#but i've been listening to welcome to the black parade and!! it still is absolutely a makoto song!!

[kotaerukoto]

>Just a man, not a hero >Just a boy who had to sing this song >He cares very much >The world will never take his heart or break him >He will carry on

[stlaika]

I saw you doing some MCR loveposting and got so excited! I love music so much and it makes me unreasonably happy to see people talking about how much they love it too. You are NOT pretentious and never will be, you deserve to talk about the things you like with passion and respect!!!

How do you feel about The Black Parade, as a concept album? I've always been into albums that tell stories and I love hearing what other people think about TBP, since it's so open to personal interpretation!! :0

Firstly that is SO sweet of you to say oh my god,,,,, i really appreciate it man bc ive been feeling VERY weird abt this particular interest of mine ayejdhisj,,,, thank you so much <3 !!

Secondly you have awakened a BEAST so i apologize in advance

ROIGHT. THE BLACK PARADE....

I LOVE the fuckin black parade man, altho its not my favorite concept album by mcr [that title belongs to danger days] its p high up there still.

The thing about TBP is that gerard way's penchant for storytelling really shines thru in this album, bc you can really feel the sort of..anger and anguish and eventual acceptance that the dying man of this story is feeling. It's absolutely mcr's most,,, whats the word. Musically diverse? Argh idk what the word is but they definitely experimented w different styles for this album [see: cancer, bits and pieces of mama, blood, and the first half of welcome to the black parade in particular].

Cancer in particular is a really good example of this bc it swaps out their usual guitars for a softer piano, and it really adds to like. The emotional rawness of that song yknow? Particularly w the way gerard's voice is so. Augh i wouldn't say growly but its like..rough and emotional and it just. Makes the song so fuckin moving to hear [Frank iero my friend frank iero cant listen to it without crying which says a lot when you know hes been w mcr for 20 years]

NOW. ONTO THE CROWNING FUCKIN JEWEL OF THIS ALBUM. WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE!!

My god am I truly an mcr fan if i dont wax poetic abt this song at least once? Anyway GSKSJ

The thing abt wttbp is that its structured like bohemian rhapsody, which is smth i noticed after my week long binge session of their albums. The marching band opening of wttbp is like the classicl choral/opera style of the opening of borhap, the swap to rock halfway thru is used in both, and theres that section around the middle point [the im just a boy section in wttbp] that once again shifts the musical style of the song [and focuses on ray toro's absolutely BRILLIANT fuckin shredding, god bless that man]. Theres also the fade out w music similar to the intro, and combine all of that w the fact that queen was one of mcr's inspirations and you can see my point. Theres also the fact its the band's most well known song, and even ppl who've never heard of the band know the song [again, much like borhap]

Like ALL of mcr's albums theres this like. Powerful mix of emotions that makes itself known throughout the album. Whether it's the resigned, bittersweet goodbye of cancer, the almost hysterical anger and self deprecation of dead!, or the apologies and declaration of death being inevitable in mama, each track carries parts of the emotional progress of the dying man TBP is written from the perspective of, and portrays it in such a way that even at its most abstract its just. SO clear what this man is feeling and what the band is trying to convey,,,, AUGH

AUGH!! i love mcr man its such an incredible fuckin band and the just. The fact that the members are just such ordinary people who really poured their hearts and souls into every song they wrote [to quote ray toro: "it all started to make sense. Now i know why we're here"],,,,,,,,,,, they really are the band that changed the world dude like i cant talk about them without getting worked up. Mx way if you can hear me you did it man

[mxrisacoulter]

hey if you were allocating the 12 down to 1 points for this year's finale how would you allocate them?

Sorry this took so long to answer I've been thinking™ v carefully about this. My opinions have changed a lot from first listens with staging and stuff, but this is where I've ended up. Also sorry this is so long lmao

12. Zitti e Buoni - Måneskin (Italy)

I know I stopped posting about them on this blog but they were v seggsy and I liked the song and the vibe and they're the first act I've voted for in a long time

10. El Diablo - Elena Tsagrinou (Cyprus)

Ok ideologically I don't agree with Cyprus just sending Fuego-lite every year, but the on repeat playlist is not lying and this is definitely my favourite girlboss song of the night. They also didn't do that well so morally I feel ok putting it high

8. Dark Side - Blind Channel (Finland)

Idk what to tell you guys I've just been going through a 2005 emo stage recently. Welcome to the Black Parade was in the on repeat playlist last month, so that gives you an idea of where I am mentally

7. SHUM - Go_A (Ukraine)

You're probably going to unfollow me for putting this so low, but there are a lot this year that I love. This one definitely grew on me and is a certified bop. Also maybe the best staging? Anyway this is the last one in the on repeat playlist, so we're going rouge from here

6. Loco Loco - Hurricane (Serbia)

Ok so Elena's only my favourite girlboss (singular) bc this band has girlbosses (plural). Idk just great vibes and a certified bop. They're having a fun time. That video of one of them just talking about Damiano for way too long. Definitely the group I want to be in the most.

4. Voilà - Barbara Parvi (France)

I know it's a ballad, but I fancy girls and you can't just put someone who's exactly my type in front of me and expect me to just ignore that. I loved the drama of the song and her outfit and the staging and also her entire looklab interview makes my heart go !!!!!!!!

4. 10 Years - Dadi Freyr (Iceland) (sorry my keyboard doesn't have the proper characters :()

Love this guy. Again great vibes and I feel very bad that they've basically would've won last year and then couldn't even perform this year cause covid rip. I don't think I love love this song or Think About Things, but maybe that's because my heart is still owned by Iceland's 2019 entry Hatari. I loved the keyboard circle thing tho that was iconic

3. Russian Woman - Manizha (Russia)

The staging really sold me on this one. That moment where she turns round to the wall behind her and all the other woman are singing - chefs kiss

2. Tour l'univers - Gjon's Tears (Switzerland)

Similar reasons to Barbara tbh with the drama and the staging and the outfit, but also idk he just cracks me. His Eurovision things last year were just iconic as well I'm just always thinking about his goats

1. Birth of a New Age - Jeangu Macrooy (The Netherlands)

Bit of a wild card option cause I know it did really badly, but this song was so underrated. It's unique and it was a bop. I can kind of understand why it did badly cause Europe is racist but yeah I think it's the one of the four that didn't deserve the 0 points from the public

Gotta give some honourable mentions to Montaigne, who didn't qualify but who's songs I loved both years and seems so sweet, and Jendrik, who's song I can't stand, but who just seemed to be having the best time and like went out of his way to make everyone else's experience great so

Also shout-out to Omaga by Benny Cristo (who's turquoise carpet interview I also highly enjoyed) for giving me my favourite lyrics of the year: 'You say you gained a few pounds, you blame the apocalypse, but there's no apocalypse long as you're here on my lips'. Absolute poetry.