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taehyung-rambles · 3 years

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Best BTS Vocal Takes: Early 2021 Edition (Up to Butter)

This post is gonna look like a full ass mess, I’m gonna tell you right now.

So, I’m kind of obsessed with BTS’s vocals; I don’t know if that’s, like, an unpopular opinion or anything, but I’m here to talk about it. What I’m looking at here are BTS’s vocal takes. In this context, a vocal take is a section of a song that a member or members sing, and the ones I’m listing are the best of the best (not iconic, mind you; iconic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best vocal take ever. This also isn’t about how good the melody for song is; it’s about the vocal quality). This is all in my opinion, of course, so I’m just picking what stands out to me. A few things to bear in mind:

This is based off of my personal BTS playlist, so not all of BTS’s songs are considered because I don’t listen to every single BTS song.

The links that are on the timestamps mark the beginning of the vocal take; you’ll have to note the ending time yourself and pay attention when listening to the song because Tumblr doesn’t let us embed audio into a text post. Sometimes the timestamp will start in the middle of a member’s verse and only include a small part. Don’t worry about it. I mean what I say, and the tiny parts are the parts that I want to look at sometimes. Also, the videos linked are all lyric videos, so the timestamps come from those videos specifically. Some of the videos don’t assign the lyric to the correct member (like saying Jin sung Jungkook’s part or whatever), but I’ve corrected for it in my post.

Not every song has an extraordinary vocal take. Also, some songs will list the first of many times the member sings a specific melody because all the vocal takes are the same; in that case, I’m talking about every time the member sings that part. However, sometimes the vocal takes are different despite it being the same member and the same line; in that case, I will clarify that I mean “Taehyung’s second chorus” or whatever.

I think all the members sound 110% amazing at all times, but this post is to find the times where they sound so good that it could be considered some of their best vocals ever.

This doesn’t include the live interpretations of the songs as BTS sometimes rearrange their songs for live versions. It also doesn’t include self-released songs (sorry, Sweet Night; I wish I could include you, too); it’s just including BTS songs, though that does include solo songs released under BTS.

As this is based solely on studio recordings, I still consider vocal takes that are highly edited and processed if they sound amazing. It may not be how they sound live because they don’t use the effect on their vocals live, but the way the vocal take turned out in the studio still makes it one of their best vocal takes ever.

On some of these songs, I went in. Some songs have so many vocal take examples that I should’ve just said “the whole song,” so be prepared.

Some songs are gonna have statements like “this member did the best with this melody,” and that doesn’t mean I dislike other members who sing the same part; I just think that specific member stood out to me more. I promise that, for every song I say Jimin sang the melody the best, there’s another song where I say Jin sang the melody the best.

My bias 100% does get in the way. Taehyung’s vocals always stand out to me the most, so naturally, I find more exceptional vocal takes with his solos.

That being said, all the members mean a lot to me, and they all have representation on this list because they all kill it. And, again, even though this post is for the best of the best, BTS is already the best there is.

Share your opinions with me in the replies. All of us listen to different combinations of BTS songs, and all of us like different parts of the same songs. Maybe some of your biases will get in the way of your opinions, but that’s the fun of loving BTS. Anyway, this post will look like a hot mess and be long as shit because BTS has a fat ass discography, so we’re just going to have to do our best. If you don’t want to look through this whole thing, I suggest you just skim for a specific song or member. (P.S. I’m not trying to say a whole bunch of shit about every vocal take because that’d leave me dead before we hit the Dope era, so hopefully, this’ll be shorter than you think).

Attack on Bangtan

Namjoon & Yoongi [0:08-0:15] - No shade to Hobi here, but the way Namjoon and Yoongi do the “jingyeokhae bang.tan.sonyeondancheoreom” is fire. Namjoon is all calm, and then Yoongi comes in with a really whiny, brassy version of that line, and it’s awesome.

Paldogangsan

Jimin [0:14-0:18] - Jimin doesn’t sound like Jimin in this section of Paldogangsan, but he does sound super cool. He’s got an almost speech-like tone to his voice, and it sounds really good against Namjoon’s vocal.

Hobi [1:31-1:41] - Hobi doesn’t do this often, where he intentionally highlights the over-animation, nasality, and grit in his voice, but it stood out so much in this song.

Boy in Luv

Taehyung [0:13-0:24] - He just kills this hook, doesn’t he? The growl, the grit. Iconic.

Jungkook [0:25-0:35] - I’m gonna say it: this is Jungkook’s best rap verse ever. No offense to his earlier and later work, but this slaps.

Namjoon [0:41-0:47] [2:14-2:16] - In Namjoon’s first vocal take, it’s the vocal breaks, for me--like, the little hitches in his pitch at the end of his phrases. For the second, it’s the animation. He’s so colorful in that second vocal take, and it’s some of the best stuff he’s done.

Yoongi [1:57-2:08] - Look, Yoongi’s whole verse slaps, but this last half is such a vibe. And that “ow!” at the end is ecstasy.

SPINE BREAKER

Taehyung [1:06-1:17] [1:22-1:27] - I know it’s not much, but doesn’t his voice, like, make this song? It does include the effect on his vocal, but it blends so well with the natural depth of his voice, and it sounds badass.

JUMP

Taehyung [0:59-1:16] - I mean, how could I not include “nuga naruel magado”? This is one case where iconic does equal awesome because Taehyung’s delivery of this line is such that no one could do it better.

Danger

Jungkook [1:24-1:28] - It’s literally one line, I understand, but do you hear that static he puts onto his voice when he sings the “uh”? Beacuse it’s dangerous.

Jimin [1:28-1:36] - I’m putting it down that this is one of Jimin’s best vocal takes, even to this day, periodt. His voice is deep, but he slides up into a yippy sound, and it’s 100%.

War of Hormone

Namjoon [0:20-0:40] - Can I say this is one of BTS’s best rap verses, let alone one of Namjoon’s? Did I just say that? Well, there it is.

Taehyung [1:34-1:39] - I don’t know why this one part of War of Hormone reads better than the rest of Taehyung’s parts (even though he slays in this song regardless), but I think it’s that the melody moves upward one the “choego” part, and Taehyung still growls when he does that, so it sounds really good.

Hold Me Tight

Taehyung [1:15-1:29] - You can say what you want about Taehyung’s vocal agility back then and now, but the fact of the matter is, he nailed the vocal run in this vocal take, and it sounds fire.

Jimin [3:45-3:59] - Ah, Park Jimin. Every time he comes in on a song like this with his brassy falsetto, I die. His high note in this is absolutely stunning, but so is are his vocals leading up to it.

DOPE

Jungkook [0:19-0:22] [1:36-1:38] - The first vocal take is... I don’t know; the way Jungkook delivers it is perfect. Speaking of perfect, why is specific way Jungkook sings “jjeoreo” so satisfying? Do you know?

Hobi [0:53-0:56] - This is a sound that Hobi is really brilliant at producing, and that’s what he did here. What a king.

Boyz With Fun

Yoongi [0:47-0:51] - He just sounds cute, okay? No, but this is the exact type of animation in Yoongi’s voice that always works. It’s a style he found that always produces gold, and it’s awesome in Boyz With Fun.

Taehyung [1:57-2:05] - I’m telling you, there’s something about Taehyung going up in pitch while he’s growling that makes his vocal takes slap. Also, the amount of growl in his voice for this song is extra special, you know?

RUN

Hobi [1:40-1:47] - This verse is so vibey. I don’t really like RUN that much, but Hobi sounds so good because he’s got that groovy vocal tone, you know? On top of the melody, I think this is one of Hobi’s catchier verses.

Jimin [3:04-3:07] - So, this is during Jungkook’s line, but Jimin harmonizing in the back is so pretty. It’s the exact type of piercing vocal that stands out in a good way, and Jimin does really well in that wheelhouse.

Butterfly

Taehyung [0:14-0:25] [2:34-2:47] - So, the first take here is absolutely gorgeous because Taehyung’s vocals sound really delicate, but the second take is listed because he uses his full voice. The second take is the second time he sings in the chorus, and I like it a lot better than the first because it’s more of a belt and less breathy; that specific take is beautiful to listen to.

Jungkook [0:51-0:57] - I’m not gonna lie; sometimes Jungkook’s voice is a bit too clean. Sometimes there’s not a whole lot of texture going on. However, in this vocal take, he’s adding breath, he’s adding vocal cries, he’s adding vocal cracks; it’s perfect for the song, and it sounds absolutely amazing.

Jin [2:09-2:20] - Jungkook made fun of both Jin and Taehyung in this song--which is a funny meme--but I thought both of them fit the concept of Butterfly to a T, and this specific vocal take is an example of that. Jin sounds like he’s out of breath, which would usually be bad, but it works in Butterfly, and it’s become one of the best moments in the song.

Whalien 52

Jungkook [1:06-1:15] - This is one of those songs where a really clean vocal is as close to perfect as it can get, and Jungkook’s tone sounds stunning here.

Ma City

Namjoon [0:15-0:28] - Namjoon had this melody again in Ma City, but the way he delivers it in the beginning is so fire because it’s overly animated and subdued at the same time. I don’t know if that makes sense, but Namjoon sounds super cool in this vocal take.

Jin & Jimin [1:11-1:18] - Jin just sounds good here, right? He doesn’t have vocal takes like this often because he usually gets softer parts of songs, and it’s not like this is a gritty vocal take, it’s just that Jin had a bit more bass to his voice here, you know? I stuck him and Jimin together because Jimin sings literally right after Jin, and splitting them up would’ve been dumb. Jimin singing “Ma cityro wa” is one of the vibiest things I’ve ever heard. That is all.

BAEPSAE

Namjoon [0:10-0:22] - But Namjoon sounds so cool saying “baepsae”? It’s, like, a little whispery? And he really hammers that “e” vowel? It all sounds awesome?

Taehyung [0:56-1:07] - I didn’t think I was gonna put this down--which, this serves to mark both times Taehyung sings this part--but Taehyung intentionally puts a bit of a cry into his voice to make his vocal crack, and it really works well with the beat of this song.

Jungkook [1:29-1:33] [2:41-2:52] - So, the first one is a nice, little vocal run from Jungkook, but it’s one of the most satisfying ones I’ve heard him do. The second one is a short rap verse, and it’s on of my favorite Jungkook vocal takes ever. It’s such a fun verse, and he really pushes his vocal to add as much character as possible.

Jimin [3:24-3:27] - Jimin on a high harmony like this is always awesome, but this one is particulary satisfying, to me.

FIRE

Yoongi [0:08-0:09] [0:36-0:47] - I know we all know that Yoongi’s opening line is one of most iconic things he’s ever done, but I had to list it. Now, his rap verse--and I mean this honestly--is one of my favorite BTS rap verses to this day. The sheer animation in his voice. Yoongi killed this song in more ways than one, y’all.

Hobi [0:27-0:36] - Hobi’s verse is iconic for all the same reasons Yoongi’s is. Animated vocals, amazing vocal texture, brilliant delivery; it’s all aces.

Jimin [0:56-1:05] - “Errbody say la la la la la” is catchy and all, but can we acknowledge that Jimin’s voice is actually what makes it sound so good?

Taehyung [1:13-1:17] - This is, like, the eyecatch of the whole song. Other than Yoongi’s opening line, Taehyung’s line made this song what it is. And nobody can deliver this line like Taehyung can. It’s definitely one of his most memorable vocal takes.

Namjoon & Hobi [1:35-1:44] - Namjoon’s verse is good, but it’s this specific part where he and Hobi trade off that it becomes an incredible vocal take for both of them because their vocal characteristics match up so well.

Jin [2:24-2:33] - I had to get Jin in here somewhere because he got to use a deeper part of his voice while still going up to that beautiful falsetto note, and it’s, no pun intended, fire.

EPILOGUE: Young Forever

Hobi [1:10-1:18] - Hobi’s verse in this song is great, but this ending bit is the shit that hits you really hard. The way he delivers it, and the fact that the music stops, makes it the best part of this song. Period.

GOOD DAY

Jin [1:24-1:33] [4:08-4:19] - Don’t ask me why Jin always slays Japanese songs. I don’t know, either, but his soft vocal in Good Day is perfect for the atmosphere that song is trying to produce, and because of that, it’s gotta be one of Jin’s best vocal takes.

Namjoon [2:34-2:45] - Give Namjoon more parts like this 2k21 because, I swear, y’all, when Namjoon sings, it’s always gonna be one of his best vocal takes.

Taehyung & Jungkook [3:13-3:16] [3:23-3:26] - In the first vocal take, the way their vocals blend on “’til the end of life” with the extra swell of the backing vocal? Please. I can’t tell if it’s more than just Taehyung and Jungkook, but it sounds amazing. The second vocal take is Jungkook’s high note, but Taehyung underneath him on the harmony makes it sound so warm? BigHit, where the fuck is my Taekook subunit?

Blood Sweat & Tears

Jimin [0:04-0:14] - This is meant to reference all the times Jimin sings this melody, but doesn’t his vocal type just fit this song? He sounds amazing because he got to be the vocal center of this song.

Namjoon & Jungkook [0:45-0:56] - This would qualify as one of Namjoon’s best vocal takes, even without Jungkook, but Jungkook comes in and completes it really well with his smooth vocal, so it becomes epic for both of them.

Taehyung [1:06-1:16] - Alright, I love how Taehyung sounds in this song regardless because his vocal sounds so fragile, and it’s gorgeous. However, this timestamp is for this chorus only and not his second because, when he comes down from the vocal run, he adds static on his voice, and it’s sexy, y’all.

Hobi [1:27-1:47] - We weren’t getting out of this without mentioning “wonhae manhi manhi.” No, but, it’s not because it’s iconic; it’s because Hobi sounds so damn good with the way he delivered this line.

Stigma

Taehyung [2:35-3:18] - This is our first solo song, and I’m not gonna waste time because I honestly think this entire song is some of Taehyung’s best work vocally. However, if I’m picking out a moment, it’s everything from the bridge onwards because his control of his falsetto register is beautiful, and the brassy sound he chose for the jazzy tone of this song was genius. Genuinely, this is one of the best songs on any BTS album.

Awake

Jin [2:48-3:13] [3:24-3:29] - I’m being picky here, too, so I don’t have to say “the whole song.” The first vocal take of him singing the bridge is so pretty, and the second is his high note because holy shit, the vocal tone he had on that note was stunning.

Spring Day

Namjoon [0:17-0:35] - Look, I say “fuck yeah, give Hobi more parts in Spring Day besides just singing in the background,” but it is such a shame that Namjoon doesn’t sing this part live. This is, without a doubt, in the list for Namjoon’s top three vocal tracks. He sounds phenomenal. Oh my goodness; he sounds like an absolute angel.

Jimin [0:53-1:01] - Ah! Jimin is absolute master of knowing when to add vocal cracks, and he nails it in Spring Day. Like, Namjoon’s part gets me primed to cry, and Jimin’s part is where I lose it.

Jin [2:23-2:31] [4:12-4:30] - I don’t know if you guys get what I mean, but Jin has a specific tone when he sings, so he sounds very Jin. It worked so well in these vocal takes because it was pure emotion. Jin outdid himself in Spring Day vocally.

Taehyung [2:58-3:27] - Y’all can fight me in the replies all you want, but Taehyung could be the main vocalist of BTS in songs like this. The fact that his voice is still deep on this vocal take while also being delicate, but also full, is amazing. The texture on his voice in this take is beautiful. I picked the second chorus he sang because he was more belty on it than in the first, but this whole song is a win for Taehyung. This also includes his part in the bridge, which is one of the best vocal takes in BTS by far. Vocalists and the rap line included. I mean, the vocal crack alone.

Jungkook & Jimin [3:32-3:36] - This is in the top ten best harmonies by BTS. Fight me in the replies. I mean, please; they sound absolutely angelic together.

Taehyung & Jimin [4:07-4:11] - This is, like, a money piece in this song, and Jimin’s vocal is what makes it that way. That being said, having Taehyung underneath him makes it so much better.

Not Today

Yoongi [0:17-0:27] - It’s the fact that Yoongi used his vocal tone so well, you know? I’m gonna stop here because I’ve been talking too much, but Yoongi really said, “Watch me own this song.”

Jungkook [1:07-1:09] - I know this is a tiny part, but doesn’t Jungkook do it so well? Doesn’t he sound amazing?

Namjoon [1:44-1:53] - You know, Namjoon has got a deep voice, and when he uses it on verse with so much onomatopoeia, it really sticks out. It’s almost like ASMR, the way he chose to deliver his verse here.

A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone

Hobi [0:46-0:59] - Hobi sounds so pretty in this vocal take. The way he sings, it’s almost like listening to a solo in a gospel choir. It’s so soothing and emotional. Honestly, it’s probably the best part of this song.

DNA

Taehyung [0:16-0:30] [2:49-2:56] - Is this era when the widespread Taehyung bias took hold? Because I think it is. For all we talk about Taehyung’s deep vocal tone, this is one of only a handful of BTS songs where he’s actually singing in a low register since he’s normally singing in a tenor register. He sounds like honey in DNA. I always love Taehyung, but there will always be something special about him coming out in DNA and saying, “I’m a baritone, bitch, ain’t you knew?”

Hobi [0:30-0:37] [3:23-3:26] - Hobi invented the phrase “a vibe” with his verse. He’s doing animation, he’s doing stylization, he’s doing different vocal tones. And the “la la la la la la’s” at the end? Please.

Yoongi [1:32-1:39] - It’s like Yoongi using his husky voice that you hear more in darker songs or with his mixtapes in a high energy pop song is devastating, you know?

Jungkook [1:47-1:50] - Yo, Hobi is one version of vibey, but isn’t the way Jungkook does this one line hella vibey, too? I love it when Jungkook does this with his voice because it’s a type of vocal tone for pop music that he doesn’t do often, and it always sounds amazing when he does.

Best Of Me

Jin [0:17-0:24] - Jin vocal tone sounds really good on this track, and I don’t understand why it’s so different? Like, he sounds like Jin with a bit of Jungkook mixed in. It’s an incredible vocal take because of the way Jin chose to use his voice.

Taehyung [0:25-0:33] - It’s like... this is the exact vocal tone that kills in songs like this. I absolutely love when Taehyung’s voice sounds like it’s about to crack into falsetto because it makes the vocal so emotional.

Yoongi [1:19-1:28] - Y’all remember when Jungkook sang this part because Yoongi was still recovering from his shoulder surgery? I sobbed. Anyway, Yoongi sounds really soothing here. I know he makes fun of his own singing voice, but he’s able to add the same tone into his singing as he does with his rap, and it translates so well. This is one of the few times he’s done it, so I love this vocal take. It’s, hands down, the best part of Best of Me.

Dimple

Taehyung [0:08-0:13] [0:56-1:01] [2:01-2:05] [3:03-3:05] - Don’t @ me for my Taehyung bias, alright. Listen, this shit came out in 2017, but I could swear 2021 Kim Taehyung is the one singing. His tone sounds gorgeous. He’s got that low adlib at the end, too. He shared a couple lines in this with Jungkook, but I wish we’d been able to hear Taehyung more because it’s one of those genres that Taehyung just nails.

Jimin [0:30-0:34] [0:42-0:49] - This is in a lower key when compared to the rest of BTS’s stuff, right? Listen, Jimin’s lower register doesn’t go all that low, but when he sings lower in his personal range, he sounds so interesting to listen to. That’s why these two vocal takes are some of my favorites from Jimin.

Jin [1:27-1:31] [2:57-3:02] - Jin may be the king of high notes, but he usually sounds pretty thin when he goes up high. In this song, however, he sounded so full, and it was so nice. I love Jin’s tone normally, but woo, Dimple was doing things for him. That adlib at the end was one of the best vocal takes I’ve heard from Jin.

Jungkook [2:21-2:34] - Jungkook always has this nice, full-textured high notes in the studio, which is nice because he’s another one that goes really thin when he sings high notes live. The high note in Dimple is so satisfying to listen to. Beyond that, though, the way he begins this line by almost sighing out of his head voice is so pleasing.

Pied Piper

Namjoon [0:40-0:45] - He just sounds vibey; I don’t know what else to say. To say it’s one of Namjoon’s best vocal takes ever may be a stretch, but the transition between his rap tone and his singing tone is beautiful to me.

Jin [1:00-1:03] [2:44-2:54] - Jin’s got that full tone I love in this song again. These particular takes showcase how nice his vocal tone can be. Especially his breathy head voice.

Taehyung [1:04-1:07] [2:55-3:05] - So, I think the tone of Pied Piper was handcrafted for Taehyung’s voice, for real. The melody and the lyrics are begging for a sensual vocal, and because Taehyung delivered it the way he did, it came out amazingly. Even Taehyung’s head voice has a lot of depth to it on the chorus.

MIC Drop

Hobi [0:28-0:50] - If we’re gonna bring up the best BTS rap verses, this one is front and center. Hobi’s tone on this track is insanely fun to listen to because he really goes for that whiny sound that compliments the lyrics perfectly.

Yoongi [0:50-1:13] [1:44-1:46] - I mean, Yoongi’s got the best parts of MIC Drop, too; hands down, this is one of his best verses. I love when Yoongi chooses a higher-pitched tone--and he goes whiny in this song, too--to drive home sassy lyrics, and it slaps in MIC Drop. And that second take... I mean, why does Yoongi on the “bal bal joshim neone mal mal joshim” line devastate?

Jimin [1:24-1:29] [3:48-3:52] - The first take is kind of also about the effect on Jimin’s vocal, but both the first and second takes are fire for him because he adds character into his voice. It’s just short of adding grit to it, but it works so well.

Jungkook [1:18-1:23] - Okay, the reason the “how you think ‘bout that” part is here and not the “did you see my bag” part is because Jungkook yips more on the “how you think ‘bout that” line, and it’s amazing.

Namjoon [2:09-2:20] - I understand that this is about the effect on Namjoon’s voice, and I don’t care. It turned out so well on top of the slight growl in Namjoon’s vocal, and I stan this as one of his finest moments.

Taehyung [2:26-2:31] [2:43-2:48] [3:23-3:28] - I will die on the hill of Taehyung being the best vocalist in rap-heavy songs. The grit in his voice is the perfect accompaniment to offset the rappers. I really think this song was a win for him all around. Like, legit, Taehyung is sliding up into a yip all throughout this song, and yet his vocal always has bass. How in the hell? That’s the magic of his vocal in this song.

Jin [2:37-2:43] [3:17-3:23] - The second take of the first timestamp just hits different. It’s subtle, but the added umph Jin put in his voice elevated it a lot. Also, Jin’s low voice at the end is perfection.

Go Go

Jimin [0:13-0:25] [1:19-1:23] - Jimin hits different in this song. He has hella animation in Go Go. Like, he sounds like a full ass crow in that second vocal take, and it slaps? Someone explain?

Hobi [0:27-0:34] - Animation is the theme of this song--which is the product of the lyrics--and the way Hobi does it is one of the best examples of him using this tone.

Yoongi [0:52-0:56] - Yoongi sounds like a bird, too, y’all. And it’s still so pleasant to listen to. Please tell me how this is one of Yoongi’s best lines ever.

Taehyung [1:53-2:05] - Deadass, I nearly hated this verse because it’s so over the top, but fam, the animation in Taehyung’s vocal is iconic. Nobody does it like Kim Taehyung, I tell you what. He hits way different on this track. This is my favorite part of Go Go now. He stepped into the rap line in Go Go with this shit, and I want more of it. Let Taehyung sound like a whole ass cartoon character again, please.

SEA

Taehyung [4:52-5:04] - I can’t express what it is about this vocal take. I didn’t mean for it to be here, but it’s so emotional. Maybe it’s the key it’s in; maybe it’s because it’s the last line. I don’t know, but Taehyung sounds like a dream. When he goes this low, it’s stunning.

Don’t Leave Me

Jimin [0:56-1:07] [2:22-2:30] - I got mad respect for these two boys right here. I mean, they don’t sing this live, but still. This was a hella hard vocal for them to do, and even if it was just for the studio, both Jimin and Jin pulled it off. That’s enough to make this some of Jimin’s best vocal takes.

Jin [1:15-1:23] [2:02-2:13] - Jin doesn’t flip into head voice on the Eb5 like Jimin does; did you know that? That’s every level of impressive. And his vocal was open, as well, which made it sound awesome. Same thing here: Jin deserves this listing because he killed it.

Crystal Snow

Hobi [0:37-0:42] - Ah, Hobi does so well with these fluffy melodies. The way he basically whispered this line was gorgeous. I would listen to that on repeat every night.

Taehyung [1:00-1:05] [1:31-1:43] [2:47-2:58] [3:31-3:28] [4:16-4:34] - The last timestamp includes his adlib at the end, okay? This is another hill I’m gonna die on. Taehyung is unequivocally the perfect vocal for Crystal Snow. I mean, they closed the chorus with him for a reason. It’s because of the soul he’s got, you know? This song is hard for Taehyung. Going up to Bb4s that often is meant to be nearly impossible for a baritone, but not only does he pull it off, he pulls up so much depth and emotion into those high notes because his voice is naturally deep that his vocal ends up standing out the most. If I had to have a top ten list of songs that I love Taehyung in, this would be near the top.

Yoongi [2:06-2:12] - This is another one of those times where Yoongi is bringing his rap tone to his singing, except he’s also rapping a bit here, too. Either way, he sounds so soft and I adore that sound in Yoongi’s vocal.

Jin [2:16-2:20] [3:43-3:49] - How does Jin sound so delicate in that first vocal take and so epic in the second? Y’all, sometimes Jin’s high notes outdo themselves because they’re so full and open, and Crystal Snow made that happen.

Jimin [4:41-4:50] - I mean, Jimin’s sweet tone would normally be good in a song like this, but Crystal Snow really benefitted from Jimin using a sharp high note right here. Every time I hear this, I get chills.

Let Go

Jungkook [0:01-0:12] - I mean, really; how angelic can a vocal take sound? It’s, like, because Jungkook is using a breathy head voice while dipping his voice down low for just a second, you know?

Jimin [0:12-0:22] - Jimin’s doing the same thing as Jungkook, but it sounds so different with Jimin’s vocal tone. Either way, it’s beautiful. And Jimin’s vibrato at the end of this line is stunning.

Taehyung [1:07-1:18] [3:52-3:57] - I mean, this is the same thing as Taehyung in every other slow-but-kind-of-poppy Japanese song. He’s doing that thing where it feels like he could flip into head voice, but then he’s also got husk every time he drops into a fuller sound, and it’s devastating. He makes me want to cry with how gorgeous he sounds.

Jin [3:41-3:46] - I can’t tell you why this specific falsetto vocal take hits differently. It may be because of Jin’s Japanese pronunciation, but it’s a flawless vocal take.

Intro: Singularity

Taehyung [2:56-2:58] - I’m gonna keep it a buck: I’m a Taehyung stan, and I love his deep vocal, but Singularity doesn’t show off all the colors of Taehyung’s vocal that well. It is an incredible demonstration of Taehyung’s overall vocal tone and how unique it is--which is probably why it’s critically acclaimed--but there isn’t a lot of vocal variation. That being said, the adlib in the background that you’ll hear with this timestamp is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard anywhere. It’s literally three seconds long, but it sounds like it’s a part of a gospel track--that’s how soulful it is. Kim Taehyung is the king of vibrato, for real. This tiny adlib somehow showed us an array of colors in Taehyung’s voice that we don’t get very often, so I love it.

FAKE LOVE

Taehyung [0:00-0:11] [1:33-1:39] - Look, there are certain things that just sound better with certain members. Every members has a few melodies that sound the best when they do them. These are two for Taehyung. First of all, his vocal in the intro is as good as it is in DNA--so stunning. Second, his tone on the chorus is beautiful. It fits FAKE LOVE perfectly. It’s not too clean, his vowels are on point, and he puts the little bends in his voice that Taehyung is a master of. These are definitely some of my favorite vocal takes from Taehyung.

Jin [0:31-0:36] - Jin sounds so good on the “fake love” lyric, though? It’s a C5 and it sounds effortless for him. His tone in FAKE LOVE is gorgeous, as well. Giving Jin the hook was good choice.

Jimin & Taehyung [3:31-3:43] - Listen, I would vibe so hard with a Taekook subunit, but nothing beats the 95′s harmonization for me. Actually, usually these two just sing the same melody in two different octaves because Taehyung can go really low, which is the case here--though, when they really do harmonize, it’s also gorgeous. Anyway, this line is the perfect way to call back to Taehyung’s beautiful vocal in the beginning, but with Jimin’s vocal on top blending with Taehyung’s, it sounds even better.

The Truth Untold

Taehyung [0:07-0:09] [2:06-2:22] - How do I explain this? I tried to be really picky with this song because all the members sound beautiful. The first timestamp here is the hum in Taehyung’s first part; I can’t explain why it’s one of the most satisfying vocals I’ve heard, but it is. The second is Taehyung on the chorus. Whereas the other members are singing gently, Taehyung’s vocal take makes me feel like he’s singing emotionally, and that’s why I listed it.

Jungkook [1:22-1:26] - Jungkook never gets to sound delicate like this, but he really should have the opportunity more often. His vocal didn’t crack too much, it wasn’t excessively breathy, it wasn’t quiet--I liked it a lot.

Magic Shop

Jungkook [2:23-2:35] - It’s mostly the second phrase of this vocal take that I love a lot, but the whole thing sounds gorgeous with Jungkook’s vocal on it because Magic Shop benefits from a clear vocal tone. Essentially, I love listening to Jungkook flip between his head and full voice in this vocal take.

Jin [2:35-2:48] - Everything leading up to the C#5 is stellar, but I can’t express how satisfying it is to listen to Jin hit the “Magic Shop” lyric. The fullness in his belt is so gorgeous. Jin doesn’t always sound like this when he belts, but in Magic Shop, his delivery was beautiful.

Taehyung [3:14-3:26] - Deadass--and I don’t say this lightly--if I were to make a top 20 list of BTS’s best vocal takes, this would qualify. Putting aside the fact that this is a hard vocal for a baritone, Taehyung puts texture in his voice at all the right places. He lets it be breathy at certain parts, powerful or soft at others, and it becomes a few, short seconds of some of the best vocals I’ve heard in the entirety of BTS’s discography.

Jimin [3:26-3:39] - Speaking of some of the best vocals, this is one of my all-time favorite high notes from Jimin. This applies to the whole vocal take, as well, but Jimin’s vocal tone really stands out in Magic Shop. Magic Shop is the type of song that blends best with a clear vocal tone, but sometimes, I don’t want a vocal to blend--I want it to stick out. Jimin’s does.

Anpanman

Yoongi [0:29-0:38] - This isn’t all of Yoongi’s verse, but this vocal take is what makes me hype about Anpanman. I don’t understand it, either. It’s probably because Yoongi sounds awesome, but these nine seconds are the part of Anpanman that get me emotional.

Euphoria

Jungkook [3:07-3:14] - The solo songs are so hard to talk about because there’s so much to choose from. I know I just singled out the falsetto high note, but it sounds pretty, and it was the quickest way to figure out what part of this song should make this list. Seriously though, Jungkook did well with his tone on the high note because it doesn’t sound too strained or thin. It turned out perfectly.

SERENDIPITY

Jimin [1:08-1:15] [1:23-1:30] - This is the same melody, but different lyrics, so I listed both. Look, I know everyone is head-over-heels for Jungkook’s vocal agility--which is justified--but Jimin sounds so pretty in these vocal takes. And not pretty because he’s using his sweet vocal tone; in fact, this is one of the few times after 2016 where we get to hear Jimin’s lower tone. I love it.

Trivia 轉: Seesaw

Yoongi [0:26-0:44] [1:03-1:39] [3:45-4:02] - I have no problem saying this is one of my favorite solo songs. Actually, it probably makes the list for my favorite BTS songs, in general. I’m not gonna talk about each one of these, but just know that Yoongi sounds like an angel when he sings. He did so well with this song, and I think he was able to create something that fit his vocal tone perfectly.

I’m Fine

Taehyung [3:38-3:57] - So, this could technically cover Taehyung’s first part on the chorus, too, but this last bit has a different melody since he’s ending the song; plus, he goes up on the higher note during “beonilado” in a nicer way than he did on a different lyric the first time. Anyway, Taehyung taking the last line of I’m Fine was nice because he’s the best at shifting between intense vocals and soft vocals without a noticeable change in his tone. He did that to finish off this song, and it came out sounding gorgeous.

IDOL

Namjoon [0:15-0:18] - I mean, this is an iconic line, but Namjoon just delivers it perfectly. Fight me in the replies that no one could’ve started IDOL better than Namjoon.

Yoongi [0:30-0:36] - Yoongi’s “woo” is, no joke, one of the best parts of IDOL, for me. Overly animated songs are Yoongi’s bitch, and he slapped in this song.

Taehyung [0:46-0:50] [1:54-2:02] - I’ve seen people say the second vocal take is a rap? Is that true? I don’t know, but regardless, I’m on another hill that says songs like IDOL fit Taehyung’s vocal the best. Like, his pronunciation and tone sound amazing on the first take, and the second take is rude as shit with how good it is. Taehyung’s vocal can be aggressive, and it works in IDOL.

Jungkook [1:46-1:54] - Jungkook’s tone changes by the end of this vocal take, and it’s so cool? Legit, he starts as himself, growls once, and all of a sudden, he’s Kim Taehyung. Jungkook needs more parts that let him do this because he sounded dope.

Answer: Love Myself

Jin [1:11-1:26] - Jungkook is technically within this vocal take, but I didn’t wanna split Jin’s chorus up into two timestamps. Anyway, doesn’t Jin’s falsetto blend with the melody so nicely? It’s really pleasing to listen to.

Hobi [2:06-2:14] - This vocal take is the Hobi tone I love to hear in slower songs. He puts a bit of that animation in that he would if he were rapping, but it can sound so nice when he’s singing, too.

Taehyung [2:51-3:07] [3:45-3:47] - The first timestamp is probably one that certain people wouldn’t agree with, but I love Taehyung’s brassy falsetto. The adlib he does also sounds beautiful because it’s so full. The last timestamp is also an adlib, and yes, it’s so pretty. I’m an advocate for more Taehyung adlibs because his vocal tone makes everything sound stunning.

Jimin & Taehyung [3:25-3:30] - I know this is usually said to be Jimin and Jungkook, but I don’t understand why they’d give this part to Taehyung live for every single performance if it wasn’t his part to begin with. It’s not like this is Spring Day where they gave half of Namjoon’s part to Hobi because Hobi had no lines. I only say that because Jungkook is the main vocalist, so I can’t imagine that part being switched for the live version since it’s a very technically difficult part of the song. It also sounds like Taehyung in the studio version--when you can hear the lower melody--because the lower vocal tone matches what you’d hear from Taehyung live. Whatever. Whether it’s Jungkook or Taehyung, they sound gorgeous harmonizing with Jimin.

Intro: Persona

Namjoon [2:24-2:47] - This part is so fun, though. I mean, the whole song is a vibe, but this is where it hits, you know? Namjoon did such an amazing job using his vocal texture to highlight the melody.

Boy With Luv

Jimin [0:15-0:31] - Jimin’s vocal was so pretty in Boy With Luv, for real. He outdid himself in this song because his vocal should blend really well into the song, but it sticks out instead. That’s why I had to list it.

Taehyung [0:31-0:40] [2:08-2:13] - I’ve said this before, but Taehyung’s vocal in Boy With Luv is literally what flirting would be if it were a sound. The first vocal take is the best example of that because it turns from a bubbly song to sensual so quickly. Then, the second vocal take does it again, but with Taehyung’s falsetto dropping into his chest voice rather than his deep voice. Him doing the pre-chorus is my absolute favorite part of Boy With Luv.

Jungkook [1:07-1:12] - I can’t accurately explain why this is so satisfying to listen to. I just listen to it, and go, “Yes, Jungkook.” I don’t know why. Because his vocal has texture in it? Because his vocal blends nicely? Because it’s Jungkook? It’s a mystery.

Yoongi [1:36-1:44] - Why is it that Yoongi stepped into a bubbly song with his lazy tone and turned it into one of his best vocal takes ever? I can’t explain it, but it’s gotta be Yoongi’s own brand of magic. His vocal tone fits wherever it is.

Hobi [1:51-2:08] - Hobi sounds like an instrument, and it’s so cool? But the end of this verse, where Hobi sings, sounds so nice with Hobi’s vocal tone. His vocal stands out in the same way Jimin’s does, and I feel like Hobi doesn’t always get that opportunity, so he killed it with this one.

Mikrokosmos

Namjoon [1:32-1:40] - Namjoon sounds so pretty here, doesn’t he? I keep saying that about his singing voice, but I really do love it that much. He always makes melodies better with the way he delivers them, which is what he did here.

Taehyung [1:51-1:59] [2:40-2:44] - So, Taehyung is the only one--talking about the first vocal take--that had the vocal run on the pre-chorus, and it sounds gorgeous. The second vocal take is Taehyung’s part in the bridge, and I think it’s one of the nicest examples of his head voice. The tone on it is really nice, and the texture he used was beautiful, as well.

Jin & Taehyung [2:06-2:39] - Don’t @ me for this Jikook stans, but Taehyung and Jin on the chorus kill it. Jin fits his lines perfectly because this is the exact type of song his vocal texture sounds the best on, and Taehyung adding in a fuller sound balanced it out nicely. They both sound amazing.

Jimin & Taehyung [2:55-3:01] - For the life of me, I don’t know why they didn’t give Taehyung the harmonization for the entirety of this line in studio, but you know. Regardless, these two sound stellar, as always. I don’t know how to explain it, but the type of song this is is dying for vocals like Jimin and Taehyung’s, so for them to sing together here is beautiful.

Jimin [3:01-3:08] - Though Taehyung and Jimin sound good doing this part live together, it doesn’t mean that Jimin harmonizing with himself didn’t sound absolutely perfect. The harmony itself is really pretty, but Jimin’s sharp vocal tone plus the high note send it to another level.

Make It Right

Taehyung [0:09-0:18] - Taehyung’s vocal sounds so relaxing, doesn’t it? Make It Right doesn’t have a lot of chances for the vocalists to stand out since it’s a pretty basic song, but Taehyung used his vocal tone well in this take.

Jin [0:46-0:55] - Jin sounded very delicate in this vocal take, but I still like that his falsetto had some power to it. It wasn’t very much, but it made the vocal take sound really pretty, and it’s probably one of my favorite examples of Jin’s falsetto.

Hobi [1:31-1:36] - This is, without a doubt, the most melodically and tonally interesting part of this song, for me. It’s because Hobi used his voice really well, but Hobi’s vocal tone is naturally really interesting in songs like this. This is one of Hobi’s most satisfying vocal takes to listen to.

HOME

Taehyung [0:26-0:36] [3:20-3:26] [3:45-3:49] - No, but Taehyung’s voice sounds so special in HOME? He made his tone brassier, which complimented the song really well. Actually, that’s something he does a lot in BTS’s 2019-2021 music. Not to mention the fact that he hit two C5s right after one another in the final chorus. Taehyung just sounds good. That’s my closing statement.

Dionysus

Namjoon [0:21-0:43] - This is one of the coolest rap verses BTS has ever produced, real shit. Legit, this is probably in my personal top 5 for Namjoon and the rap line in general. Namjoon made it sound so fucking amazing.

Hobi [1:03-1:05] - Don’t ask me for explanations with this one; I just really loved Hobi’s vocal leading into the chorus because of his delivery.

Taehyung [1:05-1:10] [3:25-3:27] - The first take is Taehyung on the first half of the chorus, and holy shit does his voice fit Dionysus perfectly. Not that clean tones don’t sound good, but Dionysus has a dark tone to it, so Taehyung’s vocal was it, fam. The way they mixed his vocal in the production process came out really cool, too.

Jimin [1:14-1:16] [2:22-2:27] [4:00-4:02] - I’m not going into detail on all three, but just know that Jimin’s vocal pops in Dionysus, and he slays. It’s because, while he does have a bright tone, he darkens it in a really lovely way for this song. I am gonna talk about the last one, though, because how cool was that ending adlib? What a way to end the song.

Jungkook [1:33-1:38] - Jungkook’s doing little echoes of the lyrics here, right? Even though the video says it’s Jin. I’m talking about each time he does this during Dionysus, okay? The falsetto he uses is crazy satisfying to listen to. It’s so sharp; like, you have no choice but to pay attention to it.

Yoongi [2:55-3:05] - This is another thing that has to do with the final production because they made Yoongi sound super cool. It’s got a really dark tone to it, and that’s something I’ll bring up with Yoongi again because it sounds incredible on his vocal.

Jin [3:27-3:30] - Y’all hear that high note, though? It didn’t sound human? Kim Seokjin is an alien confirmed. No, but for real, the brassiness in his tone? I want more of that shit right now.

BLACK SWAN

Yoongi [0:26-0:39] - This is that dark tone I was talking about--plus the effect on Yoongi’s vocal, too. Doesn’t it sound incredible when it’s Yoongi? I mean, what a way to start this song. It’s a somber vocal, and it’s stunning on top of the mix and paired with the lyrics.

Namjoon [0:46-0:52] - I really like the note change on “jukgessji ama,” but I really love how Namjoon delivered “but what if that moment’s right now, right now.” It’s somber, but it also feels like a propelling force into the pre-chorus.

Taehyung [0:52-0:59] [1:18-1:24] - I lose my shit every time I hear Taehyung sing the “bump bump bump”/”jump jump jump” part. He’s got such a husky vocal in BLACK SWAN, and it sounds so damn good. I mean, his tone sounds so distinctive anyway. That second vocal take is him on the chorus, and it is genuinely the only time I can hear a clear difference between the vocalists’ voices in BLACK SWAN. They put so much processing on their vocals that they all sound similar, but when Taehyung’s vocal comes in, it’s easy to tell that it’s him. I can tell when it’s Taehyung throughout the whole song, but the second vocal take is the only other take that makes this list.

Hobi [1:44-1:56] - This is almost on par with Namjoon’s verse in Dionysus, for me, and for all the same reasons. His tone, the delivery, the way he enhances the melody; Hobi slaps in BLACK SWAN.

Louder than bombs

Hobi [1:38-1:45] - While everyone sounds amazing in Louder than bombs because it’s so unique, I think Hobi is the only one with a notable vocal take because his tone sounds so different from how it normally does. Hobi always has some degree of husk in his vocal when he sings, but this vocal take is almost a whisper, and it sounds really beautiful.

Taehyung [0:28-0:36] - So, Taehyung has a slightly different tone in Map of the Soul: 7 through BE and Film out, and it’s really nice. In ON, he uses really well on his verse because he adds in interesting textures throughout the entire take. For instance, at the end of it, he yips a little bit. Overall, it’s a sound that only Taehyung could pull off.

Jungkook [2:58-3:12] - This is probably the best vocal take Jungkook has up to Film out. The tone he has in studio isn’t easy to replicate live, but the way it came out in the studio version was phenomenal. Yes, the falsetto is dope, but that’s not my favorite part of this vocal take because it doesn’t have the best tonal qualities in the world, though I still listed it because it’s impressive technically. The part that drives me wild is when Jungkook comes back up in pitch on “Oh, I’m takin’ over.” It’s two D5s in a row, and Jungkook’s raspy tone sounds insane.

UGH!

Yoongi [0:23-0:24] - I wasn’t gonna add this because it’s just Yoongi saying “dungdungdung,” but the growl in his voice is sick. It’s like a freaking subwoofer. Is it bad if it’s the highlight of UGH! for me? Too bad.

00:00

Jimin [0:36-0:48] [1:50-1:56] - Doesn’t Jimin’s voice kind of sound wobbly in 00:00? I love it, though. It lends itself to the tone of the song really well, and I think it resulting in him having a unique tone that qualifies as some of his best vocals yet.

Taehyung [0:49-1:00] [2:01-2:14] - I mean, Taehyung has that gorgeous tone, he’s giving us raspy vocals when he drops his pitch, he’s belting during his lines even though they’re just verses and not a big high note in the bridge because he’s a legend and always has to sing higher than he’s comfortable; basically, he’s doing the most in 00:00 and his vocal sticks out a lot.

Jungkook [1:25-1:26] - Yes, Jimin is singing the “and you gonna be happy” part, but Jungkook singing the “ooh ooh” part is so nice. He does it every time the line is sung except for when Taehyung has the “and you gonna be happy” lyric. I think. I’m pretty sure Jungkook is doing it every time Taehyung isn’t. Anyway, Jungkook sounds so pretty. I love when he drops into his chest voice from his falsetto. Even small parts like this wow me.

Jin [2:14-2:20] [3:37-3:40] - Jin doesn’t get a lot of chances to show off vocal agility, but the first vocal take gave him some wiggle room, and I thought it sounded beautiful. The last vocal take is his high note because how can I not, you know? Talk about beautiful.

Jin & Jimin [3:32-3:36] - No, but their harmony together sounds so pretty? Jin and Jimin’s vocal tones are incredibly different from one another, but whatever they did here was a success because it’s entrancing.

Inner Child

Taehyung [2:03-2:22] [3:05-3:19] - Taehyung sounds so different in this song. I think it’s because this is a genre he hasn’t done before, but I love it. I mean, Taehyung’s vocal tone is always consistent, but that doesn’t mean he can’t sound fresh. The first vocal take has a really pretty bend that Taehyung does with his voice that I love every time I hear it plus the second chorus, which I thought was a better take of it than the first. The second take is the bridge, which sounds so gorgeous with the harmonies and the high falsetto in the background.

Friends

Taehyung [0:09-0:14] [1:02-1:08] [1:27-1:32] [2:54-2:56] [3:14-3:16] - For all Taehyung sounds different in Inner Child, this genre of music did something for his voice; it’s almost like he sounds more grown up, if that makes sense. He has so much character in his vocal. Like, the yips, the speech-like singing, the softer parts, the belts, the pronunciation; I stan. Also, that high note he hits in the last chorus on “you are my soulmate”? Shut up, fam. It sounds so good. On top of that, the lick at the very end that ends the song is so satisfying, and I love that they chose to end Friends that way. Basically, Taehyung sounded like a new being in this song. I don’t make the rules.

Jimin & Taehyung [0:17-0:27] [0:42-0:44] [0:47-1:02] [1:14-1:27] [2:14-2:50] - I’m not gonna make you suffer through an explanation of all of these, but don’t they kill it together? These are some of the best vocal takes I’ve heard from either of them; must be because Friends is so personal, but who knows. Some of these takes are weird because it catches the end of a phrase or is Taehyung and Jimin switching back and forth between them, but I mean what I put down, my friends. Also, can we talk about their harmonized high note and all the harmonies afterward because please; how do they sound so gorgeous? Taehyung is doing nice melodies behind everything, Jimin is going up high and harmonizing with his falsetto; I mean, lovely. It’s all lovely.

Jimin [0:27-0:29] - I had to put in “hello, my alien” because Jimin makes it sound so endearing. There aren’t more Jimin timestamps beacuse all his best parts are with Taehyung, but this line had to go in.

We are Bulletproof: the Eternal

Hobi [0:40-0:42] - I think Hobi is harmonizing with himself here? I want that to happen more often because he sounds amazing.

Taehyung [1:14-1:18] - I don’t know if it’s because it’s Taehyung or because he says “bulletproof” with an “ooh” sound or because his voice sounds so full, but I love the way Taehyung sounds here.

Jungkook [1:18-1:20] - Jungkook’s falsetto on this line was the right choice. That is all.

Yoongi [1:35-1:46] - Ah. I love Yoongi’s verse. It’s the best part of We are Bulletproof: the Eternal, for me. You can hear all the texture in his voice, and the emotion just slams you in the chest.

Jimin [2:20-2:24] [2:43-2:48] [3:06-3:09] - This song was made for Park Jimin. He’s flipping from his falsetto to the fullest, most gorgeous tone ever, and it conveys all the emotion it’s supposed to. Something about Jimin’s vocal in these takes is send-shivers-up-your-spine worthy.

Stay Gold

Taehyung [0:45-0:58] - Y’all this melody sounds so pretty with Taehyung’s voice. The vocal runs he does are so gentle, and then you have him fading his voice into this light tone with his vibrato running through it; I mean, please. Beautiful.

Jungkook [3:06-3:11] - Speaking of vocal agility, Jungkook bouncing between these notes and then ending in a vocal run is so nice to listen to. His tone is gorgeous, but he uses it well, which is the important thing. I love this part a lot.

Lights

Taehyung [0:12-0:20] [0:51-1:00] [1:50-2:01] [2:30-2:40] - The second vocal take also references Taehyung’s part in the last chorus, by the way, but they had the same lyrics and sounded the same, so I just listed it once. Is this every part Taehyung has in Lights? Yes. Do you know why? Because this is his song. He owns it. Can you hear his tone when he belts? Which, by the way, happens almost every time he sings. Do you know how difficult this song is for a baritone? And Taehyung still manages to have that full, intense tone when he hits the high notes? Shut the fuck up. Hands down, this is one of the best examples of how amazing Taehyung is as a vocalist.

Jungkook [0:41-0:50] [1:41-1:49] [3:46-3:50] - Jungkook is it in Lights, my friends. After ON, I think I like Jungkook’s tone the best in this song. Don’t ask me why; I know this probably isn’t on the list for an ARMY with a Jungkook bias if you’re asking them about their favorite songs, but Jungkook doing things with his vocal that I love in Lights. It’s not too flat, not too clean; he’s adding in whispers and snapping from falsetto to full voice and belting at the end--all of it made the song come out beautifully.

Jin [1:05-1:10] - Jin like... whispers in this vocal take, and I go crazy over it. Besides that, please tell me why Jin saying “itsu datte” sounds so pretty. I don’t understand it, but he’s legendary.

Jimin [1:15-1:20] [3:27-3:36] - Jimin sounds so bright in this song, and no, that isn’t a pun. I really love how he offsets the other vocalists who are belting because Jimin is flipping into his falsetto or leaning into his sweet tone a lot, which brings a gorgeous character to the melody.

Yoongi [2:51-3:08] - Yoongi sounds like the prettiest thing in the world in Lights. I know it’s the melody, too, but Yoongi delivers it so well. This is a verse I could fall asleep to.

Your Eyes Tell

Jungkook [0:03-0:14] - Jungkook sounds different on this vocal take, and I like it a lot. Where he places his vibrato, as well as where he’s dropping into a softer voice are both lovely details that make this vocal take one of his best.

Jin [2:07-2:19] - I love that Jin’s vocal almost sounds like a cry. Not a vocal cry--as in, the vocal technique--but a real cry. It spills emotion all over the place, and I’d say it’s one of Jin’s best attempts at this type of sound.

Namjoon [2:20-2:27] - I don’t know why, but I really love Namjoon’s dark tone in Your Eyes Tell. It’s relaxing, to me. I’ve heard it before in songs like SEA, but for some reason, it reads as special in this song.

Jimin [2:45-2:51] - This song is so soft, but Jimin comes in and slaps you in the face with a super sharp high note, and I think it’s a brilliant way to add variation in the vocals. Jimin’s vocal tone made it what it was, as well.

Life Goes On

Jimin [0:23-0:35] [2:42-2:46] - This is another song that’s very suited to Jimin’s vocal tone. Jimin does have a bit of a whisper going on, but he’s also putting in vocal cracks that add a bit of intensity, and it all blends really nicely. Like, the second vocal take is his harmony in the back, and it sounds heavenly.

Taehyung [1:00-1:11] - This covers both takes of this line, but Taehyung sounds so soothing. It’s so nice to listen to because he made his vocal really smooth while his tone naturally gave it texture. I love, love, love this part.

Yoongi [1:47-1:58] - Y’all this is my favorite example of Yoongi singing. He sounds so soft. It kills me every time I hear it; I mean, who gave him the right to sound so pretty? Seriously, though, Yoongi’s vocal is also really soothing, and melodically, this is one of my favorite parts of Life Goes On thanks to Yoongi’s delivery.

Hobi & Jungkook [1:59-2:06] - Jungkook is only doing harmonization for a second during this vocal take, but it was so pretty that I had to add it in. Speaking of pretty, what the heck is Hobi doing that he sounds so lovely? The way he slides his pitch down on “mallo” is so nice. Hobi’s tone is perfect for Life Goes On.

Taehyung & Jimin [2:58-3:21] - This is perfect way to end this song. This would’ve qualified had it just been Taehyung because this is the type of song where Taehyung’s vocal really benefit the melody, but Jimin on top of him with his light tone is stunning.

FLY TO MY ROOM

Taehyung [0:09-0:17] [0:34-0:50] [1:08-1:24] [1:40-1:57] - There’s so much goodness happening in FLY TO MY ROOM with Taehyung’s vocal because he spent time developing his tone for this song since he wanted it to sound like a conversation. It ended up sounding gorgeously brassy yet soft, and the vowels he used popped a lot, as well. It’s not so much about specific moments in this song as it is that Taehyung just sounds really good. Like, his parts in the chorus--the timestamps I have are meant to account for all of Taehyung’s chorus parts, and same with Jimin, by the way--and the vocal run at the end of his part in the verse were incredible.

Jimin [0:18-0:34] [0:50-1:07] [1:28-1:40] [3:11-3:13] - FLY TO MY ROOM simultaneously fits Jimin’s voice really well and makes him sound totally new. He’s leaning into the fact that his voice has a higher pitch naturally, and it complimented the tone of the song really well. Like, listen to that high note at the end. That’s my kind of shit right there.

Yoongi [1:57-2:12] - Yoongi is a straight vibe in this song. You’ve got his lazy tone on a lower octave than the higher, brighter tone laying on top of it, and the blending of the two is just stunning.

Hobi [2:13-2:30] - Hobi sounds different here, y’all. It’s like he got dropped into a song that had the capabilities of bringing out the best in his natural vocal tone, and that’s what happened. The way he pronounces things is really interesting to listen to, as well. I can’t wait to hear this live.

Blue & Grey

Taehyung [0:14-0:30] [1:41-1:49] [3:10-3:17] [3:57-4:12] - The pun is absolutely intended, but Taehyung sounds angelic in Blue & Grey. Probably because he wrote it for himself, but holy shit. The fact that the song started and ended with Taehyung makes me so happy. He’s got the gorgeous low tone happening, his sharp and brassy falsetto, and at the end, you can hear him opening his mouth to sing “good night;” it’s like fucking ASMR. And the emotion. How is he allowed to be this amazing? Honestly, though, he outdid himself in every facet of this song: singing, writing, and producing.

Yoongi [0:47-1:18] - Ah, Yoongi is the exact rapper you want on a song like this. No shade to Hobi and Namjoon, but Yoongi’s somber vocal tone is an exact match for what Taehyung was trying to say with these lyrics. Yoongi sounds perfect.

Jimin [1:33-1:41] - I can’t explain accurately why it is that Jimin sounds so pretty here, but I think it’s just because he’s Park Jimin. His vocal tone fit on top of this melody so nicely, and it’s nicely contrasted by Taehyung having the same melody and doing so wonderfully with it later.

Jin & Jungkook [1:50-2:05] - The harmonies in this song are so pretty. Jin and Jungkook sound so good; why do we not hear this kind of thing more often? Jin’s falsetto is so light, and Jungkook underneath is singing the most beautiful harmony with his lower vocal tone that he doesn’t use nearly enough, and it’s all just... stunning.

Jimin & Taehyung [2:05-2:20] - Y’all. This is my favorite part of Blue & Grey--probably. I love Taehyung’s parts a lot. Anyway, it feels like these two are talking to me through their vocals. Jimin sounds so sharp while Taehyung sounds soft, and the whole vocal take feels warm and comforting. Honestly, this is one of my favorite bits of harmonization in any BTS song.

Telepathy

Yoongi [0:37-0:55] - Yoongi invented the word vibe, okay? Telepathy was made for Yoongi. That is true. I know the pitch was difficult for him, but you can’t even tell? The effect they put on his vocal, too, makes it sound even cooler.

Taehyung [1:15-1:23] [1:31-1:39] [2:18-2:27] - This is a song that I wouldn’t think about being a good fit for Taehyung’s vocal tone, but he proved me wrong, I tell you what. He’s doing that interesting thing with his vocal tone that he’s been doing for a year or so now, and it fits. He sounds so interesting in Telepathy, and I hope we get more of it in the future.

Dis-ease

Taehyung [0:47-0:52] [2:27-2:32] [3:15-3:19] [3:24-3:25]- Doesn’t Taehyung sound so cool? It’s that interesting tone again, but it’s even more interesting in Dis-ease somehow. Like, you head that bend in his voice in the second take on “laugh”? Doesn’t it sound awesome? I know the effect on his vocal has something to do with it, too, but it’s also just Taehyung playing with his tone and making it sound really fun and cool.

Jimin [2:17-2:22] - Jimin just sounds wavy. That’s all I have to say. Like, he sounds so nice, you know? I think it’s the vocal run and the “I hate dat,” but who’s to say?

Jungkook [3:10-3:14] - The character in Jungkook’s voice is so cool, though. He sprinkles in the tiniest bit of vocal agility and umph, and it came out so well.

Dynamite

Jungkook [0:01-0:26] [2:07-2:11] [2:40-2:44] - I mean, this was supposed to be a song for Jungkook to center in, right? I know he’s always the center, but you know what I mean. His vocal tone is super clean, which is probably why they wanted it to anchor Dynamite since it’s a standard pop song. It worked, though. Jungkook sounds super vibey. His falsetto note going into the key change is really nice, too.

Namjoon [0:26-0:34] - I love this part in Dynamite, and I don’t understand where the love for Namjoon is at. He owns this shit.

Jimin [0:51-0:59] [1:25-1:32] [2:11-2:15] [2:24-2:31] - Yo, is it just me, or does Jimin sound super different in Dynamite? I don’t know if it’s the key it’s in or what, but he sounds really cool. He sounds brassy, almost, but also it could just be his pronunciation. I don’t know. Either way, Jimin came out swinging with Dynamite.

Taehyung [1:00-1:12] [1:42-1:50] [2:20-2:23] [3:06-3:14] - They really said, “Let’s give the baritone the hardest fucking vocals in this song.” Like, Jin is the king of high notes, and he struggles with Dynamite, and yet they gave Taehyung the same high notes as him? You wanna know what though? He murdered this song. Absolutely killed it. I cannot express enough how impossible it should be for him to his a C#5, but he fucking did it, didn’t he? Not only that, but his tone on his verse, as well as the choruses, is such a vibe. For such a basic song, Taehyung did something really special with it, and it resulting in the most impressive vocals--in terms of range--he’s had to date.

Jin [2:49-2:53] - Yes to Jin killing this high note. His tone sounds really nice, and he slapped on this line.

Jin & Jungkook [2:54-2:57] - You hear Jungkook doing the “light it up like dynamite” line in staccato behind Jin? That shit sounds so cool. It’s easily one of the most fun vocal takes BTS has ever done.

Film out

Jimin [2:39-2:46] - Jimin’s vocal tone is it for Film out, fam. You hear that high note, yo? It’s so gorgeous. Like, the impact it has on the emotion of the song. Jimin really came out and snatched this era.

Taehyung & Jimin [3:19-3:29] - This is my favorite part of Film out. Like, it would’ve been enough to have it be Taehyung, but Jimin harmonizing with him makes it so pretty. Jimin adds a lovely delicacy to the last line, and Taehyung’s vocal conveys all the somber emotion that is necessary to close out this song. And Taehyung’s vocal run at the end is so damn gorgeous. The 95′s are killing it yet again in 2021.

Butter

Taehyung [0:43-0:48] [2:06-2:14] - I’m sorry, but holy shit. I know the vocalists all had the same parts, but this is (yet another) really high-pitched song, and Taehyung singing up in that range is gorgeous. I adore his tone in Butter. And all those C5s he was hitting? Again, I’m aware that the other members are hitting those notes, as well, but--I mean, do I need to bring up the fact that he’s a baritone again? No, more than the high notes, though, I thought Taehyung’s vocal color stood out a lot in Butter, so these couple parts deserve to be on this list.

Okay, that’s really it. For now. Until we get new music. Honestly, I’m really impressed with each and every one of these members each time they release something new. It’s insane to me what they can do with their vocals and the control they have over their vocal tones. Every vocal take they have is the best of the best, but this list set out to find the gems hidden even within the diamonds of their discography. If you actually went through this list, thank you, and I’m sorry. Like I said at the start, it’s a hot mess, but I really wanted the chance to talk about specific notes or lines that blow me away every time I hear them. Share some of your favorite vocal moments in the replies, and thanks for reading.

#bts #kim taehyung #park jimin #jeon jungkook #kim namjoon #jung hoseok #min yoongi #kim seokjin

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radramblog · 3 years

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Game of the Year 2020...?

Ive scrolled the list of games that came out this year to see what my GOTY ended up being, but turns out the only game I played in 2020 that released that year was, uh…….

Fucking good game but like I’m not gonna hand it GOTY by default (That goes to Hades, based solely impressions from other people). Actually, I’m not handing out any awards, really. So I guess I’m just gonna go over a bunch of the other games I did play last year, regardless of whether or not they came out then.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

A mate got me this for my birthday in December 2019, and unlike the other games I got then (Kirby Star Allies which I burned through that month and Octopath which I still haven’t played) I spent a fair few hours playing it last year. This was before the sequel was announced, and also a little bit after the fact- figured I should try and finish one before playing the other. Unfortunately, I have yet to purchase Age of Calamity nor finish Definitive Edition, because the former is expensive and the latter is expansive. Holy shit there’s so much fucking content in this game. I don’t think I ever will finish it to be honest, though despite the repetitiveness it never really felt boring to me. It’s the only Warriors/Musou game I’ve played, and I’d be interested in trying others based on the experience.

(I’m not playing Fire Emblem Warriors though fuck that)

Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC: The Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra

Sword and Shield felt somewhat lacking on release, and while the DLCs released this year did much to try and fix this its still a bit shit that it required an extra paycheck out of you to get the full game- outside of outsourced mobile games like Go and Shuffle, or services such as Bank or Home, Pokemon has never actually had DLC/microtransactions, so this was a little disappointing. I’d argue that it absolutely wasn’t worth it when Isle was released, as fun as the content was it was again, lacking. Crown Tundra I would argue exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations, however- the new and returning mons are cool and welcome (I despised Calyrex’s design on first reveal but their behaviour in story redeemed it more than enough), and the Max Lair Adventure offered a surprisingly replayable romp that has been great to just try and grind out with friends. I can’t say I’d recommend the DLC pack though- only if because you’ve probably made up your mind already as to whether or not you’re getting it, or this doesn’t apply to you at all. I could also put basically every main series Pokemon game on here, seeing as I’m pretty sure I nuzlocked every region at some point during the year, but I don’t want to make this *that* long.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate Expansion Pass

Smash is still Smash. I don’t find myself playing it much on my own, and even in Perth get-togethers weren’t super common last year. As neat as the DLC characters released this year are for the franchise as a whole, none of them convinced me to play significantly more than usual, and I can’t wrap my head around half of them, so.

Also, I’m still salty about Byleth, and I actually really liked Three Houses, it was my first FE game. Why the fuck wasn’t it Claude????

Rivals of Aether

On the other hand, in the last few months I’ve found myself grinding match after match of Rivals with one of my best mates and the game is a fucking blast, holy shit. I still haven’t bought it for myself, but its basically 100% of the reason I have played 0 smash for the last few months since we’re too busy mashing Orcane vs Ranno over and over and not really getting tired of it. It requires a specific type of person to get into it, but if you’re in that group then its just an excellent game.

VA-11 Hall-A

I first played VA-11 Hall-A (Vallhalla, since typing that is a pain) by pirating it and playing it on my laptop in the dead of night.

It quickly became one of my favourite games of all time.

When the Switch port dropped, I felt obliged to actually pay for it this time around, since the developers had more than earned my money. And then I replayed it again, playing it on my switch in the dead of night (At least this time I had the excuse of being a nightshift worker). With the sequel unfortunately delayed into 2021, it might be time to run it back once more or drag more of my mates into Glitch City since I already forcibly exposed a few of em to it.

The post-credits title screen is still my phone background.

Fallout: New Vegas

I don’t really have much to say about FNV that hasn’t been said already, especially considering HBomberguy’s recently released video, but it is also on my top 5 list and I only got around to playing Lonesome Road and Dead Money this year. Also went out of my way to 100% achievement complete the game on Steam, which I believe is the first time I’ve done that for a game.

Zero Escape Series (Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, Virtue’s Last Reward, Zero Time Dilemma)

The Danganronpa series’ less colourful sibling, Zero Escape was a series I finally got around to finishing after having borrowed a friend’s copy of VLR back in high school and playing it wrong due to not deleting his save file (oops,). I think VLR remains my favourite, and I really hope the series continues at some point (unlikely as it seems now) considering how ZTD missed the mark pretty hard. The first 2 games are still excellent mystery games and a lot of fun, though you do need somewhat of a tolerance for words.

A Hat in Time

Oh god this game is so fucking cute. Also, just an excellent platformer. Is the DLC still on sale? I should buy that.

Fallout 4

Its just not New Vegas. It just isn’t. I really tried with this game, I really did. The gunplay is great, modding and building shit is fun, but its just not the same.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

A couple years ago I bought a SNES Mini, but until 2020 I didn’t really have a convenient way of playing it seeing as my monitor didn’t have an HDMI port. But now I do have one with one, so I got to start playing this classic! And then stopped because of uni. Should finish that, probably.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

Shit Keara I still have your copy sorry I’ll get back to it :<

Pokemon Stadium

I also managed to get my N64 up and running, and despite being the wrong region for most of the games available in local shops, I somehow managed to get Stadium for a great price. Got to dig out my old Red cartridge and anything. Fuck me though, this game is brutal. Seriously, Gen 1 battle mechanics are tough to deal with at the best of times, having to do battle after battle with said mechanics without losing is just nuts. I still haven’t managed to get Round 2 unlocked.

God, fuck you Blaine. Goddamn fire spin Rapidash motherfucker.

Super Mario 64 Speaking of, I managed to pick up a Japanese cartridge of SM64, complete with BLJ glitches and 3 entire save files. After much effort, I managed to actually get it working, and spent most of the night of Christmas getting smashed and trying to beat Bowser in the Fire Sea. I played a lot of the DS remake as a kid, and I feel like an idiot for struggling as much I did with the original.

This is all of course a buildup to the fact that I was lying about not assigning a GOTY. Because there is only one N64 game in my small collection deserving of Game of the Year, because its deserving of Game of the Year every year since its 1999 release.

BEETLE ADVENTURE RACING MOTHERFUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER

#ramble #video games #retro games #pokemon #for real tho beetle adventure racing is actually good #mario kart who?

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royalflushstories · 4 years

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Survey Results

Buckle up! This is going to be a long post.

So you know the survey we sent out a little bit ago? Well, it’s closed now, and here are the results. It’s a fair amount of raw data, but we’ve done our best to make it easy to follow. (For some reason, tumblr isn’t letting us enter charts? But we’ve broken the numbers up into easy chunks.)

Thank you to the 23 of you who responded. We’re glad you participated. :D

Your Favorites

The first part of the survey covered who your favorite characters were. Some of those answers weren’t very surprising, but some of them are definitely interesting.

Keep in mind, not all the answers in any given category will add up to 23, since there was the option to choose nobody. Also, sometimes people are in more than one category, so while they might not be the overall favorite in one category they do have another chance.

The Freddy’s Crew:

Mark was the favorite, with 15 votes. Amy and Ethan both had 2, and Tyler had one. Nobody else was voted for.

The Law Enforcement:

MatPat was the overall favorite, also with 15 votes. Gar came in second with 4, and Nate had 2. Nobody else had any votes.

The Mafia:

We have a three-way tie here for first place, interestingly enough. PJ, Jordan, and Luna all got 6 votes each. (At least we know Luna is safe from the death later on.) Wiggles (Ohm) had 3, and Sophie had 2.

The Faceless:

The tie for favorite Faceless goes to Terroriser and Thomas Sanders with 4 votes each, immediately followed by a three-way tie with Jack, Gar, and Crimson* with 3 votes each. Ohm (Wiggles) and Gab both had 2 votes, and Vanoss and Robin (Kostya) had 1 each.

(*Reminder: Crimson is the OC replacement for Cry.)

The Mob:

The favorite in this category is one of those extremely unsurprising ones. Jack had 18 votes. Sam had 1, and Rhett had 1.

The Fancy Folk:

Felix came in as the overall favorite, with 11 votes, but Marzia’s 6 is more than most other people got at all, so that’s not at all shabby. Crimson had 4, and Thomas Fischbach had 2.

The Orchids:

Molly was, by far, the favorite here, with 14 votes. Minx had 4, Wade had 3, and JP had one.

The “Hard-to-Categorize”:

Technically, Dan had 8 votes and Phil had 7. However, one of you mentioned that Phil was tied with Dan for you in that category, which I’m going to count as an extra vote for Phil. So, once again, we have a tie for overall favorite, with Dan and Phil having 8 votes. Stephanie* had 2, and Jason had 1.

(*She wasn’t included in any of the categories, technically, but people wrote her in.)

The Mafiya (ish):

Thomas Sanders came in at a solid 8 votes, and Kostya (Robin) was close behind at 8. Rosanna had 5 (and to those who chose her as their favorite, my condolences). Buttons came in at 2, and, a bit surprisingly, Mir had 1 vote. I don’t know who you are, but I applaud your courage to put that on the survey the authors looked over.

Your Expected Deaths

Now, this second part was a bit harder to track, as you were allowed to choose as many people as you wanted from each category to say you were expecting them to die by the end of the series, but only one cause of death. Because of that, sometimes it’s difficult to pin down what cause of death people think is most likely to go to each character, but if there’s a clear trend it’ll be included in a note.

The Freddy’s Crew:

By far, you expect Mark to die--12 votes were cast towards that, with Tyler having 4 and Amy and Ethan both having 3.

As for the expected cause of death, 13 of you chose “protecting someone,” 2 chose “murdered,” 2 couldn’t explain the expectation*, and 1 chose “killed in a fight”.

By far, most of the “protecting someone” deaths belonged to Mark, but there was at least one person who assigned that to Tyler.

The Law Enforcement:

Most interestingly, the character most expected to die by the end of the series is Nate, with 11 votes. He’s followed closely by MatPat (7 votes), Gar (6 votes), and Patrck (5 votes). Whittaker has 2 votes, and Bob, Dlive, and Entoan all have 1 each.

The most popular expected cause of death is “protecting someone” with 7 votes, followed by “killed in a fight” with 6. “Murdered” has 5, “had it coming” had 3, and “seeking revenge” had 2.

Only 1 person thought we won’t kill any of these people, and most of you selected multiple people to die.

The Mafia:

A great deal many of you seem to be expecting Jordan to die (9 votes). The same goes for Wiggles (Ohm) with 8. PJ has 5, and Sophie has 2.

“Protecting someone” and “killed and a fight” have close numbers (8 and 7), but it’s moments like these I’ll ask you to consider that those to categories can and do sometimes overlap. “Murdered” had 2 votes, “seeking revenge” had 1, and “had it coming” had 1.

The Faceless:

It seems a lot of you are expecting Robin (Kostya) to die. 9 of you, in fact. Just like 5 of you think Gar is going to die. Ohm (Wiggles) and Crimson both have 4 votes towards their expected demise, and Vanoss and Thomas Sanders both have 2. Moo and Terroriser both have 1.

As for the causes of death, “killed in a fight” has a whopping 9 votes. “Protecting someone” has 3, as does “murdered.” “Had it coming” has 2.

The Mob:

Only 8 of you thought someone would die in this category, which means 15 of you figured we wouldn’t kill someone. It’ll be interesting to see how that ultimately plays out, but you do all have a pretty good read on us now, so you may just be right.

6 of you think we’re going to off Rhett, and 2 of you think we’re going to kill Jack.

“Killed in a fight” has 4 votes. “Protecting someone,” “murdered,” and “seeking revenge” all have 1 vote each.

The Fancy Folk:

11 of you expect Crimson to die by the end of the series. Thomas Fischbach has 6 votes. Ken and Felix both have 2, and Marzia has 1.

“Protecting someone” is the most popular reason of death, at 7 votes. “Murdered” has 4, “seeking revenge” has 3, and “killed in a fight” has 2. This is the other time I wonder where categories overlap.

The Orchids:

Wade is the character most expected to die, at 5 votes. Krism has 4 votes, Minx has 2, and Molly and JP both have 1.

“Killed in a fight” has 6 votes, and “protecting someone” and “murdered” both have 2 votes. “Seeking revenge” has 1, though it’s unclear who is seeking revenge and why.

The “Hard-to-Categorize”:

0 votes were cast here. None of you think we’re going to kill any of these people. That’s oddly trusting.

The Mafiya (ish):

Mir has 17 votes for his death. I don’t know if this means the other 6 people figured that expecting him to die was too hopeful or if they want to see him alive. Poopyhead McGee has 4 votes, Kostya (Robin) has 3, and Buttons has 2.

The reason of death “had it coming” had 17 votes, but only 16 were directed at Mir. “Murdered” had 2 votes, and “killed in a fight” and “seeking revenge” both had 1, and were both clearly attached to Kostya.

Additional Comments:

These are things that were added as causes of death that weren’t on the list. (These are not all the additional causes and comments.) If a particular quote was submitted with a name, the name has been removed for the sake of privacy.

I can’t help but think PJ is going overexert himself in this fight and he’s going to get sick again and actually die this time... which is exactly the kind of very mean thing I’d expect you to do after finally reuniting him as Sophie. And let’s be honest, if anyone in the Freddy’s crew is going to die, it’s going to be Mark because you WOULD make us go through his death twice

and

Robin will probably be out between a rock and a hard place in regards to his infiltration. Either he’ll try to protect someone and the Russian Mafia will kill him, or he’ll try to keep his cover and someone else will kill him - like other Mafia or the Police.

and

Honestly I really have no real idea on whose going to die. I just have a slight feeling that either Jack or PJ are going to die & it's going to be protecting the other, kind of poetic in a way.

and my personal favorite

Everybody gets to kill Mir 😈

#mobster au #all of the characters #just #all of them

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thepausedsforzando · 3 years

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III. The Paused Sforzando

Part I. The End To The Remaining Effort

*******Introduction*******

It’s been 5 years. 5 years and a month just about. This post looks weird in public because it’s first one. It’s also marked as III. On October 8th, 2019 I nuked my entire Tumblr. Actually, I nuked all 3: hunkee, digitalclothingofhunkee and thepsychologyofdarthvader. That was a heavy day. This series has been shotty and inconsistent, in that gaps have become bigger and the details have lessened. This could likely be due to the feedback and problems I’ve had with people in my posts when I would talk about personal things that were not only private for me but for them. Primarily, these inconsistencies and gaps are because I’ve slowly descended into more of a void of a human being than I ever thought I could be when my life was right. January 6th, 2016. That’s where we last left off. “We” now means, and has always meant, current Matthew, as well as the one who will be reading this. If any Where are we now? Corny, I know, but you wanted to type it.

I have always dreamed of having a Tumblr where I had literally 0 holdbacks. If it was disturbing or could easily be misunderstood, I’d post it anyway. But coming from a Christian background where the Christian homeschool choirs I was in had its dark pockets of judgement, it, or more than just it, made me severely self-conscious. But that is tied deeper to why I care about what others think, and how their attention makes or breaks me as a human being. But I’m getting head of myself. On purpose.

hunkee, and it’s other 2 sisters were that of restriction. No more. So many have lost touched, forgotten and abandoned me, so who fucking cares now. I may still care. I’m showing it right now, but I’ll contradict that.

One thing I will hold back on is the private information of loved ones who never got a voice to choose whether or not to have their private lives posted here. I am transparent and honest to an extreme, and it’s gotten me in trouble more than I ever thought or wanted to. Therefore, what you will be seeing is the second draft, edited to filter out private events out of love and/or respect to those who didn’t get a voice. They will be edited with summaries and I may even redact names or change said names. Those people deserve it. And I should have known back then. But you can’t know everything. I could have learned faster, but respect is being shown nonetheless.

Alot has happened from January 6th, 2016 to February 5th, 2021. What I choose to be here will be here, and other installments will follow. Where we last left off was- well before I say it, let me show you the progression:

- 2009: The end of my childhood and innocence - 2010: a solid year of happiness in the first chapter of adulthood - 2011: not bad - 2012: The beginning of the dark renaissance; the start of it all - 2013: The Darkness: The darkest point, the breakdown, the intervention and the beginning of me stopping any care and any effort. Laziness became my life. - 2014: The Void: Through trying with little effort, the numbness grew - 2015: I literally forgot most of 2015. The Void at its highest - 2016: The End: The year that I gave up, after 5 years of trying through abandonment. - 2017: Committing to my abandonment. - 2018: Rebirth: The slow growth of the tiniest voice within me. - 2019: Pause #1: Amber - 2020: ugh: - 2021: ugh:

Let’s just begin.

**************

As per usual, let’s recap from the 16th. My name is Matthew. I’m 24 and a half years old. I work at Patsco Windshield Repair and had for about a month. I have been living back at my parents now for 2 years and about 4 months. I’d been single for 1 year and 2 months. I still had my Roth IRA and likely got rid of my savings account due to poor management of my money. I had suppressed my love for Amber again, and it wouldn’t be the last time. I was emotionally void after raging and depressing for years. My life had no meaning, nor did I really have many friends or any social interactions. I had a car. I can’t remember what bills I dealt with, but it was likely phone, insurance, health insurance and idk.

Life at Patsco was pretty lame. I would drive to the corner of a parking lot on a busy road, hold up a sign for a while and repair people’s windshields. Calling insurance companies and cleaning headlights. Great for a high schooler; pathetic that I was there in life at 24. The pay was $12/hr. I forgot if the hours were good. But the best thing that happened then was I read Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. I fell in love with that book. Standing on the grass next to cars at the red light of whatever intersection I was assigned that day. Immersed in the world and loving the darkness. I found beauty in dark things and gravitated towards hateful content. Who would have figured.

Patsco didn’t last very long. Maybe I got fired, I think I did. My memory has deteriorated so much over the past x amount of years. As has my attention span. And effort. Anyway, it usually takes me 1-3 months to find work, and on April whenever, I became a delivery driver for Jimmy John’s. Yet again, a low end, dead end job. I lasted just about 2 years. I asked Asia to let me stay long enough to make it an even two years, but she couldn’t stand me and it didn’t go that long.

Amber had either come back or was always there. For private reasons, someone in her life had jealously forbade me to come over and witness the birth of her first child. That didn't fucking happen with her second. I was there. More on that later.

Remembering 2015, 2016 and 2017 is hard. I'm having to pull up my resume, previous entries of this series and go back to where I was then. By the time Jimmy John’s rolled around, I’d been back home for over 2 and a half years. Being numb and unmotivated, I was also an asshole to live with. I treated my mother horribly. There is much to get into about what I have learned about her over the years and why we clash, but I always handled it wrong and I still do. Too lazy to confront her. She saw me at my worst. Whatever I could do out loud, she mostly saw and had to be the victim of it. She didn’t deserve it.

What I write about tends to focus on home, mom and dad, work, cars and not much else. I’ve neglected to mention Eva but once. I feel bad that in a forgetful and numb phase, I forgot when I met Eva. I met her on MeetMe, a social app for meeting people that too many guys used as a dating site. It was really, really pathetic. But I was open to meeting a significant other too I bet. There goes the hypocrisy. Take note. I just didn’t advertise it and let whatever unfolded, unfold. Before I mention Eva, what happened on MeetMe is notable. I just didn’t advertise it and I'd let whatever unfolded unfold. This is where I was at: I met someone who lived across the road from me named Evie. I put what I wanted onto her and god fucking dammit I was creepy. We were barely just talking and I was gushing over her. She was pretty and I wanted to be with someone.

My obsession with women had always been a tame problem that sprouted when it got to be intense. In 2011, when the neglect started, my creepiness, lack of social interactions and desire to have a girlfriend got weirder. Every girl that was remotely attractive, or not even that attractive was ‘so right for me’ and I’d pursue. Ashley, Andrea, Christa, Amy. I can’t even remember them all. It was every. fucking. woman. that came to Josh's and I's house. Someone I hadn’t been vibing with or talking to in the first place. That’s the key, you get to know someone and if they move that way WITH you, then it’s something. I always bash guys for pursuing if THEY want it, whether they’ve talked to them much or not. In my own way, I did that. I just didn’t assert myself as hard because in this context, it would have been awkward.

Evie casually told me where she worked. We were barely acquaintances and had never met or even had each others’ numbers. And when I saw she was getting off work one night, I bought her the candy she said she loved and walked over to her in front of the store at night, basically a total stranger, and gave her the Reese’s after clarifying who I was. She was extremely quiet. I bet she didn’t eat those candies because she thought the psycho who I guess you could say stalked her poisoned them and is going to kidnap her. Fuck me that was stupid. But that’s where I was at. My desire got stronger and more obsessive over these 4 years. This might have happened in 2015. Either way, I was doing things that were not Matthew. Using a woman for sex, stalking one, and Naomi....Poor Naomi.

We were talking as friends. She was beautiful. I wanted someone. She did NOT want to find a significant other. When she was reaching out for someone to talk to, it was a friend to confide in. And she made that clear. I lowkey pursued her romantically. We’d meet down the street of her house and park in a parking lot close by. We’d talk deeply, about her hard life. And I would be there for her. Once I told her my intentions, we stopped talking. She was upset, and had every right to be. When I was pursuing Amber 3 years prior, I was putting her newborn to sleep and said ‘can you say “daddy?”’...............................it’s hard for me to bring that up because as wrong as it was and I probably knew at the time, now I can’t....I can’t even explain the awkwardness and shame I feel for saying that. Like I devolved from already clingy/kinda obsessive/maybe on occasion creepy to.....that. To a newborn whose mother....I can’t remember if she liked me at that time. I think she did. ReGARDLESS.

The last time I wasn’t like this was Ana. in late 2011/early2012. I was never perfect as I’ve said like 3 times with regards to my intense emotions towards girlfriends. Hell, I wasn’t bad at all to Nicole. But this loneliness, that was a combination of my fault and other things that made me do things I regret. I had my first one night stand years ago. Attaining friends was through the screen of my phone. I couldn’t make friends. I lost my ability to be social. I became more socially awkward. Pursuing women wasn’t successful, and my desire had gone out of control.

Here I am, miles away from the original point: Eva. She was a female and I was looking for a relationship. Desiring love, affection and to get fucking laid. It came in the form of many creepy endeavors. I wasn’t as terrible with Eva. I liked her because I liked every female that came in contact with me. So it wasn’t even genuine when I told her. But we got past that. Wasn’t trying to get in her pants or anything heinous. But as that small phase passed, for the first time in years, I gained a friend. I made a new friend........it’s not that it’s hard, but was for me. I can’t think of the last time I made a new friend. But I hit the jackpot. No one is more loyal than Eva.

She was an actual friend. She listened to me. I listened to her. We cared for each other. She invited me to her house and to outings with her friends. She cared about me. Someone finally did. It was nothing to her. Like it should be nothing to anyone else: you have friends and you spend time with them. But it was the universe and all its stars to me. I made a big deal out of it for reasons you already know. She was the true friend I needed, but got so late. I felt included, I felt cared about and I felt wanted. I think she’d even text me first! That doesn’t exist anymore! She became a bright spot, but it didn’t change what was coming.

I got mad at Jimmy John’s. Aggressive driving, maybe dealing with the occasional dick ‘cause I was in an upper middle class (some would say rich) area of town. Having been void for so long, I felt I was at a dead end. I think I was friends with Eva by then. I had only been at Jimmy John’s for a month, not even. 2 days before Mother’s Day was when it finally happened.

Despite the angel that had come into my life, I was still lazy and numb, but I feel I was more angry at this point. Regardless, on May 6th, 2016, I officially gave up. From neglect to anger to depression to laziness, it had all culminated to this. It came in waves: neglect, anger, depression, suicidal ideation, hopelessness, self-attack, breakdown, intervention, self-abandonment, extreme sloth, numbness beyond the realm of textual representation, sick of my state, denying help, anger and then release. Release of it all. When I say ‘I gave up’, that seems so small in text, but defined ‘the rest of my life’. This had been culminating for 4 years and I finally just gave up. Career? never. Healthy diet? never. Friends? They already all left me so nothing’s gonna change ‘cause it hasn’t. Love? either I said I can’t ‘cause of my mental state or idk. Being happy? it hasn’t been possible.

I adopted a new phrase: Until death. It kept repeating in my head. I had a new set of goals and motivation in my life. My goal was to avoid being happy. It was to never seek love or really get anything serious, idk. My goal was never to get a better paying job, but get enough just to live on my own. Push everyone away, not get lied to by people’s flakiness. Be in a shitty apartment and watch my 30′s, 40′s, 50′s and maybe even 60′s alone. Eat junk food and clog my arteries as no one cares and everyone has forgotten me. What’s the use. I tried. I FUCKING TRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I couldn’t do it. After 4 years, I was alone, I had no social life, I couldn’t score a woman and I was too creepy to even get close to the first step, I had eaten junk food most of my life and it was affecting my mental and physical health, I couldn’t hold a job, I couldn’t advance because I couldn’t stay long enough, my mental health was blocking my success rate before I started telling people it was blocking my success rate, I was at odds with my parents, Missy was in Chicago, no matter what I did I just couldn’t progress. It wasn’t worth it. I just let it go. My life and my desire to be happy. And that was a commitment. Hard as it would be for my family to have to endure that, I didn’t do it for them. And they didn’t have to suffer. But they did.

Missy graduated the year we're talking about now. To preface that, the whole family had vacationed to New Orleans sometime.....2014? idk, but my mental state and circumstances had made me a recluse. My family was outgoing, talking with Uber drivers and the person kind enough to let us use their house instead of a hotel. They experienced New Orleans and were having fun. But not me. I was not fully there. I was withholding myself from participating. I was quiet. if you knew me when I was myself, I was the opposite of quiet and shy. But the darkness had just become me. I was barely participating, sitting away from people and not saying a word, focusing on rooting my phone and occasionally talking about it, not talking to humans outside of my family and not speaking with a sad, distant, vacant expression.

I learned something through my silence. Usually, if there were family problems, I’d be overly involved and not able to think straight ‘cause I’m thinking of all the perspectives and dividing my attention up multifold. I wasn’t like this in New Orleans. When I said nothing, I got to listen more; I got to see what I hadn’t seen all this time. Or at least what I didn’t bring into focus all my life. And that was more true sides of my family through their interactions. The fighting over nothing and people from different perspectives. The escalations and how my family just doesn’t understand each other. If anyone else is reading this but me, you can learn more than you can possibly imagine when you say little to nothing, sit back and let the conversation you normally are involved in happen in front of you. Don’t interact, just let it happen. Watch what you don’t pick up. Our compassion is valid; we can also get carried away and not notice what’s fully going on right in front of our faces.

Much changed from that much as I used to. Optimism is ideal in moderation, as is everything else. My father was so aperspective shift. I learned more about where we are as a family and I didn’t brush it under the rug as ngry that my standout silence and being a weird, burdensome stick in the mud of a family vacation was affecting everyone and our time together. Not to mention my sister moved out...........2013? I forget. She had been in Chicago so we don’t see her everyday. Things had changed. I had moved back, but for a small amount of time, mom and dad had the place to themselves. That part of your kids growing up and leaving. He confronted me angrily and I learned something else by what he said. You would think he would say something based on how I’ve prefaced this, but instead what uttered from is angry face was:

“Do you have any idea how much money I’ve spent?!”

Sometimes, maybe many times, the way you say something or the first thing you say reflects where your focus is at. I disagree this is always the case. But in that moment, I believe as a man whose life revolved around providing for his family for 20 years, became focused on that primarily. The man can love. The man loves him family incomprehensibly. Never doubt that. But I learned not only of his perspective but how men (traditionally and mostly) make their life’s purpose of providing....larger than love, communication and interaction. All of that is still there in my father at this point, but when it wasn’t, I learned why.

Back to the point, Missy was graduating. I had been at Jimmy John’s a bit and even though New Orleans was a while ago, I only got worse for vacations. And going to Chicago was..........terrible. My sister had always been a social butterfly and extravertive. Our personalities were now white and black. I didn’t know how to talk to people. I didn’t know how to socialize. I didn’t want to. I’d been burned so much that I forgot how to be a human being, and also tried not to be. The silence and seclusion as people were in my sister’s living room, talking, was bizarre. People would kindly ask me about me and raise small talk and I don’t remember how much I’d say if I said anything. I think I’d straight up ignore people. It was extremely awkward. I was introvertive, shy, quiet, ignoring and reserved like I was an extreme trauma victim or a mute (no offence meant to either an victim of a crippling trauma or mutes). My sister was in love and trying with this man that turned out to be an asshole. But at the time, my sister was showing me her life and a very important man in her life and I was just letting it pass me by. Was it as simple as just getting over it? Faking it and putting on a face? That, is the opposite of who I am, and I couldn’t just shake this off. I was alone for 4 years and upset about it. It changed me so much that you don’t just pull out of that. Who Matthew IS. PERIOD. at this point. IS. too far gone from who he really is and so deeply warped and shaped by his depression that who he IS is hopeless and functionless.

Her boyfriend got me a present. I practically said nothing. I watched my sister graduate. I don’t remember it. This is trauma. This has affected my caring, my memory and my attention span. I’m not myself or a functioning human. PSA: it is possible to get out of the habit of many things you don’t think you could get out of the habit of. Like social interaction, how to talk to people, react to things. It wasn’t the darkest point, but such a troublesome time. I was 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% darkness and 00.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% myself. There has always been a voice inside that never wanted this. That disagreed with the (verbal) self harm I’d convince myself. After a while, if you tell yourself the same thing, whether it’s good or destructive, you’ll believe it. You’ll trick you mind. Same thing with your environment. You become affected and accustomed to your environment to some extent. When you don’t realize it.

But this was never me. Me just got smaller. The darkness took over. The darkness was my Caretaker, which leads me to...

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baranskini · 4 years

Note

Would you consider sharing the Jibbs fic with Rule 12, when it was something different when Jenny was a probie?

Here it is, I’d like to say, in my defense, I was 14 when I wrote this, so please, don’t judge me too much! Puberty was hard. Anyway, may post a few more of the Jibbs fics from back then once I remaster them, because my love for this couple has been renewed! (Thanks a lot @amphoraeimpetus 🙄🙄)

Anyway, here you go!

Playing by the rules

-0-0-0-

"Rule Eight"

"Never take anything for granted." Ziva responded without missing a beat. Jenny smiled slightly as she continued to read over the report in front of her.

The two women sat in Jenny's darkened office. It was far too late for either of them to be there, yet, somehow here they were. Ziva had come to Jenny about an hour ago ranting about Gibbs and his rules and how they should be written down somewhere.

Jenny had just smiled, handed the younger woman a glass of bourbon and announced she'd be more than happy to run over them with her.

After all, she was the expert on Gibbs and his rules. So here they sat; Jenny signing off on reports and Ziva learning the infamous rules.

"God," Jenny groaned, squinting even with her glasses at the document below. "DiNozzo's handwriting is horrific."

Ziva chuckled.

“Yes, I agree Tony has…" she paused looking for the best way to describe Tony's writing. "..Stylish penmanship."

Jenny shook her head and smiled. She allowed herself a moment to laugh with her friend before shifting back into work mode and selecting another folder from the pile crowding her desk.

"All right, rule four ." she asked, marking something down with her pen.

"Best way to keep a secret is to keep it to yourself. Second best is to tell one other person, third best is…" Ziva narrowed her eyes trying furiously to remember what third best was.

"There is not third best." The director muttered distractedly. Setting another report down, she continued. "Rule Nine."

"Always be prepared."

"Always carry a knife." Jenny corrected without even looking up. "Rule 18?"

"It is better to seek forgiveness than ask permission." Ziva smirked, knowing she'd gotten one that right.

"Rule 1?" Jenny’s voice hitched the tiniest bit, her heart constricting. Not only had she screwed Jethro, but she'd screwed him over too.

"Never screw you're partner, over." Ziva responded confidently, missing the sadness in the other woman’s tone completely.

"Good." Jenny almost choked on the word. "Rule twelve?”

Ziva grinned widely. She definitely knew this one. DiNozzo had been trying to get her to break it from the moment she was assigned to Gibbs' team.

“Never date a co-worker."

The redhead snorted out a laugh.

“There's no rule twelve, Ziva. It was a trick question." Jenny said kindly, removing her glasses and moving to sit on the couch beside Ziva. "But you should tell Gibbs that one, I think he might even adopt it." she grinned widely and shaking her head in amusement.

"Jenny, it is most definitely a rule. Gibbs told me so himself." Ziva stared at the older woman, confused by her amusement.

“You must be mistaken,”

“I can assure you I’m not,” Ziva replied confidently and Jenny's smile dropped. All of a sudden her chest was tight, too tight. She couldn't breathe.

"Are you sure?" she whispered, looking down, avoiding the brown eyes of the other woman. Suddenly, she was extremely grateful the lights were dim and that Ziva wouldn't see the unshed tears in her saddened eyes.

"Yes." Ziva replied. "Completely.”

“Oh,” Jenny's voice trembled slightly. Taking a deep breath she composed herself and looked up again. "I must have forgotten." She smiled weakly, hoping Ziva wouldn’t notice her discomfort.

“Okay, so rule seventeen?”

-0-0-0-

"So," Jenny began as she navigated her way down the stairs to Gibbs' basement. "Ziva came to visit me tonight. She wanted to run over your rules."

Gibbs turned smiling slightly. He took in her appearance, she was dressed in the same black slacks and white blouse as he'd seen her in at the Navy yard, only now she'd loosened a couple more buttons than would be appropriate for the workplace and she'd untied her hair letting the long autumn locks curl at her shoulders. Her relaxed appearance extremely sexy, in Gibbs’ humble opinion.

Gibbs dusted his hands off on his jeans and moved to meet her at the bottom of the staircase.

"Well," he grinned. "She definitely went to the right person. You were always the expert on my rules Jen." he continued seductively, his blue, blue eyes flirting with her green.

Jenny blushed as Jethro made his comment. He'd always had the ability to make any of their conversations sound dirty. The two unconsciously took a step forward.

"Well, apparently not." she replied, her face hardening slightly as she remembered why she'd come here tonight.

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" he asked coyly as he leant forward. His voice was teasing and sensual and altogether, would be considered a highly inappropriate way to talk to ones boss. Then again, lately, all his thoughts about his boss had been inappropriate.

Jenny blushed again, but her smile disappeared this time and sadness crept into her emerald eyes. Gibbs picked up on the difference immediately.

“When I was on your team," she began softly. "There was no rule twelve." She looked him dead in the eye and Gibbs stepped back a little. He hadn't expected her to find out. He hadn't wanted her to find out.

"No," he agreed after a long moment, turning his back to her and heading toward the bourbon on his work bench. The flirtatious atmosphere from before was completely obliterated as old feelings of anger and regret surfaced. "There wasn't."

"And now, it's never date a co-worker." Gibbs' silence was all she needed as confirmation.

“When did it start being a rule?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Six years ago." he replied not bothering to turn and see if she'd figured it out. If he'd hurt her.

"I'm the reason for that rule, aren't I?"

Gibbs turned to her unashamed.

“Yes." he said bluntly, for some reason wanting to hurt her. Hurt her like she hurt him. His ice blue eyes were hard now, almost cruel.

Jenny gulped hoping to stop the tears that shone in her eyes from falling.

"Okay." she said softly, turning to leave.

Gibbs shook his head debating whether he should try to explain.

“Jen?" he called after her watching as she spun on her heel to face him. "I, it's just a rule. I didn't want to see my team get hurt."

Jenny smiled sadly.

“Hurt, like I hurt you?" Their eyes locked; blue on green. By this time she was sure he could see her tears and once again his silence was enough to confirm what she'd asked.

Gibbs opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"I understand, Jethro." She nodded as a tear trickled down her cheeks. "You don't have explain." Wiping the tear from her cheek she forced a smile. "Besides, after Tony and Ziva's undercover mission, it's probably a good rule to have!” she said trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah." Was all Gibbs could think of as a response.

"Well," Jenny sighed feigning another smile. "I better get going. It's late."

"You could stay, if you wanted?" Gibbs offered quietly. He suddenly regretted being so harsh.

"No." she replied softy. "No, I don't think I can. But thanks anyway."

"Do you need me to drive you home?" he asked guiltily. Trying to find any reason to spend a little more time with her and explain that he barely made it through after their break-up and that he'd made the rule, to protect this team from falling too deeply in love, not because he hated her.

"Goodnight, Jethro." she smiled kindly, another tear escaping down her cheek as she turned and continued up the wobbling stairs. It wasn't until he heard his front door click shut that he responded.

"Goodnight, Jen."

End.

#jibbs #gibbs #leroy gibbs #leroy jethro gibbs #jethro gibbs #jennifer shepard #jenny shepard #ncis #tony dinozzo #ziva david #tim mcgee #abby sciuto #ducky mallard #jenny x gibbs

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spoiled-truth · 5 years

Text

A Lesson In Color Theory (A Response to Echo Gillette’s Video)

Am I a student majoring in art? Not at the moment. Do I have an art related job? Not yet. Can I still put in my two cents and provide a counterargument as to what someone says? Yes. And that’s what I’m here to do.

Echo Gillette is a YouTuber that I watch on occasion. She provides good content that I personally enjoy. However, with one of her most recent videos, “This is not BLUE (a lesson in color theory)”, I felt a seething rage watching the whole video. Why? Because she was wrong on so many levels.

Here’s a link to the video: https://youtu.be/NVhA18_dmg0

If you’re too lazy to click a link that takes you to another website, don’t worry. I gotcha!

The summary of the video is as follows: CMY are the only legit primary colors and other ones such as RBY and RBG are false. Also purple is a fake color. (Apparently).

Now I just want to clarify before delving into this post that I do not hate Echo with a burning passion. In fact, I do not hate her at all. I just want to debunk one of the most common art myths out there that Echo is spreading to the art community.

With that out of the way, lemme tell you the true fact and then I’ll get into all the gritty detail as to why Echo’s video is in fact false:

There are in fact 3 sets of primary colors. Not just 1.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Echo states (at around 0:51) that if you can make “these colors” out of “this” then you’re a freaking magician.

Not including the fact that all of the colors on the left are tints (aka lighter versions of their base value), green can be made with blue and yellow, magenta can be made with primarily red and a touch of blue, and cyan can be made with blue and a touch of yellow. For identical matches, all three would have to have a ton of white mixed in with them.

So call me a magician because I used basic color mixing to get the colors you asked for.

At around 1:20, she makes the bold claim that the RBY model is based on the tradition of passing down pure misinformation. I have yet to see sources of such realities in this case.

Moving on, at around 1:48, she says that printers use CMY(K) because the CMY set of colors are the true primary colors. Which is false. I’ll delve more into why this statement is false a little later.

The 2:20 mark is where things really go up a notch. Echo tries to “prove” that you can make blue, red, and green from cyan, magenta, and yellow.

At 2:30 exactly, she tries to prove that by mixing cyan and magenta, you can get blue.

Aaaaand she gets purple.

But not if she added so much blue--I mean, “cyan”--it canceled out what little magenta she added!

Ah, much better.

Here’s the thing. She takes a lighter blue (the paint is literally called Sky Blue) and just makes a slightly darker blue by barely adding any magenta to it. Cyan is not equal to a lighter blue, but she’s gotta sell her point, so let’s move on.

Now onto making red with yellow and magenta.

Aaaand that is pink, chief. Not red. Well, technically pink is red because pink is a tint of red, but that’s another story for another day.

However, she does say that it may be hard to see the actual color due to the camera. Like in this case here:

To me, the bottom swatch looks like a very vivid orange-red as opposed to an actual red. With paints it’s pink but with markers it’s orange-red. I’ll let the camera excuse slide.

Again, looks more orange-red than red. Depending on who you ask, magenta can actually be made with the RBY and RBG models. You make it with... red and blue. Shocker. You obviously add a lot more red than blue in these cases, but hey, don’t take it from me. Take it from this website here and this other website here. Because magenta is made with primarily red, when mixed with yellow, you’re gonna get an orange-y color, but not completely orange since there is still some blue in the mixture.

At 4:18, Echo says that because we believe that blue and yellow make green and not cyan and yellow, the blue and yellow mixture will always be more desaturated than the cyan and yellow mixture.

Can we all just agree at this point that the “cyan” Echo is using is literally a lighter blue? It’s called Sky Blue for fuck’s sake! Cyan is a mix of blue and green, not a tint of blue.

And on top of that, she chose a really dark blue, so of course the green on the top is gonna be darker and more desaturated than the one at the bottom.

At 4:40, Echo begins to literally contradict herself and it infuriates me to no end! She says, quote: “I think deep down we all know that the way we were taught color is wrong because so many people think that cyan and blue are the same color when they are vastly different hues.”

Cyan and blue are obviously not the same color, so why in the world did you treat a lighter shade of blue as cyan less than a minute ago? You are beginning to deconstruct your entire argument, Echo.

Moving on, at around 5:30, she brings up two different versions of the color wheel, the Munsell Wheel and the Triadic Color Wheel. One is science and the other one is tradition, therefore the Munsell Wheel is correct while the other one is completely false. Supposedly.

Well, if you go on the website, the site states that the Munsell Wheen is based on the RBG and CMY sets of primary colors, not the RBY set. They even state that the wheel is used for light and printing, not painting. (I have no clue why Tumblr ruined the image into an absolute blurry mess, here’s the website so you can read this yourself).

So in reality, the Munsell color wheel is for RBG and CMY while the Triadic color wheel is for RBY. Both are valid in this case, one isn’t fake while the other one’s real.

If you didn’t think I was mad before, go to 6:05 where Echo makes the outrageous claim:

“Purple is a lie. It literally doesn’t exist. It’s a color your brain makes up. That’s why purple is so rare in nature, because it’s not real.”

She literally says that. And then proceeds to debunk everything from that point on.

Also, blue is the rarest color in nature. Just saying. Not purple. All it takes is a simple Google search:

But here’s a link that goes into detail as to why this is the case.

At 6:25, Echo states that purple is the closest word in our vocabulary to magenta. So... purple and magenta are the same color? But they’re not. In the RBY and RGB sets, magenta is made via red and blue, the same two colors used to make purple. However, it’s with different ratios (a lot more red than blue). Therefore, purple and magenta aren’t the same color, they’re two different colors because they are made differently.

At 7:10, she talks about how colors are just waves of light that we perceive with our eyes. Yes, this is true. She literally says that at one end of the spectrum there’s red while at the other there’s purple. She goes on to say that every color can be assigned a number, except for magenta.

A) If purple can be assigned a color (its number is 400), that makes it a real color, correct? So why did you say it wasn’t a real color?

B) If magenta can’t be assigned a number, does it mean that it’s a color that we make up in our head and therefore isn’t a real color? Oh wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

At 7:16, she says, and I quote:

“Magenta is a color that doesn’t have a wavelength.”

So... it’s not real then? Your entire video is crumbling and it’s crumbling quickly.

For the next while, she goes on to explain RBG and eye cone science. All of it seems to add up. She quickly says that if your green and blue cones fire off, it ‘ll make cyan.

Okay, lemme get this straight. At the beginning of the video, you picked up a light shade of blue and called it cyan. Now you’re saying that cyan and blue are two different colors? Girl, make up your mind!

Echo then goes on to explain that magenta is made by your red and blue cones firing off, but green is in the middle and those cones aren’t firing off, so it makes up the color magenta.

Once again, lemme get this straight. At the beginning of the video, you were talking about how magenta is a real color and how it’s a primary color. Now you’re saying it’s not even a real color. Please, just make up your mind! Is CMY the only set of primary colors, or are we gonna actually tell the truth and say there’s more than one set of primary colors?

Now that I’ve completely debunked Echo’s video, it’s time for part 2 of this post.

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Remember how I said in the beginning that there are in fact 3 sets of primary colors, not just 1?

When people say CMY are primary colors, they are indeed right. The whole myth that CMY is the true set of primary colors is a lie based on twisting the truth.

We have 3 sets of primary colors:

RBY

RGB

and CMY

Each set of primary colors have their own uses and purposes. Let’s start with RBY, shall we?

RBY is used in traditional media and traditional media only. Paint, markers, crayons, etc. That is why we are taught this set of primary colors in elementary school. We’re coloring with crayons and paints. This primary color set is used by any artist who does traditional art, primarily painting, but any medium that is traditional, aka not digital or printed out.

However, many many artists use a different set of primary colors: RGB

RGB is used in digital media and digital media only. It’s light as opposed to pigment. Light, screens, digital drawing. All RGB. Whenever you make digital art, you use the RGB color wheel.

However, what if you plan on making merch of your art? Whether it’s stickers, clothing, pins, etc., if it’s being printed out, you use the CMY set of primary colors.

The CMY set is only used for printed media. Whether you’re printing out a picture or full colored document or if you’re having merch made. Either make your art CMY in your art program or you can use the RGB primary colors and then switch it afterward depending on the art program you use and if you can do that.

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In conclusion/TLDR: There isn’t one true set of primary colors that rule over. There are in fact 3 sets of primary colors that all coexist and are used in varying situations. And yes, purple is indeed a real color.

Please do not send any hate to Echo Gillette. I’m simply using her video as an example of a myth that I have seen being spread around like wildfire lately.

If you, for whatever reason, don’t want to believe what I said because I don’t have a profession in art and is so far just a hobby and passion of mine, here’s a post where someone who has gone through art school and has a degree in art debunks a post that spread the CMY myth around.

Thank you for reading. @echoisweird, if you’re reading this, thank you for reading this as well. I have the utmost respect for you, I just hate seeing you spread myths and lies about art.

#art #color theory #primary colors #rby #rgb #cmy #art myth #echo gillette #echo #youtube #youtuber #arttube

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juvellita · 5 years

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messy kbtbb character analysis

So… Let me just say that this is going to be LONG and MESSY post. I will try my best to make an analysis of all Kbtbb characters. Eisuke’s might be the longest, just because know about him more than any other bidders. This is more geared towards to those people who still have negative misconception about KBTBB. I get it. Their season 1 prologue did not give the best impression of those guys. I want to give you an insight of characters’ past, and why they are the way they were when MC first met them. PLEASE feel free to express your thoughts/ add on the comment section/reblogging! Let me know of what I am missing from character. I want to hear your analysis of characters too.

MORE UNDER

First things first. Let’s jog back to season 1. I know MANY people did not like this game in the beginning because how it hinted on human trafficking. Let me clear this out first; when Eisuke and other bidders created the auction, they made a rule of not selling any human in an auction, unless they are willing to be sold. This is mentioned in Episode 0: The Promise substory.

That’s not all though. Bidders approached mc in almost..inhuman manner. They treated her as a weird creature that they have never seen before. Why do you ask? All bidders have some sort tragic/traumatic past that cannot be easily cured. I have mentioned this briefly in my “short bidder’s complexity summary” post, but every single one of them has a reason why they cannot trust anyone that easily. Let’s look at each character in depth.

Let’s start with Ota and Eisuke, since these two characters were the MOST controversial characters when they were first released ( I apologize in advance if I miss anything for Ota. I have played his route every now and then, but I never actually read all his stories). WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD if you haven’t read any of their stories yet. Also… ALOT OF FAWNING UNDER EISUKE’S

First, Ota Kisaki (The Angelic Artist).

Essential Question: Why does he treat MC like a pet at first?

He was an unique artist ever since when he was little. No one acknowledged his art, except this guy named Doi (I believe), who was an artist. He keeps encouraging Ota to continue with his art, regardless of how others thought his art was so weird. This kind of event makes Ota ABSOLUTELY trust in Doi. He was the only one who supported his art preferences. Why is there reason not to trust him? Until… Doi plagiarized Ota’s work, and claim it as his own. At that time Doi was much of bigger artist than Ota, so Ota didn’t have any power to fight back that it was a lie. This.. made tragic mark on him. He refuses to trust anyone. I mean, it’s arguable right? Doi WAS the only one he trusted (before MC came into his life of course). He then creates this facade of “Angelic Artist”. It was his way of separating between the real him and the expectations from the others. That way, he wouldn’t have to go through the pain he went through again. When he first met MC, he called her ‘Koro’. The name ‘Koro’ was a way for him to put a distance with MC, since he refused to trust anyone after his most trusted companion betrayed him. A lot of people argue that how he treated MC like a pet was inhumane. I understand this also, because trust me… I was one of those people. However, the main purpose for calling her ‘Koro’ wasn’t to treat her like a pet. He was simply..afraid of getting close to another person and being hurt again. Koro starts out as a way to put boundary between MC and Ota. As the season continues, it becomes affectionate nickname for MC.

Eisuke Ichinomiya.

Essential Question: Why is he inhumanly cold?

Oh man, You all know how much I LOVE Eisuke (I mean.. Just look at my shet spam on my blog). I will try my best not to only fawn over him in the duration of this post.

Where do I even begin with Eisuke? I mean, I think his first description was “Cold-hearted billionaire”. He probably went through A LOT during his career. But If you still think he is cold-hearted, please look at all my screenshot spams. At least to Mc, he turns squishy marshmellow. When MC gives him that puppy dog eyes or when she smiles at him with uncontrollable happiness, there is NO way this man can say no to her.

In his Childhood Promise Substory, Eisuke only wanted power to save and protect ones he cared about and himself. He might come off as only selfish person in the beginning, but as story progresses on, you will know that is not true. He has difficult time expressing things in words.

Let’s first look at his family background. “Ichinomiya” isn’t his actual biological name. When he was young, his family went bankrupt. His father disappeared (Eisuke finds him again in season 5), and shortly after his mother’s health got worse and passed away. He got separated from his little sister (who he finds again in his s1 sequel), and Akira Ichinomiya adopts Eisuke, who was good friend of his biological father. Before meeting MC, everyone who approached him, only approached him for his power and money. Up until his S1 epilogue, he used to have a groupies, who were obsessed with Eisuke. When he sees them shet talking about MC, he threatens them he will ban them if they keep on creating a scene in his hotel (and we never see them again after that). Anyways, back to my point. These groupies only loved Eisuke for his money, power, and looks. Did they know a single thing about Eisuke? I doubt it. He only kept them around because he needed someone to numb his loneliness(numbing doesn’t solve any problem. He knew this, but regardless, he needed someone.). But beneath that cold facade, he was an absolutely lonely person. No one really loved him for he was. He was craving for genuine love, but no one gave that to him.. He have gave up on the idea of getting that love..Until Mc came to his life. MC was the only one who was able to see through Eisuke, and realize he is lonely. She never approached him for his power or money, and he realizes that her actions and thoughts toward him are genuine. (Seriously… read his pov if you have not, because they are the VERY reason why I LOVE Eisuke so much.) But he sometimes have wonders about what love is, since he was never used to being loved so genuinely by someone. In his season 3, he has doubts that his adoptive father actually loved him. Everyone around him only saw him as a man ‘capable’ of handling business. However, when he confronts Akira about it, he says that he wanted Eisuke to understand family love. He also claims how he is happy that Eisuke has finally found someone who can love him unconditionally (referring to MC). Then throughout multiple s3 substories (such as his bday story, under his protection, etc ...), you can see how the definition of ‘love’ changed for him. At first, he thought it was unnecessary thing (meaningless to say aloud). However as him and mc gets close in relationship, he notices expressing love for someone you love is important (hint s5). We also see that he is emotionally unstable. Mc is his big emotion supporter. You can see his emotion breaking through BIG TIME when MC gets in life or death danger (refer to my Desperate moment post if you haven’t already).

I want to also bring this to light: Eisuke has so many enemies. I don’t know what stuff he really did, but I can say some are just falsely created by some influential being. If you ever played Eisuke’s s2, do you remember how Shuichi and Hikaru approached Eisuke? Hikaru was assigned to assassinate Eisuke, believing that he was the one who killed his parents. Same goes for Shuichi. He at first believed that Eisuke was behind everything that happened to his family. However, after s2, they somehow realize that that is not the case. Some mastermind was controlling them to get rid of Eisuke. This still reminds mystery. I really hope they cover this in his s6 or s6.5.

A lot of thing that I mentioned for Eisuke, I have already mentioned through my screenshot posts, or other bloggers have said it already. It might sound repetitive, but I cannot enforce enough, how much mc means to Eisuke. She is basically his life, one existence that will drive him insane if MC is in trouble in any way (but then again, Eisuke is so extra sometimes LOL). He will literally do ANYTHING to make happy. Mc isn’t a selfish person, so this won’t EVER happen but, in theory ( I DID SAY IN THEORY, SO DON’T FREAK OUT), if she ever wanted someone to disappear because they have hurted her ever since she was little, Eisuke will not hesitate to make that come true (actually he will do it before she even mentions it). He believes that anyone who makes mc sad should not exist (at least not close to them). I mean… he even says this to his own son LOL. He will not hesitate to keep mc in his penthouse all day if he feels like she is in danger. Only reason why he doesn’t do this much anymore is because he knows how much mc doesn’t like that . This is where yandere eisuke came from because of how he is sometimes abnormally OBSESSED with MC. I mean...installing security cameras all around his hotel JUST for MC’s safety (and to check on her ...for his benefit). This just proves how all sense of his ‘logic’ flies out of window when it comes to MC. He perhaps might not know the ‘normal’ way to express his love, but he tries his best to show MC that he loves her. And mc knows this.

Any ways… I am gonna end my Eisuke post here… if I continue I will end up fawning more over him. SORRY I WAS SUPPOSED TO ANALYZE. I ENDED UP FAWNING

Baba Mitsunari

Essential Question: Why is he known as ‘playboy’?

There are many theories that this man has depression, which I honestly can see why. He is the nicest bidder in everyone’s route. He usually says hi to MC first when she comes in the penthouse, and cheers her up when she is seriously feeling down. He is quick to lend a hand when any of bidders are in trouble. His man has a tragedy… of not being able to truly love anyone, because he is scared that his ‘thief’ title will hurt the one he loves. He also wants to be loved like Eisuke and Ota, and give love, but he is SCARED. Unlike Eisuke or Ota though, Baba has tendency to deprecating himself. He once genuinely fell in love with this girl named Cynthia. However, he decides to leave her because he was scared that he would hurt her because of his career as a thief.

I have said it once, but I honestly think Baba is underestimated as a character. If I look at him closely enough, he probably is saddest character in KBTBB. Sad i mean…only one who probably realizes that he is sad. Other bidders are too prideful or disinterested in emotional feelings before mc comes in. Baba is probably the only character who is fully aware of what he is feeling even before mc coming into his life. I do not know much about Baba, but I can tell this much from observing him in Eisuke’s route. He only became known as ‘playboy’ because he knew he wasn’t able to stick to one woman without hurting them. Instead, he tries to numb his depression by having a lot of women around him, which obviously doesnt work.

Mamoru Kishi

Essential Question: Why is he so darn lazy?

You might not believe it but he used to be very passionate about his career. He had a investigation partner named Minami. However, one day, for some mysterious reason he died. Mamoru has made several attempts and proposals to solve the mystery of his death, but interpol has rejected his idea every time he proposed it. They all thought it was unnecessary to reveal that case was closed (in his route, we figure out Aida was behind all this). From that point on, he realizes how crooked and ‘good for nothing’ his job is, and he loses all motivation to work hard. I have never played his route so I cannot say much about him. But he is very skilled detective/policeman. He may not seem like it, but the way he gets Eisuke all those confidential information about interloper… i mean, I don’t think normal policeman can do that! In Eisuke’s season 5, Eisuke worries about Mamoru’s job in danger if he went such length to help him. But he assures him that it is fine since he is known as ‘slacker’ and so no one cares about him. He would go full length to uncover the truth once he sets his eyes on something.

Soryu Oh

Essential Question: Why is he allergic to women?

I mean… mainly because of his mafia title. Just like baba, he doesn’t think he deserves ordinary happiness nor could ever get one because of his career. Most times, his job is life or death matter. He has strong sense of what is ethical and what is not. He would hate to put anyone in danger because of him. Beneath that cold exterior, he is probably most normal person amongst the bidder. He is also the one who is (personality wise) close to describing mc. When he meets mc, and sees her devotion to stick something that she set her mind on, he falls for her.

I also think one main reason why he hated women is because how they were ‘used’ to secure his life. In one of Eisuke’s substory, Soryu mentions that he lost his virgin because it was ‘life or death’ matter. Although it is clearly not addressed, there might be some unspoken reason why he used not like women.

FYI... I typed this out on word doc first... it turned out to be 5 pages...

#eisuke ichinomiya #soryu oh #kbtbb #kissed by the baddest bidder #baba mitsunari #ota kisaki #mamoru kishi #hikaru aihara #shuichi hishikura

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makingthetwinsrelevant-blog · 5 years

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Why this year is different (although 5 game series are often skewed by sample size and who knows if it will even matter)

I’ve heard a lot of commentary about the Twins season. None of it is too optimistic about their prospects in the playoffs, and that’s understandable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLIt6xGSqek

That link is the game following the last playoff win in franchise history. It boils down to one mistake, leaving Joe Nathan to try for a third inning. Since then and including that game, the Twins are 0-13, with 10 of those losses coming against the Yankees, who the Twins will play this year for the Division series. But the Nathan mistake isn’t why we lost that series, nor is the Torii Hunter missed catch in ‘06 the reason we lost that series.

A lot of folks think we’re cursed, and that certainly would work as a narrative. A-Rod’s RBI double in 2004, or his home run in ’09 preceding Texiera’s walk-off. Curtis Granderson’s triple in ’10 comes to mind. But everything must come to an end- the curse of the Bambino did, as did the Cubs’, and the Twins aren’t going to lose every playoff game for the rest of their existence. It starts with one game, and I think the 2019 squad is built to do that. Here’s why:

2002 Twins 86-75

2003 Twins 85-77

2004 Twins 87-75

2006 Twins 93-69

2009 Twins 86-77

2010 Twins 92-70

2017 Twins 83-79

2019 Twins 98-64

These are the Pythagorean records for all Twins playoff teams since I have been conscious, and it really validates what I stress when I talk about the 2019 Twins, which is that this is the first team I’ve ever seen that is actually GOOD. Like good good. ALCS good. Which is why we can beat the Yankees this year, legitimately, or at least take it to game 5. Let me explain:

2002-2018: From Rick Reed to Addison Reed

The 2002 team had no fear. The playoffs were brand new and they won a weak AL Central with solid contributions from tons of guys- no mid 2010’s Detroit Tigers stars and scrubs BS here. 12 guys had more than 2 bWAR (a measure of overall value from baseballreference.com- 0 means totally replaceable, anything above 5 means a star player), including a career year for J.C Romero, who as a lefty pitched in 81 innings, allowing a total of 17 runs, with 3 home runs, 62 hits. bWAR for his season was 3.6. We also got nice above average seasons from Corey Koskie (How good could he have been not under the Twins slap hitting tutelage and minus his later concussion issues?), Bobby Kielty, Tony Fiore (91 good innings out of the pen), Kyle Lohse, Dustan Mohr; even Rick Reed was pretty good that year. The Giants and the Angels were better constructed teams, and it would have been a miracle for the Twins to go all the way that year. I couldn’t believe when they beat they A’s, and I couldn’t believe when Joe Mays shut the Angels down in Game 1. 8 innings, no runs and the Angels could not get a barrel to the ball to save their lives. We lost to the Angels because they were a better team (They won 99 games that year) but like the Astros in 2015, it was a good stepping stone for a solid core of guys.

The 2003 team was worse. There was no David Ortiz and only Brad Radke had an ERA+ (a measure of pitching that corrects for context, average score is 100) that was above average in our regular rotation. It was 101. Shannon Stewart and Johan Santana had to save the season and lift us over the White Sox* and Royals, who had a magical season 11 years before they meant to- they had prime Mike Sweeney and Carlos Beltran, but their #1 pitcher (as I recalled but had to confirm) was Darrell May, who had a legitimately good season but would never do THAT again.

*I’m pretty sure the White Sox were the better team that year. They had prime Bartolo, Mark Buehrle, early ok Jon Garland and that one of year of Esteban Loaiza where he almost won the CY Young (226.1 innings of 2.90 ERA ball with a k rate of 8.2, his career k rate was 5.9). They also had prime Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee, and this was one of the years in the oughts where Frank Thomas stayed together and hit 42 bombs.

But the Twins prevailed with Shannon Stewart magic plus solid years from Mientkiewicz, Koskie and Pierzynski, won Game 1 against the Yankees because we let Johan Santana free (for 4 innings, as that was the game where he didn’t eat enough potassium and cramped out of the game), and then got swept the rest of the way, getting shut down by Andy Pettite Roger Clemens and David Wells. It was kind of an accidental bullpen game in game 1, but more on that later.

The ‘04 Twins went back to being pitching dominant, with the first year of full season Johan (and his best year) and Joe Nathan joining the fold along with lights out Juan Rincon (watch him strike out Jorge Posada in the 8th in game 2). Radke was great, and Carlos Silva soaked up the rest. If Joe Mauer hadn’t gotten hurt that team could have been something, because the lineup was rough and relied a lot on career year Lew Ford (more on that later). Doug Mientkiewicz, Jacque Jones, Christian Guzman and Henry Blanco all struggled to various degrees. Morneau provided a spark in the second half, taking over for Mientkiewicz at the trade deadline and hitting 19 bombs.

As I inferred, I put myself through watching game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees (up 1-0) recently and everything that I remembered from it came rushing back: Koskie’s double against Rivera that would have scored 2 but bounced into the stands, instead tying the game at 5. Then Hunter’s big home run in the 12th, and Nathan to all the world looking like he was out of gas in his third inning of work in the 12th - with 1 out he walked Miguel Cairo as well as Jeter to bring up A-Rod. What I didn’t remember was that Nathan threw a decent slider off the plate down and away, and A-Rod showed why he was one of the top 5 hitters of his generation and almost hit it out, poking a ground rule double (were it a regular double it would have been a walk off) to tie the game. After intentionally walking Sheffield, J.C Romero got Hideki Matsui on a soft fly out to Jones in right, and a good throw would have gotten Jeter. That didn’t happen, and one Carlos Silva start and a Rincon implosion later the Twins were done. The Twins hit well in the series after not doing that all season, but two decisions cost them: leaving Nathan in obviously, and giving Carlos Silva (and Kyle Lohse) a start. The lineup had gotten hot, but archaic ideas about how to use pitching in the playoffs cost them big- although those ideas wouldn’t truly be challenged until Craig Counsell took the Dodgers to 7 games in 2018.

I was jazzed about ’06. They had a good power and speed mix (On base percentages of Bartlett, Castillo and Punto: .367, .358, .352) with Morneau and Mauer both breaking out to post over 10 bWAR between them, Santana winning another Cy Young, and Francisco Liriano having his Greek tragedy. The bullpen was great, with Nathan having arguably his best year, Dennys Reyes giving up 5 runs the whole year and Rincon, Pat Neshek and Crain pitching in solidly.

But Barry Zito outdueled Santana in game 1, Mark Kotsay hit his inside the park home run on the ball Torii dove for but couldn’t keep in front in game 2 (right after we had tied the game with back to back jacks from Cuddyer and Morneau). And that was all the starting pitching we had- with Liriano done, and Boof Bonser pitching out of his mind in game 2, we had can’t-brush-his-teeth torn rotator cuff Brad Radke trying to gut his way through and running out of guts. And cartilage.

Maybe Craig Counsell or Kevin Cash could have made it work, but in 2006 there just wasn’t enough pitching.

In ’09 we had MVP Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel’s best year and Denard Span’s emergence. But the pitching relied a lot on Nick Blackburn and the mad rush to beat the Tigers in game 163 left us with Brian Duensing in game 1 against the Yankees. Brian Duensing was a nice pitcher that year, but he couldn’t handle that assignment. Game 2 was the Phil Cuzzi calling a fair ball foul game, the most errant umpiring call I know of next to the Armando Gallaraga perfect game disaster. Mauer singled anyway to start the 11th. So did Kubel and Cuddyer. Bases loaded, no outs, Delmon Young at the plate- he scaldes a line drive to Texiera at first for a loud out. Carlos Gomez grounds into a fielders choice at home, and Brendan Harris pops out. Kinda deserved that walkoff.

Who are you pitching with this team in a 7 game series anyway? And depth was an issue as well, otherwise Harris wouldn’t have come in for MATT TOLBERT, Gomez wouldn’t have hit with his .623 season OPS, and nor would Delmon with his .733. Blackburn and Pavano combined to go 12 innings, allowing 3 total runs between them in games 2 and 3, so even with those bonuses the fact that the team couldn’t even get to 4 games says a lot.

2010 could have been something, with a good offense led by Mauer and Thome, the one year Delmon Young was good, the year we had J.J Hardy and Orlando Hudson and Liriano had 200 k’s. But Morneau got his concussion, Nathan had Tommy John surgery, Kubel Cuddyer and Span all had bad years and it came down to Curtis Granderson hitting a clutch triple off of a cruising Liriano (The Twins led 3-0 going into the bottom of the 6th). Then the Twins realized that as nice as their seasons were, Carl Pavano and Duensing weren’t pitchers you rely on in the postseason- they pitched to contact and if their command wasn’t perfect they would get exposed. Guess what happened.

In 2017 the team wasn’t good. And they wouldn’t have made the playoffs if the Orioles, Angels and Royals didn’t all collapse while the Twins played .500 ball in September. Their starting pitching was average, with a great Ervin Santana season and a good Berrios one. But unlike the other teams on this list, the bullpen was suspect, with a not-quite-figured-out Ryan Pressly, sinker throwing Tyler Duffey and a Matt Belisle on the right side with a non-slider throwing Taylor Rogers on the left. Alan Busenitz and Trevor Hildenberger had career years but weren’t helpful in the Wild Card game, or really ever again.

The offense was the best of all the teams so far in a bit of foreshadowing, scoring 815 runs and featuring the last good Brian Dozier season, the start of Jorge Polanco busting out, and Joe Mauer having one last .300 season. Miguel Sano looked like a star for 3 months, then busted his shin and got a titanium rod inserted into it because he doesn’t care about baseball or something. Byron Buxton even had his first sustained period of excellence in the second half (and played 140 games!)

Relying on the back end of the rotation

Those are the 7 playoff teams of the millennium. And here are the Game 3 starters for each ALDS team starting with ’02:

Rick Reed

Kyle Lohse

Carlos Silva

Zombie Brad Radke

Carl Pavano

Brian Duensing

That group had a combined record of 0-6. This year the hope is that the new regime is smart enough to know that, even though they have 2 starters in Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez who are comparable to that group, and who tried hard and won double digit games, their best bet is to bullpen that game.

One aspect of the playoffs that teams are getting wise to but which have killed Clayton Kershaw in the past, is the inclination to “trust your guys” and “dance with the girl who you brought” or some other idiom about sticking with a certain pitcher out of loyalty or sense of obligation. Carlos Silva had a good ’04 season; of course Gardy would want to give him a playoff start. His results were quite a bit better than Kyle Gibson’s 2019.

But hitters hit .310/.342/.462 against Silva that year. You’re trusting your season to him continuing to get lucky. He gave up 10 hits and the series swung 2-1 to the Yankees.

Results aren’t predictive

What we have in 2019 is the possibility that the Twins brass has learned from the mistakes of the past. You saw it in 2017 when they traded our closer, Brandon Kintzler, at the trade deadline. They knew that despite what the results showed, the team wasn’t good. Even though they got hot and made the WC game, they knew it wasn’t sustainable yet, and didn’t go crazy on free agents or win-now trades.

What the Levine Falvey regime did was take an objective view of their assets (is Mike Morin’s success sutainable? No? Ok then I won’t pitch him in the 7th inning of a playoff game. In fact, I’ll let him be the Phillies problem). They also threw all the “Twins way” shit out the window. No more getting benched for not going the other way, or for trying to hit a home run. And I know that point of view is very much a feeling and not really tangible- something inferred from David Ortiz’s comments years ago, a general sense watching games announced by Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven, that power is nice but luxurious, as though wanting it too badly should be a sin. And then you have Joe Mauer, who embodied every aspect of that feeling- a guy who looked for his whole career like he could hit home runs, but didn’t because he wasn’t flashy, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself and must have believed that slapping singles and doubles to left field would be a more productive route in the end.

Here’s the big secret about Joe Mauer: As talented as he was- as a catcher, in his general coordination, in his eye at the plate, and his ability to slap an RBI single in some key spots for 14 years, he was kind of a moron. Seemed like he was a nice guy. But he has never in his life said anything remotely close to insightful and I truly believe that he earnestly and wrongly thought he could best serve his team by staying behind the ball and slapping it to left field. He was probably told that from a young age.

He mistook an illusion for a reality, and so did the Twins for 51 years. Every color guy on every team’s broadcast will talk about the importance of the fundamentals, getting the guy over, laying down a good bunt and going the other way. They will talk up players who do that for eternity, and constantly lament how the game isn’t played that way anymore. To every team trying to win, this is taken with a big fucking grain of Morton brand industrial sidewalk salt. They want 2-3 guys like that. To the Twins it was religion. They wanted 12-15 guys like that. They wanted Matt Tolbert, Nick Punto, Denny Hocking and Juan Castro. The did NOT want J.J Hardy or David Ortiz.

This has changed, hopefully, and with Mauer gone, it may have rinsed away completely. We set the freaking home run record. Mitch Garver openly admits he is trying to hit home runs. Max Kepler found out his power is to the pull side. Jorge Polanco found out he could take a rip early in the count. It’s all new; it’s all different. And I’m not saying the Twins will beat the Yankees in the first round because of this philosophy shift. What I am saying is that the 2019 Twins are NOT:

A Cinderella team getting their feet wet around 12 slightly above average guys (2002)

A decent offense with no pitching plus Shannon Stewart (2003)

A great pitching staff 1-2 with an average offense that gave starts to Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse in the playoffs (2004)

A team with Boof Bonser as its #2 (2006)

A team that relied heavily on Blackburn, Pavano and Duensing in playoff games (2009 and 2010)

A lucky team with no bullpen and 1.5 starters (2017)

So maybe they will.

What’s different now

The best team out of the prior playoff teams is probably the ’04 team, whose struggling offense didn’t struggle in the playoffs. And with Santana being the best and Radke being HIS best, a modern manager could have used their decent bullpen to build something.

Now imagine the ’04 team, except their offense is much better. MUCH better. And despite having only two effective starters, can bullpen their way to wins with a pen that goes 6-7 deep. And unlike a Tony Fiore or a Ron Mahay, or a Matt Capps or Alex Burnett, this bullpen does stuff you can’t fake- stuff you can’t luck your way into.

Opponents are hitting .157/.223/.245 against Tyler Duffey in the second half.

They’re hitting .159/.220/.354 against Trevor May

(Both those guys were good in the first half, too)

Taylor Rogers gave up a .225/.273/.353 line for the year

To my count there are 9 relievers that can be counted on in different spots- Rogers, Duffey, May, Romo, Littell, Stashak, Dobnak, Graterol and Smeltzer (by different spots I mean that Rocco won’t throw Smeltzer into the 8th inning of a tie game to face Aaron Judge).

That depth can be leveraged to overcome the loss of Michael Pineda, and the fact that Berrios and Odorizzi are no locks to be effective. Stashak and Smeltzer can both give you 3 innings of effective mop-up duty that keep games close, and allows the offense to come back by exploiting New York’s middling starting pitching, and mercurial late inning relief (Namely Britton, Green and Ottavino).

How to cope when Lew Ford leads your team in total bases

Almost as importantly, the offense isn’t going to need guys who had career years to continue thriving in the post when they were clearly playing above their true talent level. Lew Ford carried the ’04 team at times, but he was still Lew Ford, and he showed it against the Yankees and for the rest of his career. Same with Nick Punto in ‘06. Nelson Cruz is a force who scares the Royals as much as the Yankees.

Mitch Garver didn’t hot streak his way into a 1000 OPS; he’s kept it above .919 since April 9th. Check his game log.

These guys are actually good. So is Max Kepler, who I hope is ok. You don’t hit 36 bombs with reverse platoon splits by accident.

Marwin Gonzalez isn’t a great hitter but I trust he’ll take a good at bat when we need him too. You’ll appreciate that when you watch rookie Jason Kubel swing at two straight pitches at his eyes against Rivera in ’04.

Eddie Rosario is the wild card, and teams NEED* a wild card:

*Delmon Young on the Tigers, Yasiel Puig on the Dodgers, Alfonso Soriano on the Yankees, Eric Byrnes on the Diamondbacks. Rafael Devers for the Red Sox last year. That’s Rosario. Everyone needs an underachiever from the regular season to come up in the post.

Rosario, Polanco, Garver, Cruz, Sano and Kepler could all be game changing offensive players in a short series, which is not a quantity we’ve seen since Morneau went down with his concussion in ’10.

There’s no curse, the Yankees just exploited an obvious weakness of the Twins 4.5 separate times. That weaknesses boiled down to smoke and mirrors results that translated to good regular season stats, which led to Terry Ryan and Gardy trusting those results to be predictive. The 2019 team wasn’t built that way, otherwise Brandon Kintzler might still be part of it. The bullpen will have to perform for a lot of innings, the lineup will have to score, and one of Berrios and Odorizzi will have to perform to or above his talent level. As likely as it has ever been, this team could, say it with me here- take it to a game 5.

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