#no cause I get it though lyric wise they're so bad THEY'RE SO BAD

[rotisseries]

i love seeing ttpd rankings 1 because no one agrees on what the good songs are like this is truly such. an album....😬 but also 2 i like seeing that the ones consistently ranked the lowest are the ones i like. i need healthy reminders that my taste sucks so bad

[writingmochi]

an honest review of the name chapter: freefall purely from musical observation (not proofread)

opening remarks: okay, so, i decided to make this into a series for all ateez, txt, and enhypen albums cause (1) they're the only groups i really follow and (2) this is a multifan-account for all three groups so why not *eyes* *thumbs up* sorry for the delay (but not though cause i got time to absorb the album.) i did write updates on 4 of the songs and it's decent all that time and now... well i don't wanna spoiler it...

BUT i did write about track sequencing in kpop in relation to this album so i'll actually be doing ALTERNATE TRACKLIST SEQUENCE OF THE ALBUM AT THE END. so stay tuned for that!

concept-wise, i've been hearing chasing that feeling and reading the lyrics to see it be the exact aftermath after they left neverland, of course with the album name freefall being in reference to the song farewell, neverland, so it definitely shown in the concept. i mentioned how grungy it is even referencing the soobin fic as soobin's an alt kid and it definitely makes sense with the whole "fallen from heaven and trying to survive"

let's start!

1.growing pain: growing pains and angsty sound, growing pain is the quintessential rebel angst song. as i mentioned before in my timeline, this is the angrier version of the sound that the chaos chapter cultivates. it's more grungy than pop-punk, even punkier than pop-punk, and might even go into the heavy metal range. and tbh, this IS txt song. no other kpop group can make pop punk/rock THEIR genre (which is followed by woodz's pop-punk album). i can definitely see this being performed in a festival circuit, like lollapalooza (its origin is a rock festival tho). N WHO IS DOING VOCAL FRY? VOCAL FRY PEOPLE REPRESENT. this is kai's song for real. i love a more interpretation of the harder, grittier side of pop-punk than what is usually depicted here in kpop. the guitar power chords make it very tense and the interlude part in the middle is good with a more guitar solo part.

but, in my opinion, the mixing layering sounds so stacked that you can definitely hear which one is midi. not saying that midi doesn't produce a good song, but it definitely will sound grittier if it's played live with live instruments. they play around with some voice inflexions, trying to make it sound "imperfect" but then it doesn't make those inflexions authentic in the long haul. yet, this song definitely makes the mold and *might* be added to my driving playlist (idk which one cause i have to assess it more)

2.chasing the feeling: okay! is this the first time a kpop song doesn't have a pre-chorus? i opened genius to see it being depicted that way. i actually theorize that the start of the "chorus" is the pre-chorus part and when it comes to the chasing the feeling part where the chord change happened, that's the chorus for me. you can definitely interpret it with whatever you like. also, WE GOT A BRIDGE! but at what cost when it's the same as the other verses...

txt, once again, returns to the retro sound. but when blue hour has more influence from funk, chasing the feeling is definitely more early 80s new wave (definitely different than thursday's child when it exudes more mid to late 80s synthpop, which is the pop version of new wave, and a hint of early 90s acoustic there with the guitar strums). i appreciate that they're trying to explore genres in the retro spectrum cause it doesn't always have to be disco or funk, you can get new jack swing like what exid did or big band like what seventeen did.

i like how push and pull this song is. just like what the concept is with them having to chase the feeling to get the satisfaction after turning back from heaven or neverland. but, the push and pull definitely creates a stagnant rhythm and melody that, in bad way can make it boring, but in good way can make you be in a trance. i definitely think that they're playing safe with this track as when the word "chasing the feeling" is utter, that feeling can be viewed in different ways that the music can sonically create. as you know from my affinity to farewell, neverland, i love a hero's journey type of song. this one, for me, definitely is the inciting incident of our heroes as they venture into this new world. that's why, i agree with yerin @/itz-yerin, that this song is a great track to be put on after growing pain. also, i know that they're trying to push this song to be marketed in tiktok as a dance challenge but i think this will succeed more as an edit type of song (like get up by newjeans) cause even i can't imagine how they're doing the choreo to this as i haven't watch the stage (i watched the dance practice vid n the choreo has a bit vogue-ish character to it... interesting...)

also, yall definitely have to watch this song's version with soob, gyu, and hyuka only. like both gyu and soob can definitely get the parts they're singing cause they sound so good + a 3 minute song but at what cost :"")

3.back for more: as i haven't listened to the anitta ver and haven't watched the vma stage before this, this is my introduction to this song. what's with the eq fade-in for the vocal at the intro with soobin ? i think it will be bolder when the voice starts already round rather than a fade-in (like tgif by xg). this is definitely more funk/disco but also has some latin influence (which definitely shows that it is catering towards the usamerican market). lyric-wised, this is not as cringy as other english songs by kpop idols which definitely shows hybe's aspiration to push txt into the western market. i also recognize ryan tedder's voice in there (the composer of the song and vocalist for onerepublic) especially the vocal inflexions at the end of the chorus.

then, i heard the anitta versions of it and i actually liked it better. especially with the performance ver cause it feels more complete like i know it sounds more with the post-choruses and stuff, but it feels like that version was the one intended before it cut a whole 40 seconds of it. wtf why??? idk how it's been going with the general public but i like it

4.dreamer: okay muted guitar and rnb!! that wall of bass that rings in the verse combined with the piano chords gives this song a more intimate feeling. i mentioned in my previous post that this song is kinda like the ballads that bts releases and i will double down on that. i can definitely hear jimin in tyun's voice, taehyung in gyu's voice, and jungkook in yeonjun's voice. idk if this is because of the voice mixing or what but it definitely is more similar to what the mixing in bts' ballad songs is like (it reminds me of rain so much). the singing range here is also crazy from notes in their lower register until it reaches falsetto. tbh, i'm concerned at how high those falsetto are and how much it is used in the song. if they're not in good condition, the falsetto melody can make or break the performance. the studio version helps with the autotune etc but when performing live (unless there are autotune applied to the melody layer along with the vocal), i pray for their throats :")

other than that, it's a slow rnb song that joins txt's rnb roster with 20 cm!

5.deep down: i swear the more i listen to this song, the more neo-like it sound. it definitely sounds atmospherically similar to an nct 127 song, replay (pm 1:27). the sound mixing here is clear enough i can differentiate the voices (i can't find gyu and soob's voices in dreamer). other than it, the ostinato in the chorus in the percussion layers helps drive the song forward. i also hear a lot of beomgyu here which i'm happy with. also, the producer who gives the pre-chorus to soobin, let me hug you cause this song fits his timbre so much. also because this song is under 3 minutes with the 2 verse-chorus format, i think it will sound a bit better with a bridge like i can hear either tyun or kai just lets out a high note in the last chorus.

i just read that the song has some influence from the jersey club genre (known in kpop as the "newjeans" genre especially in their get up ep) and i can definitely hear the influence in the percussion. but idk man, i think kpop is making jersey club too oversaturated for my ear that it's hard for me to enjoy it. but i'm glad that txt is taking their own spin in it!

6.happily ever after: YAY WE GOT HAPPY TXT SONGS!! ever since i see the short with soob with the song, this song definitely caught my attention the most. but even if it is a happy txt song, it's more mellow than what ice cream or roller coaster sounds like. this song is yeonjun's song in the album like, "yes, boy, sing"! gosh i got such a booster with this song (and i swear you're gonna see in my alt tracklist how this song will be). this is also a jersey club song just by hearing the bass drum running in the track so i think that txt is really taking a bite out of newjeans and boynextdoor books in order to adapt their discographies to be more like the current trend. but what i like about this, this song is more of what a jersey club txt song that i was thinking. deep down, for me, is too neo-core for me to consider it a txt song

7.skipping stones: GOD I LOVE THE DISSONANCE!!! i think someone in my timeline mentioned how day6 like this song is and i agree!! i can pinpoint which era of day6 it is lol :D it's the every day6 sound around august-september releases and the dissonance reminds me of you were beautiful in the same series. i can definitely see a video on the it's live channel where they play this song (manifesting cause i wanna hear the authentic dirty guitar filter). also A WHOLE SONG WITH PRE CHORUSES AND BRIDGE AKJFBAKEF I MISS YOU SO MUCH. soobin sounds so nice here and that last chorus transition yes! i will bop my head to this song. also i think all of the txt members are trying emanate lovesong tyun so much (if not everyone, then it's jun) but i can hear how hard yeonjun is trying to hold back and blend in with the song's rock feel.

8.blue spring: oh god kai don't sing like that, you're gonna make me cry! since i've seen this performance live back in august, i could hear the intention of this being played as an encore song. it definitely comes in the same root as our summer with it being nostalgic and melancholic. i wanna say that i'm proud of what beom created cause like, tbh, this song is definitely a beomgyu sound. the mellow band sound.

i also think that because i've seen them perform this live, i like the live version better. the vocal line/layer was too clean for my liking that i can hear which parts were autotuned. i think imperfection was the right factor for me to like it and why the live ver is better than the studio ver.

9.do it like that: i think we know just how catchy this song is. i also seen this live in the concert and it's such a good time. i realized just how clear ryan tedder's voice is here too (but not as clear as back for more). what i wanna complain about is why this can be allowed in the album but not back for more with anitta?? like that is just so consistent unless it's because of business purposes. but back for more was literally one of the singles for this album release so that just rubs me the wrong way. other than that, catchy-ass song and get joe jonas out of my way cause his divorce drama is really tainting him

here it comes!

ALTERNATE TRACKLIST SEQUENCE (based on moods and what makes sense to me)

growing pain

chasing the feeling

skipping stones

dreamer

blue spring

deep down

back for more

do it like that

happily ever after

closing remarks: one word that i'm using to describe this album: safe.

this album feels so safe for me like they are just dipping into new genres but still retracts back in uncertainty with how it will sound. even growing pain, the experimental song of the album with its grittier punk sound of pop-punk, still seems to be safe for my taste. chasing the feeling also feels safe for me like it's like they embrace the retro feel like a pic with filters instead of them wearing a costume (it relates to how alt street fashion relates to new wave song. it's a dissonance for me in that aspect). i think that feeling safe vibe definitely comes because they make a pop song, not a punk song, rnb, new wave, etc. they make pop songs influenced by the other genres and it definitely hinders me from truly being consumed by the album sonically...

i definitely agree with the people that said that this is kai's era, but i wanna argue that this is both kai and beomgyu's era. why? like have you seen the concept photos? that's just beomgyu's style. i know people aren't happy with the amount of distribution for him and soon, but i know that they're still working hard under those circumstances. anf the fact that gyu's song got green-lit to be in an album is definitely a step forward for him. beomgyu also kills it for opening chasing the feeling, like i cannot see any other member that can open the song like him. as i mentioned in with soob, gyu, and kai ver of the title track, they sound good. but, for that, i think it definitely relates more towards the politics in a business and the hierarchy of influence in big hit...

this album is middle in my tierlist cause it just can't break my top 5 man (tdc: eternity, tdc: magic, tcc: fight or escape, tdc: star, and minsode 2) and ALSO, SUCH A MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO NOT MAKE A TDC: ETERNITY LIKE COMEBACK FOR A FRIDAY THE 13TH... IN OCTOBER

final ranking:

9.deep down

8.dreamer

7.do it like that (it got overplayed so i'm tired listening to it)

6.skipping stones

5.back for more

4.happily ever after

3.chasing that feeling

2.growing pain

1.blue spring

gosh, i'm such a debby-downer let's go to the rankings

small conclusion: a 29-minute album with 10 tracks?? is the industry is healing? because we get 6 songs over 3 minutes (one of them is an eng ver, the longest ones are rock-adjacent). but then i got reminded that in rainbows by radiohead is a 10-track album with a length of over than 45 minutes, but it definitely is better than what hybe gave to the others this year (like newjeans ep under 15 minutes, boynextdoor ep with only 3 new tracks, enhypen again with the song without the bridge, fwak me)

also, i now consider my alternate tracklist the canon one!

[grandmofftarkinsuggestions]

x. natasi daala

chronic. i love women <3. i keep thinking about her feeling lonely and betrayed on the maw after years and years of waiting for a (unbeknownst to her) dead man to return and it's driving me insane. the guilt and anger she felt when she finally found out he didn't mean to leave her.... dear g-d. someone take me out and shoot me dead in the middle of the street.

lyrics under the cut.

real men - mitski

- real men keep cool in the face of a fire / go down with the ship / and real men don't eat / 'cause they're above that, damn it / oh, i'm gonna be a real man / though honestly, sir / all i wanna do is get naked in front of you / so you can look me up and down / and give me your love for being so good

oh no! - marina

- one track mind, one track heart / if i fail, i'll fall apart / maybe it is all a test / 'cause i feel like i'm the worst / so i always act like i'm the best

do it for her - zach callison, grace rolek, deedee magno hall

- yes, but put your whole body into it / everything you have, everything you are / you've got to give / on the battlefield / when everything is chaos / and you have nothing but the way you feel, your strategy, and a sword / you just think about the life you'll have together after the war

fear the future - st vincent

- when the war start anew / in our bed, in our room / i'll come for you / come for me too

lady grinning soul - david bowie

- and when the clothes are strewn / don't be afraid of the room / touch the fullness of her breast / feel the love of her caress / she will be your living end

he needs me - shelley duvall

- and all at once i knew / i knew at once / i knew he needed me / until the day i die / i won't know why / i knew he needed me

my favorite mistake - sheryl crow

- did you know when you go it's the perfect ending / to the bad day i was just beginning / when you go, all i know is you're my favorite mistake

o' sailor - fiona apple

- and after waiting, fighting patiently on my knees / all the other stuff tired itself out first, and not me / and in its wake, appeared the touch and call / of a different breed / one who set to get me wise, and got me there / and then, got me

over again - aziya

- defending, relenting / to the pain you brought / the villain that got away / what a typical story to preach on / how'd you sleep at night without the guilty lies / tapping into your mind? / do we have to take the load for what you can’t expose / so you can say that you tried?

all i wanted - paramore

- think of me when you're out, when you're out there / i'll beg you nice from my knees / and when the world treats you way too fairly / well, it's a shame I'm a dream

bang bang (my baby shot me down) - nancy sinatra

- now he's gone, i don't know why / and 'til this day, sometimes i cry / he didn't even say goodbye / he didn't take the time to lie

this is why - paramore

- this is why i don't leave the house / you say the coast is clear / but you won't catch me out / oh, why? this is why / better have conviction / 'cause we want crimes of passion / survival of the fittest / you're either with us or you can keep it

the news - paramore

- war / a war / a war / on the far side / on the other side of the planet / and i've got / war / a war / a war / right behind my eyes / right behind 'em just like a headache / [...] / far / i'm far / so far / from a front line / quite the opposite, I'm safe inside

the man with the child in his eyes - kate bush

- nobody knows about my man / they think he's lost on some horizon / and suddenly i find myself / listening to a man I've never known before / telling me about the sea / all his love is 'til eternity

i guess - mitski

- it's been you and me / since before i was me / without you, i don't yet know / quite how to live / if i could keep / anything of you / i would keep / just this quiet after you / it's still as a pond / i am staring into / from here, i can say / thank you / from here, i can tell you / thank you

[300iqprower]

Ngl i kinda seriously hate We Don’t Talk About Bruno. Cause it could’ve been so much more meaningful.

I was talking with a friend about this and why the song is so underwhelming to me. If you’ve heard it you know the gimmick is how much the words repeat. That in itself isn’t bad, but the way the song goes about it is…lazy isn’t the right word. It is for the writing but not for yhe composition. I’d go with shallow. And it’s all self contained to the ending where everyone layers over. When lyrics repeat, especially that many times in that short a span, if you aren’t telling a story in itself with that reputation then you’re basically padding the runtime. As i said the composition is fantastic, mind you, with how it’s able to layer all that clamor and retain a rhythm and melody, rather than decend into pure noise. As my friend pointed out and I fully agree with, the intent is clear: A representation of both visually and lyrically trying to sort through the chaos that was everyone's perspectives on Bruno, trying to figure out fact from fiction and being unable to really tell what was really going on, with the layering of the audio conveying that disorder.

But that’s where it becomes an issue. That’s…too shallow a reason compared to all that they could have done with it, certainly too shallow a reason for that much repetition. The repetitions are exactly that; they are veritably unchanged from the earlier parts of the song. What i’m getting at is that composition wise it pulls off that brilliant move but that makes it all the more infuriating that, rather than throw in so much as a single curveball in all that layering, lyrically it really is just looping. The intentions are brilliant but the actual execution falls completely flat in the context of having actual depth. And I have zero guilt having that high a standard for the most powerful entertainment company on the planet, and less than zero when i can point to a dozen examples of songs that use repetition to fuel a climactic delivery rather than to deny one. Disney’s own catalogue contains songs bound by the same limitations, a need to avoid delving too far into the act 1 intrigue or a need to end abruptly yet satisfyingly, and find examples with ease.

Personally, I would have had their deliveries get more panicked and their words more vitriolic as it converges.

As everyone self affirms each other in their blaming Bruno for their misfortune, they speak worse and worse of him with what couple of family members who feel different creating an even harsher degree of conteast contrast. The majority of the family's delivery sinks to be more similar to Camilo, with a borderline or outright malicious undertone to their delivery and sheer lack of care for how negatively they're portraying him, those like Isabela getting drowned out by the spite on display which in turn further emphasizes how the family's desire to blame someone is drowning out their ability to see the best in someone else who is still very much their own family.

Actually though, I can think of one person who could always repeat their original lyrics: Dolores. With each repeat there's more spite in her voice, going from someone who first sounded resigned to their misfortune to someone whose resentment has simmered and been fed enough by a mob-like confirmation bias to encourage her to blame him like the others, repeating her exact words with the most vitriol of them all.

…but what do I know; I'm not the unspeakably wealthy media monopoly.

[thelilxcfxiry]

So my theatre nerd and sylki obsessed brain has been drawing SO MANY connections between musical theatre songs and sylki so here, nobody asked for this but i dont care, a sylki musical theatre songs post type thing list? Enjoy (and feel free to add stuff if you happen to come up w any I'll be rly interested to see what you all think)

Also anything in square brackets [] is just me being me and adding some thoughts, not the actual lyrics HAHA

You Matter To Me (Waitress)

Dr Pomatter (Loki):

I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes

They've seen things you never quite say, but I hear

Come out of hiding I'm right here beside you

And I'll stay there as long as you'll let me

Because you matter to me [can you just imagine how SWEET because he already said he wants her to be okay its just ONE step away from saying you matter to me cmon]

Simple and plain and not much to ask from somebody

You matter to me

I promise you do, you

You matter too

I promise you do, you'll see

You matter to me

Jenna (Sylvie):

All of this time I've been keeping my mind on the running away

And for the first time, I think I'd consider the stay

You Shine (Carrie)

Tommy (Loki):

If you could see the way that you look to me

I bet that you'd be amazed at the sight

You'd see a heart that's fearless and true

From my point of view, oh you shine

I'm Not That Girl (Wicked)

Elphaba (Sylvie):

Hands touch, eyes meet [ahEm LAMENTIS]

Sudden silence, sudden heat

Hearts leap in a giddy whirl

He could be that boy

But I'm not that girl

Don't dream too far

Don't lose sight of who you are [patpat Sylvie]

Don't remember that rush of joy

He could be that boy

I'm not that girl

Ev'ry so often, we long to steal

To the land of what-might-have-been

But that doesn't soften the ache we feel

When reality sets back in

Don't wish, don't start

Wishing only wounds the heart

I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl

As Long As You're Mine (Wicked)

Fiyero (Loki):

Maybe I'm brainless

Maybe I'm wise

But you've got me seeing

Through different eyes

Somehow I've fallen

Under your spell [she couldn't enchant his mind but she sure enchanted his heart]

And somehow I'm feeling

It's up that I fell

Say there's no future [anTIS]

For us as a pair

And though I may know [and yeah i know they both sing this part in the song but i think it lines up more with loki than sylvie in this case]

I don't care

Just for this moment

As long as you're mine

Come be how you want to [i mean just the thought of him serenading her with any of these songs... He's already dedicated a song to her before 👀]

And see how bright we shine

Borrow the moonlight

Until it is through

And know I'll be here

Holding you

As long as you're mine

Suddenly, Seymour (Little Shop Of Horrors)

Audrey (Sylvie):

Nobody ever treated me kindly

Suddenly, Seymour is standing beside me [just substitute every seymour with loki even the syllables line up HAHA]

He don't give me orders, he don't condescend

Suddenly, Seymour is here to provide me

Sweet understanding, Seymour's my friend

Seymour (Loki):

Tell me this feeling lasts till forever

Tell me the bad times are clean washed away

Audrey (Sylvie):

Please understand that it's still strange and frightening

For losers like I've been it's so hard to say

Our Love Is God (Heathers)

J.D. (overprotective Loki/Sylvie [honestly i think it could go either way for this one]):

They made you cry

But that will end tonight

You are the only thing that's right

About this broken world

Go on and cry

But when the morning comes

We'll burn it down and then

We'll build the world again...

Our love is God

I was alone

I was a frozen lake

But then you melted me awake

See, now I'm crying too

You're not alone

BONUS

Omigod You Guys (Legally Blonde)

Me, looking at anything sylki:

Oh my god, oh my god you guys

If there ever was a perfect couple, this one qualifies

Oh my god you guys!

Oh my god, this is happening

Our own homecoming queen and king

Oh my god you guys!

Elle [Sylvie] and Warner [Loki] were meant to be

They're just like that couple from Titanic! [This only gets better when you know Kate Soph and Tom watched Titanic]

Only no one dies [yes HWR is no one]

Oh my god, oh my god you guys

Let's go home before someone [me] cries

If there ever was a perfect couple, this one qualifies

'Cause we [I] love you guys