#this is the ballad of depressed girl or whatever

[pardonmydelays]

haiku about the end of the year

it’s this time of the year

when you say goodbye

to moments of doubt and anger and tears

don’t let fuckers win

screw them

let’s focus on goodness and light

they will never know these feelings

goodbye bad bad people

✨✨✨✨

once upon a time, in a faraway land in a small and shitty mall there was this "luxury" store and guess what was it called? ****Trend

there was a girl, poppy was her name she used to work in this place and oh, it was once her safe space but not anymore, what a shame

the job was shitty, that's not a lie her workmates were amazing though they made her laugh, laughed at her jokes (she even befriended the new guy)

and then one day no fun, no more she got the worst news ever "we are transferring you", the bad bitch witch tells her "to a different mall, a different store"

the store was far away from poppy's and her new team couldn't accept her there was one guy who fucking hated her she couldn't take it, she wrote her notice

i guess you can say she wrote her way out but she still had to stay for quite some time tried to be nice to them, was that a crime? "i will survive this, without a doubt"

crying sessions in the bathroom that was poppy's way to cope but then one day she just said "nope" new idea, sick leave, BOOM!

who's laughing now? i guess not them she's gonna have long christmas break she knows for sure that wasn't a mistake that's why now she is writing this poem

she also got a new job offer her teerico merch is on the way good things are coming, also, hey! she's taking the job, it starts next year!

she saw in the heights live in koszalin she met jakub gierszał with her bestie, bel she wrote her way out of this hell (maybe one day she will also meet lin?)

here's to new year, here's to the new chapter here's to uk trip and the eras tour in poland! here's to my friends, my moots from foreign land may poppy's life be full of laughter!

[shion-yu]

I Still Think Of You

Whatever proceeded or followed this moment was worth it, if only just to hear Elliot's voice one more time. Cliff and Elliot reconnect nearly three years after their breakup. A complete rewrite of an older story that I wasn't content with and deleted. Also my fill for my @badthingshappenbingo space "I Will Only Slow You Down." 2,351 words, original writing, no TWs, CW depression, chronic illness whump.

The song hit Cliff like a stray bolt of lightning. He was sitting in the outpatient infusion center getting his monthly infliximab when it came on the regional variety station.

Sometimes I'm driving 

Down ninety-five in your car

I imagine it still smells like you

But that was so long ago

And you're gone

Like dust in the wind

Like the tide pulled you in

Like you're never coming back

To me again

To whisper in my ear

"You're my whole life"

And I'm yours

I'm still yours

It was Elliot. The voice was unmistakably Elliot's because nobody else's voice sounded like that: that perfect mix of confident yet wavering and gentle. Cliff knew it immediately because it was the voice that he fell in love with. He also realized quite quickly that the song was about him. All those other love songs that Elliot had written could be excused away as generic, the classic ballad about a faceless lover. Maybe a few coincidences, but never anything like this one that pulled so directly from the time that he and Elliot spent together. 

Cliff had told Elliot so many times: "You're my whole life." At first it seemed romantic. Later it seemed possessive. "I can't be your whole life, not all of it," Elliot had told him the day they broke up. "You need to keep some for you, too."

Cliff wished he had understood what Elliot meant by that back then. Maybe if he had, things would have turned out different. Maybe Cliff would have been more honest, braver. But they were victims of the age old cliche: you can't love another person until you love yourself. It hadn't just been Cliff though. Neither of them had loved themselves, they'd only loved each other. They'd relied on each other too much before the other was ready to carry the burden of another.

That was almost three years ago. A lot had changed since then. Cliff was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. He started law school and then made the difficult decision not to return after the first year. He dated Phoenix, who broke up with him when he dropped out. He never loved Phoenix though. Cliff wasn’t even sure if he ever even really liked him. It was just another poor attempt at hoping that if he pretended to be someone he wasn't, he'd stop being the real, pathetic version of himself that actually existed.

Cliff had been trying to ignore Elliot's steep rise to fame for a while now for his own self-preservation, but after I Still Think Of You hit the billboard 100 it became impossible. Elliot was everywhere: on talk shows and TV performances and magazine covers. The other half of his act, some guy named Alex, always hovered behind him providing bass and backup vocals. Cliff thought he looked like a little kid. He rarely smiled, as opposed to Elliot who couldn’t stop except for when he was crooning so passionately into the microphone that it gave Cliff chills to see. Everyone seemed to think Elliot's permanant smile when speaking was adorable, but Cliff knew it was just a nervous habit.

He watched Elliot sing his heart out on a YouTube clip of Good Morning America. Elliot was always incredibly talented, but his voice had gotten much better with age and confidence. He owned every word and his presence was immense. The announcer described him as a prodigy, but Cliff disagreed. He knew Elliot worked his ass off to get to that point, it didn't just come naturally. But Elliot laughed and thanked everybody profusely. It sounded like the audience was mostly girls based on the squealing every time Elliot said something sweet. Elliot had never denied his sexuality in interviews, but it seemed that didn’t matter.

Cliff didn’t know why he did it. Maybe because he thought there was no way Elliot wouldn't have changed his number by now and even if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t answer Cliff right? Maybe it was because he was lonely and figured he didn't have anything to lose. Or maybe it was because he thought he might die before he ever had a chance to address his single most burning regret in life. Nobody said he was dying, but Cliff wasn't sure. He didn’t leave the house anymore, too sick to have the energy and too self-conscious about his inability to control himself to try. He couldn’t get farther than the length of his apartment without his crutches and he couldn’t skip the oxygen if he wanted to walk further than a single block without his lips turning blue. It felt pitiful, and he spent many nights thinking that if someone offered him a magic pill that would let him never wake up again, he'd take it. 

The text was tapped out, deleted, then rewritten and sent before Cliff could change his mind again.

'I still think of you too.'

He told himself not to wait for a response. Even if Elliot did receive the text, he might not respond. It had been three years since they'd talked after all. Three very long years in which both of them had undergone a tremendous amount of change. Elliot was now successful and brilliant, shining for the world to see like Cliff always knew he would. And Cliff… He was the opposite. He was dull and empty. He had nothing left but a broken body and the bones of all the things he'd ruined over the years. Elliot shouldn't talk to him anyways, Cliff thought to himself - he’d only bring Elliot down. 

Cliff nearly dropped his phone when it rang almost immediately after he pushed send. It was Elliot. Cliff answered in shock. "Hello?"

"Cliff!"

And that was it. Whatever proceeded or followed this moment was worth it, if only just to hear Elliot's voice one more time. 

"Yeah, it's me."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cliff was sitting in Barney's waiting for Elliot to show up. It was their old stomping grounds, the café that they used to visit during late night study sessions when they went to NYU. Elliot asked him to sit in the back, presumably so he could avoid being recognized by any fans while he met with Cliff. Cliff thought maybe if Elliot knew what he looked like now, he wouldn't have even taken that chance.

Cliff tried to clean up nicely, but he was so pale now from a mix of illness and never leaving the house. He wore his oxygen to get here, but he arrived early so he’d have time to catch his breath and hopefully get away with stashing it in his bag while they talked. His crutches weren't something he could hide though, and neither was how thin and brittle his hair was from the methotrexate (although at least it hadn’t fallen out). He was starting to decide this was a terrible idea, that he ought to just go home before Elliot ever had the chance to arrive, but then suddenly Elliot was standing right there in front of the table - in front of Cliff - and it was too late to turn back.

Elliot looked older. More mature. His dark curls were shorter and tamer than they ever were when they dated. “Hi Cliff,” Elliot said with a nervous smile. 

Cliff thought he looked incredible. He wondered if he should stand and give Elliot a hug, Elliot always was a hugger. But instead he just smiled back and motioned for Elliot to sit. “Hello Elliot,” he replied, equally as nervous. Elliot took off his black leather jacket that fit him astonishingly well and hung it on the back of his chair before sitting.

“So,” Elliot said. “It’s been… what, two years?” Almost three, Cliff thought to himself as he nodded in agreement. Surely Elliot had to know it'd almost been three years since Cliff messed what they had up so immeasurably. "Wow."

"Wow," Cliff repeated. "You look great, by the way."

Elliot's flustered face made Cliff worry he'd already messed up. But Elliot just said, "Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." Cliff was sure that was a lie. "How have you been? I heard you got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease."

Cliff wondered where the hell Elliot possibly heard that. Then again, they had still gone to the same school for their final year of undergrad even if they hadn't been dating anymore. Their majors had no crossover at all though, and any friends they'd shared had obviously ended up staying friends with Elliot, not Cliff. 

"Yeah," Cliff confirmed uncomfortably. "Sarcoidosis." So awkward.

"I'm sorry," Elliot said.

"Sorry for what?" Cliff said.

Elliot rubbed his hands together, glancing down. "Well, I never called after I heard you got sick. That wasn't very nice of me. I wanted to, but we were... You know."

"Yeah. I know," Cliff said. This is so not how he'd hoped this meeting would go, although he had tried not to have any expectations at all about it. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. Tell me about you."

"Me?" Elliot asked with such innocence that Cliff had to laugh. He barely ever laughed this days, but he couldn't help it.

"Yes you," Cliff said. "Like you're not totally famous now."

Elliot blushed and looked flustered. "Stop, I'm not that famous," he said quickly. "I mean I've been so lucky and so fortunate but, famous is a little..."

"Sure," Cliff smiled. "Okay. Successful. You're so successful now. You really earned it."

"Really? Thanks, Cliff," Elliot said, smiling back. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

It was Cliff's turn to be surprised. He wasn't sure why Elliot would value his opinion much. He cleared his throat, coughing a little. "Well, yeah, of course."

They were silent for several awkward beats until Cliff interrupted it by coughing again. Was sitting at a table in a coffee shop seriously too much for him, he thought in annoyance? But it was also the first time he'd left the house for anything but a doctor's appointment in... Weeks? Surely not months. 

"Do you have a cold?" Elliot asked worriedly. 

Shit, five minutes reunited and Cliff was already making Elliot worry again? Cliff had to get the situation under control. He shook his head, pulling a napkin from the dispenser on the table and covering his mouth with it while he continued to cough. He could feel his lungs twitching, protesting in annoyance that they weren't being treated like the main attraction as usual. Cliff closed his eyes and tried to pretend Elliot wasn't right across from him for a second while he weighed his options. He ultimately decided it was less embarassing to wear oxygen than have a full on asthma attack right in front of everyone. "Sorry," Cliff said hoarsely. "Don't think that... I just don't want you to worry."

Elliot looked confused until Cliff pulled his oxygen tubing from the bag slung across the back of his chair and looped it over his ears. "Oh," Elliot said softly. Cliff couldn't read his expression. Pity? Disappointment? "Cliff, you didn't have to not wear that for my sake. I know it's... Things are different now." 

Cliff took several deep breaths through his nose, trying to control his cough. He could feel his head getting a little clearer. "I'm not saying you should care," Cliff said when he caught his breath. "I'm not saying I deserve you to. But I don't want you to think I'm not trying. I am."

Elliot nodded as if he understood. His face was so tender, so gentle and delicate... Cliff pushed away the desire to reach out and brush Elliot's cheek with his fingers. "Like I said. Things are different." 

Cliff relaxed a little, his shoulders falling from their tense position. He rested his chin in his hands and said, "Thank you."

The long minute of silence that followed was still awkward, but not as awkward as the first one. Elliot shifted in his chair and said, "Why did you text me?"

"What?" Cliff asked, startled. 

"You must have had something in mind. After all this time. Why'd you text me?" 

Cliff had asked himself that a million times in the week since he'd sent that message. At first he really didn't know, but now he realized two things. One, his life without Elliot had never been as happy as when Elliot was in it. And two, if he wanted Elliot back in his life, he had to be honest, not like the first time. So, he was honest. "I just missed you." 

"Oh," Elliot said. Cliff half expected him to run away, slap a hand on the table and say he knew Cliff hadn't changed. But instead he smiled shyly and said, "I missed you too."

Now they both looked surprised and a little embarrassed. Cliff had wondered for years what it would be like if he ever saw Elliot in person again. He'd at times wanted to apologize, beg for their relationship back, to convince Elliot he'd changed. But as time went on, he'd gotten more tired. He was still that anxious, guilty person he was before, but he'd had the time to think about what had gone wrong and learned to appreciate what had gone right. Elliot had agreed to meet him, and this was his chance to do things right this time. Even if it was never the same and Elliot wasn't his, Cliff's main desire was to make it up to him now. 

"I was wondering if I could text you sometimes," Cliff said. "I know you're really busy. Just, talk to you every once and a while."

"You mean like friends?" Elliot asked.

Cliff nodded. "Yeah. Like friends." 

He waited for the answer feeling like this was judgement day. There was no other question he was dying to know the answer to more. He only had to wait a second.

"Okay," Elliot said. "I'd like that. Friends." God, that nervous smile, Cliff thought to himself as he melted in relief. No wonder all those teen girls fell in love so quickly.

[highpriestessofchildsacrifice]

Smthn that blows my mind that I do not really have any kind of anxiety disorder or even social anxiety lol. Ive been tested for it by both a psychiatrist and a therapist and scored VERY low on whatever rubric she was using dklfj'. Even my ED doesnt manifest as chronic anxiety! It is almost totally depressive

Ofc I do experience embarrassment and stress (Google assistant play ballad of a homeschooled girl) if i do embarrassing and stressful shit but those feelings r quite short lived and rarely if ever dwelled upon. Ive also been told that my threshold for feeling stress during a work crisis is crazy high; it takes a LOT for me to get there

right before I got tested I thought that maybe I was just minimizing my own self perception w this issue, bc my partner generally approaches each day like theyre being hunted for sport. But my psychiatrist and my therapist seemed a bit taken back when they asked me the typical questions and i kept being like "oh no not at all"

[lorata]

Yuletide 2022!

MY GIFT:

Here, For Whatever Reason, Is The World by gaialux for lorata

Fandom: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir Summary: Ryland gets used to his time on Erid, with Rocky always close by Words: 1,180

I asked for worldbuilding and/or friendship between Rocky and Ryland and/or Ryland adjusting to life on Erid, and my lovely author gave me all three!! It's wonderful, melancholy without being gloomy or depressing, and carries a tone of hope without undercutting what Ryland is feeling. I love it dearly.

(I have a recs post, written before reveals, over at my LJ with more)

MY FIC:

Now that reveals are live, I get to talk about my story!

Apastron by lorata for Word_Addict (@asexy-phoenix)

Fandom: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins Summary:

In a binary star system, each star moves around the other in an elliptical orbit. The point of maximum separation between the two stars is called…

A child, from the time he can think, should think about all he sees, should suffer for all who cannot live with honesty, should work so that all men can be honest, and should be honest himself. - José Martí

Two girls born in the Capitol at the end of the war cross paths over the decades. As the Games grow and evolve, so do they -- as does their friendship and their connections to the society around them.

Words: 6,837

This is the first year where I've recognized the name of my recipient, which was very fun! It meant I had to be super careful and not give any hints AT ALL (I redacted the names of my betas until after reveals, or even that would have given it away!) though I do wonder whether some people might have been suspicious.

Happy successful Yuletide, everyone! :)

[obstinaterixatrix]

okay so there's this musical called weird romance and it's basically a two for one, act one and act two are stand-alone one-acts based on speculative fiction (one's an old novella the other's from a twilight zone episode. alan menkin does the music and some of it is. well it's not his best work. it's pretty whatever. but SOME of it is actually really interesting, and also when the lyrics are blah they're pretty blah but when they work they're really good. also not all the songs are on youtube. anyway act one is about in the future where ads are illegal but companies use celebrities as a workaround by just sponsoring them and having them say they use products (or something like that) and the main character is a girl (woman? I have no idea how old she is in the musical) who's unhoused and has chronic illness and is mega depressed and a scientist brand guy pops in and goes like HEY!! YOU HATE YOURSELF!!! COME PILOT THIS PERFECT BODY WE MADE!!! and this song is really fun. also the original off broadway guiteau from assassins is here.

this is the second song of the musical but I'm skipping the first because it's a sad ballad for the main character and it. kinda sucks. listen to this good song instead. anyway there's a reason I'm walking through this, first of all off broadway guiteau does a great terrible unethical brand scientist, the way he says "she's meat" is pretty awful, so good bad vibes. also there's a lot of interesting rhymes that make sense considering the scientist-brand-guy's character, so that's fun

okay so stay with me, there's another good song but it's not on youtube, called something like Pop! Flash! Bang! basically training the main character to be The Perfect Celeb. and then there are some less good songs I think probably and then there's this song

I like it because it's pretty catchy but I REALLY like it because of the "😬 we'll have to talk about that 😬" bit, I thought it was pretty fun. I think the bit after that is kind of awkwardly composed and the lyrics are also kinda. well not as strong as the beginning imo.

anyway there's this song somewhere in-between I'm not going to like. so basically what happens is that the main character falls in love with someone who is. I think. the scientist's son? but the son doesn't know about the whole 'puppeting a body from a machine' thing so the main character has a duet with the body (I think) where they're like 'maybe if I tell him he'll accept me' 'BUT MAYBE NOT' and the reason I can't stand it is like. I don't remember quite what the lyrics are but there was something like "but maybe it would be less bad" and there was something about the way it was phrased or the delivery or the juxtaposition with the other lyrics that made it feel so juvenile and trite. like it *sounds* like something someone would say but dialogic authenticity (that's not a real term) kind of sucks sometimes, like people just say things and repeat things and speak redundantly or in a meandering way (like I'm typing now) and the point of dialogue isn't to be completely authentic to how people speak, it's to be a convincing representation that evokes the feeling of authenticity (while sprucing up the place and attending to character voice and efficiency). and maybe the point is to be a little juvenile, but I don't think it really works EXCEPT in this NEXT SONG

AND THIS is ACTUALLY the entire reason I'm making this post, the love interest is singing a reprise of his love song solo and I think it's a little trite BUT. HERE. it works because there's a GREAT contrast of the love interest doing this cheesy love song and the scientist (his dad) going like "lol. lmao. this is so stupid. let's fry her brain while this is going on." anyway that's act 1, act 2 also exists and it's solidly fine. there's some good songs. not as good as one that has a guy watching his son propose to his science experiment and going like Time For Love To Lose

[mausuwinasa]

Music based subcultures are. Interesting. There’s many lovely things I’d be interested in joining, but I just can’t enjoy music outside of certain categories. I listen almost exclusively to intensely bright joyful dance songs, the occasional lonely relatable ballad, and whatever sexy-depressed vibe Miniskirt by AOA gives off. Probably about 90% of artists/groups I enjoy are K-pop girl groups, and I don’t listen to the other 10% very often. I just don’t branch out too much and I’m fine with that, but I still wish that my music taste didn’t confine me like this.

[echoesofadream]

no literallyyyyy I loved when he was rawr emo boy grr !! but now he is wealth wealth rich Justin Bieber going insane. I guess we should have seen it coming, considering his young debut age and big success ofc hed land in that weird space eventually... aw this Made me kinda sad actually like it was funny being like yucky greasy long haired sweaty gamerboy but actually hes just child labor ptsd crashdown era :(( maybe he can collab with vernon and make a cringey emo song and get motivated to become a rockstar instead of twitch streamer? *have u seen Vernons solo its. its uh im really embarrassed I will forever remember the review a mutual or something posted "the song/mv is like something I made up to make fun of him" lol...) oh my god im getting more and more stressed thinking about jungkook now... even tho im not following him super closely cause yeah I dont have time to watch all those lives cheesus I dont rlly like lives anyway unless theyre special like tea time w hao or jungkook drinking wine or the hilarious bts live the legendary one anyway.... many worries.... also I agree maybe drugs would be good for him? its best to suffer in swagfull ways if u should suffer but I fear he doesnt have enough swag like, technically its swag to be an alcoholic but Liam Payne of one direction is swagless so his alcoholism is cringe so I think maybe jungkook couldn't pull of drug addiction unless he like killed someone maybe or became a girlblogger ? hmm much 2 think about and im sooo tired im gonna sleep now zz goodnight echo -misa ofc

Hi hi good morning misa hope you slept well 💞

wait you’re right. This must be a really confusing time for him because he has everything he could ask for but all his members are doing different stuff and like what should he do? When hes been working for one goal since literally t h i r t e e n y/o literally a CHILD. Like he has strived to be an idol and the best and given everything he has, literally sacrificed his youth. Like i would be so lost. But it seems like maybe he is just chilling. Maybe he should keep the dog…

That said yesssss can he PLEASE make emo music I KNOW hes got it in him, he can make IU-esque ballads also, punk rock indie pop.. but he should become a rockstar.. well whatever he wants i mean i think he just needs direction.. baby boy… AKDJFK thats so funny i think i saw something similar that vernons* lyrics seemed AI generated but yours is even funnier. Yeah good idea. Also no I cant watch his like three hours lives no matter how much i love his voice id rather just listen to decalcomania 1 hour version than all those endless kareoke covers. Hmmm yes all the fics ive read where hes done drugs hes been in like a downward spiral and im afraid theres truth to that, i think he could possibly go overboard also especially if he needs the drugs to do music. And hmm he does seem to be drinking in those lives and idk how to feel about i mean its his life i just mean theres a difference between decadence and suffering artist. Not to self insert on my favorite kpop boy but i think he also has the addiction gene. Maybe he should stick to the dog walks and gym routines for the sake of his wellbeing and maybe just go be a twitch streamer if thats what he needs💔 i feel like hes got so much inside of him to let out but its stifled by the fact that hes a 20 smth (idfk) millionare whos been cut off from the outside world due to being an idol since literal childhood. ok wow this is depressing. :/ i agree he should kill someone, he needs new demons

*playing Sad girl by lana*

[atombombbibunny]

So a wut about Austin!elvis x reader where he had met reader before going to army or meeting priscilla and reader was the niece of hank snow so they used to meet secretly but when hank found out he took her away from him back to the reader hometown so after years of meeting priscilla and growing feelings for her elvis gets a news from Tom that Reader has expired because of a car accident? And he goes to see the funeral and remembers all the old times? And regrets leaving reader?

Or

Austin butler x reader where reader is a famous personality and who is also his celebrity crush as they had worked together in the film aliens in the attic as love interests of each other but he thinks they won't like him cuz they work with marvel,godzilla and such franchises do in an interview once he mistakenly says he has a crush on yn then during Met gala he meets her after the long years of aliens in the attic and then talk with each other and all then in an interview reader reveals that she likes Austin too or something rest is to you

AN: Thank you so much for the ideas! I love all of these but the Elvis/Hank Snow's daughter once had my mind flooding with ideas, I did some tweaking I hope you still like it! (FYI I am always open for prompts/requests unless posted otherwise!)

Pairing: Elvis/Elvis!Austin x Reader (picture whoever)

Words: 2273

Warnings: Mentions of emotional abuse, death, depression. Lots and lots of angst. Probably some timeline screw ups but whatev

Soft & Tender Snow

The summer of 1955 was one Elvis would never forget.

He knew Hank Snow despised him; he knew his son Jimmy was beginning to look up to him. But my god when he met Y/N it was something completely different.

 You were strong willed and smart mouthed; you were innocent and delicate but also took no guff from no man.

You drove your own car when you all were on the road, and you never shared a room with your family as you relished your time alone.

You weren’t scared to slap a fella who would make a pass at you.

And Elvis was taken by you.

The first time you two spoke he half expected you to rip off his jacket like most girls in your position would do, instead you leaned against a wall, your arms tucked behind you as you made light conversation with him before telling him your daddy would have his head on a platter for just talking to you. It made Elvis laugh harder than he had in years.

Through the months he would notice you watching from the side stage as he performed, swaying your hips gently back n fourth with the rock music. His smile would always grow in size at the sight of your feet tapping.

You would notice him watching from the grounds as you accompanied your father and brother on stage playing the guitar. A smirk plastered on his face as he had told you time and time again it should be you singing up on that stage.

You loved his shy demeanor when he was off stage, you savoured it knowing no other girl was witnessing what you were. You loved when he stumbled over his words, his ego was not so big around you.

You would take midnight walks together, you’d either come sneakin’ to his room or vice versa, the roads in the small towns you’d be in would be empty, you’d talk about nothing, yet those would be the things he would remember the most.

When he wanted to sing to you, he had you turn away, he would stand on one side of a tree and you the other. You’d swoon at his voice when he sang you ballads.

Your first kiss was after an electric performance Elvis did, he stepped off the stage and wanted nothing more but to sweep you off your feet.

He stormed the grounds till he found you chatting with some of the other girls in the circus, before you even saw him his hands flew to your face, capturing his lips with yours as you breathed into his kiss, your hands wrapping around his forearms.

After that the two of you were even more inseparable than before, your attempts at hiding the small smiles, kissing behind the stage before you had to run on, hand holding in the middle of the night grew into something more.

Your first night with Elvis was anxiety inducing, you couldn’t stop fiddling with your dress as you waited on him to answer the door, he had begged to see you that night and though you were used to his request for  a midnight stroll you knew this was something different.

The way he held you that night, showing you things you had never even heard of before, the way he whispered little bird into your ear had you losing your ability to see straight. Nothing would ever compare to his touch for the rest of your life. It was addicting and life threatening, your new drug as you began to spend almost every night with him.

Some nights were just holding each other as he’d watch you carefully, memorizing every line, freckle, sunspot, and dimple on your face.

The two of you thought you were invincible against those who stared and whispered.

But all the time in the world wasn’t long enough especially when your daddy started figuring things out.

Your crafted lie about hating Elvis but were being forced by the Colonel to teach him some guitar techniques fell to pieces when your father came to check on the two of you and saw you kissing in Elvis’ room.

His grip tightened around your life, Jimmy had taken over driving with you, you were also forced to bunk with him on all trips, though Jimmy looked up to Elvis and let you see each other every once and a while he feared his father, begging for you to stop crying the nights you were trapped in your room.

Elvis fought to spend every last second with you, whether it was simply being in the same area with you when you ate or grazing your arm with his hand as you walked past each other it was something he could do to get by.

The more time passed the less time you spent together, the more Elvis and you were left hurting. You knew he was sneaking other girls into his room, and your daddy made a point of telling you this to your face, breaking down your confidence every day.

By the end of the tour you were a husk of your former self, someone neither you nor Elvis recognized as you climbed into the passenger side of your car one last time. As you drove through the night Elvis sped beside Jimmy signing for him to pull over, your father was far ahead of your car.

Once on the grass Elvis practically sprang from his car rushing to your side to get to your door, pulling you out of your seat. He begged for you to talk to him, you were so beaten down by your daddy that you couldn’t even look him in the eyes.

Elvis was trying to keep himself together at the sight of your pale fragile looking body, when you couldn’t speak a lick to him or look at him all he thought he could do was hold you, he pulled your waist towards him and engulfed you into his embrace, hoping his touch would bring back your bright eyes and bold personality. When your shaking arms wrapped around his back a few tears slid from his eyes before he released you. Jimmy was begging for you to get back in the car to not risk any impending anger.

Once Elvis watched you step back into the car you looked at him, he didn’t know it was going to be the last time he saw you.

The next year Elvis wasn’t on the Louisiana Hayride. You had heard he was doing movies as well as being carted off to the military. Your daddy made a whole show of telling you what a sinner of a man he was and that you were lucky you were saved from him.

As years passed and Elvis moved on with his life and stardom, you had simply moved on with your life, leaving the family band, marrying, having children. The things expected by a woman.

You saw him get married in the papers, you saw him have his child, you saw as his movies began to flop, you’d still see every last one. No longer seeing the shy, nervous boy, but a man who was losing his true self.

But every once and a while, while the moon shined brightly in the streets below, or if either of you were awake at midnight you’d think back to the late walks, the chatting in the wind, the singing in the midnight sky.

When he did his ’68 come back you watched gleefully on your TV, he no longer looked a thing like when you had first met him at the Hayride, but you could see the sparkle in his eyes that you could instantly recognize as pride. Elvis couldn’t help but think of you when he sang Heartbreak Hotel, eyes wandered through the crowd wishing to see your face, to see you sway back n fourth to the sound of his voice, but you weren’t there.

One morning Elvis was back at Graceland, talking about his future without the Colonel when  a few loud knocks caught him off guard. He wasn’t expecting anyone else at the house, it was already full of the people he needed.

He took charge of answering the door himself, ready to tell some sweet looking gal to hop off his step but was caught by surprise when he saw Jimmy Snow Jr. standing on his porch, holding his hands in front of him. “My god, Jimmy how you doin’ boy?” He pulled the fully grown man into his arms; it had been decades since he saw him last. “Elvis, nice seein’ you.” The man said keeping polite. “What in gods name brings you to Graceland ,son?” Elvis moved to the side signaling for Jimmy to step into his house.

But Jimmy stayed in his spot at the front of the house, Elvis furrowed his eyebrows taking in Jimmy’s demeanor, something was wrong.

“Elvis, I know it’s been a long time, but I thought you ought to know.” Elvis swallowed hard, scared over the next words out of his mouth. “Y/N died in a crash a few days ago.” Jimmys head hung low as a few tears slid down his cheek, his body began to shake. “I know you probably forgot bout her, but she never forgot you, Elvis.” Elvis could only hear a high-pitched ringing in his ears, he closed his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “No, yeah.” He muttered out. “Course I remember Y/N.” He pulled the trembling man back into his arms for a quick embrace, Jimmy stood still, as a slightly sob burst through his lips.

Once released Jimmy cleared his tears and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, listen the funeral is Saturday, it would be an honor if you’d be there.” Elvis nodded blankly, his mind running 1000 miles an hour. “Yeah, yeah I’ll be there.” He confirmed, Jimmy nodded before clearing his throat, trying to hide the strain in his voice. “That’s very kind of ya. I’ll be seeing you.” Elvis almost collapsed to the floor when the large door was finally closed but he couldn’t let his family see him break over a girl from years and years ago.

That night he told Pracilla, she understood and asked if she should go with him, he declined telling her it was something he needed to do completely alone.

On the drive out to Nashville, Elvis allowed himself to cry, pulling over a few times he fought himself on the lingering regret he withheld. He should have fought your daddy, should have told him you were old enough to make your own decisions. He should have told you, you were his first true love, and that he still had your face memorised, still had your laugh playing in his ears, still had the feeling of your small hands in his.

Elvis got to Nashville on the day of the funeral, he checked into his hotel, changed, and headed off to the cemetery. He was lucky that he was able to go off by himself like this, no security, no paparazzi, just silence as he drove.

Once at the cemetery he kept his head low before taking a seat.

A few pictures of you were next to your flower covered coffin, Elvis bit his tongue at the sight of the one picture. One from your younger years, one that he had specifically taken of you when you rode the ferris wheel, you always claimed to be scared of how high you were going but Elvis figured you were just trying to get close to him. The joy and bliss shined brightly in your eyes perfectly in the picture, the way many people needed to remember you. Not the way Elvis did, the broken, fragile state he last saw you in.

He willed the thought away as Jimmy took a seat in front of Elvis, turning to him to shake his hand as he thanked him for coming, Hank sat next to Jimmy, he didn’t acknowledge Elvis.

As the ceremony went on and the priest read psalms from his bible, Elvis sat in his thoughts, lost to his own memories, remembering the first time he saw you to the last. To the time he saw you slap a man for grazing your ass, to the gasps of Elvis cussing when his car was acting up. From your first kiss that you hadn’t seen coming, to the night he made love to you and caressed your body with his hands.

Jimmy stood to say a few words, as did his father, and as the casket lowered into the ground Elvis wanted nothing more but to drop to his knees and sob out his heart. Instead he gripped Jimmy shoulder as the man cried into his hands, Elvis felt another hand on top of his as he saw Hank looking back at him, tears blurred his eyes as he acknowledged his existence and just how important Elvis was to you.

After people had filtered out Elvis stood staring at your grave, he wished greatly to see you once more, he should have driven out sooner to find you, to catch up over lunch, to hear of your life, to talk about your children.

Elvis grazed your headstone; he was regretting not bringing you flowers.

He sat on the cold ground as he traced over the engraving of your name.

“I love you little bird, I’ll always love you.” He mumbled before resting his head on the stone and let his tears flow once more.

[forestlion]

Ranking the ESC Winners from 2010-2021

The following list is scientifically researched, peer-reviewed and not at all just based on my personal tastes and biases, thank you for understanding and appreciating the work that went into this. 

The creator of this list is the following things: a ballad hater (naturally), German, lesbian, Frenchophobic (which doesn’t matter, France hasn’t won since the 70s) and haver of possibly unpopular opinions.

Complete list under the cut: 

The criteria of the ranking are... mysterious and undefinable. Maybe I’ll take the stage show into account, maybe I won’t. Ballads never have any good stage shows, so. What am I gonna be saying about man sitting at piano, huh. That’s right. Let’s just get into it. 

11. 2011 - Running Scared (Azerbaijan)  Coming in last, Running Scared. Now. Listen here. I am not about to get political on here because, like. What am I gonna do. What am I gonna say. What do yall WANT me to say. Do you want me to say that countries like Azerbaijan aren’t (geographically) in Europe and thus shouldn’t participate in the ESC? Want me to list war crimes? Human rights violations? If I listed every participating country’s war crimes, we’d never get anything done here. All I can say about Running Scared that that shit was boring as hell, uninspired and did NOT deserve the win. Yes, I will say it. Jedward should’ve won. GOT MY LIPSTICK ON HERE I COME DA DA DA CHECK THE COLOR COLOR OH OH

10. 2017 - Amar pelos dois (Portugal) Oh oh. Oh oh! Unpopular opinion alert! But girl oh my god. A ballad. For ESC? Groundbreaking. And the man’s attitude about the whole thing was so embarrassing. Wanting “real music” at Eurovision??? What’s “real music”, baby girl? Is Party For Everybody, Dance, Come On and Dance NOT real music? Can I not find value in silly fun songs that don’t worsen my depression? Must it be a slow song about some ex-girlfriend or the other? That’s what I thought. 

9. 2015 - Heroes (Sweden) Not another possibly unpopular opinion coming in hot. Could a song BE more generic than this one, esp. in 2015 I felt like I had heard that exact song a million times before on the radio? The stage show really helped this song win, in my humble opinion. M°ans is an international icon and they dig that poor guy out of the nothingness for every ESC but. Well. It’s just not my personal favorite. 2015 was a weak ESC year all around, so, that’s that on that.

8. 2019 - Arcade (The Netherlands) I feel the people are getting angry, there’s unrest amongst the crowd. But yes, it’s man singing ballad. I think the song is a bit popular amongst TikTokers? I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s boring to me, it stirs no emotions within my soul. I cannot dance to this. It’s not giving the gays anything. 

7. 2013 - Only Teardrops (Denmark) It’s cute or whatever. Moving on. 

6. 2014 - Rise Like A Phoenix (Austria) I liked and did vote for Conchita - was it because I absolutely loved the song? Eh, it sounds like a James Bond Power Ballad. But it is empowering and Conchita was very out of the ordinary, so it was a deserved win. 

5. 2016 - 1944 (Ukraine) When I said... not political... when the ESC committee said.. this contest is about music and not about uhm. Politics. It isn’t but it is. You get it. Of course it’s political but no it isn’t. A haunting song. Beautiful. 

4. 2010 - Satellite (Germany) YES, this list is BIASED, shut up about it! Don’t tell me this wasn’t an iconic performance... the pronunciation... Lena really did smn there. Germany winning during the time of the financial crisis... I wonder... I wonder. Again, unpolitical thoughts. Satellite is a quirky song performed by a quirky girl, she really gave us that representation. 

3. 2018 - Toy (Israel) Uh oh... not to repeat myself for the millionth time today. I will stay silent on the political matter, please! Remind yourself that I am German and in many ways this is very difficult for understandable reasons. Anyway... Madonna solved that conflict anyway with her performance in 2019. The song itself is a lot of fun and the home of sexuals have shaken their asses to it many a time. I like the song, I do, I do. 

2. 2012 - Euphoria (Sweden) One of THEE signature ESC songs, known all over, still playing on the radio. Mysterious, ear worm potential, great vocals. Sweden really snapped that year. This is what Only Teardrops wishes it could be. 

1. 2021 - Zitti e Buoni (Italy) ITALIAAA ITALIAAA! Yes, the most recent winner is Nr. 1, sue me. I’m just litchrally in love with this song. Rock’n’Roll truly never dies. I swear they put the coke they didn’t snort into this song. Absolute banger. One of so few native language winners. Also, FUCK the jury vote so much. 

[cardentist]

I know this is Beyond late to the party, it’s been years since I first started simmering on it, but I was reminded of it a bit ago and I think it’s gonna chew a hole in my brain if I don’t find a way to do something with it

the broadway version of be more chill is an adaptation of an adaptation, the rework of the script and the music and the differences in performance choice gives it a Very different tone despite largely being the same story on paper. and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing ! I’d say it’s mostly a give and take, with some things working better and some things working worse between versions and your mileage with both mostly being down to taste.

I loved the passion that clearly went into it, I was interested in the new way the dynamics played off of each other, and I was drawn into the new additions to the score and how it explored and expanded upon a different side of jeremy. I was waiting for the new version to grow on me, to give me the same inspiration that the new jersey production gave me (or rather, a different flavor that I could treasure just as much), and it just. never happened.

I’ve sat on this for a Very long time, I want to like the broadway version, I was Happy to see it given another chance. but my problem isn’t with the music or even with it being Different, my problem is that I think they fundamentally changed the protagonist Without changing the story around him, which creates problems with how the story comes across and sits with you.

the new jersey version worked, for me, because jeremy was fundamentally a good person before the squip influenced him, and he never really stopped being that person. he’d hurt people and he made mistakes, but when you see him make up with christine and michael by the end you’re left with the impression that they’re already set on the path to a healthy relationship with each other. they have things to work on, conversations that need to be had, but you can Believe in the happy ending that it wants you to buy into.

and part of this is achieved by leaving things up to the imagination, by keeping jeremy Simple but implying more by presenting him as a real person. jeremy doesn’t Want to be popular he wants to be happy, but he trusts the authority figure that tells him that it knows what’s best for him more than he does. it’s this level of innocence that makes him genuinely likeable despite what he ends up doing.

the broadway version sought to explore jeremy in more depth, to explore the feelings of self hatred and isolation, the themes of depression and anxiety, in more explicit terms, they complicated jeremy heere. this isn’t in itself a bad thing, I really like “loser geek whatever” as a song, but it shifted the balance in what made the ending work. a moment that used to be jeremy asserting to the audience that he’s never Wanted to be important, that he never wanted popularity or fame, but that he’s giving in to the lead of something else because he’s been convinced that it’s what’ll make him happy is now a ballad that asserts that it’s what jeremy thinks he Deserves.

don’t get me wrong, this new version of jeremy isn’t an inherently bad person, he isn’t even necessarily a fundamentally Different person. they’re both steeped in self hatred and isolation, broadway jeremy Is new jersey jeremy at his core, but broadway jeremy has pointed that inward turmoil Outward. he thinks of himself as the problem, that there’s something wrong with him and always has been, but at the same time he’s actively trying to convince himself that he wants what the squip is offering him because he’s Owed it.

this isn’t a problem on its own, I really vibe with “loser geek or whatever,” it has some Very poignant lines that gel with what jeremy’s always been even with the shift happening with his mindset here, but it’s unfortunately not a change that exists in a vacuum.

I could pick apart the whole musical and lay out all of the differences, but the change that’s prevented me from being able to enjoy the broadway version is “the pitiful children,” on a musical level but most importantly on a story and characterization level.

jeremy’s change in mindset in the broadway version Very Unfortunately leans into the entitled nerd boy trope, which didn’t necessarily have to detract from it (in my opinion, the charm of be more chill in general is how its characters are all tropes presented as real people, who are likeable because of how Human they are. you slowly grow into them the more you realize this), but the pitiful children just shifts jeremy Too Far into that trope in a way that the story never really recovers from.

the original version was the squip’s villain song where he took jeremy pointing out flaws with his actions (letting people get hurt despite having been able to help them and meddling in jeremy’s life in a way that made his relationships Worse) and convinced him that the problem was other people’s free will. he did this not by appealing to jeremy’s own desires, but by presenting other people the way that the squip had been presenting jeremy to Himself this entire time.

jeremy is a character that hates himself, that was so eager to find a way to “get better” because he sees everything that’s happened to him as being tied to some inherent flaw with who he is. the squip took this and reinforced it, convinced jeremy that he’s completely worthless without him, all while presenting himself as a savior figure to jeremy that was going to “fix” him. the pitiful children is the squip insisting that all people are like that, that all people are fundamentally broken and unhappy but that they can be Saved. jeremy going along with the squip here is presented as being tied to both his own self hatred And his desire to help people. the squip took advantage of his Kindness and that colors our interpretation of him as a person.

the broadway version of this scene is, a shell. it’s a mistake. in some ways it’s built on that same basis, it exists On Top Of what it used to be, but it paints jeremy completely differently. it is, quite literally, jeremy putting christine’s agency under his own desires. Now instead of the squip playing at jeremy’s self hatred, it’s convincing jeremy that christine doesn’t want to date him because there’s something wrong with Her Specifically, and the rest of the school is just kind of tacked onto it. it’s jeremy choosing his own desire to date christine Over her freewill while pushing everyone else’s fate to the side (when he knows that they’re Also going to get zombiefied in the process).

it’s a weaker villain song in general, the storybeat of convincing someone that humanity is fundamentally flawed but can be “fixed” is far more chilling than convincing someone that the girl they like is fundamentally flawed because they won’t date them. but it also just changes jeremy’s relationship to christine in a way that can Never be addressed because Jeremy’s the only character that knows it happened and it’s never a conversation that they have together.

it’s even worse in the live version (as opposed to the cast recording) because jeremy is an Active role in the broadway version when he’d had a passive role in the original. in the new jersey version jenna approaches jeremy, opening up about her own unhappiness after he asks her how she feels, the squip tells him that he can help her and Then jeremy gives her a squip. jeremy Watches her immediately become more lively and happy, with her joining the song and dance to convince him that this is the right thing. in the broadway performance jeremy approaches Her, he offers her a squip of his own accord and he brushes her off after she opens up to him in response. it’s no longer a beat reinforcing that the squip is taking advantage of his kindness, but him Openly Dismissing someone else’s suffering while he’s focused on getting what he wants. he’s dancing and singing along with the squip.

both versions of jeremy were manipulated, both versions of jeremy were stripped of their agency, but only one of them had a true villain arc. but their endings are the same. broadway jeremy isn’t an unsalvageable person, he Can grow and get better and I do think that he’s in the right direction for it. but he and christine are Not ready for a relationship, he’s Not at an ending point for his character growth. he did choose her agency in the end, but the fact that it was ever a question for him makes the saccharine tone of the ending feel Wrong in a way that I’ve never been able to move on from. 

broadway jeremy was complicated in a way that made him less likeable as a person but the Ending wasn’t made to accommodate this. the big flashy showdown Worked in the original Because it never convinced us that jeremy wasn’t a kind person. he needed a wake up call and time to heal, broadway jeremy needs therapy. (granted, new jersey jeremy Also needs therapy for the Definite ptsd that he has, but that’s a separate issue).

the broadway version opens a conversation that it wasn’t interested in closing, they left their happy storybook ending for a story that Needed a serious confrontation that challenged their protagonist not just on the fact that they were Wrong but on the fundamental flaws with how they treated and thought of other people. it wasn’t necessarily jeremy’s Fault but he needed more solid character growth than what he was given and it’s a weaker story for it.

I think if the pitiful children had been left largely the same I might’ve been able to grow to like the broadway version and all of its differences, but it’s just the Weaker version as is and it Needed to push the changes harder than it did if it was really committed to this change in direction.

[annikasafternoonread]

So. That’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Thoughts. I have them. This is going to be a long one, folks, so buckle in.

I guess my overall report would be... better than expected. That might sound like faint praise, but I had serious reservations coming into this book. I think a lot of people were concerned when it was first announced. And I certainly think those reactions were warranted and valid and I don’t regret them -- this book could have been a mess. 

It wasn’t. It didn’t try to rehabilitate Snow, didn’t try to make him relatable or sympathetic or misunderstood or a victim. It didn’t do any of that. Snow was a privileged, bigoted, ignorant, self-centered asshole with a superiority complex the size of a planet. Collins got that much right at least. We can see some of the forces that conspired to make him that way, but they don’t make him any less of a terrible person who did terrible things for terrible reasons.

But. That kind of character... is not the most fun to read, honestly. I don’t love spending this much time reading a book that just makes me angry. I don’t love spending this much time with a person I hate. I think I’m glad I read it, to know more what it was and to gain some interesting context about the world, but I don’t think I’d read it again. And I don’t know that I’d recommend it. If I did, it would come with some heavy caveats on there. 

So that’s my overall impression: better than expected, worth reading once and no more. On to some more specific hot takes.

So first off, Lucy Gray. I love her in a lot of ways, but she also confused me and I was a little disappointed by other aspects. She’s fun and talented and sweet, but girl what the fuck do you see in Snow he’s a shithead I mean less of a shithead to you, at least compared to the rest of the Capitol, and he did sort of save her life so like Florence Nightingale Syndrome or whatever, but ugh. Gross. I really really really wanted her to be playing him. And I’m not entirely sure she’s not.

As she says when talking about Billy Taupe being a possessive jealous asshole, flirting with people is part of the job description when you’re a performer and entertainer. It’s what she does. It’s what she’s always done. It’s what’s kept her alive for years, being charming and sweet and desirable and making people love her. And now in the Games, she’s relying on Snow to keep her alive. So the more he wants to keep her alive, the better. And if he’s in love with her, and thinks that she’s in love with him, then he’ll be very invested in keeping her alive. As Snow notes at the end, she killed quite a few people, in ways that could have been self-preservation or happenstance or mercy, but could also have been calculated as fuck. It’s hard to say.

I can’t tell you how much I hoped that she’d be cool towards him after the Games, that it would have been all for show and Snow would run back to the barracks with his tail between his legs. She didn’t, which is a big part of why I don’t think she was playing him. Her joy, her kisses, her invitations to spend time together, her song, it doesn’t seem like a lie. But on the other hand, maybe thumbing her nose at a Peacekeeper and Capitol high muckity-muck wouldn’t have been a smart move. Maybe having a Peacekeeper on your side, and someone with Capitol connections, would have been very handy. After all, he kept bringing them ice and baked goods and such. If they could keep him close, he might stand up for them if the Peacekeepers wanted to ban them (which they eventually did a few months later, so the Covey probably knew it was a possibility). He might or warn them if something bad was coming. 

The thing that swung me back to “maybe” is how fast she went from “let’s run away to the woods together and be free” to “I’m gonna sic a snake on this motherfucker.” Like, yes he deserved that, but he always deserved it. That’s a hell of a swing for a few hours. Was it just realizing he might have sold out Sejanus that swung her opinion? Was there something else instead or as well? Did that push her to make new connections, or finally tip over the pile of reservations she’d been ignoring? Maybe. But it just seems... like it might have been more than that. Like maybe she was planning to ditch him anyways, though I can’t imagine why. Idk, the theory doesn’t hold together terribly well, but neither does Lucy Gray’s infatuation with another shitty possessive abusive man. Or maybe that’s just patterns. 

The question of what happened to Lucy Gray honestly doesn’t interest me that much. I’m sure there’s plenty of speculation and opinions and headcanons about whether she returned to District 12 or escaped to the wilds or died there in the woods, but frankly I don’t care. Oh, I hope she lived, but it’s not relevant. There isn’t an answer, so I’m not terribly interested in figuring it out. 

What I do find interesting is Dean Highbottom. He’s a very ironic character, in my opinion. He tells us at the end that he thought up the Hunger Games in a class assignment “to create a punishment for one’s enemies so extreme that they would never be allowed to forget how they had wronged you.” He didn’t actually want the Hunger Games to be real or think they ever could be, and he felt terrible about even submitting the assignment (against his will). He turned to drugs when the proposal was brought forward and became real, because he was so horrified. He didn’t believe in that kind of vengeance, didn’t want to keep that hatred alive. He didn’t think that was what humanity was or should be. 

And yet. His response to Papa Snow’s betrayal in submitting an assignment about punishing innocent children for a crime they didn’t commit was to punish Snow for a crime he didn’t commit. So maybe he’s wrong about humans, or at least about himself. 

I don’t think Dr. Gaul is right about human nature being inherently evil and violent and selfish, though. Put us in the right circumstances and maybe, sure, but we don’t have to be in those circumstances. She’s so caught up in the eternal war, and obviously you can’t stop a war if you believe it’s still going. And maybe eventually if you’re not hardass there’ll be another one, but maybe there won’t! And goodness knows being hardass didn’t stop the next war! It’s impossible to say for sure that if the Capitol/all of Panem had been more fair and just and kind, the next war wouldn’t have been sooner, but it’s also impossible to say that it wouldn’t have been later, or never. That seems worth fighting for. Dr. Gaul terrifies me, obviously, but she also kind of just makes me sad. What a depressing worldview. She doesn’t see it that way, I’m sure, just sees it as a challenge and a game, but it is sad. 

The rest of my thoughts are less expansive, so let’s just bullet point them:

Propaganda works terrifyingly well. Be careful of your internalized biases and the messaging being fed to you.

The effects of pride and honour and position are wild. Snow was simultaneously crushed and elevated by them, as was Sejanus. 

Speaking of Sejanus, he deserved better. I love my son. 

The fuck was up with Clemensia? They never really resolved that. Is she actually okay? Did her skin grow back? How the hell did that happen? Could she have turned into a snake? Why was she so cutting and mean and unlike herself? Was Gaul controlling her somehow? Why did they refuse to tell her parents anything? But also how could she manage to escape from her room to sneak in on Snow? What the fuck? 

I love the full circle of a Mockingjay bringing Snow up, as Lucy Gray’s voice and fame helped him to rise and bloom, to gain Dr. Gaul’s favor and the Plinths’ money, pulling him out of his , and then a Mockingjay tearing him down, when he crossed Katniss and put her family in danger and she decided he had to die. 

This was a fucking essay, which I feel a little bad about, but I had a lot of thoughts and feelings okay? XD For anyone who actually read this whole thing, you are a saint, you deserve several cookies, I don’t have a way to give you any so here is instead a picture of my kitten using TBOSAS as a pillow.

Have a good day! See you soon for Mockingjay Part 2.

[mobiused]

Who do you think has the best taste in music in LOONA? Can you sum up each member's taste in music in a few words?

heejin - whatevers popular lmao

hyunjin - lofi, surprisingly some rap/hip hop too?

haseul - SINGERS shes here for the vocalists. a spattering of opera too

yeojin - usually bright n breezy? but her fav song is (was?) a very angsty ballad

vivi - she's a blackjack first and foremost, but she likes songs where she can feel the singers emotionality

kim lip - not good 😥

jinsoul - i have no idea...

choerry - mostly indie, songs she can sing along to and songs that are healing to her

yves - she likes a lot of western rnb as well as krnb, collects vinyls but her ringtone atm is vivaldi??? big wonder girls fan (her bias is sunmi)

chuu - songs she can sing & show off her vocals with, [REDACTED], whatevers popular

gowon - kpop afficionado, huge girl group stan, a lot of 2nd and 3rd gen, she ults oh my girl

hyejoo - lofi/rnb, her fav artist atm is hoody, though she also likes a lot of 3rd gen kpop (stans all sm girl groups?) ults hyuna, seems to like a lot of angsty/depressing songs too?

im obviously super biased but my fav music taste is hyejoos. every song shes recommended i either already had in my library, or i loved it first listen. ours are most similar. 2nd place would probably either be hyunjin or gowon?

[aion-rsa]

Dear Evan Hansen May Be the Most Uncomfortable Musical Ever Made

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

There was a moment near the beginning of Robert Zemeckis’ odyssey into mo-cap animation where the press believed the magic trick: Yes, these soulless dead-eyed automatons who kind of look like Tom Hanks in a Santa suit are the future, we were told. Yet no matter how much digital snow was drawn on Hanks’ head, never once did anyone feel Christmas cheer. I was reminded of this trip to the uncanny valley while watching Dear Evan Hansen. And not just because of the incredulity of producers thinking actor Ben Platt could still pass for a teenager while pushing 30.

To be sure, there is some definite Steve Buscemi with a skateboard energy to the way Platt hunches his shoulders and quivers his lip, attempting to mimic high school awkwardness and appearing just awkward. However, you don’t need to be John Travolta or Olivia Newton-John to lull an audience into a suspension of disbelief. No, the issue with Dear Evan Hansen is a tone deaf and wall-to-wall cringe of a plot that somehow got a pass on stage. Whether something was lost in translation or if intent was mistaken for achievement is not exactly clear. But either way, this is a stunning whiff on a fundamental level, one which spectacularly misreads the implications of its fable and naively endorses the healing power of social media likes. If this were on one of those apps, you would unsubscribe.

The machinations of Dear Evan Hansen‘s passion play begin when Evan Hansen (Platt) writes a letter to himself which reads like a desperate cry for help. These self-directed correspondences were the idea of Evan’s therapist due to the high schooler’s bouts of anxiety or maybe depression. It’s vague. Whatever the case, when fellow loner Connor (Colton Ryan) reads the note and keeps it, things quickly spiral out of hand because Connor kills himself.

Mistaking the letter as Connor’s suicide note, the boy’s grieving parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino) connect with Evan, eager to cling to something, anything, left of their son. Evan tries to tell them the truth, but they seem so sad, and Connor’s sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever) is just so cute, that maybe Evan will let this whole misunderstanding ride. Sure, he’ll say, he was Connor’s best friend. And hey, since Evan will sing about loving thyself on YouTube, this makes him a tragic hero for the alienated and downtrodden, right? Right?!

A theater phenomenon when it premiered first Off-Broadway and then on the Great White Way in 2016, Dear Evan Hansen was previously received as a poppy tearjerker that spoke to the importance of helping those living with mental illness, and finding a way for those who feel like outsiders to be made welcome. The last element proved especially appealing to commercial interests, in no small part because of Benji Pasek and Justin Paul’s music and lyrics about teenage loneliness, and Platt’s undeniably heartfelt performance.

Yet not unlike when Cats was transferred to cinema, flaws that could previously be glossed over in a theater were now glaring on film sets. Also similar to Cats, the choices made here by director Stephen Chbosky and screenwriter Steven Levenson (who works from his own  Tony-winning book) often undermine musical moments that might’ve played a bit better on the boards. For instance, a song wherein Evan Hansen and an imaginary version of the dead Connor sing a jolly duet could work in a medium where artifice is high, but in a film photographed at a bland, beige high school, the sequence borders on tasteless.

That insistence in grounding this in a visual verisimilitude—wherein the clear intent is that this will be seen as an important movie, the kind that wins awards—poorly serves the film’s lead performance, with Platt at times looking like a sweatier version of Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused: the old guy cruising for high school girls. But it also exposes the saccharine limitations of the narrative.

Dear Evan Hansen is a story in which a lonely kid makes a horrible mistake and then doubles down on exploiting another lonely kid’s suicide because of the instant gratification it gives him as a social media celebrity, and because it allows him to insinuate himself among a grieving family. Rather than deeply exploring the unpleasant and even cruel consequences of these choices, the film weaves and dodges, attempting to always make excuses for Evan’s actions and assure viewers he’s a nice, relatable every-teen. He is a character suffering from mental illness, but the script never takes the time to address what that mental illness is.

His sudden popularity on Instagram and TikTok is thus treated as meaningful growth for both him and the whole school, rather than the performative and vapid exploitation of tragedy that it is. And that vapidity is then couched in admittedly ear-wormy songs about self-acceptance with all the depth and specificity of a Katy Perry anthem. But then perhaps that’s the point since Perry-esque ballads in Pasek and Paul’s last movie musical, The Greatest Showman, became instant social media sensations too.

There is an early scene in Dear Evan Hansen where a couple of teenagers who were low-key mean girl bullying Connor take a selfie in front of the now dead kid’s locker; it’s a feigned show of belated compassion. A cynic might argue this is what the entire movie is doing, although that would be too harsh. The film’s heart is in the right place, with hopes and aspirations to have a serious conversation about difficult issues. Nonetheless, the end result is pretty much the same. Like its lead character, the movie doesn’t realize its paying lip-service to trauma and the lonely for its own benefit, and the fact it is then so pleased with its cloying bromides makes this infinitely more uncomfortable to watch than CGI pussycats.

Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in U.S. theaters on Sept. 24 and in the UK on Oct. 22.

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The post Dear Evan Hansen May Be the Most Uncomfortable Musical Ever Made appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3C6qKoX

[swedish-lavender]

Swedes’ Music Taste Headcanon/Mini Playlists

Just my personal headcanons with some examples so you can listen and get a better idea of this headcanon :)

• Axel likes more loose dance music with a bit of pep that he could either dance or work to. This can be 70s/80s music and some more modern alternative pop songs or even some broadway/show tunes.

• Artists he would enjoy would be Coldplay, Hozier, David Bowie, and John Lennon.

• Something about this kind of music appeals to him as it's got a softer beat which makes it nice to listen to as background music for whatever he needs to do. He hates to be distracted so having music that serves more as background helps in that sense.

• Broadway shows he would enjoy would be Hadestown, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Fiddler on the Roof (he cried at the end of each, but won’t admit it).

• These songs/shows appeal to him as they tell a story that he can get lost in and use as an escape from reality.

• He likes repetition in songs so that he can focus on that one repeating melody and use that for meditation/focus. Music that changes often gives him a small sense of anxiety. He doesn’t mind it, but he will notice the changes and begin to focus more on the song rather than the work he is doing. (Bohemian Rhapsody for example)

• Axel mostly uses music as a means of escape or a means to focus. If he can concentrate on a certain song’s beat, then it helps him be able to pay attention to whatever he is supposed to do.

• It also allows for him to escape reality if need be. If something happens and he is panicking or depressed, he will listen to music to take his mind off of whatever is bothering him.

• Basically music helps him both stay on track as well as lose sense of reality when needs be.

Mini Axel Playlist:

- Good Times by All Time Low

- Clocks and Viva la Vida by Coldplay

- China Girl by David Bowie

- Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

- Southern Nights by Glen Campbell

- In the Woods Somewhere by Hozier

- Imagine by John Lennon

And of course all songs from the shows mentioned above

• Otto likes classical music. The kind depends on his mood that day as it varies, but he usually vibes with edgier pieces with some spunk to them that have changing notes and rhythms yet still with a subtle melody.

• He enjoys composers like Shostakovich, Bach, Mendelssohn and Chopin, but honestly does not have any preference.

• His favorite instruments to listen to would be violin and piano as his mother played piano and his father played a bit of the violin, but he really enjoys almost any instrument he listens to. Those two just hold a special place in his heart.

• He listens to music to either wind down for the day, take a moment of short relaxation before jumping back into life, to start the day and gain motivation, or to have as background music for when he does target practice or day-to-day chores.

• Otto uses music as a means of relaxation. Whenever he is feeling restless, anxious, depressed, angry, or anything else, he will listen to classical music which helps remind him of the things he loves.

Mini Otto Playlist:

- Allegretto ben moderato from Sonata for violin and piano in A by César Franck (Version I listen to is also performed by Joshua Bell on Violin with Jean-Yves Thibaudet on Piano). I can see this being Otto’s first song which would bring him into the world of classical music/classical violin and is when he would slowly fall in love with the gracefulness of both the piano and violin. He would listen to this piece as he takes a moment of relaxation before diving back into a world of chaos with another mission.

- Partita No. 2 in D Minor by Bach and Mendelssohn (Version I listen to is the one performed by Joshua Bell on Violin).

- Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 by Camille Saint-Saëns (Version I listen to is performed by Itzhak Perlman on violin and accompanied by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra). A beautiful violin solo that has a main recurring theme that shows the power and skill of the violinist. Otto would listen closely and take in each phrase and would think it couldn’t get better, but it continuously impressed until the end. Despite it being 9 minutes long, he would get lost in it and long for more and he puts in on repeat while doing target practice or cleaning or other chores.

- 12 Études, op 25: 11 in A Minor “Winter Wind” by Fréderic Chopin. It is a gorgeous piece filled with fast moving notes that would captivate him and leave him in awe and amazement that someone could play that (especially if he saw it performed live).

- Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op 47: IV Allegro non troppo by Dmitri Shostakovich (Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra). Really fast an edgy piece with many moving notes.

- Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: II Allegro by Ludwig Van Beethoven (performed by the London Symphonic Orchestra). Slower and more repetitive piece that really just builds on itself and gets more and more intense and edgy.

• Oscar likes more rock/metal music.

• He would enjoy artists like Bon Jovi, Kiss, Dio, The Rolling Stones, The Animals and Queen.

• Honestly, Oscar is fascinated by electric guitars and drum sets and how they keep a steady beat as well as keep the song flowing. It helps him feel grounded whenever he is feeling anxious. It also allows him to tap to a beat and keep time.

• Despite him listening to loud songs, he won’t blast them throughout the house as it would be overwhelming for both him and the kitties.

• He would mostly listen to his music through headphones so as to not bother the kitties.

• Occasionally he will quietly play the music aloud or even badly sing to it and make the kitties dance along.

• Oscar uses music as a means of fun as well as an excuse to be himself. He feels that people see him as delicate and helpless due to his mental illnesses and shy demeanor, but he does not view himself that way and uses music to remind himself that he can do anything.

• Sometimes when a slow rock ballad comes on the radio and he is home alone, he picks up a cat and slow dances with them. He will change partners so that everyone gets a chance to dance.

Mini Oscar Playlist:

- I Was Made for Lovin’ You by Kiss

- Holy Diver by Dio

- It’s My Life and You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi

- Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

- The House of the Rising Sun by The Animals

- Welcome to the Black Parade by MCR

- Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones

- War Pigs / Luke’s Wall by Black Sabbath

- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

- Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

[honesthammie]

Get to know me!

Part 1

Nickname: Kim, Kimmy, K, Kimbo, Kimberlina

Zodiac: Scorpio

Height: No clue but I'd say middle range of 5 foot.

Hogwarts house: proudly Hufflepuff (I took the pottermore test 5 times got slytherin once but Huffle puff 4 times)

Last thing I googled: binary to text translator (I was interested in what one of the dogs toys said as it was a bunch of 1 and 0 on it, turns out a bunch of jibber jabber but I was curious)

Song stuck in my head: Axolotl song by Dream

Number of followers:

Amount of sleep: depends on when I sleep. Can range from 4-12 hours.

Lucky number: 25

Dream job: Dog Groomer

Wearing: a blue shirt that says "an angel of the Lord Castiel" with black wings on it and black and white tracksuit bottoms and lion King socks.

Favourite instrument: I love violins but I personally am a singer on a performance course at university

Spotify or SoundCloud? 

Soundcloud at a push but I mainly use YouTube music

is your room messy or clean?

Not really messy per say, it looks it as its a small room but only mess there are: wires, dirty clothes and a fuck ton of dog fur on floor coz am lazy and haven't hoovered in a while

what color are your eyes?

Blue

do you like your name? why?

Nope. It's too long for me to write my full name down. The boxes and shit are too small for my 25 letters in total full name...

what is your relationship status? 

Single

describe your personality in 3 words or less

Fucked up

what color hair do you have?

Black to dark brown ombre (went that way for pups birthday 8th August)

what kind of car do you drive? color?

I don't drive yet but hoping to soon

where do you shop?

All over...wherever there's deals but mainly Tescos for food and primark/Shein for clothes

how would you describe your style?

All over. I like Gothic punk mainly but that costs more than I believe I am worth but I mainly wear casual fandom shirts and skinny jeans.

favorite social media account

Youtube and Tumblr

what size bed do you have? 

Single cabin bed where I store all my make up (that I hardly wear coz I have no idea how to do anything other than lipstick) and my perfumes and bodymists.

any siblings?

0 human

2 doggie bros

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?

Japan coz its awesome

favorite snapchat filter? 

Anything gothicy or the question ones

favorite makeup brand(s)

I don't really care tbh

how many times a week do you shower?

Once a week with my hair coz I heard that is best for it and whenever I feel disgusting or I really need to get in for my body so like twice a week minium although sometimes my depression persuades me to only go in once a week and I know that's not hygienic but it does affect me sometimes. I'll also get in more often if my body hurts or if I'm too hot or too cold to get my body at the right temperature.

favorite tv show?

Doctor who and Supernatural

shoe size?

Flat shoes/sandals: 5 1/2

Trainers/converse: 6

Dockers/boots:6 1/2

sandals or sneakers? 

Sneakers

do you go to the gym? 

No but I wanna

describe your dream date

Its an all day sorta date.

Starts at like 10 in the morning and we get a maccas breakfast in casual outfits. Then we go shopping, not necessarily for clothes but for games and or movies, maybe even some pet stuff. Then it's like 1 in afternoon so we get KFC for dinner. Then we go separate ways for a few hours to get ready for the fancy part of the date. It goes to around 5 and we go to a fancier restaurant and then we go to whatever the nearest big event is, if there is one or we just go to the movies.

how many pillows do you sleep with?

2

do you have a job? what do you do? 

No

how many friends do you have? 

4

whats the worst thing you have ever done? 

Bit someone and made em bleed

whats your favorite candle scent? 

Anything fruity or sweet

3 favorite boy names

Dalton

Jensen

Rossi

3 favorite girl names

Ciel

Vanessa

Stella

favorite actor? 

Misha Collins

favorite actress? 

Used to be Evanna Lynch but Jodie Whittaker is amazing!

who is your celebrity crush?

Jodie Whittaker and Misha Collins

favorite movie? 

Oh god I can't decide so imma put sub categories to make it easier

Disney: Brother bear

Dreamworks: how to train your dragon

Non Disney animated: last unicorn

Musical: Oliver!

Action: Knight and Day

Adventure: Bridge to Terabithia

Comedy: 17 again

Fantasy: Harry Potter

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? 

Yes, Devon the worlds naughtiest dog

money or brains? 

Brains

how many times have you been to the hospital?

Personally for my own needs: 4/5 times?

To visit others: way too many times

top 10 favourite songs:

One for sorrow by Steps

Viva la radio by Lolly

Bad bitch by Bebe Rexa

Team 6 by vanoss crew

Murder on the dancefloor by Sophie Ellis Bexter

Poison by Alice Cooper

Hypnotized by Set it Off

The ballad of Mono Lisa by Panic! At the Disco

The sound of drums by Chameleon Circuit

Stranger things have happened by Random Encounters

do you take any medications daily? 

Nope

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc)

Kinda dry not gonna lie

what is your biggest fear? 

Having no one left and being so alone

how many kids do you want? 

Maybe 1 of each but fuck the painful part nope. Imma adopt plus I skip the nappy parts.

whats your go to hair style?

Everyday is just down but sometimes I put in a high pony, half up half down pony, pig tails/bunches/twin tails, half up half down of pig tails

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) 

I live in a small house

who is your role model? 

Evanna Lynch just look her up and everything she's been through

what was the last compliment you received?

I can't remember it's been a while

what was the last text you sent?

What time can I come down?

I was asking about time to see my best mate whose like a sister

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real?

8 coz I heard my parents arguing over where to put the presents but I continued to fake it for a few years until they told me coz I thought it made them happy. They still dint know that I heard em

[i-dont-want-your-hysteria]

The Leppard Albums: A Summary

(inspired by Every Beatles Album)

Happy Saturday night everyone

The Def Leppard EP

Joe is 19 and just wants to ride a motorcycle okay

Groupie fantasy

Zeppelin lyrics meet Rush with an underappreciated bass line

On Though the Night

IT'S!!! ROCK!!! N ROLL!!! BABEY!!!

Joe is 20 and just really doesn't wanna work in a factory anymore okay

pls D; girl D; stop D; hiding D; your D; pain!!

another... groupie fantasy... I think? ...???

Leppard in Space

Joe is 20 and just wants to write something edgy okay leave him alone

STEVE 👏👏👏 FUCKING 👏👏👏 CLARK!!!! 👏👏🔥👏🔥👏👌👌

the original groupie fantasy but it's been re-recorded

girl?? make up?? your mind???

let's be mysteriously edgy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Zeppelin lyrics meets Rush but it's been re-recorded (but don't worry they still kept the underappreciated bass line)

High N Dry

everyone in this band is a slutty bottom and this is the song that proves it

we have Mutt Lange now and this is the song that proves it

drONK TIEM

betcha didn't think we could write a ballad, did ya ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

STÊVË!!!!! 👏👏👏👏 FÜCKÎÑ!!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏 C L Ã R K!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥👏👌👌🤙👏👌🔥👌🎉🎉

underappreciated and that's all there is to it

noooo don't go you're too mysterious and sexy hahhaha

oh god Dx oh god no Dx we don't sound like this anymore we swear Dx

betcha thought we stopped writing Beowulf-esque pop songs didn't ya ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

🚫🚫⛔👎🚫🙅‍♂️👎🚫⛔🙅‍♂️⛔ *Joe tearing his throat up for 2 solid minutes*

Pyromania

IT'S ROCK!!!!!! N ROLL!!!! BABEY!!!!!!!1!!!!1!!1!! AGAIN!!!!! 😆😆😆

the Classic Rock Fandom™ in a nutshell 😓

INTRODUCING PHIL 👌👌👌 FUCKING👏👏 COLLEN 🔥🔥🔥

betcha thought we abandoned the idea of doing a ballad didn't ya ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Joe's back at it again with the edgy songs and is getting a lot better at it too

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ∆ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Gunter 🙃 Glieben 🙃 Glauchen 🙃 Globen

the most underappreciated song on this whole entire fucking list sorry I don't make the rules

Alright, WHO in this band wants to be in a porno >:C

Joe's back at it yet again with the edgy songs but it's even BETTER this time

Hysteria

Girls Girls Girls ALL WOMEN ARE QUEENS ANAKIN

🎸we!!! fucking!!! love!!!! glam rock!!!!!! and african drum rhythms!!!!!!!!!🥁

we're not furries we swear we're just kinky D: also fuck you DJs here's some false endings

we haven't made a ballad that HURTS yet so here we go (with an underappreciated bass line)

the song that invented "( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)" (AKA when you cram for a test the minute before and end up getting 100%)

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)😏( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)😏( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

S T E V E 😭👏👏 F U C K I N 😭😭😭 C L A R K 👏👏👏😭👏😭

nooo don't shoot me you're too kinky hahaha

a song about rioting and being #punk, but the only crime the man singing it has ever committed was getting a speeding ticket when he was 19/20

oh. oh shit. oh god. holy shi- I can't believe... ...we just accidentally made the most perfect song to ever exist :o like seriously- people are achieving nirvana as we speak I'm not joking I think we went too far with the perfection this time guys

THIS SONG IS ABOUT S E X AND WE AIN'T BEING SHY ABOUT IT EITHER LET'S FUCKIN GO BABE-

Don't 👏 give 👏 me 👏 love 👏

Adrenalize

gkKLglldlflhlADKSLALLFLSS 😆😆😆

I fucking love my wife uWu

fkKMglgllsLLslgflephpGLDLPT 😆(͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)😆

We're just gonna get extremely romantic and passionate for 4 minutes and 3 seconds if that's alright with you (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)

this album was the most painful thing any of us have ever had to do, so here's the most serious song we've ever done to date. Steve ✊ Fucking ✊ Clark ✊ -n-

now that our mental breakdown is over, we're gonna get extremely passionate and romantic again but for a lil longer this time aiight 🤙

one of us has a protection/ownership kink but we're not gonna tell you who

you know what this album needs? a little bit more pain

we're layin down the line (and by that we mean we want sex)

we're layin down the line pt.2 (we still want sex btw)

Retro Active

Beowulf songs are back babey 🤙

I'll say that again if I have to^

we!!! still!!! fucking!!! love!!!! glam rock!!!!! we even covered something to prove it!!!!!!

Joe has now officially mastered ballads

I fucking love my wife part 2: she's a badass top

While Joe was off mastering ballads, Phil studied the blade

We covered something else bc again!!! we fucking!!! love!!! glam!!!

We rewrote Joe's motorcycle song bc we now realize it was cringe af (and it was an excuse for Joe to talk to Ian Hunter so that made him happy)

Joe has now officially mastered edgy/serious songs

it's a total bop but oh god. No. Please. No. Oh God. No. Don't. Please. No. Pls. No. Oh god. Don't.

This should've been on Adrenalize and you can Fight Me On That

Phil studies the blade (electric version)

Joe masters ballads (electric version)

Vault (there's only one new song on here so that's all I'm doing)

babe nooooo D';

Slang

Epic edgelords part 1

Epic edgelords part 2: Phil wrote it this time

everyone in this band is a slutty bottom and this is the song that proves it Volume 2: Electric Bugaloo

soft breakdown :'c

hOT DOGGITY DAMN JOE'S VOICE HOLY HELL TAKE ME N- *clears throat* I mean introducing Vivian Campbell :3 aND THERE'S A BASS SOLO MMMM 🤤🤤👌 THIS SONG IS JUST SEXY FUCKIN LIFT ME UP AND-

Phil's marriage isn't going too well

in fact, no one's marriages are going too well

severely underrated bop

We're still not over Steve's death and we never will be :c

Joe makes edgy ballads his bitch yet again 👏👏

severely underrated banger 🔥🔥🔥

Euphoria

wE STILL MAKE FAST BOPS IN CASE YOU FORGOT 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Holy shit I didn't know Joe could hit a note that high

The 90s sucked for us but we'rE STILL HERE BICH 🖕

Can we pls give Sav more songwriting space on albums thx 😭💗

everyone in this band is a slutty bottom and this is the song that proves it Volume 3: Even Sluttier This Time 😏

totally different from everything we've ever done and WE 👏 MADE IT 👏 OUR 👏 EDGY 👏 BITCH

uwu but it's sad so it's actually umu

partying like it's 1999- oh wait, it actually is 1999

*hugs Viv and scREEEEEEEEAAAMMS*

Phil studied the blade and attacks you with it

*gets escorted into the back of a police car* IM GUILTY!! I'M GUILTY!!! I'M NOT INNOCENT!!! 😫😫😫

whatever edginess we couldn't fit into Paper Sun we put into this song instead

we're entering the new millennium as Kings and there's nothing you can do about it 👑🖕

X (Ten)

Stand on a balcony at sunset when you listen to this one

(insert Vizzini saying "INCONCEIVABLE" here)

the big UwU

I got ghosted and it’s actually a lot more dark and depressing than I thought also I wish I was never awake

soft and edgy and sad acoustic dads

F-U-C-K SPELLS F- I mean L-O-V-E spells love uWu

babe nOOOooO I'm sorry I suck so much DD;

this sounds like out if Work It Out and Day After Day had a kid

we're gonna have a Funky Good Time whether you like it or not 😎

E D G E L O R D S 2 0 0 2

we can't decide if we want this album to be edgy or uwu so we're gonna make it both

the same passion as Tonight but less sexy and more (you guessed it) uwu

E D G E L O R D S 2 0 0 2 P A R T 2

Betcha thought our emo phase was over didn't ya ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Yeah!

bops have been and will ALWAYS be something we have mastered- even if the song we're playing isn't ours

SAV'S TIME TO SHINE

betcha thought we couldn't cover a Blondie song, did ya ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Phil's just getting nostalgic about London it's fine 👍

don't worry joe's still sCREAMIN

in which we make this song a million times better than the original

WE LOVE ROXY MUSIC SO MUCH WE CANTEXPLAINWEJUSTLOVEHEMRMFLGPHPH

we're letting Joe have his moment ok just let him have this 👨‍🎤

yeah we like Free- so whAT??

okay NOW we're letting Joe have his real moment- he's been waiting for this moment ever since he was like 12 okay just. let him. have this just. this one time. pls.

in which we confuse literally everyone by making them think this is a song that we wrote

we just need ONE more bop, okay? Just ONE more we swear then we'll stop being fanboys (for now...)

we'll be right back, it's Bow Down To Thin Lizzy Hour

*Phil tearing up his throat for 4 and a half solid minutes*

Songs From The Sparkle Lounge

this one's actually kinda dark and heavy? :o

honky tonk time 🤠🤙

FINALLY ONE OF SAV'S SONGS IS THE MOST POPULAR SONG OFF AN ALBUM 🙏🙏🙏🙏😩

FINALLY WE HAVE MORE SAV MATERIAL I LOVE IT SM ;∆; !!!!

Phil's songs are severely underrated tho pls give them more attention

it's time for one (1) badass religious song and if you don't like it then you can Fuck Off kindly 🙃

This whole album is "Songs That Were Written By Phil and Viv and Sav" heaven

I think sometimes people forget that we, even as a band, are fans of the Classic Rock Fandom™ too, and we feel the same pain as the other fans :'^)🤙

Joe's three minutes of fame on this album

Joe's three minutes of fame on this album part 2

Viv's songs are severely underrated tho pls give them more attention

Mirror Ball (bonus tracks)

we grabbed fate by the balls and screamed fUCK YOU 🖕🖕

We are still Kings™ in case anyone was wondering 👑🖕

✨PHIL BELIEVES!!!! IN!!!!! LOVE!!!!!!!! AND!!!!!!!!!! BELIEVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!✨

Def Leppard (Self Titled 2015)

Is this song about playing a live show? Probably. Is it also about having a fight? Is it also about angry sex? The world may never know.

Okay this one just absolutely SLAPS, periodt.

bootleg Another One Bites The Dust

*SOBBING* THEY'RE ALL SINGING LEAD I'M-

being badass, That's The Power Of Love

don't worry, we still know how to be Poetically Edgy

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'm *bump bump* hooked on a feeeeling

I've Got a Spiritual Romantic Boner

Can't Keep Away From The Flame edginess gets crossed with some Zeppelin charm and badassery

someone in this band is fucking piSSED 😠😠😠😠

we're gonna @ someone tonight fellas

sAV OH MY GOD BABYYYYY 😰😰😭😭😭😭 DO YOU NEED A HUG

what if we tried to cross newer Metallica with Nickelback 🤔

what if we turned this into We All Need Christmas three years from now... 🤔

Bonus: Personal Jesus/We All Need Christmas

Viv really wanted to cover ABBA but everyone said no so he settled for cowboy goth™ instead

What better man to write a warm and fuzzy Christmas song than the warm and fuzziest man alive (Sav)