#inspired by that new super groupies collection

[pineapplebread]

Destiny trio

[wincestisasincest]

2000 Man (A beatle!reader story) - Part 3: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

“Okay, I said fluff, so here it is. I mean, there’s like hints of sex, but really it’s mostly fluff. I also said more John. Here he is, in all his glory.

I was absolutely fascinated with the concept of our reader being bisexual, so here’s a fic that plays around with it, and since the beatle!reader fandom has been very accepting of that idea, a lot of this will be more taking from head canons, and I will list the ones below that I use, as usual. 

Also, as is the drill, credit to @casafrass for everything, though I doubt that you would find my blog if you didn’t already know hers, if that happens to be the case, please check her out. All the head canons are from her blog and its lovely anons. 

One more thing, my dumbass finally realized that italics don’t actually appear on the Tumblr mobile app, so in the near future I will re-edit the two previous entries in this series to help out our mobile readers. 

Description: It’s the year 2000, and y/n, the fifth member of the Beatles, is advertising her new book, Madam Beatle, in her first interview of the year. We see snapshots of her life, from when she joined the band, to the trials and tribulations, to the death of the band, and everything in between. Loosely inspired by Slumdog Millionaire. 

Part: 1, 2, 3

Head canons: Beatle!reader being bi as fuuuuuuck, beatle!reader’s got game, female fans having a fat crush on our bi reader(also this one), beatle!reader stealing all the lad’s girls

Words: 2,747

Pairings: Okay, lowkey there is some John x reader here, though you super duper have to squint and, like always, you can look at it as friendship if you want to, and of course, there’s also groupie x reader

Warnings: S E X, like it’s implied, but they totally did it

“Alright, now, I’d like to move on to a slightly more... promiscuous topic. Y/n, and the audience, I’m sure you’ve heard about what’s become something of a phenomenon in recent years, more and more ‘groupies’, as they were referred to in the day, have been coming out and telling their stories of what their life was like back when rock and roll fan culture was born. Some of them share their thoughts and experiences on certain rock stars of their day, and you have not been excluded from it. We’ll come back to specifics later, but in general, what do you have to say on that?”

“Well, Harold, I think it’s a wonderful thing. Groupies were and still are an important part of the business that we reside in, and honestly, they made as much of a splash in the 60s as some celebrities did. I haven’t really heard any groupies mention me yet, but I suppose all I can hope for is that they were... positive reviews?” 

“Indeed. Though, you do seem to have the most, let’s say, gender-equality in yours.”

“Well, it was the 60s. The skirts were getting shorter and shorter, women and men were becoming more expressive, and people just really stopped caring about the bullshit taboos that surround sex and gender. Though I may have been more well-known for it, it really affected all of the musicians that I knew on some level.” 

“And how does it reflect in your own life story?” 

“Well, I think especially in the early days, it had something of an effect on the fans. I was one of the main reasons why we drew a lot of male fans, but sometime later I discovered that I was also responsible for drawing in a lot of female fans. As time went on, and both our group and our fans got more daring with each other, one thing lead to another, and the next thing you know conservative Christian mothers are telling their daughters to stay away from girls like me, lest they succumb to their own feelings and not their parents need to be accepted.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...in fact, some people are even comparing the Rolling Stones’ popularity to your own. Can you perhaps, tell us how you feel about that?” Like rats to cheese, the nosy reporters held their microphones and tape recorders up to the table where you and the lads were sitting, trying to comprehend the sea of petty attention that your career had garnered you.

“Well, there’s not really much to say,” John began, “They’re doing well for themselves and we’re doing well for ourselves. That’s really all there is to it, now. It’s not like we’re competing or anything, we’re on rather good terms.”

“Yeah,” Paul interjected, “And, I mean, I can’t speak for them, but all we’re here to do is make music that people will enjoy. If they enjoy us or the Stones, that’s not for us to decide.” That goddamned liar. Even the press had to know that they weren’t being completely genuine at this point, though the point that John and Paul had really been trying to make was clear: we’re not gonna give you what you want so stop asking. 

Something chaotic woke up inside you.

“That Mick Jagger is pretty cute, though.” You commented into your own microphone. The crowd laughed, and you smiled, proud of yourself, and getting grunts and mock-angry looks from the lads. 

You and the lads knew the truth of course. You and the Stones had a deep respect for each other, and were even close to becoming friends, but that wasn’t how this game was played. You couldn’t give the press anything too positive, or anything too negative. Just answer vaguely, and misdirect. And Paul did totally want people to like their music. 

Brian muttered something to John on the side.

“Well, I’m being told that that’s all we can answer for now. Thank you all, and we’ll see you ‘round.” 

You five cleared out of the chairs single-file and hustled out one of the side-doors. A small cloud of fans had already gathered, looking for either autographs, or touching or grabbing, or pictures, or just to tell the group that you were going to marry them one day. Brian had already told you that you would have just a few minutes for fans. 

“Two girls coming directly for you.” George whispered in your ear, and you spun around to find a redhead and a blonde looking at you eagerly. 

“Well, hi, girls! What can I do for you?” 

“Oh my goodness, erm, hi y/n! We just wanted too, uh...” the redhead trailed off. 

“We just wanted to say that we think you’re really cool, and you’re really pretty, and you’re a really good guitar-player, and um, we wanted to ask you to sign something for us.” They both stuck out a pair of white sneakers, which was admittedly something that you hadn’t been asked to sign before, though you weren’t complaining. 

“Aww, well thanks, ladies, and it’s no problem,” You began to pull a sharpie that you always kept with you out of your jacket pocket, “Do you want me to sign both shoes, or just the right one, or...?”

“Um, both, if it’s no problem!” The redhead’s voice squeaked a little. 

“Of course, why would it be a problem? Here.” You scrawled your signature on all four sneakers in the efficient manner that you were so used to be now, before looking back up at the girls and giving them a smile. The blonde one was beaming. 

“Thanks, y/n, um-” it seemed as though she instantly stopped considering her actions, and in that moment, the blonde leaned in and kissed you right on the cheek. 

You had to fight to hold back your blush.

“Aww, thanks girls, enjoy the sneakers, that’s a very stylish look if I do say so myself.” 

“Y/n, get a move on!” John called at you as he was retreating from his horde. You could sense the disappointment in the mob that was following the girls, as they were all clearly waiting their turn to see if they could speak to you, but alas, time was too short. 

“Wait, y/n, I-” someone behind the girls called. 

“But I-” You had to evacuate. 

“See you round, girls.” You flashed your million dollar smile before darting off to join John and the rest in your typical, sleek, black car. 

Slowly, the mob began to speed up behind you as you were the last, sprinting towards that open door like it would be the last one you’d see in a while. As you reached the open car door, a pair of hands quickly pulled you in and another shut the door. You piled yourself next to George and Ringo, and directly across from John and Paul. 

“I see y/n got some action, then.” Ringo poked your cheek. You noticed your reflection in the car window. That blonde had left you with a bright, red lipstick mark where your cheekbones looked their cutest.

“It seems I did.” Your cheeks flared up a little. 

“Y/n, haven’t you heard, a marriage is between a man and a woman.” John snickered. 

“Come off it, John. It’s not like that.” 

“I’m not sure if I believe that, y/n.” Paul was joining in on the teasing, following John’s lead. 

“Well, Paul, I don’t believe that I’m the only one of us who finds Mick Jagger attractive.” You shot back. George, Ringo, and yourself were the only ones who found it amusing. 

“Very nice move you pulled there, by the way. Distracting them from the Beatles vs Stones debacle to have them writing about the Romeo and Juliet thing that you and Mick have going on. Quite the strategy.” John had put his glasses back on.

“Why should I care? The only newspapers that’ll be writing that are the same ones that say the Queen is actually a man.” You peered out the window, the mob of fans looking much like a collection of dolls now. 

“And people read ‘em anyway.” George put his hands behind his head and leaned back in the seat, oddly relaxed. 

- time skip because this is a thing that I do now - 

The five of you had settled in a gentleman’s club for the evening. The club had a name, you were sure, but you hadn’t really bothered to check, as you were just here for the booze.

Even the lads weren’t really sure why we were here, but apparently, success had made us a part of the upper class, and this is what upper class people do. You’d think they would get a hobby or something.

You took a long sip of your Proseco, and through the liquid you could see a blurred scene of all of the lads’ attention suddenly grabbed by something to the left. You set the glass down. 

John wolf-whistled. 

A tall, slender brunette stalked up to the table. She was wearing a long, green velvet dress with a slit that allowed her right leg to creep out, while at the same time perfectly hugging her curves. Her lips were pursed, but still full, and her eyes had the longest lashes that you had ever seen. 

“I thought I smelled a rat.” Her voice was like chocolate, both sweet and luscious. 

“Awwww, c’mon love, don’t be like that, have a seat.” John slid a little to the side and patted the vacancy next to him. 

You took a drag out of your cigarette and made eye contact with her. Green, just like her dress. 

“Johnny here forgot that you introduce yourself before sexually harassing someone.” She half-smirked, half-smiled, and you felt pride, of all things, so much that you didn’t notice John’s side-eye.

“Well, if he’s John, then that must make you Paul,” her manicured nails were parallel with Paul’s chin, “George”, parallel with his mouth, “Ringo”, parallel with his nose, “and (y/n)”, directly down the center of your eyes, as if she was aiming to kill. 

“Well, now that we’re all familiar, I don’t think you’ll mind joining us for a drink.” John called the waiter over as she took a seat. 

“I wouldn’t say entirely familiar, for I haven’t the pleasure of knowing your name.” You swished your drink around in your glass. Paul, George, and Ringo pretended to be caught in a different conversation while you two chatted, though you knew full well that John wasn’t the only one with side-eye. 

“I don’t know, I’m not supposed to give that out to strangers.” 

“But you know ours. It’s only fair.” 

“All’s fair in love and war, dear. I’ll take a sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist.” The waiter must’ve always been there, because you did not see him show up. 

“Well, now that that’s settled, tell me about yourself.” John put an arm around her shoulder, which just didn’t seem to match with her perfect, clear, skin. 

This would be a long night. 

- time skiiiiiiiiiiiip for the hot brunette, also if you don’t find the type of person i described hot, imagine her as anything you like, you’re the reader after all- 

The tango that you and John were dancing for this brunette’s attention was certainly not the most graceful. You only felt satisfied when her gaze was back on you, and preferably when she was smiling. Something about her, if you will, made you want more and more of her. Know everything about her. John wanted the same thing, and for once, he wasn’t going to get it. 

“Well, I must go powder my nose, but I’ll be back shortly.” 

“Better keep to that, or I might have to go looking for you.” John and you watched her leave, the clacking of her heels on the hardwood floor slowly faded out as she disappeared into the hallway. 

Oh, yes, you’d forgotten about the rest of the world. George, Paul, and Ringo had already disappeared with intentions of partying at some of the more lively places. 

“Alright, (y/n), what are we going to do about this?” John’s eyes weren’t like hers. 

“About what?”

“Oh, don’t act all innocent. You’re the only thing getting in between me and the best bird in town.” 

“What if I enjoy her conversation? I have just as much of a right to that as you. There are thousands of girls who would sleep with you, and none of them are as engaging conversationalists.” 

“What the hell are you on about? I don’t bloody care about conversation, I want her.”

“If you think that making me angry is going to convince me, then you don’t know me half as well as you think you do. Not all of us are here to fuck, John.”

“Concerning that, I suggest that you go find someone to sleep with to take your mind off of things. You’re not winning this.” 

“Let’s just see who the lady picks, John. Waiter, excuse me, some whiskey please.” 

The lady picked someone else, you guessed. After 20 minutes of waiting, she hadn’t returned, and though John would never admit it, his mood and confidence was not nearly as high as he would’ve liked. Your whiskey bottle was completely empty.

“If it makes you feel any better,” you offered as John stared into his drink, “I lost too. There are other birdies in the sky, y’know.” Normally, John would’ve been angry, but after he’d passed a certain drink threshold, he became sad drunk rather than angry drunk.

“Yeah, you’re right, (y/n).” 

“But you should know I’m not going to-” 

“Don’t waste your breath. I’m not apologizing either.” 

“I guess Paul is right. We are both assholes.” 

John chuckled, before ruffling your hair. 

“Wanna head back to the hotel, birdie?” 

“I think I will, but the night is still young, John, I’m sure you can find someone else. That girl over there in the black has been starting at you all evening.”

“Yes. I’ve noticed. Well, I’ll see you, (y/n).” John sauntered over to the bar counter, and you gathered your purse before exiting down the hallway. 

You felt morose, though you really couldn’t tell why. It was just a conversation, and surely not the most interesting ones that you would ever have. Hell, you hadn’t even known her name. 

“Took you long enough, (n/n).” 

There she was, leaning against the wall voyeuristically, her fingers laced around a cigarette holder. You could’ve sworn the smoke was in your eyes. 

“What are you waiting for?” 

“I think you know.” 

“Would you like to, um, continue our conversation back at my hotel?” You never said ‘um’, what was going on?

“That would be agreeable.” Her heels clacked closer to you, and she put her hand on your shoulder.

Oh. That’s what that feeling was. 

- Last time skip maybe - 

You made your way downstairs, wearing clothes that were way more comfortable that whatever fancy thing you had put on last night. Your feet were still sore from the heels. 

You pushed open the door to the conference room, breakfast already laid out, with the rest of the band and Brian already munching. 

“(Y/n), at last, you’ve decided to join us.” Brian really did not feel like not being sarcastic this morning. 

“Sorry, I slept in.” 

“What’s new?” The lads snickered.

“Busy last night, hm?” Paul’s eyebrows flickered. 

“Well, weren’t we all?” You sipped your orange juice. 

“Not Johnny ‘ere.” Ringo’s head was resting on his hand, amusedly staring at John.

“Look, I would’ve, if she didn’t get offended so damn easily.” John really wasn’t in the mood, which was, of course, reason to tease him more. 

“She slapped ‘im. Across the face. While wearing a ring.” George was on his fifth piece of toast. 

“That first bird wasn’t married. ‘Other birdies in the sky’ my arse’.” He gave you a look.

“Oh yea, whatever happened to her?” Paul was all here for this drama.

“Left, without even telling us ‘er name. Bi-” 

“Her name was Carla, John.” You cut him off. You loved John, but man had you had enough of his bullshit. 

Paul had already put the whole thing together, a look of half-shock, half-waiting for John’s reaction, which at the moment was just puzzled. George nudged Ringo and whispered something. You smiled, and got up from the table to refill your plate. 

John’s sharp voice cut through the room: “Wait a minute!”

[ofgeneration]

━ ✧ ( nico mirallegro, 26, he/him ) did you hear about generation’s new record ? it’s totally bitchin’ ! isaac carberry was killing it as lead vocalist. people who have interviewed him say they’re really quixotic & convivial, but they can be sort of impish & ungovernable if you catch him at a bad time. a mischievous grin, northern grit, your ex-record label’s offices looking like a jackson pollock after getting your revenge in the form of vandalism.

hello, my loves! — i’m jess, i’m 22 and over in rainy england. i’m recently done with university which gives me a lot of downtime until i find a job so hopefully i can dedicate a lot of that downtime to this fuckin’ rp because it’s gonna be lit i just know it. i’m a huge stone roses fan and 80s/90s-music-obsessed in general so getting to play this character is super exciting for me, so without further ado, meet my trash son: mr isaac carberry. PLEASE HMU FOR PLOTS!

BACKGROUND

born 14th april 1960 in manchester, england to a normal working-class family, isaac was the first born child of james & rose carberry, with a younger sister coming along a few years later. the little family of four lived fairly happily, but struggled financially just as many people did in northern england at the time. 

when isaac was five, his father lost his job as a result of coalmine closures, and times were tough. however, the family kept their spirits high by keeping close-knit, as well as listening to a whole lotta’ music. music was key in the carberry household. it was all around you at all times.

when times would get particularly bleak, his dad would pick up an guitar and play to the kids. he wasn’t very good but watching someone play an instrument and have fun with it sparked something in the eyes of isaac carberry.

tw violence, corporal punishment — during his teenage years, he was a problem child. he was the kid that always got pulled out of class by the headmaster to receive the cane in his office. he could never sit still, was always cracking jokes when he should’ve been doing his schoolwork, etc. it wasn’t talked about at the time, so it went unnoticed, but what isaac was probably dealing with was undiagnosed ADHD. despite this, though, he was a clever child. he had a way with words and looked forward to english class every week, where he would take great pleasure in writing exercises, especially poetry. 

writing was a dreamy, escapist haven for isaac, and this extended to his life outside of school, too. the works he was producing were mostly tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted stories and poems with a recurring “stop taking life so seriously” theme. when he turned 16, however, these poems began to turn into songs. this started to take up a lot of his time especially when he finished secondary school at 16 and went onto sixth form college, where he took music alongside english.

isaac desperately wanted to learn to play guitar, so that he could form some structural melodies to these songs, but struggled with honing the skill of learning an instrument. luckily, when he was 18, he made three friends who could do just that. the four kids would bounce ideas off of each other and hold jam sessions in the tiny little basement of isaac’s family home, but things never went much further than that (at least not yet, anyway.)

isaac decided against going to university, mostly since his family lacked the funds, and instead picked up a full-time job in a grocery store to help out his household’s shared income. 

in 1979, margaret thatcher came into power as the UK’s prime minister, and times got even bleaker. money was even tighter and the working-class situation became an even harder one to be in. the carberry family started sending isaac out on the street after work to sing some of his songs for tips. 

in 1983, aged 23, isaac was in a dark place. no opportunity, no degree, no wealth in the family to fall back on. he ‘rallied up the troops’ so to speak and practically begged his friends to start a band with him. he had plenty of material, after all.

to his relief, they said yes, and were determined to make it work. they were hungry for attention and throwing themselves at any gig opportunities they could get, to get them a bit of money into their pockets. that was it, GENERATION was truly alive and kicking.

at a show supporting another band, generation were noticed by a fellow musician, who took a shine to the band and booked them to support his upcoming uk tour. thus, the band were rising to prominence. fast forward a year and before isaac even had the chance to process it, generation were shaping up to be the biggest band in the uk. isaac could finally give his family everything they needed to better their situation and was having the most amazing time ever doing what he loved.

after independently releasing their own singles, the band got themselves a record deal in early 1985 and released their first full record, a self-titled album. their management wanted to introduce them to US audiences, and thus — that’s how we find ourselves here. 

PERSONALITY

ok sorry for that LONG ass background here’s the nice lil fun part where we can just dick around lmao hey meet my baby boy chaotic aries who is a lovable mess and i will protect him at all costs

literally so much of his personality is inspired by myself lmao we love an aries legend with ADHD but also i owe some of his characterization to the stone roses’ ian brown so if you ever want a look into isaac, watch some interviews or smth because Big Isaac Mood. the last aesthetic in his app references this video

nice, but a fuckin firecracker of a man. intense boi!! he’s a Lot

on first impressions he’s cool and collected and laidback but when you get to know him he can be very exhausting to be around, talks a lot, never tires of energy, etc

has that lopsided, wonky grin that you can’t help but love

lowkey isn’t really overwhelmed by the fame at all, he’s kind of narcissistic in the fact that he??? just feels like it’s really deserved? he knows hes talented jfjhgfjkghf

lowkey maybe highkey a sweetheart

a favourite with the ladies but not good w commitment

has slept around a lot. ladies, fellas, you name it. probably has it in him to settle down someday since he likes the idea of falling in love, but just hasn’t found it as of yet 

charisma literally oozes from him

tw drugs & alcohol / dOeSnT LiKe To sHoW eMoTioNs but then will literally cry w u and pour his heart out if you’re close enough to him or if he’s hella drunk or high on ecstasy 

Reyt fokin’ northern accent, yeh get meh?

man i dont even know can i just post this dumb shit already because this is getting LONG

WANTED CONNECTIONS

ex-girlfriend / groupie — i have this as a wc on the main

best friends will prob be taken by his bandmates but at the time of writing this only one other spot is taken so maybe ill branch out

give me some ppl who just DONT fucking like him

hookups / ex-hookups

someone he can be a bad influence on

someone who is a bad influence on him

someone he’s had beef w in the industry, maybe they said some shit about his band in an interview or something

a slow burn love interest plot................. listen.... gimme the one person he’s falling for and would consider being tied down for. i’d be so soft for that

gimme anything and everything my babies

[recentanimenews]

The 10 Most Stylish Anime Fashion Collaborations You Should Be Wearing!

Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, I'm the beholder and have arranged the most chic selection of the most ambitious crossovers in recent history, anime and fashion!

  The following list will be based on the single most important aspect of fashion, how well each collaboration brings out the inner charm of the anime it's representing. From handbags to shirts to socks to skateboards, this list will give you some great fashion inspiration to really anime up your wardrobe, or simply take a look at some interesting ways in which the world of anime has been brought to life in fashion!

10.  Super Groupies x Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Shoes are an interesting item for a collaboration, and we’ll take a look at a few more sneaker collaborations later in the list, but this one starts us off with simplistic and elegant designs fit for Puella Magi Madoka Magica! This collection from Super Groupies features every Puella Magi Madoka Magica character represented in shoe form, with their respective colors, emblems, and other little touches for the main cast. Super Groupies even continued the collaboration to include the movies, creating renditions of their Homura and Madoka shoes to reflect the changes each girl goes through during the course of the films. The shoes all feature a unique, soul gem-esque heel, color coded to the girls they represent as well! One of the nicest things about them is that the shoes are also quite beautiful and would easily fit into almost any wardrobe that’s in need of some magical footwear! 

9.  Bait x Diadora x Astro Boy

When picking collaborations, it’s pretty hard to pass up on one that features one of the most iconic anime characters of all time! Astro Boy is a world famous character, and Bait teamed up with Diadora to create a memorable and stylish collection of clothing to celebrate him. The collection features sneakers, hats, socks, jackets, and more, allowing you to really kit yourself out in full style! While it doesn’t give you rocket boots or a butt machine gun, it will give you lots of street cred with the subtle mixture of cute and stylish fashion!

  8. Anna Sui x 7 Manga

We first reported on this collaboration happening in 2015, and the collection really turned out to be outstanding! Each of the unique items made for the collaboration worked to create something fashionable and stylish, ranging from purses, handbags, shirts, and more! Plus, it was an amazing collaboration featuring beloved series like Unico, Paradise Kiss, Patalliro!, Rose of Versailles, Princess Jellyfish, Princess Knight and Urusei Yatsura. You would be hard pressed to find a collection of titles that great represented in one place, and Anna Sui made sure that each design held the essence of their originating series!

7. Air Jordan x Slam Dunk

Where the Astro Boy collaboration went for a slightly minimal style and homage to its designated series, the Air Jordan 6 Retro Slam Dunk shoes go for a much more in your face design. The sneakers feature a stark red and white color mixture to invoke the jerseys of Shohoku high, and are emblazoned with the number 10, worn by series protagonist Sakuragi Hanamichi! Not only do the shoes feature the colors and numbers of the manga, they’re also designed with panels of the manga printed onto the shoe itself, using red and white coloring to make them stand out. Like most Jordans, this one is a great collectible piece of fashion, but the attention to specific details really make this collaboration a slam dunk! (...Sorry, I couldn't help myself there!)

6. Gucci x Hirohiko Araki

If you’re a fan of Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, you’re probably not going to find this collaboration very surprising: two artists known for extremely stylish and evocative designs, united under one roof! The most intriguing thing about this collaboration was the timing, starting when Araki was about to celebrate his 30th anniversary, and Gucci their 90th! Araki has had other collaborations in the past, such as his manga devoted to the Louvre, featuring Diamond is Unbreakable’s Rohan Kishibe. For this Gucci commission, Araki took existing Gucci designs and worked them into his art, styling characters in the brand’s designs from head to toe, and accessorizing with iconic Gucci handbags. He even created a special manga that ran in SPUR magazine, once again featuring Rohan as the starring character, visiting Gucci headquarters!

5. Skechers x One Piece

When you’re trying to become Pirate King, style may not be high on your mind, but the Straw Hat Pirates have always had some stylish looks, and you can join them with these cool kicks from Skechers! The series of D’Lites features shoes emblazoned with One Piece characters like Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper, with more designs on the way, including Law and Doflamingo! Each shoe is color coded to the character and features small touches that help tie the design together: Luffy’s shoe has the classic red, blue, and white design, and the Straw Hat Pirates logo on the tongue. Meanwhile, Chopper’s shoe features his iconic mixture of blue and pink sakura petals. Each shoe’s tongue has a special Jolly Roger design, with Luffy sporting the famous Strawhat Pirates logo, while other characters have unique designs of their own!

  4. Primitive x Dragon Ball Z

For anime fans of a certain age, you might remember the 90s trend of mixing skate culture with anime, notably in the form of a brand known as Hook-Ups, featuring scantily clad anime girls on their designs. In 2018, skate brand Primitive teamed up with the iconic Dragon Ball Z franchise to produce a line of skate decks, wheels, clothing, mugs, and more! Primitive’s line is colorful and stylish, with the most iconic characters front and center in their designs, even featuring Shenron! Primitive’s line gives you a great way to show off your love for your favorite Dragon Ball Z characters while also looking stylish while you grind, or you could simply collect each of the decks for display on your wall! Either way, this colorful collaboration really takes advantage of the bright visual styles of Dragon Ball Z’s characters to create some memorable clothing and accessories. And, speaking of Dragon Ball Z, that brings us to our next item...

3. Adidas x Dragon Ball Z

2018 has certainly been quite a year for Dragon Ball, with the ending of Dragon Ball Super capturing global attention, the release of Dragon Ball FighterZ, the Dragon Ball Z x Primitive collab, the announcement of the new Broly movie, and to cap things off, an official Adidas collaboration! Adidas will be working with Dragon Ball Z, moving from saga to saga to create special shoes evocative of many of the iconic characters and battles in the series. The first set are a pair of shoes for Goku and Frieza, with Vegeta, Gohan, Cell, Majin Buu, and Shenron on the way later this year. The most intriguing thing about this collaboration is the way in which Adidas has chosen each character’s design to be represented by a different shoe type, allowing each one to really bring out the colors and even character of their namesakes, from Goku’s rougher, simpler design to Frieza’s alien, rounded aesthetic! The first set will be out later this month, so if you want to get in on this collaboration, keep your eyes peeled!

2. Punyus x Sailor Moon

We first reported on this collaboration last year, and it remains one of our absolute favorites! Plus-sized model and comedienne Naomi Watanabe launched Punyus to create designs that would be charming and unique, but most importantly, able for any size to wear. This collaboration brought a whole line of rompers, tops, bags, and of course, sailor themed dresses and skirts for fans of the iconic magical girl anime! Sailor Moon is a series about friendship, love, and overcoming any hardship with team work, and Punyus is a brand about making fashionable and colorful clothing available to everyone, so this collaboration was a no-brainer for inclusion in our list!

  1. Uniqlo x Shonen Jump

For our number 1 spot, we chose the recent 50th Anniversary collaboration between Shonen Jump and Uniqlo! This mixup saw a slew of unique Jump inspired shirts, each one a stylish and colorful homage to Jump series past and present. Where many collaborations focus on a single, popular title, the Uniqlo Jump collaboration spanned the 50 years of Jump’s library, featuring shirts for obvious modern favorites like Naruto, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Hunter x Hunter, historical titles like Kochi Kame, Hell Teacher Nube, and Rookies, and even obscure, lesser known globally titles like Pyuu to Fuku! Jaguar. These shirts attempted to cover the entire library of Jump titles, but they also ensured they did so in various fashions: iconic scenes like the Straw Hat Pirates raising their arms, Killua’s killing intent unleashed, and of course, Yamcha’s death! Speaking from personal experience, there are so many great designs that you might not have enough closet space for them all! Many of these shirts sold out almost immediately, but if you’re lucky, you might be able to still find some for sale online or in a local Uniqlo store!

As anime and manga become even more popular globally, and with many more iconic anniversaries on the way, it seems like we’ll be in for a lot more cool fashion collaborations, and while our wallets may cry, at least we’ll look fashionable while repping our favorite anime in style!

Know any other anime or manga fashion collaborations that you’d like to see walk our runway? Let us know in the comments!

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Nicole is a features and a social video script writer for Crunchyroll. Known to profess her love of otome games over at her blog, Figuratively Speaking. When she has the time, she also streams some games. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries 

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[theteenagetrickster]

The 30 Best R&B Albums of 2019 - Rated R&B

If 2018 was the year of endless R&B releases, 2019 was definitely the year of anticipation for more intriguing R&B LPs to drop.

In the first half of 2019, diverse artists like Chaka Khan, Khalid, Ciara, and Eric Bellinger, grabbed the limelight for their solid projects.

Later in the year, there was a mighty rise in the genre, as even greater albums started to show up on retail and digital fronts.

Among this elite list of artists to flex their R&B muscles were BJ The Chicago Kid, Elle Varner, Raphael Saadiq and Fantasia.

Here are the top 30 R&B albums of 2019, as chosen by our editorial team: Anders, Antwane, Danielle and Keithan.

30. Leven Kali: Low Tide

Where the mellow and hazy “vibes” take president, Leven Kali breathes an energetic spirit into the current music climate. Low Tide is a satisfying offering of musicianship in a little over 30 minutes. Kali displays his musical range from the smooth jazz-inspired “Cassandra” to the warm and funky “Do U Wrong” featuring Syd, while the overlooked gem “1 on 1” pays homage to the art of the ’90s slow jam. For his full-length debut, Kali pieces elements of R&B and some of its subgenres to create a refreshingly bright project. — Danielle

29. Nicole Bus: Kairos

Hailing from the Netherlands, all ears were on Nicole Bus’ Wu-Tang-sampled single “You” before fans knew who she was. Kairos is an assortment of genres spread over R&B and soul with contagious boom-bap drums as the centerpiece. Her smoldering tone adds texture to gleaming tracks like “Rain,” a simple yet hard-hitting number that allows her vocals to cut through. With a radio single under her belt and releasing her first American LP not long after, the timing couldn’t have been any better. — Danielle

28. Shay Lia: Dangerous (Deluxe)

If you’re a fan of KAYTRANADA, then you should be familiar with Shay Lia. Both from Montreal, the pair have collaborated in the past but Lia steps out on her own for her first full-length project Dangerous. The project connects all 11 tracks with a consistent bounce for this airy, ’70s-inspired compilation. Dangerous picks up the energy by track five, “Want You” featuring UK rapper Kojey Radical, a percussion laden song where the two effortlessly feed off each other. Lia closes things out with the smooth retro-leaning “Rock Baby,” allowing her vocals and the stripped-down production to come to the forefront. — Danielle

27. Raheem DeVaughn: The Love Reunion

Anyone familiar with Raheem DeVaughn knows that he has crowned himself as The Love King over the years. The Washington, D.C. native has dedicated his entire discography, which spans over 14 years, to all-things love. On The Love Reunion, DeVaughn brings his signature sound to the forefront on passionate tunes like “Just Right,” “Any Everywhere,” “Ballerina” and the title track, to name a few. There are a couple of moments when DeVaughn taps into other genres. “Kissed By the Sun” hears DeVaughn experimenting with Afrobeat, while the Edley Shine-assisted “Magnet” brings reggae vibes. — Keithan

26. Lion Babe: Cosmic Wind

Cosmic Wind is the appropriate title for Lion Babe’s sophomore LP, a breezy and fluid collection of heavenly jams. Vocalist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman combine their talents to create an infectious harmony of electro-soul and dance. Known for producing vibrant energy, the duo’s ability to oscillate between the slinky and rhythmic “Anyway You Want To” to the sexy and jazzy “Never Before” is a testament to their varying, yet solid influences. — Danielle

25. Kyle Dion: Suga

As his alter-ego SUGA, fledgling soulster Kyle Dion takes listeners down a famed-dazed path that involves sultry funk and futuristic soul melodies on his first proper album. Tackling the fast-track rise to stardom, Dion reflects on losing normality and strifes over maintaining a glamorous image in a “Glass House” where everyone is constantly on a stakeout. There are some moments on this groovy burner when Dion recalls Bruno Mars’ and The Weekend’s thunder like on the trend-borrowing “Spend It” and the colorfully warm “Teach Me.” But his own sound highlights creep out on “Not All Your Way,” a mellow speed bump targeted at a revved up partner who he wants to take his time loving. Dion laces “Somethings We Can’t Do,” a breathtaking closer based on personal contentment, with his best wails on this 40-minute set.  – Antwane 

24. Summer Walker: Over It

While everyone was enjoying their hot girl summer, Summer Walker was gearing up to put the world back in its feels in the fall. The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter had already set off a chain reaction of women being open and honest about their sexuality on her hit song “Girls Need Love.” Now, she was ready to open up to the world in a whole new way on her debut album Over It. Walker’s effort showed the world a more vulnerable side to her, as she added on to a catalog of great melancholic R&B. The London on da Track-helmed project not only received a co-sign from Usher on “Come Thru,” but it debuted at No. 2 the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the highest female R&B debut in nearly 10 years.  — Anders

23. Tinashe: Songs For You

Tinashe has been fighting to get her sound heard for nearly half a decade. After leaving RCA Records due to “lack of creative control” earlier this year, the R&B virtuoso finished the most defining year for herself with the release of her super-personal independent album Songs For You. Tinashe’s fourth LP details the highs and lows of the singer’s past relationships on songs like “Save Room For Us” and “So Much Better.” It also reminds listeners of the California native’s incredible talent as a songwriter and record producer, as she wrote and produced nearly every track on this genre-bending set.  – Anders

22. Chris Brown: Indigo

How much music does Chris Brown have stored? Seriously. Just two years after dropping his 57-track album Heartbreak on a Full Moon, Brown returned with another extensive project, Indigo, which is packed with 32 tracks. While the album’s singles (“No Guidance” featuring Drake, “Heat” featuring Gunna” and “Undecided”) got a lot of love on the Billboard charts, there are plenty of gems that may go unnoticed if the listener isn’t willing to sit through two hours of music. There is something for every mood on the album: sensual (“Come Together” featuring H.E.R. and “Throw It Back”); dance/party (“Wobble Up” featuring Nicki Minaj and G-Eazy and You Like That”); laid-back/chill (“Don’t Check On Me” featuring Justin Bieber and Ink, “Dear God”); and much more. — Keithan

21. Fantasia: Sketchbook

Nobody knew what to expect from Fantasia’s follow-up to her so-called “garbage” The Definition Of… album in regards to her contrasting pre-album cuts (“PTSD” featuring T-Pain, “Holy Ghost”). But, as one might expect, Sketchbook further adds to her last two experimental album run. Vocally, Tasia is concerned about having more control than oversinging as highlighted on the adult-oriented love ballad “Enough” and the dramatized number “Bad Girl.” Musically, the soul performer continues to explore sonic freedom that gravitates towards her iconic rock influences (“Warning”). While this solid long-player doesn’t include her prematurely-discussed and uncleared collaboration with Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan, Fantasia refuses to stunt her desired artistic growth for fans or critics. – Antwane 

20. PJ Morton: Paul

Paul takes listeners on a journey through PJ Morton’s mind as he ponders about his ambitions, his love life and his experience as a Black man in America. It is a solid album that is packed with positive affirmations to comfort anyone who is going through a tough time. If there’s anything to learn from this short-and-sweet project, it’s to never lose sight of who you are and to remain optimistic, period. – Keithan

19. DAWN: New Breed

DAWN is exactly what music needs: a passionate trailblazer who unabashedly resists industry tyranny for the sake of authentically connecting with their listeners. Celebrating her New Orleans origin, New Breed rids the toxic “this is a man’s world” view and hits on all the times women of color, particularly Black women, had to pander men in personal and professional situations. With a strong focus on vivid expressions regarding disappointment, perseverance, and self-acceptance, DAWN ignites a new fire in Black women on empowerment anthems like “Spaces” and “We, Diamonds.” Everything on this amped-up set isn’t so serious, though. The indie superstar samples nightlife on the easy groove “Dreams and Converse” and trolls an Instagram groupie on “Jealousy,” a fluid slow jam. – Antwane 

18. Johnny Gill: Game Changer II

When you’re a legend like Johnny Gill, you can play by your own rules. After promoting his Game Changer album for three years — five singles in total — Gill kept the theme going with a sequel. This time around, he switches up his creative approach by gently tapping into other sounds outside of R&B. To help his vision come to light, he teamed with super producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Blac Elvis and Ralph Stacy. Gill doesn’t stray too far from traditional R&B sounds. He quickly delves back into his comfort zone with tender R&B tunes like the album’s lead single “Soul of a Woman,” “Perfect” featuring Ralph Tresvant, “Bed on Fire,” “Home” featuring Kevon Edmonds and more. – Keithan

17. Louis York: American Griots

Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Britney Spears all have something in common: they’ve worked with Louis York — Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony — to create hits that their fans will continue to play from years out. This year was the year for Louis York. Their debut album American Griots exemplifies Black Excellence. The carefully-curated sonic experience is a celebration of Black people’s influence on music. Although R&B is the essence of Louis York’s music, they consciously decided to incorporate sounds from other genres that Black people had an impact on. American Griots is an ode to Black musicians and artists who pioneered what we refer to today as American music. Although the album contains a mix of different genres, it flows in a way that makes the listening experience seamless. — Keithan

16. Johntá Austin: Love, Sex & Religion

Johnta Austin’s musical resume is full of hits he’s written for artists like Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and the list goes on. This year, it was all about Johnta Austin the artist. On his debut effort, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter dabbles into love, sex and religion. There is more emphasis on love and sex, with religious nuances sprinkled in between. “Everyone has their own feeling of love, their own connection to the creator and their own connection to sex,” Austin told Rated R&B in an interview. “As long as it is pure, beautiful and you’re not hurting anybody, then this album is for you.” — Keithan

15. Rahsaan Patterson: Heroes & Gods

After an eight-year hiatus, Rahsaan Patterson made a divine return with Heroes & Gods — and it was well worth the wait. On Heroes & Gods, Patterson explores themes on love, self-empowerment and spirituality. The 13-track offering fuses experimental sounds that effectively showcase Patterson’s well-textured tone and pristine vocal range. Patterson’s signature sound can be heard on songs like “Catch Me When I Fall” and “Sent From Heaven.” He gives listeners a chance to let loose on the dance floor with upbeat songs like “Rock and Roll,” “Soldier” and “Silly, Love, Fool.” Listening to Heroes & Gods is just another reminder that Patterson is criminally-underrated as a vocalist and as an artist. — Keithan

14. Mahalia: Love and Compromise

Mahalia, another promising newcomer from the U.K., makes the best use of her past love situations on her sterling debut set. Having a songwriting credit on each song featured on Love and Compromise, this rising talent has grown into a woman that demonstrates unique power after overcoming interesting romantic experiences far beyond her youth. Original and reminiscent at the same time, this emotionally vulnerable album plays in the street of vibrant twists and turns on tuneful tracks like the pressure-free joint “Good Company” and the in the grey feeler “What Am I?” Her irresistible collaborations with other new acts Ella Mai and Lucky Daye are genuine co-signs. In all, Love and Compromise is a strong indication that R&B’s future is in good hands. – Antwane 

13. Elle Varner: Ellevation (EP)

It’s not easy to make a comeback after seven years, but Elle Varner returned like she never left. Although her Ellevation project is labeled as an EP, it feels like an album. Running six minutes shorter than her debut album Perfectly Imperfect, Ellevation is packed with all kinds of feels. In a span of 35 minutes, Varner takes her listeners on an emotional journey as she navigates through her broken heart. The project opens with “Coffee On the Roof” where she catches feelings with a potential love interest. However, things quickly take a turn on the second track “Pour Me (Think bout u)” featuring Wale. She tries to save her relationship on “1 To 10” but is ultimately unsuccessful. While the core of the project is sadness, Varner picks her head up on “Kinda Love” and outlines what she wants in her next relationship. – Keithan 

12. Baby Rose: To Myself

A cure for healing a broken heart: any tear-soaked track from Baby Rose’s critically- lauded debut outing, To Myself. Possessing vocal dynamics and nuances of music great Nina Simone, Rose proves that her seasoned sound is as trusting as the touchy lyrical substance she yearns. She factors in a painful narrative of mistaken domesticity on the exhausted opener “Sold Out.” Cuts like the one-sided love affair “Over” and the indecisive highlight “Borderline” are dominated by deep sadness and nocturnally complex arrangements to drive it all home with intense emotional prowess. To Myself should be the album to make it not only to unfledged listeners but those with mature minds, too. – Antwane 

11. Gallant: Sweet Insomnia

“I called the album Sweet Insomnia because, lyrically, every song is bittersweet,” Gallant said in a previous press statement. “Nothing is 100% positive and light-hearted. Nothing is 100% brooding and cynical. It’s very balanced and real – like an unretouched photo.” For Sweet Insomnia, the follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut album Ology, he opted to experiment more with an early 2000s R&B sound. The standout track “Sleep On It,” and arguably one of the best R&B songs to release this year, brings back those contemporary R&B vibes felt on Usher’s 8701 album. The Maryland native doesn’t hold back on his ear-piercing falsetto notes. His vocals soar on songs like “Hurt” and “Crimes. While the subject matter on Sweet Insomnia may be a little dark and emotional, the overall nostalgia brings light to the listening experience for true R&B lovers. — Keithan

10. SiR: Chasing Summer

Switching seasons from November, SiR takes flight into sunny yet turbulent skies on Chasing Summer. Inglewood’s finest takes listeners through the less savory aspects of romance from a true to life perspective. SiR pulls from his earlier works and ties it in with his current sound to form an album that pleases new and old fans alike. Steadily in the mid-tempo pocket, the TDE singer flows with ease on songs like ‘Wires in the Way” and “You Can’t Save Me.” The listening experience of the hazy and melodic body of work feels akin to the favorable season coming to an end, savoring every last moment until it comes to a close. — Danielle 

9. Raphael Saadiq: Jimmy Lee

The fifth studio album from Raphael Saadiq may well be one of the year’s most dramatic R&B releases. Most everything on Jimmy Lee, the well-respected musician’s first full-length effort in eight years, tends to be a tribute to his deceased brother’s battle with addiction. Lead single, “Something Keeps Calling,” is a soul-inflected comeback hit that describes his constant fight against a sea of nagging second thoughts. There are only a few songs that don’t address substance abuse in any capacity. While he makes heady drug references on “I’m Feeling Love,” focused on dependency, it’s disguised as a love ode. Sticking to his eccentric, jazz-funk sound, Saadiq mixes in dark nuances and heavy lyrics on Jimmy Lee to showcase boundary-pushing moments. – Antwane 

8. BJ The Chicago Kid: 1123

The title of BJ The Chicago Kid’s second album (1123) may appear random to many people but there’s a bigger meaning behind it: It was inspired by his birthday, which is November 23. To celebrate another year of life, BJ gave the world the gift of music. “Most people receive gifts for their birthday but I wanted to give something for my birthday,” he told Rated R&B earlier this year. The something BJ is referring to is an unforgettable experience that comes from listening to the album. He instantly captures the listener’s attention on the opener “Feel The Vibe.” The Anderson .Paak-assisted groove sets the mood for the rest of the album. With lyrics like, “Come on in, close the door and feel the vibe” and “Talkin’ shit with the old heads / Mama dancin’ to some Al Green,” BJ paints a picture of a summertime get together at a Black household. The rest of the album is packed with lush R&B sounds that acts as solid proof as to why the album is up for a Grammy nomination. — Keithan

7. Anderson.Paak: Ventura

It’s a bit unbelievable that Oxnard and Ventura were made at the same time. The softer, more soulful of the two is the perfect example of when Anderson. Paak gives into his R&B side. Instrumentation plays a significant part in his fourth studio album, while the star-studded features (Smokey Robinson, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy) are a worthy enhancement. Ventura provides a consistent smoothness with a flare that goes far beyond a common groove. — Danielle

6. Solange: When I Get Home

In one of the most richly textured R&B releases of 2019, Solange delivers an intriguing project powered by tight songwriting, lush musical arrangements, and beautiful vocal stylings. Recorded in various parts of the world spectrum, including New Orleans and Jamaica, the “warm, fluid, and more sensual” synesthesia she hinted in The New York Times Style Magazine last fall are rendered in slower numbers like “I’m a Witness” and “Jerrod.” Much of When I Get Home’s sonic appeal comes from Solange’s hometown Houston. The music she sings and vibes to on trippy, screwed solos “Stay Flo” and “Almeda” date back to the trademark DJ Screw era of the early 2000s. By the authentic sound of Home, it is baffling to think that Solange once expressed fear ahead of sending this astonishing Black art into the atmosphere. Of course, this collection of retro musical moods doesn’t repeat the purposeful intent of A Seat at the Table; but it’s a good thing it didn’t. – Antwane

5. Snoh Aalegra: Ugh, Those Feels Again

It has been a long time coming for Swedish soul crooner Snoh Aalegra as she released her first project First Sign under the stage name Sheri in 2010. Nearly 10 years later, Aalegra released one of the most intimate R&B albums of the year, – Ugh, those feels again. A project seemingly sent straight from the heavens, Aalegra’s sophomore LP serves as the sequel to 2016’s FEELS, and it features an introspective look at the tell-tale signs of falling in love, as heard on the album’s lead single “I Want You Around.” As a songwriter, Aalegra shines with her unforgettable hooks and haunting melodies on tracks such as “You” and “Whoa.” While her road to success has been a lengthy one, Aalegra’s breakthrough effort – Ugh, those feels again will remain a marveling stop along the way for R&B fans everywhere. – Anders 

4. Jamila Woods: Legacy! Legacy!

Jamila Woods knows how to make a statement. Starting with the album’s track list, each song title is named after a significant person of color. Bridging blues, funk, hip-hop and soul, Woods summons and intertwines their energy on each track, which are individually significant in their own right. Weaving aspects of Blackness and womanhood, LEGACY! LEGACY! embarks on an elegantly expressive journey of finding and accepting yourself in a world where the cards aren’t always in your favor. — Danielle 

3. India.Arie: Worthy

The fact that India.Arie continues to be a potent example that evolves the thought-inspiring messages she sings on every album 17 years after her fulfilling debut again lends to her meaningful position in the R&B world. On Worthy, her incredibly polished new album, it’s no different. The soulful veteran is back full force with refreshing, love-longing, and enlightening compositions that strike a chord in listeners. Clearly inspired by the state of the world, Arie evokes lyrical healing with momentous anthems like the funky “Rollercoaster” ride and the spellbinding track “What If?”. “That Magic,” a warm-weather love song, gloats on her masterful songwriting. Among the traditional R&B gems on Worthy is “Steady Love,” her inaugural number one hit on the urban adult-oriented radio format. Thanks to Arie for another mind-stimulating project; it’s just what the world needs. — Antwane 

2. Lucky Daye: Painted

Lucky Daye may have seemingly appeared out of nowhere but his presence has been welcomed with open ears. The artistry of this New Orleans native was built in the latter half of his life, providing him with an expansive canvas. Daye balances traditional and innovative R&B stylings to craft his highly anticipated debut album, Painted. Roping listeners in with full-bodied vintage-inspired production, Daye’s official introduction to the world has left a rousing first impression. – Danielle 

1. Ari Lennox: Shea Butter Baby

With comparisons to R&B greats such as Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, Washington, D.C. native Ari Lennox stole the attention and hearts of R&B fans with her debut album Shea Butter Baby. As the first lady of J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, Lennox became a pillar of the label and helped bring it to the forefront of music this year.

She appeared on Cole’s song “Change” in 2016, but it was the Minnie Riperton-esque “Whipped Cream” where she shined on her own. Lennox brought this tender, yet soulful sound to her album, along with some sticky hooks, heard on tracks like “BMO” and “New Apartment.” Not only that, Shea Butter Baby introduces this generation to a unique voice easily comparable to Badu, as Lennox’s voice is almost instantly recognizable.

Shea Butter Baby’s titular song is certified gold by the RIAA, and the album snagged three Soul Train Award nominations. While the project did not receive many accolades during its run, it remains a staple piece of the late 2010s, sealing Lennox’s status as one of R&B’s reigning princesses. – Anders

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This content was originally published here.

[goldenheadfreckledheart]

People were interested in me doing a thing like this, so here we go! I figured I’d do a short little blurb about each writer, including one or two of my favorite works by them. So, in no real order (like, I literally randomized the list) here are some of the most talented people* whose art I’ve had the pleasure of reading:

*Please note that some of these people haven’t written for bellarke in a while! That doesn’t mean you should pester them about it! Appreciate the heck out of what they have written instead. Cool? Cool.

1. Maria @rebelprincebell AO3

Maria’s written a good variety of longer and shorter fics, and each of them is excellent. (She’s also an amazing human/friend, but that’s more of a side perk.) She’s currently writing Things We Shouldn’t Do which is what everyone wants out of a multi-chap, fake-dating, actors AU. Or for something shorter, check out T.O.P. S.E.C.R.E.T. for some friends-with-benefits/feelings-reveal goodness. And maybe if she loves me she’ll finish Let’s Go to the Mall but it’s nbd.

2. Steph @ofhobbitsandwomen AO3

I read The Squire (multi-chap, medieval AU) when I was pretty new to the fandom, and I’m still completely in awe of it. Steph’s also written a million other amazing bellarke fics, like this fluffy-af youtubers AU (and, recently, some fucking amazing Jyn/Cassian stuff, if you’re into that) so make sure to check out all of her incredible writing.

3. M @ahmren AO3

M’s writing is magical. At the risk of sounding cliche, it wraps you up and carries you to another world. I could survive on nothing but her collection of soulmate AUs for years to come. 

4. Chash @ponyregrets AO3

Chash has written a million and one amazing fics, so obvs read everything she’s written, but one of my particular faves is Some Cheese With That Whine. It gives me all the best-friends-to-lovers feelings. Amazing. Plus she likes all my posts when I’m flailing about ffx <3

5. Katelyn @nathenmiller AO3

Secrets is the only arranged marriage fic you ever need to read. Period. I also love this fluffy lil childhood-friends-meet-up-ten-years-later AU. Plus, on top of all the fantastic writing, K’s one of the incredibly hardworking ladies behind bff. What a girl??

6. Lana @marauders-groupie AO3

Lana’s another one of those writers where I know I’ll like everything she publishes. She’s like, the queen a soulmate AU’s. Her most recent one is here--a cool iteration where you feel whatever pain your soulmate feels. As with all the other authors here, don’t forget to check out all her other stories!

7. Kacka @katchyalater AO3

I discovered Kacka this summer, and her stories saved me from boredom on the countless train rides I was taking across Europe. By which I mean you should just read through everything on her AO3 page, like I did. Everyone loves a good coffee-shop AU, right? Check out Got to Find Those Extra Cups to Fill. She’s a fantastic, inspiring writer and an even lovelier human being.

8. Emily @prosciuttoe AO3

Emily had the nerve to make me cry by posting a canonverse fic, Hold This Heart Steady, today. So do yourself a favor and read that. Other Emily faves include: Your Heart Is Your Own (So Build Me A Home) and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (for all your Hogwarts AU needs).

9. Brianna @jvnscass AO3

Bri’s another one of the authors I first read when I joined the fandom! She doesn’t write much bellarke anymore, but it’s all still up on her AO3 along with a ton of quality Jyn/Cassian fics, if that’s your jam!

10. Nai @hiddenpolkadots AO3

Want canon-verse smut? Nai’s got u covered: Mouth Like Heaven, Kisses Like Stars. Or for something on the fluffier/hurtcomfort side, try the light that sits at the bottom of your chest. You literally can’t go wrong. She writes Jily too!

11. Kayla @kay-emm-gee AO3

Kayla’s the first person I ever considered my “favorite fanfic author” and the title still fits, even if I do have about a million “favorite” authors now. Full Circle is an older, post s2, fic of hers, but it’s undeniably still one of my faves. A more recent fave is: this is your heart (can you feel it). These are both canonverse, but she writes amazing modern AUs as well. <3

12. Meghan @bellamyfrecklefaceblake AO3

I feel like Meghan writes the best epic-feelings-reveal scenes?? Some faves are: A Drunk Mind Speaks A Sober Heart and You Won’t Get Rid of Me Without a Fight. I want to live in the feelings at the end of these fics pls and thx. (Also, hope your hand is doing better!!)

13. Mel @caramelkru AO3

Is it getting old for me to keep saying I like everything insert-name-here writes?? I’d stop, except that it’s TRUE. Mel is fantastic. Her last installment in Good Times Gonna Come is so cute I can’t actually stand it. Something In The Air (That Night) is also super good. (She also writes Sethkate and Jyn/Cassian!)

(Okay I’m running out of time for these last few--gotta get to class--so I’ll just do one fic rec from each writer, BUT they’re all such fucking talented authors. Everything they write is amazing.)

14. Katie @dreamingundone AO3

take a running start

15. Jazz @hooksandheroics  AO3

Out of All the Gin Joints

16. S @kinetic-elaboration  AO3

Since There’s No Place To Go

17. Amber @bilexualclarke  AO3

asleep in the bathtub (also, like... her blog title doesn’t lie)

18. Emily @kieraknighted  AO3

Walk With Me

19. Annie @clarkescrusade  AO3

those broken and delicate things

20. Julia @enoughtotemptme  AO3

Aurora Borealis

21. @queenofchildren  AO3

But We Fight For Roses Too

I also asked for some lesser known fic recs, so check these out!

Lay It All On Me by @peetaspikelets

The Thing About Pre-Med by theprincessandtheking

In My Dreams We Are Always Together by andsowemeetagain

OKAY PHEW. I think that’s everything. As a last note, don’t forget to appreciate your favorite authors! A comment or reblog here and there goes a long way. Kudos and likes are lovely, but not quite as tangible as comments and tags.

Happy Reading!

[fashionshoesworlds]

Donna Summer Inspires Fabrizio Viti’s New Collection — Including ‘Hot Stuff’ Leopard-Print Sandals

Fabrizio Viti’s resort ’18 muse was Donna Summer. The designer has been aching to base a collection on the late queen of disco since he started his line last year, but this season the stars aligned. Collection highlights, presented today in Paris, are sandals and pumps in animal print and disco metallics and a lot of sass. The leopard print riffs off a dress worn by the diva when she was performing her 1979 hit, “Hot Stuff” on stage in Los Angeles. Fabrizio Viti’s resort ’18 presentation. Viti’s version comes in a synthetic mix satin which perfectly evokes the spirit of those heady days of disco. Summer was the idol of Viti’s youth. He started out as a groupie; “I was her stalker for 20 years,” he joked, “and then she gave up and we became friends.” This season, Viti who is also the women’s shoe designer at Louis Vuitton, further explored his signature bow motif, creating matt rubber versions in a suitably disco palette of lime green and orange. They adorn the leopard print pumps for an overall effect that feels fresh and super now. Donna Summer performs at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, 1979. Elsewhere said bows come in classic

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[promomagazine]

Top Trend: Slogan T-Shirt

By: Sonia Zmihi

Got something to get off your chest ? Make a statement without saying a word as slogan t-shirts are the outspoken trend of the summer. Seen in New York, Paris, Milan, the wordy tees are everywhere – including in all your favorite IT-girl’s closet – diffusing bold and playful messages into the fashion world for seasons to come.

Through these highly wearable pieces, designers use their runway platform to take a stand and make strong statements by doing what they do best. From Henry Holland’s signature wordplays to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s world famous feminist call to arms and most recently Weekday’s  “Brigitte” tee (launching June 30th, go get yours!) named after the new French fashion icon and First Lady, Brigitte Macron. No matter what you want to say, you can now find a t-shirt that will do it for you.  Scroll down to discover more about slogan T-shirts and find the message that is right for you.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, House of Holland has launched a collection of fashion groupie T-shirts. A cool reminder of the designers first collection, featuring witty and rhyming slogan T-shirts. This time, he has revisited the same idea and debuted his SS17 catwalk applying sartorial gags to the new generation of designers and models : from “Let’s Breed Bella Hadid” to “Suck on my toe Pheobe Philo” – either way, a smile is guaranteed.

On a more serious note, empowering and politically charged slogans were huge this season. Fashion has always served as a form of expression but ever since Maria Grazia Chiuri sent down her “We Should All Be Feminists” tee at Christian Dior, the lust for such statement t-shirts has reached a peek and resulted in various adaptation like Jonathan Simkhai’s “Feminist AF” or Prabal Gurung’s “The Future is Female”. The Dior t-shirt is already iconic and is seen as a sartorial symbol of an ongoing social movement. But it also underlines Chiuri’s role as the first female designer at the famed French fashion house. The printed white-tee quickly took over the street-style scene and many celebrities, such as Rihanna, Chiara Ferragni or Natalie Portman, sported it.  Other topical and inclusive tees included graphic sweaters emblazoned with “Be Yourself” at Haider Ackermann and “I am he, as you are he, as your are me” at Each x Other, both broadcasting clear messages of acceptation and self-esteem.

Simple yet very chic, Vanessa Seward’s khaki t-shirt has this little “Je ne sais quoi” that makes it fabulous and super easy to style – paired with a glittery long skirt and platform mules it will take your from office hours straight to your summer afterwork drinks. What’s not to love about that?

At Sacai, music and punk culture served as inspiration as the designer Chitose Abe flipped British singer Joe Strummer’s “Passion is a Fashion” quote into “ashion is a -assio-” read “fashion is a passion” –  a graphic tribute to the leader of The Clash under the shape of a grunge look : black and white kilt, high ranger boots and a beret.

Finally, you don’t need a translator nor a PhD degree to understand what is at the heart of Ashish’s bold message – “Your wish is my command”. Or do you ? When put into perspective, the whole outfit is actually quite intriguing. The submissive catch phrase is contrasted by a beautifully decorated crown, and leaves us wondering if this designer’s message isn’t a call for resistance after all.

Now who said fashion should be seen and not heard?

[whenthatchermeetsbowie-blog]

Background

Timeline

1947 David Robert Hayward-Jones was born. 1953 Familie moved to ‘Bromley’. 1959 David received his first saxophone for Christmas. 1962 First band ‘The Konrads’. Beaten on his eye that creates color difference in his eye. 1966 Changed his name to David Bowie. 1967 First album: David Bowie. 1969 Album ‘Space Oddity’ inspired by the movie ‘A Space Odyssey’. He met Angie Barnett. 1970 3th album ‘The Man Who Sold The World’. David Bowie takes an androgyne look. 1971 Album ‘Hunky Dory’. Married Angie, son Zowie was born. 1972 Rock/alien alter ego ‘Ziggy Stardust’ was born. Explained he’s bisexual in magazine Melody Maker'. Album ‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’. 1973 David Bowie stops with Ziggy Stardust. Album ‘Aladdinsane’ & ‘Pin Ups’. 1974 Album ‘Diamond Dogs’. 1975 Glamrock alter ego has gone, new way to soul and R&B. Album ‘Young Americans’. 1976 Film ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth (David Bowie leads). Saturn award for best actor. New Identity/alter ego ‘Thin White Duke’. Album ‘Station to station’. 1977 Collaboration with John Lennon. Album ‘Heroe’s’. 1979 Album ‘Lodger’. 1980 Album ‘Scary Monsters And Super Creeps’. David Bowie and Angie divorced. 1983 David Bowie reached the ‘mainstream’ public. Top hits: Modern love & China girl. Post-Disco album ‘Let’s Dance’. 1984 Album ‘Tonight’. Hit ‘Blue Jean’, David Bowie is known for his combinations in music/film/theater. Film ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’. 1986 Film ‘Absolute Beginners’. Film ‘Labyrinth’. 1987 Album ‘Never Let Me Down’. 1989 Album & collaboration ‘Tin Machine’. 1990 Sound and vision tour. 1992 Married model/man Abdulmajid. 1993 Album ‘Black Tie White Noise’. 1995 Album ‘Outside’. 1997 David Bowie turned 50. Album ‘Earthling’. David Bowie gets a star on the ‘Walk Of Fame’. 1999 Album ‘Hours’. 2000 Birth of his daughter Alexandra 2003 Top albums ‘Reality’ & ‘Heathen’. 2013 Song ‘Stars Are Out Tonight’. Onverwacht album ‘The Next Day’. 2014 Wint Brit award for ‘best male’. 2016 Album ‘Blackstar’. On 10 January died.

Source: stylebook research Marileen Bouman

General information

Born in Brixton (London) on januari 8 in 1947. His family moved to Bromley when he was six years old. He is an English musician, artist and actor. He changed his name to David Bowie in 1966 because he didn't want people to compare him with Davy Jones from the band 'The Monkies'. When David was in the mand 'The King-Bees' he named himself David Jones.

In 1972 he broke through for the first time with the album 'The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars'. He created an alter ego named Ziggy Stardust. A androgynous, colorful and unusual appearance. Ziggy Stardust was the beginning of the glam-rock scene.

When Ziggy Stardust stopped Bowie created a new alterego as countermovement. Thin White Duke; skinny, smooth, stylish and more casual. This look went along with the album 'Station to Station' in 1976.

David Bowie is famous for continue changing his style. He also adds several disciplines such as music, fashion, theater and film toghether which always creates something unique. He can analyse trends and dictate them. This has resulted in many top albums, movies, art and theaterplays. He was a big influence in the 70s till now, even after his dead.

Relationships

After different short relationships David met Angie (Angela Barnett) in 1969. They had an open relationship. After a year they got married and in 1971 they had a son named Zowie. Later he changed his name to Jones. The marriage was still 'open' and had a lot of ups and downs. Angie was very depressed and once tried to commit suicide. This let to a divorce in 1980 and David got the custody of Zowie. David had after Angie different short relationships. He met a model in 1990 (Iman Abdulmajid) who he married two years later. In august 2000 they had a daughter named Alexandria.

Family

David Bowie was the son of John and Peggy. His father died in 1969 days after he won the award for best produced record for 'When i live my dream'. David his breakthroguh still had to come but his parents were really proud of him.

David had a half-brother; Terry Burns. They were really close. Terry joined the army in 1956. When he came back he inspired David with different kinds of music and let David see the life outside Bromley (jazz and r&b). At the age of 29 Terry had symptomps of the disease schizophrenia, a disease very common in the family. He was admitted to an institution and tried to commit suicide several times. He succeeded in januari 1985. David was broken about it and later on he wrote a song about it; 'Jump they sey'.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-20944291

PERSONALITY

For the personality research we looked at the different characters he has made through the years. After that we will make a conclusion of his personality also in mind that he changes himself all the time.  

Man Who Sold The World

Much of The Man Who Sold the World had a distinct heavy metal edge that distinguishes it from Bowie's other releases, and has been compared to contemporary acts such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Source: http://ziggy.mybluemix.net/static/personality.html?persona=Man%20Who%20Sold%20The%20World

Lyrics song ‘Man Who Sold The World’.

We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone, a long long time ago Oh no, not me I never lost control You're face to face With The Man Who Sold The World I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here We must have died alone, a long long time ago Who knows? not me We never lost control You're face to face With the Man who Sold the World

Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/davidbowie/themanwhosoldtheworld.html

It was his third album "The Man Who Sold The World" that characterised a wholly different sound for him. The heavy rock sound was a marked departure from his folksy overtones and saw him promote the album extensively. It was during these promotions that Bowie’s androgynous appearance was first capitalised upon. The original British cover saw Bowie in a dress, one that he often sported during promotional interviews. His androgynous avatar was hugely popularised and Bowie went on to tease his fans about his perceived bisexuality. Reams have been written back in the day of his sexual preferences, quotes that he himself has later debunked. I never could quite get my head around why he’d do that but it set the notion that if anyone could promote androgyny with such sass, it had to be Bowie. Source: http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/remembering-remembering-david-bowie-the-man-who-sold-the-world-the-finest-saddest-strangest-and-most-beautiful-freak-show-itll-ever-see-bowie-a-man-whose-music-was-as-metaphorically-schizophrenic-2578976.html

The third studio album by Bowie (in England only in 1971 appeared to meet an alternative hoes, Taking full use is made of the androgynous appearance of the singer - see above) is regarded as an early example of glam rock. The Man Who Sold The World was a Pretty dark plate, which alone was evident in the lyrics. So All The Madmen treats a theme that's coming back more often in his songs: insanity. Bowie GAF later than ook toe HE THAT song was written more than are tragic half-brother Terry Burns, die suffered from schizophrenia and himself 25 years later in life deprived door himself door to let a train run over. Source: http://classicrockmag.nl/classicrockfacts/45-jaar-tmwstw/

1971: Bowie's Three Musketeers Phase

David Bowie is noted for being one of the most sexually open and promiscuous stars ever on-stage. Bowie sampled everyone: his managers, assistants, groupies, other musicians, stars, models, you name it. He and his first wife Angie Bowie had an open relationship and a penchant for throwing orgies at their house on Oakley Street in London that still shocks the neighborhood decades later. Source: http://allday.com/post/909-the-many-faces-of-david-bowie/

The world stood still when David Bowie died on January 10th. Bowie is considered a musical genius, especially since he reinvented himself time and again. He switched regularly by genre, by immersing themselves in it thoroughly and give a complete twist. Creative as he was, he stretched himself in every new musical period a totally new alter ego. Include name, clothing, way of talking and moving. Anyone else would be of acute schizophrenic, but David Bowie was a way to express how versatile he was. Are anything but mainstream characters fell in and worked very refreshing among all the other artists. The best known is probably Ziggy Stardust from the early 70s, a man / alien with bright red hair. Thereafter, among others followed the androgynous Aladdin Sane, the timeless dandy The Thin Duke and Bowie in tight suit "Lets dance" a megahit sang in the eighties. All of these transformations had a large influence. On the fashion world and on society. Were his alter egos and are inspiring for major designers. Miu Miu, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Paul Smith; all of them came in the last few years with a collection that was inspired by one of his characters. He has his androgynous characters as early as the seventies opened doors for transgenders. Without David Bowie no Caitlyn Jenner, we want to say. Source: Viva 26 January 2016

Androgen (no gender)

Long flowing locks, high cheekbones and soft lines; These were the elements that David Bowie his androgynous look was complete for the release of his third album, The Man Who Sold The World. For the British album cover he put on a dress, which he later did wear during interviews and in public. It earned him mixed reactions. His early glam rock and gender-bending style during his Hunky Dory album (think bell-bottom jeans and fur) underlying his alter ego Ziggy Stardust in 1972.

Source: https://fashionunited.nl/nieuws/mensen/david-bowie-de-dood-van-een-mode-icoon/2016011125349

Conclusion: This period relates to his album ‘Man Who Sold The World’. With every new music album he switched style, name, way of talking and moving. He creates a new personality with every new album. Long hair, high cheekbones and soft lines, these were elements for his androgynous look for this album.

What do people think about him? It was new, something they didn’t seen before. What inspired him? Miu Miu, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior and Paul Smith.

What are the characteristics of this personality? Long hair, high cheekbones and soft lines.

Ziggy Stardust (1972)

The most famous and complete concept that David Bowie created. With this look he was one of the founders of the glam-rock scene. The album is a story about an alien (Ziggy) who in human form the message of hope brings. Ziggy stands for the definition rockstar, sexual promiscuous and wildly on drugs but with a message of peace and love.

'They were different, they were weird' – someone talking about David Bowie and his band.

The idea for the 'look' came from an fascination and an interest in music and theater. The songs came from Bowie's brain, obsessed with space, Japanese culture and fame. He wasn't shy to talk about his inspiration.

'I'm a collector and I collect personalities and ideas'. – David Bowie

He wanted to change the music industry because he thought it was boring.

It took months to develop each members image. People really thought Bowie and his band came from Mars. It was fantasy.

Bowie was going trough a spiritual awakening but was acting it out through the medium of Ziggy. People didn't want to interview Bowie but Ziggy. He was an actor.

'He created a monster and had to kill it, he couldn't be Ziggy Stardust for the rest of his life' – someone talking about Bowie killing Ziggy.

What are the characteristics of his personality? Androgyne – Weird – Open – Imaginative

What inspired him? Fascination and interest in music and theatre, obsessed with space, Japanese culture and fame.

What do people think about him? A weird rockstar

What is his vision here? Be weird, the music industry is boring.

Aladdin sane

Rest in peace, Ziggy Stardust – long live Aladdin Sane. Just a year after seducing the world with the saga of Ziggy, Bowie killed him off to invent a new glam character – a much darker one, with a new hairstyle and a lightning bolt painted over his face. "There was a point in '73 where I knew it was all over," Bowie said. "I didn't want to be trapped in this Ziggy character all my life. And I guess what I was doing on Aladdin Sane, I was trying to move into the next area – but using a rather pale imitation of Ziggy as a secondary device. In my mind, it was Ziggy Goes to Washington: Ziggy under the influence of America.”

Aladdin Sane is a harder, nastier, gaudier album than Ziggy Stardust, written on the road and immersed in the decadence and sleaze of American culture. Each song on the LP is listed with the place that supposedly inspired it: "Watch That Man" in New York, "Drive-In Saturday" in Seattle and Phoenix, "Cracked Actor" in L.A., "Lady Grinning Soul" back in London. But everywhere he goes, he sees cheap sex and cheaper drugs. Now that he'd hustled his way into the American limelight, he wasn't sure he liked it.

Aladdin Sane is the sixth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records on 13 April 1973. The follow-up to his breakthrough The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album he wrote and released from a position of stardom.

What inspired him? After his Ziggy Stardust character he inspired himself to invent a new darker glam character. He was also inspired by the dirty American culture

What are the characteristics of this personality? Gloomy, Uncertain

BRON 1:  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/how-america-inspired-david-bowie-to-kill-ziggy-stardust-with-aladdin-sane-20160413

BRON 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_Sane

Thin White Duke

Wiki https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_White_Duke

The Thin White Duke was David Bowie's persona and character, primarily identified with his album Station to Station and mentioned by name in the title track, although Bowie had begun to adopt the 'Duke' persona during the preceding Young Americans tour and promotion. The persona's look and character are somewhat based on Thomas Jerome Newton, the titular humanoid alien played by Bowie in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth.

At first glance, the Thin White Duke appeared more "normal" than Bowie's previously flamboyant glam incarnations. Wearing a simple and impeccably stylish, cabaret-style wardrobe consisting of a white shirt, black trousers, and a waistcoat, the Duke was a hollow man who sang songs of romance with an agonised intensity while feeling nothing, "ice masquerading as fire".[1] The persona has been described as "a mad aristocrat",[2]”an amoral zombie",[3] and "an emotionless Aryan superman". Bowie himself described the character as "A very Aryan, fascist type; a would-be romantic with absolutely no emotion at all but who spouted a lot of neo-romance."

The Thin White Duke was a controversial figure. While being interviewed in the persona in 1975 and 1976, Bowie made statements about Adolf Hitler and fascism that some interpreted as being positive or even pro-fascist. The controversy deepened in May 1976 when, while acknowledging a group of fans outside of London Victoria station, he was photographed making what some alleged to be a Nazi salute. Bowie denied this, saying that he was simply waving and the photographer captured his image mid-wave. As early as 1976, Bowie began disavowing his allegedly pro-Fascist comments and said that he was misunderstood. In an interview that year in the Daily Express, he explained that while performing in his various characters, "I'm Pierrot. I'm Everyman. What I'm doing is theatre, and only theatre... What you see on stage isn't sinister. It's pure clown. I'm using myself as a canvas and trying to paint the truth of our time on it. The white face, the baggy pants - they're Pierrot, the eternal clown putting over the great sadness."In 1977 (after retiring the persona), Bowie stated that "I have made my two or three glib, theatrical observations on English society and the only thing I can now counter with is to state that I am NOT a Fascist".

In later years, Bowie called the period from late 1974 until early 1977 which culminated in his Thin White Duke persona "the darkest days of my life" due to his "astronomical" cocaine usage. He blamed his erratic behaviour and fascination with Nazi and occult symbols during that time on his precarious drug-addled mental state, and he claimed that he did not even remember recording Station to Station in 1976."I was out of my mind, totally crazed."As his drug habit ate away at his physical and mental health, Bowie attempted to reduce his cocaine intake and phase out the Thin White Duke persona, whom he had come to see as "a nasty character indeed", and later, "an ogre". He left Los Angeles and settled in West Berlin in late 1976. He would live there for almost two years, moving on from the Thin White Duke era both musically and personally with his "Berlin Trilogy" albums (Low, "Heroes", and Lodger) in collaboration with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti. >

Book: David Bowie Style

> Chapter 4: Diamond Dog to Thin White Duke

If Ziggy was about the blaze of a new star and Aladdin Sane his fall from the heights, the Thin White Duke represented the emptied shell of the man left in the aftermath.

Still this was a period where he became very famous hanging with people like John Lennon and Elizabeth Taylor.

The Duke was a man struggling to experience his own emotions, existing in an amoral zone of numbed feeling. Once more, the boundary between the artist and his creation became unstable, with Bowie's drug consumption and minimal food intake a recipe likely to send any individual into fraught mental state. His Restricted diet also meant that Bowie appeared skeletal – spectral almost – with translucent skin stretched over razor-sharp cheekbones and deep-set eyes.

Like a torch singer lit by a dying candle, the Duke was, in Bowie's own words very 'Berlin-esque', conjuring up elements of the underground nightclubs that had existed in the city during the 20s and 30s. Like Berlin at that time, the Duke was a character on the edge of catastrophe. Bowie's dark aesthetic during this incarnation reflected both that previous era and the 70s, when economic stagnation in the west was rife and civil unrest seemed to be inevitable. The colorful blaze of Ziggy's rise was now brought fully back to earth and the Thin White Duke embodied the dark trauma of a burnt-out star.

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What do people think about him?

David Bowie was very populair and tried to make it in America. With friends like John Lennon and interesting music he became very populair. But because he made pro-fascist statements linked with persons like Hitler people became very critical on him. Later he explained that he was mentally ill and this was actually the worst time of his life because of drug problems. This period was a very dark period in his life and this character is kind of the translation of this. The opposite of the colorful Ziggy Stardust. “Thin White Duke embodied the dark trauma of a bunt-out star”.

What inspired him?

Thomas Jerome Newton, a character that he played in the movie: The man who fell to earth. This movie was also an inspiration for him because he always had a link with the unknown and alien things.

He also was using a lot of drugs and later even claimed that he did not know anything of the recordings anymore.

What was his vision here?

I don't think he really had a vision in this period of his life. He made different statements that people called 'Fascistic' but he said later that he is not and that he was using so much drugs that he didn't think clearly. But because it was a very dark period I am sure he had dark thoughts about life but there are no facts about that.

What are the characteristics of this personality?

Fascist/ Controversial/ Numbed emotions/ Emotionless/ Unstable/ Empty/ Lonely/ Depressed

Top 3: Emotionless/ Depressed/ Unstable

Berlin Bowie moved to Switzerland in 1976, purchasing a chalet in the hills to the north of Lake Geneva. In the new environment, his cocaine use decreased and he found time for other pursuits outside his musical career. He devoted more time to his painting, and produced a number of post-modernist pieces. When on tour, he took to sketching in a notebook, and photographing scenes for later reference. Visiting galleries in Geneva and the Brücke Museum in Berlin, Bowie became, in the words of biographer Christopher Sandford, "a prolific producer and collector of contemporary art. Not only did he become a well-known patron of expressionist art: locked in Clos des Mésanges he began an intensive self-improvement course in classical music and literature, and started work on an autobiography.” 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie#1976.E2.80.931979:_Berlin_era

When Bowie moved from Los Angeles to Berlin in late 1976, he’d been on the edge of physical and mental collapse. At first, he fell back on old habits, cruising around the divided city with flatmate Iggy Pop, drinking KöPi at Joe’s Beer House, stumbling into gutters and transvestite bars, clubbing at the Dschungel and the Unlimited. One night, Iggy sat in the passenger seat as Bowie rammed their dealer’s car again and again, for five crazed minutes. He then drove around their hotel’s underground car park, pushing 70mph, screaming above the screech of the tyres that he wanted to end it all by driving into a concrete wall. Until his car ran out of fuel and the two friends collapsed in hysterics. He realised his goal was not simply to find a new way of making music, but rather to reinvent – or to come back to – himself. He no longer needed to adopt characters to sing his songs. He found the courage to throw away the props, costumes and stage sets. By the summer of 1977, Bowie was on a creative high. With producer Tony Visconti and friend Brian Eno, he began to make a new album. Over long sessions in the studio, he ate almost nothing, sailing home to Hauptstraße with Eno at dawn, breaking a raw egg into his mouth, and sleeping a few hours before returning to the studio. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/13/david-bowie-berlin-years-heroes-just-a-gigolo

Interview with David Bowie about his time in Berlin.

Many reasons have been suggested for moving to Berlin: the local art and music scene, to escape superstardom, for spiritual and physical detox - plus the creative stimulation of being in an isolated, edgy, divided city. Are these theories accurate? Can you remember why the city appealed?

db: Life in LA had left me with an overwhelming sense of foreboding. I had approached the brink of drug induced calamity one too many times and it was essential to take some kind of positive action. For many years Berlin had appealed to me as a sort of sanctuary like situation. It was one of the few cities where I could move around in virtual anonymity. I was going broke; it was cheap to live. For some reason, Berliners just didn't care. Well, not about an English rock singer anyway.

Since my teenage years I had obsessed on the angst ridden, emotional work of the expressionists, both artists and film makers, and Berlin had been their spiritual home. This was the nub of Die Brucke movement, Max Rheinhardt, Brecht and where Metropolis and Caligari had originated. It was an art form that mirrored life not by event but by mood. This was where I felt my work was going. My attention had been swung back to Europe with the release of Kraftwerk's Autobahn in 1974. The preponderance of electronic instruments convinced me that this was an area that I had to investigate a little further.

Source: http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/features/dbuncut.html

David Bowie: The Berlin Briefings is a collection of resurfaced interviews, featuring guest appearances from friends, producers, and his then-roommate, Iggy Pop. Bowie talks candidly about living with Pop in Berlin in the late ’70s, and what ended up being an incredibly refreshing, productive era for both of them. Their time in Germany was a mental and creative vacation, the chance for them to get away from a heavy drug scene and the weight of being famous in America. This is when Bowie created what is referred to as his “Berlin Trilogy”: Low (1977), “Heroes” (1977), and Lodger (1979). Meanwhile, Pop churned out two iconic albums of his own in 1977: Lust for Life and The Idiot.  “I knew I had to get to an environment that was totally different to Los Angeles, so I thought of the most arduous city that I could think of,” Bowie said in his 1977 interview with the CBC. “And it was West Berlin.” Source: http://www.spin.com/2016/06/daily-deal-rare-collection-of-interviews-with-david-bowie-and-iggy-pop/

Conclusion: In Berlin David Bowie learned a lot about himself. He moved to Berlin because of different reasons but the main reason was to kick off from drugs (cocaine). He said Berlin was a creative vacation, the change for him to get away from a heavy drug scene and the weight of being famous in America. He realised his goal was not simply to find a new way of making music, but rather to reinvent himself. He no longer needed to adopt characters to sing his songs. He lived in Berlin for 3 years and beside music he started painting.Wa

Pierrot (1980)

Also known as the Blue Clown (cover of the Scary Monsters album). David wanted to be the most beautiful clown of the circus.

'I'm Pierrot, I'm everyman, what I'm doing is theatre, it's pure clown. I'm using myself as a canvas and trying to paint the truth of our time'. – David Bowie.

Bowie studied theatre and mime and played a role in a theatre production Pierrot in Turquise. He turned into Pierrot in his music video Ashes to Ashes.

The song is about his past with drugs. In the song he says that if you want to accomplish something you have to say away from drugs. The struggle with his past, dark side, lonely and lost.

What are the characteristics of his personality?

Realistic – strong

What inspired him?

His past with druguse, things his mother once said to him.

What do people think about him?

Fairytalelike

What is his vision here?

Be realistic, tell the truth, no more hiding.

Modern Love

"Modern Love" is a song written and recorded by David Bowie. It was the opening track to his fifteenth studio album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983.

Bowie claimed the song was inspired by Little Richard, and it maintains the album's theme of a struggle between God and man. The line "Get me to the church on time" from the lyrics is the title of the same-named tune from My Fair Lady. By the time "Modern Love" was issued and edited as a single, Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour was underway. The single reached No. 2 in the UK, and No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

As a video, “Modern Love” is as straightforward as it gets, especially compared to the others Bowie did that year, “China Girl” and “Let’s Dance.” That could be because Yukich, even though he was Capitol/EMI’s in-house director at the time, was still a newcomer to directing music videos, but it more likely reflects the sudden success of “Modern Love.”

It has less to do with the video and more to do with the song: As art-damaged as Bowie liked to be, he could sling straight-forward rave-ups with the best of ’em, and “Modern Love” is basically one long hook, which perhaps obscures the anxiety about faith—in both the almighty and relationships—at the song’s core. Few pop songs can pull off sing-alongs to the lyrics “God and man, no religion.”

What inspired him?

The song was inspired by Little Richard and the head theme of the whole album was the struggle between God and man.

What are the characteristics of this personality?

Enchanting,

BRON 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Love_(song)

BRON 2: http://www.avclub.com/article/modern-love-david-bowie-mixed-modern-timeless-230645

Earthling (1992)

Is the name of the album strongly affected by electronic music and inspired by the industrial- drum and bass culture of the 90s. Intensity of agression. The album was an attempt to producte some really dynamic aggressive soundings. A texture diary of the earlier years.

'balance, mental, with the way I live and my downfall' – David Bowie

Embrace his outsider-status. The music matters the most.

The real Bowie came forward in the 90s

What are the characteristics of his personality?

Calm – Creative – Spiritual

What inspired him?

The electronic music and drum and bass culture of the 90s

What do people think about him?

Reborn, the real Bowie is coming foward.

What is his vision here?

Music matters the most. BRON ziggy stardust http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/star-man-the-story-of-bowies-ziggy-stardust-763290

BRON ziggy stardust https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Ziggy_Stardust_and_the_Spiders_from_Mars

BRON pierrot http://dangerousminds.net/comments/pierrot_in_turquoise_david_bowies_little-known_first_theatrical_appearance_

BRON pierrot http://culturedarm.com/pierrot/

Lazarus

Lazarus is a character and single of David Bowie's last album 'Blackstar'. In the clip of the single you can see him with a mask in a hospital bed. The single opens with the lyrics: 'Look up here, I am in heaven'. A lot of discussion started when he died, did he organize the album around his death? The answer is probably yes.

Research

Wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_(David_Bowie_song)

"Lazarus" is a song by English rock musician David Bowie. It was released on 17 December 2015 as a digital download, making it the second single from his twenty-fifth studio album, Blackstar (2016), as well as Bowie's last single released before his death on 10 January 2016. The single received its world premiere on BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq on the day of its release as a single. In addition to its release on Blackstar, the track is used in Bowie's off-Broadway musical of the same name. The official music video, directed by Johan Renck, was released on 7 January 2016, three days before Bowie's death.

The video was directed by Johan Renck (who also directed the music video for Bowie's previous single, "Blackstar") in November 2015; during the week of shooting, doctors reportedly informed Bowie the cancer was terminal and that they were ending treatment. The filming location was a studio in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The video is shown in a 1:1 aspect ratio and prominently features Bowie, appearing with a bandage and buttons sewn over his eyes as in the "Blackstar" video, lying on a deathbed.

Telegraph UK

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/david-bowies-last-release-lazarus-was-parting-gift-for-fans-in-c/

“David Bowie's final record was a carefully-orchestrated farewell to his fans, his producer has confirmed.”

“Tony Visconti, the producer who worked with Bowie to complete his final album, has released a statement saying it was deliberately created and timed as a "parting gift" for his fans.”

"His death was no different from his life - a work of Art.”

Wiki 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_David_Bowie

Bowie's final album, Blackstar—styled as ★ on the cover—was heavily analysed following his death, and numerous supposed clues about Bowie's fate were discussed. The album's second single "Lazarus" includes the lyrics "Look up here, I'm in heaven/I've got scars that can't be seen", which appeared in numerous news publications after his death. The album's title was also believed to have symbolised death; it is the name given to a cancerous lesion, as well as the term for the transitional state between a collapsed star and a singularity. It is also reminiscent of the name of a little-known song about death by one of Bowie's musical idols, Elvis Presley, which features the lyrics "When a man sees his flaming star, he knows his time has come". A tumblr account which seemingly included images replicated in the yet-to-be-released video for "Lazarus" was speculated to have been created by Bowie, and these images—Bowie retreating into a wooden cupboard, and writing with a skull on his desk—seemed to many to symbolise Bowie's imminent death.

Other lyrics were also scrutinised; the track "Dollar Days", for example, featured the line, "Don't believe for just one second I'm forgetting you/I'm trying to/I'm dying to". The title and refrain of the album's final track, "I Can’t Give Everything Away", was believed by some commentators to refer to Bowie keeping his imminent fate private whilst hinting at it throughout the album, while its use of the harmonica solo from "A New Career In A New Town"—an instrumental track on Bowie’s 1977 album Low which refers to his move to Berlin—was considered a reference to Bowie beginning another new phase of his life. The track "Girl Loves Me", another example, features the line, "Where the fuck did Monday go?", which some listeners believe eerily predicted the death of Bowie on Sunday, therefore missing Monday.

Lyrics Lazarus

Look up here, I'm in heaven

I've got scars that can't be seen

I've got drama, can't be stolen

Everybody knows me now

Look up here, man, I'm in danger

I've got nothing left to lose

I'm so high it makes my brain whirl

Dropped my cell phone down below

Ain't that just like me?

By the time I got to New York

I was living like a king

There I'd used up all my money

I was looking for your ass

This way or no way

You know, I'll be free

Just like that bluebird

Now, ain't that just like me?

Oh, I'll be free

Just like that bluebird

Oh, I'll be free

Ain't that just like me?

> The lyrics shows a lot of this last period of his life. He is talking about his death, what he accomplished and a dark time in his life. He also makes clear that this was his way of ending his life, with a last album, he is free!

Billboard

http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/6836029/david-bowie-blackstar-album-review

Blackstar is its own strange, perverse thing, the ­latest move in a boundlessly ­unpredictable career. Bowie turns 69 on its release date, Jan. 8, yet he remains as ­committed to novelty as ­anyone in pop. He also remains a ­powerful and effective singer, ­displaying the full range of his tricks on Blackstar -- ­whispering, ­warbling, ­shrieking and ­dropping into his most romantic baritone-Bowie croon to deliver lyrics like "I want eagles in my ­daydreams and diamonds in my eyes." That line is one of the more ­hopeful on a ­discomfiting record, an album that keeps you riveted even when -- ­especially when -- it creeps you out

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What do people think about him?

After this album and his death Bowie became a real legend. People had a lot of respect for his way of handling his death and said that he was a real artist that kept singing and working until the end. He also became more famous then he already was, who didn't know him yet know him now because social media exploded after he died. He has so many skills. Singing/ acting etc., he uses it all to express himself.

What inspired him?

Because this was the last period of his life I think he was mainly inspired by death, everything he did and was always inspired of, like space and the alien. I think he also wanted to make a last statement, that he is a blackstar, scared but in peace.

What was his vision here?

I think that his vision also links with death. He has peace with it and believes he is in heaven.

What are the characteristics of this personality?

Peacefull/ Satisfied/ Strong

> Important is that he really wanted to show that he was a star. He made a statement with his death, he surprised everyone, again.

Conclusion personality

What we particularly noticed that he actually is a kind of all-rounder, which changed constantly. Adjusts how he feels at certain moments, which were created different characters. Who are seen as characters but David Bowie sees itself as part of what he is. He pushes the boundaries, he is always looking for innovation. He has known a lot of emotion swings during his characters.

VALUES + BELIEVE

Quotes Bowie:

“I don’t know where I’m going but I promise it won’t be boring”

“I always had the repulsive need to be something more than human”

Interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zri74q3HDDY

David Bowie: “I was just always looking for expending.. I didn't really know what, but experience new things”.

“Being characterized is like being trapped for me .. Nothing in this world is a real reality, it's not something you can hold on to”.

Values:

Individualistic

Innovative

Experimental

MUSIC

What genre is David Bowies music?

While many late rock stars are rightly saluted for their influence and impact, Bowie

occupies a higher historical tier entirely. He's not just an influential rocker. He's not merely one of the most influential rockers. Among rock stars, Bowie influenced more musical genres than anyone else, living or dead. He is, in that respect, the most influential rock star.

Let's run through this. Obviously, no one is going to question how essential he was to glam rock. While The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane ensured his long-term career and infamy, glam rock as a genre owes him just as much. If Bowie hadn't gone glam, history would remember it as a goofy, cute curiosity -- a sub-genre full of wacky fashion and frothy pop songs, but producing no serious content (apart from one or two T. Rex albums, depending on your taste). Most glam rockers are remembered as that -- glam rockers. Bowie, however, produced two albums squarely within the style while simultaneously transcending it. The aforementioned titles aren't simply glam classics -- they're rock classics. They're singer-songwriter classics. They are, simply put, works of art.

In the industrial rock realm, Bowie's impact can't be underplayed: It's impossible to imagine Trent Reznor or Marilyn Manson having substantial careers without Bowie paving the way for them. And when grunge replaced pop-metal as the go-to genre for rebellious teenagers, Bowie was once again a touchstone.

Bowie's various personas have had an impossible-to-overstate influence on teenage minds since the early '70s -- and he will probably continue to inspire personal artistry and nonconformity until long after all of us are dead. Even the idea that one person can have multiple personas and creative identities --- and still remain authentic with all of them -- is something Bowie pioneered. So in that way, Bowie truly is and will remain a peerless rock star -- someone whose music, style and outlook impacted the world in ways no one else did.

Most important genres:

- Glam rock

- Art rock

-        Pop rock

Most important features:

-        Musical cameleon

-        Big influence on multiple genres

When did Bowies music became iconic?

Bowies first attempt at being a solo artist failed miserably. A big amount of singles, including his debut album, became a flop. However, with the single Space Oddity he broke through. This song about walking in space was right in time, since in the same year (1969) mankind set foot on the moon for the first time.

After that Bowie made the alter ego Ziggi Stardust, in which he played with an androgynous appearance. He looked like an alien that could have been either man or woman. He and Marc Bolan were the inventors of Glam Rock.

Is his work a representation of the zeitgeist?

When more and more artist got a look like he did, Bowie decided to let his persona die. He moved to the VS to record a soule number (Young Americans). Bowie has always been a true musical cameleon. He never kept only one music genre and went on with the time spirit. He also did a lot of collaborations with different artist which already were famous or became famous because of him. Rather than as a musician, it’s in Bowie wholly embodying the idea that creativity is an art that must be done with an unwavering devotion to an ultra-aware introspection, and that your spiritual essence is the canvas upon which your best work deserves to be shown is what makes him impressive. Even further, I’d venture to say that this is what allows him to stand as one of the most dominant and zeitgeist controlling creative masters across all mediums of art, ever.

What were his inspirations? Terry Burns, his half-brother, introduced him to modern jazz, his enthusiasm for players like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane led his mother to give him a plastic alto saxophone in 1961; he was soon receiving lessons from a local musician. If you look at the early songs from Bowie's hands, you will see "Song for Bob Dylan" from Hunky Dory (this song is a play on words – Dylan wrote a song to his source of inspiration: "Song for Woody Guthrie"!). Also note the reference to John Lennon in "Life On Mars" from the same album. Later, on the Young Americans album, Bowie duetted with Lennon on "Fame".

David Bowie also liked Bruce Springsteen's work  – and this dates back to before Springsteen became a superstar. He covered "Growin' Up" and "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" – both songs are from Springsteen's debut album Greetings From Asbury Park. See the article Bowie meets Springsteen for the story of how the two singers eventually met. Roy Bittan from the E Street Band ended up playng piano on several of Bowie's albums.

David Bowie was also openly inspired by Iggy & The Stooges and by The Velvet Underground. Not surprisingly, David Bowie and Iggy Pop became friends – and Bowie produced Lou Reed's Transformer.

CONCLUSIE

- Most important genres:

-   Glam rock

-   Art rock

-      Pop rock

-  Musical cameleon

-  Big influence on multiple (rock and pop) genres

- He smartly combined the lyrics of his songs with social events (For example the song Space Oddity. First men on the moon in that same year).

-  He was one of the most dominant and zeitgeist controlling creative masters across all mediums of art(music), ever. - Inspired by people more than materials

- All of his albums tell a different story(concepts, new identity) - Experimental - Lyrics were personal

Art

David Bowie had studied art and started collecting paintings very early on. Art was the only thing he ever wanted to own. He had to wait till the mid 90’s to get recognition for his own paintings. This because of his fear for failure and thus postponing the public outing of his paintings. 1. What art movement dit David Bowie belong to?

Neo-Expressionism

from 1970

subjects in an almost raw and brutish manner

with the aim to shock people

highly textural

expressive brushwork

intense colors

strong emotions

eclecticism

large canvases

autobiographical elements

political statements

subcultures (graffiti, ethnic art) as an influence

truth > beauty

2. What are the subjects of his paintings?

(self) portraits

scenes from everyday life

personal experiences from traveling

his style:

expressive

emotional

raw

dark

experimental

3. Is his work a representation of the zeitgeist?

The 70’s and 80’s were dominated by artistic forms derived from postmodernism. These movements could be described as an ironic and playful treatment of a fragmented subject, the breakdown of high and low culture hierarchies, the undermining of concepts of authenticity and originality, and an emphasis on image and spectacle. In the eyes of neo-expressionist painters, such as David Bowie, these art forms were very superficial. David Bowie went against postmodernism and created stories through expressive art in which he portrayed his personal feelings and thoughts.

4. What were his inspirations?

David Bowie was a collector of art. He mostly collected paintings from expressionist and surrealist painters such as Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg, Francis Bacon, Francis Picabia, Erich Heckel and Damien Hirst. These painters were also the inspirations for his own work. Their paintings were emotional, subjective and showed dark emotions such as fear and anger.

album covers:

Many of Bowie’s album covers were inspired by different artists such as Erich Heckel and Gilbert & George. The latter being an artist duo creating brightly colored and bold conceptual art.

Conclusion:

Art as an emotional outlet

Not afraid to show emotion and political engagement

Lets himself be carried away by emotion

Has a dark side

Very open minded (especially about inspiration from other artists)

Strong, expressive creativity

Chooses authenticity and truth over perfection and shallowness

Contrast: insecure (inside) - daring (outside)

Sources:

http://www.vogue.com/13458171/homes-david-bowie-art-collection-sothebys-auction/

http://www.theartstory.org/definition-postmodernism.htm

http://bigthink.com/laurie-vazquez/what-made-david-bowie-so-creative-his-obsession-with-art

http://www.kunstkennis.nl/kunstgeschiedenis/moderne%20kunst/neo-expressionisme.htm

http://kunstvannu.blogspot.nl/p/neo-expressionisme.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37845306

https://www.yahoo.com/news/david-bowie-striking-legacy-painter-003551444/photo-ancestor-ii-1995-1998-1452561082366.html

https://sl4artglobal.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/bowie-in-berlin-between-expressionism-and-nightlife/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5X5G3tWTJzk9fQbp1x65zXY/pop-art-why-david-bowie-loved-these-five-paintings

Film & Theater

In welk filmgenre speelde David Bowie en wat zijn hier de kenmerken van?

Voor welke filmgenres produceerde hij zelf?

Wat zijn de onderwerpen van zijn films? (als acteur en filmmaker)

Sluit zijn werk aan op de zeitgeist of gaat hij hier juist tegenin?

Wat zijn zijn inspiraties? Bowies love for acting started at a very young age. In the years between his first few singles and the fame that came with Space Oddity, Bowie studied dance and mime under Lindsay Kemp.

THEATER

The Elephant Man

The acting debut on the American stage of rock singer David Bowie was greeted by a standing ovation in Denver when the singer, noted for his flamboyant musical style, took on the role of physically misshapen John Merrick, the human monster with a liking for culture.

Bowie claims his interest for this performance was based on the outrageous and distorted elements that his character was based on. (Could have something to do with the schizophrenia in his family.)

FILMS

Along the way, he only had a handful of leading roles; most of the time, he was part of the supporting cast or had a cameo. Sometimes he even played himself, putting a twist on his public image. A David Bowie appearance might not have always guaranteed critical acclaim, but – as you’ll see in our comprehensive look back – it was usually a sign that the work would be creative and imaginative.

Labyrinth (1986) Musical, Adventure, Fantasy

Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems.

Bowie playing an evil goblin king as an oddly maternal, glam rocker. We don’t imagine the part required much real acting, but it surely showed us a goofier, more playful side of Bowie.

The man who fell of the earth (1976) Sci-Fi, Drama

You have to believe it to see it.

Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth finds the man who was, only a few years earlier, Ziggy Stardust playing an alien who has come to Earth to find water to his drought-stricken home. At the height of his mid-’70s drug excess, Bowie appears pale, painfully thin, and often nervous — making him the perfect extraterrestrial.

The Hunger (1983) Horror

Nothing Human Loves Forever

Growing old and dying have always been preoccupations for Bowie, and we imagine that’s what makes his turn as a rapidly aging vampire so memorable.

Bowie always excelled at playing the magic freak: the world-weary, otherworldly outsider who is both adored and condemned for his destabilizing mojo. And because Bowie's insuperable Bowie-ness glitters too brightly for him to vanish into any one part, a close look at his film and theater roles is a case study in the merits of stunt casting.

He chose his roles so selectively and with such idiosyncratic, yet strangely consistent taste, that almost incidentally to the main narrative of his extraordinary life, he amassed an enviable onscreen filmography.

VIDEOCLIPS

A year before MTV went on the air, Bowie released the video Ashes to Ashes. (1980) Which Bowie directed together with David Mallet. It cost £250,000 to produce, making it the most expensive music video ever made at the time.

Ashes to Ashes

The music video for "Ashes to Ashes" features Bowie dressed as Pierrot in a variety of bizarre situations. Steve Strange of the New Wave band, Visage, cameos. Bowie has said the shot of himself and other characters marching towards the camera in front of a bulldozer symbolizes "oncoming violence." During this scene, the characters behind Bowie are not bowing, but simply trying to pull their gowns away from the bulldozer so they don't get stuck! This, and many other images in the video suggest that Bowie may be trying to bury the various personas he developed.

The clip was shot during the New Romantics Culture. The fantasy & Escapism of the clip suit to this period of time.

David used his alter ego’s during his performances as an actor as well as the other way around.

SPIRIT OF THE TIME

New Romantics Culture New Romanticism can be seen as a reaction to punk,[3] and was heavily influenced by former glam rock stars of the 1970s such as David Bowie and Roxy Music.[4] In terms of style it rejected the austerity and anti-fashion stance of punk.[5] Both sexes often dressed in counter-sexual or androgynous clothing and wore cosmetics such as eyeliner and lipstick, partly derived from earlier punk fashions.[6] This "gender bending" was particularly evident in figures such as Boy George of Culture Club and Marilyn (Peter Robinson).[3]

 INSPIRATION

Since he has had such a long and varied career, David Bowie is very much an artist influenced by his peers. As Hans Hyttel points out he wrote songs about Bob Dylan and John Lennon (also Andy Warhol) and you can see the influence of them in his music and art. He also hung around with Lou Reed and Iggy Pop for a time and they three had great influence on each other. He also collaborates a lot with Brian Eno and you could say Eno crafted much of the sound that we identify as "Bowie" as he produced many of Bowie's most famous albums.

The later phases of his career he delved heavily into German synth and electro pop, even re-recording a few of his songs in German and releasing whole albums of very German inspired music.

As to what inspired him initially to produce music. well his wiki article states "Terry Burns, his half-brother, introduced him to modern jazz, his enthusiasm for players like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane led his mother to give him a plastic alto saxophone in 1961; he was soon receiving lessons from a local musician." - (Read more: David Bowie)

CONCLUSIONS

·      Bowie studied dance and mime under Lindsay Kemp.

·      Acting debut: The Elephant Man

·      Handful of leading roles; most of the time, he was part of the supporting cast or had a cameo.

Labyrinth (Fantasy)

The man who fell of the earth (Sci-Fi)

The hunger (Surreal Horror)

·      Bowie always excelled at playing the magic freak: the world-weary, otherworldly outsider who is both adored and condemned for his destabilizing mojo

·      The music video Ashes to Ashes. (1980) It cost £250,000 to produce, making it the most expensive music video ever made at the time.

·      The clip was shot during the New Romantics Culture. The fantasy & Escapism of the clip suit to this period of time.

·      New Romantics: In terms of style it rejected the austerity and anti-fashion stance of punk.[5] Both sexes often dressed in counter-sexual or androgynous clothing and wore cosmetics such as eyeliner and lipstick, partly derived from earlier punk fashions

·      Inspirations: He was inspired by Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Andy Warhol which influence you can recognize in his music and art.

During a later phase of his career he was inspired by German synth and electro pop.

His half-brother Terry Burns and musicians Charles Mingus and John Coltrane introduced him to modern-jazz music when he was younger.

Sources:

https://www.quora.com/Who-inspired-David-Bowie

http://soul-psychics.com/blog/the-spirit-of-david-bowie/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000309/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm http://www.davidbowie.com/bio

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6836438/david-bowie-music-videos-best

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6836438/david-bowie-music-videos-best http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-david-bowie-music-videos-20160120 http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/dvdextras/2010/10/cracked_actor.html

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/01/the-8-essential-movie-performances-of-david-bowie-91853/

http://www.bowiegoldenyears.com/1979.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/david-bowie-11-surprising-facts-about-the-king-of-glam-rock/

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/01/09/twin_peaks_will_return_on_may_21_with_a_two_hour_premiere.html

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/movies/david-bowie-movies-that-define-his-film-career

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085701/?ref_=nm_knf_i3

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115632/?ref_=nm_knf_i2

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074851/?ref_=nm_knf_i4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPithDmHrd0

Other

CAREER SWITCH

In 1998 David told the New York Times that by creating visual art it him helped to create better music. He said that if he had a creative obstacle in the music that he was working on, it would often revert to painting or drawing it out. In the painting or in the drawing arised a structure of the music what he was working on and this would produce a breakthrough.

SUPPORTED CHARITIES

In 1984 David participated in the English charity band Band Aid. The band was aimed to raise money to fight the famine in Ethiopia. Together with other famous English singers they recorded the song Do They Know It’s Christmas. It was a number one hit in multiple countries and raised a lot of money.

In 1985 Bob Geldof (co-founder of the band) organized the charity concert Live Aid. It was a 16 hour during concert and there were contemporaneous performances in various countries such as the US, the UK and The Hague. David Bowie performed in the Wembley Stadium in London. The event was broadcasted live in many countries and became one of the world’s biggest media spectacles ever watched. It was so successful that 245,4 million dollars was raised that evening also for the famine in Ethiopia.

David has also supported a lot of charities. The charities support the causes of abuse, AIDS & HIV, At-Risk/Disadvantaged Youths, children, disaster relief, economic/business support, education, family/parent support, health, human rights, hunger, miscellaneous, peace, poverty, weapons reduction, women rights.

The charities that he supported were:

21st Century Leaders

Every Mother Counts

Food Bank For New York City

Keep A Child Alive

Mines Advisory Group

Save The Children

The Lunchbox Fund

War Child

Whatever It Takes

WhyHunger

Witness

Sources

https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie

http://bigthink.com/laurie-vazquez/what-made-david-bowie-so-creative-his-obsession-with-art

http://liveaid.free.fr

https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/david-bowie#charities

CONCLUSION

David cares for the world and the people living on it. By creating visual art it him helped to create better music

He blurred gender lines with ultra-glam, over-the-top androgynous looks in his “Ziggy Stardust” days and later adopted a sharp, buttoned-up persona that was anything but stuffy. The ‘80s were filled with vibrant coloured suits, printed overcoats, and flashy accessories. And let’s not forget his ever-changing hair. One word: magical. Even with the release of his most recent album “Blackstar,” just four days ago, the legend was still serving style supremacy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-bowie-fashion-icon-photos_us_5693c3d6e4b0a2b6fb70ce1b

Why Did You Call The Exhibition David Bowie Is?

“The title is both a statement and an unfinished sentence, and poses the question David Bowie is – what? Our approach was to leave that question open, and to highlight the fact that there is no single answer.”

https://www.mrporter.com/daily/why-mr-david-bowie-is-still-a-cultural-icon/1107

Bowie’s sartorial legacy has inspired generations of designers, from tailoring don Giorgio Armani to Belgium’s more avant garde Dries Van Noten. For his spring/summer collection this year Jean Paul Gaultier sent Bowie lookalikes down the runway, telling reporters he found the V&A show “absolutely incredible… You see how clever he is in all his projects, and how he connected to art.”

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131004-ch-ch-anges-bowies-many-looks

‘’ I’m a collector, I collect personalities and ideas.’’ - Bowie

‘’A tiger that is captured is wilder than a tiger in the wild.’’ - Bowie?

The inimitable, genre-defying musician produced a staggering 26 studio albums in his lifetime, resulting in scores of hits across half a century — from 1969’s “Space Oddity” to 1973’s “Life On Mars” to 1974’s “Rebel Rebel” to 1975’s “Fame” to 1977’s “Heroes” to 1983’s “Let’s Dance” to 1987’s “Dancing In The Street” with Mick Jagger — all the way up to 2016’s Blackstar, his latest studio album, which was released just a few days ago on January 8.

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