#song analysis?? i guess??

[elsaqueenofstress]

thinking about how quill used music as his only reminder of his mother, to the point that he would risk his own life to save it and keep part of her alive, and how we're introduced to him as the one who dances while everyone around him rolls their eyes, and how he raises baby groot to be the first of the team to dance as openly and joyfully as him, and how this groot is the first one to dance during the last scene, and how rocket – who hums tunelessly while he works until he's building stereos to play tunes while fighting until his favorite song is "come and get your love" – joins him without any self-consciousness, and how quill left rocket his zune and team leadership but the first gift he ever gave him was a name for what he was: raccoon, and how drax overcomes his stubborn adherence to never dancing because what matters more to him than being a stoic destroyer is being a father, who makes the hundreds of children that look up to him laugh with delight, and who gets to watch mantis (whose innocence reminded him of his daughter) set off into the world with her own purpose the way his own child never got to, and how nebula dances along with them, no longer holding herself to the second-best status that thanos forced on her, instead at home as a leader who can fight with her family without having to compete with them, and how she stills talks to gamora, who is able to accept that she once meant the world to the guardians, once spoke their language and joined in their hugs and was part of their fun, but that she doesn't owe it to them to join in the dance and be that same person, and returns to the adoptive family that she feels at home with, and the lyric "leave all your love and your longing behind / you can't carry it with you if you want to survive," and how in order to go forward the guardians can't all stay together, but how that doesn't mean they aren't still a team and a family because how do you truly leave the people who have dragged you, doubting and kicking and screaming, toward comfort and security and happiness? for the hottest, slowest, laziest days to end, the ones where you lost best friends and spouses and children and siblings and years of your life and memories with someone, the ones where you run from your past and pretend you were never in pain, never loved anyone, you have to let that hope catch up with you (“happiness hit her / like a bullet in the back”). anyway i think this was a pretty good series like this post if you also had a laugh or two over cosmo the space dog's telekinetic hijinks!!

[mikuyuuss]

The Glory: my thoughts so far

Broke: I love you.

Woke: I will k1ll for you.

So I'm watching this show called "The Glory" it's about a girl named Moon Dong Eun who's plotting to get revenge on her high school classmates and teacher who bullied her, and by bullying I mean (extremely violent mental and physical abuse, which left her body disfigured, and her life ruined)

And I gotta say, THE REVENGE PLOT IN THIS SHOW IS REALLY SATISFYING SO FAR

There's already so much media that vilifies bully victims, so SEEING A BULLY VICTIM AS THE MAIN CHARACTER THAT WE ARE ROOTING FOR IS SO REFRESHING.

I haven't watched that many kdramas but this is also the reason why I appreciated Gangnam Beauty, bc just like The Glory, both the female leads are 

not vilified by the narrative for their unconventional choices, (Kang Mi-rae for her plastic surgery and now Moon Dong Eun for her revenge). In The Glory, the the trauma Dong Eun had to endure while being abused by her classmates and teacher was portrayed in a very sympathetic light, and the story instead pins the blame on the people and the circumstances that led her to make those choices. Not to mention her bullies live good lives but continue to be terrible people with NO REMORSE for their actions even in adulthood, so while Dong Eun's revenge is still morally questionable, it is also VERY understandable.

Another thing I LOVE is how realistic Dong Eun's revenge plot is executed. The show and the Dong Eun herself is aware of the disadvantages she has (with the laws and all) and so she carefully executes her revenge in the way that she doesn't have to get her hands dirty. WHICH MAKES THE REVENGE TO THESE TERRIBLE PEOPLE ALL THE MORE SATISFYING! Remember that teacher who abused her? Yeah, She orchestrated his son to kill him, by simply confessing what the teacher did to her (bc she knows how much their family values reputation) HONESTLY QUEEN, LOVE THAT FOR HER! (also the irony that she also became a teacher like him except better, and is actually kind to her students)

And this show isn't exactly the usual "ReVENGe is BAd!! DOn't throw away your life for reVEnge!!" In fact, most of Dong Eun's allies actually support her because they understand just how evil her former highschool bullies are that they needed to be punished.

Which leads to the scene with Dong Eun and her love interest Ju Yeo-jeong. When she first confessed how she was planning revenge against her bullies, Yeo-jeong thought it was just some light bullying, until she undressed and showed the disfigured scars littered across her body. Yeo-jeong being a doctor, saw her scars and understood how much she suffered that he wept. He went from telling her not to pursue revenge to declared that he is willing to be her accomplish hence this scene.

MURDEROUS VENGEFUL COUPLE, Love that for them. They probably won't come out of this unscathed, but I really want them to WIN and get a happy ending, idk if that's too much to ask for. 😩😩😩😩

[aetherin21]

And with kindness leads to greatness

Patroclus is a kind man, written in between his words of doubt and low self esteem. The way he treats women he encounters with care and empathy speaks volumes then the words he utters.

His mother, everly so writtenly as meek and homely seemed to shine in his eyes as the sandy beaches of his home. As though, supposedly to dispise her from his father's lament. He remembers her simpleness like the warmth of the fading sky. Drifting and disappearing. But as the strings of her lyre, she is there only existing.

When Deidameia got pregnant with Achilles and learned that he will never ever love her, she was angry, disappointed and thrown away. She was promised of the boy and so she gave. And out of sheer destruction of a heart break, she agonizingly seeked comfort from Patroclus and demanded to lay with her so she could even by a small margin feel the soul of Achilles mending her broken heart. Cause as Patroclus quoted he is half of Achilles soul.

She's a victim in all of this as much as she tries to stand between the two lovers. And Patroclus understands this. Bedding her too but out of sympathy and kindness that she wanted to feel.

He was so human that when Briseis was turned into a prize of war, he urged his lover to take her and save her from being soiled by Agamemnon. He befriended her, clothed her, and taught her the way of the greeks. And as more prizes come, if by means possible, he wished for Achilles to take them from the humiliation to come.

In return for his selflessness, he was loved by the girl. Even offering him a child she could bare, knowing full well that she wont be the apple of his eye. But Patroclus could not dirty her like that. He knew she deserved better.

Thetis, on the other hand, had loathed him since the beginning. Yet she unknowingly seeked comfort from his memories of her lost child. Never to truly knowing the boy she had given birth to but only from the words of his lover. Patroclus was at her mercy, begging to reunite with his lover and yet instead of hating her even until death, he sang her Achilles' song.

And with the last hymns of his memory, she obliged writing his name beside her child's. The only motherly thing she had ever done.

Patroclus was the best of the Myrmidons for his sheer kindness alone. The cowardice that was bestowed by his true father was a lie but the name 'Patroclus' that meant glory of the father was true. Chiron is proud of his child. He honored him, using the knowledge he had bestowed and saved dozens of lives of hardened greek soldiers. Memorizing their names and each of their stories like his father did. Although, unlike them, he did not fight with swords and spears, he fought with his empathy in hand.

And the boy he had accidentally killed as a prince? It was not an act of cowardice of his confession, it was atonement. Acceptance of what he had done. Unlike those other kings and princes, he took the punishment as one should supposed to.

And that is why Achilles loved him. And that's why Achilles died when he did. Because he is the mortal half of his supposed to be godhood.

He is his other half, as the poet say.

[cyberpunkboytoy]

I think something the fandom gets a bit confused by is that the songs we hear in Alien Stage aren't always a perfect recreation of what the characters are singing.

Some, like "My Clematis" and "Til the End", are probably pretty literal depictions. But we can basically take it as fact that Ivan did not actually perform "Black Sorrow" on stage, because that song is a solo and we see his opponent singing during their round. Ivan had no foul play, there was no sabotaging of his opponent like Till—we just don't hear the song they actually sang together.

I bring this up only because I've seen people theorizing about whether the songs performed on Alien Stage were written by the staff or by the characters, and acknowledging this really shifts that conversation.

[mint-is-here]

so i was watching lmk s4(still not done, will probably finish it tomorrow but i'm 15 minutes in the special of the season so yay!) and, after knowing more about wukong,i have a much deeper apreetiation for him because i honeslty relate to him.

ok so backstory time but when i was younger, i used to be extremely afraid of death(still am but it almost used ot be a phobia, which honeslty still kinda is(i need therapy)). i wanted to be immortal or at least not be forgotten, so when i died people would still know my name. i wanted to be the greatest so my face wouldt just be another face in a family picture

i was such a normal 7 year old but ANYWAY-

so yeah, i relate to wukong's fear of mortality because of that, and its interesting to see a character with that fear and being able to fight the thing that is suppsed to bring said fear but still not being able to win it. i like how it seems like wukong is not simply power hungry like some people say, but he's mortally afraid(ha) of leavign this world for good. because as much as he is immortal, he always has that uncertainty of 'what if this is not enough?'. so he keeps seeking for more, so he can finally live peacefully with no worries about death, his nor his friends, but in doing so, he sacrified so much. he wasnt able to truly enjoy life like he did before discovering death until he had lost so much and was it worth it in the end? because i belive it will never feel like its enough to him. no matter how many celestial peachers or training or anything he does to gain more immortality, it will never be enough

wukong's fear controls almost every action he takes before the journey and even after that, really shows how much it is part of his life and i want to see him fight that fear and win in the future season, if not others. i guess i just want to see him do it so i can look at my life and see a way to fight it off too:D like 'if he can do it so can i' sort of mentality

[thenothlng]

i hope its us in the end detail shots below the cut.

[mortimerlatrice]

KinnPorsche Music in Context: Episode One

It needs to be said: I started thinking about how a few of the songs used as KinnPorsche background music had incredibly apt or punny titles months ago. It’s been sort of poking around in my head that it might be some light, surface level meta to collect!

Ho boy was I wrong. I don’t know what I expected because absolutely nothing in KinnPorsche is just surface level. In episode one, I have already found several hysterical jokes, commentary on the shifting power dynamics, water symbolism, and many more gems.

Here is the link to my episode one Spotify playlist. I know there are quite a few playlists out there, but even scouring three of them, I still found additional songs that were not cited or mentioned.

There are 37 (yes, you read that correctly, 37!) songs in episode one and that's in addition to a handful of reprisals, so the insanely long list is under the cut.

For other episodes (as I get to them), go here!

We start, of course, with our beloved theme song, เพียงไว้ใจ (or PhiangWaichai) by Slot Machine. There’s plenty of thoughts on this, I’m not digging into it.

Introducing Kinn – Quantum Sonata by FormantX.

Kinn and Big head into the Italian’s den – Our Final Mission by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen. This is the last time Big will join Kinn on a mission as his head bodyguard (I’m not crying, you’re crying.)

Introducing Don and the Italian gang – Waltz for Little Italy by Bireli Snow.

Introducing Porsch – Diggin' the Drama by The New Fools.

Kinn making accusations and  Porsche mixing drinks hoping to get lucky – Covert Affairs by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

After Kinn's iconic "I'm more like my mom," we are introduced to the song that makes the most appearances this episode: Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, L’estate (Summer) composed by Antonio Vivaldi. Now here’s where the KinnPorsche crew start to do what they do best: give us things to obsess over and over analyze.

The concerto has 3 movements and to be honest I’m not 100% sure that they pull from only one of them for the show. Remember when I said I wasn’t musically inclined? If anyone wants to chime in, please do.

Another fun thing about this Concerto? It is traditionally associated with or accompanied by a trio of sonnets (one for each movement). Oh, did I mention Vivaldi was Italian? Themes.

Anyway, the sonnets translated from Italian to English:

I. Allegro non molto– Under the heat of the burning summer sun, Languish man and flock; the pine is parched. The cuckoo finds its voice, and suddenly, The turtledove and goldfinch sing. A gentle breeze blows, But suddenly, the north wind appears. The shepherd weeps because, overhead, Lies the fierce storm, and his destiny. II. Adagio; Presto– His tired limbs are deprived of rest By his fear of lightning and fierce thunder, And by furious swarms of flies and hornets. III. Presto– Alas, how just are his fears, Thunder and lightening fill the Heavens, and the hail Slices the tops of the corn and other grain.

Source

Porsche and his fanclub at Hum Bar – Late Nights by Daxton.

When Yok calls Porsche over to the bar – Mysterious Madeline by Lucas Pittman.

As Kinn is driving over the bridge and they realize they're being followed (and when Porsche is making eyes at the woman across the bar) – Road of Fury by John Abbot.

Big and Kinn fleeing into the tunnels when Big is shot and Kinn is being chased down – They Are Coming by Hampus Naeselius.

There is a brief snippet here with a snare drum and a cymbal (I think?) when Porsche is cheekily asking Kinn for money and pissing in a bottle, but I couldn’t isolate it enough to find it. Any help would be appreciated!

Here, we’re introduced to the perfect fights song, Absolute Power by Hampus Naeselius, when Porsche beats down the street thugs and drives off with Kinn.

She Knocks by Lukas Amil plays when Porsche is being a brat and leaves Kinn at the gas station.

When Porsche comes home to Chay bandaging up Arthee – In Rain - Indigo Days. Can you say water symbolism?

The Joys And Sorrows of Life by Johannes Bornlöf gives a little hope when Porsche and Arthee are sitting and talking about finances and how much they could make off Kinn’s watch.

Porsche at the underground fighting ring has three songs in quick succession: Back to Where it Began by Rockin' For Decades,

Second Hand Slide by Lucas Pittman,

And Around the Bend by Pip Mondy as he turns the fights to his favor. [It is worth noting that they use a sort of stripped down version during most of it, but I couldn't find that version, so they may have done it themselves]

When Porsche comes home to Chay and Arthee celebrating making so much money off the watch we get Gentleman at Heart by Indigo Days. I think this one’s interesting because I’m actually not sure if it’s about Arthee or Porsche…

When Don finds his men tied up and (maybe dead?) – Let Me Introduce Myself by Rune Dale. This comes right after the scene where Korn chastises Kinn for his decision to enrage Don instead of “giving him gifts.” This is Kinn telling Don exactly how he plans to run things and how very different he is from his father. Kinn's mother must have been ruthless with a good sense of humor.

When Kinn asks Chan about finding Jom/Porsche, we're back to Vivaldi’s Concerto. Like the shepherd, Porsche's Destiny hangs over his head.

College Porsche and his stolen pastry get Moonshiner's Turn by Martin Landström.

Jom is approached to act as "a waiter who's actually the greatest boxer undercover,” our dear theater kid gets Concert Hall Hideout by Stationary Sign.

A moment later when Porsche realizes he's been caught? Cheese! by Alexandra Woodward. [This one is not on the Spotify playlist but I did find it on Epidemic Sound.]

When Porsche calls Chay, worried that Chay may be targeted or even taken by Kinn? Extraction by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen. Which is a truly horrible double entendre because the very next song is

Clogged Up by Jerry Lacey. I'm not even dignifying this scene with a response.

Kinn sweet talking Yok (with veiled threats) – Infiltrator by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

Porsche’s kidnapping – Honor the Brave by Hampus Naeselius. 

Kinn reading Porsche his own biography – Beryllium - Farrell Wooten. Beryllium is, according to a brief google search, a natural metal that is expensive, brittle, and dangerous to work with (toxic).

Porsche's fight theme – Absolute Power. Except who has the power this time?

Brief reprise of She Knocks as Kinn once again watches Porsche walk away from him (or throw himself off the boat in this case).

When Korn and Kinn discuss how to force Porsche, and moving into the next scene when Porsche finds Chay cleaning up after another break-in, and through to Porsche finding Thee being beaten up – The Stakeout by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen.

When the loan shark tells Porsche that Thee still owes despite Porsche believing they had paid things off, leading to Porsche forcefully kicking Thee out of his and Chay's life? Ghosting by Christopher Moe Ditlevsen.

When Porsche finally tells Thee to leave and after, when Porsche goes home alone to clean up his ruined house, we get one of my all time favorites – Bitter Heart - Instrumental Version by Memi. Although the soundtrack presumably uses the instrumental version, I would argue that the lyrics were taken into account when choosing it:

“Suddenly you look like a stranger A face I knew, but I must've forgotten … We know we could've done it better Fought for the little things that we wanted … Oh, I wish that you hadn't pulled the trigger Shot me down with my bitter heart My blood is getting thicker You shot me down, you shot me down With my bitter heart”

This is getting way too long, so I cut some of the lyrics but I strongly recommend checking out the original.

As Chay tells Porsche that their parents would be proud of him, there is a very brief reprisal of In Rain.

It then switches to No More Drama by Eric Feinberg as they hug and Porsche tucks Chay in. This calls back to the song that first accompanied Porsche, Diggin’ the Drama, and Porsche has made his decision. He can't keep living like this and he can't let Chay live like this either. 

Porsche's letter and Kinn pouring himself a drink – a reprisal of Gentleman at Heart.

During the famous "your life is mine" scene where, at least in the translation, Porsche asks if Kinn is a god, we get a third reprisal of the Concerto. Porsche's destiny is set, the storm has blown in and ruined his life leaving him desperate.

When Porsche confronts Korn and asks to be Big and Ken's boss and through to Korn Playing Chess – So to Say by Taylor Crane

At which point we get one, final reprise of the Concerto as Korn places the Queen on the board and the game begins.

Finally – Free Fall by Slot Machine.

And, in the interest of being thorough....

Episode Two Preview – Global Impact by Philip Ayers.

[squarebracketsmileyface]

Back at it again with a sad song to relate to these characters!!!!

This is so!!!! This is so Alex to Jay, or at least how he would want to be to him under better circumstances. Or at least that’s how I saw it.

https://youtu.be/R2zXxQHBpd8?si=-VKZo5PAshjGBfQM

Song is: will he by Joji

you're so right. This is so alex wishing he'd been able to be better to jay. (tho there's also an argument that jay also needed to be better to alex, and cos sorry its locked is all jays pov so far i haven't been able to show that he was also pretty bad for alex just like alex was bad for him. neither of them are the good guy, neither of them are purely a victim, neither of them are purely a 'villain' -can't think of the right word so villain will have to do-)

anyway, analysis thingy

I got knots all up in my chest (Up in my chest, up in my chest) Just know, I'm trying my best (I'm trying my best) 'Cause when you look (When you look) When you laugh (When you laugh) When you smile (When you smile) I'll bring you back (Bring you back) And now I'm sad (Now I'm sad) And I'm a mess (And I'm a mess) And now we high (Now we high) That's why I left (Why I left) That's why I left (Woo)

Pretty simple, just Alex thinking about Jay and how much he really did like him. But Alex was a mess and left Jay for Amy because he didn't know how to cope with his feelings (and with some other stuff I haven't written yet, but i'm ignoring that just so this song will fit with what's already actually out there for this fic)

Will your tongue still remember the taste of my lips? (My lips, my lips, my lips) Will your shadow remember the swing of my hips? (My hips, my hips, my hips) Will your lover caress you the way that I did? (I did, I did, I did) Will you notice my charm if he slips up one bit? (One bit)

Again, Alex thinking about Jay. But also, Alex realising that Tim and Jay are together now from watching the videos Jay uploads, he's watched them slowly get closer, and then one entry something changes and Alex knows that Jay has "moved on". Alex wonders whether Tim hold and kisses Jay the way he did that last night he and Jay were together, and he wonders if Jay thinks of him when Tim messes up. He calls it his 'charm' kinda sarcastically, because he's just kinda caught up in hating himself for what he had to do.

Because unlike in uni (their uni relationship was complicated, i promise I'll write it eventually, just know that Jay did some bad stuff just like Alex did), this time Alex was the only person in the wrong for hurting Jay like he did in chapter 2 of Sorry It's Locked.

'Cause I don't need to know I just wanna make sure you're okay (Okay) I don't need to know I just wanna make sure you're all safe All safe, all safe (woo)

Alex doesn't really want to know if he's left Jay with shit from everything that happened around entry 47 (in chapter 1 and 2), he doesn't want to confirm for himself that he hurt Jay so bad that he's been left with lasting emotional shit. He just wants to know that Jay's okay, that he's safe, but every entry Jay posts just confirms over and over again that Jay is not safe, every entry posted just reminds Alex that everything he did to try and drive Jay away and make him give up on finding out what's wrong with Alex and what's going on with the whole Operator thing.

Everything Alex did was for nothing. He hurt Jay for no reason, and sure, he couldn't have known it at the time, but in his little moments of clarity he realizes that he could have done something else. He could have talked to Jay, he could have asked for help, he could have explained what was going on. He didn't have to hurt him, but he did, and it didn't even achieve what he'd wanted it to. If anything, it just made everything worse because now Jay's got someone else involved.

Will he play you those songs just the way that I did? (I did, I did, I did) Will he play you so strong just the way that I did? (I did) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Will he treat you like shit just the way that I did? (I did, I did, I did) 'Cause I don't blame you

Again, Alex thinking about their relationship, both their uni relationship and their one night stand in chapter 1. He knows Tim and Jay are together now and he can't help wondering what their relationship is like, since they keep it completely off camera except for the odd hickey just barely peeping out from under a shirt collar etc.

He can't help almost hoping that Tim treats Jay like shit, and he hates himself for it, he just wishes he could have Jay for himself but he knows he can't. Do you know what I mean. Like, he doesn't actively wish harm on Jay, and he's constantly trying to think of ways to keep Jay safe and alive, but he also can't help feeling jealous of Tim and wishing he'd treat Jay badly so that Alex could swoop in and 'save' Jay. He knows if that happened though, and Jay would shy away from him too, he wouldn't go running into Alex's arms, he'd just be angry at and scared of both of them and would probably do something stupid and get himself killed.

'Cause I don't need to know I just want to make sure you're okay (Okay) I don't need to know I just want to make sure you're all safe

Same as before, in the end, Alex just wants Jay to be okay, he want's to make up for everything he's done by finding a way to make sure Jay lives, to make sure he doesn't have to kill him.

[houseofache]

it doesn’t escape me that “the way that you were” sounds like a funeral processional hymn, with its layered choral-like vocals complete with a bellowing organ instead of vessel’s standard piano. add to the fact that the entire thing is about something no longer being there, having changed beyond recognition— “you will never be the same”— and you have a potent hymn to send off the death of a relationship.

the most cutting line appears in the chorus: “and you think i don’t notice the way that you were?” which encapsulates the depth at which this relationship has shifted beyond what it once was. the singer remembers painfully the difference between who his loved one was and who they are now. resigning himself to a restless send-off, ending with an unanswered question: “how far did they take you?“ with the implication that they will never return.

[vonlipvig]

people that laugh at the idea that 'ttpd is such a complex, difficult to understand album' are very silly because for one, i don't think this album is hard to understand at all, and i think most swifties would agree with me--it's a great album, with lots of beautiful writing, and when you listen to it you get it--, but then again those people then go and post the asylum lyric with the wikipedia paragraph about her upbringing as a 'gotcha', and i'm like...ok, maybe it is hard to understand for them.

[no-1-rosalind-lang-apologist]

the grudge is orion about oliver i feel sick

[kiirotoao]

Hey!! It's the byler music fairy!! What are the songs you most associate with byler, Will, and/or Mike, and why??💙💛🎶🎵🧚‍♀️

Well, hello there, Byler Music Fairy!!! What a lovely surprise to see you this fine day.

OOoo and with a good question, too. I have an entire playlist of songs that remind me of Byler, so allow me to look through it and arrange this accordingly. But also, oh, boy, why? I think for explanations I’m going to pick a top three for each: Mike, Will, and then them together. Because otherwise this post would be an entire essay 😂.

Mike

Glimpse of Us - Joji

The second I heard this song, I was like: Oh. My. God. This is Mike Wheeler. Take one look at the lyrics and the battle between remembering a past lover while having someone else in your arms and it all screams Mike’s love towards Will and El. The emotion and the way that Joji sings with pain and regret coupled with the gentle piano really makes this song powerful and sweetly holds the internalized emotions that I perceive in Mike.

Watch Me Bleed - Tears For Fears

I feel like Mike goes along with Tears For Fears so much, and a good fit I feel for him is Watch Me Bleed, a song written with frustration, acceptance, wrapped in a tender cry for help. I feel like this song really reflects Mike’s role in his family as well as his view of himself and putting himself down in season 4. Basically, this song really carries the angst of his story for me.

LOST BOY - Troye Sivan

I can’t have a song list without Troye Sivan, and oh my gosh, this one is killer. Lost Boy sings a tale for s3 Mike the most, but it also carries over to his relationships all throughout the show, in my eyes. This song is about not being sure to commit to someone, to wanting freedom, to wanting someone to be free with him, to also not wanting to quite grow up. And as much as that idea of growing up is often tied to Will, I really feel like this song leans more to Mike’s side of the story, of loving so openly and maybe even too quickly that it leaves him in this state of uncertainty.

Will

tolerate it - Taylor Swift

THIS. SONG. HOLY. SHIT. This song was made for Will Byers. With a somber and soulful piano line, Taylor weaves a lament of her lover not noticing her works of art, her simple care, her presence. It’s invisible love as a song, and it’s every longing stare that Will gives Mike without him giving anything back. This is a reflection of Will’s heart when it cries - there’s even a lyrics about “use my best colors for your portrait” - and I just need to stop here before I go insane.

I’m Still Standing - Elton John

I call this cheating because I tried to keep away from using songs directly on Mike and Will’s Spotify playlists, but this one is way too perfect for me to leave out. I’m Still Standing highlights Will’s journey, his perseverance, and I love the chorus’ line: “looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.” That succinctly captures Will’s story of going through hell and still coming through with his whole heart, enough to still feel wholly his age. It’s an upbeat kind of pick-me-up song, and it makes me really happy when I think about it in terms of how strong Will is.

FOOLS - Troye Sivan

And of course, another Troye song for Will. And this one is for Will as regards his queerness. This song is special to me for that. Fools is a heartbreaking dream that Troye knows will never come true, a forbidden romance, and he calls himself a fool for falling for the boy he loves. I also like to think of it as an ode to Will’s painting and the van confession. This is tolerate it but openly gay, and it’s so, so painful in a lovely way.

Byler

I Found - Amber Run

This song is another somber one, and like Fools, it’s about forbidden love. This time it’s much more general but also pointedly about a love that “wasn’t supposed to be,” of someone “right in front of” the singer. I love this song and Byler because it’s all about their struggle as best friends in a homophobic town, not sure what to do with their relationship. The many pushes and pulls and yet the gravity in Amber’s voice really brings out the almost inevitable nature of the pull and how it hurts with how strong it is. Powerful stuff.

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx

When making this list, I was like, okay, I have to choose a love song. But which one? So many go with Byler! And then I came across this one that I found on the radio, and I immediately came back to this post to put it down. Right Here Waiting is a sweet ballad of long distance love, of looking back at all the good things grown between the lovers, of literally “going crazy” without the lover. So, I mean, come on. Crazy together, it’s all there. This is a love realization song for them that makes me think of them very fondly, like they were right there for each other and finally came to understand it.

The King - Sarah Kinsley

OH my god. I promised that I wouldn’t make this an essay, and I’m trying hard not to, but guys. Please. Of all songs here, please, if you go and listen to one song on this list, make it this one. The King is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, and I found it thanks to a mutual on TikTok (who’s currently a private account, so sorry, but I can’t link) who made a Byler edit with it, and my brain merely exploded. This song never even names, “love,” but it’s so intrinsically heartfelt and laced with emotion and want and beauty and I cannot express to you how gorgeous it is!! To me, this song captures all of Byler’s hopes and ambitions and forces of love. It’s such a thrilling song, and it makes me feel like I’m flying. It’s a spectacularly euphoric rendition of what their love is and can be in its full and realized greatness, and I think that that’s the most exciting part about this song. It feels like what Byler can be, like the peak moments of their flirting put to music and all the dreams in their eyes that flash back and forward in that single second.

And not only that! The lyrics are also scattered full of Byler things: of time, of phone calls, of the rain, of a castle built and falling, of wholly falling apart and getting back together, of future dreams, of being the “king of your heart,” just like that painted crown above the heart. This song simply is romantic Byler to me.

And that’s all I’ll say as this has gotten long enough. But thank you for coming to my TED talk if you made it here, and THANK YOU dear anon! This was a very fun write 🫶

[dhmis-autism]

@idont-know-what-im-doing replied to your post “"anyways id survive in that house" sounds like...”:

Those are also true for Duck. Does he look sane to you?

​REBUTTAL TO THIS: IM NOT HIM I COULD DO IT!!! also idk man. hes not like,actively going nuts, I don't think. like, if they never leave, he'd be the one least bugged by it yknow? Red's LOSING it, Yellows like,haunted by his not-mom and battery memories and if my lil green guys got none of that going on he's pretty fine I think.

REBUTTAL TO YOUR SECOND COMMENT:

I DONT HAVE ANY REBUTTAL THATS JUST MEAN

[carverl]

If I'm being 100% honest with myself, this opening is perhaps the greatest achievement of the I Expect You To Die franchise in my opinion. I am constantly blown away by how incredible the whole thing is; the song itself by Puddles Pity Party is one of my favourite songs of all time, I listen to it constantly whether I'm at college, out on a walk or just shopping I've got this thing on repeat.

The way it's from the perspective of John Juniper, the main villain of the second game, who you'll be facing off against gives it this feeling of having a personal beef with Juniper before you've even met him. Like a rivalry is born between you, the player, and the villain right away just by how vindicate and snide the lyrics are and how they're directed at you. The first opening had a similar type beat with an unseen antagonist berating you, but in that case it was (and still kind of is) a little vague as to who was actually singing. In this case it's undeniable who you're meant to defeat and just how effortlessly it sets up the central gimmick of Juniper and his sadistic narcissism it's just so good.

It's especially interesting how Juniper seems to want Pheonix to act as their co-star in a way, talking about their battle of wits like it's a production they're playing their respective roles in; that being the hero and the villain. (Curious how Juniper seems to view himself as a villain, at least he's semi self aware, I guess) It acts in contrast to the first game's song in which it's clear the singer thinks nothing of you, here Juniper really seems to want to share the spotlight with Pheonix.

The visuals are incredibly memorable, where the first game used red, black, and white as its three colour atheistic this game uses green, gold, and black and I love how both tell you something about the villains; red used in the context of Zoraxis is a violent and sinister colour with connotations of blood whereas green and gold bring to mind wealth and privilege. Green also has a sickly connotation, like while Juniper is incredibly well off, he's also unwell and has a toxic relationship to his own status and sense of ego.

I also love the use of classic symbols associated with film and the theatre all throughout this opening, it almost feels like each of these title sequences step into the mind of the villain and you get to see their perspective of you and of the world. For Juniper, that's a world of adoring fans who are blind to his true intentions, all except for you. It almost feels like a classic "We're not so different) kind of thing except a bit more subtle. My favourite visual in the whole thing has to be the nukes flying towards Earth that's just so unbelievably cool.

I just absolutely adore this opening, and while I think the opening to Cog in the Machine has improved visuals, this game has a banger of a song that will go down as one of the all time greats in spy media. It's amazing how they took arguably the best part of the first game and made it 100× better in every way. It evokes images of classic spy films like Goldfinger and the whole vibe is impeccable.

10/10 absolute classic

[icarusthefool]

Whenever I think about hs analytically, idk how much credit to give hussie. Like, to my brain it makes sense that when gamzee was exposed to ICP he would have a negative reaction, because alot of ICP songs, while still being about clowns and violence, are also directly opposing those in power (and condemning bigotry, etc) and that goes against how things are in alternia and how gamzee was taught things are supposed to be. But considering hussies portrayal of gamzee (before and after sobriety) and their portrayal of icp and stuff, I don't really think that was their intention when writing that particular moment.

[thejadecount]

So out of curiousity I searched up the lyrics to the 2012 TMNT and ROTTMNT and compared what each song said about each of the turtles and how they connect to each other

Ralph is pretty simple, talks about his agressiveness and personality. How he’s always ready for a fight (Rise) and how he has the most attitude on the team (2012).

Both songs literally just talk about how Donnie’s a big machine nerd. (2012: Donnie is a fellow, has a way with machines. Rise: Donnie rocks machines) To be fair at a first glance Donnie’s obsession with technology is what majorly sets him apart from the other turtles, it’s what every non-fan knows about him. That and ‘oh he’s the purple one, why is a boy wearing purple it’s such a girly color blah blah blah’ can it.

Leo was a bit hard to translate into one character, since each Leo acts majorly different considering 2012 Leo was the leader and forced into all this serious stuff and part of a quadruplet and had all of these expectations while Rise Leo is younger than Ralph (the previous leader) so he wasn’t. But basically both have the tendency to do whatever it takes/go to the extreme for their own purpose regardless of the consequences, whether it’s out of entertainment and silly antics or it’s to save their brothers. (2012: Does anything it takes to get his ninjas through. Rise: Leo’s making a scene.) To put it simply: sheer determination/ambition.

Then there’s Mikey. His defining feature? He’s the feral one. The Jack-of-all-Trades. He just does shit. That’s it, he’s just absolutely crazy, I don’t what to tell you. See, I would say childish, but they are all in fact, teenagers (as the first T in TMNT says) and babied/seen as childish by the other turtles, so he has an excuse. (2012: Michelangelo, he’s one of a kind, and you know just where to find him when it’s party time. Rise: Mikey’s got mad skills).

In conclusion: fuck man I didn’t know I just wanted to do this out of curiosity. Both iterations of the characters are pretty faithful to the baseline of them in general? And those who say otherwise are just being dramatic and salty and most likely hating on one of the versions? Yeah, that works.