion; Shea is fucking amazing here too

Carmen Cincotti: “He was born on the Fourth of July but this day is a vessel of pain”

Joey Chestnut: The GOAT

This was all worth watching just for the Booker & Shea freestyle battle. What a fucking moment. We also get a neat scroll of all the records Chestnut holds. A true legend of space and time. And after this next break, the 101st Nathan’s Contest will kick off!

We return with one last hype video including a Badlands Booker rap and then it is officially time to light this candle. The clock winds up and away we go! Chestnut is burying processed meat off the bat as we learn that Joey has his own dedicated camera on ESPN3 like the fucking legend he is. Everyone is chugging along at a solid pace to start as usual, with Chestnut setting the pace as usual. The announcers discuss how relaxed Stonie was this week and that could come into play and toss out a potential comparison of Nick Foles beating Tom Brady. Stonie, Suzuki and Cincotti have all passed Chestnut but that is short lived, natch. Stonie is on fire here as we tick two minutes in. Some of these dudes have earbuds in, which is pretty cool. They should do a segment on what they prefer to listen to. Stonie and Chestnut are neck and neck now, and this is a nice bounce back for Matty after a weak showing a year ago.

As we duck below seven minutes, Cincotti is struggling, perhaps crumbling under all the hype and birthday expectations. Joey is at 27, averaging about 7.75 per minute. He has now opened up a six dog lead over Stonie, who is fading quickly. We are closing in on five minutes and this may already be over as Chestnut is leading Esper by seven with Stonie and Cincotti in sniffing distance. Halfway through, Chestnut is at 37 and Melanie tells us he is behind the pace he figured he needed to break the record. We get some insight on the humidity as Chestnut now leads by 11. Amin is rambling about Liv Tyler as this thing is all but over, leaving the record as the only point of question. Shea talks about Chestnut’s training and prep this week, which is more interesting than the contest. Chestnut is at 48 with three minutes to go so he will need to rally pump some meat down to take this record.

Stonie and Cincotti oscillate for second but are trailing by deep double digits now. Shea wonders how many eaters can hit 50 and reminds us that those beyond the winner also get prize money, so finishing high means more cash. We are under two minutes and Joey is sitting in the mid-50s, he has some legit work to do to get the record, but we can never count him out. Amin and Shea are all over the place as we hit the final minute. Chestnut is at 58 and leading by 19 with 60 seconds to go. “The esophagus of a champion, the stomach of a warlord” says Shea, and who can argue with him. Joey is destroying the field but is only at 62 with 15 seconds left so the record looks safe for this year. Time bleeds out and Chestnut locks up his 11th title with a 19 dog win. What a master of his craft. Cincotti finished second at least, so nice rally there.

We wrap things up with Mel chatting with Chestnut, who talks about battling the humidity and says the judges were a mess and couldn’t keep track but he fought through. We also now find out that Chestnut actually wrecked 74 hot dogs, which would be the record. Looks like that unofficial tracker was way off then. Chestnut celebrates while Amin and Shea wrap us up and we are out.

This was a lot of fun as always thanks to George Shea and the production but we need some legit threats to both belts at some point. Seeing Chestnut smash records is fun, but without a real foe the contests are anticlimactic. And we didn’t even get to enjoy the buzz of the record falling this year because of the judge and tracker issues. All that said, this is still one of my favorite events of the year and I am already prepping for 2019! All hail Joseph Chestnut, the once and future king of processed meats!