txttletale · 1 year ago
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🔥they might be giants
they might not be giants
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rpmemes-galore · 3 months ago
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Chappell Roan : The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album ... sentence starters
tw for some sexual content and language
"Is it casual now?"
"You're losing it lately."
"I'm so sick of online love."
"It's gonna cause a scene."
"You wonder why I'm bitter…"
"I just wanna get to know ya."
"You coming home with me?"
"We're hot, we're drunk, wow."
"Won't make my mama proud."
"Mini skirt and my go-go boots."
"But I can't help what I can't help."
"Baby, why don't you come over?"
"Let's make this bed get squeaky."
"So slow down, sit down, it's new."
"Got so close, but then you lost it."
"Oh my god, you are heaven sent…"
"If karma's real, hope it's your turn."
"It's comical, the bridges you burn."
"Should've listened to your friends."
"If I didn't love you, it would be fine."
"Fell in love with the thought of you."
"So, baby, let's get freaky, get kinky."
"I thought you thought of me better."
"It's hot when you have a meltdown."
"Do you picture me like I picture you?"
"She showed me things I didn't know."
"Every place leads back to your place."
""Here we go, again. Everything is fine."
"Not overdramatic, I know what I want."
"And he was wearing these fugly jeans."
"Touch me, baby, put your lips on mine."
"Wishing you the best, in the worst way."
"This is what I wanted, this is what I like."
"Oh, some good girls do bad things, too."
"Can't be a good, good girl even if I tried."
"I try not to care, but it hurts my feelings."
"I love a little drama, let's start a bar fight."
"It's all in my head, but I want non-fiction."
"You're hating yourself, I'm feeling myself."
"I know you want it, baby, you can have it."
"I could be the one, or your new addiction."
"Never waste a Friday night on a first date."
"Now I'm choked up, face down, burnt out."
"I've been a good, good girl for a long time."
"But, baby, I like flirting, a lover by my side."
"So, now when we kiss, I have anger issues."
"I don't want the world, but I'll take this city."
"Could go to hell, but we'll probably be fine."
"Every night's another reason why I left it all."
"Got what you wanted, so stop feeling sorry."
"Ruined my credit, stole my cute aesthetic…"
"'Cause if we do coffee, it's never just coffee."
"I try to be the chill girl but, honestly, I'm not."
"We're leaving the planet and you can't come."
"People say I'm jealous, but my kink is karma."
"You'll say that you're sorry. I know that's a lie."
"Can't meet you for dinner at the Italian place."
"Um, can you play a song with a fucking beat?"
"Here come the excuses that fuel the illusions."
"That’s my type of fun, that's my kind of party."
"Who can blame a girl? Call me hot, not pretty."
"You don't have to stare, comе here, get with it!"
"I guess we could pretend we didn't cross a line."
"And you're getting pissed off, it's getting me off."
"'Cause everything good happens after midnight."
"If you really wanna leave, I'll never make you stay."
"No need to be hateful in your fake Gucci sweater."
"To think, I almost had it going, but I let you down."
"No one's touched me there in a damn hot minute!"
"I'm feeling kinda freaky, maybe it's the moonlight."
"I'm feeling kinda freaky, maybe it's the club lights."
"There's no one else who could. the only one is you."
"You sent him pictures and playlists and phone sex."
"I heard you like magic. I've got a wand and a rabbit."
"I kinda wanna kiss your girlfriend, if you don't mind."
"We've done this before, and I don't need it anymore."
"It's not attractive wearing that dress and red lipstick."
"If it hasn't happened, yet, then maybe you should go."
"Who knew that we'd let it get this bad when it ended?"
"He doesn't have what it takes to be with a girl like me."
"I hate that I let this drag on so long, you can go to hell."
"My friends call me a loser, 'cause I'm still hanging around."
"Baby, do you like this beat? I made it so you'd dance with me."
"I'm too scared to say half of the things I do when I picture you."
"Nothing good happens when it's late and you're dancing alone."
"And you're getting called out, 'cause you're running your mouth."
"'Cause if we have wine, 'cause if we have wine. I know that's a lie."
"Lying to your friends about how he's such a goddamn good lover."
"What's it take to get your number? What's it take to bring you home?"
"Should've listened to your friends 'bout his girlfriend back in Boston."
"Knee deep in the passenger seat and you're eating me out, is it casual now?"
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sugudoe · 5 months ago
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── ✎ CHERRY SODA, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘬𝘰‧₊˚ ୨୧
✶ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: June has arrived with a constant presence of heat waves, which your hot self is happy about — after all, now you have an excuse for your red cheeks and sweaty hands whenever 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙠𝙤 𝙞𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙞 is near you.
✶ 𝐚. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: happy pride month! i love loving woman. at the end, i got heavenly inspired by gatsby’s love for daisy, if you’ve seen the movie with leo, you will understand which scene i’m referring too. fun fact: the movie they are watching is bodies bodies bodies, and i wanted to explore more of reader’s ct, but i couldn’t, cus is all fluff. there is always gojo slander in my fics where he is not the love interest lmao. I ALSO LEARNED HOW TO MAKE DE DEGRADE TITLE MWAHHH. divider by: @cafekitsune
✶ 𝐬𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬: fem!reader / pure fluff / modern!au / curse!au / crackfic! / all are minors so no smut or sexual innuendo / everyone is gay / english is not my first language / too many swear words / lesbian!shoko / reader’s sexuality is shoko, and only that.
✶ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.4k
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The happiest day of your life in Jujutsu Tech was the day you found out your upperclassmen, Shoko Ieiri, was lesbian.
That’s it, it was a simple statement made by her when you heard Gojo Satoru flirting with the girl and receiving the news as an answer. You nearly fell to your knees thanking whatever deity is taking care of this universe and you, the sky was clear of clouds, but you could hear perfectly the fireworks of celebration in your head and heart.
“And then, she said ‘Gojo, I’ll rather eat raw liver than be dating a man, specially you.’” You recall the talk while walking from side to side in your room, while Haibara and Nanami are seated in your bed, one with a enchanting smile and the other completely bored. “And…”
“And what?” Haibara bounces on his crossed legs, hands gripping your sanrio plushie of Cinnamonroll, his favorite of your vast collection.
“And she is vegetarian!” You clap your hands, Yu following your movement. “So, Gojo turned to me, and he said ‘and what about you, hot stuff?’ ”
“What did you answered?” Nanami is the one to ask, although his eyes are fixated on the album cover of the vinyl in his hands, disco playing in the background, his ears are all focused on the gossip.
“So, you see…” Scratching your head, you sighed. “I fumbled for real, just went back to you guys.”
Haibara happy expressions morph into disappointment.
“You’re so stupid, with all respect.” He offends you, though. “This was your chance, it’s not everyday we can be going around telling people we are gay, specially our crush.”
“You do all the time.” Both you and Nanami answers the boy.
“Yeah, ‘cause I’m me, Yu Haibara, the one that can’t shut his mouth. No one tells me their secrets, Kennie had to bodyslam me multiple times because I was always about to tell everyone, when we fist stared going out.” Although he said with energy, the boy had his lips in a pout.
“That’s not true, you haven’t told anyone I’m sapphic or about my crush on Shoko.” Your pacing has stopped, as you tried your best to comfort him.
“Not yet, at least.” Nanami snorts his small comment, before whipping the smirk of, and groaning. “Listen, I’m not in the mood to have you two whining, one is already hard enough to deal with, and I’m dating him! So you need to fix this, Y/n.”
“Huh? Fix what? What did I do?” You stare at Haibara, but he seems as confused as you.
“You need to make sure Shoko knows you’re into women as well. Make this your plan of life or whatever, soon as she knows, then comes plan b: get her on a date, it’s not that hard.”
“Yes it is!” You argue your friend’s really good plan. “She is Shoko Ieiri, pretty and popular and strong, and I’m little old me.” You dramatically falls on your carpet, hands on your forehead like a damsel.
“Girl, be for real, this school does not have that many people to be calling her popular. It’s just that you both are the only girls.” Haibara throws the sanrio plush at your face after his statement. “And you are as strong as her, in fact you are stronger than her, you literally are the strongest at the school.”
“So close! That’s the albino with the blinding eyes, actually.” Says Kento, coming to sit on the floor by your side. Both of you with large doe eyes staring at an energetic Haibara.
“She knows what I mean, your cursed technique is literally the more fucked you get, the more stronger you become. If Gojo bitch slapped you, you would break this world with your energy.”
“What are you saying, baby?” You stare agape at Nanami, is not always he uses the pet names, but the boy is as shocked as you with Haibara’s statement, so it slipped.
“Yeah, what’s with you and this weird coach talk? I don’t wanna be slapped by Gojo.” You mumble awkward, thoughts going straight into the cursed image of having Satoru’s large hands slapping your face — goosebumps follow your disgust in your skin.
“You need to shoot your shot, make her see you as not a school friend but as a potential future girlfriend.” The brunette gets up from the bed and points to your calendar. “It’s june, time to proud!”
You are proud and extremely hot, days later when summer has made its presence everyone’s problem. The students at school discards the purple jackets of their uniforms to only wear the white shirt underneath. You have to do a double take when you see Shoko and her classmates coming your way at the vending machine.
Ieiri looks so beautiful. She always does — but there is something about the short box braids she has, or how she tied her blouse on her waist, the way her skin is glowing with sweater, or the way she is smiling and right in front of you — glossy lips tinted pink moving. Oh shit, she is talking to you.
“I’m sorry what?” You catch yourself saying before staring at her eyes, she is smiling and they are almost closing. Adorable. “My brain is melting, it’s so hot.”
Lame excuse, but she buys it, you think.
“I was asking if you bought your soda yet.” You can sense her eyes on your empty hands, and smiles more when you sign no with your head.
“No..No! I was about to, you want some? I can buy for you.” You cringe at your own desperation, but Shoko sweetly laugh.
“No! I want to buy for you. I’m you senpai, it’s my job.” She goes for the machine and presses the number for cherry coke twice, before paying with her card. Shoko gives you your can before saying her goodbye and moving back to her waiting friends, both males smirking at you.
Walking back with a maniac smile before sprinting to your bedroom, you where once again greeted by Nanami and Haibara in there, startled by your sudden entrance of nearly breaking the door down.
“SHE KNOWS MY SODA!” You scream before falling to your knees, the cold can pressed against your hand reliving you.
“What does she mean?” Haibara asks to his boyfriend, but Nanami simply shrugs, annoyed.
“Don’t know, but clearly you don’t know ours. I’m thirsty and melting.” The blond whines before leaving the room to grab his and his boyfriend’s beverage.
“Hai, you don’t understand.” It’s a second after the door closes, you are in front of the boy, happy expressions in contrasts to his alarmed one. “She payed for my soda, and she knew what was my favorite.”
“SHE KNOWS YOUR SODA.”
When Nanami returns, minutes later, he is appalled to see you and his boyfriend screaming happily and jumping on your carpet, while on the background, wedding bells are heard from your music box. He sighs desperate.
Friday comes quickly, and luckily for you, it’s the first of the month, therefore, movie nights in your room: the perfect hangout spot, as always. It’s been a tradition since your friendship with Haibara started, and Nanami shows up whenever he was bored, which pretty much was all the time — specially now that he has his own boyfriend to cuddle.
You love them both to a crazy extent, is true! But no one in their right minds enjoy third wheeling, so you keep mumbling while setting your room up with the help of Yu while Nanami is out buying the snacks. It’s in the middle of your one person rant while adjusting fairy lights on your bed, small couch and plushies’s shelf, you feel something being throw to your head.
“Ow! What was that for?” You turn around to a pissed of Yu, hands on his hips and scowling face.
“I’m so tired of you, Y/n.” The boy comes closer to you, you fear he is going to throw any other thing, but instead he hugs you. “Please, don’t be stupid. Shoko likes you, everyone can see as much as we see you like her. So stop wasting time.”
It’s not supposed to work, because after all, you are the second most dramatic person in this school — coming after Satoru. For some reason, you might blame the summer heat waves that burn your skin much like Shoko’s attention does, and your brain has always been fogged with thoughts of only her. The thing is, Haibara is partly right. You like her lots and lots, and she likes girls lots and lots, and you are a girl, a pretty girl that can make Shoko laugh and feel comfortable — a pretty girl she knows what’s the favorite soda flavor.
Haibara is startled when you leave his embrace to move out of the room, he follows you after a few second of astonishment, and when the boy notices where you are going, a large smile is plastered on his face. He is so proud of you.
Both of you stop in front of a black door decorated with a cat rug and painted with flowers and vines, handmade by Shoko herself. You take three long breaths before knocking the door, and nearly jump back when it’s opened less than a second later by a six foot tall white haired freak with devilish smile. Gojo doesn’t have his glasses. Bitch knew you were coming.
“Shoko, your girlfriend is here.” Satoru sings before opening the door more, giving you a sight of Shoko’s perfectly cleaned room and minimal decorated, a total contrast to your own.
“Y/n?” Ieiri jumps from her bed besides Geto and comes your way at the door, pink cheeks much like yours. “Hi!”
“Hi…” Your soft voice you have reserved only for her comes out, before you scratch your throat and looks at everyone. All eyes are on you. “Uh, the boys and I are doing a movie night. We- - we thought of inviting you guys, if you want.”
“We would love to, we were so bored, actually.” Shoko answers right away, before turning to her friends.
“Huh? Weren’t we going to the mall?” Gojo asks turning towards Geto, but the black haired only shakes his head. “Oh, oh! Yeah, yeah, we are totally bored, no mall! Just movies with friends sounds amazing.”
“Great!” You smile triumphantly. “Nanami is getting snacks. Hai, can you send him a message asking to buy more?” You turn to your friend, but he is already with his phone in hand, texting, one of his hand making a positive sign. You turn back to face Shoko, shivering while noticing she is already staring at you. “So, see you… You guys, in fifteen minutes?”
“Yeah, see ya.” She whispers back.
It takes Haibara hands on your shoulder, much like Gojo’s on Shoko, for you to realize both of you had been quietly staring at each other. You wave her goodbye before moving back to your dorm. While in there, you and Haibara prepare the room for the others. The sofa would be for him and Nanami and your bed for you, as always. Your friend goes to his room before returning with his inflatable neon pink couch, which prompt you to change your neon lights to pink, as well.
The room is cutely decorated before you both fall on the bed to rest, and then a knock come. You don’t get up, Nanami just bursts into the room before dropping his bags on your coffee table. He scoffs.
“Why did you had to invite them?” Is all he says before falling on his sofa. “I mean, I like her, Geto I can handle…” Kento moves his face to stare at you two before whining. “But Gojo?!”
“Damn, I thought this was going to be a good time, not an offending me time.” The three of you jump at hearing Gojo’s voice, he is by your door, annoying smile decorating his face. Besides him, is Geto and Shoko.
“Every hour is a offending Gojo time, sorry bud.” Geto taps his friend head before moving inside your room, his eyes scan the place before deciding to fall on the neon sofa. “Nice room, Y/n, very you.”
The “thank you” is at the tip of your tongue, barely leaving through your voice, before stagnating when you look at the door, where she is. And fuck, you don’t think you’ve said anything in this world before, words become nothing in your mind in that very moment, all you can think is compliments and her name — Shoko is wearing a different outfit than earlier, she discharged the shorts and shirt for a flourished sundress, and two strands of her hair are braided. You can also catch glitter on her eyelids and her signature pink gloss on her lips.
“Shit.” Someone say, and you quickly realize it’s your voice. You cough before shifting your face to the boys, all again staring at you. “Uh, than… Fuck, thank you, Geto.” You say before moving towards the coffee table and grabbing two sodas of cherry coke and twizzlers. You go towards Shoko, who is still by your door, and you handle her the soda with a happy smile she copies.
“Am I going to have to share the pink couch with them giants?” Shoko whispers, motioning her head towards Satoru and Suguru, both playing fighting in the inflatable couch.
“No, no.” Couching again to refrain the embarrassment of answering so quickly, you sigh after, containing your nervousness. “You can share the bed with me.”
You close the door behind her, and soon your hand is in her back, moving both of you towards your comfortable bed and sitting on it, legs sprayed all over while your backs are resting on your comfortable headboard. Shoko is near the wall, caged by your body.
You toss the controller to Haibara, and he starts to go through the movies in the playlist showed on your wall, by your projector. You are not interested in movies anymore, if you could you would move everyone away and be with only her. You can sense her face moving towards the boys and you, but you keep staring at your soda. The cold in it keeps you in check.
Taking a gulp, tasting the faint cherry, you wonder what kissing Shoko would taste like. You could bet it would be like strawberries with sugar sprinkled on them, maybe a spoon of honey as well. And obviously, a tinted bitter of the cigarettes she smokes from time to time — it used to be worse, until you commented on the bothering of the smoke, and now she never smokes whenever you are near.
Maybe, you head and heart wonders, she likes you. There is nothing wrong with you, after all. You are pretty, smart, strong and sometimes funny. You could be liked by her as much as you like her, right?
The movie is already playing when Shoko pokes your arm, your mind goes blank and you move to her, tilting your head.
“Can I have a licorice?” She quietly asks. You want to give her anything, in fact.
“Yeah, here.” You open the package, giving her one of the red tubes. Trying not to, but failing, your eyes focused on the way her lips closed on the candy, wetting part of it with her gloss.
“Hey! No snoggin in there, I’m already third wheeling these two.” Gojo’s voice makes you realize how close you were to Shoko’s face, you grunt before staring at Nanami and Haibara, and they are just holding each-other.
“You’re bitter ‘cause Suguru won’t cuddle you.” Shoko answers after biting harshly her licorice, Nanami laughs at her answer when an offended gasp comes from Gojo. He doesn’t deny.
You laugh at Gojo’s offended face, and to add more fire to his bitterness, you move your arm to Shoko’s shoulder, she goes stiff for a moment before resting her head to your neck.
“Traitors.” Gojo mumbles and goes back to staring the movie, you see Suguru smirk before doing the same you did to Shoko to his friend.
After more minutes of the movie, in a particularly funny scene, you sense Ieiri’s head moving, you look down and she is already facing you. You grab another licorice and give it to her, straight to her mouth, she bites it before you take a bite on the other end.
If that’s the closest your mouth would come to hers, you would take it. By the gods, anything she would give you, would be precisely loved by you. Her presence, her scent, her glittery eyes staring solely at you. You would trade anything for her in that moment, if only to keep her attention on you and yours on her. What’s heaven to a woman’s love anyway?
You want to kiss her when the licorice is devoured eagerly. You almost do, lips reaching closer, and her eyes flattering shut, but a bombing laugh of Suguru takes you both apart. No one noticed, all eyes on your wall. You sigh gulping, groaning once more, but smiling while hearing her quiet giggles.
When the movie ends, everyone but you two get up, cracking their bones and talking loudly.
“Y/n, what was your favorite scene?” Haibara is the one who asks you, smirk in his face he shares with Gojo. “My favorite was the cruise one with the bananas’s costume, so funny.”
“Oh, yeah! Yeah, my favorite as well.” You answer while caressing Shoko’s arms, she starts to giggle more and you smile as well. “There was no cruise scene, right?”
“No, there wasn’t.” Shoko moves her head up, laughing sweetly now.
The gods really took their time with her, appreciating every little detail, from her laughs she emanated such good feelings, your insides would go warm and butterflies would rip your ribcage. But truthfully, you felt the weight of all your emotions while staring lovingly at her. Someone coughed.
“Well, I don’t know ‘bout you guys, but I’m tired. Should we go?” Gojo says and everyone agrees, they all say goodbye to you before stopping at the door, Nanami moves towards your music box, playing a calm song he knows you listen to before sleeping.
“Aren’t you coming, Shoko?” Suguru asks with malicious in his voice. She yawns, but doesn’t move.
“I’ll walk her to her room, don’t worry.” You say, making her nod and soon all the boys are gone. Is just you and her, in your bed.
Shit. Shoko Ieiri is in your bed. The perfect girl, the one you adores, the most beautiful human being is laying on you in your bed and she is not complaining, she even hugs your waist tighter when the door closes.
“Ieiri.” It’s rare for you to call her by her name, and she always seems happier when you do, this time is no different, she moves her head up with that cute smile you adore. “I like you.”
You always wondered how to confess to someone — her — in the most majestic and perfect way. In your mind, much like Haibara did to Nanami, you should give her plenty of her favorite food and flowers to match her sun kissed cheeks. It’s not something you planned, because you’ve never thought this day would come. Although it all changed with her in your arms, like she was always meant to be, you were designed to hold her.
So, in the pink and yellow lights of your room, under a shelf of dozens of plushies and Novo Amor playing in the background, your eyes focus shifting from her glitter eyeshadow to the gloss in her lips, that was heaven to you. That was the perfect place. She smiles, and you know you did the right thing.
“I like you too, Y/n.” Her sweet voice is melody to your ears, you barely register what she says, but is nothing to worry about, her lips are quickly on yours by the end of her sentence.
It’s cherry.
Shoko Ieiri tastes like cherry, in fact, she tastes like your favorite soda, a part of you who loves the beverage, unknowingly already choosing her. Her gloss is passed to your lips, giving you more of her taste, and when the kiss gets deeper, you feel like heaven has been given to you. In that moment, you know you are lost.
You separate yourselves for a second, finding yourself hovering over her, and stare at the her pretty crimson face, for just a moment appreciating that after her you would never be the same again. And how happy you were for that. So you go back for a second kiss, and a third, and more, more. All the kisses she wants, you will give to her, for the whole eternity you’ll have by her side — you are hers, and she is yours.
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bbrissonn · 7 months ago
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𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 - 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬
in which you lay alone in your bed at night wondering where your relationship with the young star went wrong
disclaimer: english is not my first language and this is not proofread so please excuse any errors and if any words are missing add them in your head :) also this is a work of fiction, this doesn’t reflect how these boys act in real life, and it isn’t how i imagine them acting 
HUGH DISCLAIMER: this fic doesnt have a clear ending. i literally have no motivation to continue this, but i cannot find it in myself to start my next work for this album until this one is out. so yeah, sorry about that :)
warnings: angst, swearing , not proofread  
pairing: jack hughes x reader
wc: 2.6k (including lyrics)
guts masterlist
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Cat got my tongue
And I don’t think I get along with anyone
Blood runnin’ cold
I’m on the outside of the greatest inside joke
And I hate all my clothes
Feels like my skin doesn’t fit right over my bones
So I guess I should go
The party’s done, and I’m no fun, I know, I know
I know, I know
Ever since you had moved to New York in early 2022, it felt like it had been living a lie. Like this life you were living wasn’t yours, like you had just stolen it from someone. Growing up, you had always been homeschooled, meaning your social life was slime to none. So, it was safe to say that when you chose to move to New York for a job your mom’s friend had offered you, you were scared. 
You only had two real friends, who you barely ever saw because of their busy scheduled with school before, and even more now since you three were all over the country doing your own things. Luckily for you, there was a girl only 2-3 years older than you at your job, meaning you had someone to talk to if you felt the need. After a month of two, the two of you became friends, growing ever closer when you realized you lived in apartment blocks next to each other. 
Which is how you found yourself at a bar on a saturday night in October of that year. Mailey had convinced you to come with her, claiming the two of you needed to decompress from your busy week at work. You rolled your eyes at first, but agreed none the less. Ever since this summer, you found yourself starting to go out more, joining Mailey and her friends every once in a while. Only this time was so much different than the others. 
There was a big group of maybe 20ish guys, age ranging from young adults to full grown men, taking up most of the place. The two of you were confused, seeing as this bar barely ever had people coming in, and it was mainly the same people coming here every week. So, a group of random guys neither of them had seen around before certainly peeked your interest. 
“What do you think they’re doing here?” You asked as the two of you sat down at your usual spot. The group occupying the opposite side of the room. 
“Don’t know. But they’re not buying that cheap booze.” Mailey mumbled, her eyes focused on the insane amount of liquor at the couple of tables they were occupying. The two of you eventually started forgetting about them, talking about random things that happened throughout the week. 
“Not to freak you out, but there’s a guy that keeps looking at you. A cute guy.” The girl across from you said after about an hour of the two of you being there. You furred your brows slightly at her words, before turning your head in their direction. That’s when you met his eyes for the first time. He had a slight grin on his face as he stared into your eyes, nodding along to whatever the guy next to him was saying. You sent him a small smile, waving slightly, which he answered with a nod. 
“More like hot guy.” You mumbled, looking back over at your best friend. You had had a couple of flings here and there, but nothing ever serious, and you were never used to getting boys’ attention on a night out. 
“He’s going to the bar. Go talk to him.” Mailey announced, making you turn your head to look at him. At the same time, he looked over at your table, sending you a small wink when your eyes met. 
“Rich coming from someone who always says girls don’t chase, they attract.” You teased, making her roll her eyes. You eventually decided to go up to him later that night, talking for a bit before exchanging numbers. Jack, you learned his name was, didn’t seem to want to get into talking about his group of friend too much, so you kept all your questions to yourself. 
Over the next couple of weeks, the two of you got to know each other. Your friendship slowly formed and the two of you grew closer each other. But, clearly Jack was still holding back on some stuff. He still refused to open up about his friends and what he does as a living exactly. You told yourself that he’d tell you when he was ready, but you were getting a little impatient, which is why you pretty much forced the answer out of him when you went over to his apartment one day. 
“When are you gonna tell me?” You asked, pausing the show the two of you were watching. Your words made him look over at you, a confused expression on his face as his eyes met yours. 
“What do you mean?” 
“When are you gonna tell me truth, Jack. If that’s even your name.” You sassed, making the boy next to you let out a deep sigh as he threw his head back. 
“D’you wanna see my birth certificate?” He answered coldly, making you scoff. “What I do doesn’t matter, Y/N, so just drop it.” 
“If it doesn’t matter than why won’t you tell me, Jack? You know pretty much everything about me and my life, and barely know anything from yours. God, you won’t even tell me the names of your brothers!” 
“Why do you care so much?” 
“Because I like you, Jack! And… and I though you liked me back, but clearly I was wrong.” You admitted, standing up from your spot on the couch as you started packing up your things. “Just forget it.” You mumbled as you started making your way to the door. You were stopped right as you were about to grab onto the doornob. 
“Y/N, wait!” He said, grabbing your wrist and turning you around before you could leave. “I like you too, Y/N, and I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you, but I didn’t want what I do in life to influence how you see me. I’ve had way too many people use me and I didn’t want that to happen again because I really like you.” 
“Jack, I made it clear hundreds of that time that I what you do in life wouldn’t change the way I see you, but you kept hiding from me. It makes me feel like you don’t trust me.” You explained with a scoff. The boy in front of you sighed before cupping your face in his head, his forehead leaning against yours. 
“I know, I know, I should’ve told you a long time ago. But what we have, it’s really special to me, and it’s so good. I didn’t want to ruin it.” 
“You’d have to be a serial killer for me to change my mind about how I feel, Jack.” 
“Stay. Please. I’ll tell you everything, I promise, just don’t leave me, please.” He begged, his thumbs rubbing small circles under your eyes. You swallowed harshly before slightly nodding your head yes. Jack then brough the two of you back to his couch, and he stuck to his promise. He started going on and on about his life, starting with the fact that he played hockey for the Devils. Then he moved on to telling you pretty much every single memory he had about the sport, a wide grin plastered on his face. 
In exchange, you opened up to him about some of the insecurities you had because you were homeschooled, including having to attened big parties and being surrounded by large crowds. Jack had promised that was something he would never put your through, but you quickly learned that his promise meant nothing to him. 
I broke a glass, I tripped and fell
I told secrets I shouldn’t tell
I stumbled over all my words
I made it weird, I made it worse
Each time I step outside, it’s social suicide
It’s social suicide, wanna curl up and die
It’s social suicide
It had now been three months since Jack asked you out. You had met his brother Luke when the boy came to visit, talked to his parents through face time a while ago, but you had yet to met his friends. You tried hard not to let it bother you, but it did. He didn’t want you attending his games either, claiming he didn’t want people to hate on you because you were his girlfriend. You couldn’t help but overthink the fact that maybe it was just because you were his girlfriend.
You had seen pictures of the other players wives and girlfriends, and you looked nothing like them. They all seemed so outgoing and the life of the party. Not to mention all of the models Jack followed, all of them being the exact opposite of you. You had questioned him about it one night, he just scoffed and said you were being petty and pathetic asking him a question like that. 
“J?” You called out. His arms were wrapped around your waist, your back pressed against his chest. 
“Mm?”
“When am I gonna meet your friends?” You asked quietly, making the boy sigh harshly against the back of your neck. 
“Got to sleep, Y/N.” He mumbled. 
“Could you at least answer me?” 
“I don’t know, okay? Your weird fear of crowds or whatever makes it impossible for you to meet them all at the same time, and I’m not gonna go through the burden of setting up little dates with my teammates just so you can meet them. Can I sleep now, mother?” He answered harshly as his arms left your frame and he turned around, his back to yours. You felt tears prikle in your eyes at his words. 
“I can handle it.” Your voice was low, not trusting your voice not to crack if you talked any louder. Jack let yet another sigh at your words. 
“We’re getting together after the game tomorrow, come if you want.” 
“To your game?” You asked hopeful. You were growing tired of just watching him play through your TV screen, when he was close to your home. 
“No. After.” And just like that, all your hope was crushed. 
“What should I wear?” 
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” He grumbled, getting out of bed making your head snap towards him as he approached the door. 
“Where are you going?” 
“Guest room. I need peace and you keep talking.” Was the last thing he said before leaving the room. When you woke up the next morning, he was gone, no text no notes, nothing. He didn’t come back for his pregame nap either, which scared you a little. But all your nerves went away when his face appeared on your Instagram feed, a bright smile on his face as the picture the Devils posted illuminated your screen. 
All of your texts to Jack had gone unanswered, as well as your calls. Thankfully, you knew where the team would be heading after the game, it was a local bar near the rink they went to almost every time after a game. You had gotten there a lot later than everyone, spending thirty minutes in your car deciding whether or not Jack would still want you there. You figured there was only one way to find out so in you went. 
The place was crowded, the music loud as the bartenders prepared multiple drinks. Realistically, there wasn’t that many people here, just the team and a couple other regulars, it was just a really small room. It took you a couple of minutes to spot Jack, who was sitting at a table with a couple of his friends and lots of girls. You tried to look as confident as possible as you made your way over to him. Some of his friends and their partners started at you, wondering what someone like you was doing here. 
“Jack?” You called out as you stood behind him. His arm was resting on the chair of a pretty blond girl next to him. You couldn’t quite describe the look in his eyes when his head turned to face you, but the words he was about to say completely crushed you. 
“Do I know you?” He questioned, and you could feel your heart shatter inside of you. You tried your best to keep a brave face on, but you were dying on the inside. 
“J, come one, this isn’t funny. I’ve been texting and calling all day, you were gone when I woke up this morning.” You mumbled, taking a step closer to him. The girl on his right could read you perfectly, and she realized that you two were a couple. When it clicked in her mind, she sent the boy a judging look before standing from her seat and walking back to her friends. 
Jack got up right after her, gripping your wrist and dragging you outside the bar. “What’re you doing here?” He asked harshly once the two of you stood outside alone. 
“No! What are you doing, Jack?”
“I’m enjoying a night with my buddys!” 
“Yeah, the friends you said I could meet. Tonight!”
“When did I say that?” His words were harsh and rude, making your heart shatter even more. You truly did not understand why he always acted this way towards you lately, but you were growing tired of it. 
“Last night! You said I could come if I wanted to, and I want to be here, so here I am. And here you are, with your arm around another girl!” You said, your tone matching his. You were tired of letting him walk over you all the time. 
“I said that so you would shut up and leave me alone. God, you’re always just complaining about everything and anything. It’s like nothing’s ever enough for you, you always need more–” 
“Oh, nothing’s enough for me? What about you, huh? Am I not enough for you?” 
“There you go, making it about you like always.” 
“Because this is about me, Jack! I am your girlfriend of three months, and I don’t know any of your friends! It’s like you’re ashamed to be with me. Do your friends even know about me?” You asked. There were tears in the back of your eyes threatening to spill, but you blinked them away. You had cried enough over him for the last couple of weeks. The boy in front of you stayed silent at your question, making you scoff. 
“Of course they don’t know, just like your brother’s weren’t suppose to know, or your parents. You don’t want anyone to know that your girlfriend is me.” You spoke with your voice low. This exact though had been in the back of your mind for a long time, but saying it out loud made it feel so much more real. 
“Things were better before you knew–” 
“They were better for you! You lied to me for weeks, and you’re still lying. All you do is lie, Jack. I can’t believe I waisted so much time and energy on you. You never wanted this relationship, did you? You just wanted someone to fuck whenever you needed, someone to be there for you. You didn’t care who it was, you neved cared about me. You’re pathetic, seriously.” You mumbled before pushing past the hockey player and walking to your car. 
You were done with Jack Hughes.
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thoughtsonlou · 5 months ago
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I just got back to my hotel after the Away From Home Festival and I needed to document my thoughts! This is the third festival in a row that I have attended and so far, this was my personal best experience. In Spain, I had planned poorly and ended up feeling dehydrated and sick, Italy was a travel nightmare (and the worst merch stand experience I have ever had), but Mexico was organized so well. Starting off, I actually got my bracelet this time (unlike Italy where most of them got thrown in the trash??). The merch line was short and efficient (I got a beautiful t-shirt—Louis’ merch never misses). The entire area was lively with colorful food stands, banners, lights, a giant AFHF sign in front of some stone. There was plenty of space, but it still felt like there were a lot of people there. The atmosphere was so chill, I loved it. Surprisingly, I never felt hot, the sun went down quickly and there was a gusty breeze most of the night.
Now for the music…
I completely missed Rodrigo Leal. I could hear Gibby while I went through the line outside (and I saw him later getting photos with fans). I thought he sounded great. I listen to some of his songs sometimes. Reverend and the Makers were better than I thought they would be. The lead singer fumbling with the Mexican flag was a bit comical, but they sounded tight as a group. Honestly, Dylan was kind of my favorite (of the openers). I didn’t really vibe with her music before the concert, but she was great on stage, and I respect that she cut all the Harry stuff. She added a rock edge to her more pop-y songs, and it changed them for the better. I don’t know she was just so charismatic on stage I dug it. Kevin Kaarl was clearly adored by the audience. Unfortunately, I don’t speak a word of Spanish, so I did not understand anything (and may have taken a bit of a snooze on the ground during his set). However, that is not to say I thought he was bad, quite the opposite. It was a nice change of pace, and his voice was moving. I love the DMA’s and were stoked that they were performing this year. They did not disappoint. I was a little distracted because Oli was like fifteen feet away from me singing along and dancing it was really cute 😊. It was so cool to have such a big band there at Louis’ festival. Ooooh the lineup was certainly my favorite of all the AFHFs I have been to so far. Spain is a close second, but I truly loved every act here, and in the case of Dylan, found her way more compelling in person.
Now for Louis…
He is pretty isn’t he. I can’t believe he essentially wore the poster as his outfit. His hair was perfect, and his skin glistening.
My top five songs from the night (in order of the setlist) were: MEGAMIX—All this time is the perfect song argue with the wall, and the live album made me appreciate the intro and transition between att and sibwawc even more than before, I though all of those sounds were prerecorded track, but I saw Steve messing with one of those sound board thingies in real time… neat! WALLS—this song just makes me emotional, especially when the crowd is so into it like they were tonight. BACK TO YOU—as much as I love a sappy moment, a festival set should be energetic and fun, and that’s what back to you is, she had me jumpin’. SATURDAYS—I admire that he has the confidence to sing alone at the microphone with hardly any backing instrumental for that long, it is so pretty, but when that build up pays off it is soooo good, the wall of sound was really taking the pain away on this Saturday. SILVER TONGUES—trust I meant it when I said, ‘I don’t feel like going home,’ what a jovial song I’m smiling just thinking about it, this song fills me with warmth!!
The instrumental outro is sick, and I can never remember what it sounds like, so that was fun to hear. I was trying not to be a grouch about the 1d songs, but why is night changes there for real? If he replaced it with We Made It, or HEADLINE?!?!?! this would be a darn good setlist. Drag me down is actually pretty good in my opinion. Where do Broken Hearts Go is fine live, but I dislike it in principle (if you’re going to sing a 1d cover, at least pick one you wrote on?).
The worst part of the night was when Chris walked right in front of me during night changes.
The best part of the night was going balls to the walls during Silver Tongues.
Truly the night (especially Louis’ set) flew by! I had a great time and cannot wait to see what is in store for next year :)
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floralcrematorium · 2 months ago
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fuck it, band AU time
with my mounting zine deadlines and drawings i owe friends for their b-days, idk if i'll ever get to draw the accompanying material i wanted to, so it is time to yap everyone's ear off. apologies if this is a mess! it's been a hot minute since i've properly spewed my nonsense out loud
i think i wanna talk abt Nat first... I love using Natalya in narrative works -- she's so so interesting to me and the character i've fleshed out the most
in Band AU, Natalya is a solo pop musician whose earlier music takes heavy inspiration from ethereal wave and dark cabaret. artists who frequent the playlist i've made for her are birdeatsbaby, revue noir, and then a bit of the dresden dolls and mirabilis. here's a hyperlink to her WIP playlist!
as for subject matter, her music probably deals a lot with existentialism and self identity
at the start of her career, Nat is very experimental in her sound, presentation, and image. i like to think she sees her music videos and stage performances as a version of semi-abstract performance art. she's very into symbolism
the pop part of her sound comes a bit later, after she starts dating Alfred Jones, the front man of Multifacet, an alternative(?) rock band (gonna be real, i have NOT nailed down what their sound is yet). her relationship with Alfred is mutually unhealthy - they are somewhat codependent and both feel a need to perform due to media pressure. he's using her for her preexisting fame, she uses him to feel the lonely void she feels
Nat cracks under the pressure. She was a very popular artist before dating Alfred, but she had control. When they start dating, her own achievements begin to be overshadowed. Her career becomes inescapably intertwined with Alfred's. She hits an absolute breaking point
as of right now, the sound of nat's music when she's with alfred is a bit like rina sawayama's. i find her voice gorgeous and i like the sound of urgency in the songs I have added to Nat's playlist -- it's a stark difference from her earlier slower music. I think Frankenstein embodies Nat at this point in her career the best
i know billie eilish is WAY too mainstream for Nat's taste, but I can't help but think of The Diner from billie's latest album for the AmeBel breakup...
also I much prefer platonic AmeBel - I think when in a romantic relationship, these two enable the worse parts of one another. however as just friends, they work quite well! anyway the best way I can sum up how I see AmeBel is:
someone else: what do you even see in him? Nat: he makes me laugh. he's stupid. i like that in a man.
I think the constant theme for Nat is a constant searching for a sense of identity because she continually destroys the identity she's built. I think Nat is a little insecure and to truly flourish, she needs to find some confidence. she also needs a good support system, which comes in the form of Tereza (miss Czechia), but I'll talk about them at a different time (wink wink, nudge nudge)
If I have to give you examples of Nat's different "Eras":
Debut: The Silent, The Tragic Tantrum She's having fun. Nat's a bit cryptic, she's eclectic, and enjoys putting on a show on stage. Start of the AU: Girl Anachronism, The Dresden Dolls I associate Girl Anachronism a lot with Nat in general, band AU aside Dating Alfred: Frankenstein, Rina Sawayama The lyrics of this one really hit for Nat. "All I want is to feel beautiful inside and out/You're the one who can save me from myself." This is when AmeBela are mutually codependent Breakup: Nothing Lasts, Glycerine I don't have anything to add other than this is an old personal favorite of mine. That's it. Breakup, but with plot relevance: The Diner, Billie Eilish I really want to use the lines "I'll go back to the diner/I'll write another letter/I hope you'll read it this time/You better" Nat and Al are having a very public breakup, that's all I have to say Healing: Seventeen, birdeatsbaby Nat's like. 27 at the start of this AU, but I think the themes are still relevant. I also LOVE the dramatic and grandiose intro to the song -- I feel like it's a return to form for her... Healing Nat Part Two: I Always Hang Myself With The Same Rope, birdeatsbaby
Nat will get a happy ending. I do need to figure out in more detail in what ways she damages Alfred, but I think with the general theme of the whole AU being a cautionary tale about fame and the effects it has on an individual, I've focused more on the "good ending" route with Nat's story. She has a moment of self realization and puts in the time to work on herself.
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blushweddinggowns · 1 year ago
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“Just hold still…and done!” Nancy grinned as she capped the eyeliner. She brushed a lock of hair out of his face before declaring, “You’re officially stage-ready.”
Eddie turned to look at himself in the mirror, instantly pleased with what he saw. Steve always said that his big-ass Bambi eyes were his best feature, and the eyeliner really was making them pop. Add that with the tight jeans, the leather jacket, and the combat boots, and Eddie actually looked like he belonged on a stage. 
He looked good, but he only cared so much about his own thoughts, “You think Steve will like it?”
Nancy rolled her eyes, “Like you have to ask. We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t have a heart attack.”
Eddie grinned at that. He could only hope that his reaction would be that good, “And it will last all night?”
“At least for 12 hours,” She reassured, “I used the good stuff. This eyeliner lasted on my mom for a fifteen-hour plane ride once, with layovers. You’re ready.”
Eddie nodded. That was basically equivalent to spending a wild night with Steve, the odds were in his favor. He reached over to give Nancy a one-armed hug, taking the time to hover for a second before she gave him a subtle nod. 
“God, you’re such a lifesaver,” Eddie sighed as he squeezed her to his side, “You sure you don’t want to come?”
Nancy snorted, “Are you kidding me? My dad would ground me for the next five years if I got caught. And you know I love you guys but I can barely deal with Steve gushing over you on a normal day, let alone one where you actually look hot.”
“Awwww, you think I’m hot?” Eddie cooed, laughing at the way it made her cringe.
She was already gathering everything back up into her makeup bag, trying and failing to hide her little smile, “Don’t push it.”
But he did, of course he did, the whole way back to the Wheeler house, earning himself a sharp pinch to his arm more than once. He dropped her off at home, promising that they would call her first thing in the morning to say how it went. Then he picked up his boys and the four of them were off, all of them excited out of their minds. 
Eddie had never imagined that he would be playing on a real stage, in a real city. It had been a silly little radio contest for a charity event, first five callers got the privilege to audition to be a one-time opener for Metallica, a band that Eddie adored but the rest of the world hadn’t seemed to have caught on to yet. It was a one-time thing, paired with some great luck for the station to catch them for a single night before their next album release. But still, it was a big deal, especially for people like them that had less than zero connections. Steve was the one who insisted that they call in. Eddie had just never thought that they would have actually won. 
But they had, and the prize was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet a band that Eddie just knew was going to be huge one day. Plus, free hotel rooms for the weekend? What more could a guy ask for? 
It was a fun drive, of course it was. You couldn’t get Eddie, Freak, Gareth, and Jeff in a room together without it being a blast. The only problem was that he already missed Steve. Which was, admittedly, stupid as fuck considering that he’d see him in a matter of hours. He just hated that he had to sneak out for this. Or more aptly, he hated that his parents forced him to sneak out for this. But they had a good plan here. 
He’d lie and say he was going to bed early to prepare some bullshit elaborate date for Nancy, one that would involve him being gone for all of Saturday. He’d sneak out his window by seven, drive the two hours to be there just in time for the curtains opening at nine-thirty. Then they’d spend the night together like they had been every night for years, his parents none the wiser.
The shitheads. 
Saturday night and Sunday would be a little trickier, but Steve was coasting off the fact that his parents usually forgot to say goodbye when they left for a trip. They had a red-eye flight at 3 am, and Nancy was already prepped to make a fake phone call to ask if he could stay for dinner Saturday. With any luck, they would forget about him entirely, both of them too tired to think about the fact that they wouldn't have seen their son for nearly two days. The last bit was more of a gamble, but Steve wasn’t about to let his parents' wrath ruin his shot at a romantic and paid-for weekend with his boyfriend. Besides, when it came to Nancy, his mom basically never questioned anything. Hell, she was basically on the edge of planning their fucking wedding at this point, beyond ecstatic that Steve had finally gotten himself a permanent girlfriend. 
God, that girl really was a lifesaver. Eddie was almost surprised at just how much he liked her, and not even because she was beyond useful when it came to hiding their relationship. She was just…kind of cool? He didn’t know how else to describe it, but her whole gun-toting, no-nonsense, and slightly bitchy persona was really doing it for him. Honestly, on a bad day, Eddie was slightly afraid of her, but he kind of liked that too. The fact that she could go from scarily intense to sarcastically hilarious just equated to a winning personality in his book. And that wasn’t even counting how happy she made Steve, and vice versa. 
Sometimes he’d wander into the room that they were supposed to be studying in, only to find the two of them completely off the rails either talking about their shared passion for musicals, high school gossip, or more often than not, Steve Harrington approved seduction methods for her to try out on Jonathan Beyers. Or Tom Cruise, depending on the timing. 
They wouldn’t even notice that he walked in most of the time, too caught up in laughing with each other. Maybe it was weird, but sometimes Eddie would just watch them for a minute. Steve would be all giggly and smiling and adorable, and it just made Eddie feel warm. Hell, even seeing Nancy happy was enough to make him smile most days, the girl deserved it after everything she’d been through last year. She was a good person and a good friend. And Eddie was going to get her so many corny Indy souvenirs for covering their asses tonight. 
They were all nervous as hell when they finally got there, but actually getting to meet the band while they were setting up went surprisingly well. Though that mostly had to do with the fact that they had prepared for it. They had a fool-proof system of aggressively stepping on each other’s feet when one got a bit too fangirly. And though it left all four with some bruises, it did manage to stop Gareth from telling James Hetfield that he would totally marry him if he was a chick. They made a good impression, Eddie was pretty damn sure of it considering they offered free tickets for their next tour. 
It was fun, even if he was still nervous as all hell when it was their time to play. He had never felt this anxious walking out on stage before. Maybe that had to do with the fact that it was a real stage, but still. He wasn’t the type to be nervous about performing at all, whether that be at the Hideout or hopping on lunch tables for an impassioned speech. 
He swallowed as he looked out into the crowd, heart pounding in his chest as he realized just how many people were there. It was a far cry from the Hideout where they would be lucky to get ten people to actually notice when they were finished. But this had to be a hundred plus. Eddie’s eyes zeroed into the front row, scanning it for the one thing that could calm him down. It didn’t take long to spot him. 
There he was, smack dab in the middle of the row, completely out of place with his adorable pink polo. He was leaning against the railing, hearts in his eyes as he waved up at him. Eddie grinned, his nerves disappearing the second Steve blew him a kiss. Just the sight of him was enough to bring Eddie back down to earth.
He stepped up to the mic, guitar in hand, and started to sing.
Excerpt from chapter 14 of this fic
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gakehc · 9 months ago
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Cringe Lord
Joel can be so cringe that bothers you a lot but you can't deny that he is hot and he obviously thinks the same about you. Just the two of you alone in the studio can lead you to a naughty game.
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♡ Author's note: I saw someone calling Joel "cringe lord" and I had this idea. Not my best work but I decided to post it anyway.
♡ Warnings:  This is a work involving real people but it's 100% fiction writen. Please remember that this is only for fun purposes and it doesn't reflect their real thoughts and behaviors. Don't take this work too serious. +18 only. Oral sex (m and f); dirty talk.
♡ Characters: Joel Hokka × fem reader
♡ Words: 1.956
♡ MASTERLIST HERE.
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You run through the sidewalk avoiding bumping into people as you try to get to the studio as fast as you can. You are already late – one hour to be exact – so you don't want to make the boys wait even more for you. Niko and Joonas thought that it would be a good idea if you could help with the backing vocals for the next Blind Channel album since – according to them – you have a beautiful voice. You never really sang something professionally, just on drunk karaoke nights or Instagram stories so you are a little bit nervous; you would hate to do a bad job and disappoint your friends.
When you finally arrive you find it strange to hear only silence since the boys are always talking loud and laughing. Soon you realize that you are almost alone, the only one here besides you is Joel. He is sitting on the couch with his cellphone in hands, trying to take a good selfie or something like that. You hold a laugh when he starts to film something that probably is for his Tiktok account.
“Hey cringe lord” you say, making him jump in fright.
“Shit!” He says, dropping his phone on the center table.
“Don't stop because of me, please. I was having fun watching you being so ridiculous” you drop your purse at the table, sitting on his side on the couch.
He just rolls his eyes as he keeps recording himself. You two don't get along very well, you think Joel is kinda boring; always trying to be the vampire prince of darkness like Ville Valo or something. It makes you want to puke. On his side, he doesn't have enough patience for you because he thinks you are too nice – or miss perfect, like he always calls you.
“Where are the rest of the boys?” You ask.
“They got tired and hungry so they decided to go buy some food… You know that it's really bad when people have to wait hours for someone” he says, his eyes still locked on the cellphone screen.
“I got stuck at work. I'm sorry to make the other guys wait. About you… well, I'm not sorry” you give him a grin “What are you doing?”.
You grab the phone from his hands, reading the title of the filter he was trying on: Your love story in 2024. A loud laugh comes from your mouth and you try to hold but the idea of Joel caring about this kind of stuff sounds like a joke to you – even though he is just having fun.
“That's so pathetic!” You roll his eyes.
“I don't fucking care”.
He presses the button and starts to record, and soon the result appears: enemy to lovers. He tries to hide the result from you but your eyes already caught everything. A heath grows in your stomach just to think about the possibility of things changing between you and Joel. Yes, he is very – very – attractive and it would be nice to kiss him if he wasn't such a dumbass.
“Impossible” you say.
“Why? Are you the only enemy I have in my life?”.
“Well… if you are open to a relationship with those jerks from record labels who tried to take advantage from the band, I think I am the only one who would fit in this enemy to lovers type of shit. The other girls would kill to suck you small dick”.
“You don't know shit and it's not small”.
“Yeah, right!” You sound sarcastic.
“I bet I would make you choke on my cock with such an ease”.
“It's good for you to have such high self esteem but please you need limits. And I bet you couldn't make me cum even if your life depends on it”.
“Oh I know I could… give me five minutes and I will prove it to you”.
You laugh again but the idea doesn't sound bad to you. It would be nice to see how good mr. cringe lord can be and that doesn't mean you need to show him that you – maybe – are enjoying. Taking him by surprise, you pin him against the couch and straddle his lap. His blue eyes show desperation as he is still trying to figure out what to do with his hands.
“What is this?” He ask.
“You asked for five minutes. Show me what you can do”.
You can see his chest going up and down with the rhythm of his heart that is certainly beating really fast. He stares at your lip before finally kissing you, your mouth immediately open for his tongue to enter. He tastes good like mint drops or something, feels freshening. Joel is not as wild as you thought he would be, maybe he is a little afraid of pushing your limits. His big hands roam through your back, entering above your shit and touching your skin, making you shiver from head to toe. You lift your arms so he can take your shit off and so he does, taking his own shirt right after. The scar next to his shoulder steals your attention and you lick it, making sure to look deep into his eyes and smile.
“Fucking whore” he gruns, bitting his lower lip.
“And you're boring. I can't believe I am still wearing my bra”.
Joel finally opens your bra and tosses it to the other side of the room. He bites your nipple carefully, making you feel a soft pain that takes a moan from you, which makes him smirk. His hand is so big that he can hold your boob entirely and squeeze roughly, his fingers playing with your nipple.
“You're not impressing me” you tease him.
He rolls you and makes you lay on your back, taking off your shoes and jeans. He laughs to see that your underwear is wet, proving that he has impacted you. He pushes the fabric to the side, revealing your soaking wet folds. He inserts two fingers inside of you without warning, hooking them until he finds the spongy spot that surely will make you cum.
“Hm… you're smart” you say, noticing how quick he can find your sweet spot.
He takes his finger in and out but what makes it almost impossible for you to hold your moans is when his tongue touches your clit. He licks you right there when you need the most, fast and intensely, taking you by surprise on how fast you are feeling your orgasm growing. It's almost impossible to hide the fact that your clit is throbbing, Joel is probably feeling on his tongue, but you try to put on your best bored face because you would never admit that he is making you cum so fast. You can feel him smiling while he sucks your folds non stop, deep inside he is enjoying finally tasting you. He can act like he hates you but the fact it's that he always thought about eating you out. His big nose all smeared with your juices is such a nice scene for you.
You bite your lower lip when you feel your apex taking control, trying not to show any emotion but Joel notices that your back is contracting and your legs are shaking involuntarily. He grins sensually, feeling satisfied to know that he was right: your orgasm took less than five minutes to come.
“It seems that I was right” he says.
“Maybe. You also said that I would choke in your cock. I doubt that”.
He gets on his knees on the couch and unbutton his pants, your eyes shining as you watch his bulge getting bigger inside his underwear. It doesn't seem to be small at all. He pulls down his underwear, his cock free and hard as a rock, precum leaking and making your mouth water. It's not that thick but it's definitely long and can easily reach your throat. You lean towards his crotch, looking in his eyes before taking your tongue out and leaving a small lick at the tip of his cock. He seems nervous – maybe desperate to feel your pretty lips around him. He holds your head and pushes against his cock, making you suck the whole thing, the tip touching the deepest part of your mouth. You close your eyes and try not to cough as he pulls it in and off, fucking your mouth slowly. Joel is enjoying seeing you struggling to suck him, your eyes already watering. You try to breathe with your nose while he quickens the pace, even though it's hard to have everything in your mouth you are enjoying. Soon, you hold his shaft with your hands and then go slow to play with his balls. That's a clear sign that you are having fun.
“Look at you… you are enjoying it, aren't you?” He says, his voice sounding almost like a groan.
You roll your eyes but you keep going, Joel doesn't even need to move his hips anymore. Saliva starts to drip down your chin and you know you probably look like a total mess.
“What if the boys see you here sucking me like the whore you are?” He asks.
His words turn you on even more and you wish you could feel him inside of you but it would be too risky – the door is unlocked, the boys could enter at any minute. You feel the rush making your heart beat faster, Joel cursing and groaning as he feels that he is about to cum.
“Fuck, I'm gonna cum…” he closes his eyes with pleasure.
“Fill my mouth, then” you only take his cock out from your mouth to say those words.
Joel's moans are extremely sexy when he reaches his orgasm, the warm liquid reaching your throat as you swallow everything quickly. He puts his underwear and pants back as you do the same with your jeans and your shirt. You see your face on your cell phone screen and your face is smeared in saliva and melted mascara. You quickly wipe it with a tissue that you always carry on your bag, looking normal again. Soon, you hear the voices from the other guys: they are finally here. Joel smirks as he thinks about how lucky you are because he finished on time for you to not get caught.
“About what happened…” he says.
“We will finish this later, at my apartment”.
Your answer takes him by surprise. He didn't expect you to want to be with him again and it seems that you have plans.
“Let's see if your cock is good inside my pussy” you say, without looking at him as you wait for the door to open.
Finally, you see Niko, Joonas and Aleksi entering the door. They are happy to see you as they carry some paper bags with food.
“Hey! You're here!” Joonas says “Sorry to make you spend time with Joel”.
“Not a big deal. Actually, I was pretty late so I am the one who needs to apologize”.
“That's ok”.
“Joonas?” Niko asks “Is that your bra?” He lifts the bra that he found next to the door.
“That's not mine, dude! I like to let my beautiful tits free”.
“Aleksi?”.
“Nope. Not mine” Aleksi laughs.
The three boys look at you and Joel, waiting for an answer.
“Well… it's mine” Joel says, taking the piece from Niko's hand.
“Yeah, I see…”.
You feel your face getting red. How could you forget your bra? Now it's clear to everyone that something naughty happened here but the boys are nice enough to not talk about it and make you feel ashamed.
“Mystery solved. Now let's work”.
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thestylesindependent · 2 years ago
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Harry Styles has had one hell of a year, ensuring that going forward his career will never be the same as it was. In addition to the release of his third solo studio album, Harry's House, which debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 200, he hit movie theaters in both the paranoia thriller Don't Worry Darling and gay romance My Policeman.
In addition to drawing notice for his first leading roles on the big screen, Styles made headlines (for many reasons) with his press tours for both movies as they premiered at glamorous fall film festivals. Then, there's the world tour, which has been entertaining flocks of screaming fans since September 2021 and isn't slated to end until next summer.
To honor the former British boy bander as one of EW's 2022 Entertainers of the Year, Big Mouth creator Nick Kroll — who acted opposite Styles in Don't Worry Darling — pays tribute to the pop and movie star.
If Harry Styles were just to put out an album or just go on tour or just put out one movie, that would be an accomplishment. The fact that he is able to do all of these things in the same year — and then, still be a human being who you can drop in and have a real conversation with — is incredible. The elephant in the room is all the noise around his personal life. To navigate all of that, stay above the fray and to continue to try to make his art, it's a tightrope to walk. He is able to navigate it with a ton of class and grace.
When you watch him on stage, there's a buoyancy. There's clearly real joy in his performance. That's not dissimilar to how he is as a person. When you're with him, it doesn't feel like you're getting a show. It feels like you're getting a chat. On set, it surprised me how genuinely connected he was to everyone he came into contact with. Oftentimes people who are super unbelievably famous have to create some emotional boundaries. There was not a wall up, which frankly there often has to be just to make it through a day without having all of your energy sucked out of you. There wasn't a day where he didn't show up on set with coffee or donuts or extra vitamin C packets for people. He was always providing for people in a very nice way. One of the things that I enjoyed about him as an artist — but also now as someone who I know — is that he really doesn't take himself, or any of it, too seriously. When you're someone in his position, that's hard.
As an actor, I really wasn't surprised that he was so natural. One of the biggest performers in the world would be a great performer. He was so collaborative and open and fun to watch and play with. If you're used to performing live, there's nothing better than finding other people who enjoy spontaneity. In almost every scene that I was in with him, there's a found moment.
There's a moment the film where I back up, we're going in our car and I salute him and then give him the finger, and then he looks back at me and gives me the finger. The best thing you can do is find someone who wants to feel alive in a scene with you. Anyone who's watched him perform live has seen that. He feels very present, whether you're in a conversation with him or you're in a scene with him or you're watching him live on stage. It's why he's so f---ing charming — you feel like you're watching someone who is in the room with you at that moment.
He's somehow able to be an actor in two very different films, and while all of that has been going on, he has been on a world tour for a year and a half getting hit with Skittles. It's a weird thing to say, but he made me much cooler with my nieces and nephews (and many, many people) by very publicly kissing me at the Venice Film Festival. I want to rewrite the story where Prince Charming kisses a frog. I'm the frog, and I become a frog with a little crown on top. It was one of the most surreal moments in my life. That was not planned. We kiss in the first scene of Don't Worry Darling, but nobody had seen it, so it just appeared that Harry Styles had grabbed me for no reason and kissed me. No matter what I accomplish in my life, it will probably go somewhere in my obituary: "father, comedian, creator, and also someone kissed by Harry Styles." I gotta say, I ain't mad at it. That's his power.
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starrz-ombie · 6 months ago
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okay, hi! soo, i'm finally here to talk about the concert. sorry for not posting about how it went earlier, my arms have been too sore to write a big post 😭 but holy shitt, genuinely had the time of my life. seriously, nothing can compare. this was my first even concert and i'm so fucking glad. i screamed, i cried, i had the best time ever. the venue wasn't too crowded, unfortunately i couldn't see 100% of it, but i did see pretty well, just missed some parts closer to the floor and stuff, (take for example, couldn't see the part where they're like thrusting their hips up in skinz, but managed to see the nine and junji crotch grab by moving around slightly.) it felt so... i guess, real? like.. actually seeing them in person, not just on a screen. and, my god i love them so fucking much. it was genuinely so fucking fun. from kb introducing himself as hot armpit guy and nine as wookie pookie to jumping around during angel. god, it was so great. genuinely could start crying just thinking about it. i don't think i've ever had that much fun, i don't think i've ever screamed so much or felt so much excitement. it's honestly really funny, i was recording when they first came on stage and you can hear me just.. yelp because it was just so... so much. to see a group that became my ult group within less than a night and then became my biggest, and hell, maybe only or at least most prominent hyperfixation for MONTHS, in person. in real life. i got into onlyoneof around june of 2023. it was the middle of the night, and i think i just saw something about them, i think something about their queer concept, if that makes any sense and i just felt such an extreme urge to become a fan. and i'm so fucking glad i did. i swear, i got instinct part 2 and undergrOund idol #2 probably less than a week after. i looked into everything i could about them. i made sure to be able to recognize every single member and watch every single music video immediately. and i immediately knew yoojung was my bias. onlyoneof was the first, and maybe only, time where i've downloaded THOUSANDS upon thousands of photos of idols. not just saving them into pinterest boards but downloading them into my camera roll and everything. they seriously caused such an effect on me. it's pretty stupid, but i feel like they made me so much happier. things i cant say lOve was my first album comeback with them and i'm so grateful that i was able to go to their concert. i really don't think i'll ever be able to forget any of it. i'll probably make a lot more posts with little details about it, maybe a photo or two, i dunno. no videos, though, because you can hear me screaming my heart out in all of them and it's honestly embarrassing to share so publicly 😭 it was seriously so great, though. i felt so in the moment for i'd say the first time ever, really. the energy was so great, from both onlyoneof and lyons. from the really energetic songs like angel, where they encouraged us to jump around and stuff and they threw water on the crowd to the calmer ones like gravity where we were waving the lightsticks to the side all slowly (with the encouragement of kb of course) it was all so fun. and of course i have to mention the merch. as far as i remember, they had shirts, pins, popsockets, pins and little keyrings of each member. i got a shirt, 3 pins and a yoojung key right of course which is the cutest thing ever and matches the pc holder i have on my yoojung light stick photocard which is cute. seriously, best experience in the entire world and i truly hope i get to go again next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, so on. thank you onlyoneof and lyon for such a magical and unforgettable night.
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rabbitechoes · 4 months ago
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june felt like a relatively uneventful month for new records despite some big names dropping. that could just be because i was just obsessed with that one green album everyone was talking about, but idk. anyways, here are all of the albums, EPs, and mixtapes i wrote about this month!! to check out my thoughts on some of the songs that dropped this month click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3
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BRAT - Charli XCX
🥇 BEST ALBUM OF THE MONTH
◇ released: June 7, 2024 ◇ genres: electropop, electronic dance music, bubblegum bass, electro house
Ever since her landmark Vroom Vroom EP from 2016, Charli XCX has gained a reputation for making “pop music from the future.” Every project she released coming into this current decade was boundary-pushing, it sounded so far ahead of nearly all of her contemporaries. In many cases, those projects still do, and those said contemporaries are still playing catch-up all these years later. That sound was captured not only by her own artistic sensibilities and knack for off-the-wall pop songwriting but also through her collaborations with likewise boundary-pushing producers like A.G. Cook and the late SOPHIE. Following a relatively disappointing release in the form of 2022’s CRASH, a record made with the primary goal of fulfilling her deal with the Asylum label, many were left uncertain about what the future might look like for her. She clearly harbored some frustration with the label, but maybe things would be different from now on. BRAT is certainly something different, a very unique record. One that strikes an impressive balance between nostalgia and that forward-thinking experimentation she became known for. It blends a love for 2000s club/dance music with some of the most nuanced songwriting of her career. BRAT is an album that only Charli XCX could make and it’s a testament to her various talents that it works as well as it does. 
The album’s minimalist, crunchy album art was met with some derision when first revealed, even from myself, but Charli’s reasoning for the art ties into some crucial themes on the record. She rejects the dominant image of pop music and its adherence to the squeaky clean – the vulnerable in the most acceptable ways. Charli wants to be messy and this album revels in it. Her writing here is real, confrontational, and occasionally very touching. She pokes fun at her undeniable influence despite not being your typical pop star on tracks like “360” and “Von dutch.” On the track “Girl, so confusing” she takes aim at an unnamed woman in the music industry she’s had a contentious relationship with. “So I” is the most poignant moment on the record as Charli eulogizes SOPHIE in a touching way, while also recognizing her shortcomings and regrets when it comes to their friendship. Many cuts on the album have Charli waxing romantic over her new fiancé, George Daniel of The 1975, and it puts her in a very different light than we’re used to seeing her in – it seems to even catch her off guard. Her writing here is all over the place, but it’s all uniquely her. BRAT offers a messy portrait of the artist and it just feels so refreshing. It sounds like it’s meant to be off-putting and inaccessible, but it’s just entrancing. The fact the record is breaking her streaming numbers further proves that. 
The songs themselves are also excellent. I’m eating some massive crow because as this rollout was happening, I was admittedly a bit underwhelmed by some of the singles. However, hearing them in the context of the full album, it’s some of her best work to date. I don’t know how I didn’t immediately connect with the soaring, red-hot synths on “Von dutch” paired with those explosive hooks. “Club classics” and “B2b” were my favorite singles heading into the album, but they shine even brighter here. They’re just straight-up club anthems. The orchestral production of “Everything is romantic” caught me off guard at first, but the way it bleeds into this jittery electronic beat is just mesmerizing. There is just something so addicting about the production across this album. Even on the more subtle tracks like “I might say something stupid” and “I think about it all the time,” I’m just locked in. The record rarely ever loses its momentum. Charli, A.G. Cook, and a revolving door of some of the most interesting producers have crafted such a distinctive album.
I love BRAT. I think it’s one of Charli’s best projects to date and it further cements her status as one of pop music’s biggest visionaries. Despite being a “get back to your roots” kind of album, it still sounds so fresh and new. To put it simply, no one is doing it like Charli XCX. None of her contemporaries could make an album as nuanced as this while also keeping the “Club classics” coming. It’s just a mess by design and it works incredibly well. This is, without a doubt, one of the best pop albums of the year.
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Sentir Que no Sabes - Mabe Fratti
◇ released: June 28, 2024 ◇ genres: art pop, avant-folk, art rock, chamber jazz
The only Mabe Fratti project I’d heard prior to this record was her debut, Pies sobre la tierra. I’m sure she’s had a nice, steady evolution leading up to this record – and I hope to go back through her catalog soon – but jumping from the debut to Sentir Que no Sabes was truly shocking. Coming from an art pop album with folk stylings to art pop with folk stylings AND jazz instrumentation throughout was a shift I wasn’t expecting. Fratti structures these songs like ambient pieces, which I find truly fascinating and unique. The instrumentation is layered and complex, deeply striking too. She captures mood so incredibly well. Hearing the booming upright bass thumps on the opener “Kravitz” was already a lot to take in, but then her vocals coming in with that unreal horn section soon to follow made me know I was about to hear a very special album – and that it is. 
The instrumentation on this album is so inspired. Just as soon as you think you have it figured out, the album does something you could never have anticipated. “Pantalla azul” is one of the more straightforward songs on the record, leaning heavily into the folkier sound, but then it throws these weird synth parts at you. It manages to work incredibly well too, very rarely does a risk not pay off. Fratti sounds incredibly confident in these songs, it comes through in her vocals just as much as it does the instrumentation. She knows when to lay out and let the music do the talking. Like on the “Elastica” songs – in which “Elastica II” comes before “Elastica I” – two instrumental pieces that are so strange. One with these chaotic, dissonant cello leads that make you feel on edge, and the other is just a serene ambient piece. Both are some of my favorite moments on the record. 
Her lyricism across this album also deals with some strange concepts, to the best of my understanding and translating capabilities. Like on “Kravitz” where she sings of “ears in the ceiling” or “Enfrente” where she sings of people lying in order to sleep peacefully. There’s a lot of anxiety on the record and it’s matched in both her lyrics and the music, it’s so fascinating. There’s so much to uncover on this record, I’m still piecing things together after multiple listens. I’m very enamored with this.
Sentir Que no Sabes is one of the most unique albums I’ve heard all year. A massive leap forward for Fratti who ideally can build off of this sound for years and years. It’s such an incredibly fruitful framework that can be molded into so many different shapes. Her range as a composer is on full display here too. These songs are weird, dense, beautiful, and frightening. She revels in all of those feelings. Please do yourself a favor and dive into this album. Despite my adoring this record, I have a feeling Fratti’s best is yet to come which is extremely exciting.
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Impossible Light - Uboa
◇ released: June 28, 2024 ◇ genres: death industrial, dark ambient
Xandra Metcalfe, under the moniker of Uboa, created one of the most visceral and disturbing albums in recent memory with 2019’s The Origin of My Depression. Having finally ventured through that record not too long before diving into this new one, I thought I would be at least a little prepared for Impossible Light – I was dead wrong. There is no way to prepare for a Uboa album. Given the recurring themes both lyrically and musically in her work, you can anticipate what she might throw at you, but you will not be ready for it. I’m very familiar with the “primal scream” songwriting technique, but Metcalfe takes it to an extreme new level that is both captivating and deeply upsetting. Her words are often buried beneath these scorching soundscapes making it hard to discern what she’s saying without reading a transcription of the lyrics. Even without reading the lyrics, these songs crush you, but deciphering Metcalfe’s words makes it hit that much harder. It doesn’t sound like she’s conducting these random bursts of noise and other upsetting sounds, it’s as if she’s running from them – sometimes even resigning herself to them. That choice makes the themes of the album that much more impactful. 
A lot of the same themes from The Origin of My Depression and Impossible Light overlap, but this record dives deeper into them while also providing new layers to Metcalfe’s songwriting. This album kind of picks up where the former left off, I couldn’t imagine experiencing one without the other. She reckons with the traumas of her youth and by extension the struggles she’s faced being trans. This record feels a lot more current, divulging the fluctuating feelings she’s faced over the last few years. She fiercely dissects her own feelings and usually buries them beneath dizzying, disgusting noise in an attempt to drown them out.
“Endocrine Disruptor” is a scathing and brutal attack on those who wrongfully believe trans people are “unnatural.” She proclaims, after some of her most fiery lyricism, that “If we are unnatural like they say / Then we will take their precious nature away.” It’s chilling and made all the more viscous with the ramshackle percussion and suffocating synth work throughout. “A Puzzle” is one of the most viscerally uncomfortable songs I’ve ever listened to. The sonic shift a little over a minute in throughout the middle portion of the track makes my skin crawl, I genuinely felt a little sick to my stomach for a moment. This album is just unrelenting. Even in the more serene moments, there’s this looming dread that shakes you to your very core. Perhaps the only exception is the closing track, “Impossible Light / Golden Flower,” featuring otay:onii and Liturgy’s Haela Raveena Hunt-Hendrix, which ends the album on a surprisingly optimistic note. For that reason, it’s one of the most striking songs in her catalog. The instrumentation is a lot more light, still overwhelming, but it reminds me of the elation present in a lot of the arrangements on Björk’s Vespertine. She sings of a “light at the end of infinity,” seemingly hoping to find some recovery from all of the trauma she’s dealt with. It’s an emotional moment and ends the album in a much different place than its predecessor. 
I believe Impossible Light is Metcalfe’s strongest record yet. It’s one of those albums where words can’t do it justice, you just have to experience it and see how it makes you feel. My first listen to this album took a lot out of me. I typically can handle heavy albums, but this made me feel like I’d been to hell and back. This is not my lived experience, yet I felt everything to my very core. Incredibly potent album.
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Resort - Skee Mask
◇ released: June 13, 2024 ◇ genres: idm, ambient techno
German ambient techno producer Skee Mask has crafted an immersive and warm collection of tracks on his new album Resort. I usually find IDM stuff feels sort of cold, or wintery, but Resort is firmly a summer album. No doubt influenced by the fact that it’s currently summer where I live, but these songs all sound like summer. The hot pavement beneath your feet, sitting outside bathing in the sunlight, the cool breeze that occasionally blows past you for shorter than you would like, or sitting inside as the air conditioning saves your life, this album covers all of those feelings. It’s weirdly visceral. I find myself being unable to “zone out” to it, whenever I listen it has my full attention. I just end up getting lost in these tracks. 
Despite all of these pieces being very atmospheric and ambient, there’s usually something wild or crazy thrown in to shake things up. Like the jittering drum beats on “Reminiscrmx” interspersed alongside the sunny synth foundation. “Daytime Gamer” is one of the best songs I’ve heard all year, it’s so well-crafted. The song’s bridge is just otherworldly, he has such a good understanding of how to keep the listener engaged both with the sounds he implements and how these songs are structured. One of the wildest moments on the record comes with “Schneiders Paradox” which has the kind of rhythm you can’t sink into, it keeps you on your toes. I love all of the weird sounds on this cut. I also love the weird reversed percussion used on tracks like “BB Care” and “7AM At The Rodeo” it all just sounds so unreal yet it circles back to feeling very real. Most of the songs here are absolutely striking in some way.
There are so many cool little details spread across this album, some obvious and some that only reveal themselves on repeat listens. Resort definitely feels like one of those records that begs to be experienced more than once and the music justifies that. This album was the first time I’d ever listened to Skee Mask’s music and it was a damn good experience. I’m not super well-versed in the IDM world, outside of a few of the “important” artists, but it’s records like this that make me want to do a deep dive into the genre.
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Dissection Maps - Old Saw
◇ released: June 21, 2024 ◇ genres: ambient americana, drone, american primitivism
Dissection Maps is like a roadmap for a place that’s completely out of time. Not in the sense that its days are numbered, but there is no context of time. This place is of both every time and no time at all. The one thing that’s for certain is that it’s all uniquely American, almost disturbingly so. Old Saw’s work feels both small-scale and sprawling. There’s this deep organic intimacy to it all, no doubt due largely to the implementation of a lot of traditional folk instruments, but it also feels all-encompassing. It captures a specific setting so well and without words. The music just guides you along and tells you all you need to know. It’s like a spiritual dissection of rural America's nooks and crannies – I don’t consider myself to be a spiritual person, but these songs feel almost religious. The instrumentation lifts you up to the clouds, surveying the sites beneath you. The trees, the plains, the long roads that lead you into town – however, it also feels like you’re completely grounded, looking up at the trees and out to the plains as you drive down that long road into town. Such a unique listening experience, at least for me. 
The feelings it conjures up usually aren’t serene or peaceful, they’re often desolate and hopeless. Like the drone towards the end of “Dealt in Silver” with the church bells ringing out of time without warning. It’s like you’re looking up at these bells shaking and rattling, making so much noise, as the hot sun beats on your face. “Revival Hearing” breaks things up a bit with the jaunty banjo and subdued bells that open the track, but then the drone comes in. It’s like even in the more joyful moments there’s a looming feeling of dread. It’s both captivating and frightening, an impressive display of the band’s abilities. I was a little let down by Old Saw’s last record, especially after how great their debut was, but they more than made up for it on Dissection Maps. It’s concise and effective, perhaps their strongest record to date. I encourage everyone to experience this.
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NO HANDS - Joey Valence & Brae
◇ released: June 7, 2024 ◇ genres: hardcore hip hop, east coast hip hop
We’re only about halfway through the year and NO HANDS might have secured the spot for the most fun hip hop album of the year. Pennsylvania hip hop duo Joey Valence and Brae have created a short, concise, and frenetic sophomore album. Full of amazing beats, courtesy of Valence, and some of the best hooks in rap I’ve heard all year. They have that bratty edge of the Beastie Boys, but the kind of humor that strictly sets them in the current day with references to things like Omnitrixes from Ben 10 and Beyblade. It’s very referential humor, which I’m usually not a fan of, but it just works for me here. Probably because, sigh, I am a Zoomer. There’s such an infectious energy to this record. It’s nothing world-changing, and it doesn’t need to be, it’s just two guys making a super enjoyable rap record. 
At just a little over 31 minutes, NO HANDS rarely wastes any time. The duo keeps up the energy the entire time. That Beastie Boys influence shines through especially on the first track with the opening call-and-response vocals and they do it very well. It never comes off as a parody despite the unserious tone of the record. That beat is just incredible too, pure hardcore hip hop goodness. “PACKAPUNCH” is even better with amazing performances from the duo and a hilarious Danny Brown verse. “Have your face fucked up like a 2K skin” has been in my head for days. The album throws a curveball at you in the form of the title track which has a great jazz rap beat. The verses from the pair are also among my favorites on the album. They have this kind of irony-tinged nostalgia, making them so much fun to listen to. “THE BADDEST” is their best attempt at a crunk song and it’s so much fun. The way they deliver the line “I’m the baddest bitch in this club” with so much force is so good. Like yeah, you guys are the baddest bitches in this club!   This album just sounds like two friends making music solely for the fun of it. They have incredible chemistry too. They always bring the same energy to these songs, they’re always on the same page. It can be easy to view this album as a joke, but Joey Valence & Brae have genuine talent. They have a good understanding of rap songwriting, especially in the hooks department. Valence’s beats are also incredible and I need to hear him produce more stuff this instant. Not every song is a heater, although most are, but they all sound like they’re trying to be. More often than not, they knock it out of the park. I learned afterward that these guys are big on TikTok, which makes a ton of sense. I usually try to steer clear of TikTok stuff, but I’ll definitely keep an eye out for these two. If you’re looking for a good time, definitely give NO HANDS a listen.
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One Hand Clapping - Paul McCartney & Wings
◇ released: June 14, 2024 ◇ genres: pop rock, power pop
It feels crazy to say this nowadays, but in the early 1970s, Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles output left many fans disappointed. He had a string of big-hit singles, but critically he was fighting an uphill battle. Especially with this new band Wings. Band on the Run marked a slow, but sure shift in McCartney’s favor and he was seemingly looking to bolster this band for stardom. In the summer of 1974, McCartney and crew retreated to Abbey Road Studios to bang out some tunes both new and old. Adding drummer Geoff Britton and young guitarist Jimmy McCulloch to the lineup as well. This lineup would carry them through the preceding Venus and Mars album, with Britton leaving the band during the recording of that album. One Hand Clapping was meant to be a documentary film, but it was abandoned as was the live album recorded for it. The film and the songs themselves have been drip-fed to us through various deluxe editions, bonus tracks, box sets, and whatever else has come out over the last 50 years, but this is the first time we’re getting a full version. This is a pretty fascinating album that features some of the most vibrant versions of these songs ever put to record. There’s this uneasy energy to the recording like everyone is still feeling each other out, but these songs just sound destined to be played in arenas. 
A hallmark of Wings’ live performances was how Linda McCartney would absolutely drench these songs in synthesizers and One Hand Clapping certainly doesn’t let you down in that regard. Hear the opening of “Jet” from this record which features said synths taking the place of the horns on the studio version. Despite that sound certainly not aging well, I kind of like it. It’s a little cheesy, but it does make this album feel a bit more intimate. Stripping away some of the pomp and circumstance while still embracing that schmaltz McCartney became notorious for. Some songs here implement some strings and brass – because many absolutely call for them, Wings did not make very intimate music – but I think it’s interesting to just hear the band on their own from time to time. This isn’t the most consistent or exciting live record, but it does reach some crazy highs. The three-track run of “Band on the Run,” “Live and Let Die,” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” is absolutely electric. Everyone in the band is giving it their all, but it also speaks to how well-written those songs are to begin with. The version of “Junior’s Farm” here is also a standout and might be my favorite version of the song ever. It really showcases McCulloch’s guitar skills too. As does “Wild Life,” which breathes some much-needed life into that cut. When the band goes into that next gear, they sound like superstars, ready to prove everyone wrong. McCartney especially sounds determined to make this thing succeed and the band pulled it off in the end. As I mentioned earlier, this record is full of some decent, sort of unessential songs mixed with some absolute heaters. Hearing Macca meander his way through Tin Pan Alley jazz cuts, “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” or whatever other small ditties he’s come up with has kind of lost its novelty to me after hearing so many outtakes and demos from his more creatively fruitful periods. Still, One Hand Clapping is a good listen if you’re a fan of McCartney and Wings.
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MEGAN - Megan Thee Stallion
◇ released: June 28, 2024 ◇ genres: southern hip hop, trap
On her third full-length album, Megan Thee Stallion takes absolutely no prisoners as she celebrates herself along the way. The aptly self-titled MEGAN is a bold look at one of the biggest stars in music today. I’ve always enjoyed a lot of Megan’s work over the years simply because she just has “it.” She has this undeniable energy and fire in her delivery that just makes her captivating. Made all the more powerful by the slandering she’s faced from hip hop media and her contemporaries in the wake of the whole Tory Lanez situation, which many used as an attempt to attack her for some reason I’m still confused about. I won’t harp on that long, but a lot of artists will express sentiments like “Everyone is talking about me and hating on me!” and it usually falls kind of flat, but in Megan’s case, it absolutely doesn’t. The coverage she’s faced over the last few years has hardly been music-related, it’s been drama and others using her name for clout. She puts her naysayers dead to rights on this album right from the get-go. Opening the album with “HISS” was a fantastic decision. One of the most decisive and effective takedowns of the year. Starts the record off very strong.
This is one of the few times being self-indulgent pays off. Megan rhapsodizes herself across the album over some unabashed Southern – specifically Texas – hip hop. She teams up with frequent collaborator and Texan LilJujuMadeDaBeat among other predominantly southern producers across the record to pretty good effect – although I do think it’s time for a bit of a shift after this record. The first half of the album is full of heaters, but most of my favorite tracks come from the middle section. “Otaku Hot Girl” borders on corny with the intro vocal sample of Adam McArthur, voice actor for Itadori Yuji from the Jujutsu Kaisen English dub, and Megan’s various anime references, but it’s just so much fun that it’s hard to get upset with it. “BOA” was a great single leading up to this record and it still maintains its fire on the record. It’s also an earworm, the repeated “womp, womps” in the hook stick with me for some reason. The latter half of the record sees features from a variety of Southern rappers, most notably UGK – one of the most iconic Southern rap duos. Their feature is nice, but they could’ve phoned it in and it still have been a cool moment. “Accent” has Megan teaming up with GloRilla for their second collab of the year and these two just have so much chemistry.
Megan wanted to fit herself and what she loves on this project, this is all about her. It’s a joy to listen to, even if every song doesn’t end up leaving too much of a lasting impression. This is a statement record, Megan Thee Stallion is here to stay. You certainly haven’t heard the last of her yet. She sounds ready to take on the world.
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The Tw*ts - bar italia
◇ released: June 5, 2024 ◇ genres: slacker rock, post-punk
Everything about bar italia just feels so effortlessly cool and this new EP, The Tw*ts, showcases that very well. Even though I am relatively unfamiliar with the band’s past material, I just get their whole vibe from these four tracks alone. These songs all have an undeniable groove anchoring them, meanwhile the vocalists and the guitars just sort of play along within that groove in often weird, noisy ways. Everything feels so rigid, but also free-flowing. I have a difficult time believing the clashing instrumentation of something like “Sarcoustica” was heavily rehearsed, it sounds so off the cuff. The band just sounds like they have concrete chemistry, knowing how to get the best they can out of these songs while sounding like they are putting in the least amount of effort in the coolest way possible. Like the dreamy, drawn-out closer “sounds like you had to be there.” It’s like a nonchalant attempt at an end credits song. Nothing sounds like a grand statement of any kind on this EP, it’s just a band playing some kickass tunes. These near-12 minutes alone have made me a fan of bar italia, I can’t wait to dive into the rest of their stuff very soon. Doing further research leads me to believe this might be a bit of a “leftovers” EP from stuff made during the recording of their last album, The Twits. Which does make this a weird entry point for the band, but I hope to fill the gaps soon enough.
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HEAT - Tove Lo & SG Lewis
◇ released: June 14, 2024 ◇ genres: dance-pop, euro house
In all honesty, I haven’t been too impressed with Tove Lo’s music over the years. I often find it just doesn’t click with me, although I do have some nostalgia for that “Habits (Stay High)” song because it was one of the wildest things I’d ever heard at the age of 11. Also, it was a free iTunes Single of the Week so I had it on my iPod! However, HEAT is the most I’ve enjoyed a project of hers yet. She teams up with house and disco producer SG Lewis for a collection of club bangers that all fly by while inviting you back for more. The groove of the title track is intoxicating, it is just one of those songs you turn your brain off to and enjoy. The hook is so amazing too, it’s such a well-crafted Euro house track. The other songs are good too, although they don’t reach the heights of that song. Aside from the closing track “Desire” which has both artists working to the best of their abilities. The EP is worth hearing for those two songs alone. One of my biggest takeaways from this EP is how great of a producer SG Lewis is. His production really shines here on all of these cuts. Even when some of the songwriting on the two middle songs leaves something to be desired, it sure as hell sounds good. If you’re in the mood for a quick fix of house bangers, certainly give HEAT a try.
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Samurai - Lupe Fiasco
◇ released: June 28, 2024 ◇ genres: jazz rap, abstract hip hop, boom bap
I had very high hopes upon hearing the title track leading up to this record. It was another great example of Lupe Fiasco’s lyricism as well as his ear for good, jazzy beats. I was excited to hear where he would go on the rest of the album, but I never could’ve predicted what this album was going to be about. Samurai is a concept album and tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. Lupe set out to answer the question, “What would it be like if she was a battle rapper?” It’s a fascinating concept – a unique one to be sure. Unfortunately, despite the intrigue, the music here leaves a lot of potential on the table. Lupe’s lyrical prowess is on full display, but the album often feels unfocused on both the lyrical front and the musical front. He’ll have these elaborate complicated bars and the beat will be very good, but it just isn’t as impactful as I would like it to be. I was more so just impressed by his rapping rather than actively enjoying it. 
What makes songs like the title track and the following “Mumble Rap” great is that they both have hooks that sort of anchor them. Lupe does his lyrical thing, but those hooks elevate the songs to higher levels. The chorus in the latter has him almost mumbling the words playing into the name of the song, which I thought was clever – also helps that the song isn’t just another track dogging on “mumble rap” and instead plays into the concept of the record. “Palaces” and “No. 1 Headband” are also highlights in that regard, but his verses lack a sense of urgency that grabs you. At a brisk 31 minutes, The album’s lasting impression leaves a lot to be desired. These tracks are not bad by any means, many are pretty good, but the bulk of the songs on the album never hit that next level they have the potential to. Samurai has an interesting concept, but the execution just could’ve been a bit stronger.
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Born in the Wild - Tems
◇ released: June 7, 2024 ◇ genres: alté, contemporary r&b
Tems has been making some waves throughout the hip hop and R&B world over the last six years or so. The Nigerian singer-songwriter has released a bunch of singles, two EPs, and has had some notable performances on albums from artists like Drake and Future. Now we finally have Born in the Wild, her debut album, and it’s just as promising as it is disappointing. There are many moments on here where she shines, like on “Burning” or “Love Me JeJe,” but this record only scratches the surface of what I think she is capable of. She seamlessly switches between Alté and neo-soul throughout the album which gives it a good bit of depth, but I can’t help but feel it would be a much stronger project had it been a bit more concise. I do love the production across this album. Tems handles production on multiple tracks here, but it also features contributions from notable Afrobeats producers like GuiltyBeatz, Spax, and P2J. Afrobeats have been making an impact across the world and I don’t think we’re too far off from it being one of the dominant sounds in pop music – we might already be there actually  – but I would much rather an artist like Tems be at the forefront of that rather than someone like Selena Gomez. 
I adore the two tracks I mentioned earlier. The smooth neo-soul of “Burning” perfectly showcases Tems’ ability as a vocalist and songwriter. The chorus is simple, yet effective, which I unfortunately can’t say about some of the cuts here. She has such a commanding presence vocally, I just wish some of the songwriting here matched that same energy. The subtle Afrobeats stylings of “Love Me JeJe” are so satisfying. The song interpolates and shares the same name as a 1997 song from Seyi Sodimu. It’s one of those songs that should be a big hit, but I fear the window has already closed a bit. “Ready” is also a brilliant song, I love the way the sort of jagged percussion juxtaposes both the soft synths beneath and her gorgeous vocals. There’s no shortage of really good stuff here, nothing on this album is bad by any stretch, it just has the potential to be much better. The songwriting leaves a bit to be desired on some of the songs here and it really makes you feel the album’s length. Like the sustained “Oh boy, oh boy …” chorus of “Boy O Boy,” it just feels like a song that isn’t fully finished yet. 
As it stands, Born in the Wild offers a pretty decent showcase for Tems’ various talents, but her best is definitely yet to come. With some spruced-up, more focused songwriting I could see her being a force to be reckoned with. Mark my words, Tems will have a big global hit within the next few years. If I’m wrong, I’ll be surprised!
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Bad Cameo - James Blake & Lil Yachty
◇ released: June 28, 2024 ◇ genres: art pop, alternative r&b, neo-psychedelia, electronic
I’ll fully admit that I went into Bad Cameo feeling jaded at both of the artists involved in this project. I’ve never been a massive fan of James Blake’s work on his own and his comments on “erasing” the saxophone and its contributions to music, even if they were in jest, rubbed me the wrong way. Lil Yachty’s novel shift away from trap with Let’s Start Here and his subsequent shading of the genre that he made a name for himself in has also irritated me despite liking a good bit of that record. So, yeah, I wasn’t exactly excited to hear from these two. Bad Cameo is an awkward, decently crafted record with a couple of bright spots and a whole lot of snoozers. 
Yachty and Blake have the kind of chemistry that suits neither of them. Both of them sound lost on these largely atmospheric tracks. Blake’s vocal style is the same as it’s always been and Yachty’s haven’t adapted well to this style all that well, but I guess I admire the effort. Yachty’s unwieldy singing here has a bit more feeling than Blake’s at the very least. Everything he does sounds so pristine that it makes me feel like if I get too comfortable I might end up knocking some kind of expensive vase over. Like on “Midnight” where Yachty tees up Blake for the most washed-out vocal handoff I’ve heard in a while. Very rarely do these two strike a perfect balance on the record, it often ranges from decent to tolerable to “y’all have no clue what you’re doing and it’s obvious.” I do enjoy some of the production on this record, that’s always been one of Blake’s strongest assets. I adore how “In Grey” sounds, definitely my favorite track on the record. Bad Cameo is ok at best. It offers some decent surprises sometimes, but it often just feels far too aimless and clumsy for its own good. 
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Dopamine - Normani
◇ released: June 14, 2024 ◇ genres: contemporary r&b, pop
Gaining prominence as a member of Fifth Harmony, everyone’s favorite girl group, and through her breakout solo single “Motivation” in 2019, the anticipation has always been decently high for Normani’s full-length solo debut. Well, after all this time, we finally have Dopamine. I enjoyed “Movement” a decent amount, but I would never call it a favorite. Still, I was hopeful to see what she could do on a full album. Unfortunately, Dopamine is a very middling debut when it should be a very exciting one. She falls into all of the R&B cliches and in the process removes almost all of her individuality as an artist. What should be a mind-blowing step forward for a young artist just ends up feeling like … another album. Dopamine’s biggest crime isn’t being bad, although some moments prove to be rough, it’s just painfully generic. Most songs warrant nothing more than a shoulder shrug.
Normani carries herself well, but these tracks fail her, I feel like there’s so much more she’s capable of. The music here shifts between pop rap, R&B, and some dance pop which should give her the chance to show what she can do, but they leave a lot to be desired. The amalgamation of these established pop songwriters and producers doesn’t help matters either. It means everything is competently executed, but it lacks that flair that should make a debut so special. Still, there are some relative gems here. “Take My Time” is a sugary-sweet jam, one of the few songs where everything just works. Normani sounds like a star on this track. “Tantrums” with James Blake is another one of her strongest performances and Blake’s signature ghastly vocals fit well. She teams up with Cardi B on the closing track and lead single “Wild Side,” and it’s decent. Normani sounds like she’s having fun here and Cardi’s exaggerated lyricism provides a good foil. Strange choice for a closer though. Dopamine isn’t a bad album, but it’s held down by generic songs that don’t showcase Normani in the best light. The majority of the tracks here just don’t excite me. Despite it all, Dopamine is the best solo album from a Fifth Harmony member!
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C,XOXO - Camila Cabello
◇ released: June 28, 2024 ◇ genres: alt-pop, contemporary r&b
This new Camila Cabello album was one of my most anticipated of the month because every sign pointed to it being a trainwreck. The shift in sound displayed on the album’s singles and snippets – which many have rightfully called out for being a hodgepodge of much more interesting and subversive pop aesthetics – did not suit Cabello well at all. C,XOXO is a deeply vacant album that also happens to be embarrassingly honest. It’s like a fish out of water that’s hastily reading their diary entries in front of everyone. Cabello sounds desperate to be taken seriously, but not too seriously as to allow for some moments of levity. The end result is just a mess, a boring mess – the worst kind. 
Much has already been said about the lead single “I LUV IT” with its blatant, on the verge of plagiaristic, Charli XCX influence and weird Playboi Carti feature, but that is hardly among the most bizarre choices she makes here. The core of this album is Cabello trying her hand at a variety of pop sounds to varying, often boring, levels of success. Amidst these sterile tracks, we get an interlude featuring BLP Kosher where he starts talking about how Cabello’s music was there for him when he was going through a period of heartbreak. What? Why is this here? It feels like ego-stroking, also who the hell is BLP Kosher? This is a 32-minute album with like three different interludes, she doesn’t manage the time on this album well at all. Perhaps the most bizarre moment on the album comes with “HOT UPTOWN” with Drake – who famously hasn’t been doing too much lately – where the pair stumble their way through a dancehall track. This leads into the song “Uuugly” which, I kid you not, is a Drake solo track. A solo Drake song in the midst of a Camila Cabello album? Not even a good one either, it’s just a baffling decision. I guess Drake’s feature rate has gone down drastically over the last two months. It also takes the focus away from Cabello on her own album. She isn’t doing much to set herself apart either, none of this album sounds uniquely her own. It’s like she’s having a 32-minute identity crisis.
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Timeless - Meghan Trainor
◇ released: June 7, 2024 ◇ genres: pop, dance-pop
Some albums you just listen to out of complete morbid curiosity and Timeless from Meghan Trainor is definitely one of those. The “All About That Bass” singer had a bit of a comeback a few years ago through some big, very irritating, hits on TikTok leading up to her last record Takin’ It Back. That album wasn’t very good, pretty much none of Trainor’s output has been that stellar. The follow-up, Timeless, is perhaps her best album yet and I’m only saying that because I think the opening track “To the Moon” is pretty decent. Trainor makes commercial music. You could imagine pretty much any of the tracks here in a bright and colorful Vitaminwater commercial or something. In fact, the music video for the song “Whoops” features an extended section of Trainor showing off and enjoying a cherry limeade-flavored Sparkling Ice drink during the song’s bridge. She’s brand-friendly in pretty much every aspect. It’s music more obsessed with image and commercial viability than forming a genuine connection with an audience. Her lyrics are all feel-good and empowering which makes you feel like a total asshole for not celebrating it, but my cynical anti-capitalist heart just can’t stomach it all. It’s so impersonal and commercial – money is the motive. The music across this album ranges from either unremarkable to irritating, which is to be expected. Trainor’s blend of doo-wop with current pop sensibilities is more often than not a recipe for disaster and that proves to be the case here as well. T-Pain pops up occasionally to breathe some life into this thing, but it doesn’t do much. Timeless didn’t surprise me, I knew what I was going to get coming into it. The only thing I learned is that I should probably start managing my time better. I could’ve gone for a nice walk in the sun instead of listening to this, I just didn’t need it.
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The Secret of Us - Gracie Abrams
◇ released: June 21, 2024 ◇ genres: singer-songwriter, folk pop, alt-pop
As I’m writing this review, The Secret of Us is predicted to debut at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. Now I don’t care about charts, but hearing just how creatively bankrupt this album is, I’m just shocked. I know music is subjective, but this is such a transparently empty record. Gracie Abrams, daughter of film director J.J. Abrams, seems to be the hand-picked apprentice of one Taylor Swift – don’t know if you guys have heard of her. She makes music in a similar vein, that corporately confessional verbose heartache riddled in these songs. Alongside Swift herself, many people from her “camp” are also here – so much so that it feels sort of like a pet project. The National’s Aaron Dessner co-writes most of the songs on the record alongside Abrams. Jack Antonoff obviously produces on the song “us.” – the duet with Swift. Even Justin Vernon, who seems to be wrapped up in this vortex, appears throughout the record. These are all competent artists in their own right, especially Vernon (please get back in the studio, i need another Bon Iver album), but no one is bringing their best here it seems. The album stays in that middle ground of sometimes bad, but mostly just … nothing. None of this makes me feel anything. It’s total in-one-ear-and-out-the-other singer-songwriter music. That kind of breathy folk mixed with the occasional art pop production either doesn’t suit Abrams well at all, or it’s been beaten to the point of exhaustion over the last few years.
I hesitate to say Abrams is a bad songwriter, she just seems painfully average. These songs are all deeply personal, yet have no distinct personality to them. They sound like heartbreak songs that could be shipped out to a number of different artists. They’re also very unadventurous musically. No surprises are thrown at you, once you press play on a song you know where it’s gonna go. Start subdued, go up an octave in the chorus, bring it back down again, rinse, and repeat. I guess it’s just a basic songwriting formula, but when nothing about this album is unique or interesting it wears thin quickly. The best song here is, in fact, the duet with Swift entitled “us.” It opens with this Carrie & Lowell-esque fingerpicked acoustic guitar, but thrown through that pop filter that sucks out the rawness of what makes that sound so special. Despite that, it’s still the most interesting song here musically at least. Everything else about it is fine. Whatever. Who even cares? This isn’t a good album.
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psssst. i made a discord server called COSMIACORD ... if u wanna join and have fun, talk about music, play fortnite, or whatever here's the invite :3 https://discord.gg/rsHMenTU
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jmdbjk · 2 years ago
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Life can be fascinating.
Yesterday was something else.
We got Suchwita where Yoongi says "when we come back we might not be as hot..." uhhhhh.... and "we didn't do anything big" YOONGI! MY GOD! STOP BEING SO MODEST!
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Hoshi had to say right away "dude, you all did a lot more than that."
Yoongi said things that calmed the anxiety I have about this era of waiting for them to do their service and get back to us.
With every episode I get to know his personality more and more. He long ago totally dispelled (x1000) my very first impressions of him but these Suchwita interviews he does are so beautiful and enlightening.
And now he's on his way to Bangkok to do who knows what...
We got a trailer for Hobi's J-Hope in the Box video on demand on Weverse. I can't wait to watch this documentary. The trailer is showing some very real scenes, much more authentic, along the lines of the previous documentary movies about BTS.
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Yes, Hobi, life can be fascinating.
I heard this Disney+ project was a series... are we to expect a documentary like this for every member? And then perhaps a group one right before their group comeback? We don't know yet.
And lastly, as I was closing my eyes to sleep last night, this K-drama playing out in real life in Korea between two major competing entertainment corporations. Armys who have been around since the beginning... this was not on y'all's bingo card for this life time was it? If this deal sticks... the ramifications...
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EXO fans... how we feeling today?
I don't think the saga is anywhere near being over. Someone needs to get us some more popcorn because this is the best real life drama we've seen since that slow speed police chase of OJ Simpson's Bronco down I-5 in Los Angeles in 1994.
And to top it all off, my six WKorea magazines arrived. The package was heavy. Probably 10lbs of paper in those six magazines. That's 4.5kg. But they were absolutely gorgeous. I don't regret purchasing all six covers, they are like oversize glossy art prints of Jimin.
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I can't read any of it. But the pictures sure are pretty. I may sacrifice one (the close up black and white cover) so I can scan some of the inside photos to share. I will do something with the cover, frame it, display it... it's my favorite.
And I wake up and Jimin's done a live, told us his album is coming in March(!), he could take his clothes off to show us his tattoos but where's the fun in that? <bites fist> He comments about watching the most recent Suchwita and that he would like to appear on Yoongi's show (please, please, please).
Somehow, Jimin has overcome his "awkward" era while doing lives. For over an hour and a half he's chatting, being funny, making plastic flowers, singing, dancing... TO FILTER?! ... ... if Jimin does anything like what Hobi did and sings some of his previous songs... OMFG WE MIGHT FINALLY GET FILTER LIVE!!!!!!I21!!
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Honestly, I am expecting Jimin to have something on his upcoming album that will give Filter a run for its money as far as "shock" value.
Of course I will come back with another post after the subs are up on his live.
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shark-myths · 11 months ago
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20 Questions for Fic Writers
Thank you so much for the tag ((and drag)) @carbonbased000! this was very fun and thoughtful to do.
who is writing things right now? i never remember. i will tag a wide and perhaps not terribly relevant range of: @toorational @just-about-nothing @27-royal-teas @leyley09 @alienfuckeronmain @stereostatic @setting-in-a-honeymoon and anyone else so inclined!
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1. How many works do you have on AO3?
65
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
968,103, but as i’ve said before, i have orphaned a lotta fic as well
3. What fandoms do you write for?
pretty much just Fall Out Boy, but i will occasionally dabble in something random! this includes tony stark femslash (not sorry, will not apologize), cobra kai, and anything about girls or characters who could compellingly be made into girls.
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
The Difference Between Real Love and the Love on TV
Stranger Danger
Boys Next Door / Assholes
From Russia With Love (this is one of those random sidesteps, a MCU femslash epistolary)
Jet Black Crow
(As an aside, it is so wild to me that older fics have so many more kudos than newer ones—you can really tell that fob went 5 years between albums! imo this is NOT a list of my best fic.)
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
for years, I responded to every single one! then at some point i fell behind because of my high standards for trying to put the same thought and effort into my responses as all you lovely people put into the comments, then i became overwhelmed, then i stopped. I AM SO SORRY IF I OWE YOU RETURN COMMENTS, i read them and i treasured them and you are a huge part of the reason i keep writing. love u all!!!
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I only write happy endings, man! I stopped writing tragedies a long time ago. My angstiest fics are red and unafraid of living and In Every Universe. the end of Made One Way (Cobra Kai) is ambiguous and potentially brutal, depending on how you take it.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
um, every single other one! I’m a big fan of the gory fairy tale ending of The Boys Time Can’t Capture, and transmuting the hiatus into an act of mutual care and love in Sell Out Girl meant so much to me.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
not since my first fandom and god, don’t
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
yes, a bit, could probably write a little less about feelings and a little more about feelings if u know what i mean. I’m super into sex as a person so i almost never write about intense romantic connections without bringing smut into it somehow; they feel really tightly linked for me, and i think i also crave media with HOT and INTIMATE connections between queer people. In terms of kind, i guess i’d have to say it’s largely rushed vanilla emotion-and-orgasm driven scenes. not a very flattering oeuvre i've created here.
10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?
mash-ups are my favorite thing to do! I especially like ripping off movie and fairy tale plots and making them stranger, or else taking a really specific constrained timeline from someone’s life or a piece of media and transforming it somehow. best sandbox ever. my craziest one is probably the coyote ugly / beauty in the beast peterick fic, Wolves Dressed As Wolves. and i love this type of transformation in everything, whether it's the weirdo gender shit i just learned duchamp was doing or katherine addison's destructively beautiful 'sherlock holmes except there're ANGELS' novel or the buenos aires re-imagining version of vivaldi's four seasons by piazzolla, my life and taste keeps taking me into the various ways we fold and refract and remake the same experiences over and over again through different lenses or angles or selves. to quote some author whose identity i forgot years ago, though the quote remains: "there are no new stories." all art is iterative, and the most interesting thing we can do as creators is deviate in new, unexpected ways.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
yeah, a million years ago on deviantart
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
yes! I have had a few translations and a podfic. I love it when people want to interact with my stories in their own way, all interpretations are welcome.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
one day i hope to be domesticated enough that @carbonbased000 can write with me. I used to co-write by passing the laptop back and forth with my bestie in high school; we wrote self-insert x-men fanfiction based on the comic books in like 2004 and it was an absolute blast; but generally i am considered impossible to work with, by both myself and others.
14. What’s your all time favorite ship?
i feel completely unqualified to answer this question. i have been driven insane by any number of pairings in my life. when i was younger, i was more interested in internalized homophobia themes in ships, because that's where WE were culturally in the early 2000s and where i was in relationship to myself, and i think each change and growth and greater empowerment and self-possession in my own life is mirrored in what i am interested in. i feel the most drawn in by dynamics between people that are creative and give me a new way to access and explore interesting ideas and themes; i’m a real sucker for shared art products and touring bands as unique and agonizing ways to connect people. there are so many different ways to express that someone is your soulmate and you'll never convince me throwing away all trappings of a traditional life in order to rove the earth and make art with your friends isn't one of them.
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
do you not just block out your WIPs from your mind so that you can live in moment-to-moment freedom?? I am a finisher in general, i have a few peterick drafts lurking around in my gdocs but if they remain untouched, it’s generally because there are only a couple thousand words to them and i’m not very excited about the possibilities of the fic. there is a sequel to a meticulously historically accurate pirate fic i wrote long ago called Providence, i got to about 30k and then lost all of my extremely painstaking notes and research in a software update. I’m still very interested in and excited by the idea, but i lost the notes and felt too traumatized to continue with the project genuinely a decade ago, so the idea that i will return and finish the fic seems fairly unlikely. Providence is one of my greatest pieces of writing ever, though, so hope springs eternal, i guess!
16. What are your writing strengths?
lyrical prose and conveying humor via unusual sentence construction. i was recently told i write arguments well and feel tough as a result, like, watch out! you don’t want to fight me!
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
i am lazy and easily distractible, i don’t plot in advance, i barely edit because i get really rigid and have trouble seeing any other way to say something than how i’ve already said it, i have an unwillingness to delete and rewrite even when that’s the only way forward (see: my eternally 90% finished age swap peterick au), i use up all my emotional energy elsewhere and then neglect my craft for weeks at a time. 
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
sometimes i’ll use pet names in another language if it makes sense for the character, but i avoid this in general as i’m not fluent in anything other than english. I would, have, and do sound like a duolingo lesson.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
afi bandom, when we used to call it slash, when i thought i had invented it with my friend at summer camp, when i was 13 and sent her kidfic stories i wrote out by hand in pink envelopes.
20. Favorite fic you’ve written?
genuinely i almost always write things i personally want to read, so i love them all! except the fucking fixed stars of heaven, everyone knows that fic tortured me to within an inch of my sanity. My most personal and personally meaningful fic is Girl Out Boy. i have a tattoo of it on my arm.
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thesinglesjukebox · 11 months ago
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(G)I-DLE - "QUEENCARD"
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Time to find out once and for all -- like, for real this time -- who hates fun!
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Kayla Beardslee: Dumb bitches assemble (affectionate). "Queencard" is kind of embarrassing to defend (you're going to bat for the boob and booty hot song? really?), but if you listen to it enough, it becomes impossible to deny that it's also kind of a banger. It would be a different matter if the production and topline weren't pulling their weight, but that bassline rips, and those line-to-line handoffs between all five members in the first verse get me every time. It also helps that this song comes from by far the best album (G)I-DLE has ever put out: when "Queencard" is placed next to the beautiful, dreamy B-side "Paradise" or the sinister-sexy "Lucid," its goofiness seems less like actual vapidity and more like Soyeon intentionally fucking around because she knows it's good to have a little fun and gas yourself up sometimes. Like, look me in the eyes and tell me it's not high performance art to release "Tomboy" and "Queencard" (and "Nxde"!) within a year of one another. I can get on board with a bit of silliness in exchange for the album I've been waiting for (G)I-DLE to make since I first discovered them -- which, as it happens, was when the Jukebox covered "Uh Oh" back in 2019. What a lovely and emotionally nuanced full-circle moment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to twerking on the runway. [8]
Crystal Leww: MY BOOB AND BUTT IS HOT MY BOOB AND BUTT IS HOT MY BOOB AND BUTT IS HOT MY BOOB AND BUTT IS HOT MY BOOB AND BUTT IS HOT [8]
Katherine St Asaph: Vintage Fergie. [3]
Harlan Talib Ockey: Ridiculous. [7]
Tara Hillegeist: As an object lesson in one of pop music's golden rules -- "unfuckwithable production can save unforgivable lyrics every time" -- "Queencard" ticks all the bases. Embarrassing lines like "twerking on the runway" and "sexy like Kim Kardashian" that not even Meghan Trainor could've written with a straight face completely fail to dent that supple bassline and synth-bleep driven stomp of a beat. There isn't a single word of this song worth dignifying with a sincere analysis; there isn't a single word of this song that matters while the squelched-alarm bubble and squeak of a melody and irrepressible line delivery are still making the brain jiggle like so much excited jelly under their sonic assault. This is a missive from the same school of thought that produced "Song 2": a heady slab of music so thoroughly stupid yet sneeringly self-confident about it, hearing it excites the listener enough to mistake it for the work of a frustrated genius, instead. I cannot take its message seriously without taking insult. I can't stop pressing repeat. [7]
Will Adams: So many delightfully dumb lines, it's hard to choose a favorite. I wish the music had been equally as silly, as opposed to whatever Jonas Brothers purgatory it currently exists in. [5]
Alfred Soto: Elements from Pussycat Dolls and Meghan Trainor drift and fade with the attention span. [4]
Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: This quintet's energy is infectious enough to take "Queencard" (great title) to the finish line, but there's no getting past the backing track. Envision every Black Friday/post-Christmas/commercial on TV, strip the jaunty musical beds from their flatscreen-deal context, then paste them one after the other. I'm sorry, but GO TO PRISON!!! [2]
Nortey Dowuona: Pop rock as an aesthetic is actually a good thing to be pilfering from. It's not novel or boundary pushing in the slightest, but after the last decade of everything stealing from rap -- the structures, the adlibs, the flows, the kicks, snares, hi-hats and percussion, the poses, the clothing -- and miserably failing to even slightly capture the same lightning strike... maybe don't be bothered to try. I've been listening to What Had Happened Was with Questlove, and at each turn I grow more frustrated by the fact that neither he nor Black Thought ever cottoned on to the giant possibilities of being an actual band, only producing musical phrases to be looped in the least interactive or vivid way. And this song, which is a solid approximation of 2005 pop rock and 2011 piss-take raps, just frustrates me cuz it feels like Jeon So-yeon, the group's Questlove, has the same problem; being able to make poppy Shafiq Husayn records and settling for Max Martin throwaways. [5]
Joshua Minsoo Kim: How long has it been since we've had an honest-to-god hook song? You could blame it on shifting musical trends, but ever since K-pop made it big in the West, lyrics have had to start making sense. This means we've been deprived of the joy that comes with wonky English. The lyrics are especially camp on "Queencard," but it goes beyond that: it's the total surrendering of a topline to phrasing and rhythm. Case in point: "My boob and booty" has syllabic parallels with "I'm top" and "twerking." There's also a slick maneuvering between English and Korean here, with (G)I-DLE selecting the words that sound best -- "ppoppo" is way more fun than "kiss," and "I'm cute" can be delivered with more sass than the same phrase in Korean. "Queencard" may not be a term the average American knows, but it doesn't matter: it's the sort of nonsense word that you can repeat incessantly, much like we all did with "gee" 14 years ago. To top it off, (G)I-DLE actually sound like they're enjoying themselves instead of delivering a Serious Message. We may never get a song like this again. [7]
David Moore: There's boob and booty and twerking in this one, sure, but the most exhilarating part of the whole thing is when the phrase "I'm a queencard" in the chorus devolves into uncanny syllables, like Jell-O starting to go runny in the sun, in a way doesn't just tell you what a queencard is, but really points to it -- this is a queencard. I'm reminded that K-pop isn't just multilingual, but often meta-lingual in the way that so much (all?) good pop is, refusing to let words get by as mere signifiers and forcing us to reckon with words at the phonemic, molecular level. How wild is it that the entire basis of our civilization is built on these funky noises we make with our mouths and tongues and lungs and noses and throats? I think that's neat. [8]
Kat Stevens: I worry that she's going to lose a lot of money at poker. [6]
Michael Hong: Look, Soyeon's English lyrics are often questionable, and it doesn't help that each member seems to drop syllables. She's exaggerated her "rapping" voice to be sharper and more piercing, and the lyric "look so cool, look so sexy like Kim Kardashian (uh) / look so cute, look so pretty like Ariana" fits awkwardly in the meter and is a bit reductive of each (but also your bad if you expected a nuanced feminist take from the group that brought you "Nxde"). And the entire thing is just a Valley Girl rip of "Song 2" by Blur. And yet, 4 + 4 is still: [8]
Brad Shoup: The pre-chorus is really interesting, how it teeters on the rim of Meghan Trainor maltshop-pop without ever falling in. It's a nice break from the spy-theme slink that dominates this. [5]
Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Referencing Ariana Grande directly feels like giving away the game -- this is some real Dangerous Woman shit, a maximalist pop barrage that seems to operate on the principle that if you make enough baffling aesthetic and lyrical decisions it'll loop back to sense eventually. Joke's on me -- they're right! This sounds like how I imagine getting shot out of a T-shirt cannon would feel. [7]
Michelle Myers: Shuhua is a queencard. Soyeon is squeak-rapping like she's HyunA's daughter. Minnie is hosting a blue champagne party and doing her best Debbie Harry impression. Miyeon hard carries the pre-chorus. Yuqi is jamming the phrase "sexy like Kim Kardashian" into five syllables. She's top. She's twerking on the runway. [8]
Anna Katrina Lockwood: "I'm twerking on the runway" has got to be in the top five greatest stunt English lines in K-pop history. (G)I-DLE have always had oodles of talent and charisma, but "Queencard," like last year's "Tomboy," has the confidence of maturity and a rare sense of unfettered enjoyment. Nobody's had such a good time in a music video since GD and TOP went to the club. Speaking of YG party songs, of course this is reminiscent of that format---though as others have pointed out, it lacks the true YG party chorus to close. There are a few better precedents in Cube's own history, which are combined effectively with a vaguely punk rock sound and a sensitive handful of blog house references. Part of the magic has to be the judicious editing Soyeon has applied here -- "Queencard" is a blisteringly tight 2:41, far from the bloat often befalling her earlier compositions. It's fun, you can shout along to it, there's a funny little dance, there are at least three melodies I've had stuck in my head--it's some good fucking K-pop. [9]
[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]
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randomvarious · 2 years ago
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Today’s compilation:
Now That's What I Call Music! 2 1999 Alternative Rock / Adult Contemporary / Pop-Rock / Teen Pop / Pop / R&B / Hip Hop
Back with another dispatch from the early run of the US' Now That's What I Call Music!, with the second installment from this gargantuan, neverending series. Take yourself all the way back to 1999 with this great ad for it!
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Now, I definitely have not kept up with Now for a long while, but as a series that's known for repackaging huge chart hits on CD, I think this might have been its most unique volume of all, because a lot of these songs did not end up charting all that high in the US—at least not on Billboard's Hot 100—and a number of them actually fared far, far better in the UK, which is where Now originated from, with its first ever release dating back to 1983.
A prime example here is Robbie Williams' great pop hit, "Millennium." Williams is regarded as an absolute pop superstar in the UK, but he's only charted twice as a solo act on the Hot 100 in the US, and both of those singles have failed to reach the top 50. This one, which pairs recreated dreamy strings from James Bond's You Only Live Twice theme with a hip hop-type backbeat, only made it to #78, but it was a #1 hit across the pond! And I think outside of all that well-made, Swedish-produced teen pop/boy band fare, this one very well might've been the best pure pop song of the entire late 90s. The use of those epic Bond strings smacks of The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" too, which certainly suggests that there's something about Brits and those damn strings.
And another #1 UK smash that didn't do nearly as well in the States was Fatboy Slim's irresistible big beat summer classic, "Praise You," which sampled from a lot of different places, including a Disney disco record, a JBL test album to get those iconic keys, Steve Miller Band, the Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids theme, and a song by Chicagoan Camille Yarbrough called "Take Yo' Praise," from which Fatboy Slim took the lyrics. There was a whole undercurrent of this big beat stuff that was coursing through a lot of our commercials and movie and video game soundtracks back then, led by acts like Fatboy Slim himself, the Chemical Brothers, and The Prodigy. But it never went super mainstream like it did in the UK. Fatboy Slim's singles only charted twice in the US on the Hot 100, and "Praise You" was the best-performing one, making it to #36.
By the way, I have a really killer turn-of-the-millennium-type summer playlist on Spotify that has a bunch of songs like "Praise You" on it. It's called "An Endless Capri Sun or Juicyfruit or Starburst Commercial From Like the Summer of 2002," which will hopefully give you an idea of the type of vibe that I was trying to channel with it. God, I love that sun-shining big beat stuff!
And color me surprised to hear Jay-Z on here, because until 2001, Now pretty much seemed to purposely go out of its way to avoid hip hop altogether. I guess it makes sense though, since the music usually has explicit themes, and these albums are typically targeted at kids. But they really just couldn't help themselves when it came to Jay-Z's first real, true breakout hit in "Hard Knock Life" here. Mark the 45 King's novel sampling of the song of the same name from Annie made this one feel very kid-friendly and fun to sing along to, despite the numerous lyrics that had to be censored from it to get it on radio in the first place. Funny, though, that in a very American 90s way, and in a pre-onset-of-mass-shootings era, that they'd let a line like, "when my situation ain't improvin', I'm tryina’ murder everything movin'" slide through without any kind of edit. I mean, if they're playing this song on radio now, I'm thinking that that line gets hit with some kind of sound effect. But it didn't in '98 and '99, and that feels pretty remarkable in hindsight, especially since hip hop verses were constantly censored on radio, MTV, and BET, so much so that some songs felt like the track was getting jammed up at certain points 😅.
So, honestly, this might be the most unique release that Now ever put out in its main US series, as it seems to be the volume that's the least concerned with overall chart success among its selections. It still comes with some staples you'd expect, from Britney's "...Baby One More Time" to Everclear's "Father of Mine," effectively running a small radio gamut from the poppiest of pop to the most banal of alternarock, but acts like Robbie Williams, Fatboy Slim, Garbage, and even Cake are on here, and as an entity that's chiefly known for presenting the *biggest* pop hits of the day, those are probably some names that you wouldn't typically expect to be on a US release from this series.
And it closes with that odd Baz Luhrmann spoken-word advice column about wearing sunscreen that you might have totally forgotten about too. That one's probably the most ephemeral song of all on here; the ultimate entry in any sort of 'only 90s kids will remember these songs' type of list.
Hopefully you get a sweet memory-jogged nostalgia rush from some of these other songs I didn’t make mention of.
Highlights:
Britney Spears - "...Baby One More Time" New Radicals - "You Get What You Give" Robbie Williams - "Millennium" Semisonic - "Closing Time" U2 - "The Sweetest Thing (Single Mix)" Fatboy Slim - "Praise You (Radio Edit)" Garbage - "I Think I'm Paranoid" Cake - "Never There" 98° - "Because of You" Mýa & Blackstreet feat. Ma$e & Blinky Blink - "Take Me There" Everclear - "Father of Mine" Sublime - "What I Got (Clean Version)" Backstreet Boys - "I'll Never Break Your Heart" Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (Edit)" Baz Luhrmann - "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) (Edit)"
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monkey-network · 6 months ago
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My GOATED Tier Albums
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Music is awesome. It is a form of creation that people experiment with, creating melodies that can make you emotional beyond belief. Except Weezer. For the past year I listened to a ton of albums, mainly because I have a job that doesn't require much thinking. From this, I've recognized albums that above everything possess eternal sauce. I'm talking favorites that make you wanna sing 'em in the rain, love when you're in pain, imagine yourself getting head on a train. I naturally haven't listened to every artist and genre in existence, but these stuck with me for more than a simple good time. Let's get the obvious one out the way
To Pimp A Butterfly (Kendrick Lamar)
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MVP Track: How Much a Dollar Cost
On its own, this album just fucks for nearly 80 minutes straight. Everyone knows this, a 16 track stream of unapologetic Blackness that dives into all of what Kendrick has seen in the black community outside of his music-making. You get funk, jazz, soul all into a comprehensive story of his life in Cali vs his time touring in South Africa. When paired with Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City though, you see a darker story that I say is like part 2 of Stephen King's IT. There's the remorse and turmoil exposed by an older Kendrick of the haunting experience from his adolescence, like TPAB is about how he was too lucky to survive that moment in M.A.A.D. City. This album is just strong beginning to end, like it's a given to say this.
Nonagon Infinity (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard)
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I've listened to plenty of King Gizzard before I could say this album is perfected adrenaline. The direction each song goes is always satisfying where it's like I can't pick a real favorite one without loving the rest of them. It's even better when there's no cuts between song while you can hear every one seamlessly play into each other like an interconnected nonagon and for it to loop back around is the cherry on top. I love how it's able to change course without ever losing the momentum like 'Mr. Beat' clashes so hard with the others but they fit it at the best point. Again, this album is the most fist pumping shit I've ever listened to.
Die Lit (Playboi Carti)
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MVP Track: R.I.P. Fredo
I'll admit, back in grade school I treated trap, sound and mumble rap like I did Pepsi as a child. Disgusted and dismissive like "it's not real rap". Overtime, mainly thanks to Spongebob, I got over my prejudice and gave it more a chance. I'm not the biggest fan, but stuff like Pop Smoke, Yeat, Uzi, and Carti I got on my MP3 for the long mile. It was last month where I finally got Die Lit, and man the vibes of this are immaculate. This album just makes you wanna work out, do 10 sets on the weights to the rhythm. I'm more into lyrical strength when it comes to rap but this helped me that the beats and the hooks can be just as bumping. It honestly has everything I would've loved getting into trap music.
MM.. FOOD (MF DOOM)
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MVP Track: Rapp Snitch Knishes
When I talk lyrical strength, I always think of MF DOOM may he continue to rest in peace. He wasn't just hot with wordplay, he knew how to bend the flows to his will. This, Madvillainy, and Mouse and the Mask are my top 3 DOOM albums, but MM FOOD takes the cake (hah) in being the perfect balance of the fun and power that goes into his music. I love that it isn't just a concept album about food, but a story told with the old Spider-Man and Fantastic Four cartoons. I grew to love the intermission where it's a sample soundbite bonanza; felt like Dumile was having the most fun here. I say you get the best of all the previous albums here, and to me it's the most replayable record.
IGOR (Tyler the Creator)
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MVP Track: Are We Still Friends
This is where I enjoyed the album off the bat, but loved it more after hearing Tyler's entire library. I love that IGOR exists not only on its own from his typical rap work, but as his own character and not just a persona. Like TPAB and Nonagon Infinity, I can't pick a favorite track without every other carrying each other. This album is emotional sauce, exploring the ugliness and majesty of romance and heartbreak. A lot of these type of albums I feel are tonally the same passive aggressive, sugarcoated upbeat kind of stuff; that's why I can never get into Taylor Swift and the like. This hits different. I've heard nothing like I Think, New Magic Wand, I Don't Love You Anymore, all capped with still the greatest closing number I've ever heard. This is Tyler's magnum opus, hands down.
Making Mirrors (Gotye)
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MVP Track: Save Me
Gotye was not a musician I expected to enjoy but Making Mirrors IS that good. It's a beautifully uplifting streak of tunes that reminds me of George Michael especially in the first half. This of course has the billion dollar single 'Somebody That I Used to Know', but this ain't even his best song. 'Eyes Wide Open', 'Save Me', 'Bronte', 'In Your Light' offer more euphoric sounds that literally ascends you. Almost every song feels like those scenes in movies where everyone's dancing in the church. It honestly sucks Gotye retired his solo career after this record when this felt like he found his footing. There's possibility of him returning after his time with his band The Basics, but I'm not complaining. Dude made a record I never thought would love as much as I did.
Scatman's World (Scatman John)
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MVP Track: Only You
I got more to say about this album on a later date, so I'll keep it brief. This was the biggest eye-opener of music for me. You got a man that sings like a jazz enthusiast and have his best album be Eurodance and techno. It never feels like a gimmick too while his lyrics aren't an overall strong suit. It all just makes you happy, have a real pep in the step, with a great range of tone that makes it easy to go back to. And I will NEVER forgive the internet for warping my mind over the word "scatting".
Thick as a Brick (Jethro Tull)
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MVP Track: Childhood Heroes
Best for last. This is the first album for me where you might as well say this is just two 20 minute songs. On a personal note, this helped lifted my spirit after 2017 basically destroyed me emotionally and mentally. The energy and flow felt unlimited like you could feel this was THE project for the band. Both parts ending with 'Childhood Heroes', all time favorite song of my life. They, by extension this album, is emblematic of old time childlike wonder. That gave me both the strive and relief to move forward, the song exhibits that energy every time I hear it. This album is a GOAT of personal expectations.
I've loved thinking about music this year. These albums mean a lot in how unreal they can feel listening, a streak of passion that are like the planets aligned when they dropped. These have also helped me branch out to other artists and albums to see if they can reach the strengths of this list.
But lesson of the day is always have your GOATs, cherish them to your life, and in conclusion...
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