#it's SO beautiful live with the orchestra 😭

[subtle-as-an-earthquake]

Big Ideas @ 3Arena Dublin [19-10-2023]

[ca-d]

I never said thank you for that 🖤

[blue--ingenue]

"Repentance"

Summary: for the prompts, "I've seen the way you look at me when you think I don't notice" and "I fucking hate you!"

Author's Notes: to the anon who requested this, the combo you picked gave me so many ideas for angst 😭 i got a bit carried away with this one. i hope you like it!

Sebastian fiddled with the sleeves of his dress robes for perhaps the hundredth time since they began their walk from the common room to the Great Hall. Ominis, the picture of polite nobility, had insisted on escorting Anne all the way to the dance. Sebastian had hung back a few paces in order to give the happy couple a wide berth. Without turning his head, Ominis called back to him.

“You know, you could have avoided all this sulking if you had just asked her to the ball,” he commented idly. Sebastian smoothed his curls and adjusted his coat. “Asked who?”

He had never been good at lying to Ominis, and even less so with Anne. His friend only sighed wearily while his twin gave him an exasperated look over her date’s shoulder. It was equal parts pity and ‘I told you so.’ He set his jaw and gazed stubbornly back at her. “She made her decision,” he stated matter-of-factly. By now their group had reached the entrance. The ceiling had been bewitched to bear a gentle fall of snow. Wisps of white descended from silver clouds and disappeared just before they met the floor. Gone were the house tables. A lively waltz poured from the orchestra of enchanted instruments floating in place of the faculty table. Tables laden with food and drink, pastries and pies, hugged the far walls, while smaller tables and chairs set up a perimeter around the dance floor. Already couples were dancing, some with more grace than others, as more students arrived. 

Anne held his gaze and looked like she was about to say something when her eyes widened and locked on something behind him. “Oh Sebastian, she’s beautiful,” she whispered.

He almost didn’t dare to turn around. The witch in question - the only one that she could possibly be referring to - was already the most divine beauty he had ever beheld. He didn’t know how she could surpass perfection. He didn’t think it was possible, but suddenly he needed to know. When he turned around it he felt as though he’d taken a Depulso straight to the stomach.

She was radiant. Her dress fit her perfectly. Everything, from the colors that complemented her complexion to the dainty ruffled sleeves that draped from her elbows just so, stole the breath from his lungs. When they were young, their mother would read Sebastian and his sister muggle fairy tales. He’d loved imagining himself as the dashing prince saving the princess with windswept hair and a charming smile for any occasion. Those days were long gone, but seeing her descend the stairs like his very own storybook dream was enough to break him from his trance. Suddenly he couldn’t remember why he hadn’t asked her in the first place. All he knew was that he needed to be near her.

It felt like he’d been holding his breath and each step closer was a desperate kick to the surface, a burning need for air. Her head dipped in his direction and she smiled. A soft, sweet thing that crinkled at her eyes and tipped up the corners of her lips. They were but a few strides from each other. Giddy, he offered her a hand and lightly bowed. Like a dream, she reached out to place her hand in his. His chest was filled with a warm, honeyed happiness. Gracefully, she reached the last step, offered her own hand - and placed it in the waiting palm of Garreth Weasley. 

Sebastian froze, arm still held aloft. Weasley kissed her hand and bowed. She smiled down at him - her date - Sebastian’s jealous mind spat, and reached into his coat pocket for his wand. He flicked his wrist and produced a bouquet of crisp white roses. She laughed, a light and airy sound reserved only for him. He spoke without thinking.

“Actually, she likes foxglove,” he asserted. The startled Gryffindors snapped their attention to him and he could practically hear Ominis’ disappointed groan behind him. She seemed to notice him for the first time that night and several emotions flitted across her pretty features in quick succession. Shock, confusion, the flash of a blush, and finally irritation. 

“They’re your favorite flower,” he explained uselessly. Gods, the last time he’d been at such a mortifying loss for words he had fallen asleep in Potions and half-assed his way through a verbal presentation. His Gryffindor parted her lips to speak, but it was Garreth who spoke first.

“My apologies, I’ll make sure to pick foxglove next time,” he replied easily. Sebastian couldn’t decide what he hated more: the sickening sincerity of his apology, or the fact that he thought there would be a next time with her. In classic Sebastian Sallow fashion, his mouth moved faster than his mind. 

“There won’t be a next time,” he growled. For once in his life Garreth didn’t appear to have a witty remark at the ready. “I -”

His friend placed a soft hand on his bicep and smiled with forced composure. “Why don’t you find us a table, Garreth? I’ll join you in just a moment,” she supplied. With a polite nod to Sebastian he shot his date a grateful look and disappeared into the ballroom. As soon as he was out of earshot his Gryffindor let slip her mask of composure and whirled to face him. Shit.

“What the hell are you playing at, Sallow?” she seethed. The rational side of him was screaming for him to apologize for being such a cad. But the irrational side, the one that felt the urge to whip out his wand at the very thought of Weasley touching her again, had no interest in reason.

“Of all the eligible dates in our year, how could you choose him?” he demanded. She took a step closer to him in a manner that said no amount of fitted silk and lace could keep her from blasting him across the hall. 

“Because he asked me!” she shouted. Several heads turned in their direction, but neither of them cared. They were always like this, pushing each other to the brink of destruction until one of them - or both of them - fell over the edge.

He opened his mouth to retort, but she wasn’t finished. “Garreth is kind and funny and caring. He is a gentleman, and that is more than I can say for you right now.”

He laughed, a cold and punched-out sound. “So he’s the best you pull?” Stop! His inner voice urged him. He could feel himself crossing the threshold of saying something truly cruel. Something seemed to click for her. She tilted her chin and looked him dead in the eyes.

“You’re jealous,” she said simply. She can’t know, he thought to himself. If she knew how much he cared and didn’t reciprocate his feelings, he didn’t think he could bear it. He couldn’t lose her.Never her. No. It was much better to keep her at arms’ length than not keep her at all. He scoffed and the lack of confidence in his voice was clear even to his own ears.

“What could I possibly be jealous of?” he snapped. She took another step forward so that she was mere inches from his face. He looked down and saw the same look she wore when she had cornered her opponent in Crossed Wands. “You’re jealous,” she began, lowly, “because Garreth asked me and you didn’t.”  She was close, so close that he could smell the peppermint on her breath. His thoughts ran in a thousand different directions. She was tantalizingly close, she was completely correct, couldn’t let her find out. He panicked, grasping for a response to distance himself from the truth. He was hers, utterly and completely. What’s the farthest thing from love? he asked himself. He said the first thing he could think of, shouting it in a blind panic. 

“I fucking hate you!”

His words shocked himself. He didn’t dare to breathe. She physically recoiled as though he’d struck her. Her pretty eyes were wide with shock and for a moment Sebastian thought she would hex him. Instead a sob punched from her chest, wrending his heart in two, and she ran past him and through the doors leading away from the Great Hall. 

“Wait!” he called, desperately. As though his pitiful plea could overcome the knife he’d wrenched into her heart. He had to find her. He needed to fix this.

-

She hadn’t made it far in her uncomfortable heels. She was sitting on one of the stone benches near the aqueduct gardens, shivering amid the snowfall. The silence was broken occasionally by her sniffles and sobs. Sebastian’s heart ached for her and he cursed himself for being the one to cause her such pain. He called her name and she went rigid. He spoke softly as though he were approaching a wounded animal. Cautiously he sat on the far end of the bench and let himself look at her. Her eyes were red from crying and her lip trembled, stilling only when she sniffled. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, and he couldn’t blame her. He had to be the last person on earth that she wanted to talk to, and for good reason. Sebastian was mustering up the courage to speak, digging through his heart and soul to find the right words, when she spoke. Her voice was so soft, barely more than a hoarse whisper - ”I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.”

She looked up at him then, eyes full of betrayal yet so resolute. “Or at least, I thought I did,” she said with a shake of her head. “I see now that I was just being foolish. Some part of me hoped beyond reason that you shared my feelings. That you loved me even a fraction of how much I love you. I see now that I was wrong,” her voice caught on a sob at the last word, but she pressed on. “You needn’t worry about me going to the ball with Garreth. And I promise you won’t have to spend another second in my presence,” she finished. 

She loved him. Every fear he held onto, of her abandoning him, rejecting him, seemed so stupidly utterly foolish. She loved him. And he was about to lose her. Sebastian surged forward, kneeling in the snow before her and taking her hands in his. Desperate and with nothing to lose, he spoke quickly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I could never mean it. Not to you,” he implored her to listen. “You can hate me, hex me, do anything you want with me, but allow me a moment to speak.” She met his eyes and nodded weakly. He sighed at the smallest of victories.

“I could never hate you. And you were right about all of it. I was jealous. I was a jealous, cowardly git because I was too afraid to ask you myself. And when you accused me of it, I panicked. I thought of anything to say to keep you from seeing the truth of your words and I hurt you. I wish those words had never passed my lips, but they did. And for that I am so, truly sorry. You’re my best friend and the most extraordinary girl I’ll ever meet. I know I don’t deserve you, but regardless, I love you.”

Her brow furrowed. “You don’t have to say that just because you feel sorry for me,” she huffed. Sebastian was gobsmacked. He’d bared his heart to her and had no idea what to say now. But Sebastian Sallow had always been a man of action more than words. He gently brushed the tears from her cheek and brushed a stray lock behind her hair, moving his face closer as he did so. His lips hovered before hers, giving her the chance to recoil. 

“May I?” he breathed. She stared deep into his eyes and whispered, “Please.”

He pressed his lips against hers. They were impossibly soft and so warm despite the snowfall surrounding them. He gently pushed against her and she pushed back. His nerves were on fire. He pressed a hand to her waist, pulling her closer, and slid his other hand behind her neck to deepen this kiss. He held her like something precious, like she was breathing life into his starved lungs. When at last they pulled away blinked a few times before a tear slid down her cheek.

For the hundredth time that night, Sebastian panicked. Had he misread the situation? Had she not wanted to kiss him? “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll just - ” she cut him off by pressing her lips to his. The kiss was soft, fleeting, but effectively cut off his stream of panicked thoughts.

Inexplicably, she laughed. “I accept your apology,” she whispered. And Sebastian was sure that the smile she gave him was warm enough to disperse the gentle storm above them. He grinned, but the dregs of guilt lingered in his chest. 

“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” he asked. She pulled him up so that they were both sitting on the bench. “Would you just…hold me?” she asked, tentatively. 

He couldn’t have obliged faster. She spread out on the rest of the bench with her head in Sebastian’s lap. He angled his head forward to shield her from the falling snow. She gazed up at him as he stroked her hair, and the silence was comfortable. It was as though even the night knew that something fundamental had shifted. “Sebastian?”

“Yes?” he answered. She smiled up at him, and he felt his world right itself on its axis. “You were a git. But I love you.” 

He chuckled softly, being careful not to disturb her head where it rested. “I am. But I’m your git, and I love you. So very, very much.” She laughed and suddenly he couldn’t remember why he’d ever been afraid in the first place.

[canmom]

NieR Orchestra Concert 12024 [the end of data] (London, 15/2/2024)

NieR concert was incredible just as expected. Honestly, from the moment I got there - the cosplayers, the general atmosphere, it was just a good place to be surrounded by NieR nerds lmao. So many people happy to chat with the stranger next to them, kind of a con vibe.

But of course we were there for the music! And it was fuckin amazing. The emi evans/j'nique nicole duets😭These were special orchestral arrangements specifically for this concert, and the way the sound of the orchestra fills the space, how you can see a phrase physically ripple across the orchestra... I don't get to go to a lot of concerts but I really should try to go more often, because it's something else to hear orchestral music.

below: further comments on the concert, lots of cosplay photos.

The multimedia elements also worked really well - every piece was accompanied with backing videos using either demosceney abstract visuals or images from the games, along with text that told a short story over the course of the concert, with some segments voice acted by the English voices of 2B and 9S (Kira Buckland and Kyle McCarley, who have previously made their own performances of the original Japan-only concert readings). I won't spoil the story in this post since there are still concerts to come, but it was... not that substantial I'll admit, but sweet, and a nice framing device to create a flow through the songs and various moments from the games.

Hearing J'nique Nicole's voice live though, that was incredible. Emi Evans was there just as last time, and just as amazing as always - but this time we had both of them on stage together, and it was absolutely sublime. We all went wild. They performed duets in several songs, with the standouts naturally being A Beautiful Song, Ashes of Dreams, and of course Weight of the World. I think we all thought that was the end because we gave it a standing ovation but then Emi came back out to perform Kainé. After that we got into the groove of standing up and stood up again like three more times lol.

Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito showed up at the end and made a bunch of rapidfire jokes in Japanese that the translator couldn't keep up with, bless her. But we got to give them like the fourth standing ovation of the night, and made a lot of noise when Yoko Taro suggested it would persuade the president of Squeenix to fund a sequel. I'm sure they appreciated it lmao. I think it must be so weird for Yoko Taro to go from someone with a career of niche, unsuccessful games to being internationally renowned to the point that a massive auditorium full of people in multiple countries will go absolutely nuts just to hear him speak a language we mostly don't speak.

Good mix of people who were at a NieR concert for the first time and people who'd been to the last one. There was a guy near me who had apparently been to the Berlin concert just a few days before, and snagged a ticket for this one literally yesterday just to get it again with better acoustics. I respect it lol. Everyone I spoke to was remarkably friendly - last time I went to one of these things I felt really nervous about approaching anyone but it seems I've gotten better about that kind of thing in the last few years. Anyway, people had come from all over - I chatted with a pair of Americans from Boston all the way down the merch line.

Here are some pictures, mostly of cosplayers. I am still getting used to shooting with the DSLR my friend gave me, so not all of these came out perfectly steady and some of them the exposure wasn't right,, but there are some nice ones in here...

bokeeeeehhhhhhhhh... I spoke a bit to the owner of this 9S doll. Her mum was there too, and it turns out she's a haberdasher who makes cosplays for her daughters and has now done over 70. That's a legendary mum right there.

The 9S cosplayer here gave me his instagram. he's a pro photographer so I feel a little embarassed at the quality of the photos I took of him ^^'

I got some merch too, since I understand it's the main way events like this support themselves.

That Kainé thing isn't a print, it's a vinyl record with a few arrangements of Kainé. Though I was totally prepared to buy it as a print because it's a lovely drawing. I don't actually own a record player, but one day I'll surely listen to it ^^'

I was too fatigued to make a cosplay this time, but I'm sure there will be another concert and next time, for sure, I will go as Devola or Popola. Unless Yoko Taro comes up with another redhead character in the meantime lmao.

[apeachthatplaystheflute]

I wrote a poem about JunLian :)

I wrote it like a few months ago and put it on ao3 and Wattpad, but I think it’s super sweet

•*•*•*•*•*•*•

The day I met you on the bridge,

 My heart fluttered.

I  talked to you, and took you under my wing,

Yet the words that came out of your sweet little mouth

Tore my world apart.

The sepulcher I had built for myself 

Broke down, like my fragile heart.

“Body in abyss, heart in paradise” is what you spoke to me

After that moment, that very moment I took you under my wing

You radiated so much potential

Like I had.

It felt as if I was staring at myself again,

Wu Yong, all over again

The same mistakes I had repeated

And the naivete I held when I was 17-

Yet with you, 

It seemed fitting. 

You were young, and unaccomplished.

Yet each time I saw you, my heart seemed to grow redder for you.

800 years seemed to fly by you,

Yet all of my advances to you seemed to make you stronger.

I was jealous. I could never rebound like you, but you….

Your heart seemed to be stolen. 

Why couldn’t that be me?

In your eyes, I was an idol, yet Hua Cheng came along.

Why couldn’t I be like your father?

Xianle, sweet Xianle,

You’ve walked so far in life,

Yet I lie here, 

In the dirt,

Underneath Mt. Tonglu,

Banished from the heavens. 

How is it with Hua Cheng? Does he treat you kindly?

Xianle, sweet Xianle,

Could we start over?

I wish to makeup for everything, 

Yet deep down,

We could never be. 

Mei Nianqing and I grew much closer than I ever thought possible,

But everytime my eyes lay on him, 

I think of Wu Yong. 

I think of myself, Wu Yong. 

I think of the times before I,

Mistakenly,

Murdered our friends.

I regret that. 

Yet they live on my face,

Haunting, and bewitching me.

Xianle, sweet Xianle,

Check your parents graves,

I think they would appreciate that again.

Your mother would be proud.

So would your father. 

Oh Xianle,

How I yearn to hug you. 

Your body always seemed to perfectly fit within mine. 

Xianle, oh Xianle,

Please come to see me.

You always seemed to smell as if you had run through an orchestra of flowers.

Your hair was always the color of dark chocolate,

And your eyes held a comforting warmth,

That had always pierced my soul.

They were a beautiful color, 

Always seemingly honey.

Xianle, my dear Xianle,

I hold many feelings towards you,

Yet I wish to see you once more.

Xianle, oh dear Xianle,

Xie Lian, my dear Xie Lian,

Your name lives in my head,

As if it was a melody from a Guqin.

Xie Lian, my dear Xie Lian,

Please, 

Let me caress your face once more.

Let me doze off into the warmth of your eyes, 

And relive these complex feelings for you. 

Xie Lian, 

My dear Xie Lian,

My dear Xianle,

Can you hear me?

Let me love you once more,

Father or lover,

Let me love you once more,

And give me a chance to redeem myself.

Xie Lian,

My dear Xie Lian,

I love you. 

•*•*•*•*•*• it’s up on my ao3 too! And Wattpad. And FanFiction.net because I have no shame 😭😭😭

I’m also thinking about doing writing commissions if someone wants to shoot me a message over here or discord! ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

[rosesbloom-insilence]

just saw jurassic park live in concert (orchestra playing the score) and. wow

it was ethereal

i always forget how much that movie means to me until i’m watching it. it’s so beautiful how happy they are seeing the dinosaurs for the first time 😭

[kafkaguy]

seeing James (the band) live in Athens right now they're incredible. they got an orchestra and a gospel choir with them and it sounds amazing, they just played this song and I almost cried...

the band just did an intermission for a pee break😭😭 which is why I'm on here. tim booth is so fucking funny + very charismatic live, he keeps dancing like a puppet on strings and its wonderful + the guy playing the trumpet is wearing this beautiful flowy white skirt and he looks amazing but my uncle thinks he looks silly 🙄 okay that's all just wanted everyone to know im having fun. As you were LG x

[rhysdoesstuff]

This week is tech week 😭😭😭 this is going to be a painful next few weeks. We start rehearsing with the live orchestra on Tuesday which that in of itself frightens me, but in addition we just got our costumes, and there are over a hundred for the show, so in addition to being in Beauty and the Beast, I’m also a costumer so I’m in charge of making sure nothing is lost or damaged, so there will be no rest at all :)

[plutobutartsy]

idk if you were being specific but i wanna hear about that thing you like

thank you so much for asking omg 😭🫶🏽 (if you listen closely you can hear me giggleing excitedly in the distance)

okay so the thing i really like is OG Keemo, a german rapper and idk if you like rap or know german but his music is so fucking good he's genuinely my favourite artist and my best friend was the one to introduce me to his music

a lot of his songs mention what it's like growing up black in germany which is such a huge comfort to me. most white germans are really unwilling to acknowledge that we have a racism problem here since "it's not as bad as in the US" and most of the media that i've seen that does talk about the experience of being black isn't german so there are some differences. having music that specifically talks about the black german experience is so amazing and his songs are so so so good.

listening to his albums genuinely feels like sitting through a musical because they tell a story, share the same themes and the songs sort of transition into each other (Funkvater Frank makes most of Keemo's beats and he does such a fantastic job).

his most recent album Mann Beisst Hund (engl. "man bites dog") is about three teenage boys who live on the same block and philosophize about wether a pre-determined fate exists or if humans are actually free to choose their role in life and go their own path, all while talking about mistakes, regrets and drifting apart. the album also has two short audio skits where you can hear the boys talk about their theories about fate and they really add to the immersion. it's rare for me to listen to whole albums uninterrupted, i usually do one inital listening and then jump through albums to only listen to the songs i like but with Mann Beisst Hund i listen to it from start to finish EVERY TIME

in his song 216 from his album Geist (engl. "ghost") he talks about racial profiling and police brutality and it's already amazing as is but he did an orchestra mashup with Jorja Smith snd her song Blue Lights and it's so heartbreakingly beautiful. the orchestra perfectly captures how unsettleing and scary the topic is. it almost sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie. that paired with how hopeful and sad Blue Lights sounds makes it so perfect.

i know it's probably not as impactful when you don't know german but if you have the time i'd definitely recommend listening to it!!

okay this got a lot longer than i planned but i just genuinely love his music and one day i'm gonna analyse his songs the way we learned to analyse poetry in my german class lol

[lorenlily]

thoughts on speak now tv?

*nervously* lots of thoughts

well when i came online i saw a lot of people being negative and it made me so nervous

OPENING NOTES OF MINE and everything in my life was drowned out i'm 11 years old and it felt like the first time again

the production is so powerful with the og tracks thank you christopher rowe!!

you know I was so excited for the strings throughout the album and they are even better than I could've thought! in back to december and haunted they felt so much more powerful!

and innocent 😭 you know it's my favourite track and it's so perfectly rerecorded there's small differences like the ha ha haa sound softer before the bridge but it fits so well with her vocals!

the vocals on the og speak now have always been my favourite vocals before we got folk/more and she really delivered! there's a few times where she's sung higher on og like "this is looking like a contest" and "horrified looks" I noticed them instantly the small difference but taylors singing voice is one of my favourite voices and she sounds beautiful on the little note changes i've noticed!

the backing vocals i wasn't expecting the male voice because she didn't do it on fearless tv and i love her harmonising with herself but on second listen they blend in well but the haunted echoes on the verses were jarring at first but the production is too powerful so it cancels out for me lol but i understand the mixed reaction to that song (that song only tho because some people are saying they don't like tsou tv and how not????) also her lower register is in last kiss was sooo!!!!!

what made me feel so happy and impressed was how light she could make her voice sound on mean and speak now and long live and ours especially!! it's making me excited for her debut vocals even more!

.................

*even more nervously* onto the vault

so that's where i'm like they're not bad but they're just not giving the full speak now experience

lyrically they're good but the production is so lackluster on all of them I had low expectations (mainly for aaron and no faith in jack) but they both didn't deliver enough! they're really said electric guitar little drumming in the back we're done when that's not all speak now production is like! speak now production is full and grand and atmospheric and none of these tracks build up that tension! even some of the vocals and melodies I don't think fit well like the way she sings electric touch softly makes it more pop sounding than how sparks fly brings the belting! the passion! and when emma falls in love is so cute but it needed that strumming and bounciness that ours has and even listening to superman the production fills it up but I can see you it still feels flat!

and castles crumbling there's not enough build up towards hayley's verse or towards the bridge i think it needed to be more like innocent full orchestra production or the way haunted is darker and in the bridge it strips it back and you can feel the swell of music!! foolish one is the one I don't like in full sorry but timeless it's lyrically so good but the production again it's like don't you which is not speak now vibe! we've got balads in speak now we've got back to december and last kiss and last kiss the instrumentation in that would marry so well with the timeless lyrics! ending in the antique shop and starting in the college working part time waiting tables is genius but when you listen to them back to back you can feel how much atmosphere mine has that timeless lacks!

It's bittersweet and it's sad because lyrically they're great but they also feel like afterthoughts and I just wish the whole team had actually immersed themselves more in those details to give us the full speak now theatrics and experiment and push the boundaries (why couldn't christopher rowe co produce with them) with the production like I can see you take out the electric guitar and what do you have left? and you can feel that with the tracks each of the have produced in the vault it's just disaapointing because lyrically they match speak now I don't want them to sound like they could be on folklore or 1989 😭 electric touch castle crumbling and timeless are the better vault tracks but they could've been so much more toooo

BUT THE OG TRACKS THEY'VE COME BACK TO ME SO GRAND!! literally all I've done is have mine dear john and innocent on repeat since last night god innocent is absolutely perfect it's my fave track from the first six albums and it's my fave rerecorded track!!! I'm really happy with the original album and it hasn't been nice seeing all these mixed opinions especially from people who didn't even like speak now anyway so it's giving them a chance to voice them again whereas red and fearless tv releases it was mostly positive (and people purposely being dense about what the rerecording are and what they're doing clearly some people are tired but don't take it out on speak now)

I LOVE MY BABY (speak now) AND IM PROUD OF HER!!!

but now she's teasing 1989 tv straight away i feel like she might just drop it in august 😅

[because-its-eurovision]

What are in your opinion the top 3 finnish esc performances?

Also who fo you think are the most attractive / hottest finnish contestants ever? I need this for science👀 (if you are comfortable answering)

What a lovely ask! 🖤 I picked three performances based on styling (clothes, hair, make-up, jewellery), choreography, staging and lightning choices, camera angles, vocal performance and charisma of the singers and back-up singers & musicians, and how well all of of those support the melody, lyrics and structure of the song. I suck at making definitive rankings so these are in chronological order 😄

1977: Monika Aspelund - Lapponia

Lapponia tells the story of a beautiful witch maiden in Lapland and the man who falls in love with her, and Monika really acts out the lyrics to the camera with her expressions. The blue and white (Finnish flag colours my beloved) styling with Lapponia brand jewellery is very simple yet stylish in a Nordic way and fits the song well. Vocal performance of both Monika and the back-up singers is near perfect considering she was suffering from angina at the time and still managed to hit the high note. Choregraphy again is simple but works and compliments the epic chorus, and the end frame is possibly the greatest of Finland's Eurovision history. There's a reason why this is still my favorite entry of all time.

1990: Anneli Saaristo - La Dolce Vita

Once again: simple yet effective. The song is a great combination of melancholic Finnish mindset with Spanish and Italian influences. The main melody flows effortlessly and her low, dark and full voice is perfect for that. Throwing in the acoustic guitar and some flamenco claps for Mediterranean flavor when she is singing about beautiful sweet life in the chorus. Staging is beautifully balanced with the guitar players on both sides of Anneli and she really pops with the red outfit and makeup, bringing out the passion of the song. And listen to the horns and violin sections of the live orchestra! The ending pose is the cherry on top. One of the most succesfull Finnish entries ever and deservedly so.

2021: Blind Channel - Dark Side

Dispite some slight mishaps in the vocal performance, as a whole I love this performance to bits. The background screens with them hanging upside down in white clothes so the stage is not too dark. The combination of red and black. The contrast between Joel and Niko that was purposefully built by giving Niko the rapper look with darker hair and Joel the rocker look with blonder hair. The pyros right from the start and throughout the song. The choreography that looks natural and effortless despite being rehearsed hundreds of hours. The text JOIN in Joonas's guitar, when I first saw him lifting it in their second rehearsal clip I got chills. How they make Niko's and Joel's height difference work by putting Joel behind Niko to whisper like a demon. How dynamic and full of energy the entire performance is and how they are giving their ALL. Joonas & Olli walking to mid stage to join the HU HU HU choreography with Niko & Joel. Aleksi's hairflip. Joonas's hairstyle and clothes and the guitar spin. Him lifting the guitar for the slow part and how Olli looks at the camera. Kneeling Joel. JOIN on Niko's palm. How the energy builds up for the final chorus and them all making the huge jump together, perfectly timed with the pyros. The "headshot" move. Joonas & Olli just spinning and running from opposite directions across the stage during HU HU HU HU, twice. The final scream & pyro combination. 😭😭😭🖤🖤🖤 MY BOYS DID THAT

I'm glad you didn't ask for top-3 hottest contestants, because that would be impossible 😄 Some of those whose looks I've appreciated are Blind Channel (2021), The Rasmus (2022), Käärijä (2023), Sebastian Rejman (2019) and Jarkko Ahola (Teräsbetoni 2008). Boys of Softengine (2014) were adorable, as well as Paradise Oskar (2011) 🥰

[yxnderewrites]

Hello beautiful queen!!!

I love your writing and I have decided to give you songs that remind me of your adaptations of yandere Sam and Colby because they're the easiest to do. (You also deserve more likes and followers)

An Unhealthy Obsession/The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra/ I mean with the stalking, getting a copy of a house key, and doing research like the reader is a historical figure....It fits.

Yandere/Jazmin Bean/ Even though there isn't any violent tendencies in the head cannons, I have a feeling that at least Sam or Colby threatens people they think that don't deserve the reader.

Hide and Seek/ Lizz Robinett/ I can see them singing it when they finally break into the reader's house.

All I want is you/ Rebzyyx/ From day 1 they felt like this.

Last one is.....The Zombie Song/ Stephanie Mabey/ It fits Sam better because I'm assuming it took awhile for Colby to convince Sam to break into reader's house, he also seems like a passive aggressive yandere tbh. He just wants to live a life of peace with his darling.

Anyway, thank you for reading my ramble!!! I love your writing and keep up the amazing work!

Have a wonderful day/night!!!!

- Devil-Lily 🖤💚

hello!! thank you so much for all of your kind words first of all!! 🥰🥰 (and on a separate note, i didn’t expect so many people to love my snc headcanons so honestly thank yall so much for the love on those!!)

and wow, i listened to all of these songs in their entirety and let me just say THE ACCURACY!!!! WOW! i am obsessed with all these songs as well as your explanations as to why they were chosen! i would say all of them fit these two perfectly! i am absolutely amazed by this and will definitely use these songs for future use while writing future parts (which i will write i swear i’ve just been so busy 😭)

but overall, i am truly in love with this and adore this ask so, so much!! 🥰🖤 and have a wonderful day or night to you as well!! :)

[frilly2023]

The Crossing Point "Exchange" 😭 🤡

Frilly was 16, and Andre Rieu was 30, that's 14 years difference.

Frilly was still premature and a child on the inside, and it made her very happy and radiated and very healthy, indeed. She was mature in some ways.

Andre Rieu was already experienced in life, too. In some ways, he was like Joanna, who wasn't. Life was waiting for them. Joanna was his wife, and they had a beautiful girl named Crystal who was 12. Some girls were very jealous of Joanna getting everything, while sometimes people eyed Crystal who would flee into the distance and disappear, like a fairy princess.

Frilly, on the other hand had no problems with Joanna and loved Crystal and needed her in her life to make it happy and beautiful and worth living, as all the other people she knew in the orchestra were older. Otherwise, she was a stranger to life.

Frilly and Andre Rieu were basically siblings, but he was so much older he was her dad. Parents sorta disappeared, but Frilly wasn't attached to her parents like people like Joanna were.

Frilly was a lot like Crystal. Both matched their beautiful, bold names, readily, though each were thinking differently.

Frilly worked hard to do things like shovel snow in fine areas and plow it in big areas. She also played her violin.

Her confusion was a point of interest. She explained to Andre how hard it was to serve people and meet their needs, as she was a sorta servant to the orchestra and Joanna. She, as always, did a great job.

They were in the room, and he pulled her on his knee sitting inward, age 16 and small like the littlest of girls. He hugged her and told her to cry to feel it better, an exercise she did once for the theater with the older women of the orchestra and Joanna. She didn't want to do it.

He rubbed her and asked hypnotically to her if Joanna was bothering her, and she thought of her own question to most other women and she hugged him and got close to him and denied it.

She set sleepily and spoke of her wonder of the past and the future and looked up at him forlornly and faintly.

She broke the silence once more asking if she could do anything to help him, and he could tell she was going to cry, as the answer was probably no. It was a common thing for little siblings to wonder if they can help and fixate their obsession on it. Helping might mean working when people are frustrated or as they say in modern times "stressed out" or used to.

[antoniosvivaldi]

Ahhh I totally missed the notif for your last response 😭

But yeah the new Mitski album was really beautiful. My initial favorites are Bug Like an Angel, Buffalo Replaced, and The Deal. I didn't listen to singles first so I was just pleasantly shocked when she opened the entire album with "There's a bug like an angel stuck to the bottom of my glass with a little bit left". What a beautiful, huge, interesting line to start off! What Mitski songs (new album or other) are your favorites?

Ohh vault is so hard for me. I've found that I can't predict what TS songs I'll like most based on the titles at all haha. My favorite of the new vault titles is Suburban Legends tho. And 1989 is one of my favorite TS albums so I'm optimistic I'll enjoy them all a lot. How about you?

Totally agree - Bewitched is pretty much a no skip here too! And you're so right about the interlude! I absolutely love callbacks + repeating sounds and themes in an album. I think in general her style and beautiful vocals make it easy to listen to all her songs even the ones I don't connect with as much. Have you listened to the live album she did with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra?

My favourite songs off Mitski's new album are Star and My Love Mine All Mine! I have listened to the singles but it's a whole new experience to listen to the new album in full �� From Mitski's previous albums, I also enjoy Love Me More, I Guess, and Two Slow Dancers!

It's hard to pick a single favourite Mitski song lyric, but at the moment I really resonate with "That love is like a star It's gone, we just see it shinin' 'Cause it's traveled very far"!

1989 TV is also one of my favourite albums so I also feel you!! I think for me I'd also go for Suburban Legends as the vault track that intrigues me the most! (for some reason the song title reminds me of Troye Sivan's song Suburbia) I personally associate 1989 with suburban aesthetics, so I think Suburban Legends is the closest we'd get of a title track for the album!

ooh I haven't listened to the entirety of Laufey's live album with Iceland Symphony Orchestra yet, but from what I've heard I really enjoyed the more cinematic take of her songs! If the studio versions are acoustic, the live recording feels like something that would perfectly fit with a classic movie soundtrack!

And you're absolutely right about Laufey's style - while I don't always personally relate to all of the lyrics (particularly about romance) I nevertheless found her music very listenable as a whole - I think the her songwriting, production choices, and overall album cohesiveness outweighs the lyrical details in this case!

P.S. Have you heard that Maisie Peters just announced that she'll be releasing the deluxe version of The Good Witch? Which bonus tracks are you looking forward to the most?

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Jenůfa (Berlin, 2021): Reactions, Part II

✨emotional damage emotional damage✨ @beckmessering​

this music is SO foreboding. once again: janacek you GENIUS

(mostly) same furniture, new place

something something the theatre of life something something

what the fuck do you think

✨emotional manipulation emotional manipulation✨

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

conductor (simon rattle) is wringing some MAGIC from this

this is a PSA to not drug people

careful…

on second thought you are not the title character of a verdi opera, so you shouldn’t need to worry about poisoned water i guess

you can READ the conflict on her face *chef’s kiss*

deadbeat dad alert

self-flagellation

her FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

oh look deadbeat dad actually showed up

seriously she is slaying

“i mean i can pay child support but i am NOT gonna have anyone know that’s my kid”

…given that the kid looks exactly like you and is named števa, i feel like people will figure that one out

she may be short but she is DOMINATING the scene

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF

uh, RUDE

STOP THREATENING TO HIT WOMEN WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck yoooooooooooooou

uh oh

“well, guess you’re here and guess you’ll do”

“she WHAT NOW??????????? with WHOM????????”

you little BITCH

WELL THAT’S A LIE

“oops now i have to figure out how to make sure no one will discover that lie”

ONE OF THE GREATEST FUCKING SOPRANO SCENES IN THE HISTORY OF OPERA LADS

seriously i will never be over these opening tremolos in my life

*dramatic cut over to baby and crib*

DON’T EVEN FUCKING THINK ABOUT IT

orchestra RAMPING up the intensity in the BEST way

religious guilt time!

and now Exceptionally Dubious Religious Justification time!

um…that’s not gonna work like you think it will…

she is giving it her ALL and it is MARVELOUS

NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DRAMATIC CHORD AND WRENCHING VIOLIN SOLO

you missed her by like TEN SECONDS

uh, i’ve got some bad news about where she is…

aggggggggggggh she deserves SO MUCH BETTER

so gorg

UH OH

THE WAY SHE BLAMES IT ALL ON HERSELF (and števa) OH NO OH HONEY

it hurts how accurate that is

i legit had to go back and watch this little snippet like five times because of the way she just SCREAMS this line *agony*

also: ice

these moments of total commitment, where even the singers’ heavy breathing in the silence hits like a ton of bricks…these are the moments i LIVE for

this is BEAUTIFUL

THE RED STRING FROM THE BABY CLOTHES *cries*

SHE’S PRAYING FOR HER BABY TO BE PROTECTED AND HER BABY JUST GOT MURDERED I CANNOT

well that’s one way to have frozen hands

“WHY IS MY BABY NOT ON THE OTHER END OF THE STRING”

NO

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

the way she just lets the string drop to the floor… *sobs*

also: GOD TIER music right here

she’s trying to look on the bright side of a situation that has NO bright side at ALL, just to not fall into despair…

she just sounds totally emotionally drained in the best way possible

ma’am you are not in a good emotional state to handle pointy objects

agggggggggggggggggggh

LACA THIS IS NOT THE FUCKING TIME

she’s just totally broken 😭😭😭

also: camilla nylund here is killing it

SHE’S DESTROYING THE PLANT THAT WAS THE SYMBOL OF HER HOPES AND DREAMS

“hey uh i tried to put it back together”

“I DID NOT FUCKING ASK LACA”

someone is (understandably) not doing well

it may be heavy-handed but by golly it works

GOD FUCKING TIER TAKE ON ONE OF THE SINGLE GREATEST ACTS OF OPERA EVER WRITTEN

[annachumsblog]

Raoul and Christine's wedding

. The day of their wedding is 12th June, 1882, 3 months after the Final Lair

. During those 3 months before the wedding, Raoul and Christine went to therapy together, help with the repairments of Paris Opera during their free time, sightseeing around Paris during their free times, Raoul and Christine dealing with their wedding and moving plans details etc.

. Their wedding day is an adorable day

. All of Raoul's groomsmen ( including Raoul's brother in laws , Christine's Paris opera Male friends and Raoul's cavalry friends who survived and got out of hospital stays at that point ) are dressed in refined tuxedos with ties/bowties in different shades of purple

. Christine's bridesmaids ( including Raoul's sisters Mathilde and Clothilde, sister in laws, Meg, and Cecile and Christine's Paris Opera girlfriends) are all dressed in beautiful gowns in different shades of purple.

. Raoul was dressed in a black and white tuxedo with a deep purple tie and a white rose corsage on the left chest of his tuxedo coat as he waited at the end of the aisle, trying his best to compose his nerves ( with the help of his groomsmen )

. It was a sunny summer day, the sun was shining bright and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue

. At the sound of the horn signifying the entrance of the bride, the church chorus began singing Lohengrin's Bridal March ( yes, that was the original Here Comes the Bride ), as the bridesmaids all entered with Raoul's nieces and nephews ( who are flower boys and girls )in two straight lines

. The flower boys ans girls all threw flower petals everywhere as they toddled down the aisle with the bridesmaids on the lead

. Then Christine arrived.

. Everyone gasped. Raoul's jaw hit the floor.

. Christine's wedding dress was in a beautiful shade of Ivory, decked with laces, florals and ribbons. The medium length Gloves on her arms are embroidered with silver details, the white heels fit her feet perfectly, the 2 strand necklace round her neck accentuated her loveliness even more, the white rose and Pearl tiara perched on top of her complex hairdo complimented with the long lacy veil attached to the tiara, and she wore her biological mother Lilith Nilsson's earrings

. Christine was a beaming, blushing bride as she walked down the aisle

. Madame Giry had to choke down a sob. Her older daughter shall be wed to the man she truly loves ( and who loves her truly as well )

. Raoul's nieces and nephews are all cheering on top of their lungs as Christine walked down the aisle

. Raoul : * sees Christine walking down the aisle * 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🔥🔥💗💗💗👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

. The Bishop of the church officiated the wedding.

. A lot of people are so emotional okay.

. Raoul and Christine been through so much to be together 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🥺🥺😭😭😭😭🤯🤯🤯🤯

. Vittoria Sorelli has flashbacks on her own wedding day to the late Comte Philippe De Chagny years ago. It was quite similar to this one, and she smiled at the memory as she looked up to one of the shining rainbow frescoes of the church.

. Christine says her vows in French, and Raoul says his in Swedish

. Everyone there was amazed at Raoul's improvement in his Swedish.

. The wedding bands are two simple yet elegant rings with a single diamond encrusted on each of them.

. As the Bishop announced ' I pronounce thee Vicomte et Vicomtess - you may kiss the bride!', Christine just grabbed Raoul by the collar and kissed him

. And the whole venue erupted to thunderous claps and cheers

. Later that night at the De Chagny Manor, a grand reception party was held

. There was a sumptuous buffet, a live chamber orchestra, dancing, laughing and drinking

. Everyone is having a wonderful time. Raoul's nieces and nephews all dancing in a circle, Raoul's sisters dancing with their husbands, Raoul and Christine's friends dancing with each other.

. Raoul and Christine's wedding dance is a waltz to ' La Valse De L'Amour ' 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🥺🥺🥺🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

. Raoul's nieces and nephews also performed a play they made up called ' The Singing Princess '. Its a fairytale adaptation of what Raoul and Christine had been through.

. As the party began to go into full swing, and the grown ups became drunk and the children became sugar high, Christine dragged Raoul to Raoul's old room of the Manor before he moves out and the two had their first time on the wedding night.

. The next morning after the wedding, Raoul and Christine waved goodbyes to their loved ones as they board on the carriage from Raoul's old Parisian estate to the port of Le Havre to board on the cruise trip to Stockholm to begin their new lives

https://youtu.be/5C5FOW2ekHo

https://youtu.be/xAJIMBqlGWo