#i always wondered how pied piper fit into the album

[frogtansonyeondan]

Idk how I ever thought the LY trilogy was about romantic love. It seems so obvious now that I'm reading the lyrics from a different perspective that it's about the pressures of fame, identity, and their relationship with the fans and each other.

[jungkookienoona]

The Meme and His Tutor

Part 44: The Comeback

Co-written with @jiminieblush​

Recommended Song: Euphoria by Jungkook

|Masterlist|

Summary:

It’s the moment you and the rest of ARMY had been waiting for.

Genre: Fluff, comedy

Pairing: Jungkook X Reader (Y/N)

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 4536

Length: 44/?

The day had finally arrived. The comeback. Jungkook was with his members preparing to do the Vlive comeback show while you curled up on your sofa, laptop hooked up to your tv. Miri was to your left, head propped on your knee, and a bowl of popcorn was on your right. In your hands was your phone that you were furiously typing on. Both you and Chubs were absolutely buzzing with excitement. It was finally happening after literal months of waiting.

You were fully prepared to stay up as late as necessary to get the full experience. Chubs had even made sure she wasn't working so she could experience it all in real time with you. It was a matter of minutes until the hour long live show would begin. Your phone buzzed with a new message and you were surprised to see Jungkook's name flash on the screen. Tapping on the message, you couldn't help but giggle like the fangirl you are.

'Hope you enjoy the new album, Jagi...especially track five... ;) I'll message you after the show!'

Track 5? What was special about track 5? You shrugged, you'd find out soon enough.

'Have fun, BunBun!'

You opened up the chat with Chubs and refreshed the BTS vlive homepage.

'I hope that vlive doesn't crash again like it has done the past few years...'

There was still about another 5 minutes until the show began.

'I wouldn't be surprised. ARMY keeps growing and growing.'

It got you thinking about BTS' growth, and how many fans would flock to them with this comeback, how much it meant to each member. Yoongi was never shy in vocalising his desires to win awards and top charts. This album could do that. Could be all they've ever wanted. You wondered what antics would happen during the show. You reckon you'd die of embarrassment if you were mentioned.

Another message caught your attention:

'ONE MINUTE! ONE MINUTE Y/N! REFRESH!!'

'Holy shit!'

You refreshed the page, being greeted by Jungkook in a suit and glasses sat behind a desk.

"Hello and welcome to Bangtan News. I'm your anchor, Jeon Jeongguk. But you can call me Nochu."

The fucker winked.

"Here is our first story of the day: BTS have dropped their new album."

There were cheers from the other members who were sat out of shot, a hand even shoved Jungkook's shoulder making him grin.

"The music video and album are said to be released at 12.30am Korean Standard Time."

More cheers from the members.

"Many people are excited for its release. I know my wife is."

He tapped his cue cards on the table as writing appeared saying 'Jungkook is not actually married'.

You were dying. An inhuman squeal left your lips. Your phone wouldn't stop buzzing but you didn't want to tear your eyes away from the screen.

"Let me introduce you to some very important guests, 6 out of the 7 Bangtan members! Sadly, the maknae, Jungkook is going to be late."

The camera cut to Namjoon who was beaming, shuffling a stack of cue cards.

"Hello, I'm the leader of BTS, RM."

There were more whoops from around him and then the camera cut to Jin.

"I'm the most handsome member, Jin." He sent his signature flying kiss to the camera.

The camera panned to Yoongi, "Hi, I'm Suga. Nice to see you again."

The poor guy looked so tired yet hyper at the same time with his gummy smile. He must have been up late giving the tracks one final listen then downed a fuck ton of coffee. Hoseok was his usual cheery self introducing himself as 'ARMY's hope and sunshine'. Jimin came next, looking extra tiny in a huge knitted sweater. And then there was Taehyung who was dressed as though ready for bed in a pair of plaid wide leg pants. You really questioned his fashion choices sometimes.

After the introductions, the camera cut back to Jungkook who asked the members to talk about the album and its concept.

Namjoon took the lead, explaining how they transitioned from the success of WINGS to the new album and what they, as a group, wanted to communicate through their music.

"Our Kookie even wrote a song that made it onto the album. Try to guess which one when it's released." Taehyung said, pride clear in his voice.

Jungkook smirked, "Oh really? I bet my wife will love that song, he's her bias after all."

The other members laughed. You, on the other hand, were stunned to silence. Wife?! Why did he keep referring to you, well you hoped it was you, as his wife?! What if people got the wrong impression?

"Your wife might be disappointed Mr Jeon. Our Kookie wrote it for ARMY and his girlfriend."

You hid your face in your hands. This was exactly what you didn't want happening.

Jungkook pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"I don't mind a little bit of healthy competition."

You groaned. He was so silly. Really.

"I think it's time to cut to the Jacket Shooting behind the scenes. It was nice meeting you Mr Jeon but our Jungkook will be joining us after this."

There were more whoops as the camera zoomed out to show all members before cutting to the video. You took a quick second to unlock your phone and scan the spam of messages from Chubs, keeping an eye on the screen. She had been losing her shit over Jungkook referring to you as his wife.

'I fucking hope someone had told him to act like a married news anchor otherwise he us dropping some major hints!'

You tutted.

'HE IS NOT PROPOSING TO ME ANYTIME SOON!'

Her response was instant, 'You sure? Cause he had everything prepared for you to live and study in Korea after you had known each other for 6 months.'

There was too much for you to process to think about a proposal right now.

'Not happening...Jimin is looking rather dapper...focus on him.'

'He looks too fluffy for me to thirst over right now. Bet you're needing to take a dive in the ocean though ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)'

You narrowed your eyes at the screen where Jungkook was striking a pose in a bright yellow t-shirt, hair parted just the way you liked.

'Fuck you, Chubs'

A smile spread across your face at the boys having fun. The clip cut to Hoseok who was giggling to himself.

"Hoseok-ah, what's so funny?" Came from behind the camera.

Hoseok grinned, "Jungkookie messages he noona whenever he gets a break. You can tell from his goofy smile. See."

The camera panned over to Jungkook who went from smiling to posing to take a selca.

With your phone still unlocked, you opened your camera roll and found the exact picture he had taken. Woah. It wasn't very often you got to see the behind the scenes of a selca and the album jacket shooting.

'He's so whipped for you.’

You rolled your eyes at the message and focused on the screen. The members were taking pictures of each other, filling the time between shoots. They were so happy. As a friend, and a fan, it made you also happy to see them just messing around and being themselves while also working hard.

You were surprised with the amount of concepts one album could have. The volume of thought and planning behind it all was incomprehensible to a casual outsider. Even with the behind the scenes, so many pieces of the puzzle were missing.

Another couple of minutes later and the footage cut back to the live show. Jungkook was dressed in more casual clothing, glasses gone and bangs no longer parted. They moved onto talking about the jacket shooting and how it fit with the whole album concept. When saying which style of clothing they preferred, Jungkook didn't surprise you by saying he favoured the more casual sportswear as it was 'super comfy'.

"Jungkook-ah loves baggy clothes. Didn't he wear the outfit the day before so it would smell like her?" Taehyung teased, nudging the bashful maknae.

Jungkook's cheeks turned positively pink as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't say anything, but you knew Taehyung was right.

Jungkook was such a cutie.

Namjoon directed the conversation to the songs, getting the members to discuss each song and what it means. Jimin went first since he had sung the intro solo (the first time for a vocalist to do so) which prompted a series of texts from Chubs who was gushing with pride.

You saw this as an opportunity to get back at her, 'I wonder who he wanted to touch and love him...'

You knew that Namjoon had written the song but he had to have chosen Jimin to sing it for more than just his voice. She sent back an emoji rolling its eyes. You wouldn't let her get off easily.

'What if none of this is a coincidence? What if you being my best friend and Jimin being Jungkook's is destiny?'

A second.

'You're being ridiculous.'

'The Busan boys and the British gals.'

'STOP IT!'

You giggled. 'WHY?! WHAT IF IT'S TRUE? WHAT IF THE SONG IS ABOUT YOU?'

A minute passed.

'If you were actually listening you would have heard Namjoon say he wrote the song months ago, dumbass.'

Ah, shit. You should have assumed he'd tell the audience that.

Your attention turned back to the show as they continued talking about the songs on the album. Yoongi happily explained the message behind the title song. Jin's cheeks dusted pink when he had to talk about the fifth track, Pied Piper, seemingly catching Jungkook's not so innocent smile.

"Uh..." the eldest glanced down at his cue cards then down the line towards the youngest members. "Jungkookie, why don't you tell us a little something about the track you've dubbed your favourite."

Jungkook's smile grew, "Of course, hyung! When you see the song credits, you'll see I'm credited with the chorus-" As he always was. "But the song is about ARMY and how we feel about them."

Hoseok perked up, "Kookie-ah, why don't you give them a sneak peek?"

He nodded.

"It’s bad so it’s better. You know on the inside. You can’t stop it now. So be honest with me~"

The other members whooped and clapped in the background while Jungkook threw a quick wink to the camera. You could feel a heat rising to your cheeks.

"Jungkook wrote the outro song, Euphoria. I believed he described it as 'inspired' by his noona."

Taehyung jumped in, retelling a short story on how he had found Jungkook slumped over his desk one morning having been up most of the night writing. The members 'aw'ed, Jimin reaching over to pinch the maknae's cheek.

"So what about her is inspiring?"

Jungkook knocked Jimin’s hand away and gave an awkward chuckle.

"Everything...?"

Heat filled your cheeks as you broke out into a smile. He was so sweet.

'What does he mean by everything? Has he seen you naked?!'

'NO!'

There was a clearing of a throat and the camera quickly zoomed out, allowing you to see Taehyung and Jimin collapse against each other in laughter, before focusing on a grimacing Yoongi.

"Let's move onto the games, shall we? Since ARMY loved it when we played Twister, Vlive had a bigger mat made for us to use. Try not to sit on Jin's head again Jungkook."

You saw Jungkook's lips move as he mumbled something. Sadly, you only heard muffled gibberish. But if the playful smack Jin gave him was anything to go by, you guessed it was inappropriate. When the mat was bought out you could practically see the competitive fire light up in his eyes. A very attractive look.

The seven of them played rock, paper, scissors to decide the order in which they took turns. Yoongi stepped up first, having been the first to win. Hoseok spun the needle and the rapper took his turn. Next was Namjoon followed by Jungkook, Jin, Hoseok, Taehyung and finally Jimin.

'I think Jimin is going to be the first out. He's tiny like you Chubs.'

She told you to 'fuck off' before defending her idol by saying how being small made him nimble. Though you both knew how clumsy he was.

'Namjoon has long legs but Jungkook has long arms and a willingness to crush people.'

In perfect timing, Jungkook 'accidentally' knocked into Taehyung, making him lose his balance, as he manoeuvred his leg across the mat.

'YOUR BOY IS CHEATING!'

'NO HE JUST HAD A CLUMSY MOMENT!'

'HE'S A CHEATER AND YOU KNOW IT!'

A similar debate was happening on the screen where Taehyung was pouting and shouting accusations. Taehyung was getting the filming staff involved, demanding a replay. But since it was a live show, that wasn't possible.

The incident was quickly dissolved by the staff allowing Taehyung back into the game and was allowed to flick Jungkook's forehead once the game was over. Jungkook pouted and you couldn't help want to cuddle him. He looked like such a baby.

You sighed. You missed him already...maybe you could FaceTime him tonight. No doubt that by the end of the vlive you would have plenty more questions needing answers.

Surprisingly your prediction about Jimin being out first came true. Unsurprisingly Jungkook won. You and Chubs bickered over the results while the members sulked back to their seats in the wake of Jungkook's victory dance. Your breath caught when Jungkook effortlessly went into the splits. Chubs sending you a message of:

'I bet you're gonna enjoy that flexibility ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)'

Oh god... don't think those thoughts! So impure!

'Get your virginal mind out of the gutter.'

'Get your mind in the gutter! Don't pretend you haven't been thirsting over him since you first saw him in the Dope MV!'

You flushed.

'I'm not pretending! And you can't talk! I know you we're drooling over the Jibooty while he played Twister!'

'You were drooling over the Jungbooty!'

'SO?!'

'JUNGKOOK IS OFFERING YOU THAT BOOTY ON A SILVER PLATTER!'

'STOP!'

'HAVE YOU SPANKED IT YET? IS IT AS FIRM AS IT LOOKS?!'

'STOP! THIRST OVER YOUR OWN BAE!!’

'IS.IT.FIRM?!?!?!?!'

You cursed Chubs as your hand started to tingle with the need to feel and find out.

'...I'll have to get back to you on that.'

Not even a second.

'YOU DON'T KNOW? HOW MANY TIMES HAS BE SMACKED YOUR BUTT YET YOU HAVEN'T HAD A GO AT HIS?! Y/N! THIS IS ABOUT EQUALITY! YOU GOTTA GET THAT BOOTY!'

Namjoon's voice turned your attention away from your bickering with Chubs, "Time for us to end the show! We hope you enjoy the album. Thank you for supporting us."

Ah! No! That wasn't very long at all! Time had passed too quickly.

They all stood up as one of their new tracks started to play. It was a snippet of the title song that was used for the teaser which was released a week prior. They all began doing their own little dance. Hoseok teasing a small section of the choreography earning a yell from Yoongi who shoved him in order to make him stop. Jungkook was sending hearts, both big and small. The vlive ended soon after.

Almost immediately you got a YouTube notification, the MV had been released. In a flash, you had loaded it up onto your laptop. Drawing your knees to your chest, you watched on eagerly. You had a hard time containing your squeals. Months. You had been waiting months to witness the fruits of Bangtan's efforts.

Your foot began to move to the beat of the music, lips splitting into a grin as Jungkook began to sing. You would always love how he sounded. Though your thoughts were interrupted when there was a close up of Jungkook winking.

That...fucker. That little fucker...

You were tickle him until he cried just for that rudeness alone. Putting thoughts of torture out of your mind, you focused on the music video. The beat was groovy; definitely a change of tune for Bangtan's sound. Yet as always there was still something uniquely 'Bangtan' about it. It amazed you that no matter what style they experimented with, they always made it their own.

The song came to an end, all seven of them striking their finishing pose with their backs to the camera. You immediately picked up your phone.

'Holy shit! All the unnecessary hip thrusts! I'm gonna sue the choreographer!'

'I'll back you the fuck up! I need Jimin in ripped jeans more often. Fuck.'

'DID YOU SEE HOW THE DENIM CLUNG TO THEIR THIGHS! I'M DYING!'

'Save your freaking out for the album stream!'

'AH SHIT! SPOTIFY. NOW.'

The desktop app was expecting you, the new album featured on the home page just waiting to be clicked on. You were tempted to go track 5, the one Jungkook seemed most excited about. But that wouldn't be fair to the other tracks... even if one of them was a collab with The CockSocks... Eehem...The CumSoakers- The ChainSmokers... yes, The ChainSmokers.

So you listened in order.

As to be expected, Chubs once again lost her shit at Jimin's vocals for the intro. Then came the song from the music video. You listened again, falling in love with it further. The next song you listened to with a grimace. Those two bastards didn't deserve to work with BTS. Thank god it was just the one track they had collaborated on. They hadn't even had an influence on the lyrics either. But it seemed like the kind on song that needed to grow on you... or it was your bias getting in the way. You'd have to give it another listen again some time. But for now, you must listen to the next track.

It appeared to be a vocal line song. You loved the fact it was about dimples, knowing that your own were showing. Hearing Jungkook's vocals during the bridge had you ascending to another plain of existence. Especially with how the the note he held wasn't faded. It left you with even higher expectations for the next track. Track number 5. You were almost nervous as the opening beat kicked in, but that soon disappeared as the first syllable was sung.

You didn't expect it to sound so funky yet seductive. And the sneak peak from before didn't do the opening verse justice. Jungkook's vocals with that beat made you think that he was referring to something... not so innocent. But you couldn't be sure yet...

Namjoon's voice began reciting lyrics that made you laugh. He was basically telling you off for not studying. Well, that was one way to use your celebrity influence.

Your eyes bulged when Jin and V came in. Chubs wouldn't know right off the bat but you were thrown into a coughing fit at the lyrics. 'You're not being punished. Come here, I'm your paradise'? This sounded too kinky to you. How did they get away with it? But there was something about the beat that made you want to move your hips.

'Not gonna lie... I would do the do to this song...'

Chubs reply was instant.

'Oh really? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)'

'If you understood the lyrics, you would too.'

Jungkook's lines in the chorus were accurate. He both saved and ruined you. He had wanted you to listen to this song, to hear those words and understand what he meant... that little shit!

Speak of the devil, your phone buzzed with a message from him. Two in fact. You opened it to find a screenshot of yours and Chubs' conversation followed by:

'Do the do ey? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)'

You felt your stomach drop.

'Chubs is dead to me.'

'Don't say that Jagi~ Now I know how to set the mood.'

A high pitched screech left your lips before you could stop it. Sorry, Miri.

You left Jungkook hanging and skipped to Chubs' messages.

'YOU BITCH! YOU'RE DEAD TO ME!'

'HE TOLD YOU?! DAMMIT!'

'OF COURSE HE DID! HE SAID THAT HE'S GONNA PLAY IT TO SET THE MOOD!'

You were so caught up, you didn't notice the song beginning to come to a close.

'AHA! I SCORED YOU DICK! YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME!'

'I WAS GONNA GET DICK ANYWAY! YOU SCORED ME COCKY DICK!'

The sound of Logan Paul's annoying voice had you frowning. What the fuck? You indulged in your confusion, ignoring a follow-up text from Jungkook to see what the track was. Oh, it was a Skit. That made sense. Luckily the asshole's voice was gone quickly being followed up by Namjoon's voice as he made a speech for Bangtan.

Your attention went back to your vibrating phone.

'Kitten~ are you mad? Did you like the song???'

'You and your chorus writing ways. The rapline were trying to convey a message of "We'll always be here so focus on the important things in life" and then there's you with your repressed sexual urges!'

He took a moment to respond.

'Song writing is how I express myself. You have your stories. I have my lyrics.'

Still... the sexual undertones weren't missed on you...

'I guess... why did you write lyrics like that?'

'They just came to me one day.'

The next song coming on distracted you. It felt like a matured version of Bangtan's original sound. You found yourself quickly picking up the lyrics, singing along to the prechorus and chorus. But you couldn't help questioning the grammar of the few English lyrics...

You would have to ask about that later. For now, Chubs was spamming you with messages alternating in apologies and degdegs.

'The damage is done... what do you think of Mic Drop?'

'I hope it has choreo cause I can imagine it goes HARD.'

'Hell yeah!'

The song was super catchy.

Obviously wondering why you weren't replying, Jungkook shot you another message.

'Noona~ what do you think of the album did I sing well??'

'Shh~ I'm listening to it now. I'll tell you when I'm finished.'

'Yes, Noona.'

Soon enough the next song came on. It was upbeat and gave you cheeky vibes. You found your body moving to the beat and sang along to the chorus as the words weren't too difficult to pick up as the chorus was predominantly in English. You felt yourself inwardly cringe every time the word 'Yolo' left your lips. But it was a fun song with a message of throwing away one's worries for a night. If it was one of the songs to have choreo, you could imagine it being a bright and vibrant stage. Some fun energy to contrast the deeper tones of the album.

Probably memey too.

But what came next was a rapline song that was more... mellow than you were used too. Off the bat, you assumed Yoongi had been the one to compose it if the piano intro was anything to go by. When you first heard it the hook, you thought they were saying 'I call you her, cause you're my dear, dear'. The whole song put a smile on your face. It was peaceful. The kind of song you'd put on while enjoying a lovely bubble bath or taking a nap.

So the EDM song that followed had you jumping in fright. You were all relaxed then suddenly Jimin comes in with 'DON'T LEAVE ME'. It almost felt like he came bursting through your front door. There was a sudden bark, frightening you further. But it was just Miri making sure you were fine having let out a small shocked scream.

Chubs had your phone buzzing with message after message: 'HeLP ME!', 'I'VE BEEN ATTACKED!', 'I'M SHOOKETH!'

Ah, seems like she was on the same track.

'...Don't Leave Me?' You asked, just to be sure.

'BITCH! THEY BETTER BE GLAD IM AT HOME LISTENING TO THIS OR THERE WOULD BE TROUBLE!'

You had your fun laughing at her until you heard Jungkook's adlib and once again ascended to heaven. Is this what an eargasm was? Because, fuck...

You now knew how Chubs had felt moments ago. If you knew where Bangtan were right then, you would be attacking Jungkook. You enjoyed the rest of the song, a mix of emotions bubbling up inside of you that you'd been feeling a lot more often recently. It was like you didn't quite know whether you wanted to kick Jungkook's ass or offer to suck his dick as a thank you for the heavenly vocals.

Jungkook must have gotten bored of waiting.

'Have you reached the end yet?'

'No. Crystal Snow has just begun.’

Not even a split second later.

'I think you'll like that one.'

Truth be told, it sounded like it could be an anime opening. Which wasn't a bad thing since you fucking love anime. And the lyrics....the lyrics... no wonder he thought you would like it; they were bringing tears to your eyes. It was so full of emotion. But you made it through, even if your sleeves were wet with tears. You were glad you weren't wearing make-up otherwise it would be all smudged.

The album went on. There were so many tracks. Bangtan had really out done themselves. Only 2 tracks left. Let Go was just as emotional as Crystal Snow, you wondered what the choreo would be like.

Checking the track list, you were both relieved and disappointed that there was only the outro left. They tended to be shorter than the average song so you sat back, ready for this journey to be over. Due to the comeback show, you weren't surprised to hear Jungkook's voice. But you were surprised by how upbeat the song was. Normally outros were mellow.

It felt very...optimistic. Especially compared to the lyrics of the last few songs. It counterbalanced them. Serendipity and Euphoria. The bookends to the album.

"You are the cause of my euphoria."

You broke out into a smile because this was the song Jungkook had written. This was the song dedicated to you.

“I hear the ocean from far away. I walk across the dream, over the forest, and go towards there as it gets clearer.”

Was he...was he singing about the distance that had once been between you?

You wanted to hug him. You're sweet Kookie just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.

Picking up your abandoned phone, you sent him a text.

'Okay, I'm finally done.'

A second later there was a knock at your door, making you jump up in surprise. There was another knock. Who ever was knocking was impatient.

"I'm coming!"

You sniffed as you pulled open the door, a small gasp leaving your lips as a body suddenly crashed into yours.

Jungkook.

"Fucking finally. I've been waiting out here for ages."

You chuckled, still in shock.

"You were out there all that time?"

"Doesn't matter." He pulled back but kept his arms around your waist. "So...what did you think?"

"Come inside properly and I'll tell you."

He smirked, "I'll play Pied Piper to set the mood."

"No!"

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This work of fiction is copyright © JungkookieNoona and protected under UK and international law. All rights reserved. Any unauthorised broadcasting, copying or reposting will constitute an infringement of copyright.

[airadam]

Episode 138 : Learned From The Best

Very sadly, my father passed away at the start of this month, after suffering with a serious illness for some time. While I'm devastated to see him leave, I feel lucky to have had him as long as I did. The show this month is a departure from the normal format, and after a short intro you'll get an uninterrupted selection of records that I either learned about from him and his collection, that he played in the car, or that I'd put him up on in a couple of cases. I hope you enjoy it. 

Peace, Dad.

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Tracy Chapman : Mountains o' Things

This 1988 album was on loop in the car when my dad had it on cassette! Nowadays, I don't know if it's one where everyone just knows the singles, or the kind of album that everyone else knows front-to-back too. I could have chosen pretty much any track to start the show, but this one is as good as any and sets a nice tempo for some of the other important records I wanted to include.

Pharcyde : Runnin'

This was on a compilation tape - I don't know which - but you'll know it best as part of the "Labcabincalifornia" album. The beat is of course an early-career classic from the great J Dilla.

Mariah Carey : Long Ago

Dad was a big Mariah Carey fan - as am I - and this was definitely his favourite track from the "Daydream" album, which was in very heavy rotation when it came out! She produced this one alongside Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal.

Busta Rhymes : Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check

One time I tried to slide the radio edit of Tim Dog's "F*ck Compton" by in the car, after taping it off the radio. It did not go well. I would never have categorised my father as a Hip-Hop fan, and he wasn't, but when he came to pick me up at the end of the first year of university and this (granted, as part of a compilation) was playing on the tape deck? Colour me surprised :) "The Coming" was one heavy solo debut, and gave us this undeniably classic track.

Platinum Pied Pipers : Fever

Detroit flavour right here. I did one of my Fathers' Day mixtapes in 2007 and had to include this 2005 cut from the "Triple P" album, which you should definitely check out if it passed you by. Waajeed and Saadiq are the producers in charge, with Zeno taking the lead vocal.

Terri Walker ft. Mos Def : Guess You Didn't Love Me

Another track that I introduced to him on a Fathers' Day mixtape, it was a then-new track with the smoothness and sophistication of soul singers a decade preceding. A great track from Ms. Walker's  debut "Untitled" album, which was just the start of her highly-respected career.

The Modulations : Rough Out Here

I used to see this album cover as a kid and think their outfits were kind of funny - but then, they were from a different place and era, and I now know that those flares and big lapels were no indicator of any kind of sucker-dom! It took me a long time to get round to actually listening to and appreciating the "It's Rough Out Here" LP, but I have to say that they killed it with this opening track. 

Rasputin Stash : Middle Man

The cartoon-style front cover of this album, with the names of many of the tracks incorporated into the artwork, always used to draw me in, and the name of the band was a curious one too. Coming out of Chicago, this band had a hard road but still put out great music, such as 1974's "Devil Made Me Do It" which this track is drawn from.

Chic : (Funny) Bone

The "C'est Chic" album, which I remember well from the crates in the house, contains the famous "Le Freak", of course, but the whole LP is well worth listening through. Tucked away at the very end of side B is this mostly-instrumental groove workout, which fit perfectly here.

Assagai : Telephone Girl

I used to see this LP in the house and be amazed at just how raw and in-your-face the front cover was - a man dressed like a Southern African warrior, with arms raised in triumph, and text so bold it looked like it was about to jump right off the sleeve. I didn't actually hear the album for many years, but when I did, I discovered that this London-based group of African expats had the heat!

Stevie Wonder : Boogie On Reggae Woman

I can 100% remember the first time I heard this record, with my dad playing it in my childhood bedroom on a music centre (bet you haven't heard that term in a while!) which transformed out of a suitcase! I don't hear it as much as some of the other Stevie dancefloor tunes, but while this track from "Fulfillingness' First Finale" might not be a favourite for everyone, it'll always be special to me.

B.T. Express : Once You Get It

When I found this LP in the house and started playing it as a teen, I was amazed at how much of it I recognised - it must be one of the most heavily sampled albums of all time! The "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" LP from this Brooklyn band is an absolute must-own for all lovers of the funk.

James Brown : Ain't It Funky Now (Part 1)

I didn't realise for ages that my dad actually had two copies of this, which was a surprise since as far as I know, he didn't invent beat-juggling back in the 70s :) The actual vinyl is the compilation "James Brown Soul Classics Volume 3", which, because it was one of the only things around that we had two of, was actually the record I learned to loop doubles of when I started the road of learning to DJ!

Harry J Allstars : Reach For The Sky

This instrumental reggae album ("Liquidator") is a classic - I think I pulled it out from my dad's stuff because of the front cover with a young woman having just shot someone down with a Tommy gun, but had no idea what to expect musically. Amongst other things, there's a Stevie Wonder cover, a track sampled by the UK artist Rebel MC (now Congo Natty), and this great tune. I always loved it, right down to the way it ends - and so, I thought I'd play it all the way through as the closer to the episode.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[sugakookie]

ok i took a nap i took a shower and got some tea so i’m ready to put together some coherent thoughts instead of just screaming. so i’m gonna give an album analysis. of course, this is all personal opinion and it’s not like i’m a producer anything i just go off of what i know from listening to lots of different music.

1. serendipity 

safe to say one of the best tracks on the album. the song does a wonderful job at expressing the feeling of serendipity. i love the simple bass in the song. it’s a slow jam that with the use of piano and guitar,  makes it easy on the ears and almost gives you the feeling of floating. you feel like you’re in space. it doesn’t have an overly powerful beat and instead lets jimin’s angelic voice shine and really bring together the whole vibe of the song

2. DNA

i love the edm genre. it’s gotten very popular and bts seems to be really interested in it so it doesn’t surprise me that they did a song like this. what makes it interesting though, is the fact that unlike a lot of edm songs you hear (especially ones from this year) it isn’t chill and relaxed and doesn’t have a simple beat. it’s very electronic pop and can i say. that drop. is. beautiful. the whistle is very catchy and was a really smart move to catch people’s attention. and what’s cool is how they built the whole thing around it. it’s not even a simple tune. put the acoustic guitar on top of that and then build the other beats on it. wow. it’s very colorful and different and honestly really refreshing. the autotune also works for me in this song. in certain songs, in certain genres, and in moderation, autotune works really well with the song. it wasn’t overly powering in this song that it took away from the voices and i think in the parts they used it in, it fit. overall? a b o p 

3. best of me

i can feel the chains**kers vibe in the song. especially in the chorus. but bts really made it their own and improved on it and it turned into a great song tbh. the melody of the verses are definitely the best part of the song. the build up with the pre-chorus is also really nice. it goes between a slow, chill jam, to a good dance song. the beat is nice and bouncy. and yoongi singing? sign me the fuck up. vocal line also really did a great job with this. tae’s voice in this album is really shining i’m so proud. 

4. dimple

i! love! this! song! it’s pretty relaxed with a good mix of some electronic beats that are funky but not overpowering, letting vocal line do the talking. and boy they do. the bass in this song is really good with the overall feel. the run in the chorus is my favorite part. it’s interesting but very catchy and inevitably gets stuck in your head. the transition from the sound of the verses to the chorus is kind of different but it’s really smooth and works well

5. pied piper

the beat in this feels retro, kind of reminding me of something between recent bruno mars and the weeknd tbh. but what i like is that it’s not a flute, but it sounds flute-like. and it actually sounds like a pied piper. it’s really funky and laid back. and i love the uniqueness of it and how it’s present through the entire song jungkook’s voice in this song is also really nice. and of course yoongi’s “yeah. suga” made me scream. iconic. 

6. skit: billboard music awards speech

i cry every time

7. MIC drop

the first few seconds had me wondering if this was going to be an emo punk rock song. and then it transitioned into something like old school hip hop. the beat at the beginning sounds really similiar to another song but i can’t place my finger on it (like from a vine or something??). then once hobi starts the beat isn’t as rough on the ears and it’s pretty simple but really cool. and hobi rides that beat so well, like he always does. also the gun shots are back. the pre-chorus/chorus part is really really interesting but i love hearing vocal line do something you’d hear rapline do. the chorus is something you’d almost hear in one of the cyphers, which makes sense since it’s pretty rapline focused. again. the autotune was pretty muted and didn’t overpower the voices so it wasn’t something that bothered me. what is really interesting to me is how they go back to the punk rock feel at the very end. you can even kind of hear it in joon’s verse. and it’s super cool. honestly, it’s a wild ride. it’s really in your face but i mean it’s called mic drop so if it wasn’t bold i’d be a little let down. the more i listen to it the more i like it.

8. Go Go

i did not know what to expect with this song. i love the intro to the song. as a flute player, i appreciate when bts uses a flute in their song. the beat is so interesting i love it. it reminds me of something but i can’t figure it out. almost like a video game song? i love that vocal line is getting to do more in this album. like their voices in this song holy shit. it’s actually kind of hard for me to pin point who is singing. and rap line is really switching it up with the way they’re rapping in this album damn. it’s especially interesting to hear namjoon his verses are so much different in this album and it’s not my favorite but the fact that he can change it up shows a lot of versatility. for every member tbh. they’re really changing it up

9. Outro: Her

yoongi never disappoints. at first i thought it was gonna be like rnb but then it turned into a very old school type beat. it reminded me of yoongi though. it was similar to a few beats on his mixtape. and holy shit this is really old school bangtan. i got major sla and even debut bangtan vibes. it’s nostalgic and honestly a great way to end the album. it’s very easy going and laid back sounding

ok so honestly listening through this album and really paying attention to the songs makes me appreciate the whole album even more. i really can’t pick a favorite song they’re all so good? i need to give it a few more listens before i can pick and really determine if i can go as far as to call this my fav album, but it’s just so different and so refreshing from the music i’ve been hearing lately, and i love the genres they dove into. of course, being so different, it won’t be for everyone. but the hard work and thought put into this album, and the production of it, is just really good. and the fact that bts can do something so different like this, honestly shows that they are true artists. 

so keep streaming and let’s help bts reach all the goals

[indiepoptime]

i was tagged by the lovely @strawberryboo to list the last 6 albums i’ve listened to! this isn’t particularly accurate in regards to what music i’ve been listening to in general because that’s full of random day6 and btob songs (as usual), but these are the last FULL albums i’ve listened to. 

the names of the albums and my comments are in the read more

but honestly even if you don’t read my comments pls at least give these albums a listen; they’re amazing beginning to end!

1) PERENNIAL BY VERA BLUE 

Vera Blue is the stage name of one of my absolute favorite The Voice alums, Celia Pavey! She disappeared around 2014 after her beautiful Bodies EP (another recommendation, tbh) came out, and I was wondering where she went off to, but apparently she started making music under this stage name! This album literally blew my mind and is a MUST LISTEN if you want a little taste of my favorite kind of music.

Favorite songs off the album: Pedestal/Cover Me, Said Goodbye To Your Mother, Settle, Magazine

2) THE LISTENING BY LIGHTS

This was a recent rediscovery on my part. I used to listen to a lot of LIGHTS when I was in early middle school, and I’ve listened to a lot of her new music (Savage is bomb af), but I hadn’t heard her old stuff in a really long time. Hearing Face Up, which used to be my pick me up song from middle school, literally brought tears to my eyes when I heard it for the first time in years. If you’re a young adult like me, honestly, you HAVE to give this album a listen.

Favorite songs off the album: Face Up, Lions!, The Listening, Pretend

3) UNGUARDED BY RAE MORRIS

I literally discovered this album earlier today and was absolutely floored. It’s so beautiful and refreshing and Rae’s voice is so beautiful. It kind of reminds me of Vera Blue’s stuff, which is probably why I like it. 

Favorite songs off the album: Don’t Go, Love Again

4) LOVE YOURSELF BY BTS

I know the hype about this album is basically gone, but I still really love it. I especially love how it feels like an ALBUM when you listen to it from beginning to end. It starts with Jimin’s gorgeous Serendipity intro, followed immediately by the group’s more pop/western sounds. Then the album is split with the Billboard speech and drops into a collection of rap/more stereotypically k-hiphop sounds. And then it ends with Suga’s self-produced song that ties everything together! Everything about it is just so wonderfully done. 

Favorite songs off the album: Serendipity, Pied Piper, MIC Drop

5) VERSE 2 BY JJ PROJECT

Once again, the hype around this album is basically gone, but I still love it. To me it sounds a lot more indie than GOT7′s usual stuff, but still employs bits and pieces of GOT7′s sound (like the electronic bits in On & On). Jinyoung and JB’s voices mix surprisingly well (I’ve always thought this, since JB’s voice is SO unique and Jinyoung’s is more like a classical k-pop singer) and fit so beautifully with the cold beach vibe of the album. I really hope GOT7 tries something like this for their new comeback, and based on their new teaser, they might! I’m hype, you guys. 

Favorite songs off the album: Today Tomorrow, Icarus, Coming Home

6) GOING SEVENTEEN (SEVENTEEN 3RD MINI ALBUM) BY SEVENTEEN

Okay, I didn’t listen to the album itself as an album, but when I looked it up, I noticed that most of the songs I’ve been playing on repeat recently are on this album. So here it is. 

Favorite songs off the album: Don’t Listen, I Don’t Know/Well, Smile Flower

tagging @k0ntz @jahehyung @lovebtob @feel-em @kwangie @wonpilimiri @dowoonbiasedtbh @svt17-carat and anyone else who’d like to do this!

[backtoblue-side]

Love Yourself 承 'Her' (Analysis)

[!!: LONG POST AHEAD]

*Note: All the analysis is based on how I see the album and connect it to self-love none of it is actually confirmed and it isn’t necessary to see the album this way to enjoy it. Each have their own perception and that’s what truly makes it beautiful and considered an artwork.

Since the Love Yourself series is coming to an end by the end of this month, I thought of writing an overall analysis over the albums released so far. Taking a deeper look through the lyrics and what the aim and concept of the whole series is, which is self-love. 

Honestly speaking, I didn’t realize how much deeper this album was until the beginning of this year while writing an essay about it (yeah, I actually wrote an essay about this album for English class), looking up info for the album and reading more about it opened my eye to how much this album is actually related to self-love even though it may seem that it focuses a lot about love in a relationship between two people.

The whole series so far goes in a way where it’s similar to a plot (which connects the story well with how Wonder and Tear went).

If we connect all the albums (Love Yourself: Answer excluded for now) together it will work perfectly like how a story plot goes:

Beginning:

1. Euphoria

2.Serendipity

3.DNA

4.Best Of Me

5.Dimple

6.Pied Piper

7.MIC Drop

Rising Action:

8. Go Go

9. Outro: Her

10. Sea

11. Skit:Hesitation And Fear

(The rest are continued in Love Yourself: Tear)

//

“I think the biggest love is the love for oneself so, if you want to love others you should love yourself first.”

.Serendipity:

The album starts off with the feeling that everything is too perfect and ideal. It mentions a lot how that it isn’t a coincidence to meet with the other person in the relationship and that they’re meant to be together. Just like a puzzle piece it was meant to fit in in a specific place from the beginning.

It was mentioned in this lyric translation that 'The Little Prince' and ‘Flower’ are referenced in the song and I think they hold a huge part in the meaning of the song. In the poem, it mentions how the other person in the relationship gave them a meaning and a reason to exist when they called them a fitting name, and that’s the first part where it is related to self-hatred. The person in the very beginning didn’t even think they were meaningful for who they are and thought that the relationship they had with the other person is what gave them meaning and they became complete when the puzzle pieces fit in together perfectly. Jimin himself looked a lot like the little prince in the MV and it made me think if he was portraying this character (or anyone in their own lives can be the little prince if you look at it in this way), his flower could also be him. The flower wasn’t beautiful, it’s thorny and has flaws, what makes it special is the time they spent with it which I think could also be considered as the flaws that a person has is what makes them themselves. The way you see yourself is what makes you special, the way you love yourself is what could give you happiness and make you special and that is all what matters even if others don’t see the stars as special as the little prince does and if they don't see him as special as he sees himself.

Another thing I noticed is that the lyrics say ‘I’m your calico cat, that came to meet you’. In japan it is said that calico cats bring good fortune and are often put in front of houses to bring luck. It shows how he/they felt that the relationship was a good sign and it would bring good luck and happiness.

.DNA:

DNA focuses more about how they were meant to be together, how it was in the universe’s plan for them to meet and be together and how it should be that way until the end because of how perfect it all is. How when they met each other it’s as if everything added up

“Our meeting is a mathematical formula”

They completed each other and nothing is missing, however, the feeling of something missing and emptiness, the need to have someone else to have happiness itself shows how much self-love didn't exist in the first place (i’m probably over-analyzing it but whatever)

.BEST OF ME:

Thinking about the lyrics, they are actually pretty sad. They started feeling insecure about themselves, too insecure that they only show their best self to the other person in the relationship.They started acting in a certain way to only show the good side since they hate the other side of them, that they themselves cannot believe how good they actually are around the other person in fear of losing them and leaving like how the rest of the people did.

"Even I can't believe myself being like this"

They saved them from the constant self-hatred since when they're around them only the good is seen, the other person in the relationship is what stopped the unhappiness the rain and snow inside them, that they cannot exist without them anymore just like how they gave them meaning in 'Serendipity'.

They find that being with them is the only way they can love themselves and accept themselves when the other person controls their behavior.

"You're the best master of mine"

.DIMPLES:

Honestly, it's just a cute song about dimples no deep messages, the only deep thing in it are the dimples (im so sorry you had to read this)

.PIED PIPER:

I think Pied Piper is more of BTS asking us to love ourselves. Pied Piper comes from a legend where the Pied Piper have lured the children of the village when their families didn’t pay him back. However, it’s about BTS luring us from our daily lives. Most of us neglected our responsibilities and our lives staying on our phones or laptops watching BTS stuff rather than focusing on benefiting ourselves, we choose to give our time and efforts to them. We always go with the excuse just for an hour and we’ll get back to what we are supposed to actually do but they are putting our attention to the fact that it will be a year or two instead.

Taking care of ourselves, our future, focusing on what’s good for ourselves is a form of self-love where we take care of our future selves. They are asking us to give ourselves the same love we give them and support ourselves just as much as we support them.

.MIC DROP:

This song is pretty self-explanatory. Like Namjoon said he wanted to tell the haters the last goodbye that finally their words don’t get them because they’ve done everything they ever needed that if they died now, they’d be fine because they accomplished everything they ever wanted. That the words and mistreatment towards BTS in the beginning because they came from a small company and how angry and affected they used to be by them, are meaningless now. That BTS are finally confident and love themselves after all the insecurity and self-doubt they went through. 

.Go Go:

Every BTS album of course has to have a song criticizing society. Opposite to how upbeat and happy the song sounds it’s lyrics ironically talk about how people gave up and don’t care about themselves anymore. One of the problems in Korean society as well as many other countries is how hard it is to make a living and find work without having to worry about the next day, how it isn’t easy to earn lots of money, you always have debts and loans to pay back or worry about making ends meet when you have a family and how you will pay for their needs and buying an apartment,etc. The concept YOLO is what lots of young adults decided to go with, rather than saving to ensure a good future they pay it all thinking it makes no difference, there is no time that will come that they won’t have to worry about money so rather than worrying, go and pay all the money on food and having fun. This however, will affect a good future for them, they don’t take care of themselves that day and look out for their future selves as if they are punishing their future selves with the struggle of making ends meet.

.Outro: Her:

I think this is where it connects with the sadness and loneliness of Love Yourself: Tear. The main person here realizes what is happening, how much this relationship affected him, how that this isn’t his true self. After finding love, they found this new version of themselves that they don’t even know if that’s them or the one they’re hiding behind the mask is them but for the sake of their love they keep this mask on and they are okay with erasing their true self. I especially like yoongi’s verse where he points out that because of his fake persona he could be their love but his true self is their hatred, he could be their friend and their enemy and because the other person doesn’t know that; they have to keep the mask on. Self-hatred is to the extreme here to the point that acting freely and taking off the burden of pretending feels like it would cost them there relationship.

.Sea:

“ Where there is hope, there are trials.”

Starting from a small company and getting cut off broadcasts to breaking records and being globally successful is like being in the desert and finally reaching the sea. Yet drinking sea water leads to dehydration and that’s the same story with BTS. After finally reaching the sea remembering that it was a desert they only get more thirsty wanting to make more accomplishments and reaching higher levels. The struggles and winds and despair they went through in the desert is what’s making them work too hard even if they should rest and take breaks in fear of losing all of that and being in a desert again.

Skit:Hesitation and Fear:

It is actually similar to 'Sea' ’s lyrics. They speak about how after all this success they reached with their hard work and it was one after the other in the accomplishments but how fast would it be when they lose it all. Yoongi mentions this fear in an interview as well saying that he isn’t afraid of landing rather than falling. It also speaks about how they only show their good sides which reminded me a lot of 'Outro: Her' and 'Best Of Me' how they only show their best sides but it’s not about being fake about who they truly are, rather a nicely wrapped gift.

Love Yourself: 轉 ‘Tear’ (Analysis)