#love on tour 2022: la night 2

[hldailyupdate]

“Anyone else, anyone else who wants to be cool and gay? [points to a fan] GAY! I also fear this could go on for a while."

-Harry joking with the crowd.

Love On Tour 2022: Los Angeles, Night 2. (24 October 2022)

[louisupdates]

Show Review: Louis Tomlinson draws thousands to sold out Faith in the Future Tour stop

Olivia Khiel | July 5, 2023

Louis Tomlinson is leveling up and he’s starting with a new album and a tour that sold out a stop at Arizona Financial Theatre on Monday. The singer was joined by a killer backing band, along with openers Andrew Cushin and The Snuts for a high-energy evening of rock ‘n’ roll.

Fresh from their Las Vegas nightclub extravaganza, The Snuts shuffled onstage in the throes of vehicular issues that nearly derailed their Arizona appearance and perhaps a touch of a hangover. Regardless, the Scottish quartet gave the crowd a rollicking set that included “The Rodeo” and “Somebody Loves You”. They weren’t onstage long but they certainly made an impression on the excitable audience.

When Louis Tomlinson released Faith in the Future in late 2022, it marked a stronger era for the former One Directioner. That strength lent itself to larger scale stage production, a heavy rocking live band and an uncontainable love from millions of fans. The Arizona section of the fanbase showed up and showed out on Monday with their handmade signs and ear splitting screams every time Tomlinson so much as smiled. And really who could blame them when his grin lit up the entire theatre?

He admitted to feeling under the weather but still gave stellar performances of “Kill My Mind”, “Face the Music” (a favorite of ours from the new album) and the uplifting “We Made It”. Not one to forget his roots, Tomlinson also threw in covers of One Direction’s “Night Changes” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”, putting his own spin on the massive hits.

Tomlinson’s voice was a standout in One Direction and getting to hear him sing solo puts that uniqueness front and center. He also tells his story in raw and honest lyrics, never forgetting where he came from and where he knows he belongs.

The unreleased fan favorite “Copy of a Copy of a Copy” had another spotlight moment on this tour, along with a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ “505” done to perfection. At this point, Tomlinson’s weariness was starting to show but the fans carried him as he pushed through to end the main set with “Out of My System”.

Flashing lights and loud guitars brought Tomlinson back to the stage for an encore and he jumped down to the barricade to be in the arms of his adoring fans. Those arms and hands got aggressive, however, and he returned to his microphone rumpled and with holes torn in yet another stage outfit- prompting Tomlinson’s biggest smile of the night. He has a clear love of performing and described being in front of thousands of people who have lifted him up from the One Direction days to now as healing and exhilarating.

That adoration and joy was mirrored for the entire show and Tomlinson exited the stage to thunderous applause and the knowledge that we’d all be back next time.

Check out all the photos!

Story and photos by Olivia Khiel

Photos: part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Dan’s Tour/We’re All Doomed! (2) Masterlist

part one

A Birthday Reunion (Welcome Home Dan) (ao3) - beepsnbops

Summary: Dan’s been on tour for a bit, but he would never let exhaustion and a busy schedule keep him from seeing Phil on such an important day of the year.

another day (ao3) - wearealldoomed

Summary: “It’s another day in the forever house. It’s been a day since uploading ‘We’re All Doomed’ to the channel that started it all. Dan Howell gets to live another day.”

Codependent? Maybe Just A Little (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Dan leaves to go on tour and Phil’s a little bit of a mess.

Continents Apartment (ao3) - floweretfairies

Summary: Dan’s stroking his cock, reaching for his phone. He needed his man, but they were continents apart.

dangender (ao3) - classichysteria

Summary: it’s late at night and dan just wants to talk about what’s on his their mind

falling into lava (for a second, forever) (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: Dan did a thing and Phil's so proud of him.

Flying home to you (ao3) - harrysbabyboo

Summary: I just found out Dan flew back from the Australian leg of his ‘we’re all doomed’ tour for Phil’s birthday and I am DEVASTATED.

Home Is Wherever I’m With You (ao3) - howell_slide

Summary: “You being here is the best birthday present I could ever ask for,” Phil murmurs.

Or, Dan flies home from his tour to come celebrate Phil’s birthday.

I missed you so much I dyed the towels green (ao3) - chuuyaswife

Summary: A few of Dan’s shows get cancelled while he’s on the WAD tour so he decides to surprise his boyfriend back home for a few days. Fluffy reunion ensues.

It's only you. (ao3) - KirstieVic

Summary: Dan is away on tour for WAD and he and Phil have an agreement.

loud heart (ao3) - phiclets

Summary: "Phil has quoted Dan's original announcement tweet, so the endorsement sits on top of Dan's name, glowing with pride. A few things happen at once in Dan then. First, there's the impulse to snort at the nickname danny, which is Phil being silly (and succeeding at it, as he always does). Then there's the warmth that suffuses his entire chest from Phil Lester openly expressing his emotions for Dan's sake on a public platform, an occurrence so rare it still shocks (and essentially assaults) Dan whenever it happens. Then, from that warmth, comes the immediate, overwhelming, not so inexplicable urge to sob his lungs out."

The orange heart reply was a cultural moment; this is my vision of what might have led up to Dan posting it.

one & only (ao3) - daliddl

Summary: Dan just finished his very last We‘re All Doomed show in London and a certain unexpected guest is waiting for him in the dressing room.

[orange heart emoji] (ao3) - natigail

Summary: WE'RE ALL DOOMED finds its home on YouTube and Dan breaks the whole phandom with one single emoji. It's okay. If Phil can be earnest, then so can Dan.

so you don't have to be brave (ao3) - Jamez

Summary: Dan is having trouble sleeping on tour. Phil helps.

The Habit of Confidence (ao3) - howell_slide

Summary: The first time he saw Sister Daniel, Phil had to say a little prayer.

Or, how Phil really feels about Sister Daniel.

“This is a lot, even for you.” (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: Phil should’ve known Dan was going to pull a worried move like calling PJ. Phil had shown Dan the result of his latest dying adventure. A ficlet about surviving and thriving.

This Love (ao3) - ForeverJustAnEmoKidAtHeart

Summary: Dan cannot wait until he's reunited with Phil in LA after two months apart, but the reunion doesn't go as he planned.

well, you gotta do something (ao3) - lagoonlarry

Summary: how i envisioned dan's WAD tour conception, and those conversations with phil

WE'RE ALL DOOMED! (ao3) - idkspookystuff

Summary: it's 2022, the sun is about to explode, and dan and phil go to the woods to reflect on the end

we’re (not) all doomed (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: It's Dan's last-ever performance of We're All Doomed! and he's feeling emotional.

[foxes-that-run]

2018 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024..

1 January - Harry in Palm Springs, Saturn jumper. Karlie Kloss posts swish swish basketball (Katy Perry Taylor diss track)

4 January - reports camille met Harry's family. KK posts Swish Swish

11 January - End Game video released - Haylor references galore. Joe in Italy.

14 January - Joe at Prada fashion show in Milan no Taylor

17 January - Harry gym in LA

13-22 January - Harry wrote Fine line: "Fine Line" I wrote [during] a gap in the tour. It was January 2018 and I was at my friend Tom's house. Harry was seen in la in the last 2 weeks.

22 January - Harry in LA with Camille from 13th to 29th

21 January - Taylor in Italy, Harry in NYC 25th

24 January - Harry NY

25 January - Harry London

26 January - Harry performs at Fleetwood Mac person of year, Xander there

27 January - Taylor and Cara in Milan possibly with Joe

9 February - End Game BTS with text Scrabble game with 'him'

18 February - Taylor in LA Repu-hersal,

20 February - Taylor in Big Sur

18 - 24 February - Harry in on 18th and 24th London

3 March - Harry london gym

4 March - Harry shot the Gucci Campaign with the chicken in St Albans, England

7 March - Taylor and Joe hike with Joe in dark jeans and Nikes in Malibu. Blind staged.

11 March - Live on tour starts again in Switzerland, Anna and Medicine played live for the first time and added to the rest of the tour setlist.

12 March -Delicate MV released

10 April Harry in London

13 April - Taylor releases Earth, Wind, Fire cover with 28 September. It accompanied Delicate vertical video the original release said is ““Taylor says that she chose ‘September’ for sentimental reasons. She’s always loved the classic tune by Earth, Wind & Fire, and notes that the month of September is especially meaningful to one of her relationships.” - Spotify” the ‘one of relationships’ part is later edited out of the Spotify press release!

16 April - Camille at Harry’s Dublin Show, last time seen together till June.

20 April - Babe released

21 April - Taylor posts video thanking fans for responding to Babe, she wore the Evil Eye ring that appeared in Rep.

23 April - Taylor has Robbie Williams on Rep and plays Angels.

5 May - Harry played a mystery melody before Two Ghosts

7 May- Joe and Taylor post photos with a cactus, kiwi vibes.

May - Harry GQ Australia Article with "There's a good story about Winston's wife bumping into a very naked, very blonde, very famous pop star making toast downstairs one morning if you ever get a chance to ask" It starts and ends with folklore.

8 May - November Reputation tour, Joe at opening night

30 May - Joe and Taylor papped getting lunch

31 May - Blind that Joe and Taylor trouble with attention

9 June Taylor plays Manchester the. Is not seen till the 16th, Joe and family there

15 June - Xander, his parents and Anne at Harry’s Phili show.

16 June - Harry was full of beans in Toronto and wore a pink jacket with snakes and cats with wings embroidered on. Taylor played HYGTG in Dublin, only time on Rep tour.

19 June - Taylor posts Meredith, Joe heard in background

22 June - 2 days after a year since Robin passed Harry emotional performing Sweet Creature in New York.  Taylor has Niall as guest in Wembley the same night, Niall wore a NYC shirt. Joe was this show. Harry performed Shania Twain's Still the One. Taylor referenced this suit in the Me! Video. Harry invested in the Calm App. Harry photographed with Max and Xander, he looks really sad. Rumour he was staying with Xander. Xander, Jeff, Maxwell, Tommy at show. Camille flew to attend, had not been seen with Harry for some time.

24 June - Harry performed in Washington, he seemed flat, dropped a flag at the end of kiwi. He later talked to Stern (at the start in 2022) as his voice being dehydrated and it being his least favourite show, thought to be this one. He was not wearing the rose ring.

28 June - Taylor performs Reputation secret session for AT&T in Chicago. When introducing new year day talks about 2 NYEs ago jumping into an icy pool, the version Taylor Nation had posted has only this speech cut out from the full video.  (24:38) Harry unseen

30 June - Harry has a show in Chicago! Taylor unseen! This suit is one referenced in Me!

1 July - Harry energetic in St Paul, the Medicine recording and sang “running with you” not wolves in MMITH. Last Heart kiss till 2021 in Only Angel

3-4 July - People reports Taylor and Joe 'frolic' in Turks and Caicos

7 July - Harry golfing in Idaho

8 July - Joe and Taylor pap photos in Daily Mail

9 July - Trailer for Joe's new movie, The Favorite drops

12 July - Harry leaves garage in yellow Ferrari Dino in Beverly Hills. Taylor likes a Tumblr quote “For what it’s worth: It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you find the strength to start over.” - F Scott Fitzgerald

14 July Taylor’s delicate basket malfunctioned and she played Wildest Dreams a cappella. Harry wore the “whos Jeff azanoff” shirt backstage, Xander there also. Camille at last Harry show she attended, not seen together gain

18 July- live on tour ends

21 July - Taylor played Clean, first time since 2015. Rain show.

22 July - Joe & Family at Rep

31 July - Harry and Camille break up. Harry pictured with Karlie Kloss on Yacht in Italy with Sunflowers.

1 August - Harry driving Maserati in Italy

3 August - Harry gym London sweaty

4 August - only time CBBH played before 2023, never on red or 1989 tours, this 1 on rep and 2 Eras shows.

7 August - Nick posts photo of Harry to IG, then tweets about a couple and is photographed with a fan near Harry’s house. The fan was pictured with Louis wearing the same shirt a week earlier. 8 August Harry Toronto

13 August- blind Taylor controlled Joe's social media accounts

14 August - Reputation show in Tampa filmed for Miss Americana which shows Joe, he is only seen at this and the first show.

17, 18 August - Harry Mexico James Corden's birthday

22 August - Joe Taylor double date. Joe looks angry walking with Taylor in London

26 August - Karlie attends rep, posts photo, Taylor doesn't like it

2 September - Golden maybe recorded, Harry told rolling stone The first song written for Fine Line, on the second day of the sessions at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu. Photographed in yellow pants. At 41 mins in of the Zane interview he describes writing it as his favourite memory of making fine line.

15 September - Harry Eagles Concert LA

21 September - blind that Joe was ‘picked for role of BF’ by professor, Joe does interview saying he wants to keep relationship private

28 September - Taylor went to Favorite NYC premiere with Joe. Harry at dinner in London. Both wore red. Taylor played Wonderland as the Surprise song, one of 6 ever plays.

1 October - Harry lunch in La Xander

9 October - Harry arrived in Japan looking like jagger and japan Dec 18 - Jan 19

8 October - Harry’s lion ring first seen in Tokyo

14-30 October - Harry LA Nobu LA, 17 Studio LA

19 October - Taylor doesn’t go to Kk wedding

17-28 October - Harry in LA on 15 and la 26th

19 November - Taylor signs with republic records and posts about it

21 November - last rep show which is in Tokyo. Plays emotional set of surprise songs are wildest dreams (1 of 3 times she played it on the Rep tour) and So it goes (one of 8 times it has ever been played live), dancing with our hands tied and I know places. Harry writes little freak in Tokyo and leaked ophelia (I feel ya) that refers to staring at her in Tokyo missing her and fantasising. Taylor posts about finishing tour, her last big machine records commitment

11 December - Taylor goes to goes joes movie premiere then next seen back in NY with Joe. Harry in LA 12th

25 December - Taylor spent christmas in a castle in Ireland

Continue in 2019

[this-daydream-is-dangerous-13]

Fine Line (the song) as Harry’s emotional barometer: a thesis

Fine Line, my beloved. It belongs to my favourite type of songs by male vocalists: straining tenor songs about longing.

Fine Line is the closing track on the album which shares its name. Track 13 on the album Harry held for months so he could release it on Dec. 13, 2019. Blondie’s 30th birthday; the preshow playlist that night featured 2 tracks from Lover. It is haunting on the album, and live it’s even better.

Harry begins while quietly strumming his moon and stars/galaxy guitar with the fox on it. He often starts low, shifting into the upper register for lines like “You sunshine, you temptress. My hand’s at risk, I fold…”. It builds to a musical crescendo where he cries out one final “we’ll be alriiiiiiight” while horns and guitar and keys and percussion swell. It a weeper for me, and a no skip always.

Now that the tour is over, I can find all the stats, and there are some interesting trends;

During the first shows of HSLOT, in the fall of 2021, it was the final song on the set list prior to encore.

Here it is on opening night in Las Vegas, with the loveliest speech to introduce it

Here’s Tacoma where before singing it, he begs people to tell those they love that they love them:

Sometimes, he seems to be up in his feels and chooses not to sing the final line. He thanks the city instead, as he does here on the final night of the 2021 US leg:

He releases Harry’s House on May 20, 2022. He starts touring in European stadiums in June in Glasgow, and Love of My Life has replaced Fine Line as the set list closer.

At the first concert, he plays it midset between Boyfriends and Satellite, and it seems to be too emotional to do at that point in the show. It disappears after that.

He plays a particularly emotional version, following LOML and as actual main setlist finale, at the final European show in Lisbon in July 2022.

It vanishes from the setlist after that. It becomes the most requested song, even more then Medicine since Medicine is played from time to time.

He plays it for a 3rd time in 2022, in São Paulo. Coming out to do the ONLY second encore he’s done on tour, on Dec. 13, 2022 he plays it. (In true Harry fashion, he’s wearing a flag as a skirt because he’s ripped the crotch of his Gucci jumpsuit while 🕺).

He finishes, and in Portuguese thanks the city, the fans, and “Fine Line”.

Think I am kidding? Here are the times he played it in 2022, as per the stats:

He does not touch it during the bonus North American dates, nor in Australia/New Zealand or Asia.

Imagine my shock watching a livestream from Horsens, Denmark on May 13, 2023 when FINE LINE replaces LOML as the main set finale; it remains in that spot for the entire European leg of 2023.

And there are some doozies. On May 28th, on night 2 in Edinburgh, he sings the most emotional rendition I had ever seen. I wept through the livestream.

For interest’s sake, the night before while at MetLife Taylor released YLM and sang Maroon for the first time.

Another doozy of a performance was n3 of Wembley on June 16th

And he continues to perform the song with high levels of emotionality, all the way to the end of the tour on July 22nd.

That night, he performs the only other 2nd encore of the 169+ shows, a 10 minute instrumental piano ballad, and original composition which he introduces after by saying in Italian: “I wrote this for you, just for tonight”.

Thoughts?

[destinyc1020]

i love u and ur blog but sometimes ur way too naive or maybe not naive but u see black and white when sometimes things arent that clear or straightforward (diff anon btw). obv not all BTS are fake, thats not what people r saying. basically between the filming in 2022 and now she seems to be keeping her distance a bit more than before. obv we could all be wrong and the next interview we'll be proven wrong. i am sure its nothing. its just slight diff in her behavior towards timmy from what we've seen so far has changed.

I'm sorry Anon, but I'm not "naïve".

I just don't read into every single little thing, or question what ppl themselves say out of their OWN MOUTHS....especially when we've only seen ONE official cast interview (one!!) so far on this Dune Part 2 press tour. 🥴

Case in point: Back when the cast met up in Brazil for the con, ppl were trying to say that "smthg is weird/off", or were trying to claim that Z and Florence somehow had "beef" with each other (what??? 🥴).

But now, now that they were just on Kimmel sitting side by side, laughing, and joking/interacting with each other, you all think they're fine, but now ASSUME that Z and Timmy are "off" with each other. Seriously??? 🥴

She was sitting directly in front of him! Excuse her if she's not going to twist and contort her body to give him full eye contact during an interview! 🙄

The problem is, SOME of you all read way too MUCH in the silliest of little details, and it ends up being absolutely NOTHING in the end. 🙄😒

It's also probably another reason why those Tomdaya breakup rumors got so viral that they had paps asking Tom out in the streets of LA whether he and Zendaya had "broken up". 🙄

Look....I'm one of the biggest body language fans and observers out here, and I'm ALWAYS honest with my thoughts, opinions, and "gut feelings" (good OR bad) on my blog. I would have long since said smthg if I felt like smthg was "off" with Z or Timmy... or with anyone in the cast last night.

I think some fans need to stop being so uptight. At the VERY LEAST, compare apples to apples. If we get an interview with Timmy and Z together solo on this press tour and she's "acting weird", THEN I'll say smthg.

But until then, there's nothing I've seen at all that leads me to believe that they aren't friends anymore, or that she's "cooled off" of him.

Also, keep in mind please that Timmy has a girlfriend now (he did NOT during Dune 1 press), so if you notice any change, she might just be respecting the fact that he's in a rlshp rn and def doesn't want ppl spreading false rumors cuz Timdayas are already delusional out here. 🙄😒

[myloudintrerestsandthought]

Chappell Roan, boundaries and a breath of fresh air Blog #2

Hi! This is my first pop culture blog <3 I hope you like it and I'd love to hear ur opinions!

Chappell Roan, this years break through artist. She is truly a breath of fresh air to the pop industry! Because it was getting very boring TBH. Her vocals are incredible, her fashion stands out after the clean girl and minimalist trends and her music is just so good!. We are truly in a pop renaissance. But what I wanted to talk about is the "controversies" Chappell has gotten into. Chappell has been an artist for over a decade. She got noticed on Youtube for doing covers. Shortly after she signed with Atlantic Records at 17 and released her first EP, "School Nights". Afterward, Atlantic Records ended the contract with her and she moved back to her home town. For the next couple years she did miscellaneous jobs and dated her boyfriend of 4 years. Suddenly the broke up and she moved to LA. She signed to Island records (and later Amusement Records). She had taken a break for about two years because of being dropped and other challenges in her life. She started regularly releasing music in 2022. In 2023, She released her first album "The Rise And Fall Of a Midwest Princess". She gained more popularity and went on tour. She went on tiny desk, on The Tonight Show, Coachella, The VMAS and lalapoolza. Also her songs "HOT TO GO!" and "Good luck, Babe", started to blow up on TikTok. I say all this is give people who don't know her some insight and for the people who say she is an industry plant. Remember, just because someone becomes known suddenly, doesn't mean they are an industry plant! She didn't even receive formal vocal training till recently (which shows how amazing she is). People are upset with her for a TikTok post she made saying not to invade her boundaries and to respect her privacy. She talked about being harassed, stalked and how they found out where her sister worked! People showed up to her family's house and some freak even grabbed her and kissed her without her consent! Like WTH! Imagine if people did all that to you and your family?! The entitlement that some "fans" have is disgusting! She deserves to have her boundaries and freedom, just like us. Famous or not. She doesn't need to change the people need to change! Also people were offended that she didn't want random people coming up to her on the street during her free time. I think people misunderstood, in a professional setting it is okay to say Hi and get an autograph. But when she is with her family and relaxing it is NOT okay to harass her and get mad when she refuses. This is perfectly reasonable to ask, it should be the standard for every musician. Also people wanted her to deliver her message in a less blunt way....OMG y'all! When has Chappell ever been anything but blunt, if anyone isn't going to sugarcoat something, it's her. The last thing I want to talk about is her response to the election. She stated in an article that both sides had issues and she didn't agree with everything both sides stood for. She encouraged people to not let her sway their choice. Idk why people are so mad. She is 1000000000% correct! She's allowed not agree with everything, IT'S HER OPINION! Almost everything has negatives and positives! And YOU shouldn't let a pop star, make YOUR life decisions! What's next is Chappell gonna tell you to choose how many kids to have to what to have for lunch?! She is allowed to have her own opinion ppl! I hope you liked this! Also lmk if theres a pop culture topic I can research and talk about! ;)

[blackwomeninrock]

Interview w/ Lynx from Old Blood

It's not often that I get to sit down and chat with the women featured on this blog, but I was fortunate enough to grab LYNX from Old Blood and ask her a few questions.

Old Blood is a metal band out of Southern California. Their most recent release is Acid Doom, which you can check out here.

And now, on to the questions!

One of the things I’m always curious about is how other black women found themselves entangled with rock music. Can you tell me a bit about how you discovered rock music and what made you want to perform rock music?

I've always been a performer - I started acting when I was 2 and music has always been my favorite medium and as I started finding my favorite kinds of music, I always enjoyed the "strong stuff" more than other sounds. But when I discovered metal, the similarities with classical music really spoke to me. As a violinist, I was drawn to the guitar solos. As a vocalist, I was drawn to the power - all this around the ages of 9 and 10. When my neighbor lent me some Metallica tapes (yeah, this was in the 80's!), I knew what musical direction I'd be taking.

How has your experience been as the frontwoman for Old Blood? Anything memorable happen while performing with this band?

Joining OLD BLOOD has been an incredible experience. The guys are great to work with. Whether we're hammering out new parts of a song in rehearsal, cris-crossing the nation in Macho Van Bandy Savage (our band van) or hitting that tricky part of that one song at that one bar - it's always fun. Some shows really stand out in my mind - ones where other women, often black women, approached me in gratitude for being who I am and doing what I do. Truly heartening moments.

What is your creative process when it comes to making albums and performing?

I'm always making notes, as I hear or "find" lyrics in my daily comings and goings. I keep these notes in a binder that comes out when we start composing the music for new songs. I leaf through these pages and listen for melodic cues that draw these lyrics off the page. The song builds from there. Before a gig, I like to do some Pilates along with some focused breathwork and vocalizations to prepare myself for the athleticism of an OLD BLOOD show.

Who are some of your favorite bands to listen to right now?

I've been deep in a Mark Lanegan phase for the last 5 years or so, much more after reading Sing Backwards and Weep, his autobiography. When we went on tour in 2021, I got it as an audiobook and his voice became an essential companion for those hours of seemingly endless travel. He passed away shortly before our 2022 tour and once more, his music, written and spoken words served as a tobacco and whisky-stained security blanket in my ear. 

Of course, LYNX can't live by Lanegan alone. Unto Others (formerly Idle Hands), out of Portland is another constant in my auditory library. The 1st 4 cds in my car's player are all theirs.

Otherwise, I love supporting the local scene and LA has an abundance of mad-talented acts that keep me out late. I saw my buddies in Formula 400 last night with Freedom Hawk, from Virginia Beach and the night before, my friend Margarita Monet and her band Edge of Paradise opened a stellar jam night in the heart of Hollywood. There's so much good stuff out there!!

What word of advice would you give to anyone thinking about joining a band or getting involved in the music industry?

Give it a go. If it's something you truly desire, that need will never leave you. It won't be ignored nor will it die. Learn as much as you can about the industry and what it takes to reach your definition of success. It's different for everyone, but just don't let that call go unanswered.

----------

You can follow LYNX on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lynxoldblood/

Old Blood Socials: Facebook - Instagram - TikTok - Bandcamp

[sorakazeno]

Sera Myu Music Festival 2022 Blu-Ray

Event was held at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Stellar Ball in Tokyo from November 17th – 20th, 2022.

I missed it by less than two weeks since I wasn't in Japan until December of that year. I doubt I would have stood a chance getting tickets.

Can we also talk about how excited I am to have Japanese Blu-Rays being the same region where I live? Makes it so much easier!!!

Back cover of jacket.

Performance booklet and musical performance dice.

Disc set. The performance on Disc 1. Bonus features on Disc 2. I love how all of them are also huge fans of Sailor Moon. Soundtrack for musical on CD 1. Special performances for the different guests on CD 2.

I haven't see a Sera Myu in a while so a lot of the music was new to me even if it had been out for a few years.

 Sailor Moon: Riko Tanaka

 Sailor Chibi Moon: Chise Niitsu

Riko Tanaka has a great voice.

Sailor Mercury: Kaon Maekawa

Sailor Mars: Rei Kobayashi

I can't be the only amused that the actress' first name is Rei, right?

 Sailor Jupiter: Kisara Matsumura

Sailor Venus: Marin Makino

Sailor Uranus: Shinjyu Terada

Sailor Neptune: Ayana Kinoshita

Sailor Pluto: Chisato Minami

Sailor Saturn: Yuzu Ide

Tuxedo Mask: Riona Tatemichi

Princess Snow Kaguya: Sayaka Okamura

Luna: Yune Sakurai

Human Luna: MARISA

I was fortunate to see Riona Tatemichi perform as part of the America Tour for the Super Live in 2019. I really loved seeing the bonus section with the senshi that were also on tour.

Guest Performances varied by date and time:

November 17 Show 1: Akiko Kosaka, ANZA

November 17 Show 2: Akiko Kosaka, ANZA, Toshino Akamine, Misako Iwana, Emi Kuriyama, Akiko Miyazawa

The original Sera Myu cast performed La Solider on the first night. Loved it!

November 18 Show 1: Tomomi Kasai, Cocona, Yui Hasegawa, Takae Obana, Hoshinami

November 18 Show 2: Shu Shiotsuki, Sayaka Fujioka

November 19 Show 1: Reona Hayashi, Samejima, Yui, Kyoko Ninomiya, Mayuka Ida, Yuko Nakanishi

November 19 Show 2: Yume Takeuchi, Karen Kobayashi, Kaede, Satomomo Hasegawa

November 20 Show 1: Satomi Okubo, Hyakuyo Koyama

November 20 Show 2: Satomi Okubo, Meiku Harukawa, Saki Matsuda

Lyrics

[hldailyupdate]

Harry being a cutie patootie.

Love On Tour 2022: Los Angeles, Night 2. (24 October 2022)

x

[hesnotsinging]

Adore You

TLDR: it's my personal belief that he started lip-syncing Adore You during the second show of the European leg of Love on Tour 2022 (Manchester Night 1) and has been doing it ever since. So, just to be clear, if he is lip-syncing this song, it's a very recent development.

I fully admit that this one is tricky and I could be wrong. Let me explain why: this is a song that I truly think Harry has a lot of trouble singing live as it was written and always has which isn't ideal as it's one of his most well-known songs. It's why he lowers parts of the majority verses and chorus an octave for most performances. He especially struggles with the ending of it in the current tour arrangement when he finally attempts to bring the chorus up to its original higher range. Realistically speaking, this could simply be a case of him singing the song enough times that he's now gotten the hang of the harder parts and doesn't struggle with it as much as he used to. Singing is like anything else, you do it enough, and you're going to improve in certain ways.

...but I'm still like, 99% sure he currently does not sing it live anymore.

The first thing I'm going to do is show you a video of him clearly lip-syncing it. It's his performance of the song at the 2022 Capital FM Summertime Ball and it's absolutely insane how mechanic his vocals sound here. If I'm right about when he started lip-syncing Adore You, this was one of the first times he did it. It'll also not only be a great reference for the rest of the videos in this post both actually live and fake but it's a great opportunity to tell you exactly what to look for when it comes to this song being lip-synced. Here it is:

A lot of it has to do with the fact that he never strays from the current arrangement. Ever. All performances of it sound exactly the same verbatim but there are some particular moments to look out for:

0:55 he never sings the 'you' to finish the phrase 'adore you' at the end of the chorus, just goes right into 'like it's the only thing I'll ever do.' While this could simply be a phrasing choice, the fact that he never sings it is interesting.

1:00 he never sings the second 'like it's the only thing I'll ever do' at the end of the first chorus.

1:30 the lyric 'I just want to tell you something' always sounds exactly the same with ascending notes.

1:35 he always does the riff at the end of 'baby you've been on my mind' during the word 'mind' and it always sounds the same.

1:58 This time, he sings the second 'like it's the only thing I'll ever do' and comes in late on the word 'only.' It always sounds like this. I'll give him and his team credit for this cause it's really clever. It seems he pre-recorded a line to start late so it sounds like he's singing it live.

2:20 I'd like to point out that his mic seems to randomly shut off here cause he says something but nothing comes out. The lyrics even seem to come out just fine but his cute-sy little "okay" is extremely quiet. Technical difficulties? Maybe but the arrangement of this section is always the same with or without his "okay" being loud. He always lets the audience sing 'just let me adore you' here.

2:42 the "hey" is one of the only things in this song that he does live anymore, at least as far as I can tell.

2:47 his little riff at the end of 'walk through fire for you' is always there and the ending is always the same, with no changes ever.

Just as a quick comparison, this is a video of him singing Adore You live at the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball in 2019:

It's pretty obvious if you ask me.

As always, I'll be fair. Here are some actual live performances so you can tell the difference and again, you can watch as many or as few of these videos as you want:

SiriusXM 2020

Howard Stern 2020

Today Show Soundcheck 2020

Graham Norton 2019

From what I can tell, he sang this live during the entire American leg of LOT 2021. Here are some examples of that:

LOT Las Vegas 2021: this was the first show of his LOT tour, he also forgets words during it so it's absolutely live.

LOT Los Angeles 2021

LOT San Antonio 2021

LOT Glasgow 2022: This was the first show of the European leg 2022 and I honestly believe this is the last time he sang Adore You live on tour.

LOT Manchester 2022: (warning to headphone users!) Just based on what I've watched, I do believe this is the show when he started fully lip-syncing this song. After this, every performance of this starts sounding exactly the same.

LOT London 2022

LOT Stockholm 2022

LOT Hamburg 2022

LOT Vienna 2022

LOT New York 2022

LOT Austin Night 1 2022

LOT Los Angeles Harryween 2022

LOT Los Angeles Night 1 2022

LOT Buenos Aires 2022: as of writing this, this is one of his most recent performances of the song.

In conclusion, if he is lip-syncing it, he hasn't been doing it as long as TPWK which has been for the majority of Love on Tour.

[tobethemselves]

Love On Tour Recaps:

X thank you for this great video

173 Shows for 5.04 million fans. The tour donated $6.5 million to several charities.

Find all the links to the recaps below the cut (this is a work in progress)

Love On Tour 2021:

04/09 Las Vegas

07/09 Denver

09/09 San Antonio

11/09 Dallas

15/09 St. Louis

17/09 Philadelphia

18/09 Washington

20/09 Detroit

22/09 St. Paul

24/09 Chicago night 1

25/09 Chicage night 2

29/09 Nashville night 1

01/10 Nashville night 2

03/10 New York night 1

04/10 New York night 2

07/10 Orlando

08/10 Ft. Lauderdale

10/10 Tampa

12/10 Raleigh

14/10 Pittsburgh

10/10 New York night 3

18/10 Cleveland

21/10 Uncasville night 1

23/10 Uncasville night 2

25/10 Boston

27/10 Atlanta night 1

28/10 Atlanta night 2

30/10 Harryween night 1

31/10 Harryween night 2

03/11 Milwaukee

07/11 Tacoma

08/11 Portland

10/11 Sacramento

11/11 San José

13/11 Glendale

15/11 San Diego

17/11 Los Angeles night 1

19/11 Los Angeles night 2

20/11 Los Angeles night 3

23/11 Houston

24/11 Little Rock

28/11 Long Island

Love On Tour 2022

11/06 Glasgow

15/06 Manchester night 1

16/06 Manchester n2

18/06 London night 1

19/06 London night 2

22/06 Dublin

26/06 Hamburg

29/06 Stockholm

01/07 Oslo

03/07 Copenhagen

05/07 Paris

07/07 Antwerp

09/07 Amsterdam

11/07 Munich

13/07 Budapest

15/07 Prague

16/07 Vienna

18/07 Krakow

20/07 Berlin

22/07 Cologne

25/07 Bologna

26/07 Turin

29/07 Madrid

31/07 Lisbon

15/08 Toronto night 1

16/08 Toronto night 2

20/08 New York Residence night 1

21/08 New York night 2

22/08 New York night 3

26/08 New York night 4

27/08 New York night 5

28/08 New York night 6

01/09 New York night 7

02/09 New York night 8

03/09 New York night 9

07/09 New York night 10

08/09 New York night 11

10/09 New York night 12

14/09 New York night 13

15/09 New York night 14

21/09 New York night 15

25/09 Austin Residence night 1

26/09 Austin night 2

28/09 Austin night 3

29/09 Austin night 4

02/10 Austin night 5

03/10 Austin night 6

06/10 Chicago Residence night 1

08/10 Chicago night 2

09/10 Chicago night 3

13/10 Chicago night 4

14/10 Chicago night 5

15/10 Chicago night 6

23/10 Los Angeles Residence night 1

24/10 Los Angeles night 2

26/10 Los Angeles night 3

28/18 Los Angeles night 4

29/10 Los Angeles night 5

31/10 Los Angeles night 6

02/11 Los Angeles night 7

09/11 Los Angeles night 8

11/11 Los Angeles night 9

12/11 Los Angeles night 10

14/11 Los Angeles night 11

15/11 Los Angeles night 12

20/11 Guadalajara

22/11 Monterrey

24/11 Mexico City night 1

25/11 Mexico City night 2

27/11 Bogotá

29/11 Lima

01/12 Santiago de Chile

03/12 Buenos Aires night 3

04/12 Buenos Aires night 2

06/12 Sao Paulo night 1

08/12 Rio de Janeiro

10/12 Curitiba

13/12 Sao Paulo night 2

14/12 Sao Paulo night 3

Love On Tour 2023

26/01 Los Angeles night 13

27/01 Los Angeles night 14

29/01 Los Angeles night 15

31/01 Palm Springs night 1

01/02 Palm Springs night 2

20/02 Perth

24/02 Melbourne night 1

25/02 Melbourne night 2

28/02 Gold Coast

03/03 Sydney night 1

04/03 Sydney night 2

07/03 Auckland

11/03 Bangkok

14/03 Manila

17/03 Singapore

20/03 Seoul

24/03 Tokyo night 1

25/03 Tokyo n2

13/05 Horsens night 1

14/05 Horsens night 2

17/05 Munich night 1

18/05 Munich night 2

22/05 Coventry night 1

23/05 Coventry night 2

26/05 Edinburgh night 1

27/05 Edinburgh night 2

01/06 Paris night 1

02/06 Paris night 2

04/06 Amsterdam night 1

05/06 Amsterdam night 2

06/06 Amsterdam night 3

10/06 Slane Castle

13/06 London night 1

14/06 London night 2

16/06 London night 3

17/06 London night 4

21/06 Cardiff

24/06 Werchter

27/06 Düsseldorf night 1

28/06 Düsseldorf night 2

02/07 Warsaw

05/07 Frankfurt night 1

06/07 Frankfurt night 2

08/07 Vienna

12/07 Barcelona

14/07 Madrid

18/07 Lisbon

22/07 Reggio Emilia

[foxes-that-run]

Harry Styles and Taylor Russell (Tarry) timeline

2023

12-17 June - Taylor Russell at one of Harry's Wembley dates, we don't know which. The photos were provided of her sitting with Jeff, Xander and Jacquelyn on 19 January 2024

24 June - Taylor Russell and Harry leaving art gallery in London.

6 July - Taylor Russell seen walking with Harry and in the Vienna HSLOT show in VIP tent.

8 July - Taylor Russell and Travis Kelce spotted at Harry and Taylors concerts respectively. ….on the same day.

11 July Harry and TR by a hotel pool and Barcelona airport

23 July - With Brad at Love on Tour

10 August - 1989 TV announced and Harry goes to Taylor Russell's play on the same day, 9 August in US. Gemma and her partner there

25 August - they walked all the time in London

28 August - Harry attends Taylor Russells play more on closing night 7 October,

7 September - They passed Sigel Rides walking Root... Taylor Russells dog who disappeared as quickly as it appeared when she went to NY.

13 September - H seen near TRs play

27 September - They were seen riding Lime Bikes then while Walking TR reached for Harry's hand and he switched the side he was holding his coffee.

29 September - Harry and his dad at Taylor Russells play. TR went to Fashion week and wore a weird metal coat. Harry stayed in London. A story that he drove to pick her up from the Train Station and got a parking ticket.. except there were no photos and (as at June 2024) he has not been seen driving since December 2022. "An onlooker told The Sun on Sunday's Bizarre column: "Harry quickly parked up on the double yellows. You could tell he didn’t want to be late for Taylor after her long train journey so he quickly dashed into the station.""

8 October - Harry at the after part of the Effect in London

23 Oct - video of HS & TR in cafe.

3 November - Harry in Vancouver with TR, head covered. Left a note for a restaurant they visited and ate donuts on a dock.

9 November - Video of Harry’s buzz cut from 8 days earlier posted during U2 concert, same day it is reported TK will go to the Eras tour.

1 December - Deux Moi reports that Harry and TR are expecting, Taylor and Joe had a ceremony. Tree ends Deux.

2 December - Harry and TR rumoured split. Article deleted the next day possibly as it identifies TRs hotel

3 December Daily Mail reports TR and HS are in crisis then takes the article down.

11 December - distant photo of Harry and Taylor Russell in Italy from the 7th posted to HS news. Rumored to have been in Italy for weeks with Alessandro Michelle

26 December - Harry seen with TR at a pond in England wearing only underpants and a Eagles beanie

2024

3 January - Harry in the Caribbean with TR.

17 January - Deux Moi H LA 6 - 16 January

19 January - a photo of TR with Jeff at LOT Wembley last June.

20 January - Joe, TR and Zayn at Loewe show at Paris FW, some guy gives TR a neck rub.

26 January - Harry and TR seen in London Together, again riding bikes and dinner.

14 February - Blind item that TR is calling paps, they are then not seen together again for a month.

3 March - TR play opens in NY, Harry doesn’t go. He was in L.A.

8 March - Harry back in London, TRs play was on from 3-31 in NY, Harry did not attend. Pleasing ‘Single at last’.

14 March - Harry backstage at Mitch’s show in NY!! TRs play was on 10 mins away, she came after, arriving at 9:30/10, they left before encore with TR look to be arguing. TR did not attend Mitches show, her play was on. A photo leaked of Harry at the start of the show and TR came before it ended. Harry left with her, a crowd yelled her name and it looked like they argues in the car. Harry was walking alone an hour later. First time seen in a month.

15 March -Harry walking around NY with TR and separately with Maxwell Ritz. And at the white cube gallery.

17 March - Harry in Brooklyn at townhouse with TR with bag, last sighting for another month. Fashion spread about it.

19 March - Harry returns to London. TRs play on till 31, did not go

26 March - TR VF article where she says “My work is the most interesting thing to me, so that’s what I’ll say about that.” And talks about finding safety for herself, in August she talked about safety within a relationship.

1 April - TR Columbia

15 April - Harry & TR Japan sighting. 

19 April - TTPD, Harry seen in Japan.

20 April - Harry seen in Japan with TR, TR seen at airport on 24th last TR sighting w H. Later reports broke up then.

29 April - Harry seen in London

6 May - Harry on a lime bike London not with TR at met gala.

14 May - Deux Moi reports Tarry ended

15 May- Harry at Kacey Musgrave concert alone

19 May Harry and TR broke up last month: Sun & Mirror

20 May - tarry break up picked widely, rumor Harry in Italy

21 May - Harry seen in Italy.

23 May - Harry went kitchenware shopping in Rome wearing a Blur ‘modern life is rubbish’ he also wore in 2014.

[shesholy]

a     detailed     rundown     of     #𝚁𝚄𝙱𝚈𝙹𝙾𝙹𝙰𝙶𝙶𝙴𝚁'𝚂    career     information     .

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆     𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐑    .

playboy     playmate     ,     2013     -     2017     :     covers     (     june     2013     ,     may     2014     ,     june     2016     ,     january     /     february     2017     )     ,     centerfold     /     playmate     of     the     month     (     june     2014     ,     october     2015     ,     april     2016     ,     december     2017     )     ,     pictorials     (     may     2014     ,     january     /     february     2017     )     ,     playmate     of     the     year     (     2016     )     .    

penthouse     magazine     :     covers     (     november     2014     ,     march     2015     )     .   

mayfair     magazine     :     covers     (     december     2013     ,     july     2015     ,     august     2016     )     ,     centerfold     (     july     2015     )     .          

rolling     stone     :   cover     (     may     2013     ,     december     2016     ,     january     2022     )     .

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆     /     𝐓𝐕     𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐒     .

the     girls     of     the     playboy     mansion     as     herself     ,     6     episodes     ,     2013     -     2015     .     

law    and    order  :  special  victim  unit     as     heather     manning     ,     guest     star     ,     2014     .          

days     of     our     lives     as     ciara     brady     ,     recurring     role     ,     2015     -     2017     .

american     horror     story    as     madison     montgomery     /     maggie     esmerelda     /     serena     belinda     ,     main     role     ,     2013     -     2017     .

saturday     night     live     ,     as     herself     /     musical     guest     ,     2014     and     2023 

scream     queens     as     chanel      oberlin     ,     main     role     ,     2015     -     2016  

black     mirror     as     lacie     pound     ,     1     episode     (     3.1     nosedive     )     2016     . 

rupauls     drag     race     all     stars     as     herself      ,     guest     judge     ,     2016     .

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃     .     jagger     bomb     .     2020

her     freshmen     album     dropped     at     the     top     of     the     year     ,     garnering     high     acclaim     for     her     honey     silk     vocal     tone     and     tracks     that     embodied     an     old     soul     dynamic     with     a     modern     flare     and     beautifully     placed     808s     .     a     number     of     tracks     breaking     through     the     top     10     of     the     billboard     hot     100     chart     .     singles     girls     in     purgatory     and     captions     were     released       just     before     the     album     which     bolstered     public     anticipation     for     the     album     .     ruby     jo     explained     in     an     interview     that     the     album     allowed     her     the     ability     to     express     her     frustrations     with     the     industry     ,     relationships     ,     and     preconceived     notions     about     herself     .     noting     she     felt     like     she     was     taken     over     by     an     alter     ego     that     was     much     more     sassy     than     herself     . (           the     album     can     be     found here     .           )

magsafe      (     julia      wolf     )

in  my  way     (    julia     wolf     )

hoops     (     julia     wolf     )

resting  bitch  face  :  part  1    (    julia     wolf     )

ghost     (    julia     wolf     )  

pretty  poison     (     nessa     barrett    )

resting  bitch  face  :  part  2     (      julia     wolf     )

hydra     (     julia     wolf     )  

captions     (    julia     wolf     ) 

gigi  hadid  interlude     (     julia     wolf     )

girls  in  purgatory     (     julia     wolf     )  

checkmate     (     julia     wolf     )

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃     .     rookie     of     the     year     ep     .     2021

a     surprise     five     track     ep     was     released     in     the     midst     of     her     first     tour     .     following     winning     her     first     grammy     award     .     the     title     track     rookie     of     the     year     led     fans     to     plead     for     the     song’s     release     after     she’d     released     a     snippet     on     tik     tok     .     the     tracks     have     been     noted     as     an     inside     look     of     the     darker     parts     of     her     mind     .     in     an     interview     with     vanity     fair     she     admitted     the     ep     is     a     “     petty     clap     back     at     all     the     nay     sayers     “     .     (          the     album     can     be     found     here     .          )

get  off  my     (    julia   wolf     )

la  di  die     (    nessa    barrett     ft     jxdn     )

counting  crimes      (     nessa     barrett     )

rookie  of  the  year     (    julia     wolf     )

i  hope  ur  miserable  until  ur  dead     (    nessa     barrett     )  

𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃     .   centerfold       .     2023     .

her     sophomore     studio     album     debuted     #1     on     the     billboard     200     and     remained     in     the     #1     spot     for     six     weeks     consecutively     .     having     released     a     sample     bundle     the     just     days     before     halloween     featuring     dracula     ,     hot     killer     ,     and     gothic     babe     tendencies     titled     born     into      slytherin     .  the     album     has     notably     been     referred     to     as     her     favorite     project     she     has      released     yet     and     has     gone     platinum     in     just     under     two     months     .     (       the     album     can     be     found     here     .     )

sorority  girls     (     julia     wolf     )      

now     (     julia     wolf     ) 

virginity     (     julia     wolf      ) 

bottle     of     advil     (     julia     wolf      ) 

sad     too     young      (     julia     wolf      ) 

gothic     babe     tendencies     (     julia     wolf     ft.     blackbear     )

dracula     (     julia     wolf      ) 

hot     killer     (     julia     wolf     )

rip     to     the     club     (     julia     wolf     )

hinge     boy     (     julia     wolf     ) 

play     dead     (     julia     wolf     ) 

falling     in     love     (     julia      wolf      )

𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐒     .     all     released     .

a     compilation     of     all     of     her     singles     ,     most     released     to     promote     their     respective     albums     apart     from     villain     which     was     cut  from  her  debut  album  ,  although  it  remains  one  of  her  most  successful  tracks     .     (          you     can     find     her     singles     here     .          )

villian     (     julia     wolf     )     ,     2019     .

girls  in  purgatory     (     julia     wolf     )     ,     2019     .

captions     (      bea     miller     )     ,     2020     .    

la  di  die     (     nessa     barrett     ft     jxdn       )     ,     2021     .

hot  killer     (     julia     wolf     )     ,     2021     .

dracula     (     julia     wolf     )     ,     2022     .

𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒     .      

purgatory     tour    (     first     headlining     concert     tour     in     support     of     her     debut     studio     album     jagger     bomb     ,     with     13     shows     in     the     united     states     ,     9     shows     in     europe     ,     4     shows     in     canada     ,     and    3     shows     in     south     america     )     .     2021     .      

rookie     of     the     year     tour    (     second     headlining     concert     tour     in     support     of     her     ep     rookie     of     the     year     ,     with     6     shows     in     north     america     ,     5     shows    in     europe     ,     3     shows     in     oceania             )     .     2022     .

gothic     babe     world     tour     (     third     headlining     concert     tour     in     support     of     her     sophomore     studio     album     centerfold     ,     with     35     shows     in     north     america     ,     21     shows     in     europe     ,     7     shows     in     asia     ,     and    5     in     oceania     )     .     tickets     on     sale     ,     starts     in     2023     . 

[beneaththebrim]

Brim’s favorite albums of 2022

In reverse order. First EPs, then LPs.

EPs:

10. A Sterling Murmuration | Zoon

Hazy shoegaze, nostalgic and soothing.

9. My Bestfriend’s House | Blue Hawaii

Dance-worthy! Was pleasantly surprised by the disco track at the beginning.

8. graves | Purity Ring

Standard Purity Ring fare, squealing croons atop haunting, euphoric synths.

7. SICK! | Earl Sweatshirt

A return of the meandering depressedcore hip hop we love. Dizzy and ephemeral soundscapes flit in and out like thoughts through an anxious mind.

6. La Ciudad de Dejamos | Fin del Mundo

Liquid guitars against balmy drumwork make for some really nice 90s-nostalgia shoegaze. Music like a cool summer night.

4 & 5. Kris, Perfect Order | KÅRP

Good ole dark Scandinavian synthpop. What would we do without you.

3. Ninety Three | Taylar Elizza Beth

Low key, lush hip-hop featuring Taylar Elizza Beth’s whispery vocals that float between rap and croon.

2. Raving Dahlia | Sevdaliza

Sevdaliza’s back with her signature inexorable smoky ballads. These tracks are a little dancier, a little heavier than those of her most recent album, though, while retaining her unique style.

1. Bloodline | Gabriels

(December 2021) Gabriels singlehandedly bringing back The Blues in the year of our lord 2021, why not? Meticulously vintage, with the agonized, raw-yet-finely-tuned vocal stylings of Jacob Lusk—one of the absolute best vocalists of our age, seriously. Southern gothic sin, baby.

Full albums:

27. Arkhon | Zola Jesus

It’s a Zola Jesus record, which means I like it. But I find myself never getting into any particular moment. Maybe it’ll take more time to sink in, maybe it’s just lacking stand-out tracks to anchor the album. Music like spelunking.

26. Entropy is the Mainline to God | The Veldt

The Veldt comes back rocking and rolling. I was hoping for something more shoegazy like their old stuff rather than the psychedelia-tinged 80’s metal sound they’ve got going here, but hell, it’s groovy!

25. Arrangements | Preoccupations

Previous album was a little one-note, but this one veers into some interesting spaces as it pushes and pulls with the distortion. Jaunty.

24. The Silence in Between | Bob Moses

Bouncin introspective dance music. It’s not original but it’s full of bops!

23. Loom | Uèle Lamore

Earthy yet ethereal blooms of instrumentation. Lovely to listen to, but for some reason lacks memorability.

22. Black Radio III | Robert Glasper

An eclectic tour de force featuring a stellar variety of guest spots atop Glasper’s production. Although a lot of tracks are fantastic, the album doesn’t quite cohere as a whole for me.

21. Once Twice Melody | Beach House

Beach House made a Beach House record, and it’s great. The same subdued, affectionate, dreamy sound we love.

20. 11 | Sault

The only Sault album I liked of the six they released this year ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It’s excellent though, love the down-tempo jamminess of the instrumentation and the thoughtful, murmuring vocals.

19. Broken Hearts Club | Syd

Vaped torch songs for your local lesbian fuckboy to play in the background while getting down. Syd comes through once again.

18. Only After You Have Suffered | Jamire Williams

(December 2021) Contemplative, choppy jazz with phenomenal hip hop and operatic interludes. “Pause in His Presence” in particular is something else.

17. Kanawha Black | Nechochwen

Indigenous-made atmospheric folk/black metal. Expansive melodies invoking the Appalachian forests meld with the harsh vocal texture to create a space of reverence and awe.

16. EBM | Editors

Delivering on that punchy aughts-nostalgia stadium rock. Head boppin rhythms and gushy pop-punk hooks.

15. Laurel Hell | Mitski

Mellow sounds that swirl around the main maelstroms of the album, cracking at the seams and letting the rawness soak through.

14. Plastic Estate | Plastic Estate

Slick and infectious 80s-nostalgia new wave that you just gotta sing along to. Very special when the singer sinks into a baritone.

13. Cool It Down | Yeah Yeah Yeahs High-energy-yet-dreamy punky indiepop. Some great anthems on this one.

12. Too Much to Ask | Cheekface Cheeky pop-punk that’s like scrolling through a quality twitter funnyman’s feed. Hilarious and full of bops.

11. Exister | The Soft Moon

A cold counterpoint from the California goth scene, starts off slow before cranking up an onslaught of noise that thrums between industrial and darkwave. Angry and cathartic.

10. Ravage | Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch

Haunting and disturbed sounds from the French pianist/composer. A melding of dark ambient that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror movie, with crashing, harsh piano work.

9. Twenty Twenty Twenty Twenty One | Spencer Krug One of the best lyricists of the day, imo, reminiscent of Leonard Cohen. Every tug of Krug’s voice strains with emotion, and every turn he takes with the instrumentation on different albums is a welcome surprise, finding different ways to express his agonized sentimentality.

8. Giving the World Away | Hatchie Earnestly saccharine power-dreampop. Great album with some real bangers.

7. We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong | Sharon Van Etten Warm and husky, sad and poignant folk songs. Van Etten’s voice soars with transcendant emotion.

6. The Runner (Original Soundtrack) | Boy Harsher

Spooky and sleek darkwave, punctuated by a sparkly disco banger. Boy Harsher at the top of their form.

5. Angels & Queens - Part 1 | Gabriels

Jacob Lusk delivering that wonderful vintage, Nina Simone-esque vocal quality, with the opening tracks fast-forwarded from last year’s bluesy EP to some funky 70’s soul. Gorgeous and blue.

4. Ever Crashing | SRSQ

Gushy dark California gothy dreampop. Infectiously synthy, powerful vocals. Lush songs for a heart that’s itching for summers long past.

3. Stay Close to Music | Mykki Blanco

A humble confessional, at times diving back into the idiosyncratic rapping style of Blanco’s more dance-y earlier releases, at times plunging into an ethereal wash of sound.

2. Semblance | MorMor

There is something magical about MorMor’s tissue-paper-delicate voice. Gentle, sensitive, cathartic. Music for letting go when you so want to hold on.

1. Pigments | Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn

Lovely. Sublime. Spacey. Sprawling. Meandering and melancholy pockets of plaintive yearning. Music that takes you on a journey and leaves your heart aching for more.

[smireyac]

new year, same post

so... 2022 huh?

i didn't even write a reflection post last year (well i tried but i never finished writing it) which i'm kinda really sad about because i really like having these snapshots of where i am at in my life every year... and i feel like i'm missing a year! because i am! so while i can't do a whole reflection of 2021, i can do my best and that's the best anyone can do

so 2021 was the start, crawling out of the hellscape that was 2020... in terms of overall quality, 2021 was a major improvement from the previous year. to make things easier, first i'll go thru what i actually accomplished on my list of goals i made at the end of 2020:

☑️ read new books: my goal was 10 and i read 8, three of which were comics/graphic novels and one was a road trip guide book? so technically i read more than before

☑️ watch new shows/movies: i made a letterboxd to keep track of what i watched instead of the notebook idea i had and i watched 48 movies/tv shows !!! wowie that's pretty good i never counted that out b4 :D

☑️ listen to new music: my spotify wrapped had very much different music than previous years so i did the dang thing too ...it uh... got flooded by OM music cuz i had a phase in the summer but other than that its all pretty diverse !

☑️ eat new food: i had kbbq for the first time in 2021 so i think that counts?

☑️ go on a road trip/visit some place ive never been before/go to a club: so i planned a pretty spontaneous trip to LA cuz i saw an ad on Instagram for a city pop night at a club in DTLA... i thought it was a rare thing (turns out it ain't lol) so i got my friends to go and it was really fun and i knocked these 3 things out in one go (tho the road trip one is a little ehh bc we didn't make any stops, we just drove ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) bc i've never been to little tokyo and it was in a club! so check!!

so as far as goals go that's pretty good! other notable highlights of the year include:

⭐ i passed my drivers test (after failing the first time lol) and got a car that i love so dang much!

⭐ tried dating (the first time) and it didn't get far lol (that's on me)

⭐ karaoke night after not seeing people in person for over a year

⭐ played d&d in-person again finally

⭐ HELLA MEGA TOUR!! THAT WAS TIGHT AF 10/10 would recommend

⭐ saw lindsay and kaveh at a book signing event that was pretty cool !! (still have to read the book lol;;)

so yeah ! it was pretty great, all things considered... i think around this time last year covid cases were surging and things were feeling bad again so my perspective of the year was tainted by that cloud but looking back, i think i had a pretty good run...

i had made another, separate doc as a kinda goal list ? but i never finished it either lmao but i did put 3 things on it:

🌠 read more (surprise surprise)

🌠 write something

🌠 join a club at school

i said 2021 would be the year of new and i think i accomplished that

SO 2022 HUH??

thats what this whole thing was supposed to be about lol

lotta stuff happened... started off strong by getting covid (lol), went to big bear for the first time, technically saw snow (on the ground) for the first time, saw remi TWICE in ONE YEAR, tried dating again (still didn't get very far), saw ORI AGAIN FINALLY, hung out with pals A LOT, ate good food, got really (back) into comics this year??, worked full time at the library this summer, got over my stupid crush FINALLY, went to 3 conventions - 1 of which being COMIC CON... anD OH YEAH I GOT PROMOTED!! pretty accomplished i would say

as far as my goals from last year i actually accomplished something!! and hey 2 outta 3 ain't bad ;^)

i reached my reading goal with 13/12 !! granted 5 of them were graphic novels again but i stuck with my book club (kinda;;) and read some stuff!! i started a lot more books than i finished this year but i want to push myself harder next year (this year)!! my want-to-read list on GoodReads is 500+ and that hasn't even been updated recently!! i gotta step my game up man,, i think i decided i want to try to be an editor someday so i gotta go for it!!

did i write something this year??? in fact i fucking did!! i wrote fanfiction even!! something i srsly never thought i would actually accomplish... and i started a first real draft for J+M and got thru most of the first "season" of that!! so that's cool!! i wanna write more!! i found this writing tracker like halfway thru the year and was trying to add to it retroactively but it was hard so i don't know exactly how many words i wrote this year BUT it's more than 40k!! so WOW!! I'll keep better track this year so we can know fr fr

if 2021 was the year trying new things, 2022 seemed to be the year of getting used to the new normal bc surprise!! covid is still around!! but ig it'll be endemic now instead of a pandemic bc we couldn't fucking eradicate it 🙄 whatever...

the last couple months of 2022 kinda painted the whole year a somber color but looking back, i can see that i had a really good time for the most part... i hope 2023 will be nice :^)

SO... GOALS:

🎆 read more!! let's keep the ball rolling! 12 more!! once a month!!! and i'm not gonna add comics unless i've read a real book with words first!!!!

🎆 write more!! no goals let's just see what happens :^) i hope that maybe some fandom interaction will motivate me bc i love attention and praise!!! also my secret writing project 👀

🎆 apply to transfer to university next year!! this was supposed to happen this year but... shit happened yk

🎆 do stuff with friends!! gotta keep it up bb: NYC, hot springs, see snow, MKE??, LA

🎆 make new friends?? perhaps??? 👀 idk!!!

i will end this post with all the movies i'm super fucking pumped to see this year: M3GAN, the mario movie, the D&D movie, the BARBIE movie!!, new transformers movie??, blue beetle movie, SPIDERVERSE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!

it'll be a good year for me for movies ❤️

here's to 2023!! 🥂