#first listen

[woundlingus]

Oh how Hozier has written an album about the absolute worst humanity has to offer, all our sins and crimes laid bare, and he says you are forgiven with so much tenderness. This is what makes you human. This is what makes you complex in the most beautiful ways. Look at the tragedy around you, and look at the survivors. Aren’t you all just so beautiful in your efforts to strive forward and begin again.

[duckies27]

*16 minutes into OUAW*

So Gideon and Kremy are really just in love right away? Slay kings

[notesonartistry]

Cassandra

There's so many names in this album. More than any other. The burden of being the person trying to tell people something they don't want to hear. And then the outrage when what she's saying actually happens, but there's no apology or acknowledgement that she was mistreated.

[mindlessmusicindulgence]

No wait because Butchered Tongue being about the seventh circle of hell

Violence

but having an underlying message of the importance of language to culture and how languages are stripped from native cultures as an act of violence and suppression

[randomslasher]

I kinda want to slap Jonathan in The Magnus Archives. Is that normal in S1? He’s skeptical to the point of obnoxious almost. 

[artemisandhersilverbow]

I'll tell you something 'bout my good name It's mine alone to disgrace

are you KIDDING ME *weeps*

[merylodrama]

COWBOY CARTER Beyoncé — 2024

★★★★☆

Beyoncé is back. And what a comeback! A new heavily country inspired album that took 10 years to create. With A-list guests and a brand new experience for us to live : the KNTRY radio station is now airing with 'Yoncé experimenting again with sounds and genres in a brand new way, this time with country.

Almost two years after the release of RENAISSANCE, she comes back stronger as ever on AMERIICAN REQUIEM, a track that merges what Beyoncé is at her best with a new take on country, harmonies and synths. A really strong start that sets the tone as well as the level for the rest of the album.

The record being driven with numerous interludes keeps the listener captivated throughout the 78 minutes album. Every track sounds like a new experience taking us to new horizons while still letting the project remain cohesive and sounding like a fresh take on country music.

This album feels like it's a great celebration of country music all while experimenting on new ways of blending it with modern music. It also is a (re)claim of country music and culture which history roots back heavily to black people. Everybody remembers how her song Daddy Lessons got received by Americans in 2016. COWBOY CARTER is her way of saying a big F*CK YOU in the face of anybody saying that she doesn't belong to the genre.

At first, this album might not be as ground breaking as act i — which was pushing the boundaries of pop music with modern takes on house music — but act ii is definitely doing it too in its own way.

The production is very pleasing, well written and touching lyrics over beautifully crafted harmonies on top of well thought melodies are what drives the project.

While trying to experiment, it sometimes feels like it's a bit too much, especially on tracks such as SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIN' that can feel like it's messy or OH LOUISIANA that just makes not much sense being just a poorly pitched up sample. The rest of the tracks is pretty solid though.

COWBOY CARTER is a strong record with its own personality and universe on which Beyoncé goes back to her personal roots. It is not her best album ever but if anything, it absolutely solidifies her status as a music legend.

BODYGUARD — 9,8

YA YA — 9,6

JOLENE — 9,5

RIIVERDANCE — 9,4

AMERIICAN REQUIEM — 9,4

TEXAS HOLD 'EM — 9,2

II MOST WANTED — 9,2

BLACKBIRD — 9,0

DAUGHTER — 8,7

AMEN — 8,6

JUST FOR FUN — 8,6

II HANDS II HEAVEN — 8,6

PROTECTOR — 8,4

TYRANT — 8,4

LEVII'S JEANS — 8,2

ALLIGATOR TEARS — 7,9

DESERT EAGLE — 7,4

MY ROSE — 7,3

FLAMENCO — 6,8

SPAGHETTII — 6,1

16 CARRIAGES — 6,0

SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIN' — 5,3

OH LOUISIANA — 3,0

SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON — interlude

DOLLY — interlude

SMOKE HOUR II — interlude

THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW — interlude Total : 8/10

[aizawash0e]

I’m currently obsessed with Hadestown and i need to go see the show omlllll i can’t

i’ve heard of the show before but i finally listened to it on youtube and i literally love musicals yalllll im praying i get to see the show if not i gotta stick with the version og cast i saw on youtube 😩🥹🫶🏾 BUT IVE HEARD JORDAN FISHERS VOICE AND MY GOD I GOTTA GO

[p1nk-pallas]

MICHAEL??? WHO IS THIS MICHAEL AND WHY IS HE EVERYWHERE

Yep I'm listening to this at 5:36am HELLO

[deathby1000sluts]

carpet bed ep is so fucking chill. i dig the acoustic guitar.

[woundlingus]

Oh Hozier and the black gospel music sound of All Things End you’re so so beautiful and powerful that final minute where the choir come in oh it’s enough to make you fall to your knees rapturous

[ratlivesonblog]

Listening to The Magnus Archives, im on ep 33

For now im really liking a lot of the episode even if sometimes i havr to re-listen because i didn't understand either because audio or my brain short circuiting lmao

For now my favourites are Cheating death and Lost John's Cave :D

I also really liked ep 3,7,9,10,11,14,22,23. 26 was also really freaky with everything that happened to sasha

Also 30 and 32. All those are the ones that stuck out to me because one reason or another. Hive is probably a close third ,BUT IDK BECAUSE THE ONES I'VE LISTED ARE BASICALLY ALL IN THIRD PLACE THEY'RE ALL SO GOOD.

(Im doing different spread sheets of information because i KNOW it will connect in some way. And I'll want to know hehhee) Also i really like every character that works at the archive for now Tim my beloved <3 poor Jon almost has a mental breakdown when asked if he could redo the tapes cause of mistakes

[notesonartistry]

Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

oooh, she's brought some of the Mad Woman/Vigilante Shit attitude to this one and it's very bitter towards herself and everyone else. That recurring circus theme and being tamed is prominent again. The reference to the things people accuse her of like suing people is very pointed. "I am what I am cos you trained me".

[tmhdaylight]

1989 tv is sooo good

it’s never been one of my favourite albums but actually sitting down and listening to taylor’s version might have bumped it up a few places for me

i don’t get everyone’s deal with style, it doesn’t sound that different and it’s definitely not bad

all the songs sound either the same or better

the three i was waiting for specifically we’re i know places, clean and new romantics as they’ve always been my faves and taylor really delivered. they all sounded amazing

the vault tracks are also all really good, my faves are say don’t go and now that we don’t talk

also slut! is not what i was expecting at all but i love it

[anoctoberpepper]

Magnus Archives episodes 1-5. Listened to while sorting recycling at a local facility. I am a fan of Martin. I know nothing else about him except he's incompetent, and I'm pre-programmed to root for idiots. Sorry if this ages poorly. The casket episode and the trash episode are my favorites so far. Trash because I too work in garbage and they did a very nice job representing my people. Casket because the slow decline into a life where you just freeze a key out of necessity until it becomes normal is very understandable. I get it on a weirdly visceral level. Loved it. Books are always creepy. Fear them. (This might be a gut reaction from listening to Welcome To Nightvale at an impressionable age) I wonder if this is the one that will be part of the larger plot of the Archives. Speaking of plot, when does this grow one? I'm not usually a fan of one-offs, so I'm trusting ya'll that this thing starts having a throughline.

[scarlet-and-ultraviolet]

I have no words...