#one of the best remixes of the blue album by far

[slytherinshua]

A GUIDE TO STANNING BOYNEXTDOOR

GROUP NAME: BOYNEXTDOOR (often abbreviated BND or Bonedo)

DEBUT DATE: May 30th, 2023

DEBUT SONG: One and Only

MEMBER COUNT: 6

FANDOM NAME: Onedoor

SLOGAN: Who's there? BOYNEXTDOOR!

COMPANY: KOZ Entertainment

Spotify playlist with all BOYNEXTDOOR songs

Youtube playlist with all MVs in order

OTHER GROUP INFO:

They are the first group to debut under KOZ; a subsidiary label of HYBE formed by Zico (leader of the 2nd gen group Block B). They have a close relationship with Zico, even though he is the CEO of their agency. He is also involved in the writing and production of all of BOYNEXTDOOR's albums thus-far.

Their first 3 albums: Who! Why.. and How? are part of a trilogy and include BOYNEXTDOOR's simple storyline. (in chronological order: Who!, How?, Why.., although How? was released after Why..) The albums encapsulate the story of falling in love, being in love, and breaking up. Even the album designs and colours coordinate, with Who! being a bright blue, Why.. being a deep magenta, and How? being a gradient of the two colours along with orange.

They got their first win on September 12th, 2023 with But Sometimes on THE SHOW. They've since bagged 5 music show wins total, 2 with But sometimes, and 3 with Earth Wind & Fire.

JAEHYUN/MYUNG JAEHYUN

BIRTHDAY: December 4th, 2003

HEIGHT: 177cm (5'10)

MBTI: ENFP

NATIONALITY: Korean

REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🐶

FUN FACTS:

He has an older brother.

He was a former trainee at YG.

He likes playing soccer.

He was the last member to join the group.

He participates in writing lyrics and composing BOYNEXTDOOR songs. He writes his own raps, and has written some for remixes of songs, such as Le Sserafim's Smart and X Japan's Endless Rain.

He is the MC on M Countdown with Sung Hanbin from ZEROBASEONE and Sohee from RIIZE.

Jaehyun can be very shy, but he's also extremely extroverted and loud. He has amazing charisma on stage and can always capture the audience's attention.

SUNGHO/PARK SUNGHO

BIRTHDAY: September 4th, 2003

HEIGHT: 173cm (5'8)

MBTI: ENTJ

NATIONALITY: Korean

REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🐈 (formerly 🦊)

FUN FACTS:

He has an older brother.

He has a pet cat named Simba.

His nicknames are "shoulders" because he has very broad shoulders, "top gun" (given by the members), and "yeppi" because he is very pretty.

He likes to try out different cafes.

He is the best vocalist in BOYNEXTDOOR.

He has bad eyesight so he wears contacts.

He was in a band in middle school.

RIWOO/LEE SANGHYEOK

BIRTHDAY: October 22nd, 2003

HEIGHT: 170cm (5'7)

MBTI: ISFP

NATIONALITY: Korean

REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🦦

FUN FACTS:

He has an older brother and a younger brother.

The members nicknamed him 우리 리우 (Our Riwoo).

He has a pomeranian named Daebak-i.

He loves desserts, especially donuts.

He is the best dancer in BOYNEXTDOOR.

He seems cold at first, but he is actually really sweet and easy to become friends with.

He took part in multiple dance talent shows before debut and has taken dance classes at different schools.

TAESAN/HAN DONGMIN

BIRTHDAY: August 10th, 2004

HEIGHT: 182cm (6'0)

MBTI: INTJ

NATIONALITY: Korean

REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🐈‍⬛

FUN FACTS:

He has a younger brother and a younger sister.

Taesan participates in the writing and composing of BOYNEXTDOOR's songs. He has also written some of his own songs, but hasn't released them yet. He started writing music when he was in 10th grade

His music taste was influences by his father, who was a big fan of old bands and musicians. Taesan likes NIRVANA, The Carpenters, Oasis and Richard Sanderson.

He likes to read and play the piano. He prefers reading to watching movies or Youtube.

He trained under Source music, and was a trainee for 7 years; the longest amongst the members.

His nickname is "Giant Mountain" because that is what Taesan stands for.

He came up with BOYNEXTDOOR's official greeting.

LEEHAN/KIM DONGHYUN

BIRTHDAY: October 20th, 2004

HEIGHT: 180cm (5'11)

MBTI: ESFJ

NATIONALITY: Korean

REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🦁 (formerly 🍤, 🦐 or 🐠)

FUN FACTS:

He has an older sister.

He loves fishes and plants. His favourite fish are corydoras and he has several in the dorm. He often zones out while watching his fish tank, and he can talk for hours about them. He assigned each member with different fishes as well.

He's a very positive person and a very good listener. The members usually seek him out for advice, and his nickname is "the therapist of KOZ".

He loves gummies and would rather eat them than a real meal.

He did taekwondo since he was 5, and even won medals in city competitions. He quit when he was in 8th grade.

He's often described as the weirdest member because his habits and hobbies are quite unique from the rest.

WOONHAK/KIM WOONHAK

BIRTHDAY: November 29th, 2006

HEIGHT: 182cm (6'0)

MBTI: ENFP

NATIONALITY: Korean

REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI: 🧸

FUN FACTS:

He has a younger sister. He says his sister is his favourite person in the world and he misses her a lot since he is so busy.

He's close with Daniel from I-LAND.

He loves basketball and he's a big fan of Michael Jordon.

He participates in writing and composing BOYNEXTDOOR songs.

He loves people and is very affectionate towards the members. He takes good care of them despite being the maknae, and he says his strength is making people feel good.

When KOZ came to Woonhak's school for auditions, he had slept in and missed them. But the company contacted him and told him that they wanted him to audition, so he went to the company and ended up signing under them.

He was the Inkigao MC with Yeonjun from TXT and Park Jihu.

[frootyrooties]

i can’t possibly be the only one who appreciates the bassline in this remix. it’s so sexy.

[lovenliterature]

The Good Witch Thoughts

When I first heard the album I remember thinking there aren’t enough sad songs on here and then I entered a depressive spiral and HA I WAS WRONG (Sidenote i hate tumblr formatting)

1 - The Good Witch

Like the vibe 

“Still upset but I now I’m twenty-two” - I'm a sucker for an age lyric - especially the parallel with You Signed Up For This (“I am twenty and probably upset right now”) and the fact that it’s the titular song again

“Still bitter” - Reference to Details (love of my life <3), Reference to I’m Trying (Not Friends)

“The calm before the storm comes rushing through” - Harmony v pretty (around 30 secs) 

“Still King’s Cross and pullin’ heartbreak out of hats”- Love the reference to King’s Cross, her London references makes it feel so grounded and especially again it being a place in London I travel through it makes it feel like a new album and a specific album to me (still King’s Cross for a tiny little while longer). Also relating to Elvis song (“last train on the Northern line”) always moving through London, experiences anchored in London geography. Also love the ramping up of the music here

“Still argue like my mother and suppress stuff like my dad” - The pace on this line really shows the suppressing stuff lol

“Am I better yet?” - Change from You Signed Up For This “I know I’ll get better/I’m just not better yet" Questioning it now like I know I’ve changed but is it better? Am I at the point I want to be??

Instrumental outro and talking hurts my heart a bit? Very 3 am fucked up in a club

Fave lyric: “Still miss you, but I know now it’ll pass/Found some other muses, I give ‘em all my best”

2 - Coming of Age

Oohhh very Club vibe

“Couldn’t erase you like a tattoo on my waistline” - Really like this, tattoo is LESS permanent than your mark, really hits

Really vibey chorus

“I let you butcher my big heart” - So graphic and so ?? Beautiful 

Ngl this is all slapping so far

Fave lyric: “Baby I am the Iliad of course you couldn’t read me” (!!!!)

3 -  Watch

Oh no is this one gonna hurt

“Nobody actually happy and healthy/has ever felt so desperate to prove it” - OOF

Yep I was right hurts my heart but a bop

“You’re being a superstar and all I got are victim cards” - This reads like being on the other side of Sk8r Boi by Avril Lavigne

“For a girl who’s a remix of me” - So interesting because a remix isn’t necessarily *better* it’s just *different*, like it mixes up all the components into something he likes more but it isn’t objectively more appealing and that’s such a refreshing take

Fave lyric: “I don’t think I wanna get better" - YSUFT reference, love the thread of getting better

4 - Body Better

A BOP

And really hurts

I am a sucker for happy sounding songs with fucked up lyrics

Music is so personal for me and this one is such a reclamation even though it’s so sad

“obedient blue eyes” - This line is AMAZING. The pauses. The lyricism. The casualness. *chefs kiss*

Such a good single choice bc it’s such an easy listen but so brutal so captures heartbreak and bops and also u wanna listen over and over

“Tell me just one more lie” - Come on just use your shitty lies to save my dignity this once instead of ripping it to shreds

Fave lyric: “When you touched it were you sorry like you weren’t at the time”, “The worst way to love somebody is to watch them love somebody else and it work out” or “Do you love her/when you’re twisting up all her sheets do you suffer”

5 - Want You Back

Oh no

Pretty humming

“The darling of your passenger side” - ooof such a beautiful gentle encapsulation of such a classic theme

The piano in the chorus might make me cry

Oh god this is so raw and such a strong heartbreak song

“I must go out with a stranger and kiss him to get stronger” - oh god that feels like every experience of trying to get over someone and I just can’t do it and ow. It's the epitome of get under someone to get over someone but at the same time you don’t want to because you want them back and you should want to be fine alone but you just c a n ‘ t

I can tell this is gonna be a strong fave

Fave lyric: - “What was cheap to you, to me, was all I had”, “But baby, when you touch her, I bet she doesn’t flinch” or “So you gotta be coward and I salvaged a little self-respect" - This hurts so bad like if it was your friend you’d be screaming VALUE YOURSELF MORE but because it’s you, you just want back what you had

6 - The Band and I

“Came a boy and left a man” - love love it

So specific but also just feels like every friendship group I’ve ever had

It feels like laughing til you cry and your stomach hurts and being up at 3am dancing and deep chats and crying together and every little thing

“Haven’t thought of home twice” - feels like a hectic Cambridge time or any second and third week somewhere new when you’ve started to settle and everything is new and fun and you’re flying and you don’t wanna lose it

Fave lyric: “I'm twenty-one and I feel evergreen” - The way she sings this is so wistful, or “It was falling in love/in a gas station/by the pickup trucks” - Love the juxtaposition, love in the weirdest and most unexpected places

7 - You're Just a Boy (and I'm Kinda the Man)

“You’re kind of awful but you’re not awful on purpose” - Ugh you suck but you’re not even aware so it’s better and worse because how can I blame you but also how can you not know??

“I’m on a one way trip to take over the world/you could’ve come but your head’s in the sand” - Usually head in the sand is to avoid something shitty so it’s interesting to have it like this, like you’re so determined to ignore flaws that you miss all the joy

“But you pushed me out quicker than it took me to put my jeans on” - Oof that hit and feels like such shame but suddenly you’re like no if you’re not feeling like you’re the luckiest damn person then I’m gonna keep on going and you’ll see what you lost 

Fave lyric: “I take in clowns like a one-woman circus” or “Goodbye from the bigger man" - Reference to I’m Trying (Not Friends)

8 - Lost the Breakup

“Didn’t say it in those words but I know how your tone works” - Like okay yeah you can hide behind what you said but we both know what you meant

Another bop

Validating

The whole chorus damn

The repression and everything

"Right now I might be a mess" - accepting being fucked up and broken

This, Coming of Age and You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man) have been such a u know I’m gonna be fine and ur heartbreak will come when u see me thrive 

Such a vibe and such knowledge of ur worth

I love the dancing up but it’s such a revenge fantasy of mine like esp mid transition it was such a it gonna see me and not recognise me and want me and I’m not gonna care because I moved on and grew for me and I’m mine and you can’t have me

Fave lyric: “So, I'm feeling and I'm dealing/With the heart you broke/While you do press-ups and repress us/And take off her clothes, oh” - Okay yeah you pretend u don’t care and get over me with someone else, I’ll be here actually processing it and actually getting ready to move on

9 - Wendy

Oooh not what I expected

I’m such a damn sucker for literary refs (this, wonderland, cardigan, the classical references in Coming Of Age and History of Man)

“You’re evasive on the phone til you’re sorry on the floor” - oh holy FUCK 

“We could live off of magic and maybes” - that’s so pretty

Like the second chorus changing to add “So I'll lock the window and turn on the AC/You'll throw your rocks and you'll scream that you hate me/But it gets old being forever twenty” - YES like being forever young for a man is not worth it

“What about my wings” - The way she sings this is *chefs kiss*

“It’s a life I could have, I know“ - but I am worth MORE and I know it YES

“If I’m not careful I’ll wake up and we’ll be married” - We’ll be married and I’ll be terrified and it’s so easy to be caught up in you

big fave ugh

Fave lyric: “Behind every lost boy is always a wendy” or “what about my wings? What about Wendy?”

10 - Run

“I’ve heard some things that I will leave unrepeated" - ooooh

Oh my god the chorus is beautiful and Such a bop I want to dance to it in a club

I love that it’s just like fuck it no this is not gonna go well

Like it’s very if it’s a bad sign the get out but also even if it’s a good sign get out lol

Fave

Fave lyric: “Run as fast as you can/take a quick sharp turn at the sight of a man”

11 - Two Weeks Ago

Such a heartbreaker

“I wish we kissed when we first wanted” - We wasted so much time worrying about fucking things up and guess what they’re fucked anyway

Smart last single bc too deep for early single but something to hold onto

“A friend drove me/’cause you couldn’t do” - such a beautiful painting of the devastation of a breakup when you’re both broken, feels like good enough if it were mutual

“God I loved you babe did I tell you that?” - So sad second guessing yourself. also the harmonies here Kill me

Fave lyric: “I wish when we went to the beach that day/We’d taken more pictures/I’d been more brave" - I wish I had something tangible to hold onto but instead all I have are my faulty memories and I’ll be second guessing them for the rest of my life

“That last kiss/I didn’t look at you/but I wish I did” - If I’d known it was the last one I would’ve savoured it but I thought I had more to come but also some part of me must have known or I would’ve looked at you

12 - BSC

Not hearing a lot of lyrics on first listen ngl

“It wrecked my organs so pour the gin” - love it like you’ve already broken my heart so why not break the rest of me

Okay now I’m catching the lyrics I love them

Especially just full on committing to the image of being crazy and the lyrics and writing out ooooooh

Also all the swearing and just saying fuck this

Fave lyric: “Mister ‘I don’t want a label’/You made me little miss unstable” - Okay so you don’t want to be called something you’re not but nor do I and YOU did this to me. Obvious Mr Perfectly Fine link but also gives me illicit affairs vibe (Don't call me "kid," don't call me "baby"/Look at this idiotic fool that you made me”)

13 - Therapy

Oh my GOD this is so funny and so good

Such a bop

“Oh Lord I’m going back to therapy” - Ooooof. Feels like okay you fucked me up but at least I’m self-aware - when are you gonna go to therapy bro? But also oh GOD I thought I’d changed but now you’re gone I’m exactly how I was

„Broke me like a curse“ - ooh like the subversion of breaking a curse here, like breaking a curse is usually a good thing and he’ll probably try to spin it like that but there’s no spin that can make that true

Fave lyric: “So, how come you’re taking me from your arms/back to therapy?”

14 - There It Goes

“I'm back in London, I'm running down Columbia Road” - Again, love the specific locations, feels so grounded and concrete

Ngl so far I feel like we’re missing some longer ones so I’m happy about this one being longer and I like the sad ish bop

“I made it to September” - oh man that feels like a real okay fine I’ve made it to the next year lets go again. But also like yeah fuck I reached this milestone I didn’t like I would and now this date is passed I don’t feel so broken

Fuck me I really like that this whole album is heartbreak but catharsis. Like want you back, this and watch are all sad but all elements of something 

“I’m young but I am aging” - I love that so much. Like yeah I’m young but I am getting older, I’m changing and growing and I’ll look back at this one day and laugh, I’m gonna make the most of being young but I’m not gonna be terrified of losing my youth

“I felt so far from the cliffs” - Like u know what people can love me and be proud of me and want to show me off

“The way I loved you, I will not be embarrassed of that/I should’ve just known when to quit” - YES!! Don’t be ashamed of loving someone but you can be sad for not calling it quits soon enough 

Also I love the way she sings it

Fave lyric: “The love we had was covered in snow” - Like Love Him I Don’t (“comin’ up roses/kickin’ up snow”), “The love we had was eatin’ me whole” - I had to rip myself away from that or “The loss is yours” - It feels so final and so confident

15 - History of Man

Oh the opening lines they’re haunting and beautiful also I love songs that reference Jericho 

“Tale as old as honey” - Sweet and ancient

“I tried to rewrite it but I can’t” - She keeps saying she’s the writer but some things you just can’t change

“You walked out, oh/without sweating” - It wasn’t even fucking hard for you to leave, to run away from us, to leave me in the dust and rubble

“I’ve seen it in the poems, in the sands” - In the sands of time, in the poems of the ancients, this isn’t new, this will all happen again

The storytelling and the distance?? Love it

“I would’ve made him weaker too” - Redemption and vindication (I beg u Maisie write a song referencing Medea). The way she sings it is so pretty!

It’s so unspecific but so resonant

“Women’s hearts are lethal weapons/Did you hold mine and feel threatened?” - Were you scared of what me loving you meant? Were you scared of opening your heart and being vulnerable?

"Hear my lyrics taste my venom" - this is such a thesis statement for the album

Beautiful album closer and think it will be a fave

Fave lyric: “Men start wars yet Troy hates Helen/womens’ hearts are lethal weapons”

[estradasphere]

listened to the new vacon album!!!!! (i had to make a japanese spotify account cuz it doesnt release in the US until midnight orz) my thoughts on it below, mostly copypasted from when i was liveblogging it on discord lol

HATED JOHN - regret version

i'm not sure if i like this version of hated john better than the original hmmm.... his voice is certainly more dynamic but it doesnt feel like he's used to singing like that haha. a lot of voice effects being used too. i guess it's not better or worse it's just different p: instrumental sounded identical to the original to me but i'll have to relisten, i wasnt paying much attention to it

actually, he sounded like he was influenced by symaG's cover of hated john

2. Woodpecker

2nd song is woodpecker which was the one single he dropped so ive heard it plenty before. still a banger

3. ElecTravel - choo-choo version

electravel starts with a train chugging noise lol he's going all in with the toybox album theme

otherwise sounds pretty damn close to the original so far. vocal delivery is sliiiiightly different. actually i think i like this version better

man he still has that problem where his vocals kinda get drowned out by the instrumental sometimes though

OH he added an extra verse! kinda

4. TOY CHEESE

ok first original song we havent heard before. toy cheese-- WHAT THE FUCK

ok nvm i was just thrown off by the sample at the beginning. this is fun

…this literally just sounds like a jingle for a toy commercial. i think that's what it's sampling

what is he dooiiiiinnngggggg i cant deny that his flow is really good though

5. モーニング・ベーコン - tee-hee version

morning bacon time!!!

yeah he's getting drowned out by the instrumental during the kinda whispery parts. i dont remember if that even happens in the original. ill definitely have to relisten to them and compare afterwards

but yeah his voice is absolutely more dynamic on the album

oh seems like he's changing up the lyrics a bit too

i think i just heard his mic peak 😭

instrumental seemed the same

6. D-D-Donuts

second new original song time

this sounds like a childrens commercial again. vacon i know how you can make boatloads of money just license this to hasbro

very catchy though…

his flow is so GOOD

7. 微熱パレイド

BINETSU PARADE YAAAYY i wonder if saegusa redid her vocals too?

sounds like she did

still whispery but sounds a little clearer to me

absolutely whimsical album this is. the silliest hiphop ive ever heard. dude just wants to rap about food and toys and have a good time i can respect that

8. Afro Man - hold tight version

AFRO MAN-- dude you're too close to the mic

how did he get Less professional. wait thats the problem. these sound like first drafts not remixes. i mean theyre still good songs but

hes getting drowned out by the instrumental again too ahhhhh like yeah his beats are really good but be more confident man

9. Xanadisco

xanadisco… is he gonna rap about drugs please rap about drugs thatd be so fucking funny

PIANO!

ohhhhhhh i really love this instrumental

WAIT THIS RULES

yep this is my favorite song on the album so far no notes

why is it called xanadisco though. its not really disco…

👏👏👏

10. Be-li-va Voyager

another new original now

THIS IS ALSO REALLY GOOD!! why did he save his best songs for the latter half of the album

just say what you waaaant cmoonn~~~

i love the occasional turntable scratch he throws in there lol

11. Love my JANE - repaired version

love my jane… sounds identical to the original so far except the guitar is a little louder?

yeah it sounds like he didnt even rerecord the vocals he just remastered the instrumental slightly?

oh nvm there's like 1 bar of new vocal delivery in here thats it

still a great song. he didn't really Need to do anything to it besides adjust the mixing a little. so he did not

12. RUSTY DRUM BLUES

last song. this sounds like a track from sonic spinball

oh my god it really does HAHAHAHA

not a bad thing. sonic spinball ost slaps

not sure if i like the vocal effects he's using but the delivery itself is good

ooh when most of the instruments drop out for a sec its pretty groovy actually

yeah he's almost belting now haha thats definitely not something he wouldve done like 5 years ago. good for him for working on his voice

ough... definitely sounds a little overwrought at times though

also there was a brief moment of silence and i could just baaaaarely hear him breathe that was awesome actually

fade out aaannnddd album over

[bestgorillazpoll]

hello gorillaz nation!!

because i have far too much time on my hands, i thought it would be fun to make a poll for gorillaz songs, pitting them against each other in a fight to the death until the one true best gorillaz song emerges victorious.

this poll is made up of 150 songs total, comprised of every song from the main 7 albums, as well as the fall, d-sides, some songs from g-sides, and the various EPs and side songs that have been released throughout the years. it does not, however, include laika come home, or any live or remixed versions of songs already featured on the poll.

this poll will not include a bracket system, because i don't want to. after every round is completed, the remaining songs will be once again sorted into new randomised pairs, to try and make things as fair as possible.

round one will be released in several parts across multiple days, to make things less overwhelming for both myself and all of you. whenever possible, I will include a screenshot of lyrics from both songs on each poll, in case anyone is unfamiliar with the songs and/or their titles.

find the current song matchups below! i'll see you all at the beginning of round one.

5/4 vs. 911

Intro (Demon Days) vs. Hallelujah Money

The Swagga vs. Captain Chicken

Interlude: The Elephant vs. The Joplin Spider

White Light vs. Bill Murray

MLS vs. Out of Body

Spitting out the Demons vs. Simplicity

Pirate Jet vs. Andromeda

Sweepstakes vs. Rock the House

Tomorrow Comes Today vs. Punk

Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach vs. Revolving Doors

Detroit vs. Humility

Momentary Bliss vs. Strobelite

The Lost Chord vs. Some Kind of Nature

Interlude: New World vs. Momentz

Tranz vs. Phoner to Arizona

Sex Muder Party vs. Last Living Souls

Chalk Tablet Towers vs. The Apprentice

Superfast Jellyfish vs. Fire Coming out of the Monkey's Head

We Got The Power vs. The Sounder

Charger vs. Dirty Harry

M1 A1 vs. Empire Ants

Plastic Beach vs. All Alone

Feel Good Inc vs. Idaho

O Green World vs. Halfway to the Halfway House

Ticker Tape vs. The Tired Influencer

Cracker Island vs. California and the Slipping of the Sun

Silent Running vs. How Far?

Déja Vu vs. Little Pink Plastic Bags

Stop the Dams vs. Let Me Out

Every Planet We Reach Is Dead vs. Controllah

Carnival vs. Possession Island

Ascension vs. Glitter Freeze

Rockit vs. Double Bass

12D3 vs. Désolé

Aries vs. Interlude: The Non-Conformist Oath

68 State vs. The Pink Phantom

The Parish of Space Dust vs. Baby Queen

Submission vs. Interlude: Elevator Going Up

Skinny Ape vs. Dracula

Meanwhile vs. Busted and Blue

Sleeping Powder vs. Kansas

Stylo vs. Magic City

Man Research (Clapper) vs. One Percent

Sorcererz vs. Hip Albatross

Amarillo vs. Kids with Guns

Doncamatic vs. DARE

Hong Kong vs. Highway (Under Construction)

Saturn Barz vs. The Valley of the Pagans

White Flag vs. Slow Country

El Mañana vs. Hollywood

To Binge vs. Interlude: Penthouse

Strange Timez vs. Oil

Jimmy Jimmy vs. Broken

Fire Flies vs. Aspen Forest

Orchestral Intro (Plastic Beach) vs. Tarantula

Friday 13th vs. Sound Check (Gravity)

New Gold vs. Opium

Circle of Friendz vs. We Are Happy Landfill

New Genius (Brother) vs. She's My Collar

Clint Eastwood vs. Re-Hash

The Snake in Dallas vs. Starshine

Murdoc Is God vs. Ghost Train

Demon Days vs. Lake Zurich

People vs. DoYaThing

Bobby in Phoenix vs. November Has Come

Tormenta vs. Garage Palace

Pac-Man vs. 19-2000

Hongkongaton vs. Left Hand Suzuki Method

Shy-Town vs. Cloud of Unknowing

Don't Get Lost in Heaven vs. Seattle Yodel

With Love To An Ex vs. Interlude: Talk Radio

Dead Butterflies vs. Severed Head

Souk Eye vs. Faust

Rhinestone Eyes vs. Crockadillaz

[thedemonconstantine]

ALRITE ALRITE ALRITE

9 songs I’m currently obsessed with...

Tagged by: @imxthexhandler

Tagging: @adventurepunks @thecursedhellblazer @blizzardmuses @asktinytitanszatara @lostxndbroken @artyhowls @frozenpineapple-iv @treesofgreen

...in no definite order of importance or brain worm:

1. Corcovado (Kubota Toshinobu) Fantastic Japanese soul singer, voice as smooth as silk. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, then maybe this song would.

2. いとしのエリー (Hirai Ken) One of the best songs by Southern All Stars, covered by Hirai Ken in his jazz album. Perfection.

3. La Bamba (Ritchie Valens) Flirty happy song that rocks my socks, what more can I ask for?

4. My Life (Billy Joel) It’s this or Piano Man.

5. Fly Away (Lenny Kravitz) His Mama Said album, raw and unfiltered. This is from 5, but I feel like it can belong to the older stuff.

6. 真夜中のダンディー (Kuwata Keisuke) PAPA KUWATA<3 KEIKKON KUDASAIIIII-

7. Brotherhood (B’z) Tak and Koshi just UNFH<3! TAKKUN INABASAN<3 A Japanese rock staple with heavy blues roots and masterful composition. Can’t ever go wrong with B’z. I have their entire physical discog. >_>  (Yes, including the tiny ass singles. Sue me. Impossible to find some of their music on youtube I don’t know why)

8. SHINZO (Kreva) Composer, producer, and Japan’s number 1 rapper, after his debut from Kick the Can Crew. Smoothest, slickest album I’ve ever heard. I can have the entire album on repeat the whole day. This album is divided into two parts, red and blue, one side with slower smoother rhythm and the other is faster paced, mimicking the ebb and flow of an actual heartbeat. It’s beautiful. I love a lot of his work but this is his best by far. He also has remixes of his own albums and there’s one where you can play it seamlessly even when you put it on shuffle, plays exactly as if you have an in-house DJ. I listen to that sometimes when working out or painting. (Again, impossible to find this particular album on youtube or nico nico. He’s got other albums on youtube though, worth checking out so please do)

9. 僕はこの瞳で嘘をつく (Chage & Aska) Aska, best crooner ever. Hayao Miyazaki likes them too. I have too many of their albums... (Yes, it’s them in the animation)

[thisaintascenereviews]

Eternal Blue Is Just As Great Two Years Later: A Retrospective

Let me paint a hypothetical scenario for you — imagine randomly being selected to replace the lead singer of a very popular metalcore band in the middle of Warped Tour, and ultimately becoming the next vocalist of that band, only for that band to break up a couple years later and after a couple of albums with them. That doesn’t stop you from starting another band with your future husband, and over the next few years, your new band would start to get bigger and bigger, ultimately signing with Rise Records, and then releasing your debut album to massive acclaim and hype. The next year, you’d only release an EP to tide fans over, but the following year would see you drop a new EP, feature on a rock remix with huge rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and to make things better, be nominated for a Grammy. That’s all within the span of a couple of weeks, mind you.

Imagine how awesome it is, and I can guarantee that you would never have expected to go from randomly replacing the vocalist of a band to forming a new band and having that new be Grammy-nominated within a few years.

That’s not as hypothetical as you might think, because if you couldn’t figure it out, I’m talking about Spiritbox, specifically vocalist Courtney LaPlante. She started off as the replacement for the vocalist of Iwrestledabearonce, and they were a mathcore band that were pretty big in their scene, but they were also either loved or loathed. I thought they were pretty cool, but a lot of metalheads hated them. They broke up after their last album in 2015, but shortly after, both her and her future husband, guitarist Mike Stringer, formed Spiritbox. After being relatively underground for a few years, and releasing an EP, they signed with Rise Records, and released a few singles until I veiling their debut album, 2021’s Eternal Blue.

That was my first proper experience with them, as I had heard of them before, but I never properly listened to them. Eternal Blue is a special record for me, because I hadn’t listened to any new music in about two years at that point. The pandemic not only was partially to blame, as bands weren’t putting too much out, but I wanted to revisit a lot of my favorite stuff, so I got back into a lot of my favorite bands. I also stopped writing about music maybe four or five years ago, and I’d wanted to get back into it, but I told myself that I wanted to wait until an album really blew me away that renewed my passion for music, at least new music. Spiritbox did it with this one. I don’t remember if this album, or Every Time I Die’s last album was my favorite of 2021, but if Eternal Blue wasn’t, it should have been (at least in retrospect), because this record is one of the best albums of the 2020s so far.

This album renewed my passion for music, and I wanted to talk about it again two years later, especially with their new EP, The Fear Of Fear, being out. I wanted to talk about Eternal Blue again first, and take a look at it under the microscope, just to see how well it’s aged or not at all. Thankfully, it’s the former, as this album has aged quite a bit in the last couple years and it didn’t feel like a fluke. Sometimes you can go back to an album you loved, and the album hasn’t aged well, or your “high” has worn off on the record, and you don’t like it as much. Eternal Blue is not that album.

This band, and this album, got a lot of hype when it came out, because they took a few different kinds of rock and metal, ultimately doing something unique and interesting with it. They took elements of djent, progressive-metalcore, and alternative-metal to make for a unique experience. They also made a very accessible experience, and I think that’s part of their appeal. Spiritbox is one of the first bands in a long time that has a crossover appeal. This album is both heavy and catchy in a way that bands haven’t done that in a long time. Metal hasn’t had its crossover moment in maybe 20 years, at least since nu-metal was big. Metal has since gone underground, and a lot of bands try to be as heavy as they can, but they have no accessibility. Spiritbox rectifies it by having some great hooks throughout this album. “Circle With Me,” “Yellowjackets,” “Holy Roller,” the title track, “Secret Garden,” and “Sunkiller,” among other tracks, are super catchy, and they stick in my head. This is a great album because every song on this record sticks out in some way, and that doesn’t happen too often. Even the heavier songs are memorable, but it’s also sort of because they’re heavy. Spiritbox understands that having a breakdown in every song doesn’t work, because it lessens the impact that a breakdown has. The heavy songs hit harder because they’re not as prevalent. The breakdowns here and the heavier songs here are great, too, and they sound awesome.

LaPlante as a vocalist is something not to underestimate. Her versatility is something to admire, as she has this great croon that she uses on a handful of songs, but she can go to a very catchy style of vocals for hooks, as well as an intense roar when she screams. Her lyrics are also incredibly written as well, but overall, she’s one of the biggest draws of this record, and of this band period, but Stringer is good, too. He writes a majority of their songs, and his songwriting ability is top notch. Due to her vocals and his songwriting skills, this band is a force to be reckoned with. Eternal Blue is one of the best albums of the decade, and if you haven’t heard it yet, you need to check it out. This band is only getting bigger and bigger, especially with their new EP, but Eternal Blue was only the first stepping stone.

[ajoytobeheld]

Some of my favourite music at the moment

October 1st, 2010

Guys, music is great isn’t it? Actually, not all of it is, which is why it’s important I write about the following stuff. Because I’m sick to my back teeth of hearing people spouting on about absolute bullshit bands.

F.I.L.A. – The-Dream (feat. T.I.) I dunno if my favourite album of the year thus far is Learning, or Love King, but this is the demo of possibly the best song off The-Dream’s third album. This cut features T.I. rapping some frankly pretty incredible verses. I swear The-Dream is the Michael Jackson of our generation

So Good – Electrik Red Proteges of The-Dream, these put any current chart girl groups to shame. Plus, hot as fuck.

If Your Girl – Forest Swords One of the worst things in the world is when guitar bands go on Live Lounge or some shit and cover a pop song and think they’re being all smart and subversive when really the song they’re covering has always been one hundred times better than the piss weak ballads or empty emoting that they get away with just because they need a haircut and don’t wash their clothes.

Anyway, this is a really brilliant cover of a really brilliant popular song. Get Dagger Paths.

Song For The Greater Jihad – Blue Water White Death Shearwater/Xiu Xiu supergroup. Wasn’t a dude from the pAper chAse meant to be in this group at some point? This is the best track I’ve heard in a couple of months, and I’m really excited for the release of the album. First person to email me a promo copy of it wins.

avi – Grimes I dunno, kind of like John Maus or something. But danceable. This whole tape, Geidi Primes, is really fantastic though. She plays in New York on the 14th October, we have a day off in Brooklyn that day. Anyone wanna take me out?

Kangaroo – This Mortal Coil Not new, at all, but one of my top 5 favourite songs of all time, most probs.

Welcome To Old Love -Former Ghosts Freddy Ruppert’s ‘Former Ghosts’ project has produced two of the best records I’ve heard in the past 12 months. In the build up to his new record ‘New Love’ due later this month, he’s generously compiled this free download of Remixes/Covers/Outtakes. It’s hyper-emotional stuff, and well worth your exploration.

Safe,

G

[jamesludwig]

10 Most Famous Swiss Singers  

Switzerland has long had a distinct cultural identity, despite its diversity of German, French, Italian, Romansh, and other ethnicities.

Religious and folk music dominated the country until the 17th century, with growth in the production of other kinds of music occurring slowly. 

Fast forward to the 1990s, many rappers and DJs started to influence Switzerland’s musical scene. Swiss musicians enjoy a worldwide reputation, for commercial success.

Here are the 10 most famous Swiss singers. 

1. DJ BoBo 

Peter René Baumann, better known as DJ BoBo, is a Swiss singer-songwriter, rapper, dancer, and music producer. He was born on 5th January 1968 in Kölliken, Switzerland.

His music genres are Pop, electronica, reggae fusion, house, and eurodance. He has sold 14 million records worldwide and has released 12 studio albums as well as a few compilation albums which have included his previous hits remixed. 

2. Beatrice Egli 

She has been singing since the age of nine, and at 14 years she began taking singing lessons and singing at folk festivals. This singer has sold over 1,000,000 records in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria this far.

She was the winner of season 10 of the German music competition ‘Deutschland Sucht den Superstar. Egli became the second contestant from Switzerland to win the title after Luca Hänni. 

3. Gjon’s Tears 

This singer acquired his stage name when he was still a child after moving his grandfather to tears when he performed for him.

He is a great musician. He won the MTV Europe Music Awards, Best Swiss Actin 2Lady

4. Ladyva

Vanessa Sabrina Gnaegi, also known as Vanessa G o Ladyva is a Swiss pianist, singer, and composer. She was born on 8th December 1988 in Ipsach, Bern, Switzerland.

Ladyva started playing the piano when she was 14. This musician genres are boogie-woogie, blues and jazz. Her YouTube channel has over 39 million views.  

5. Bastian Baker

This singer’s heartfelt and hard-hitting melodies and texts reveal a heightened sensitivity. He writes in English because it’s a common language and it’s an important factor when sharing your music with the whole world.

Baker has been crazy about music since he was very young. He took guitar lessons for many years and was also the soloist in a choir. His music is an example of the rich and diverse Swiss music scene.

6. Luca Hanni  

Luca Hänni is a Swiss pop singer and television personality. Hänni was born on 8th October 1994 in Bern, Switzerland. He learnt drumming in kindergarten. He is also a self taught guitar and piano player.

Hanni created history by becoming the youngest and the first non-German winner of the German talent show Deutschland Sucht den Superstar. He has many albums and has also released several hit singles.

His songs top the Austrian and Swiss Albums Charts and became gold-sellers in both countries.

7. Dieter Meier  

Dieter is a Swiss industrialist, musician, and conceptual artist. He was born on 4th March 1945 in Zürich, Switzerland. For the Music group, Yello, he is a vocalist and lyricist, as well as manager and producer. 

8. Stephan Eicher 

Stephan Eicher is a Swiss singer and songwriter. He was born on 17th August 1960 in the rural municipality of Münchenbuchsee not far from Bern, Switzerland.

He sings in a variety of languages, including French, German, English, Italian, Swiss German, and Romanche, sometimes using different languages in the same song. 

He released his first greatest hits compilation album entitled Hotel*s in 2001 as a tribute to the hotel Hess on the Swiss Engelberg which was his second home. Martin Hess, the hotelier couple’s son, became his close friend and producer. 

9. Anna Murphy 

Anna Murphy is a Swiss musician, singer, songwriter, and audio engineer, best known as the female lead vocalist of the Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. She plays the flute and hurdy-gurdy. 

Her music genres are folk metal, melodic death metal, Celtic metal, and progressive metal. She at one time worked as an audio engineer at the Obernauer Soundfarm Studios in Lucerne.

10. Tina Turner  

Anna Mae Bullock popularly known as Tina Turner is an American-born Swiss singer and actress. Tina was born on 26th November 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee in the United States of America.

Tina is often referred to as “The Queen of Rock and Roll”, and is considered one of the greatest singers of all time. She is well known for her swagger, sensuality, gravelly vocals, and unstoppable energy,  not forgetting her career longevity and her famous legs.

Tina has received so many awards and honors over the years including being recognized by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., two-time inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and stars on the Hollywood and St. Louis Walks of Fame.

Tina applied for Swiss citizenship and she became a Swiss on 22nd April 2013 and was issued a Swiss passport. She gave up her American citizenship at the U.S. embassy in Bern later that year.

Sources : https://www.discoverwalks.com/

[rayeverreviews]

My Personal Chart Review (31/5/23)

bias again slay

Well, this was an incredibly busy week. For our top 5, Remember continues its top 10 run up to #5, with Like I Used To slipping from #1 to #4, Side Effects drops 1 to #3 but still gains in performances, with I Go Dancing returning to the runner up spot and Jazzy claiming her 2nd #1 (1st solo) with Giving Me.

For our losers and dropouts, we had quite a few in the latter category. Off the return last week, Blow Your Mind (Mwah) by Dua Lipa is gone from #10, Wish You The Best by Lewis Capaldi loses all of its momentum from #37, Chasing Pavements by Adele couldn’t stick for another week as it exits from #52, while Vibration (One More Time) fades naturally from #53. Meanwhile, I Wrote A Song by Mae Muller and Unicorn by Noa Kirel are out from #60 and #62 respectively as their Eurovision boosts wear off and Princess Diana by Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj underperforms as it leaves from #65. Now for album falloffs, with Lewis Capaldi also losing Forget Me off the return from #67. As for piri & tommy, they lost on & on from #56, beachin’ from #63, player 2 from #64, settle from #68, say it from #70 and can we from #73. Furthermore, we also lost Curtains by Ed Sheeran from #61, River by Miley Cyrus from #71, Set Me Free by D.O.D from #72 and Oscar Winning Tears. by RAYE from #74 which quite comfortably clinched its year-end list spot. As for our losers, Finally by Jonas Blue & RANI slips down to #22, Cupid - Twin Version by FIFTY FIFTY, Miracle by Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding and Like Crazy by Jimin all take big hits to #32, #33 and #36 respectively, with Can’t Tame Her and No Sleep down to #38 and #39. This week was a pretty bad week for both RAYE & Mahalia with Five Star Hotels. down to #42, Worth It. at #43, Terms and Conditions at #44 and Flip A Switch. completely collapsing down to #48. Meanwhile, ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine is back down to #51, 21 Reasons and Better Love fall to #57 and #58 respectively, Kill Bill by SZA continues its big losses down to #65, 10:35 by Tiësto & Tate McRae also collapses to #68 with Whistle by Jax Jones & Calum Scott making its way out at #69 and our final loss comes from piri & tommy, as words falls off the album boost to #70. What a list.

As for our gains and returns, well given the huge list of losers & dropouts there were quite a few. All By Myself by Alok, Sigala & Ellie Goulding is back in at #75, Oh No You Didn’t by Hix & Kelli-Leigh returns at #73, Snow On The Beach by Taylor Swift & Lana Del Rey is back in at #60 due to the release of the new version with a full Lana verse, Calm Down by Rema & Selena Gomez surprisingly has a very good week as it’s back in at #55, Stay The Night by Sigala & Talia Mar surges back to #50, Be The One by Dua Lipa returns at #35 (more on the reason why later) and finally False Alarm by Matoma & Becky Hill is back again at #30. As for our gains, Substitution by Purple Disco Machine & Kungs soars off the debut to #52, Pretty Boys by Caity Baser continues its resurgence to #26, I Found You by Sub Focus & Hayla rebounds to #25, Fly Girl by FLO & Missy Elliott continues up to #18, Because Of You by Gustaph surges into the top 10 at #10, Karma by Taylor Swift jumps up to #8 thanks to the Ice Spice remix and finally Hell N Back by Bakar continues its gains at #7.

Now that’s over with, let’s start off with our debuts

#74 That Part by Lauren Spencer Smith

Now I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m a huge fan of Lauren Spencer Smith, and so far I’m really liking the singles being pushed with this being no different. In this single, Lauren takes a step away from her breakup singles and actually sings about a happy relationship, and wow it definitely works. I expect this to rise in the coming weeks, and this isn’t the last we’re hearing of her today.

#72 live more & love more by Cat Burns

Cat Burns is back once again with another single. This one had been bubbling under for a few weeks before making the top 100, and it has now eventually found its way here. And yeah, I really like this one. I love Cat’s voice and I’m a huge fan of pretty much all her singles with this again being no different. Solid stuff.

#71 Eyes Closed by Ed Sheeran

Earlier this month, Ed Sheeran released his 6th studio album “-“, which unfortunately is one of his worst performing albums ever. It’s a damn shame because all the singles from this album so far are bloody great, including this. It was decent at first but I’ve found it to have really been growing on me the past few weeks and now it’s made it here. And my god this is so much better than any of the singles on “=“. Ed’s voice really suits the more acoustic sound “-“ was going for, and I really like the way Ed went with this. Never did I think I’d be this positive about a lead single from one of his albums but this is bloody good.

#64 Best Friend Breakup by Lauren Spencer Smith

This is definitely my most favourite track from the album rollout so far, although I’m really shocked it’s only just debuting now. In this song, Lauren sings about her ex best friend, saying how everybody thought they were sisters and how she didn’t expect this “best friend breakup” to hurt this much. And god damn she does it incredibly well. This will definitely see a decent climb next week.

#59 Escape by Kx5, deadmau5, Kaskade & Hayla

So this is a song that charted on the US EDM chart between last year and this year which I only recently checked out, and yeah I’ve been missing out. The production is really damn good with Hayla’s incredible vocals really making the song feel alive and I’m just mad I didn’t check it out sooner.

#56 Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue

I really didn’t expect this to be the route Kylie would go down. But she did not disappoint. Like with Head & Heart the chorus is about the noises of the heart, so I was pretty much guaranteed to like this. The production is really good with Kylie’s vocals still aging beautifully as she shows she’s still got it. I’m glad this is becoming a hit in the UK after A Second To Midnight missed completely along with Magic missing the top 40.

#49 MADELINE by INJI

So this is a recommendation from one of my friends Noah ajc, who actually charted 2 songs himself this week (more on that later, but he definitely had a good week didnt he 😅). And yeah, this is really good. It absolutely reminds me of something Charli XCX would do and I really like it. The production is basic but very fun with the vocalists sounding like Charli herself at certain points. If you haven’t already and you’re a fan of Charli XCX, check this out.

#34 Dance The Night (from Barbie: The Movie Soundtrack) by Dua Lipa

We have the welcome return of Dua Lipa, however this time with a single from the new Barbie movie she’s starring in, which is out in July. And this is so Future Nostalgia (positive). Her vocals never disappoint with Mark Robson’s production definitely taking it back to FN. Overall this is an absolute bop and if you liked Future Nostalgia, you’re bound to love this.

#29 tenner by Noah ajc & Esotie

So, here’s the first of two tracks from Noah this week. Now originally I was actually going to make a remix of this but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get it to work, but this song is unironically good anyways. I’m not even sure how to describe it, but it’s hilarious and a bop at the same time. Esotie’s verse is a highlight, but Noah’s heavily autotuned vocals really stand out and all in all it’s genuinely unironically good. Check it out.

#19 i hate me more by Noah ajc

Now the reason this charted is due to a remix with one of my good friends, Filey Frog. I haven’t actually listened to the original yet but the remix is incredibly infectious, with really damn good production and Noah’s vocals actually really suit it a lot. I expect this to stick around for quite a bit, this is some good stuff.

#16 Hits Different by Taylor Swift

And finally we have the last debut. This was originally a CD exclusive track that was released onto streaming upon the release of the Til Dawn Edition of Midnights, and this is absolutely awesome. In fact, I’d say it’s my favourite from the Midnights era and one of my favourite Taylor songs in general. As soon as I heard it I fell in love, and it’s a big fan favourite which I can absolutely see why and agree with. As the title says, it really does Hit Different. 🥁

So, Hits Different by Taylor Swift gets this week’s Best of the Week, with the Honourable Mention being a tie between Best Friend Breakup by Lauren Spencer Smith & i hate me more by Noah ajc. Next week, expect a couple of pretty big gains.

[legion1227]

Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Album Review

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, so I'd like to look back at an album I listened to recently.

While we're at it, stream Wu-Tang: An American Saga on Hulu. It's a great show that covers the start and rise of the Wu-Tang Clan during the 90s. At the time of this writing, an episode should have been released that specifically covers Raekwon as he looks to release his debut solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

The timing for this couldn't have been more perfect. I listened to this back in January on a whim, and the show returned a few weeks ago to cover now an album that is, so far, the best album I've listened to in 2023.

What's intriguing is that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is considered Raekwon's debut solo album. However, out of the eighteen tracks, Ghostface Killah accompanies Rae on twelve songs. It feels more like a collab album between this dynamic duo. Sometimes, Raekwon and Ghostface are joined by other members of the Wu, and their presence is welcomed. U-God, Inspectah Deck, GZA, Method Man, Cappadonna, Masta Killa, and RZA appear on a handful of tracks with their Wu brothers. Nearly all hands are on deck for this project, and each member helps attribute to the quality of the project. When it comes to stepping up to the mic and spitting bars, no one fails to step up to the task.

But this album truly is the Raekwon and Ghostface show. The first track sets the mood as a skit between the two, conversing about life and wanting more than to just be criminals. The two have to put their all into this project to succeed. Their songs "Knuckleheadz" and "Knowledge God" are serviceable lyrical displays of skill that Raekwon and Ghostface clearly harbor. But the first track to grab my attention wholeheartedly was "Criminology." One of their singles, and for good reason. "Marvelous menace for society/ But anyway, let's toast, champagne thoughts with Ghost/ I max the most shotguns through the nose/," I found myself most impressed with Rae's rhyme scheme during the track. The chemistry Ghostface and he shares as they ride several songs together is something to behold. The two rapping about the dangers of hustling on the streets in "Rainy Dayz" as Blue Raspberry soothes with the chorus is another highlight on the album.

Alongside Boombastic raps and superb flows accompanies godly production. The beat for "Guillotine (Swordz)" goes hard as Inspectah Deck and GZA join their brothers to infect the listeners with the most compelling rhymes. My only gripes with the album stem from the abundance of time spent on interludes, skits, and spoken words. After "Guillotine," the next track is "Can It Be All So Simple (Remix)," which is a five-minute song with a two-minute skit intro. By the time the track starts, it's somewhat underwhelming after all the pompous circumstances. I wished they trimmed the fat because then you'd have a damn-near-perfect album.

There are no bad tracks throughout, but some impress much more than others. Some personal favorites of mine include "Ice Water," "Verbal Intercourse," "Wisdom Body," "Spot Rusherz," "Ice Cream," and "Wu-Gambinos (Hidden Chambers Remix)."

In conclusion, legendary rapper Raekwon delivered one of the best debut albums in hip-hop history with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. With Ghostface Killah assisting throughout, these two definitely cemented themselves as one of the best duos in the rap game. Definitely worth a listen if you haven't listened to the classic already, and if you have, it's worth a re-listen right now. It's a great album that I would rate a 4/5. And once more, if you're interested in learning about the rise of Raekwon and the rest of the members of the Wu-Tang, I strongly recommend checking out Wu-Tang: An American Saga on Hulu.

[nightcoremoon]

songs worth mentioning but I can only fit 10 choices are: Cure for the Itch, Carousel, Step Up, And One, It’s Goin Down, Dedicated, Slip, Grr, So Far Away, Coal, Hurry, Blue, Part Of Me / Chair, Dialate, Pictureboard, Could Have Been, Reading My Eyes, Rhinestone, and the entirety of the Reanimation remix album. However I’m fairly certain that few people even know that any of those songs exist, let alone are their favorites. But that’s what the “different song” category is for, after all.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24/09/2022 (Anne-Marie/Aitch, BLACKPINK, Montell Fish)

Dethroning Capaldi’s debut from last week is “I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, becoming Rexha’s first #1 on the UK Singles Chart and Guetta’s seventh. His last #1 was 2014’s “Lovers on the Sun” featuring Sam Martin and his best – by far – was “Club Can’t Handle Me” with Flo Rida. It’s not even close. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It’s a tried and true formula to make a hit out of an older hit in egregious form, and hey, I can’t stand the song but good for the duo and the Eiffel 65 guys especially. Guetta has been in comeback form for now while, it’s no surprise that he gets a worldwide hit with a song that resembles his old sound. Will it usurp the original’s three weeks at #1? I don’t know, but what I do know are the notable dropouts, songs exiting from the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, the list includes “There’d Better be a Mirrorball” by the Arctic Monkeys – it’ll be back with the album – but also “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Can’t Be Us” by Headie One, Bandokay and Abra Cadabra, “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” by Beyoncé, “Cold Heart” (PNAU Remix) by Elton John and Dua Lipa – finally, and “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi off of the return from last week.

What’s replacing these songs? Well, in terms of re-entries, “When it Rains it Pours” by Bad Boy Chiller Crew is back at #71, and in terms of notable gains, we have “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” by Beach Weather at #54, “All These Nights” by Tom Grennan at #51, “Kiss Me” by Dermot Kennedy at #50, “LA Leakers Freestyle” by Central Cee riding virality to #40, “Pink Venom” by BLACKPINK at #38 thanks to the album boost (more on that later), “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” by Lizzo at #28, “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé at #20, and “Big City Life” by Luude and Mattafix returning to the top 10 at #9.

The top five on the UK Singles Chart is pretty similar to last week, with “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj at #5, “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic at #4, “B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)” by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal at #3 and of course the switcheroo between Lewis Capaldi’s “Forget Me” and “I’m Good (Blue)” at the top. Now, as is tradition, let’s take a look at albums that I listened to from this week that did not impact the singles chart.

Off the Charts

Opening the Door – Little Dragon

See, this is an odd week: every album here is just one I’m kind of lukewarm on, and therefore this WILL actually be brief for once. This is an EP from Swedish electronic pop group Little Dragon, and it’s pretty likely to go in one ear and leave out of the other, with its at times bubbly but mostly smooth R&B grooves that don’t grow old as much as they flick into the background, to the point that even a JID verse is disappointing. It’s definitely passable, and kind of a vibe, but outside of the closer “Peace” with Stefan Sandberg, which is striking enough sonically, I don’t really care much about this.

Hold the Girl – Rina Sawayama

I didn’t really like the debut but I figured that this could be more of a refinement and man, it just kind of trails off in a really disappointing way. It debuted at #3 on the Albums Chart and I get why – it is a pretty decent pop album, but every single song kind of reminds me of a song that I can’t really put my finger on, and it’s really distracting. The production is mostly good but never immaculate, and a lot of these sweet hooks never punch as hard as they need to. If she was going for restraint, I’d get it, but a lot of this is gunning for the camp and the melodrama which I don’t think it executes that well, with the experimentation midway through the album just sounding tacked-on, even more so than the debut. My favourite track is “Send My Love to John”.

Impostor Syndrome – AG Club

Alternative rap group AG Club deliver their most refined project to date, with the most actual track ideas and musical progressions, and some killer beats, but again, I’m disappointed. There is a lot of experimentation within and beyond the pop-rap format but it really only selectively works to make compelling songs, and whilst the rapping is good, it’s not that quotable and they get overshadowed basically every single time by their guest stars. If you want a catchy, kind of out-there album with good production, it’s there, but looking for anything more, just like with Sawayama, might leave yo a bit disappointed. My favourite track is the undeniable and jazzy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with some incredible verses from both redveil and especially Glen the Saiyan, as well as vocals from Sam Truth. Oh, and these guys can do emo-pop surprisingly well.

I Love You Jennifer B – Jockstrap

Maybe my expectations were just set too high but whilst there is some damn great music from the art pop duo, I feel let down by some elements of this. To get that out of the way first, Taylor Skye’s production is a lot less consistent and a cohesive sound gets really lost in the clashing frictions that are there fully on purpose but unintentionally distract from excellent performances from Georgia Ellery, and elsewhere, it has some great moments. The plummeting dread of “Neon” leads to a cathartic noise rock breakdown, the synth freakout on “Concrete Over Water” is well-deserved and the narrative and emotional thoroughline becomes increasingly clarified in the second half, particularly on “Glasgow”. That’s also where the album starts to fall for me, though. Whilst “Greatest Hits” is cute, it lyrically feels a bit lacking and honestly like a third draft, which makes it feel overly cryptic at best and just straight up annoying and unremarkable at worst, especially on the vulnerable yet frustrating “Angst”. As for the production gripes, it also gets worse and the demo qualities of the practically-a-closer “Lancaster Court” prevent it from being as ghostly as it could be and just make it unnecessarily tense. “50/50” is a jam but I have no idea how it sonically or thematically fits in here. All these dichotomies may just be why people love this so much, but I found this album to be sonically really promising and at times reaching that greatness, but ultimately lacking in actual development of these ideas. My favourite track is the sweetest, “What’s it All About?”, where Ellery careens with uncertainty on filtered acoustics and I wish the album was more focused to really hit home. And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 – “World’s Smallest Violin” – AJR

Produced by Ryan Met

We’re seriously doing this? We’re giving AJR a sleeper hit? To be fair, it’s not the worst song we could have given a hit to off of OK ORCHESTRA – I don’t know why I even listened to that album – but “Way Less Sad” was pushed and is probably the only tolerable track off of that record. Regardless, here we are with the brotherly trio’s new viral hit and obviously, I’m not a fan. Their typically obnoxious and chintzy tone is out here in full force, and AJR have always sounded like a show tune band with way too synthetic tones, especially the vocals here that act as backing and harmonies which feel like barbershop quartets and aren’t mixed particularly well. That’s of course before we get to the chorus which is just painful. I get the ambition, but Jack Met’s falsetto is not pleasant and the fading in of all of these synthetic, MIDI-sounding instruments in the messy drop just does not make sense other than flexing the fact that you have several different presets. Ignoring the... vaping reference, the lyrics aren’t awful though. Most of it is self-deprecative anyway, as he acknowledges his own complaining as unimportant yet still wanting an audience for his bitching as well as his achievements despite the fact that he’ll never be as impressive and his cause will never be as dire. Sure, it’s sold with as little tact as possible because it’s AJR, but it’s not reprehensible so really, my one complaint is the production, but God, it’s a large complaint. It’s so full of ideas yet so void of any of them at the same time. It almost reminds me of the more jovial levels of Super Mario Galaxy 2 if I can make any real contemporary sonic comparison, and yes, I know I just called a Wii game contemporary but I’m getting old, and if I can relate to AJR on anything, it is that.

#65 – “BILLIE EILISH.” – Armani White

Produced by July da Producer

I mean, it’s a good way to get your song in search results, right? Part of me hopes that Billie releases a response called “ARMANI WHITE.”, but what really is there to respond to here? The name-drop is in the chorus but it’s a cute reference to how he also needs a big shirt like Eilish often wears not because of anxiety but instead because he’s got a Glock under there. She’s not referenced throughout the rest of the song, and really, it just makes looking for this specific song more difficult since I’m going to see better songs by Eilish herself and just listen to those instead... which is a shame because I kind of like this. It relies on a recognisable sample of N.O.R.E.’s “Nothin’”, which peaked at #11 in the UK in 2002, which lays a pretty nice Middle Eastern sample from the peak era of the Neptunes behind July da Producer’s filters and heavy trap beat. I’m not a fan of his Auto-Tuned ad-libs but he has charisma as a vocalist, even if he’s slipping and sliding outside of the beat in a way that’s kind of sloppy. Sadly, there’s not much to be heard here in terms of actual punchlines and the song’s barely a minute and a half, so I’d stick to the original by N.O.R.E. with much more dynamic production and a Hell of a lot more style from both Pharrell’s hook and N.O.R.E.’s verse which are as distinct as ever even on a radio cut. He even name-drops Smash Mouth and Creed for like no reason, so the tradition of naming random alternative acts in your unrelated pop-rap hit continues to this day.

#61 – “Danielle (smile on my face)” – Fred again..

Produced by Fred again.., Benji Gibson, PARISI and Four Tet

I haven’t enjoyed much of the production work from Fred again.., especially as a lead artist, but I’m always willing to check out something from him because he tends to crib ideas or names that I have a fondness for, even if the songs don’t end up in my personal rotation. Most of the time, his songs act as cool ideas rather than actually functioning house tracks, and I was afraid that’d be the case with this one. After all, it relies on another very recognisable sample of Kanye protégé and alternative R&B singer 070 Shake’s “Nice to Have”, which of course didn’t chart but I think is pretty good as Shake goes into her typically flippant murmuring to express the humbling love that she feels with her partner. More broadly, it’s about the benefits of human companionship and the warping synth bass that initially trembles under her voice becomes this chasm of sound that briefly encapsulates her in the final chorus before the typical MIKE DEAN synth sound just buzzes away into the distance. It’s a great song, so how’s Mr. Again’s remix? Well, I think maybe 070 Shake deserved a feature credit given it’s a complete rework, but maybe her lawyers are worse than Future’s. All of the charm in the original is lost with this remix, it’s really awful. I like glitchy outsider house but the drums here are claustrophobic and it doesn’t help that the rubbery synth bass is really annoying, clashing generally with the content whilst not really repurposing it for any understandable recontextualisation. The vocal stem sounds like one of those DIY YouTube uploads, and the lyrics remain intact but less convincing when she sings “There’ll be a smile on my face” over cloudy, lo-fi grooveless music and a piercing level of wonky synth by the end that just contradicts everything about the original song that I liked. What an uncomfortable remix that just misses the point entirely. 070 Shake worked well with Swedish House Mafia earlier this year too so there’s precedent that this could work... but clearly not with Fred. Once again(..), I end up disappointed with his production.

#27 – “Hotel” – Montell Fish

Produced by Montell Fish

It’s sometimes weird to see such a limited star power in the name of someone debuting in the top 40, but this is a song that had gone viral on TikTok a while ago and was only now released to streaming platforms, seeing a lot of initial viral success for this Montell Fish guy who despite his low profile, has a couple big alternative R&B hits on streaming platforms, and I do like this new track. The fuzzy synths that come in on the first verse feel very MIKE DEAN-esque but given the distortion and guitar feedback that starts the track, and Fish’s tone being very different to say, an awkward Steve Lacy or a buttery Giveon, giving it all to his multi-tracked falsetto vocals that are just imperfect and lo-fi enough to really strike a “bedroom” resonance without being overly dissonant. The drums are mixed a bit too messily for me to dig fully, but I do get the chasm of that snare having a lot of impact for people, and it definitely fades into the wonderfully blended soundscape in both verses, only really becoming a bother during the bridge where those alarming synths aren’t there. I do have some nitpicks that keep me from fully enjoying the song too, like the guitar solo being kind of sloppy, and the lack of lyrical detail: I’ve been calling them verses, but it’s really just one chorus and it’s not particularly well-enunciated. These wouldn’t be problems if it weren’t for the production not being as top-notch as it should be, and the abrupt ending is a real misfire because this has a lot of potential, and with a rework from someone more professional or interesting – Hell, maybe MIKE DEAN should get on this and see what he can do – this could really be great, because there is something here and I’ll be watching out for Montell Fish for the years to come.

#24 – “Shut Down” – BLACKPINK

Produced by Teddy Park and 24

This one is a lot easier to explain. BLACKPINK released their album BORN PINK and whilst it debuted at #1 on the albums chart, it’s not one I listened to because, well, K-pop isn’t exactly something I’m interested in hearing. It’s a lot more conventional than “Pink Venom” which I still don’t understand and honestly, I like this. Putting “La Campanella” behind a trap beat sounds like something that should have been done before this, and the bass does boom behind a pretty hard instrumental, and thankfully, BLINK – if I’m allowed to call them that – spend most of the verses in Korean, as much of the group sound much more natural in their native languages. The girls sound pretty great in the braggadocious chorus, and “it’s black and it’s pink once the sun’s down” is a line that just kind of goes hard as a sentence... which is not something I often say about really any song here. Jennie’s verse is mostly in English, partly since she spent a lot of time studying in New Zealand so is fluent, and she sounds great. Sure, the flexing isn’t all that impressive but the melodic flows are hard-hitting and she trades off with Lisa really well. That final drop and outro has a lot more swagger than it has any right to be, and the violins all over the track sound really crisp alongside the trap percussion. For the first time probably ever, I can say that BLACKPINK’s attempts at rap have paid off for once, because this is great. It took a couple years but I guess they’re finally in my area.  

#16 – “PSYCHO” – Anne-Marie and Aitch

Produced by Billen Ted and Mojam

I guess it’s just Opposite Day this week because, yes, I am about to say I like this song too. Now, it’s not because of Aitch – he’s barely here with his tiny verse and he’s barely on beat. It’s not even really because of the production either, even though it is good. The simple, J. White Did It-esque basic and cheap piano line would probably work more for an... actual rapper – yes, I know Aitch is here, he doesn’t count – alongside the trap beat, but much unlike the BLACKPINK song before, the percussion stutters in a way that stodges through the verses and just absolutely kills in the chorus. The real star here is Anne-Marie, who for once turns that bratty energy and off-kilter voice to something really passionate with all the distorted filters, sloppy Auto-Tune and voice cracks shining through in a way that emphasises this toxic, messy relationship in an effective albeit incredibly unsubtle way. Her interplay and chemistry with Aitch is surprisingly there, and the “Mambo No. 5” interpolation is just stupid enough to work – and, no, it’s not sampled heavily enough for me to dig up its chart history. Just know that Bob the Builder’s cover hit #1 the day the towers fell. This is not supposed to be taken seriously in any way, and I don’t know if it was Billen Ted or Mojam that came up with making the vocal loop sound like complete garbage in the drop but Goddamn, it’s practically industrial and sounds incredible. It’s not all that far from what Black Dresses would do, and for a pop song, it doesn’t play around or dampen it down that much. The bratty melodrama and personality is here, more on Anne-Marie’s slide than it is for Aitch, whose vocal mixing is so awful it has got to be intentional. For whatever reason, I think this will last even shorter than the BLACKPINK song, and I know people do hate this, but I’m into this a lot and I hope to hear more complete nonsense like this on the pop charts.

Conclusion

Yeah, Best of the Week is going to “PSYCHO” by Anne-Marie and Aitch, with a strong Honourable Mention to BLACKPINK for “Shut Down”. Yeah, it’s not often I can say any of that. As for the worst, since it was a mostly middling week, I really do have to give AJR the Worst of the Week for “World’s Smallest Violin” but “Danielle (smile on my face)” by Fred again.. is oddly close as the Dishonourable Mention. Being in the same breath as AJR is never a career highlight.

As for what’s on the horizon, I can expect some movement in the coming months. The charts sometimes tend to ramp up during these last few portions of the year, and it’s always exciting. With Taylor Swift coming soon, some episodes may be just rife with discourse. But for now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

[mooifyourecows]

moo i’m gonna need a list of your favorite kpop songs and groups because now i’m invested since i know you have good taste

Hmm well get ready for a long list then because I've got lots. I'll bold the songs (and artists) that are my TOP faves from the whole thing (because I know it's gonna be a daunting list) and put an asterisk (*) next to the songs that have amazing mvs on youtube that make the listening experience even better 🤌

Obviously I love all of mamamoo, but some notable ones that I listen to a lot by them are 'I Miss You', 'Taller than you', 'Diamond', and 'Hip*'

'Maria*' and 'I'm bad too (feat DPR LIVE)' by Hwa Sa

'bboom bboom' by momoland

'MUSE (feat Paloalto)' by Hannah Jang

'Cause I'm God girl', 'Flower Shower', 'Follow me (feat Wooseok)' and 'Red' by HyunA

'Gucci' and 'zoom' by Jessi

I like most of (g)i-dle's songs but some of my faves are 'oh my god', 'hann', 'latata', and 'senorita'

'Swim- virus edit' by youra

'A.M.A.F.' by saay

'Dont hang up' by suran (feat ph-1)

'Eight*' by IU

I pretty much love all of BTS but here are my all time faves from them: 'black swan*', 'mama', 'lie', 'friends', 'jamais vu', 'spring day*', 'so 4 more/2nd grade', 'trivia: seesaw', 'singularity*', 'answer: Love myself', 'outro: tear', 'anpanman', 'don't leave me', 'pied piper', 'first love', 'look here'

okay I will stop with BTS because I'm a bit biased toward them considering they were the group that introduced me to kpop in the first place lmao

Okay I lied I'm not stopping because now for the solo albums from bts members:

'tokyo', 'badbye', 'everythingoes', 'do you', and 'change' by RM

'Hangsang', 'daydream', 'blue side' by J-Hope

'People', 'so far away (feat Suran)', 'give it to me', 'the last', and 'interlude: set me free' by Agust D

And they're not on Spotify UNFORTUNATELY, but also: 'promise' by jimin and '4 o'clock' by V and RM

'If you' and 'fxxk it' by bigbang

'Zutter*' by gdragon and t.o.p.

'DOOM DADA' and 'Turn it up' by t.o.p.

'Whisper*' by VIXX LR (very homo mv for this one fellas)

'Hoodie', 'Tuxedo*', 'Damnra', 'Leopard (feat Solar)', and 'Brag' by Ravi (Ravi is also a big mint chocolate chip fan and even remixed one of his songs and turned it into a Mint choco anthem so he gets TRIPLE my respect for that)(also his voice is just so sexy that I told my partner that if his voice turned into a person I would happily cheat on him with it. He is okay with it)(literally the two Koreans I'm legit in love with are Hwa sa and Ravi and they've both been called "unattractive" by Korean standards so I guess I just have GREAT taste)

'HALA HALA' and 'pirate king' by ATEEZ

'Back Door*', 'Gods Menu*', 'Red Lights*', 'Thunderous*', and 'Maniac*' by Stray Kids (best way to consume stray kids music is by watching their MVs because WOW they're so good like wow WOW)

'Shine', 'Naughty Boy', and 'Do it for fun' by Pentagon

'Want*', 'Advice*', and 'Criminal*' by Taemin

'Nillili Mambo*' and 'Mental Breaker' by Block B

'Ko ko bop' by exo

'Love scenario' and 'rhythm ta' by iKON

'Clap', 'oh my', and 'call call call' by seventeen

'Hello', 'air', 'everyday' and 'fool' by WINNER

'Just right' by got7

'HOLUP!*' by bobby

'The 7th Sense*' and 'Baby Don't Stop' by NCT

'Any song', 'Daredevil', 'One-man show (feat Sik-K)', and 'Summer Hate' by ZICO

'Hocus pocus' by PLT

'Part time lover', 'OOO', 'Then', 'Stay here', and 'lost my way' by Gaho

'Manitto' by Villain

'Face' and 'lazy' by woosung

'Instagram*' by dean

'Fiance' by mino

On top of listening to kpop, I'm also really into k-hiphop and k-indie, so I'll give some recs for those too if you're interested in giving them a try

K-Indie (or R&B or however they would classify these types of songs that I feel don't exactly fit into kpop. If im wrong then shhhh im just going off vibes okay):

'Dancing in the Rain', 'EXIT', 'Cloud', and 'Say Hello Inner Child' by Rad Museum

'Comes and Goes', 'Settled down', 'Big Bird', 'Die Alone', 'Wi Ing Wi Ing', and 'Love ya!' by HYUKOH (literally all their songs are so good though, oh hyuk has a BEAUTIFUL voice)

'Its you', 'SEATTLE', 'MAMA DONT WORRY', and 'NO SENSE' by Sam Kim

'Your dog loves you' and 'Poem (shhh)' by Colde

'No one told me why' by ALEPH

'hawaii in seoul', 'lost in seoul', and 'Waves' by DNYDK

For K-hiphop:

'J2B' by YUMDDA (feat DEEPLFLOW, paloalto, The Quiett, and Simon Dominic)

'Siren remix (feat uneducated kid and Paul Blanco)' by HOMIES (Paul blanco's verse in this song literally MURDERS me every time)

'Feedback', 'Let's disco dance', 'Memoir (orchestral version)', 'Raw (feat Seungmin Kim)', and 'Rambo' by Gwangil Jo

'fine! (feat kid milli)' by punchnello

'vv 2' by GIRIBOY feat CHOILB, Hayake, Kid Milli, and Seungmin Kim

'115 (feat pH-1)', 'under the ground (feat dean)', and 'Wu' by nafla

'business boy (feat nongmill kim and BLOO)' by Huh!

'bodega' and 'UFO' by 99 God

'BESIDE', 'Dressroom', 'not ok (feat ski dash)', and 'IZZEN' by H!GHLY BASS (definitely an underappreciated artist and he deserves more attention)

'SUPERBEEWHY' by SUPERBEE (feat BewhY)

'to all the uneducated kids too' by Olltii

'DOKI DOKI', 'YESSIR', and 'MAMA (feat bangkokboy)' by Ski Dash

'Wet (feat Jessi)', 'Bbung', '1 Week', 'Kari', and 'Yah, Nuh' by Flowsik

Aaaaand let's end it there 👌 hope you find something you like! I know a lot of these recs are pretty popular but there are some lesser known ones too that I think deserve way more love and attention 🖤

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

My Top 15 Boygroup/Solo Songs (2021)

Remember guys, this is just my personal list.  Let me know what yours are! Love sharing music with eachother etc so let’s all just have fun. 

TOP 15 

1. Beautiful Beautiful - ONF (ONF:MY NAME) April 28th

This is truly no surprise. Anyone who has followed me for a little while knows the way I feel about ONF and their music. As far as ONF goes, this is their best title track yet. It’s fun, upbeat and encouraging. It’s such a hopeful song and something very needed in 2021. The acapella and harmonies throughout the song make it unique and have added to the reasons this is  my favorite songs/albums of 2021. The repackage as well is absolutely genius with songs that connect with eachother like The Realist and The Dreamer. Not to mention the fun pre-release My Name. I can’t imagine the next 1,5 years without new ONF music but I truly will be sad. 

2. Nerves - DPR Ian (Moodswings in This Order) March 12 

Not really Kpop but it’s here. DPR Ian made his long awaited solo debut and holy shit. This album is the most raw, emotional thing I have ever listened too. Every song on the album is so well done, but Nerves is probably my favorite. The raw emotion and the sound of Ian’s voice cracking at his words. It hits my soul. He’s also just so incredibly open with his mental issues and he really let his feelings out in this album. Not to mention the visuals with the album are stunning. Honourable mentions: Welcome to the show  Dope Lovers  Scaredy Cat  He said he’s working on another one and I can’t wait, like really can’t wait. 

3. Moonshot - N.Flying (Man on the Moon) June 7th 

I also don’t think this is a surprise. N.Flying finally got their first full album and I just think it took entirely too long for them to have one. But it totally didn’t disappoint. I have an emotional attachement to N.Flying and for them to release such an empowering song when I really needed it, meant alot. N.Flying always hit and their other song from this year Sober almost made this list, but I decided to put in Moonshot because it resonates a little more. Other songs on this album I recommend are: Comma,  Flashback  Blue Scene I even ordered both versions of this album to support them. I also recommend watching their process of recording this album, it gave a lot of perspective. 

4. 0x1=Lovesong - TXT (ft. Seori) (The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape) August 17th

Now, I only really got into TXT this year. It majorly has to do with their change in sound. I love the rock elements and the feeling this song gave me. It gave me goosebumps the first time I listened to it. Sadly, the rest of the album wasn’t for me but Lovesong made up for all of that. I listen to this song soooo often, I even enjoy the remix with pH-1 and Woodie Gochild it’s just sooooo good. I hope they keep up this sound, like they did LO$ER=LO♥ER. This music video is also my favorite of theirs, the colors, the found family feeling. Truly amazing. 

5. Paranoia - Kang Daniel (Yellow) February 16th 

Daniel is also an artist I got more into this year, mainly because of Paranoia. Paranoia was a great choice for pre-release and this song gave me goosebumps. The visuals with it, the hard work Daniel put into it, he deserves the recognition. The theme is so dark but so honest to how he feels and it just hits so hard. Not to mention the song is just so good and he looked absolutely stunning. I’m not above superficial reasons lmao. Antidote and Save U (ft. Wonstein) are other amazing songs on this album. 

6. Popping! - ONF (Summer Popup Album)  August 9th

Shouldn’t be surprised this is here either. ONF really outdid themselves this year. They worked so incredibly hard and this album shows it. They went through alot of trials this album as well but they worked through it and dropped my favorite summer song possibly ever. Summer Shape  Dry Ice  Summer Poem are amazing songs on this album, totally worth checking out. Please do, they worked so hard. I guarantee at least one song will make you smile. 

7. Hula Hoops (ft. Hwasa, Beenzino) - DPR Live (Iite Cool) July 23rd

DPR Live, sir where do I start. DPR dropped this album with the notion that they just wanted to have fun and have fun they did. This album is fun and lighthearted, just what everyone needed in this last year. The whole album is a fun party and the DPR crew worked so hard for this. Listen to this album for a fun time, I recommend: Yellow Cab  Summer Tights  Boom (ft. DPR Ian) All fun songs with totally different vibes. Music videos are perfect too. 

8. Cinema - CIX (`HELLO' Chapter Ø. Hello, Strange Dream) February 2nd

I’ve mentioned this song alot on my blog, Cinema feels like a warm hug. The best way I can describe this song is, going on your first date to the movies and being too shy to even look at eachother and going in for your very first kiss. Just such a wholesome song. I listen to it for comfort and watch CIX’s content for comfort as well. Stairway to heaven and Young are great songs on this album, I highly recommend. I also have gotten into CIX wayy more this year and to say I adore them is an understatement. 

9. Do or Not - Pentagon (Love or Take) March 15

Pentagon and their amazing songs. Look songs like this tickle that special part in my brain. Do or Not is the perfect song, it’s fun and colorful while not being overbaring. All members got their moment to shine and it’s just so good!!! 1+1 Sing-a-song and Baby I love you are great songs on the album. The album is also just so cute, the whole design of it even. Can’t wait for them to come back. 

10. Advice - Taemin (Advice) May 18 

It’s not a list without something SHINee related and low and behold here it is. The piano in Advice is really what does it for me, not to mention Taemin’s styling to be totally honest. I loved everything about this video. It’s the clean white background while he’s covered in paint and then the other way around. Sad Kids and If I could tell you (ft. Taeyeon) are beautiful songs that show Taemin’s artistry. 

11. Inside Out - Nu’est (Romanticize) April 19th

Nu’est have become one of my favorite groups of all time. I love that their songs are so lowkey and they aren’t in your face. They’re calm and relaxed and just very good like background music. I love Inside Out a lot as the concept really sat with me, not to mention the vocals and visuals that came into play. Not to mention every member got a solo this album: here is Aron’s because I’m so biased: I’m Not . Another good song on the album is Black. Shoutout to Aron for climbing into my ult list as well. 

12. Outsider - BtoB (4U: Outside) August 30th

BtoB had a comeback and I am the happiest person ever. Anyone who has followed me for a few years will know my connection to BtoB and I missed them. Outsider follows that jazzy vibe they’ve always had and emphasized it. Changsub and Eunkwang’s vocals are truly magical and the music video is so insanely fun. My baby Peniel absolutely dominated his rap, especially with the adlibs. Can’t Breathe and Traveler are my favorite b-sides.

13. Teardrop - SF9 (Turn Over) July 5

Runway song of the year, ass shaking music but make it high fashion. Not to mention the choreo. Icons and icons only, this being their comeback after Kingdom too. SF9 forever not getting the attention they deserve. Ughh I love them so much. Love Again, Believer and Off My Mind are amazing b-sides I highly recommend. I also recommend watching every Hwiyoung fancam of Teardrop that you can. You know  for clean skin. Here is a playlist where you can do that

14. All In - DKB (the dice is cast) March 30th

DKB, my sons. They dropped this absolute banger. It gives me old kpop, like 2013 - 2015. DKB are so well developed already, sound wise and choreography. They are so impeccable. I really loved watching them grow from their last comebacks. I hope that with Brave Girls’ recent success that people will check out their little brothers. Anyways, I recommend Flower Less and Real Love off of the album. Please show DKB a lot of love!

15. Atlantis - SHINee (Atlantis) April 12th

Okay it was a toss up between ‘Don’t call me’ and this, but I picked this because it gave me more the authentic SHINee sound. I loved the music video and all the fun little details in it. Also this isn’t a list without SHINee, it’s not valid if they aren’t on it. Body Rhythm, CØDE and Kiss Kiss  are my favorite songs on the album but Body Rhythm takes the cake, never have I heard a more wavy song. 

Favorite debuts

Kingdom ‘Excalibur’ February 17th

Kingdom really got me this year. Their music is absolutely impeccable, the boys are amazing, they’re concept is insane and I love it. I found them to be entirely unique even in dynamic and they have made one of my favorite songs of all time Night Air (Acoustic Version) I can’t wait to see where their concept takes them, because it’s just so interesting. 

Mirae ‘Killa’ March 17th

Mirae are another one of my favorite discoveries. DSP Media sucks, but their groups don’t. This song reminded me of NCT 127′s Superhuman and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. The futuristic vibe to the video and everything also really tickled my pickle. Not to mention I also just adore their content on their channel, it’s just so fun and comforting. 

D.O ‘Rose’ July 26th 

Now, the long awaited solo debut of D.O. This was right up my alley, the acoustic guitars and the comforting lyrics just hit me in the feels. I’m so sad he didn’t promote. This album was also just impeccable and managed to make me absolutely sob my heart out to one specific song: Dad. I hope D.O has more solos in the future because I just adore his voice so much. 

[luvneedsnosyt]

My Favorite Albums of April 2021

Another way late list, but I think May won’t be too far behind and I’ll be caught up!

Here’s my monthly list of albums released in April I was feeling, and some other discoveries made during the month.

You can find my list of my favorite albums of 2020 here And my list of my favorite EPs of 2020 here

Previous Monthly Lists: January, February, March

Best:

AJ Tracey - Flu Game Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Eurostep / West Ten (Feat. Mabel)

BROCKHAMPTON - ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: BUZZCUT (Feat. Danny Brown) / THE LIGHT

Charlotte Cardin - Phoenix Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Passive Aggressive / Meaningless

Cordae - Just Until…. EP Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Dream in Color / Thornton Street

DāM-FunK - Architecture III Genre: Electronic / Ambient

Proof: Grow / Feel

Dawn Richard - Second Line Genre: alt-R&B / Electronic

Proof: Nostalgia / Boomerang

Demi Lovato - Dancing With The Devil...The Art of Starting Over Genre: Pop

Proof: Met Him Last Night (Feat. Ariana Grande) / What Other People Say (w/ Sam Fischer)

Dreamer Boy - All The Ways We Are Together Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: Know You / Easier Said Than Done

Hannah Jadagu - What Is Going On? EP Genre: Indie Pop’

Proof: Sundown / Think Too Much

Houston Kendrick - Small Infinity Genre: R&B / neo-Soul

Proof: Ugly Vybes / Scootin

Julia Michaels - Not In Chronological Order Genre: Pop

Proof: Lie Like This / Undertone

KALEO - Surface Sounds Genre: Rock / Alternative

Proof: Free the Slave / Hey Gringo

London Grammar - California Soil Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: How Does It Feel / Baby It’s You // Bonus: Lose Your Head (Dave Glass Animals Remix) / How Does It Feel (Paul Woolford Remix) / Lord It’s a Feeling (High Contrast Remix)

Maeta - Habits EP Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof:  Teen Scene (Feat. Buddy) / Bitch Don’t Be Mad

Miguel - Art Dealer Chic Vol. 4 EP Genre: alt-R&B

Proof: Funeral / So I Lie

Petit Biscuit - Parachute (Remixes) Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: I Leave Again (Japanese Wallpaper Remix) w/ Shallou / Parachute (Tony Romera Remix)

Porter Robinson - Nurture Genre: Electronic / Future Bass

Proof: Get Your Wish / Something Comforting

Ruff Endz - Rebirth Genre: R&B

Proof: Be The One / Hopeless

Shelley FKA DRAM - Shelly FKA DRAM Genre: R&B

Proof: All Pride Aside (w/ Summer Walker) / Rich & Famous

Two Feet - Max Maco is Dead Right? Genre: Synth Pop

Proof: Never Enough / Flatline

Xavi - To The Endless Searing Skies (Remixes) EP Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: The Warmth of Known (Yitaku Remix) / Our Languish (acloudyskye Remix)

ZHU - DREAMLAND 2021 Genre: Electronic / Dance / Trance

Proof: Sky Is Crying (Feat. Yuna) / ONLY (Feat. Tinashe)

Bonus:

I’m an idiot and left off my last list one of the best album from March from one of my favorite artists

Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club Genre: Pop / Soul Released Marsh 2021

Proof: White Dress / Let Me Love You Like a Woman // Bonus: Blue Banisters / Text Book / Wildflower Wildfire

Others:

Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Gary Bartz - Gary Bartz JID006, The Alchemist - This Thing Of Ours EP, Amy Shark - Cry Forever, Ashley Monroe - Rosegold, Bambounou - Cascade EP, Charlotte de Witte - Formula EP, Conway the Machine - La Maquina, Dinosaur Jr. - Sweep It Into Space, DJ Khaled - KHALED KHALED, Flying Lotus - Yasuke, girl in red - if i could make it go quite, Gotham (Talib Kweli & Diamond D) - Gotham, Greta Van Fleet  - The Battle at Garden’s Gate, Kelly Price- GRACE EP, Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks Of God, P.J. Harding & Noah Cyrus - People Don’t Change EP, Snoop Dogg - From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites, Son Lux - Tomorrow III, Tiana Major9 - At Sixes And Sevens Remixed