#this is more of an intro for rap songs than anything

[gabalicious-g]

HELLOOO do you have any rap artist recommendations?? saw ur tags on that earlier post :]

hey bestieeeeee

hell yeah i have rap recommendations!!

In terms of artists, definitely Kendrick Lamar because of the lyricism and ability to weave a narrative, Metro Boomin', lil Uzi, Cardi B, 21 savage, Tyler the creator, lil nas x, Doja Cat, Kanye, Megan Thee Stallion, City Girls, Saweetie, and ASAP Rocky all have classics that have shaped the genre in their own way since 2012.

Most songs that have collabs /features with people like SZA, kali uchis, kanye, rihanna, the Weeknd, lana del rey, and other pop artists are pretty fire. Don't shy away from popular songs! They got popular for a reason, and having an artist you know in the song can make a completely new genre less daunting.

In terms of songs, I would definitely suggest:

Just Wanna Rock (lil Uzi), Runnin (21 savage and metro boomin), Right Foot Creep (youngboy never broke again), Collared Greens (ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick lamar), Glock in my lap (21 savage, metro boomin), the Box (Roddy Ricch) because they're hype and iconic.

Songs that have dances attached to them are also a great place to start because then you can straight up see people's enjoyment of it. Songs like juju on that beat, drop it like it's hot, even Wobble (by VIC) and low (by FloRida and T Pain) are really good intro dance songs. The important thing about these songs is that the audience is much broader than for some rap songs. The audience for the dance songs (ie. 'all the shawties in the club', 'west coast', or even 'you') is whoever feels like participating, whereas for example, "Not Like Us' by kendrick is a very specific diss that's meant to be listened to a wide range of people but is a response to Aubrey Drake Graham's bitchass.

[ayellowdaylily]

Commander's Needs [NSFW]

» pairing: canon!Hange x afab!Reader » summary: Delivering Levi's paperwork to a certain Commander turns into something you could only dream about. » word count: 3.4k » notes/warnings: smut... p in v, please read my Hange headcanon for this! lots of pet names (dear, darling, good girl, love), Hange has a cock and boobs *Vine boom*, major slow burn » a/n: I had sm fun writing this so I hope you guys enjoy it (first fic on Tumblr so pls be nice T-T) this is also half not edited bc it's 3 am... so uh don't mind it being practically all over the place » song recommendations: Intro: Singularity by BTS » Ao3 link Happy reading ദി(。•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

Only the sound of the crickets outside the window, as well as the quietness of the night, could be heard from Commander Hange Zoë’s office as they immersed themselves in some rather last-minute paperwork. The oil lamp’s flickering flame reflected off their glasses as they wrote, signed and stamped. 

The soft silence was suddenly broken by the sound of knocks at the Commander’s door, drawing their attention away from the messy paperwork splattered across the desk, to the unexpected raps. It was rather late, why would anyone come knocking, Hange thought as they got up from the chair.

“(Y/N), what are you doing here at this hour?” Exclaimed the Commander as they opened the door to reveal the sudden visitor.

“Oh- so sorry for the late disturbance,” You said with a panicked tone as you glanced nervously at the papers in your hand, guiding them towards the Commander’s direction. “Captain Levi had instructed me to give these to you.”

As Hange sensed your tense posture, they swiftly grabbed the papers from your hands, examining them with an apparent curiosity about their contents.

“No need to worry! So Levi’s got you to do his dirty work this time?” Hange asked jokingly as they leaned against the door frame.

“I was just passing by, I’m guessing I was one of the few still awake at this time. I don’t mind tho.” You replied with a shrug of your shoulders.

Hange removed their weight from the doorframe as they returned to their desk “Now that you’re here, I might as well enjoy the company.” They pulled a chair and patted it. “Come, sit down.” 

With hesitation, you slowly approached the seat and settled yourself beside Hange. The sound of a chair scraping at the floor broke the awkward silence as the Commander scooted themselves closer.

“So, besides being Levi’s mail person, what else do you do?”

You didn’t answer immediately as you gathered your thoughts, holding your tongue before answering.

“I volunteer in the medical bay quite often, if not I'm just your regular old scout.”

Hange took the time to examine you as you spoke, taking in every detail - from your hair to how the soft orange light cast by the oil lamp’s flame reflected in your eyes. You simply looked… captivating. 

“A medic, huh?” Hange finally spoke once they acknowledged they had been silent for too long. “That means you know a thing or two about anatomy, right?”

“I do, I’ve seen and learned lots of things.” You responded quickly as the Commander’s question took you aback.

Hanges eyes surveyed your face, looking for any hint of hesitation, but it wasn’t intimidating, it was… more curious than anything. Moist began covering the palms of your hands as they took their time to answer once more. Quickly, you wiped them on your pants.

“Do you think you could take a look at my neck real quick?”

“Of course! What seems to be the problem Commander?” 

Slowly, Hange’s blouse revealed their shoulders as well as the upper part of their chest while they undid the first few buttons. You felt a soft plush crawl at your cheeks at the sight of Hange’s exposed skin but as the Commander turned around, you observed a swollen part of their skin located on the upper back.

“This spot has been killing me. I don’t know what the hell happened but can you take a look?” Hange said with their back turned, awaiting your medical remarks.

“Well, I think you have a knot in your neck… I’d need to take a closer look to be sure.” You explained softly.

“Do what you must, doctor.” Hange joked.

You gave them a soft hum before reaching out. The contact between your cold hands and the warmth of their body sent jolts up your spine as you touched Hange’s skin, softly touching the tense muscle.

Hanges nerves followed the touch of your fingertips on their back, they leaned into your touch a little, their breath catching in their throat when you started touching them in a not-so-delicate way, contrasting your previous soft touch.

“Have you been stressed recently?”

“Yeah, I’ve been a lot more stressed than usual lately. It’s been a rough few months, with the new position.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it…” You said as you continued to examine their skin with your fingers. “You simply have a muscle knot, you could always let it go away on its own, or I could loosen it a bit to help. But for it to get better in general, you need good nutrition and rest.”

Hange listened intently as you explained, their mind fixated on the way your touch felt on their skin. They nodded in agreement as you suggested to help loosen it slightly, but hearing your last suggestion caused a small chuckle to escape their lips.

“Rest? That’s a good one, I don't think I’ve gotten a good night’s sleep in weeks. I don’t have time for-”

“Commander!” Gripping their shoulders, you turned Hange around to face you. “It’s important for you to get rest. As a matter of fact, as your acting doctor, I want you to go to bed now! The paperwork can wait.” You persisted.

Taken aback by your insistence, Hange simply stared into your eyes. They weren’t used to someone, especially a lower-ranked scout, telling them what to do. The corners of their lips quivered as they fought back the smile threatening to spread across their face.

“You think you can tell me what to do? I have lots of important work to get done tonight.” Hange said with a teasing tone as they folded their arms across their chest. You knew damn well you had absolutely no right to order the Commander around, but you were genuinely concerned for their health.

“Commander, please. It really is important to take care of yourself. No matter how much “important” work you may have.”

The only reaction Hange gave you was a soft chuckle at your persistence. They weren’t used to someone being so headstrong with them, but they secretly found themselves amused by your determination.

“Alright, alright. I’ll rest. I guess you only have my best interest in mind, right?” Hange responded as she shook her head in defeat. 

“You bet, Commander!” You said with a bright smile plastered on your face that Hange couldn’t help but return. There was something about your presence that put them at ease, even though your determined attitude, they were enjoying this little back-and-forth banter.

“You’re feisty, you know that?” Hange exclaimed as they slipped their blouse back onto their shoulders, not bothering to rebutton the top buttons. “I like it” 

A soft blush began covering your cheeks as you ignored their last comment.

“No time for joking around, you need a good night's rest for once.” You said demandingly as Hange held up their hands in surrender with a faint laugh.

“Yes I’m going, I’m going.” They said in a low voice, getting up from their chair with a groan.

“One more thing though…” Hange continued, stopping you in your walk towards the door.

“What is it, Commander?”

Hange remained silent before they stepped closer to you, observing you once more with a curious gaze.

“Is it a part of a doctor’s job to also ensure the patient they’re checking on… enjoys the experience?” Their voice dropped to a lower, more intense tone as they asked you. Their gaze fixed so intensely into you.

Your words came out with a stutter as Hange loomed over you, their imposing presence slightly intimidating you. “O-our patients' experience is the most important part of the job.”

The Commander smirked at your stammered response. They could tell they were making you seemingly nervous, but your reaction only fueled their enjoyment and encouraged them to push further.

“Is that so” Hange taunted under their breath as they closed the small gap between you two, their strides bringing them overwhelming close, forcing your body to make contact with their office door. They raised a hand and delicately caressed your cheek while slowly tracing the outline of your face tenderly, their touch sending pleasurable shocks through your body. Faced with the Commander's unexpected boldness, you only stood frozen in shock, unable to react any other way. A soft snicker escaped Hange’s lips as they watched your flustered face and nervous stature. With their soft fingertips still tracing your face, they pushed away a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.

“You’re awfully red… aren’t you, my darling?” They murmured into your ear. Shivers were sent down your spine as their soft breath tickled your ear. The comforting warmth of Hange’s touch disappeared from your face, their hand slowly continuing its path along your body before it came to a stop at your waist, trapping it in an intimate embrace. To your surprise, your body reacted strangely to the Commander's intimate touch, the warmth of their hand against your skin sent sparks of anticipation down your spine, brewing a heat deep within you that you couldn't explain nor ignore. A smile slowly crept to Hange's lips as they felt your body tensing up to their tender touch. The Commander continued to revel in the effect they had on you, the hand resting at your waist travelled higher, their fingers dancing across your bare skin, tracing patterns that sent tremors of pleasure through your body. You couldn’t help but look down as your cheeks flushed in embarrassment and trepidation at their touch. The anticipation in you grew stronger and stronger.

“You’re terribly quiet, darling… speak up.” Their hot breath tingled against the crook of your neck as Hange whispered, the hand that was once simply resting by their side now forcing your chin upwards.

“Commander…” You muttered as their touch sent sparks of anticipation down to your core. Hange’s grin widened at the sound of your frailed whisper, fueling the desire boiling inside of them.

 “Call me Hange, dear.” Their lips ghosted against the line of your jaw, drawing you closer. The soft, velvety touch of their lips sent subtle shivers of pleasure rippling down your body, the tender caress was an inevitable invitation to your anticipation. 

“Coma- Hange” You whispered. With a hum of satisfaction escaping Hange’s throat, the sound of their name coming from your lips fueled their enjoyment.

“Ah, that's better. I like the way it sounds when you say it like that.” They continued to pepper your jaw with soft, tender kisses, their lingering breath hot and warm against your skin. Hange’s hand, which had journeyed to your stomach, slowly trailed downwards, the tips of their fingers tracing a torturous path along the hem of your pants, creating a delicious tension that left you yearning for more. Leaning even closer, now bodies fully pressed onto each other, Hange’s face left your jaw and brought their lips to your ear.

“You’re struggling to keep it together, aren’t you?”

The Commander couldn’t help but grin a little wider at the soft serenade of you moaning their name. It was such a sweet sound, yet it sent such terrible images through Hange’s mind. Pulling their head back slightly, just enough to view how much of a wreck they had created.

And there you were, Hange’s eyes darkened, taking in your flustered state. With a small smirk appearing on their lips, they permitted their hand to venture further down your body, delving under the waistband of your pants to trace the edge of your underwear teasingly. Such close contact near your core sent jolts of excitement through you. You felt yourself becoming wetter as Hange’s explorations became bolder. Your eyes were drawn to Hange’s lips as if magnetized, you felt the longing hunger grow inside you as you remained powerless. The Commander's gaze bore onto you more intently, noticing the way your body trembled as their hand discovered newer parts of your soft, lush skin. They couldn’t help but flicker their gaze down to your lips for a brief moment before returning to your eyes, boring the same eagerness as their own. 

“Hange.. Please” You muttered quietly, you couldn’t wait any longer, the delirious tension had taken your mind by force. 

“Please what, darling?”

“Touch me, please…”

It was as if a string had broken, releasing a rush of need inside of them. 

Hange didn’t hesitate for a moment before allowing their hand to venture downwards towards your core, their fingertips finding your sensitive clit through the thin barrier of your underwear.

In response, you simply let out a soft moan of their name. Relieving, that’s how it felt. Darkness overtook your vision as you closed your eyes, letting the sensation of Hange’s fingertips caressing your sensitive core overtake you. 

“Keep your eyes on me.” With a forceful hand, the Commander took your chin and tilted it upwards. You obeyed their command, letting your eyes bore into theirs, but, you needed more, you needed them.

“Good girl” They whispered, their voice soft and intimate as they leaned forward, gently resting their forehead on yours. The closeness intensified the moment, their words filling the air between you like a shared secret only for the two of you. Your core became needy. You couldn’t stop yourself from lifting one of your legs, wrapping it around the Commander’s hips, bringing them even closer than before. 

“More… Please, more.” You muttered under your breath, begging Hange to feed your core’s hungriness. Oh, how your sweet begging and your desperate moans drove them wild; the Commander was more than happy to comply with your request. Their movement was painfully slow as they pushed the delicate fabric of your underwear to the side, finally letting their fingers come into contact with your bare skin. Hange teased you ever so slightly as they dragged their fingers down your slit, covering them in your slick. 

And before you knew it, a finger entered your needy core.

“Is this what you wanted, my dear?” The Commander’s breath tickled your ear as they whispered, their finger thrusting into you. You could only gasp at the sensation, bringing your hands up from their idle position to venture into Hange’s messy hair, tugging and combing through it. It was Hange’s turn to let out a soft moan at the sensation, your touch sending sparks down their spine.

“The way you’re sucking me in, it’s driving me crazy.” They whispered, their voice raspy with desire. An empowering rush of confidence overtook you as you allowed your hand to trail down Hange’s body, slowly moving until coming to a halt at the bulge of their pants. The bold move sent a thrill through you, the touch of your hand against their evident arousal filled you with a sense of excitement. The Commander let out a gasp as they felt your hand press against their core, the unexpected feeling ignited a sudden wave of heat and desire that coursed through their body. The intimate touch sent a shockwave of sensations around their body, their body responding instinctively to your caress by leaning into your touch, they felt every ounce of restraint slipping away. 

Hange moaned your name as their eyes darkened, not being able to hold back, they entrapped your lips into a searing, messy kiss while adding a digit inside of you. It was sloppy, yet you were trying to memorize the feeling of Hange’s lips on yours. The warmth of the hand that was once softly caressing the skin of your jaw now left it unattended, while suddenly entrapping both of your hands together. Without warning, the feeling of Hange’s fingers inside of you disappeared. You whined in protest.

“Shush darling, let’s get to the good part, shall we?” 

The sound of your ruffling blouse could be heard as the Commander unbuttoned it impatiently, all while leaving scattered kisses across your neck. Finally free from the confinement, your arms wrapped around Hange’s neck as they ventured lower, continuing with lingering kisses down your body. Hange hummed ever so slightly into every kiss. With a swift move, they hoisted your legs onto their shoulders and brought you off the ground. Their hands under your thighs, they held you securely against them while guiding you towards the bed. Your back made contact with the plush blanket as Hange gently put you down, their lips trailing up to yours to meet in a tongued kiss. The Commander’s lips were now seared into your memory, their tongue dancing with yours. You let yourself sink into the mattress as Hange unbuttoned your pants, leaving your covered core in the air. You bucked your hips as they pushed their knee to your sensitive area, grinding yourself onto it to get the least bit of pleasure. Admiring the view, Hange swiftly undid the last buttons of their blouse before tossing it with the rest of the discarded clothes on the floor. The warmth of their hands returned to your body as they ever-so-slightly lifted your back off of the bed to unclasp your bra, revealing your breasts. Your hands covered your sensitive buds as the cold air hit them before being pried away. 

“Don’t be shy, love, we’re already past the point of no return,” The Commander whispered greedily. Before you knew it, Hange’s mouth was latched onto one of your breasts, sucking and twisting your bud with their tongue as their hands worked around your panties, slipping them off of you while you were too exhilarated from the new sensation. 

Your eyes trailed Hange’s now naked body when they finally removed their garments, revealing their pretty bust and their needy cock that leaked precum. Joining you on the bed, Hange gently lifted your leg, their lips began a soft trail of pecks up your body until you were face to face. Honey-brown eyes bore into yours, searching for hesitation.

“Are you sure, my love?”

“This isn’t very professional,” You said in a teasing tone before instantly regretting your choice of words.

“To hell with professionalism.” They muttered in a ragged voice before entering you without warning. Your pussy sucked in Hange’s cock as if it was built just for them. Soft moans of your name left their lips at the sensation. Each one of their thrust made their cock explore a new cove of your core, making your hips buck every time. Your hands cramped up as you gripped the sheets before you tangled them into Hange’s dishevelled hair. You hadn’t expected the Commander to fuck as if possessed, their thrusts were rough yet relieving to your neediness. Sweet nothings kept spewing out of their mouth as you moaned; you could barely hear yourself over the sound of your skin slapping.

“So good, so good,” Hange muttered frantically as they buried their face in the crook of your neck, the feeling of their breath tickling your skin added to the many sensations you were feeling. It was almost overwhelming. Hands now holding onto their back, you clung onto them, nails digging ever so slightly into their skin. The Commander's soft grunts kept resonating in your ears.

Your walls began clenching around Hange’s cock, your breath becoming more and more ragged. Each trust sent waves of pleasure through you, you couldn’t get enough. 

“Fuck, I needed you so badly.” They mumbled as their elbows came to rest beside your head. “You look so pretty, getting fucked like this, my dear” 

You let out a lewd moan as Hange’s thrusts became rougher, you could tell by how their cock quivered inside of you that they were close. With a limp move of the hand, the Commander brought your legs to their waist. You held them tight with your wrapped legs, letting their cock access you deeper. Each thrust, groan, and squeeze threatened to push you over the deep end. Hange overtook you, you let it happen.

“Inside me, please… Hange,” You said in multiple breaths as your walls began quivering around their member. They gasped loudly at the sensation while letting out a cuss.

Stumbling over your breaths, you became undone on the Commander’s cock. Legs quivering and nails digging into their skin, you moaned Hange’s name over and over again as they fucked you through your high before they plunged deep inside of you for their last thrust, filling you up with their cum. 

Slowly, Hange slipped out of you, a gasp escaping your lips.

A smirk appeared as their eyes examined your now fucked-out body, as well as the soft white that escaped your hole, spilling onto the sheets. Hange was admiring their work of art.

With a lingering kiss on your temple, the Commander let their body fall beside you with a squeak of the bed. “Let’s get some sleep now, my dear,” 

“You’re such an idiot,” You chuckled before snuggling into their arm tiredly. 

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael Before Midnight: "Houdini" by Eminem

Eminem is one of the most controversial rappers of all time, and this reputation isn’t entirely undeserved. I mean, the man has an entire song that’s just six straight minutes of him acting out violently murdering his ex. Uncontroversial artists do not make songs like that. But I think people do give him a lot of shit and really try to underplay his genuine talent too, mainly because of how a lot of his work just hasn’t aged great.

You have to understand the time and place Em rose out of. The 90s was all about being nasty and politically incorrect, and the rap scene reflected that. The rise of gangster rap had guys talking about how cool the thug life was, and there were all sorts of vulgar tunes being cranked out (“Pregnant Pussy” is from the 90s, if that tells you anything). As a white boy in a cutthroat industry where black men are the kings being taken under the wing of the man who produced “Fuck tha Police,” Marshall Mathers really wasn’t gonna do anything other than assimilate into the culture of the time to survive. And it worked; he’s pretty much the only white rapper besides maybe the Beastie Boys who has kept a long and generally well-liked career. He played by the rules, made sure to acknowledge his place, kept his ego in check outside his songs, collaborated with the right people, and boom! Rap has its token white boy.

But the edgy violent white boy schtick that made Slim Shady so funny and… “endearing” back in the day is not really something people like in 2024. Since the 90s, edgy white boys like the Slim character have shot up schools, sexually assaulted women and gotten away with it, openly supported fascism, and whined about queer people and black people being in Star Wars. No one fucking likes a Slim because they’ve been ruining our world for a while now, so this character who was once a beloved aspect of Em’s career just doesn’t sit right with the people of today. Add onto the fact that he’s a middle aged man, and he can’t just be doing the same crap all these years later without looking like the cringiest man alive, a rapping Elon Musk. With all that, and the fact his upcoming album is called The Death of Slim Shady, you’d think maybe he’d drop a single to showcase how he’s evolved over his career, how his sobriety and fatherhood have changed him, and how the Slim persona is well and truly in the past.

Instead he released “Houdini.”

For better or for worse, this is a return to that classic late 90s/early 2000s Slim style, with everything that implies. Get ready for lots of references, offensive jokes, and more, cuz I’m going line by line to talk about the content of Slim Shady’s final comeback. And while I am going to analyze some of the lamer and more questionable jokes, I want to make it clear that I understand the Slim character is satirical and whatever. I'm not fucking dumb, and I've been listening to Eminem for 24 years now. Being satire is not an excuse to be unfunny.

After an ominous skit where Em’s manager Paul Rosenberg tells him he’s own his own for this album, we have an intro to kick the song off:

Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back, tell a friend Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? (Da-da-da, da, da, da, da, da, da) (Da-da-da, da, da, da, da)

As should be obvious to anyone with a passing knowledge of Eminem, this is a reuse of the intro of his classic “Without Me.” This is a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it is a fun little callback to his earlier career and helps once more establish that he’s bringing it like he did back then. But on the other hand, you’re reminding the audience of one of your best songs right off off the bat, so if this one doesn’t live up to that, you’re in for a world of hurt.

Now’s also a good time to mention that the song heavily samples “Abracadabra” by the Steve Miller Band. From what I’ve gathered, a lot of people find that song unbelievably corny… but that’s why I love it. And I mean, the song’s called “Houdini,” so why not sample the massive smash hit song that’s named after the famous magic words? Again, for me at least, sampling a song I already love means you’re gonna have to really kick it into high gear to make me want to listen to yours over what you’re sampling. There’s about a million songs that sample “When the Levee Breaks,” but how many of those do you think I’m putting on over Led Zeppelin, y’know?

Well, look what the stork brung (What?) Little baby devil with the forked tongue And it's stickin' out, yeah, like a sore thumb (Bleh) With a forehead that it grew horns from (Look) Still a white jerk (It's him), pullin' up in a Chrysler to the cypher With the Vics, Percs and a Bud Light shirt Lyrical technician (Yeah), an electrician (Yeah) Y'all light work (Haha) And I don't gotta play pretend, it's you I make believe (What?) And you know I'm here to stay 'cause me (Why?) If I was to ever take a leave (What?) It would be aspirin' to break a feve' (Yeah)

So far it’s been pretty solid. It’s pretty clear Em’s still got it, great flow, delivery, subtle nods to his past work, boasts about his skills, talking about how he started from the bottom… It’s nothing really groundbreaking, but it’s at least continuing the idea that Slim is back, baby! I sure hope he doesn’t derail his momentum in the next couple of lines with a stupid, cringeworthy jab at a woman who literally never did anything to him!

If I was to ask for Megan Thee (What?) Stallion if she would collab with me Would I really have a shot at a feat? (Haha) I don't know, but I'm glad to be back like

So a little context here, for those not in the know: In 2022, rapper Megan Thee Stallion accused fellow rapper Tory Lanez of shooting at her feet and saying, “Dance, bitch, dance” like he’s a comic book mobster. The case was taken to court, where Lanez was found guilty and then sentenced to up to 22 years in jail. Now, the two have shouted out each other before—Em interpolataed the hook of Megan’s song “Body” in 2021’s “Killer (Remix),” while Megan referenced “The Real Slim Shady” on her feature on Lil Nas X’s “DOLLA SIN SLIME”--but I’m not really sure the two are close to the point where it’s cool for Em to jokingly reference the time some psychopath acted like a Batman villain to her. The fact Megan’s 2024 diss track “Hiss” referenced Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed,” which was about Eminem, does make me side-eye this bar.

But hey, one corny, cringey joke is whatever. Let’s see how the rest of the song goes:

Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick) I'm 'bout to reach in my bag, bruh (Like) Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick, poof) Just like that and I'm back, bro

So this is the chorus, and I have to say it’s incredibly lazy and boring. It’s just an Eminem-themed parody of the original chorus, and it’s not especially interesting. That being said, by token of being a chorus of a song I already like just with lyrical alterations, I don’t think it’s bad either. I just expect a little more cleverness from Eminem.

Now, back in the days of old me (When?) Right around the time I became a dope fiend (Oh) Ate some codeine as a way of coping (Mm) Taste of opiates, case of O.E. Turned me into smiley face emoji (Woo)

Here, now we’re back on track! Em is reflecting on his old self and talking about his drug-addled early career! Surely he’ll stay the course here and dig deep into his manic persona that was partly created by his addictions, and not veer off into alt-right talking points and child abuse jokes!

My shit may not be age-appropriate But I will hit an eight-year-old in the face with a participation trophy 'Cause I have zero doubts That this whole world's 'bout To turn into some girl scouts That censorship bureau's out to (Shut me down) So when I started this verse It did start off lighthearted at first (Hmm) But it feels like I'm targeted

Hoo boy, we’re whining about how “sensitive” the world is becoming and how censorship is coming to get you! Eminem is going full boomer now. But hey, maybe he has a point! You can’t sing songs where you violently murder the mother of your child and then abduct said child anymore, because of woke. You can’t rap about mass shootings right after they happen either, also because of woke. Whatever, grandpa. Let’s see if you have anything of actual substance.

Mind-bogglin' how my profit has skyrocketed Look what I pocketed Yeah, the shit is just like y'all had been light joggin', and I've been runnin' at full speed And that's why I'm ahead like my noggin', and I'm the fight y'all get in When you debate who the best, but opps, I'm white chalkin' when I step up to that mic, cock it then "Oh my God, it's him! Not again!"

Just some pre-chorus boasting topped off with a throwback to his song “As the World Turns.” It doesn’t completely erase the bad taste of his whiny boomerisms out of your mouth, but it’s at least something.

Sometimes, I wonder what the old me'd say (If what?) If he could see the way shit is today (Look at this shit, man) He'd probably say that everything is gay (Like happy) What's my name? What's my name? (Slim Shady)

Em’s had a long, troubled reputation with queerness. He came under a lot of fire for homophobia back in the day, but then his friendship with Elton John happened. There’s also his brief appearance in the Seth Rogen movie The Interview, where he plays himself as a closeted gay man. Even still, he’s often used queerness as jokes in his songs, mainly as an attempt to emasculate his opponents (something he even did to an actual queer rapper, Tyler the Creator). As a bisexual man myself, I do find it tasteless in general, but in the context of this song I thing it’s ok. Like yeah, the homophobic crackhead Slim Shady persona would call the world we live in gay. The line still feels a little weird, though; is the Slim persona actually singing this song, or is this Em reflecting on the Slim persona? It kind of muddies the water, and makes it hard to figure just how seriously we’re supposed to be taking everything here.

So how many little kids still wanna act like me? (Haha) I'm a bigger prick than cacti be (Yeah) And that's why these (What?) Words sting just like you were being attacked by bees (Bzz) In the coupe, leaning back my seat (What?) Bumpin' R. Kelly's favorite group (Uh), the black guy (Guy) pees (Pees, haha) In my Air Max 90s White Ts, walkin' parental advisory

Verse three starts off pretty good! The R. Kelly joke is extremely juvenile and crass, but that’s the sort of thing I enjoy from Slim. It may be low-hanging fruit, but that’s the fruit you wanna grab the most. Now what wacky sort of humor is Slim going to bring to this verse next? Surely he won’t make some incredibly stupid and corny joke that isn’t funny in the slightest and derails the whole song!

My transgender cat's Siamese (Why?) Identifies as black, but acts Chinese (Haha)

According to Genius, this line might actually be a reference to a Dave Chapelle bit from 2019’s Sticks & Stones. If that’s the case, I really don’t need to say much more. There’s no way to read this line in anything other than the worst possible light.

Like a motherfuckin' Hacky Sack, I treat (What?) The whole world 'cause I got it at my feet (Yeah) How can I explain to you (What?) That even myself I'm a danger to? (Yeah) I hop on tracks like a kangaroo And say a few things or two to anger you

So he does openly admit he says fucked up stuff to get a rise out of people. Going in to the song, I knew this. The guy’s a provocateur, it’s what he does, and the Slim persona has always been about being as flagrantly offensive as possible. But the thing is, even the stuff here I’m taking issue with doesn’t make me mad; I’m more disappointed than anything, really. Like he has to know that times have changed and people really aren’t all in on this sort of humor anymore, right? What is the point of bringing Slim back to a world that has evolved beyond him, even if to finally kill him off? If that’s what he wanted to do he could do it without trying to showcase the dated humor. This is the musical equivalent of watching an 80s sex comedy like Porky’s or Revenge of the Nerds. Like maybe it was funny way back when, but looking back at it through a modern lens it’s just really gross and unpleasant and full of terrible messages.

But fuck that, if I think that shit, I'ma say that shit Cancel me, what? Okay, that's it Go ahead, Paul, quit, snake-ass prick You male cross dresser (Haha), fake-ass bitch And I'll probably get shit for that (Watch) But you can all suck my dick, in fact Fuck them, fuck Dre, fuck Jimmy, fuck me, fuck you Fuck my own kids, they're brats (Fuck 'em) They can screw off (Yeah), them and you all (Uh) You too, Paul (Punk), got two balls Big as RuPaul's (Woah) What you thought you saw ain't what you saw (Nah) 'Cause you're never gon' see me Caught sleepin' and see the kidnappin' never did happen Like Sherri Papini, Harry Houdini I vanish into the thin air as I'm leavin' like

The rest of the final verse, save for another tired shot at cancel culture, is fine. I might even say it’s a bit funny; I like him taking at shot at Dre, himself, everyone he’s worked with, his own kids… That part is where it is really obvious the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek, because he is by all accounts a good and loving dad. Making fun of RuPaul and Papini are fine in my book too.

So I’ve been pretty critical of this song and rather unamused by a lot of its jokes. This must mean I hate it, right? Well… no. I can’t say I love it, but I really don’t think this is awful. Trust me, I’ve heard awful Eminem and this isn’t it. “Just Lose It” and “We Made You” are light years ahead of this song in terms of awfulness. On top of that, this is also the first single off of an album that’s all about killing Slim—I don’t really have the full context. For all I know, this could be part of an overarching concept of the album, Slim’s last ride before his inevitable death, and in that regard this is definitely a perfect modern take on the classic Slim Shady song, warts and all. We just live in a world where his kind of humor doesn’t age badly, it just ends up dead on arrival more often than not.

If nothing else, it still showcases Eminem has great flow, great wit, clever writing… and that’s what he should stick to instead of making tired, unfunny boomer jokes about cancel culture and queer people just to rile people up. Hopefully that’s what the rest of the album will be like when it drops. I doubt I’m going to review every single song on it since I’m no Todd in the Shadows and my musical knowledge is very casual, but maybe I’ll give my opinions. Until that time, though, I think I’ll just listen to “Venom” again.

[bodyfeels]

talking about loossemble... kind of copy and pasted my notes from my phone and i tried to refine my thoughts. fair warning it is kind of long but tl;dr YAY FOR GOOD MUSIC

FANATICISM - first listen i noticed how it was very cinematic for whatever reason but maybe they had a visual in mind considering the story line they have (like ending of sensitive MV, whatever was going on in girls night, etc.) and upon revisiting it again, i'm glad this intro is more an intro for the album and not an intro for the title track. it matches the themes of all the songs and maybe you could argue its only by chance just because they had the TTYL lines sneaked in there but i still think it does a good job of setting expectations for the EP

TTYL - okaaaayyyyy 😍 not gonna lie when they dropped that snippet of the first part of the chorus i was getting a little scared because it seemed jarring and it also felt too on the nose but listening to it now i think i don't mind it, especially since the second part is more actual singing or a full singing phrase.

i also noticed this when they first dropped the snippet from the "challenge", they left in the demo vocals in. i think the TTYL-ooh part is sung together with demo vocalist and member (well its either that or they are heavily filtering the members voices) but the "lalalalalalala" is completely the demo vocalist. i am here for the members of LOONA not whoever the demo vocalist is... they knew they could have had the members record that part themselves in the studio 😒

the energy of the song is kept consistent and it makes you want to dance. i think if anything i kinda wish they got crazy with it by either adding a dance break or something. the parts where there is space provide a nice break and i also really like the bridge a lot. i think it'd be nice to add something like that after the bridge and then connect it back to the last chorus.

COTTON CANDY | CONFESSIONS - you might be wondering why i grouped these two together.... i have some issues with these songs because they are practically the same song. neither of these songs are bad....HOWEVER....

i dont think they could release cotton candy as is because then it'd be too similar to boysworlds' confessions which i know boysworld have disbanded but i would not like having loossemble being sued over that HRJRJFJF

i also don't understand why they didn't just mash the songs together with how similar they are and how they practically use the same sound fonts. could have been a donna summer moment by having one section of the song being cotton, the next being candy and another being confessions.

the downside to cotton candy is its "rap" and the chorus thats too on the nose with the repetitive "you are like like like candy" that is said throughout. the downside to confessions is that it is a boysworld leftover and its exactly how they would have released it except maybe with more harmonies and it would have been their first song to be 3 minutes and longer. it also does not feel fleshed out compared to cotton candy. for example, take how there is a brief bridge in confessions which is literally only ONE LINE that suddenly goes into the chorus, compared to cotton candy's full bridge and how it naturally connects into a crazy climax of a chorus and that entire song wraps up nicely.

the following aspects i'd keep are the cotton candy prechorus, then confessions chorus. i'd keep the bridge of cotton candy and just mash the two songs together. i like the singing verses more than the "rap"/"sing talking" parts so i'd take that as well.

well tl;dr songs not bad, missed donna summer opportunity by not connecting the songs seamlessly together or having sections, don't understand why you'd have the same song twice on an EP but we move. also i think i like cotton candy a bit more

HOCUS POCUS - oh janet jackson you'll always be famous... it's really fun and i think if i have any complaints is that i wish they were harmonizing more and that they really showed off their vocals. where there are harmonies, they are very beautiful. the bridge is also everything too... a very good and solid song i love it, i wish it was longer and i hope they also promote this song on either shows or maybe even film a music video

SECRET DIARY - don't really think that weird pitch correction effect at the beginning is needed on the girls vocals at all. they need to turn up that bass in the bridge and make it gritty and obvious like fx's red light. this is also another song where they left the demo vocals on and i don't like that. i kinda wish they made this song a bit more eerie but this was really nice. i love the strings, the bridge, and kinda interesting they ended this EP on this song.

okay so i was very scared for loossemble because for a while now their bills were affected (see their side channel assemble and how they suddenly announced they're reorganizing and stopped making contents) and when teasers first dropped i saw ryan jhun's name on it and also kimmin was back so it was hell on earth for me. THANKFULLY... despite those setbacks we got good music and the members sound great and they're having fun performing

i hope they get more creative and there's more direction both in visuals and sound but this is a good start in terms of sound. i'm glad the songs are longer than 2 minutes like YAAAY this blows sensitive and girls night EP out of the water and i hope they keep it up. i hope their company gets it together and for next time, no ryan jhun and kimmin <3

[icravemusicx0x0]

rating music pls dont hate me #36 | I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU - JPEGMAFIA

JPEGMAFIA goes inside the recording studio to start RECORDING the INTRO TRACK: I SCREAM THIS IN THE MIRROR BEFORE I INTERACT WITH EVERYONE. he got his head close to the microphone, took a deep breath, he said, as the cymbals rocks softly:

"IF I WAS A NBA PLAYER I WOULD BE DILLON BROOKS—BUT WORSE."

imagine if it goes like that. anyways, PEGGY dropped a new album on the 1ST OF AUGUST. 41 minutes of this album are filled with AGRESSIVE LYRICISM, and a stronger PUNK aspect to the 34-YEAR-OLD NEWYORKIAN RAPPER's CIGNATURE PRODUCTION. his WRITING is EMOTIONALLY DYNAMIC and his music is LUSCIOUS in terms of VARIETY.

LYRICISM

PEGGY is well-known for his CREATIVE BARS, and he kept that in his new album. he's like TAKING SHOTS at everything like a NBA player on a court (isn't his whole NBA persona DILLON BROOKS BUT WORSE? makes sense to me at least). there a lot of mention of RELIGION and FAITH in the album overall, in fact the title of the album comes from HOLY BIBLE VERSE JOHN 10:17-18. this is what i love about JPEGMAFIA's MUSIC ARTISTRY.

I LAY DOWM MY LIFE FOR YOU, to me, is a VENT of his EXPEREINCES. on I SCREAM THIS IN THE MIRROR BEFORE I INTERACT WITH EVERYONE, JPEGMAFIA burst out his usual HUMOROUS RANTS like a TROLL he is. EXMILITARY has the SHOTS but it's a FUCK YOU to the MILITARY INDUSTRY COMPLEX (fans may know that his MILITARY YEARS was the worst). I RECOVERED FROM THIS, however, shows a TIRED PEGGY in the recording studio (no more BEEFING!) as he talks about PAST RELATIONSHIPS and the PAIN he had to dealt with.

PRODUCTION

JPEGMAFIA is more AMBITOUS in I LAY MY LIFE FOR YOU than ever. JPEGMAFIA is usually the only PRODUCER of his music, so he's a really INDEPENDENT person, and he's also a really AMAZINGA producer too, i'm being serious. his style is EXPERIMENTAL, SAMPLE-DRIVEN, and over all CREATIVE and INTERESTING. every songs on this new album is BANGERS TO BANGERS because the production felt more FLEXIBLE and CONSISTENT throughout. in JANUARY of 2024, i visited BRAZIL and had experienced the BRAZILIAN FUNK genre, to me the most INTERESTING DJ-PERFORMED GENRE. he took the CORE FEATURES of this genre and INCOPORATED his own SPICE to it.

I SCREAM THIS IN THE MIRROR BEFORE I INTERACT WITH EVERYONE has some insane BEAT SWITCHES, like what do you mean we need a SHRILLEX ass beat on your RAPPING? alright… (also can we have more of this i love it)

CONCLUSION

I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU is JPEGMAFIA's STRONGEST and most DYNAMIC album to date. it's really WELL-MADE, and he managed to keep a BALANCE in his EXPERIMENTALISM approach so even the HOES can bop to it (contrary to the previous album). JPEGMAFIA is the most CREATIVE artist i have ever seen in the UNDERGROUND RAPPING SCENE.

underrated gem(s): I SCREAM THIS IN THE MIRROR BEFORE I INTERACT WITH EVERYONE - i'm sorry for meat riding this song but it's really good, IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT - brazilian funk jumpscare, DON'T RELY ON OTHER MEN - i heard you went downdowndowndowndown, JPEGULTRA! - it was actually giving LP! actually, LOOP IT AND LEAVE IT - it's too good, I RECOVERED FROM THIS.

tracks that i rec listening: SIN MIEDO, I'LL BE RIGHT THERE, VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER, EXMILITARY, JIHAD JOE, EITHER ON OR OFF THE DRUGS, DON'T PUT ANYTHING ON THE BIBLE.

worst track: NEW BLACK HISTORY - not the wildest track of his discography but it's not as impactful as his other songs in the album.

overall score 8.6/10 - this is all opinion so pls no hate

[itrustmydiscoverweekly]

This week I listened to DAMN. By Kendrick Lamar

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)

I mean I have to acknowledge the Kendrick/Drake beef, yes, I am aware, and yes that is why I listened to this album this week, BUT, I have been meaning to get into his music for a while (lots of friends' suggestions) regardless of anything.

I liked this album a lot, I have been trying to focus on diversifying my genre listening and I am enjoying getting into more rap, there is no world where I need to only listen to alternative and midwest emo.

I didn't get quite as much time with this album as I would have liked, and I will be coming back to it over time. It is a bit on the longer side (55 minutes) so it's hard to listen to the whole thing front to back without interruptions, which I missed out on this week.

Anyways, opinion time! (as always, not opinion order, just album order)

"DNA." is an awesome way to dive into the album and establish the themes a bit stronger than the first track. I love how "BLOOD." opens the album but "DNA." gives the real establishing intro. I found it stuck in my head a lot. I know it is one of the more popular songs off the album, but that's with good reason. It's a great song.

"FEEL." has a super cool beat, I like it a lot. I think the line in the chorus (?) "Ain't nobody praying for me" is such a cool line I feel like it is a mutual fear of a lot of people. I think the lyrics in this song have a lot to say and there isn't a whole lot I can comment on in such brief writing.

"LUST." feels anxious and it is so cool how the song establishes that feeling. I think the main chorus is really cool, I like that is grows throughout the course of the song.

Honorable Mentions!!! 🥳🥳🥳

"YAH." just got stuck in my head a lot. The song feels floaty and is really good.

"LOYALTY. (feat. Rhianna)" I mean Rhianna is on this song. It's good. This song is the closest to being a "pop" sound, it got stuck in my head a lot.

"FEAR." I think the story this song tells is super cool. I also think that all the different sections in this song do a lot to make it interesting.

[vitaminwaterreviews]

Suho - 1 to 3

I initially decided to check out this album because someone on Reddit described it as “scratching my Beatles itch,” and I gotta say, I am not disappointed. I didn’t totally get Beatles out of it, but it’s way more of that British rock vibe than like, 99% of anything else in kpop. It did still sound quite modern though, a lot of synths in places where the Beatles wouldn’t use them, the vocals were so clean in a way that the Beatles just never did. But then, nobody’s saying that this is Beatles-y except for that one commenter, so analyzing it as imitation Beatles is probably not a good-faith analysis.

I really enjoyed the album sonically. Like, every song was pleasant to listen to; nothing demanded too much of me, and nothing was too boring either. Admittedly, a lot of the songs were kind of boring structurally - but then, the same can be said of Beatles music too. I appreciated how the Wendy feature was more of an actual duet, rather than just giving her a few lines. And I also appreciate the actual guitar solos; kpop tends to shy away from instrumental solos, since the focus generally is on the singer.

Average score of 8.4 which feels maybe a bit low, but I’ll stick with it. Really good listen, definitely give this a shot.

- Mayday

Lol okay what is this movie trailer intro

Mkay and now we’re kind of garage rock

And now his vocals are just Pretty

I’m not typing much bc I’m vibing so hard

This is like, totally the stuff my dad would like, and I happen to really like his taste in music

9/10

1 to 3

The guitars in my left and right ears are slightly different and that’s a neat effect

Not much guitar at all in the verse, heavy bass though

Yeah, same thing in the chorus with the different guitar lines in different ears

And in the post-chorus, one half of the harmony in one ear and the other half in the other

8/10, could’ve done with a little more variety but really enjoyable nonetheless

Cheese

My feelings about Wendy are well-documented

And that harmony in the intro was really cute

Notice all the piano when Wendy comes in

I hope she sticks around for the rest of the song, but knowing SM, that’s unlikely

There was Goodbye Summer I guess

Oh okay, she’s got some ad-libs in the post-chorus, that’s nice

Heyyy a proper guitar solo, we don’t get those very often in kpop

Okay yeah, her voice is present throughout the song, that’s really great

9/10

Wishful Thinking

Haha the “DUN DUN DUN DUN” that’s great, love that

And now it ushers in the prechorus, probably

Or is this ahhhh part the pre-chorus? Or was that the chorus?

This song has a lot of building left to do

But it’s already halfway over and I’m not sure it’ll build to where I want within the next minute

Okay, this bridge/outro/whatever is really nice, not quite as much as I was hoping for though

8/10, love the sound, underdeveloped though

Moonlight

This is another song which is more about the sound than the song

Like that adorable guitar riff in the intro is basically the whole song

Oh I just adore vocals alongside instrumentals though, really pretty

8/10

Alright Alright

I didn’t expect his voice to go so high here in the chorus

This feels kinda generic though, with the ‘ooh’s and stuff

Oh wait, who is Giriboy

I don’t know Suho’s voice nearly well enough to tell who’s singing

Oh nvm this is a rap section, so this must be Giriboy

Good song, a lot of it did feel kind of generic and forced to me though

8/10

Zero Gravity

Again with the movie trailer intro

And now it’s all cute and pretty with a soft acoustic guitar?

He has such a pretty voice in the chorus here

That same distortion again in the post-chorus, I really want this song to Go somewhere

I mean, it is and has been going somewhere, so hopefully it builds even more

Mkay yeah, this is more of what I wanted

9/10 but I could see this becoming an all-time favorite one day

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 18/03/2024

Awesome Taxi

Season 4 Episode 2 Featured on: DJ Professor K Presents: 24​/​7 FUNKY FRESH BEATS FROM TOKYO​-​TO

Ripped by Mcsplosion

Requested by KnightOfGames! (Request Form)

I've talked a lot recently, in posts like ULTRA S+G and Haltmanna feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, about the excitement that pertained to Season 2 of SiIvaGunner in particular. But I want to make something very clear: just because that was my favorite period of the channel's life, it does not mean that I believe its the ideal model for the channel to follow. If there was anything that the Reboot taught me, it was that SiIvaGunner should NEVER try to conform to the wishes of its audience - and its that defiant, radical spirit that has kept the channel's evolution as diverse as it's been over its past seven seasons. The main reason I'm even able to refer back to Seasons in such a concrete way is because each one has a completely different vibe and energy from the last; no other Season tries to be quite like Season 2, but that just means that they're able to be incredible in their own ways.

What I'm building up to with all of this is, is that it's absurdly impressive that rips like Awesome Taxi was able to make me just as excited as the best parts of Season 2 did.

After an entire year's worth of buildup and the channel's biggest-ever event, DJ Professor K was crowned the winner of the King for Another Day Tournament. We all had our favorite contestants going in, and I'm sure many of us found new favorites even as the tournament was going on with stuff like MissingNo.'s Unhealed, but in the end it was easy to see just why DJ Professor K reigned supreme. September, Fall Breaks, Thank You, Everybody! - Hideki Naganuma's funk was infectious, and the promise of an entire day's worth of songs from other classic SEGA games, such as what we'd get with 88811, was positively mouth-watering. The eventual reveal that the day of celebration would be held with a day-long livestream of almost entirely new rips for its entire run was incredible on its own, but more than that, it felt as if the tournament had rejuvenated my excitement for the channel - I had finally accepted that, even if this wasn't anywhere near the channel's main story, SiIva had found a new way to get me invested me again. And getting to see all of it unfold live was just one more way of reminding me of just how much of a proper COMMUNITY SiIvaGunner is, despite how one-sided the viewing experience often felt for me back then.

The excitement of the livestream, much like my recent excitement over MAGFest 2024's live performances of rips like Sable's Stickerbush, really just hooked me. And for as lovely as it was to experience genuine DJ Professor K bangers through the event, to flood the livestream chat with excitement and grooving along with everyone else, it was the other end of the spectrum that truly got me - the GOOFY shit. My post on AIN'T NOTHIN' LIKE A CHUNKY BEAT delved into this already back in July, but there truly is nothing like seeing an entire chat get lit ablaze by the horror in realizing what the joke in rips like this is - to realize, in this case, that this is a full-on *Fanboy and Chum-Chum* cover of the legendary Crazy Taxi theme, The Offspring's All I Want. From just the intro and instrumentation, one may initially expect a sentence-mixed demon akin to DK Rap God, yet what Awesome Taxi may well be more horrifying. An ORIGINAL vocal performance by Mcsplosion himself, somehow sounding exactly like the Fanboy & Chum-Chum characters in most parts of the song, whilst also sounding uncannily unlike them in just enough parts to only add to the experience than detract. Althewhile the instrumentation hums away in a sound exactly like that of the Fanboy & Chum-Chum intro theme, sticking to the All I Want melody, somehow befitting it near perfectly.

Honestly, I have no clue why Fanboy & Chum-Chum re-entered the public consciousness during early 2020, but it coinciding with Season 4 Episode 2 in particular almost felt like fate. The excitement over the first Summer Festival was truly at that level of childlike giddiness that Fanboy & Chum-Chum themselves portray, and no matter how much we want to call it "cursed" or "cringe"...sorry, but Awesome Taxi is a banger! The amount of effort that Mcsplosion did not go to waste, both in making the punchline hit harder, but also in making sure that the rip would stay incredibly re-listenable after the fact.

Because really, SiIvaGunner is all about commitment to the bit - no matter how much that bit changes with the times.

[jules-has-notes]

Queen in 5 Minutes — VoicePlay music video

The late, great Freddie Mercury is often quoted as having said, "Do anything you want with my music, but never make me boring." VoicePlay certainly took that sentiment to heart for this medley of memorable Queen songs, as well as the dramatic visual tale they made to go along with it. A battle for Earl's (after)life plays out in a suitably theatrical setting. Who will win?

Details:

title: Queen in 5 Minutes

original songs / performers: all songs by Queen — "Bohemian Rhapsody"; [0:32] "Play The Game"; [0:54] "Somebody To Love"; [1:20] "We Are The Champions"; [2:20] "Another One Bites The Dust"; [2:37] "We Will Rock You"; [2:45] "Under Pressure" with David Bowie; [2:52] "I Want to Break Free"; [3:14] "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"; [3:32] "Play the Game" reprise; [3:48] "Bohemian Rhapsody" reprise; [4:16] "Radio Ga Ga"; [4:21] "The Show Must Go On"; [4:45] "Don't Stop Me Now"

written by: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Play The Game", "Somebody To Love", & "We Are The Champions" by Freddie Mercury; "Another One Bites The Dust" by John Deacon; "We Will Rock You" by Brian May; "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie; "I Want to Break Free" by John Deacon; "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" by Freddie Mercury; "Radio Ga Ga" by Roger Taylor; "The Show Must Go On" by Brian May; "Don't Stop Me Now" by Freddie Mercury

arranged by: Layne Stein & Eli Jacobson

release date: 23 November 2018

My favorite bits:

recreating that iconic Bohemian Rhapsody intro

J.None's fantastic control, flipping between chest and head voice as he extracts Earl's heart 🫀 ⚖️

that smooth scoop from Earl on ⇗ ♫ "take a loooOOOK" ♫ ⇗

Geoff going full Chris Cornell at the start of "We Are the Champions" before dropping back into the underworld

J.None shoving the sword into Layne's hands to get him more involved as he sings about ♫ "fighting til the end" ♫

Eli's busting out that rock grit for "We Will Rock You"

Layne beatboxing the iconic stomp-stomp-clap rhythm rather than breaking viewers' immersion in the scene

Earl repelling everyone through the power of belting

the dismissive face Geoff makes at Eli as he continues the "Under Pressure" bass line into "I Want to Break Free" (a more serious take on the "Ice Ice Baby" bit from their "Old School Rap" medley)

Earl's plaintive vulnerability during "Lover Boy" solidifying into defiance for the return to "Bohemian Rhapsody"

the backing vocals pleading with Earl to ♫ "play the game" ♫ so they can guide him onward

ramping up into full concert mode as they form a line at the front of their "stage"

high tenor air guitar! 🎸

Eli and J's subtle counterpoint line from "Radio Ga Ga"

using "The Show Must Go On" to signal Earl's decision to return to the world of the living

Trivia:

○ The man in the hospital framing scenes is Earl's husband, Nick. He has appeared on screen in a few VoicePlay videos, as well as doing production work on many more.

○ The four avatars of death come from various religious traditions:

Guardian (Layne) is an anthropomorphized version of Cerberus from Greek mythology, the multi-headed hound (hence the fur coat) who protects the gates of Hades.

Anubis (J.None) is the guardian of the dead and assessor of souls in the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted as a jackal.

Yama Nirvana (Eli) represents the Hindu god Yama, responsible for death, justice, and punishment of sinners in the afterlife.

Baron (Geoff) is an interpretation of the spirit Baron Samedi, master of the dead and resurrection in Haitian Vodou.

○ The guys' distinctive makeup and wardrobe were designed by artist Leon King. Of the four, J.None's costume changed the most from concept to execution, but each of them was tweaked a bit.

○ Leon also drew the central pendant element for the cover art.

○ The YouTube description includes the inscription, "We humbly dedicate this video to the music and memory of Freddie Mercury. The show must go on."

○ Some fans have embraced a headcanon that this video is a sequel to "Panic! in 4 Minutes". They theorize that Earl is in the hopital because he was injured by the explosion, and the avatars of death are manifesting as his bandmates within his unconscious mind. This hasn't been confirmed or denied by any members of VoicePlay, but it's a fun idea.

○ This video reached a million views on YouTube the following August.

○ The streaming audio version is split into two parts, "The Arrival" and "The Return", with the divide falling between "I Want To Break Free" and "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy".

○ The complete track was later included on VoicePlay's "Citrus" album, which compiled most of the songs they recorded from 2017-19. Because the individual songs had already been made available digitally, that album is exclusively a physical item that can only be purchased at live shows or through their website.

[ilovereadingandstuff]

Yo! I'm a Stay now!! A baby stay!!

So, if anyone wants to talk or something, i'm right here!!

I'm still learning to recognize the boy's faces!! definitely the only ones i can recognize surely are Felix and Hyunjin (oh my gooood, they are my favorites!!) aaaaand i'm still kinda confused between Changbin and BangChang (the leader?!), but i'm in a good track!!

THEIR SONGS ARE AMAZING!! god, I've been listening to the albums when i'm in my way to work and....it's sooo good!! I really like 'Runners' or 'Scars', but 'Megaverse' is a top for me, also 'Stray Kids' and 'Chk Chk Boom'.

I truly appreciate everyone's beauty!! the way they synchronize, their intros, their voices!! their movements, the choreographies!! BangChang's raps!! also...there is more than one rapper, so...yeah.

aaamm...anything more i should know?

[solarsonicsoda]

Ranking TV Theme Tunes - Intro

Many many years ago, I made a tier list of all the theme tunes from loads of cartoons and live-action shows I watched back in the day. I thought this was neat, but I always thought I could do more. It's not like it was a small tier list either! But all the same, it ate away at me. One day, I decided I was gonna do something about it.

I compiled more shows. I asked friends, I took note of shows mentioned in videos I saw, I remembered more from my own experience - the number kept rising. One-hundred. Hundreds. I was building a pretty big collection. I shared my plan with more friends, and more and more of them had suggestions. But then they asked me: "How many are you doing?"

I hadn't considered this before. How many was I going to do? When I told them the current number, they all told me the same thing:

"STOP"

I ignored them, obviously. However, I made a compromise. I'll get to 500, and then I'll stop. A completely reasonable number, I thought... and in terms of reaching it, I was! It was easy, even. Yet, I did come to realise, that it might be slightly too many to ever truly cover as I originally planned, at least in a reasonable time. This brings us to today, and a brand new method for this plan.

I'll be rating themes here show-by-show, and giving them a letter grade for our tier list. I'll first cover my original 500 (with a few stragglers that fit among them), and from there potentially expand. The ground rules and caveats are as follows:

Each theme is rated on the song alone. No personal opinion on the show, the intro video, anything! I will comment on these, but they may not skew my view! These ratings will be go: S, A, B, C, D, and F. Try to remember that C is a passing grade! If your favourite intro gets a C, that means I thought it was Alright!

Shows with more than one theme will be given a final aggregate tier rating, based on each individual theme's rating.

Shows which get an entirely different name from season to season will be treated as unique shows, however shows where this only sometimes happens, or said seasons are simply shorter arcs, will not. For example, every Pokemon show is counted as a unique show, but Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is not, and neither is every season of Ninjago. Reboots will typically be treated as a separate show.

Shows which share a theme or have practically the same themes will be taken as one single entry, though acknowledged as seperate shows. For example, Digimon Adventure 02 will be treated as the same as Digimon Adventure.

I will be counting the British and American themes only, and mainly the original themes they aired with in these countries. That is to say: yes, I'm using the One Piece Pirate Rap.

The shows selected will be of the family entertainment variety. The audience of each show may vary, but it's all about where they may have aired. I think the best way to explain this is that shows such as The Simpsons do not qualify, though I will be counting The Flintstones. You may dispute some of my discretion here, and that's fine, but it's just what makes sense to me

I am, sadly, British, but we have some absolutely banging TV and it is grossly underrated on all sorts of old TV retrospectives and stuff! My 500 aims to fix that, with a great deal of shows from British channels throughout the years. There's plenty of stuff from America too, most of which we had here too as imports, and shows from around the world in similar situations such as from Canada, Italy, Australia, France, etc. However, I'm definitely limited by what I see! If I haven't seen/heard-of something and neither have my friends, it probably won't be in that list! To rectify this, feel free to send me suggestions! Please try to do this with as much information as possible, and links are super welcome!

The shows are also spread out across time. We have themes as old as the 50s, and as new as 2023! I tried to take a good spread but through a combination of personal bias/nostalgia and sheer quantity, the 2000s is probably the most-represented era. This was hard to help, but again, send more suggestions!

There will be some shows that you have never heard of! If they seem really, really obscure? Probably me or a friend watched it, and we will not hear anything bad about it. Gotta have variety!

But with that said, stay tuned for some fierce theme tune rating! And if I miss a theme or make a mistake, let me know nicely! I have NOT seen all these shows, and some I know next-to-nothing about, so take it easy, and help me out!

Hope you enjoy!

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: BTS (Part ONE)

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

So, my credentials: I’ve got nothing this time, folks. I’m not an Army; I’m too casual to even be a casual fan. I like most of what I’ve heard, based on friend recommendations, but I have no idea how representative of their work the songs I’ve heard are. I know the group members’ names, but barely anything about them, although I’m always open to learning more. The reason I wanted to do this deep dive is because I’ve been a k-pop fan for almost five years now and I’ve heard every opinion between “BTS is the second coming of Christ” and “BTS is responsible for the collapse of society,” and I want to make up my own mind, free of influence.

Since BTS has over 200 songs, I’m also doing short supplementals each week, both to give myself and you guys a break and to look at groups / soloists with discographies too short to need a full week (because this is gonna be a dissertation and I’ll have to separate it into two parts). So, grab your lightstick, get some ice cream, steal a fluffy dog, and settle in folks. Let’s do this.

BTS, as you probably know, is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and debuted in 2013 (they just had their tenth debut anniversary) and they have seven members: Jimin, Namjoon (RM), Taehyung (V), Jin, Yoongi (SUGA), Jungkook, and Hoseok (J-hope).

First things first, I love a good intro, and the loudspeaker is funny; 2 cool 4 skool is not what I was expecting. I’m not the biggest fan of “I’m too cool for you” hip-hop personally, but I can respect We Are Bulletproof (p.2) for the fact that the message doesn’t feel empty. I believe what they’re selling, even if I don’t want to buy it. To be honest, I’m a singer, and I listen to artists to hear their singing voices, because I know that they can sing beautifully.

On the album I’m much more a fan of Like, although I prefer the slow mix from their later work. The rest of the first album gave me a bit of whiplash to be honest, but I can appreciate how unique it is, both in k-pop and music as a whole. The skits are very odd, but they did make me feel like I know more about the members than I would about an average k-pop group from their album; I can see why so many people became fans early on.

On O! R U L8 2?, N.O. immediately caught my attention with the interesting instrumental and the sing-talk and singing combo. I did enjoy it more than We Are Bulletproof, because of the melody, but I liked it, didn’t love it. (I could’ve done without the growling). Most of the b-sides aren’t for me, but I do want to talk about Coffee and Paldongangsan.

I did like Coffee (especially the harmonizing on the Baby~~ part of the chorus) but I really didn’t like the rap verses. I don’t have anything against them being there in theory; raps can be done in a quiet, calm way (like in “Child” by Mark from NCT), but it’s not happening here and they feel very out of place. It’s all well and good to rap excellently, but you need to have some variety or else everything threatens to feel the same.

But, my hidden gem from this album is definitely Paldongangsan. Look, one of my majors is linguistics, so it’s no surprise I went wild at this song. It’s about the different dialects of Korean (which originate from different places there) and the stereotypes associated with each one, and it ends with Namjoon yelling at the rest of them to stop ragging on each other for their dialects and be accepting because it’s all the same language anyway. It was actually the first BTS song I heard, about two years ago (barring Dynamite, of course), because an Army friend of mine recommended it to me. I’ve never heard a song like it before (or since for that matter) and it’s remained on my Top 25 K-pop songs playlist ever since.

Anyway, digression over, and onto the next album, Skool Luv Affair. Boy In Luv is definitely a turning point in their discography, with its drive and rock elements. I wish it was more melodic, as I always do, but it grew on me after a couple more listens and it's my favorite of the title tracks so far. Hidden gems for this album are Just One Day and especially Outro: Propose (which I wish wasn’t so short, because I thought it was pretty good.)

With Dark & Wild we turn another corner. Danger intrigued me from the first part’s guitar riff and interesting instrumental. Although I was a bit wary, the set-up of the pre-chorus, pay-off of the chorus, and earworm of the post-chorus reassured me. It’s the first single from this deep dive that I’ve liked on 1st listen. (The “don’t get me confused” is stuck in my head now.)

War Of Hormone arrives with a record scratch and a bombast of horns. And arrives is the right word: it makes its presence known. I really enjoyed this one, and I even replayed it a few times. At its best moments, it mixes very different parts together without feeling like whiplash and becomes anthemic. I especially love the contrast between Namjoon’s scratchier, lower voice and Jungkook’s higher notes, and of course, harmonizing, my one true love. It’s a bit of a dumb song but they don’t take it too seriously and I appreciate that they aren’t afraid to laugh.

This album was also a turning point for me when it came to my enjoyment of their work; I didn’t really dislike any song on it and the better balance of rapping, sing-talk, and singing made me less reactionary towards the raps that were there. There’s more variety in the raps themselves too: sometimes they’re upbeat, sometimes they’re pensive, sometimes they’re angry, but they don’t all sound like they’re trying to kill me through my earbuds. Improvement! Also, showing some vulnerability helps balance the more boastful songs that are there, so I disliked those less too.

Yes, I’m fully aware that their rapping is technically very good, I just don’t always enjoy it. I appreciate songs like Hip Hop Phile and their meanings, but appreciation still can’t make you like something that you don’t like. As for what I did like, my hidden gems for this album were Let Me Know (which finally lets them sing and be open with their feelings), Could You Turn Off Your Cellphone (harmonizing again), and Look Here (very odd but I enjoy the horns).

I Need U is surprisingly calm in its intro and is very much poppier than the last few title tracks have been, with more of an anguished edge than a youthful “I’m cooler than you” edge, which I appreciated. I liked this one. It’s much better at balancing the harmonizing with rap and the instrumental (which is very interesting, by the way) than the previous songs, and I can see how it sets them on the path after that leads to their more melancholy and contemplative title tracks further down the line.

Run works as a good foil; it’s pretty upbeat, which does make sense given that it’s (somewhat) a love song. I love the way the chorus surges forward and even though it’s poppier than the others, it doesn’t feel like they’ve lost their identity. It still feels like a BTS song, basically. It’ll probably be making an appearance on my gym playlist, which is never a bad thing.

As a side note, I love that so many of their songs embrace the idea of full pre-choruses, choruses, and post-choruses, because it makes each track feel more intentional and lived in, not like they’re trying to fill space on an album or have empty space. In the k-pop songs that are on my top 25 (of which two are BTS), this holds true for the vast majority of them.

Dope is a song that, like War Of Hormone, feels like it arrives, not begins, with its “Ladies and gentlemen”, and I love the build-up that it has leading to the chorus. But…it just doesn’t have enough payoff to that build-up for me, with an empty, shouty chorus and more lyrics about how great they are. I know a lot of people love it, but it has too many of my pet peeves to get past. Sorry, guys.

In the same vein, I should like Fire. I love an explosion of a chorus and I adore a song about burning down the system as much as the next witch. I love the lyrics, and I think that pre-choruses are good and the bridge especially is great. But I don’t like this song. At all. It comes dangerously close to grating one too many times for me, and embraces all of the worst aspects of their early material with none of the charm that had me chuckling with, not at, the first few albums. I’ve mentioned many times how much I hate an anti-drop and this song does absolutely nothing to change my mind. I expect the cursing to the heavens to come in in about 3…2…1…

Save Me is the last single from the album, and the most similar to the BTS songs I’ve heard before: ethereal, wispy, ruminating, and with a soft electronic background. I do like this one, although I wish the last chorus had more of an end (like I was a bit confused when the next song started) and I wish the main rap was a bit calmer to fit with the rest of the song. It’s at its best when it allows their voices to just be and meld with each other.

I have one main hidden gem for this album, which is Butterfly. It’s no surprise that I love this one with how insane I am about harmonizing and vulnerability, but I really do love it. I feel like this should’ve been a single instead of Save Me, to be honest. All of the main gripes I have with it are remedied here: the chorus is fuller, the ending feels earned, and the raps are just calmer enough that they don’t stick out like a sore thumb. I also appreciated Taehyung’s voice more than I have in the past, and I’m glad for him in the chorus.

Also, speaking of vulnerability, I also, somewhat surprisingly, like the intro of the Most Beautiful Moment In Life, although I didn’t plan to on first listen. I appreciate that this song doesn’t try to paint them as above the world or better than anyone, but embraces the genuine emotion that they’re so good at conveying. It’s such a raw expression of exhaustion that I felt sympathy even before I looked up the words, which is pretty damn powerful.

And….breathe. Would it surprise you to learn that we’re only in mid 2016? Yeah, yeah, me too, kid. This is where Part 1 ends, I do my Supplemental for the week tomorrow (a boy group who I highly doubt you’ve heard of), and we all go touch some grass and eat some Doritos. K? K.

I’ll see you next week, for both Part 2 of this odyssey and a girl group supplemental!

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Metamorphic review, let's go:

Twenty - Cool intro, I like the chorus especially. It's only good as an intro though - would feel incomplete otherwise. 7.5/10

Cheeky Thing - Weird transition from Twenty. I liked this song when I first saw the MV (which is pretty good, and the choreo is cool). The song is fun, trendy, yet unique and very Stayc. The lack of singing is surprising but works. The only thing I don't like is the lack of a bridge. It feels incomplete like most songs. The lyrics are a bit weird too, but okay. The song feels more like a strong pre-release than a proper title track tbh. The instrumental slaps, especially the beginning and ending (love the lean back poses they do too). 8/10

1 Thing - I watched this performance, which was pretty standard. It sounds better in the studio. It's a fun song, the chorus is catchy. But the bridge is a bit misplaced and the dance break is unnecessary in the audio. The track ends a bit abruptly. They really give Sieun a lot of rap parts. Song would be better if the last minute was different. 7.5/10

Give It 2 Me - The autotune isn't the most pleasant. The song sounds like it could be a bside in their Run2U album. It's okay and pleasant, but nothing special. More rapping for Sieun. It's quite a lot of rap for a main vocalist. 7.5/10

Find - Interesting combination of vocals. It's a pretty song, but it feels like it goes nowhere. 7.5/10

Let Me Know - Okay song, nothing special. 7.3/10

Nada - Already starting to feel fatigued by this point. The problem with full albums is that all the bsides sound similar and like fillers. It's an okay song. The album isn't really building up to anything. It's just songs with similar vibes. 7.1/10

Fakin' - It's a nice enough song. Nothing special. 7.2/10. These ratings are completely based on gut feeling, and based on 1 full listen...

Roses - Are they all going to get their own solo? Because it seems a bit questionable that Isa is the only one. Another song that is perfectly fine, but when the entire album is perfectly okay songs with a similar vibe and has no build-up or climax, it gets very tiring. 7.1/10

Beauty Bomb - Sieun really raps a lot. 7.3/10

Gummy Bear - Finally a change in sound. Sadly, the song is nothing special. The chorus is pretty weak. 7.1/10

Stay WITH Me - Interesting fan song. It's an unexpected genre, so kudos for that. 7.5/10

Flexing On My Ex - Don't like this style in kpop - the Avril Lavigne wannabe songs that are so popular right now. 6.9/10

Trouble Maker - A fun song! They saved all the interesting genre changes to the end. 7.7/10

Overall, the album is decent, but exhausting since most songs sound similar and there isn't anything connecting them (I don't know the lyrics, but it's hard to imagine they're saying much). Most artists can't make good albums, so most albums are a title track, one or two good bsides, and then a bunch of songs that blend together, even if they're all okay. Releasing singles is better most of the time. Even singles and mini albums lack standout songs... Also, imo the title track - the biggest standout track, along with Stay WITH Me and Trouble Maker (mostly because they play with unexpected genres) - has nothing to do with the rest of the album.

[rechenzentrum]

Right now I'm listening to the "Hot Hits Deutschland" playlist in ascending order (#50-#1) and will be writing down my thoughts to every single hit. accompany me on this adventure . covering 50-40 here

#50: Nemo - The Code ... I do like the little ostinato in "this story is my tru u u u u uuuuuth" that's clearly an homage to Mozart's "Queen of the Night Aria" from the magic flute, and the orchestral blasts in the "Ooohh" parts juxtaposed to the pauses right after in the beginning. Listening back to it I realize I don't mind the instrumental in itself. It does feel like everyone who worked on this track specifically found it a good idea to have the passionate singing that sounds like a beginner actor auditioning for an emotionally loaded role that's household to pop music broken up by fast rapping parts that vaguely reference some form of hardship without explicitly naming it at all. The song works as a standalone single only by showcasing what awaits you on the rest of the album, except that there is no album but rather a Felix Jaehn Remix and an orchestral version of it. A short pivot onto the artist's spotify page reveals that their discography of the past 4-5 years consists exclusively of singles. Hailey is a much more appealing song than The Code thanks to its groovy and fun bouncy drums arrangement and the tasteful play of pronunciations. Ultimately The Code is a high energy song fit to underscore your comeback after a life of listening to prime time radio hits and feeling adventurous. Do note the synth that matches the singing, it's cute! 3/10

#49: Taylor Swift - Fortnight ... She understood the mantra "why do more when you could do less and still achieve the same results?" and attacked the wide open niche of a target group of people who only pay attention to buzz words that are her fans. She has understood long ago that if you keep a couple core elements in your projects you can safely remove all the little things and details that make a song interesting rather than make an effort to pull in new fans who may have higher standards. I've honestly heard much better stuff from both Taylor and Post Malone respectively. 1/10

#48: Tommy Richman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY ... Oh this one I immediately found a liking to. Listen to this, I only wish they had brough in some more sections and variety into this, but at least this track knows what it is and what it's trying to do. 8/10

#46: Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso ... Nice hook, nice groove, nice synth solo, nice details, nice structure, it got me moving, sound of the summer, clearly emulating Dua Lipa. 5/10

#45: Djo - End of Beginning ... I should really listen to Beach House again. Oh but that part toward the end was cool! 3/10

#44: Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen - I had some Help ... He has really leaned into that pop-country stuff since the last time I listened to anything of Post's. It's mostly the guitar melodies that make me think of Nickelback, but overall I don't have many thoughts for this track. 2/10

#43: Floyymenor, Cris Mj - Gata Only ... A standard dembow rhythm based latin summer track with especially noticeable robot voice and a moody dark reverb, not only on the vocals but also the synth that sets the tone for the entirety of the song. I can really appreciate that even though this track is the one most lacking in instruments, it makes up for that with its longer playtime, standing out among the rest of the hits yet

#42: Peter Fox, reezy - Toast 🍸 ... Good track that plays in the club at the more somber hour of a warm night that's meant to celebrate the friends we've made that are here to enjoy one another's company. It only gets good at the bridge, otherwise the intro is rather rocky with poorly wedged anglicizations, along with the rapped verse in the middle and the key both are played in. The use of emoji in the title is new to me. I'm not against it, but I can't defend its use here since it feels, for a lack of better words, uncalculated. 3/10

#41: Lay Bankz - Tell Ur Girlfriend ... Concise, its chorus really shines through. 7/10

#40: Beyonce - TEXAS HOLD 'EM ... Fun! Got nothing to criticize here really. The last part was reallllyyy good and refreshing. 8/10

That's it for now! maybe more later)

[frankieunscripted]

Process by Sampha (2017)

Welcome to the first (actual) "Music Monday" post on this blog. Today I want to talk to you about Sampha's debut album Process because his voice is probably the most angelic I've ever heard - and I decided that YOU need that in YOUR lives. Since many of you who stumbled upon this blog are familiar with a few things in hiphop, you might recognize his voice from different rappers' songs like Kendrick Lamar's Father Time (I could cry everytime someone puts this on) and the later released I'm Better (which was scrapped off of the album, but is SUCH a bop), Drake's The Motion and 4422 (which of course are only worthy to listen to because of Sampha, because Drake does jack-shit on these tracks - what else is new?) or Kanye West's Saint Pablo. Sampha was also featured (for three whole lines, I'm so mad) on Travis Scott's MY EYES and did not get mentioned in the song's title (same goes for Kanye and Drake) which frankly PISSES ME OFF, because his voice has such a big recognition value, of course I can tell it's Sampha. Just tell me from the start! Speaking of features though, for those of you who are more into Dance/Electronic rather than RnB/Soul, you should listen to SBTRKT (who kinda introduced me to Sampha), as Sampha features on a shit ton of SBTRKT's songs.

Anyway, about the album itself:

Plastic 100°C has to be my favorite off the album - it's such an atmospheric, dreamy intro for this beautiful project-, right along with Reverse Faults, Blood On Me, Under and Kora Sings. His songs are so ethereal and still feel real (wow, that didn't explain anything, did it?). Reverse Faults is literally on my list on full on academic lyrical dissection as if analyzing a poem because of the metaphors used in it:

Mandem's just said "took the shape of a letta an' slipped myself undaneath yo doo"!

(so to any of you poetry-cuties who might not be into this type of music: read the lyrics as is if you want some nice, sleek poetry, thanks)

The most well known song off the album would have to be (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano - a great song to demonstrate his talent on the keys as well as on the vocals, and it's a great example that shows off how personal Sampha's lyrics can be. But as with many artists/albums the most popular songs aren't always "the best" (what even makes a song "the best" of the album and isn't that totally subjective?)

What Shouldn't I Be? closes the album off just as well as Plastic 100°C opened this ethereal portal into a world full of sun rays shining through thick, white-ish grey, but incredibly fluffy clouds, making little rainbows reflect in soapy bubbles of dreams and melodies. It's so soft and delicate, almost as if the song itself is putting you to rest, stroking over your head and assuring you it's still going to be there when you wake up tomorrow. And as your eyes fall shut slowly, Sampha's soft vocals and the warm melody fade out.

With a runtime of about 40 minutes, I'd consider it a light meal - it's more than just a 20 minute snack, but it's not as tough as a full on 1,5 hours dinner. I use the album to ground myself and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a comfort album of mine. I honestly wish Spotify had an option to check how many times exactly you've listened to an album/song over the years, because there've been nights with this album on repeat for hours and I'm still not tired of it.

This is the album I tell people to listen to when they realize they like Sampha's voice in the rap features he's appeared in and don't know where to start. This is the Sampha album I will always come back to. This is the Sampha album I love with all my heart - the album I still have to buy a vinyl of and someday tell my grandkids about when they ask me about good, calming, soft music to reflect to.

[fantastickkay]

Album Review of the Week: Dream - It Was All A Dream (2001)

2001 is my all-time favorite year for music, movies, anything pop culture. It all kicks off with It Was All A Dream, hitting store shelves on January 23, 2001. There is a lot of Y2K pop energy, as well as some heavy R&B influences throughout. Their harmonies are sublime!

After a mysterious intro, we blast into the lead single He Loves U Not. The melody on this one is so great, the verses flow up down and around while the chorus' vocals pack a punch along with the instrumental. I will admit that the track becomes repetitive, however it is a great intro to the project.

In My Dreams has this sloppy robotic synth at the intro that is a very unique sound which makes this track interesting from the jump. Then, we get into their heavenly harmonies on full display. Verses have a laid-back talk/sing vocal which adds to this unique sound. The bridge sounds beautiful as well and builds to a climax to make the last act even better than the first. This is a very well-structured track with a lot of compelling sounds happening, separating them from the standard bubblegum pop act.

This Is Me is a total classic. This is one of the Hit Clips that I had on heavy rotation! The instrumental is like little digital bubbles popping all over the place, then sprinkles of high notes get peppered in for the pre-chorus. Not to mention the chorus is very fun to sing with a flowing melody.

I Don't Like Anyone has always been one of my favorites! Something about the harmonies right away in the beginning that just grab you by the collar and the sassy vocals on the verse. Then we explode into big beats, delicate yet assertive vocals in the chorus. Euphoric!

Pain is another classic, I had it on some TRL compilation as well so that's what I always think about when this song comes on. The hook "all you do is bring the pain, boy you crazy, eh eh" injects a lot of fun. The first verse has really impressive vocals in particular and I love the little rapping part talking about how the guy will regret it once they are famous. A lot of fun elements!

I absolutely love When I Get There. This is one that I sing to myself pretty often. It has a dreamy instrumental and melody. Another great track that highlights their harmonies, and the fast bit of the chorus is so much fun to sing!

What We Gonna Do About Us starts with this crazy keyboard (?) then bass intro. This is probably the most R&B infused track thus far. It has a funky, thumpy instrumental and the vocals are a bit different than we have heard.

As with a lot of albums from the time, we get this long interlude of phone messages from each of the gals sent to the same guy (!) which is pretty fun, leading into the New Edition cover Mr. Telephone Man. I adore this cover, the instrumental is groovy and their vocals are probably the best of the entire album. This whole sound is very nostalgic, I must have listened to it a lot back in the day.

Angel Inside is almost hip hop, a definite pivot from where we have been in the soundscape. The sound is a little dated, sounds more like it belongs two years earlier in 1999 but it is still a bumpin' track with some great vocals!

Do You Wanna Dance continues the R&B trend we have been for the past few tracks. This and the last track almost feel like filler. They are still good, but for such a long album I feel like we could do without these. They are a bit generic in comparison to what we have heard so far. With that being said though, the bridge is fantastic.

Miss You is a ballad with some gorgeous harmonies and instrumentation although the verses are a little bland and familiar.

How Long is a nice ballad that gets stuck in my head a lot too. Again, it feels a little generic but they do manage to breathe some life into this with their beautiful harmonies.

Overall, this has always been one of my all-time favorite albums, even though there are some clear fillers here and there. Listening to it again with analytical ears made me notice that they have some incredibly unique elements to their music and most of the songs are very well structured with interesting things happening throughout which sets them apart from most acts of the time. It is a shame that their record label went bankrupt and they didn't end up having the means to flourish further!

They did reunite for a tour in 2016, man am I sad I missed that!