#to me the intro of the album just makes so much sense. like we have this cinematic intro that then leads into the kinda fun/funny scene

[linoguy]

i like that they view the songs and performance as one because again, the reason im here to begin with is because i wanted to watch cool dancing that fit my taste and they did the trick, and then i loved their music so v much. but i do wish they viewed their music as stand alone too <3 they have intense and intricate dances that they're not gonna be able to do once they hit their later years (if they're still together) so its like -.- look out for our own backs boys, pls

[teruthecreator]

the general plotline from wolf -> jamba -> cowboy -> awkward is one of my fav parts of wolf

[ayoyoungg]

YONGGUK GAVE US A LIL DANCEY DANCE

[florenceafternoon]

━。゜✿ jily fic recommendations ✿ ゜。━

You know when you read a fic and love it so much that you want to find one exactly like it but different. Anyways, more Alternate Universe fics.

For reference, anything in italics is taken from the summaries on ao3.

These first few fics are all by elanev91 on ao3 (ao3 account required).

Force of Habit

Lily's been riding the same train back and forth to work for the last two and a half years and lowkey fancies the guy who sits one row up from her usual seat.

TW: parent death discussed

The fic that inspired the intro (I love it so much you don't understand)

Waffle Wars

There's only one waffle maker in the dining hall and it literally always breaks. So, naturally, the only reasonable course of action is to meticulously map out when it's working and, ultimately, do a heist.

every day I like you a little mower

Lily was JUST trying to be a good daughter and help her father with his yard work. Too bad the bloke next door is always outside and also the most annoyingly talkative person on the planet.

we could be gigantic series

Lily and James have been best friends since they were kids. Uni, a band, a trip abroad, a few tours and a couple of albums later, things start to change. Half an email fic, half a regular ol' narrative.

it wasn't a pity invite

Prompt: my family invites you to join our holiday meal as an obvious setup and omg i’m so sorry

The one where they’re both doctors - also Northern Irish Lily.

One Direction on the A4

James and Lily are having quite the morning. James thinks a little nonsense might fix it. Or James is a dork and Lily loves it.

Ye Olde Smut Fic

Student recruitment fairs suck, but never fear -- Professor Evans and Professor Potter have figured out how to make it a little less annoying.

Professor AU, Modern AU, Muggle AU. Smutty ridiculousness. Plot questionable.

The tragedy is that they live in America

The Yeast I Can Do

Dr Lily Evans had an absolute shit day at work. Luckily, there's a bakery nearby that offers a course that she hopes will take her mind off of things.

For my fellow jily & wolfstar enjoyers, go do yourself a favour and check out their other works on ao3.

Teenage Kicks by @arianatwycross

It all starts with Lily being hired to be the bands tour photographer, then she actually meets the band and she quickly becomes absorbed by their fast lifestyle, their pranks and the hot lead singer. But its not exactly simple to be crushing on a famous Rockstar, is it?

Foam Hearts by Sleepinghookah (on ao3)

Coffee shop AU. A story in which James and Lily are blind - both in entirely different ways.

I promise he's not a bad person. You've got to read till the end and it'll make sense

When The Skies Are Gray by @athenasparrow

“Carry me?” Lily scoffed, biting her lip so she wouldn’t laugh in his face. Because he was about to do something nice for her. “I’m not some damsel in distress who can’t walk! I just need a bit of cover to make it to the tube.”

OR: two strangers, one umbrella, and a little bit of fate.

Tranquil Solitude (Until You Came Along) by @thelighthousestale

Prompt: I thought I went skinny dipping alone but oh my god this beautiful human is also here naked and I am a fool

All Lily wanted to do was take a nice, quiet swim on a hot day. And then James Potter showed up. And Lily had already removed her clothes for the private swim.

it would have been sweet by @firefeufuego

‘Lily,’ he says in her ear, voice slurred and barely audible above the pulsing bass of the music, ‘is there a reason I shouldn’t marry her?’

She can taste the truth bittersweet on her tongue: Yes of course there is, you colossal, darling idiot, you’re meant to be mine. But there’s the ring on Charlotte’s finger and there’s the one Lily found in Eddie’s sock drawer, and how can she be this person? The one who steals someone’s fiancé on his stag night? That’s not who she is, that won’t be who she is. ‘Of course not, James. You’ll make each other so happy.’ She nearly chokes on the lie as it leaves her mouth, all the more so because most of it isn’t even a lie at all.

For my second chance romance girls

This Hope is Treacherous by @tinyluminaryzombie

Lily Evans and James Potter: Aquentiences, Academic rivals, and now, Friends.

Except "friends" doesn't exactly feel right but Lily's too scared to do anything about it. But as James and her keep acting like more-than-friends she's unraveling with the uncertainty of it all.

OR: Choosing to fall in love can be just as thrilling and terrifying as love at first sight.

The Viscount's Daughter by @ghostofbambifanfiction

The beautiful, vivacious, and decidedly redheaded daughter of the 16th Viscount of Rowena has stolen the heart of young Prince James. Trouble is, she couldn't be less interested in him.

Thought it was abandoned but the author posted a snippet recently so maybe not?

The Queen of the Quills - Jily Edition by @elliemarchetti 

Lily and Petunia read the Queen of the Quills' latest column on James Potter, while the bachelor announces to his friends that he intends to get married.

Quest for Camelot by the incredible @petalsthefish

After the legendary Excalibur sword is stolen, Lily and James embark on a quest to retrieve the lost weapon. Lily searches for the sword to prove she is capable of being a knight despite being a girl. James searches because his falcon, Marlene, is desperate to find it for her master, Merlin. Along the way, they attempt to outwit the sinister Ruber, navigate through magical obstacles, decode puzzling prophecies, and uncover surprising similarities between themselves.

As their journey progresses, they both cannot deny the feelings growing between them with each passing day. Will they make it out of the quest alive, or will one of them perish in the ever-growing darkness that threatens to swallow the entire realm if Ruber gets his hands on the sword?

Based on the 1998 movie Quest for Camelot, but with more plot and less singing

Fearlessly Red also by @ /petalsthefish

Red. It was such an interesting color to correlate with emotion because it was on both ends of the spectrum. On one end there was happiness, falling in love, passion, all that. On the other end was jealousy, fear and frustration. Maybe that's why James thought the nickname fit Lily so well.

or Bodyguard!James/Celebrity!Lily

Get A Room bt @chierafied

The long-awaited trip to London goes awry when Marlene chooses to spend time with her boyfriend - forcing Lily to share their room with none other than James Potter.

you don't know me (but I know you) by @emeralddoeadeer

Lily has a crush, she knows his face well but can only imagine his name; until they meet that is.

About Time by heartablaze (on ao3)

Before his final year started, James Potter offered to be a resident advisor for a first-year dorm. What he didn’t count on was dealing with a confusing redhead across the hall, hospital visits, hallway parties and writing his thesis the night before it was due. Blimey. (Muggle Uni AU)

Unexpectedly in Love by jamespotters_exgirlfriend (on ao3)

When Lily Evans entered her final year of uni, she certainly didn’t expect to fall in love with James Potter. And well, let’s just say love isn’t the only unexpected thing to come out of their relationship.

Far Post by @eastwindmlk

James Potter and his friends are very serious about their pub football league. So, when the new roster comes out and there is a new team on there, an all women's team, he and Sirius set out to investigate.

You Know How To Ball, I Know Aristotle by @wearingaberetinparis

Now that the global superstar, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lily Evans and professional football player James Potter are together, they have to juggle the difficulties of a relationship in the public eye. Fresh off her World Tour, Lily Evans arrives at Wembley Stadium one year after James Potter first attended her show, to perform there for one final weekend before heading to the studio to record her next album. Her boyfriend, in the meantime, is off to Germany to play at the Euros for England. How will they ever make their relationship work when Lily is - so the press loves to imply - the least supportive WAG of the tournament?

sequal to And You Heard About Me (Ooh, We’ve Got Some Big Enemies!)

It's been a long time coming and it did not disappoint

I've recommended Three Swipes, You're Out by @naireides before, but I recently came across it's sequel making spirits bright

Sports star James Potter tries to pick Lily up on tinder. Lily Evans, a dedicated not sports fan is offended by the idea that someone thinks she wouldn't recognize James Potter's face. She laughs about it with her friends at a bar, until James Potter, who also frequents that bar, comes over to clarify that nope, he's on tinder, and he's definitely hitting on her.

...

She should have expected it to be hard, dating a celebrity, but somehow she and James make it work.

[kanmom51]

Rebirth - Muse - JM

[**This post was written before the release of today's BTB and the little explanation JM gave us about Rebirth and Slow dance. What can I say other than just how much more my words feel relevant now. ]

As promised.

Thought I'd sneak this one in before Are you sure? lands, cause Idk, I just have this feeling that once it does we are up for 1 of two options:

I'm so overwhelmed by the amount of content we are getting that I'll be so dumbfounded and unable to post at all; Or, I will be so busy ruffling through everything running after my own tail trying to post post post post, that I will have zero time or ability to post this.

Long story short, this was the time. Do or die pretty much.

So Intro: Rebirth.

Before I get into the lyrics themselves I do want to go back to what we learnt from the Minimoni album exchange.

I kind of feel like a broken record here, but then again, I do think that obviously watching that exchange and my post on it can be a good starting point into understanding not only what Muse is all about, but also that out of all the songs on the album, Rebirth, in a sense, is just a little more personal than the others.

JM talks how the lyrics for this one were really hard to write. He mentions this a couple of times.

This was also when JM talked it was hard to write about having a crush.

Before moving on and talking about the song itself I do want to clarify something here.

I was really surprised to see how people are interpreting this.

Do people not know what the meaning of the word crush is? Not only the actual term JM used in Korean (that perhaps got lost in translation), but the actual meaning of the word in English.

짝사랑 - this is the term JM used while talking to RM.

Which basically translates as unrequited or one sided love, which is just that if you understand the actual term of the word.

Go to Oxford dictionary and crush is described as: "a brief but intense infatuation for someone, especially someone unattainable." And if you look up "infatuation" well: "an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something."

Now, when I heard the word crush that is exactly what I understood and it was funny for me to see that there were those that interpret the word as falling in love or being in love or similar to that, when crush means something else all together.

*Side note: JM's love life aside, knowing the concept of JM's album, it's easy to understand why he chose to use the idea of a crush as a metaphor to describe that short lived passion/excitement he was feeling with his work, telling us or showing us, with the development of the songs in the album, that indeed it is short lived and he was yet to find that long lasting feeling of excitement with the things he was doing (work/his art) - still searching for that "who".

Back to the meaning of crush.

As explained, a crush in English means an intense infatuation with another that is mostly unattainable. Two people can crush on each other, but it's a crush only as long as it is yet to be requited. Once it is reciprocated then it's no longer a crush. So, you can crush on someone unknowing that the other person has a crush on you. This crush can fizzle out and end in nothingness. But a crush evolve into a relationship if the two people involved move forward from it. Making that move forward towards each other.

This is what having a crush looks like:

And this is how it looks when you had a crush and are realizing that maybe, just maybe that person is reciprocating.

And this is when you have decided that he really is.

That was back in 2015 btw. August 2015 and December 2015. ALMOST 9 YEARS AGO.

Unattainable.

Short-lived.

Are we surprised JM wouldn't remember the last time he had a crush?

I will repeat this for the rows in the back that might not have heard. When JM says he doesn't remember the last time he had a crush, that doesn't mean he's single. Whoever thinks that is what he's saying needs a crash course in English and/or life.

A crash course in crush... lmao (yes, I am easily entertained).

So, JM had to turn to the youngest member of SGMB (lol) to remind him what it feels like to have a crush. And yet, as I have explained in the Minimoni post, Muse might not be autobiographical, but that doesn't mean that there aren't personal aspects to some of the songs, and the lyrics. Feelings expressed being real feelings drawn from his trove of inner thoughts, feelings and life and love experiences.

I will also add that although crushing is mostly one sided, and when it turns into more, as in the other party reciprocates, of course there are some of the feelings that linger. The rush, the want, the need. But at the same time things change in that the other side is feeling the same. When you look at them, they look back, gazes linger rather than avoiding eye contact, for example. There are the touches when crushing, and there are the touches, just as hesitant, after it becoming MORE. The first are one sided and usually hidden as something else (for example: "I just need to check your arm muscles for a sec"), while the second are two sided, intentional but at times hidden from others.

The differences might be so very slight at times, but if you have a keen eye you can definitley notice them. And they sure were noticeable when it came to Jikook.

Another thing before I start.

One word:

SERENDIPITY

Idk why, but I feel like Rebirth is a prequel to Serendipity. Even though Serendipity was not written by JM (although I do believe he had input into the song just like or even more so with John Billion - remember how JM says he's an American RM...), it most certainly was claimed by him and JK as theirs. You are me I am you being their trademarked catch phrase. A love ode from JM to JK. That song JM said he will gift his loved one and did. Followed by GCFT, JK's love ode to JM. And if I'm going down that road, well, if Rebirth is the prequel to Serendipity I'd say that Letter is the sequel to Serendipity. I kind of think I've mentioned this before in one of my posts about Letter.

Now that I'm done with my precursor, let's move on to the actual song. A song that out of the lot of them in this album seems to be the most personal. The only song that we didn't get to see the process of writing or recording of in content we have gotten so far for Muse (promotions now over).

[Verse] If I'm tryna be special Can I get closer to you? I can feel my heart pounding When your fingertips graze past me If I'm tryna be special So that I can sing while making eye contact with you I'll show you, baby Oh, I didn't realize Oh, I didn't think I'd care Oh my gosh, now I Won't hide You are the light in my darkness Like the sunshine vibe It spreads quietly [Chorus] That I want a real good love, good love, good love I'm tryna find a love, good love, real love I was in pitch black, but I couldn't stop thinking of you all day long I want to take one step and two steps closer without you knowing Stay with you, with you, with you, with you I will be your reason, rеason, reason, reason I hope this feeling rеaches you, to you, you To you [Outro] White clouds The wind passing by Floating petals It feels like it's been waiting just for us When that door opens When I get closer to you I'll tell you this I will be special all for you Special just for you For you (For you) For you (For you) I wanna be with you

I will share with you what went through my mind once listening to Rebirth, all while reading parts of the translated lyrics. The flashing scenes. Parts that screamed JK or Jikook.

"I can feel my heart pounding When your fingertips graze past me"

This:

And this:

And this:

And this:

More:

I can go on with this all day long. Being one of the most obvious sus behaviours with these two. But seeing that I don't want to exceed my image limit in this post I think this is where I will stop. Point made I guess.

"So that I can sing while making eye contact with you"

This was the first thing that came to mind:

😭😭

Although these did too:

And do we recall JK's sentiments about making eye contact with JM on stage?

They connect on stage. Before, during and at the end of the performance. We have seen it and they have told us so throughout the years.

Was that what JM was thinking of while writing that line?

This is clearly a line that is taken from his own personal experience. Singing while making eye contact is not something that regular people like you or I would come up with to express a feeling of love or want towards someone.

Drawing from his own emotions and experiences, how it is for him and how he might have used to wish it would be.

This line, more than any other is clearly that.

"Oh my gosh, now I Won't hide You are the light in my darkness" and "Like the sunshine vibe"

The latter, as JM explained to RM, was a word game/pun for which he asked permission from Taeyang to use in his song, seeing that his name literally means sun and Vibe was his song, lol.

But, we also know there is someone else, much closer to home, much closer period, that is referred to as the sun. Someone that makes JM happy. Someone that makes JM laugh even when he's sad. Someone that JM chose to go into the army with, together!!! Someone that is the other half of the sun and moon duo, the sun to JM's moon.

And what about this?

I'm tryna find a love, good love, real love

And he found it.

Coincidence? I don't think so.

"When that door opens When I get closer to you I'll tell you this I will be special all for you Special just for you For you (For you) For you (For you)

And he is. JM is special for JK. He has told and showed us this in so many ways in the past.

"I wanna be with you"

I wanna be with you...

Again, JM told us the songs aren't about his life, right? And yet, that doesn't mean they don't have a personal connection, that while writing he didn't take from his own experiences or feelings, that after writing he feels an emotional connection with the song, that even if not intended to it hits closer to home than others. And I feel like this is the case with Rebirth. I do believe that there is a reason it is the connecting song between Face and Muse. That there is a reason the interlude separates it from the rest of the songs.

[redclercs]

DELICATE✰ CHARLES LECLERC.

INTERLUDE: this is why we can't have nice things.

— the one where everybody's waiting to see the fall out.

warnings: this is basically like the INTRO chapter with all media, we're going to pretend publications and broadcast timings are not mistaken or fake, okay? ok. am i myself if i don't mention taylor swift in every chapter? no. foul language.

masterlist ✢ next

By Tom Gill // June 23rd

Vic Presley confirms y/n hasn't reached out to her even after Vic called asked her to in a publication a few days ago.

"I think she has blocked my number by now," Presley said, "I am devastated by this. I didn't think it was like her to discard relationships so easily."

Presley and y/ln have been friends since 2020, when they met at the opening of the SENSE Club in downtown Los Angeles and quickly became inseparable.

"y/n really was— is my best friend. I miss her and I want her to come back to me."

Vic Presley also commented on y/n's split from Aidan Kim in her own way: "I hate that she hurt Aidan. I was not aware they had so many problems, that's definitely the kind of stuff you tell your best friend."

y/n was spotted just a week ago with alleged (and constantly denied) boyfriend, Charles Leclerc on a stroll around Central Park. Victoria Presley couldn't help but speak her mind on this.

"y/n has changed so much since she met that guy. I met him in Miami and Monaco, he's not one of the good ones. He's managing to isolate her from everyone who loves her."

Once again, Victoria urges y/n to contact her so they can rekindle their friendship. "I am not angry at her, disappointed maybe. But I will always have my arms open for her."

SEE ALSO:

→ Victoria Presley and Mia Kim collab in new project promoting Presley Beauty.

→ y/n y/ln, a disaster waiting to happen.

→ Aidan Kim is 'almost done' with debut solo album

By Paul Dean // June 28th

Aidan Kim has been in the spotlight since 2012, when he debuted as a member of boyband phenomenon Star-5 with their hit single "End Of The Day". After the band's dissolution in late 2018 due to creative differences between the members and rumored jealousy disputes that included Aidan himself, the Korean-American superstar decided to pursue a career in acting, in aims of expanding his horizons.

'Supercut' in 2019 was the start of a a succesful career followed by '1922' (2021) and 'Conversations with Friends' (2022) plus the series 'Crimes of the Academy' (2022) before Netflix decided to cancel it.

While it is true that 'Supercut' was a box office hit and sent Aidan Kim and co-star—and former partner—into a whole new level of stardom, Aidan Kim might be regretting ever making that movie.

"Supercut holds a special place in my heart," Aidan commented, politely. "It was my first real movie." Of course Aidan doesn't count the "3D Concert Experience" he starred with his other four bandmates as a real movie. "But I carry the consequences of making Supercut with me to this day."

The whole world is aware of such consequences, as y/n y/ln is keen on having the last word when it comes to the breakup from Kim. It wasn't enough to leave him humiliated by turning his marriage proposal down.

"Someone was looking out for me that night, I think," Aidan has tried his best to let go of such bitter memories by turning them into something positive. "At the end of the day, I'm glad y/n said no. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with her. You're witnessing how unstable she is."

"It's quite shocking honestly," Aidan Kim didn't expect his ex-girlfriend to act like this. "I helped her however I could. Talked to producers, casting agents and journalists to give her a shot. And she says I never did anything for her."

Kim couldn't help but take the chance to refer to his ex's new lover: "But I've moved on. And I hope she does the same soon. If I were Charles Leclerc, I'd be worried my new girlfriend is thinking about her ex-boyfriend so often."

Lastly, Aidan teased his upcoming album, "I've worked very hard on it. I missed making music and I hope you'll like this new sound I'm trying after leaving Star-5's commercial music behind."

"The thing about music, is that it lets you tell your side of the story too. I hope you support a man doing this the same way you root for Taylor Swift, because double-standards are so 'in' right now."

SEE ALSO:

→ Mia Kim, the talented sister of Aidan Kim, set to make big screen debut.

→ Were Mia Kim and Victoria Presley mocking y/n y/ln in new Youtube Video?

→ Mia Kim: "y/n should have kept her mouth shut, there's still shit to be exposed about her."

FROM THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW — JULY 6TH

[Y/N]: ❝(...) What matters to me right now, is that people now I am nothing of what they're calling me. I am not perfect, nobody is. But I have never cheated on a partner or used someone else as a 'toy' and most importantly, I built my own career.❞

[Y/N]: ❝It gets exhausting, you hear things about yourself you never even thought possible. It could be laughable if it wasn't so cruel❞

[Y/N]: ❝My relationship ended in February, but I believe it was over way before that. I acted in a way that was not fair to my ex-partner nor to myself, and I expressed my regrets about it. He had the right to not accept my apology, but not to make stuff up about the whole situation.❞

[Y/N]: ❝He's feeding his ego, he's a man, after all. But doing it at the expense of my work and my reputation is disgusting. I want one producer or casting agent to come forward and say they gave me a role thanks to my ex-boyfriend's input, just one.❞

[Y/N]: ❝I have surrounded myself with different people. They have been a great support system, always motivating me, and holding me back when I'm about to do something stupid. This also means I have left some people out of what's going on with me, and it's for the best.❞

[Y/N]: ❝Taylor Swift, bless her soul, has given me a lot of advice. She's the sweetest person ever and since the same guy that is trying to drag me has gone after her in a few interviews, she wants this to be over as much as I do. I think he made a mistake by messing with Taylor too.❞

[Y/N]: ❝Rumors will keep running, but I am finally at peace with knowing who I am and who I can trust. But those 'sources' should know my patience is running out.❞

By Jenny Highland // July 20th

Mia Kim and Victoria Presley are the hottest topic right now, but not for the reasons both influencers wish, as they are in trouble!

Both Los Angeles locals have received a 'Cease and Desist' letter from recovering actress y/n y/ln this week, per her team's advice. This was confirmed by both Presley and Kim on Twitter, saying they are 'flabbergasted' that y/n is accusing them of defamation.

While y/n is far from gaining her place back in the public's heart, we are not blind to what Victoria and Mia have done for the past month, riding the wave to get views and followers talking about their shared time with y/n. Who has every right to ask them to stop, as she has done in several interviews throughout the month.

For many people, this makes it more evident that it was either Presley or Kim who contacted tabloids to get their five minutes of fame and sink y/n deeper.

Actions have consequences for everyone, and if y/n decided to pick this fight at this point in her downfall/rerise/wherever it is that we are with her, it's because she knows she can win, right?

─── team principal radio: ❝thank you for reading! please let me know your thoughts! I know I'm ending your patience with this slow burn thing but I promise you we're getting there! Charles is back next chapter and you'll see haha. again, your interactions mean the world to me and i'm sorry if sometimes i don't reply to your comments, i'm just awkward but i love you all♡❞

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[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Jimin - Muse (2024)

3/5 ☆

I thought it'd get me several days to come back here with some thoughts on Muse, but it proved it's not necessary.

Who as title track makes complete sense. We're still into 90s nostalgia, but it's a recipe that works. Not just in kpop, but pop in general. Looking at the charts, it paints a pretty clear picture for the last couple of years. Add the zoomer idea of a what a Y2K aesthetic is like and we get the recipe for today's music and concept. Repeat, reuse, recycle. How fitting for postmodernism.

Who is a really catchy tune, with lyrics easy to remember and sing out loud. A tad more commercial-sounding than Like Crazy, but that's Muse overall anyway. The truth is, I have the song on loop (streamers can't come for me, lol). I think Jimin's style of singing and the melody itself are a good fit. Lyric wise, it's sort of basic, but this is pop music made for mass consumption. I don't mind it. It's also radio friendly and definitely has the potential for summer hit, but I'm 99% sure it won't turn into one. BH won't move a finger to send it to radio and it's another song that will fall victim to fandom mass streaming to chart high for one week. I've seen this all before.

It's also a shame to have this released when an artist is away, without being able to properly promote it. In my non-expert opinion, it could have been released as a single a few months later after Face and scratch the rest of Muse or keep it in the drafts.

As to the other songs, perhaps Rebirth (Intro) is the only other song on the album that has something to it, it stands out a bit more and it also bridges the two albums, despite the connection being sort of flimsy.

Having Sofia Carson on Slow Dance had brought nothing to the song. It could have been a full Jimin track all the way. Her style of singing does not stand out and I find it a failed pair because there's no contrast or voices complementing each other. Jimin can sing just like her. If a collab is really wanted/needed/necessary, then I'd wish for a pairing that also makes sense vocal-wise.

Be Mine is ok, but it sounds too much like that one TXT song and I simply can't get over past it. It's afro beat and latino influence which has been all the rage in the past few years, which Hybe has been pushing a lot. It explains the song.

SGMB and Closer Than This were previously released and I'm not covering them again.

I think it's difficult for me to not make comparisons to Face, considering both albums were produced around the same period, without much time left in between them. One is simply more cohesive and has a depth that showcases a first solo attempt, while the other one is clearly going a more commercial route with less of a personal signature.

Despite Muse being promoted as another conceptual album, I find that umbrella to be a bit forced given that the theme of finding love is really a generic one. Perhaps way too generic with not much individuality. Does it show Jimin's vocal range? Yes. Does it show him trying various genres? Yes. In this case, perhaps Muse is a bit similar to Golden in some aspects, with the difference that Jimin gets producing and writing credits in 5/6 songs. So his involvement is greater, but the scope of the album is in the same category as Golden, which is another production that had this LOVE as an overarching theme. But without much more to it that would make it stand out lyrically. The focus on both is genre diversity and vocal capability.

In short: I like Who (I also like Ace of Base songs and all those silly 90s pop songs, so my music taste is most likely considered bad, but I don't care). I think Muse overall is an amalgam of whatever is trendy at the moment, without being able to truly stand out and say more about Jimin, apart from his capabilities as idol/performer. Perhaps that was the point too.

P.S. My inbox has been closed for anonymous asks since I reblogged a few days ago my post about using lyrics as clues for personal life. It seems that it invited homophobia and I won't have that here.

I'm keeping it that way for now because I'm sure my personal "review" on Muse will either be seen as an invitation for people to either bash me for not thinking it's the album of the year or to be seen as an opportunity for others to talk shit about Jimin, Who and the album overall. I found that usually there is no middle ground with kpop stans/army/Jimin stans, etc.

[myvirtuesuncounted]

my full review of ttpd (a month late, shhh)

tw opinions. if you like a song that i don't or vice versa or you don't agree with a comment i made, good for you! get it off your chest, get it off my desk!

fortnight

One of Taylor’s weaker openers, it’s a nice song, not much going on though

the production is boppy, not much going on once again

Interesting how Taylor sees her muse as living a good life without her and a nice domestic scene with his wife watering flowers but for her, her husband is cheating on her, implying she thinks she will never be happy, maybe because of how this relationship went or her general perception of relationships and her experiences with them. That is my interpretation of the song.

The outro with post and taylor's harmonies SLAPS

Like I said, this song feels a bit lacking of substance both thematically and technically, it doesn't do it for me, i don't hate listening to it, i just don't love it.

i think it might be a song that grows on me over time but it won't ever be a fave for me.

i also think in light of the music video, it's lost some of its spark for me, as that music video made no sense to me. i don't think it deserved to be a single.

the tortured poets department

“You left your typerwriter at my apartment, straight from the tortured poets department” implying that this thing of which she is now part had been introduced to her by the muse

The muse has probably compared them to poets like Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith and probably romanticised their relationship into the work of a tortured poet, but that’s not real life.

Taylor brings back to reality that now because of his self sabotage that brought both of them down in this relationship, he has lost the one who will decode him, hold him, know him

the above are just little analyses i like making as i listen to the song, they have nothing to do about whether i like the song or not, it's just me trying to make sense of it. you'll see that a lot.

i do not like the charlie puth line. at all. why is it there?

also don't like the tattooed golden retriever line, the image of a tattooed golden retriever is terrifying.

i was so off-guard about the namedropping in this song, sorry i had no idea who dylan thomas or patti smith were.

this song is trying too hard to be poetic, i think (which one could argue is the whole point of this song), but it doesn't stand out much to me. the themes are interesting though.

this is a pretty weak title track, personally. i feel like it doesn't encapsulate the essence of the album (which i am confused about tbh, ttpd has a lot of aesthetics going on for itself). it has nothing on little fearless and evermore.

my boy only breaks his favourite toys

so we all thought this song would be pretty petty, but i honestly don't think it is extremely so. there's a sort of pity for the muse, that the breaking of his 'favourite toys' is a form of self sabotage and that they could've had it all.

i love how it starts so defeated, "oh here we go again", which i think is in reference to the muse's self sabotage ruining her life

it also feels a bit reflective and nostalgic of the fact that it wasn't all bad, which i quite liked. i liked the contrast of feelings.

"once i fix me, he's gonna miss me" is a devastating line btw

so is "he saw forever so he smashed it up"

song is a bop, i like the lyricism, overall i enjoy this song :)

down bad

i enjoy the cunty synth here ahaha. for all the jokes the fandom makes about jack fucking around with the synth while taylor sings the most soulcrushing lyrics, it is so real especially for this song.

taylor has never sounded so good while swearing. "fuck it if i can't have us" is such an earworm.

i feel like this is the most petty song in the album, mainly because of the "teenage petulance" in the lyrics

the callback to new romantics in the bridge is so insane, i noticed it immediately.

the production is so mystical and giving space alien vibes, i enjoy it.

so long, london

the intro is giving big ben bells and/or wedding bells

the fast beat vs the slow melodies is such an interesting juxtaposition (to my lit teacher, i hope i used this word right XD). i think it really highlights the conflicting feelings this song explores ("i'm just mad as hell 'cause i loved this place") and also how taylor isn't able to keep up with how quickly the relationship is dying (the production) and she's still sifting through her feelings to find acceptance (the melody)

"how much sad did you think i had" something something "how long can we be a sad song" something something "don't want no other shade of blue but you"

the bridge is just the most devastating strike to my heart

"you sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days" is one of my favourite lyrics on this album

track 5 is track 5ing

this song is a masterpiece, i genuinely love it so much

but daddy i love him

get this song out of my face, i hate it so much. blocked on spotify.

why did taylor have to waste good lyricism and production on such an awful premise and "fuck you" to her fans dishing valid criticism of her association with matty?

the baby line is hilarious though, because i did indeed fall for it the first time

like you can talk about taylor's agency all you want but everyone knows what the implications of this song are and i feel hurt and offended that this is the attitude both taylor and some swifties are taking.

"the most judgemental creeps" um, is this fucking play about us?

fresh out the slammer

her voice sounds beautiful in this

love the country twang in the production

it's giving getaway car thematically

i think it's interesting to see this song so soon after so long, london, where she says she was "going down with [the ship]" but she was literally dreaming about running into the arms of another man and was "[doing her] time". like ok girl!

vibey song but not for me. i don't have much to say on this.

florida!!!

IMMEDIATE FAVE, i had claimed this since day 1 and i was so right

cunty production, i can tell florence had a lot of influence. no more synths! bring out the drums!

at first, i had no idea what was happening in this song, but when taylor talked about it being about reinventing yourself, it made a lot more sense to me and i love that interpretation, it rings so true.

can i be honest and say that i thought it said "arms" not "home", like that doesn't even make sense 😭

florence's verse fucking slays, my only gripe is that her voice in the verse is kinda quiet compared to the instrumental. could've used some better mixing here.

"me and my ghosts had a hell of a time" is a banger of a line

the bridge is immaculate, has been in my head since i first listened to it.

this song is amazing, there is nothing like it, pure perfection. top song on the album.

guilty as sin?

obsessed with the beat

hedge maze = labyrinth = the mind, idk i just loved that connection

we have reached the ovulation song lmao

did you know it took me so long to realise the chorus was talking about masturbation? like i knew the song was horny, but i didn't realise it was THAT horny.

i think i called this a mature, sadder false god in my notes. that uncertain, sensual, desiring tone is probably what motivated that connection in my head.

WHAT IF HE'S WRITTEN MINE ON MY UPPER THIGH ONLY IN MY MIIIIIND

the bridge is so beautiful, i am a sucker for religious imagery.

overall i'm obsessed, beat good, lyricism good, i love it

who's afraid of little old me?

now i know this is the fan favourite, and i understand why. it gives an eery, angry vibe, and i also enjoy it. to some extent.

namely, the part i enjoy most is the circus imagery, i liked how she leaned into the circus animal metaphor to depict her struggles in fame and her relationships. it's like a badly behaved circus animal about to be put down absolutely losing it and raging about its plight, which i enjoy as a means of storytelling and expressing emotion. i also enjoy it as a callback to mirrorball and what happens when the mirrorball finally has had enough of shattering in a million pieces and performing for a largely uncaring crowd.

... which is why i don't like the asylum lyric. to me, it doesn't add in anything significant thematically when the rest of the song hardly has similar strains of discussion. not to mention the ableist overtones and trivialisation of the asylum experience but i just don't like this lyric. it weakens the premise of the song.

the production is also off in some places, it feels muted and underwhelming compared to the premise of the song.

it's an okay song, i 100% like the acoustic demo better that she came out with recently. some changes in production and the omission of that asylum lyric would put it higher up for me.

i can fix him (no really i can)

good thing this song is short because she couldn't fix him at all and i don't like this song.

"the jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud" euphemism for bigoted, taylor?

production is boring, the melody is also pretty boring. the lyrics are good, but not enough to save the song, in my humble opinion (it is after all my review here)

"good boy, that's right" taylor GET UP

the 'woah maybe i can't' is funny though, i'll give her that

loml

slayed, devoured, left no crumbs, left me emotionally devastated

the lyricism is absolutely beautiful, the sadness is tangible

the first time i listened to this, i was on the train, and i was so emotional, it was the perfect music to stare out the window to.

the impressionist painting line is also absolutely brilliant, took me out when i heard it. one of the best lyrics on the album.

the bridge and outro are the reasons i need therapy, destroyed me

loss of my life theorists won but at what cost.

i think some of taylor's simplest songs melodically have some of the most beautiful prose and emotional connection, i think she needs to tap into that more.

10/10 no notes.

i can do it with a broken heart

extreme whiplash hearing this after loml. similar whiplash to what taylor felt, i think, going on tour after such a heartbreak

someone pointed out that the almost metronomic beat and the faint counting in the background is like what taylor hears in her in-ear monitor on tour and i think that's really cool.

obsessed with this song so much

it has been stuck in my head since i first heard it

i never expected this to be the cuntiest song on the album but i am not disappointed at all.

"i cry a lot but i am so productive" is so mecore if i was actually productive

the ad libs at the end are also perfect

is it just me or can i hear crowd noises in the background?? am i imagining this??

i'm afraid the fandom is gravely misunderstanding this song. some are saying that taylor hates us because we were "shouting 'more!' " when she was feeling like this. some are saying that she doesn't resent us at all and that this song absolves us completely. those are both two extremes and my interpretation lies somewhere in the middle. this is not a callout to fans but also some factions of the fandom were (or are) being assholes demanding reputation tv and double albums all the time. acknowledge the nuance.

10/10 obsessed, fave song after florida!!!

the smallest man who ever lived

this song is good.

bridge of all time, indeed, she went OFF

the verses feel a bit meh to me but i love the chorus.

"you didn't measure up in any measure of a man" HAHA TAYLOR IT TOOK ME A SECOND TO GET THE DOUBLE ENTENDRE

this song is indeed petty, but it also feels defeated to me? like taylor just sounds tired of it all and quite hurt, that's what i got from it.

i also love the performance of this song on the eras tour. she is marching with an army and they keep taking hits throughout the song, until she eventually falls at the end. something something "the great war" something something "fighting with only your army, frontlines, don't you ignore me", etc.

the alchemy

i feel a little let down by this song? because from the name, i assumed this song would be using the concept of alchemy being a medieval science of turning things into gold or finding a universal cure as a metaphor for a broken/dying relationship.

also i don't understand how this is meant to be a love song, sounds really sad to me? like almost defeatist in terms of how the relationship.

why am i being bombarded by football metaphors?

i mean, it sort of plays on the idea of alchemy being a sort of magical transformation, but to me, it just feels like a synonym for chemistry.

" 'cause the sign on your heart says it's still reserved for me" is a cute lyric though.

it's quite formulaic as a song and there's not much going on for me. anyway.

clara bow

i really enjoy the concept of this song being the torch of fame being passed onto different women, from clara bow to stevie nicks to taylor swift to whoever's next.

once again, it's quite simple melodically, but this is where she shines! the typewriter while she was writing this must have been on fire!!

i also love how it plays on the concept of being put onto a pedestal as a famous woman and how you're only appealing until people decide you're not

"it's hell on earth to be heavenly" is such a perfect lyric.

the namedrop of herself GAGGED me on first listen, i was amazed.

it's a perfect closer to the first half, putting everything into the perspective of her fame and passing the torch onto something else because society has decided out with old, in with the new.

the black dog

the thing about the location settings makes me so ill, he didn't even think to turn it off for her. they probably shared locations to make sure they could check up on each other, and it was still on. it is such a tiny thing but so devastating.

the buildup on "old habits die screaming" ohhhhh this is amazing

the best laid plans... hoax...

"i still miss the smoke" people are making parallels to daylight but my first thought was lavender haze, like missing the lavender haze, you know?

the priest lyric is so devastating if you think about the fact that taylor thought she'd be meeting a priest about this relationship for a different, happier reason...

obsessed with this song, it's so beautiful.

the quietness of the verses and the loudness of the chorus, i am genuinely entranced, it is cinema.

imgonnagetyouback

do not ask me to compare this song with olivia rodrigo's "get him back", they're both on different levels thematically and tonally even though they use the same double entendre.

what narcotics did she put in this bridge XD

so boppy, and sensual, i adore it

i remember going on a long search for the literary device that is present in "i hear the whispers in your eyes", decided it was antithesis with the help of my followers. not at all relevant, but wanted to add it.

the albatross

i can make a lot of parallels to peace with this song.

it's so eery and mythical, i love it, treats taylor like a fable, an urban legend.

aaron dessner is a fucking legend, i am loving the production on the anthology

my folkmore girlie self is loving the anthology for real

i love the bait and switch to "fake news", exposing these rumours for simply that, and saying that she's not the dangerous one, the "jackals rais[ing] their hackles" are.

i am always a sucker for when taylor changes from third person to first person narration, it's so important to me. bait-and-switch, you are everything to me.

10/10 no notes.

chloe or sam or sophia or marcus

heartbreakingly beautiful. just a general melancholy around the breaking down of a relationship and is so so perfect.

the hologram lyric is not about cheating at all. the relationship is long gone, this is taylor envisioning her muse in a new relationship but she isn't there, hence the hologram. i've seen some people say it was about cheating, that interpretation doesn't make sense to me.

"you turned me into an idea of sorts" -> "the idea you had of me, who was she?"

random thought, but the lyricism on the anthology is so much better and natural as compared to the first half. i enjoy the bops on the first half but it also suffers from trying too much to be poetic (i think i said this about the title track especially). there are so many overloaded lyrical runs and random references that leave me confused and overwhelmed. the anthology however feels so much more quintessentially taylor.

don't have much to say on the song itself, i quite like it.

how did it end?

the intro literally makes me ascend!!

i really love how this song investigates and criticises the inherent curiosity people have around big news like a breakup, constantly probing for details.

once again, the simpler songs contain the best lyricism and melodies!!

this song both explains and expresses confusion about the end of the relationship, so i love the paradoxical nature of that.

"we learn the right steps to different dances" is such a devastating line and i think sums up the end of many relationships so succinctly.

the second chorus is giving right where you left me: "did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen?" etc.

THE BRIDGE, TAYLOR HOW DO YOU DO IT

the d-y-i-n-g part is just so devastating. taylor uses the themes of death and haunting so well on this album.

i know i've said this like 10 times, but this is just so so beautiful.

so high school

the guitar in the background is giving hits different, it hits different when it's you!!

despite the happy tone and lyrics, i do feel the sad, anxious undertone, the key example being the marry, kiss, or kill me part (the echoed "kill me", "it's just a game but really")

the aristotle and grand theft auto line has been used countlessly to shit on taylor's songwriting, and personally, i don't like this line. just doesn't hit right for me. however, i think it's unfair to pick cringe lyrics and ignore all the beautiful, meaningful ones to shit on taylor.

i do love the imagery with high school games like truth or dare and spin the bottle, really cements the "so high school" of it all.

this song is okay to me, it feels too american for me to enjoy it more lmao.

i hate it here

i love the poet and finance guy line at the beginning, it expresses a sort of desperation to get to know this person, to uncover their insecurities, deepest secrets, and love them anyway. it may also be introspective of taylor herself, idk.

calling comfort a construct is so quietly sad. convincing yourself since you've never had it, it can't be real because it's better than being cursed or doomed to never have it (see the prophecy)

this song is so escapist, but also so cynical about the escapism, it clearly isn't a preferred option, like it's not just escaping into childhood and nostalgia for the sake of it, it's because the real world fucking sucks.

the chorus slays, and is quite relatable.

the use of the word "precocious" is so interesting to me. she used it also in "but daddy i love him" if i remember correctly. like she resonates a lot with the feeling of being stunted in childhood or having seemed to never grow up -> "i have this thing where i get older but just never wiser" -> "i never grew up, it's getting so old" -> "i hit my peak at seven", idk i find it an interesting recurring theme in taylor's discography.

the 1830s line, and just that entire first half of the verse. i know why it's there, i know what it's doing, i know it's not meant to be taken seriously. still i don't like it. it also feels weird that she is calling out racism as a staple of the 1830s or whatever when she has shown us she is perfectly fine with dating a racist. you can say i'm being overdramatic. you can say i don't get it. idc. i try to ignore this part because this is a very good song and i love its themes and production.

"nostalgia is a mind's trick" i really love this because the entire song is so nostalgic for childhood and escapism but then she's like "actually nostalgia sucks" or it's not what it seems. no, the past would not have been better.

production feels like seven. themes quite different however (thematically, it would be robin, i think.)

the bridge combats the cynicism of the second verse which is so interesting to me. i love how opposing views on nostalgia and escapism are presented, the nuance is there.

the bridge is so mecore, i feel it in my bones.

thanK you aIMee

i really enjoy the small town as a microcosm for the giant music industry and reducing kim to a bully in this analogy.

this song is so cathartic for me, i really enjoy it in the lens of a friendship breakup.

she's so funny in this song "and so i changed your name and any real defining clues" while clearly spelling out her name in the song title.

the bridge fucking slays, likely thing for taylor to do.

it's such a breath of fresh air to have such a cathartic moment in an album that's largely dealing with huge emotions in huge ways, it's so interesting here as an addition to the anthology.

i look in people's windows

it's such a beautiful song and it's criminal how short it is

her voice sounds heavenly, i love how breathy it is.

it's giving "the outside" which is why i love it so much, i think

i think this not only works as a song grieving the end of a relationship but expressing the feeling of being left out in a current one; i definitely relate to it in that sense.

"does it feel alright not to know me?" is so so heartwrenching, i cannot do this

the prophecy

i am a sucker for mythology references so i'm already drawn in with the title.

once again, the song itself sounds so beautiful.

"i got cursed like eve got bitten" except she didn't get bitten?? the curse came after she ate the forbidden fruit?? i'm a bit confused here

WAIT NVM IT'S THE FACT THAT SHE DIDN'T GET BITTEN THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SIMILE, HEAR ME OUT

saying something so factually incorrect and comparing it to her own experience implies that the latter is ALSO incorrect. she didn't "get cursed", she cursed herself!! which also defies the notion of "the prophecy", ohhhhhh i find this so interesting.

i think the notion of "a greater woman" or "a lesser woman" speaks to the expectations placed around women in relationships, they mustn't appear too desperate for love because that's undesirable but if they are nonchalant, they are also undesirable, it is worth exploring in terms of this song.

this song is so so sad and sadly so so relatable, i definitely find some comfort and resonance in this and it makes me really sad :(

i love the references to mythology and folklore made here, "the pricked hand" very obviously referencing sleeping beauty.

i always love it when taylor repeats the first verse at the end of a song, i think it speaks to the cyclical, circular nature of this specific feeling, that no matter how much she begs and pleads, "the prophecy" will never change.

cassandra

another mythology reference!!!

this being after "the prophecy" is so so deliberate, godssss

the piano is giving "mad woman", which i think is so fitting

"so they killed cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst" that's not actually why cassandra was killed in mythology but go off queen

"they say what doesn't kill you makes you aware" is an unreal run

that being said, i love it when taylor takes common sayings and aphorisms and gives them a twist. she does it a lot in this album, one of my favourite examples being "old habits die screaming" as a twist on "old habits die hard"

"blood's thick but nothin' like a payroll" i am hooked completely oml

10/10 no notes

peter

more folklore references, let's go!!!!

this song is so hauntingly beautiful, the lyricism is so poetic and flows perfectly, genuinely this is what i love about taylor

as a folklore girlie, i am WINNING with the anthology

i can't get over the "jet stream" line here vs "jet stream" in "call it what you want" 🫠

once again, a bridge that fucking slays, how does she keep doing it

it's so interesting how taylor grapples with the concept of childhood and precociousness in this album with so many mentions and callbacks to childhood and feeling stunted as a child and now, it really is an ode to "you're stuck at the age you became famous" (which is sad in many aspects but also problematic in others)

the chorus is also just so perfect, everything about this song is perfect.

the bolter

obsessed does not even cover it

what a banger start to a song

the chorus reminds me a lot of "illicit affairs", i think, interesting connections can be made there

"as she was leaving, it felt like breathing" as in a sigh of relief that it's over, but also she does it so often it is quite literally as quotidian and simple as "breathing"

i love taylor's tendencies to make songs in the third person narrative voice, i think her best storytelling comes out like this.

"there's escape in escaping"- i think this is sort of a commentary on how the identity of "the bolter" is like a coping/defense mechanism to ensure that she doesn't get hurt in a relationship, in that there is an escape from her insecurities, her worries, and the eminent pain she will face in the relationship by quite literally escaping.

but there's also often the bait and switch ("then it was bought by me", "i'm the albatross, i swept in at the rescue") but i find it so interesting that this song does not do that, if only i can make a meaningful analysis there, but my running theory is that she deliberately chooses to distance herself from the identity of "the bolter", bc while she does dote on this character and is rather affectionate in how she tells the story, she doesn't feel like attaching herself to it, in that maybe it's an identity she no longer wants to hold or that, like she frequently says, she doesn't believe these songs or stories are about her anymore and that they take on new meaning..

anyway i am loving this song, 10/10

robin

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS SONG, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL

it's so sweet how she is consoling the child, ensuring them that they should enjoy this time they have now, and that they will be kept safe from their future.

but it's so sad in that regard, like, "we don't wanna hurt you so we're not telling you how this will pan out to protect your childhood innocence".

this once again cements my preoccupation with taylor's discussions around childhood and youth, she mentions frequently how that was taken away from her too soon and how she has felt "precocious" because of it. it's so important to understand and this song should NOT be overlooked.

i really like it.

the manuscript

this song is so heartbreaking, i want to punch the wall

i never thought about the fact how doing the atw short film would have rekindled these old memories and feelings, and this song is surely a direct result of that. not surprising, in hindsight, but it still compelled me when i first heard it.

once again, youth being taken too soon!! precociousness!!

someone needs to take the word "precocious" away from me

"but the story isn't mine anymore" HHHHHHHHH THIS IS THE WHOLE POINT

very nice song, beautiful closer to the anthology and the entire album as a whole, "these stories used to be about me but now they're about you".

overall thoughts

i hate to say it, but i think this album is in a desperate need of editing; there's so much going on, most of which is compelling and worth exploring, but everything is disjunct with each other and i know this work is meant to feel messy, don't start with me there, but it shouldn't be messy to the point where it's confusing and overwhelming. there are so many concepts and metaphors that are so intriguing and clearly important in taylor's music but the final products of those become half-baked in mediocre production or mixing. this album feels rushed and is soaked with questionable decisions. for example, i think "i can do it with a broken heart" should have been a single and title track because i think it's such a central part of her experiences recently and clearly something permeating the rest of this collection, and how she learns to move on and cope in light of heartbreak. there are several moments where the lyricism of the album feels overwhelming and overcompensating, as in trying too hard to contain meaning. the best lyrical moments on this album are seamless and subtle, and very prosodic as well. taylor tried to deviate from that formula quite a bit and it didn't always work out for the best in this album. she is not as adept at throwing in conversational lyrics as her peers, her strength is in prose and storytelling. the production is also getting a bit old, it's very sonically cohesive, almost to the point of it being boring, and i think taylor needs to get a bit more experimental sonically, and also ensure that the melody and production work together in more different ways, and that maybe the melody is not relying on the production but vice versa. the album is certainly not all lows, but the lows are particularly lower than in other instances of her discography.

that being said, the highs on this album are absolutely breathtaking. the majority of the anthology and quite a few songs on this album captured me instantly. this album is quite mellow, and could have benefitted from another bop or two, but the ones we received were astounding!! this album also had some really strong lyricism, especially in the anthology, and it was so intriguing seeing the many metaphors and situations she used to express her feelings. her storytelling in particular really shone in this album in songs like "the albatross", "the bolter", "clara bow", "cassandra", "the manuscript" among others. i love the themes and ideas that taylor explored in this album, and overall the premises really compelled me.

in terms of rankings, i've separated the two halves. the first half (ttpd) is second-last and the second half (the anthology) is 8th out of 12 (not 11 because ttpd is split in two).

if you've read this far, congratulations, have a treat of your choice. please be mindful and respect my opinion, thanks!

[swangtup6]

EP Review: Sematary - Warboy (2020)

Warboy is a fairly polarizing release within the Haunted Mound fanbase. Many call it Sematary - or even the whole Mound's - best work, some call it his worst. What do I think? Well, it'll be pretty obvious soon enough...

The first thing one hears upon hitting play on this album is a choir singing, a sample taken from an old Grausamkeit demo. I used to skip this, I'm not gonna lie, but I honestly missed out because this short intro (under a minute long!) does much to establish the feel of this EP, grim, grimy, and warlike. It's a great introduction to the tape, and makes 10,000 Weeping Choirs' intro go that much harder.

Speaking of 10,000 Weeping Choirs, that song is a pretty much perfect establishing track for the sound of this album, production and rapping wise. The beat features a nightcore-d sample of an Electric Wizard song, turning a slow and rumbling riff into a bright (but still aggressive) and groovy one. The hi-hats rattle along, with lots of rolls and fills, the snare is punchy and rhythmic, and the bass and kick drum are heavy as shit, when I listen to this in the car my whole car shakes. I would argue that Warboy is also the peak of Sematary's black metal aesthetic, and nearly every song samples metal guitar riffs, over which Sematary's grim esoteric horrorcore lyricism fits perfectly.

Sematary's flows and rapping are at arguably their peak on this EP. Every song is catchy, fun, and fresh to listen to. We get serious lyrics, funny lyrics, and super memorable lyrics. Each song has it's own character to it, and honestly seems to take place in its own world, separate from the rest of the EP but with obvious thematic and stylistic overlap. I'll put some highlights down below :P

This whole verse, from 10,000 Weeping Choirs, is ICONIC and sets the tone for the EP perfectly. This is exactly how listening to this EP feels.

I love how Sematary's voice sounds while he says these lines. I wish I knew how to mix like this, it sounds so cool and this particular part of the verse has such a dope flow I just love it.

Older r/hauntedmound users know why I had to put this one☠️

Overall, I would say this is absolutely one of Sematary's best works. I actually considered it to be the best Sematary release until HAW recently clicked for me. Every song on here is an absolute bop, they're so even qualitywise that it's always been hard for me to name a favorite. Every track is distinct, yet have a consistent aesthetic and sound, so the EP sounds very coherent and "pure", if that makes sense.

9.8/10

Standout track: Redbull Addict

[chayscribbles]

oopsie new gemini heist au just dropped! they're in a metal band now!!!

featuring Zeya on drums, Leo on lead guitar + vocals, Illiana on vocals, Euna on bass, and Gabi on keys!

gemini heist wip intro | art tag | instagram

a little explanation, some ramblings, and an effects-free version below

so this is my cousin's fault lmao. i was telling her about this wip and said something along the lines of "Leo and Zeya have different flavours of abandonment issues" and she replied "that would make such a good band name" and so. uh. the concept of the girls in a band immediately possessed me and i have been doing nothing for the last three days but drawing feverishly 🥲

(krita says i spent nearly 15 hours on this but that feels like a lie.)

legally i have to name the band the Sirens since it's their crew name but Flavours of Abandonment can definitely be their album lmao.

their sound would most resemble Conquer Divide (aka my 2023 most played artist):

i didn't spend more than 5 seconds assigning the girls their instruments but the more i think about it the more it makes sense. Zeya, for example, who is very small and very angry, gets to hit things very hard with sticks that can be analogous to her daggers.

as the keyboardist Gabi has tons of equipment and like, 4 different keyboards for different sounds that she spends countless hours programming, which just felt fitting since she's the tech person in the main canon. (source: my brother is a professional keyboardist.) also, in this au, she's a med school dropout who couldn't handle the pressure.

Leo writes most of the band's lyrics.

i was debating having Kalen in the band too but 6 people was gonna be too much to draw and sort of upset the symmetry i had pictured in my head. maybe in this au she sometimes secretly replaces her sister, say, when Illiana is sick, or just for funsies, idk.

i don't really have anything to say about Euna. uh, bassists are hot. (also, she and Zeya get to riff off each other, and we all know how i feel about their relationship.)

that's all, goodnight.

[ystk-archive]

capsule in H magazine vol. 60 (April 2003)

"We had a computer in the house before the average family could afford them and when I look through old photos, there are tons of me sitting in front of it. I was a scary kid, always looking at a black screen with green-colored text." The person who said this is Nakata Yasutaka, who handles everything from sound production to artwork for his unit capsule alongside vocalist Koshijima Toshiko. Having spent his boyhood surrounded by machines, it was only natural that he became fascinated with technology, and by his junior high years he first started recording at home by combining his long-studied piano skills with his computer hobby. "Instead of being inspired by artists, I started making music because of computers, so in that sense I have more reverence for scientists, like Edison and so on (laughs)." Because of this background, he appears to be very unfamiliar with music, but capsule's second album CUTIE CINEMA REPLAY, due to be released in March, is filled with diverse influences ranging from French music, to bossa nova, breakbeats, electronica and more. As its title suggests, it's like the soundtrack to a cute and kitschy '70s French film. "I started getting into interior design towards the end of high school. As I get closer to how I want my place to look, the music I want to listen to in my apartment has changed, resulting in the sound on this album. I was trying to create songs that would make me only think of nice things while I'm in my house. Kind of like escaping from reality (laughs)." Does that mean the album's visuals are inspired from old European movies that had lots of cute interior décor? "I do really like that kind of stuff, but I don't know anything about it; to me, it's just fashionable. The film that's influenced me the most is Laputa: Castle in the Sky (laughs). I like vintage computers, right? So I was looking at the back of the DVD case for that movie recently and I realized why I like it so much. 'A tale from an age when machines still enjoyed being machines' was written there. During the intro sequence, there are a bunch of objects from Laputa flying around, and then a scene later on where they fall. I like that sort of dreamy yet realistic world."

- scan & translation by ystk-archive, please credit if sharing elsewhere -

[stormblessed95]

"Face-Off" and FACE Album

The opening song on the album and it's a banger and it's angry and I love it. I'm also lowkey going to talk about the entire album here just a little I think, not in too much detail of the other songs, but just the vibes of the album all together in the story Jimin is telling us.

Face-off lyrics

This was his intro to his story. This was the song where he tried to pour all his first initial thoughts from the album into. This was where we see what we might be getting into on this album. An album where he wanted to be more raw, more explicit, more open and show us his scars and his thorns. Not just that everything was okay and perfect all the time.

Jimin talked many many times through the pandemic in various interviews and even pre pandemic, about how he lost some friends, distanced himself from people he thought he knew, etc. As well as during Suchwita for FACE promotions, he shared how during the start of the pandemic, he was recognizing how important, yet complicated those human relationships can be. Made slight references to having "gone a little crazy" at the start of Said pandemic. Probably in regards to these lost connections, at least in part, along with everything else the start of the pandemic and the following 3 years brought about.

Does it sound like a break up song? Yes. Is it though? No, I don't think so. If you look at the album AS A WHOLE and really take the time to focus on the lyrics, it's an album about (to use jimins words specifically) facing yourself. From Face off to Letter, it's about anxiety, loneliness, anger, depression and over coming all of that. That feeling of "parting with a loved one" that he references and that so many can feel and relate to in face off and in like crazy, does not necessarily ONLY relate to romantic relationships. If that's how one person relates to it, great. Art is subjective and that's part of what makes it beautiful. But while some might relate to that feeling In a romantic sense, many others relate to it in a familial or platonic way too. Sometimes, the pain of a friend breakup can almost be more painful than losing a SO. Not to mention, it can also refer to the sense of a loss of purpose and a loss of a sense of self. Which is something all of BTS alluded to feeling right before the pandemic hit. And that's what this album is about too, his feelings and who he was throughout the pandemic years. And anyone who has suffered through depression, anxiety and the feelings of losing yourself to things you can't control.... well, you can understand how disorienting and horrible that feeling is.

Taking all of this and diluting it down to a simple break up song(s), is a disservice and lowkey disrespectful to everything Jimin has always put into all his solo songs and the range of how much rawness he wanted to share in this album as a whole.

This album was about facing his inner demons and emerging victorious honestly. Face off, is just the very beginning. The fuck everyone and everything anger and going crazy and losing yourself in all those feelings and also trying to escape them part of that journey. At least, thats how I see it in my opinion.

Regardless, I'm really fucking glad he is surrounding by good, loving people. Who adore him and support him and were there for him when he was "going crazy" and during whatever it was that inspired such songs, no matter what kind of loss or type of breakup was happening. I'm glad he came out the other end, clearly stronger and happier for it. Jimin deserves the entire world.

[likefolksongs]

fall out boy on absolute radio listening party 3.26.23

[link]

the host asks about the parentheses around for in the album title - pete says it's "a double or triple entendre, everyone's trying to be someone and have their moment but that doesn't fill you up" but "there's something to be said about so much stardust." talks about how we're all just carbon, stardust and still can't get it together. he also just love parentheses!

talking about the album as an art form - patrick says they absolutely consider that and sequencing is important. there are a "few songs" which only made the record because of how well they told the story of the album. also love from the other side was conceptualized as an album opener because patrick felt none of the other songs felt like an opener!

the intro to lftos is patrick playing the same piano part at four different speeds, starting in sync and then falling out of sync as it continues - he says it feels representative of the whole album for him

with hold me like a grudge, pete says when patrick first played it for him the verses sounded like 2000s alternative radio hits but the chorus sounded "distinctly patrick" which was an "interesting blend." patrick: hm. thank you. i think. pete: yeah that was a compliment!

hold me like a grudge was the last song they wrote for the record! pete was second guessing other lyrics and sent patrick new lyrics to possibly replace the ones he was feeling unsure about. patrick read them before driving to the studio and by the time he got there the song was basically written in full.

pete makes a comment about how that's at least two songs "that people really like" that patrick's written in the car (referencing lotro); patrick says he's written a lot of songs in the car and pete jokes they should just toss him the keys

pete says it's the worst when you think of something in the car and are sure you'll remember it but you don't. says now when he thinks of something in the car when he's with bronx he'll tell him to write down words to trigger the whole phrase "but they don't make any sense together. i'll be like write this down and he'll be like '...okay." andy: like dad shut up [giggles]

fake out didn't come together until joe heard it! patrick had most of the lead guitar down but none of the rhythm guitar but "joe came in, gave it one listen, and picked up this acoustic. none of us had really thought about acoustic, he just went into the booth and we pressed record and he did it in one take... that became kinda the whole song."

patrick talks about soul punk briefly, says the most surprising thing about making it was that it was very unsurprising, because all the ideas were already in his head. part of why he enjoys working with the band so much is that they have ideas he never would've thought of.

they discuss changing sound - pete says the first time he had that feeling of like "oh i don't know if this is too different" he was scared of it but he's learned that it's a good thing and that there's always going to be so much of the band's dna on it that it Will sound like a fall out boy song

andy: i think a band can not just be a city it can be a continent. writing these different things is building the map to what the bigger picture is

they bring up queen and bowie as examples of artists that kept changing but now when you hear their songs you just think "oh that's queen" or "oh that's bowie." the host mentions he used to hide liking queen from his friends and patrick says he had to hide liking ska from the band. andy says he's had a really big reggae and ska phase recently and loves being able to talk to patrick about it because "he's a fountain of knowledge."

heaven, iowa is one of andy's favorite on the record and he loved it from the start! patrick reiterates a comment from another interview about how he didn't like it that much at first but knew everyone else did, kept asking joe for any and all ideas because he didn't like how much "space" there was and how naked his vocals felt. andy says he thinks space in music can be magical.

they talk about track sequencing again - patrick says he and pete moved "the meat of the album" around many, many times.

pete talks about the pink seashell interlude and being obsessed with mortality. patrick talks about the process of scoring it and how joe added guitar to the string lines which he thinks brought it all together.

they didn't start out thinking they necessarily had a record - patrick says "we went in with neal for a week to see if we had something and by the end of the week we had half the record.”

patrick's been asking people to tell him fan reactions to the record since he doesn't have social media 🥺 "i know i've been driving everyone nuts... i've been asking everyone 'do people like it? what do people think?'" reiterates the dinner for your family line to explain why this record means so much to him.

pete says making an album is kind of like being a climber standing at the bottom of a rock face trying to find a route up; when you get up the route might seem like it was obvious the whole time but it wasn't. patrick chimes in to agree and add that it feels like the song that was the centerpoint of the album shifted many times.

the host mentions that he really likes and relates to the title of "i am my own muse." pete talks about looking at his four year old and thinking about how "at that age, you Are your own muse. you're like 'i just color, i do what i want, i'm not trying to conform to your idea of my creativity' and welcoming some of that back into your life as an adult or an artist is great.'"

the host mentions that his nine year old son's favorite song ever is "centuries" and the band are appropriately flattered (though patrick does say sorry when the host says he's probably heard it more than any other song ever ajfioenaj).

going back to the discussion of different songs being the centerpoint of the album, patrick says flu game was "one of the first songs to have that spot."

patrick talks about not being the most confident guy but that he's learned to share all of his demos; he thinks he might not have played flu game in the past. pete chimes in to say in the past patrick has tried to throw out some of his best ideas.

patrick says flu game "kind of started the record" because it was the favorite out of the first five songs they made with neal. "this was the one that convinced neal i think." pete notes "this would've been an insane record if [flu game] was the lynchpin."

flu game was originally the lead single! pete: you know how we always talk about how if we were gonna fly in a helicopter that i would have to knock you out like b.a. baracus? patrick, instantly: yes. pete: if we had made this the first single you guys would've had to b.a. baracus me. patrick, protesting: that wasn't my choice!

pete says baby annihilation felt like an authentic way to pay homage to his past spoken word bits and he trusted neal to be able to make it work.

they have a discussion about the distinctions between emo/pop punk/straightedge hardcore and pete talks about how arbitrary the labels that are assigned to musicians often are. pete talks about how fall out boy started as kind of a break from the more hardcore stuff for him that he was doing for fun which allowed it to be more freeing. patrick agrees, talks about how andy and pete were in "real bands" so no one was taking fall out boy completely seriously which allowed them to be looser.

kintsugi kid was one of the songs patrick was mentioning earlier that was almost cut from the record but made it because of the track sequencing. patrick says he always felt very strongly about it and believed in it so was very glad when it made its way back on to the record. pete calls it the little song that could.

the host asks about their songwriting process and pete talks about how the best songs are the ones where he and patrick "clash" just the right amount; songs where one of them dominates over the other don't connect as well.

they discuss the different producers they've worked with; pete says every producer they've worked with has felt like the right person for the job. patrick talks about how working with so many different producers is part of why he wanted to go back to neal.

patrick talks about how important it was for this album to be a single producer album; with mania they had so many different producers and he wanted to get back to just being in a routine with the same person. andy: it's the difference between microwaving and actually cooking. patrick: yeah, i agree with that! andy, jokingly: thanks, i'm gonna leave.

patrick calls what a time to be alive his baby. says every time he played it for someone they would say "really?" pete: patrick was really determined to get this song on the record. i felt like gamora like "is it done? what did it cost you?" pete and patrick in unison: everything [laughter]

patrick says he and pete struck a bargain (pete: i don't remember this). patrick didn't want so good right now to be on the record (he wasn't going to name the song but pete told him to go for it) but pete was really advocating for it. patrick said that if pete let him have what a time to be alive he would green light so good right now.

pete talks about how art only really becomes art when it connects with its audience which is part of why they wanted to do those small shows and host listening parties, to see how people reacted

the host asks how their relationship with fame has changed; pete says they had a year or two where they were super famous "and it was not a great life;" talks about how he looks at kpop groups and boy bands and thinks "god bless that it wasn't that long for us." he says he made a point to rearrange his life to be less famous and prioritize his family and the band. also pete makes a star wars reference and patrick does a yoda impression 😭

the hour wraps up with pete asking the host if he still wants a video for his son and they do a quick video for him 🥺

[huellitaa]

bee's record player, may edition 🎀𓂃 ࣪˖

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 INTRO

and here is the long awaited, albeit delayed arrival of bee's record player: may issue! ♡ (went for a slightly different theme this month, how do we feel about it?

this month there was not in fact many music releases or much going on in the music world, but we do still have a few things to discuss for this month's issue:

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 NEW ARRIVALS

risk, gracie abrahams

♡ released may 1st, 2024

♡ pre release single

♡ running time: 3 minutes 12 seconds

take a bite, beabadoobee

♡ released may 9th, 2024

♡ pre release single

♡ running time: 2 minutes 39 seconds

you had me at hello, zerobaseone

♡ released may 13th, 2024

♡ extended play / EP

♡ best songs: have not yet listened! ♡

♡ running time: 20 minutes 48 seconds

dark moon "memorabilia", enhypen

♡ released may 13th, 2024

♡ EP / extended play

♡ best songs: have not yet listened! ♡

♡ running time: 19 minutes 48 seconds

hit me hard and soft, billie eillish

♡ released may 17th, 2024

♡ full length album / LP

♡ best songs: birds of a feather, lunch, chihiro, bittersuite, blue

♡ running time: 43 minutes 49 seconds

turn it up, pinkpantheress

♡ released may 24th, 2024

♡ single

♡ running time: 2 minutes 27 seconds

how sweet, newjeans

♡ released may 24th, 2024

♡ single

♡ running time: 6 minutes 59 seconds

sixth sense, kiss of life

♡ released may 25th, 2024

♡ single

♡ running time: 3 minutes 11 seconds

armaggedon: the 1st album, aespa

♡ released may 27th, 2024

♡ full length album / LP

♡ best songs: supernova, armaggedon, bahama, long chat, melody

♡ running time: 30 minutes 58 seconds

loop, yves

♡ released may 29th, 2024

♡ extended play / EP

♡ best songs: diorama , loop ft. lil cherry (♡)

♡ running time: 12 minutes 6 seconds

──★ ˙ ̟🎀BEE'S TRACKS: TOP 10

♡ 10. red wine supernova, chappell roan

CHAPPELL ROAN CHAPPELL ROAN CHAPPELL ROAN CHAPPELL ROAN LETS GO LESBIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i've been SO obsessed w chappell roan this month and this song is. oh my gosh. the red wine sueprnova bridge changed lives idc everybody go listen to chappell roan right now !!!!!!!!!!! <3

♡ 9. midas touch, kiss of life

i love this song!!!! oh my gosh!!!!!!! i've been so into kiss of life the past month or so and i love love love this song so much, it's such a vibe u don't get it. i didn't like it at first but it's so cunty so that makes it all good in my books <3 also kiof vocals are no joke see 5th gen kpop this is what happens when you debut actual adults !! <3

♡ 8. telepatia, kali uchis

i don't know if it's just the pretty summer girl vibes this song has or the immense love i have for latina women in music but like oh my gosh this song?????? i'm so????????? i can't do this?????? definitely wasn't lured in by the pink on the cover nope nope nope but like i seriously need to get into her more u don't get it

♡ 7. turn it up, pinkpantheress

i do not often listen to pinkpantheress but she came up on my spotify and i'd heard good things about her and liked the pink on the song cover so i gave it a listen and u don't understand the chokehold she's had on me this month i'm so obsessed. her vibes r EVERYTHING

♡ 6. bahama, aespa

AGAIN. THE PRETTY SUMMER GIRL VIBES ARE IMMACULATE. alcohol free was THE summer kpop song for me before but aespa has overtaken this title i fear! their voices are so pretty and the whole summery beachy vibes are absolutely PERFECT <3 aespa u ate so hard w this one !!!!! <3

♡ 5. birds of a feather, billie eillish

i am so in love with this song and have been since it came out oh my gosh. the vibes are immaculate, her voice is literally angelic, the lyrics are everything to me and i want this song at my wedding. i do not take criticism case closed thank u very much

♡ 4. how sweet, newjeans

AHHHHHHH OH MY GOSH i just know this song would have been higher if it hadn't only come out a few days before the end of may but the energy is everything, and the prechorus?????????? hello??????? obsessed??????????? my girls still going strong despite whatever the heck is going on at hybe at the moment idk but ate as usual !! <3

♡ 3. take a bite, beabadoobee

OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH,,, I'VE BEEN SO HYPED FOR IT SINCE IT WAS FIRST TEASED ON SPOTIFY AND I ACTUALLY . I. IM SO OBSESSED U DONT UNDERSTNAD IT S= NOT EVEN FUNNY I'M SO EXCITED FOR AUGUST 16TH

♡ 2. good luck, babe!, chappell roan

I CANNOT. I HAVE BEEN SO OBSESSED W CHAPPELL ROANB THIS MRONTH SHE ISW MY EVERYTHNIG. HER VOCALS IN THIS SONG I FEEL LIKE I'M ASCENDING TO HEAVEN EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE I'VE SPENT WITHOUT CHAPPELL ROAN FEELS LIKE EVERY DAY WASTED CHAPPELL ROAN IS LOVE LIFE CHAPPELL R

♡ 1. bubble gum, newjeans

alright anyway anddd onto number one,, the song that has been on loop since release, bubble gum by my favourite girlies newjeans!!! <3 my best friend has been BEGGING me to listen to this for weeks now and oh my gosh i felt so stupid when she finally made me listen to it because it is a literal work of art. maybe i'm a sucker for summery songs at the moment, maybe it's the fact the music video makes me violently sob from how sweet it is and danielle's curly hair and hanni's short hair makes my eyes turn into hearts but like i adore this song. i think one of my favourite compliments i've ever gotten is that i look like this song 😭<33

──★ ˙ ̟🎀ALBUMS

♡ 1. rise and fall of a midwest princess, chappell roan

woahhhh this is sooo surprisinggggg ahahahahaaaa!!! this album is everything to me u DONT get it i LOVE chappell roan i LOVE cunty lesbians i LOVE music i EUAHHRRRRRRRR

♡ 2. super real me, illit

i am still not over this debut i fear......... midnight fiction was #11 on my top tracks of this month and the chokehold these girls had and still have on me since march is ridiculous. best kpop debut quite possibly ever i rest my case

♡ 3. beatopia, beabadoobee

BEABADOOBEE I LOVE YOU so basically i've been listening to bea a lot more since i got my bsf into her too and the amount of times i've relistened to beatopia and our extended play in this month alone is absolutely ridiculous. i adore her so much oh my gosh what i would GIVE to hear 10:36 live !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3

♡ 4. hit me hard and soft, billie eillish

i've listened to this album so many times since it came out oh my gosh. i'm obsessed. i am not a big billie eillish listener, i liked her when she was super popular but since then i haven't really listened to her, but i love love love this album oh my gosh she ate so bad

♡ 5. armageddon, aespa

i was so excited for this album !!! especially as it's their first full length one after four years of being one of THE most iconic kpop girl groups in my honest and humble (and completely correct) opinion, and though it was not as amazing and perfect and fantastic as i hoped it's a pretty solid album and the more i listened the more i liked and it's really grown on me honestly !!!!

──★ ˙ ̟🎀ARTISTS

♡ CHAPPELL ROAN (the fact she even overtook tubatu in this column just tells u how obsessed i am. it's not even funny anymore.)

♡ TOMORROW X TOGETHER (everybody act surprised again !!! )

♡ BEABADOOBEE (bea ily forever)

♡ ARIANA GRANDE (yes i'm still on my ari shit!!!!)

♡ AVRIL LAVIGNE (quick guys pretend you can't tell i'm emo)

──★ ˙ ̟🎀SPECIAL MENTIONS

♡ bea announced her new album,, "this is how tomorrow moves"!! everybody go presave her new album IMMEDIATELY <3 releases august 16th !!!!!! <333333

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 EDITOR'S NOTE

aaaaaand that wraps up this month's issue of bee's record player! once again i'd like to apologise for making u whole month to actually get this month's edition but you're getting a double edition to make up for it so we're all good. thank you all for your patience and i look forward to seeing you again very soon! ♡

all my love, and until next month! 💘🫶🏻🎀

[anyseany]

1. Intro

Author's note : I'm so with our vote, 112 votes? I didn't expect this interaction, I thank everyone who participated and voted <3 Not all chapters will be like this, short or focused on thoughts, but this one in particular, I couldn't imagine it in any other way

Explanation: Briefly explaining the concept of this series, they will be fics based on Ari's eternal sunshine album. Each episode will be a completely different story, and may or may not connect, it will be turned to the old racha (Chan, Bin, Minho and Hyun.) With chan in emphasis on why I'm Channie utted, it's inevitable.

About the warnings, I prefer to put it by chapter, since they will be different stories.

About this chapter: almost established relationship, chan and s/n idols, secret relationship, fluff, romance, sweet nonsense.

🎂 ˖ ࣪ ‹ bang chan ☁️⁺˖ ⸝⸝

How do I know if I'm in the right relationship? Okay, feeling things and smiling at nothing seems like the sign, but… How do I know if I'm not going to get hurt once again?

I should be afraid to risk myself once again, even worse, risking our careers, but I can't care like anything else if it's not the two of us.

Watching christopher work brought me this feeling, we are moving towards a relationship, adjusting our lives succinctly and without the other noticing, it's been months since we met as mutual friends, we got closer, more intimate, more comfortable with each other, and today we are in this cafe, he worked eagerly on something on his notebook while trying to have time for me, and I didn't hear anything he was talking about. Shouldn't I know that kind of thing? Feel it right in the background and accept it? Just give me up?

I don't know

But we kissed, like, five weeks ago, and that didn't come out of my head, I wonder if when he thinks about it, it makes him smile like he does me. He seemed to want it as much, just as he wants now, he wants me to be in his life.

"So what do you think?" He asks as he smiles under that black cap, that damn smile. "Does a movie night sound good?"

"We can do it, you know, after some adjustments to my schedule." He smiles once again and goes back to the computer, I sigh thinking about how inspiring he has been, I had already composed four songs just this month, and it still seemed so little. "But where would it be?"

I really think I don't mind being the only one in love among us, as long as someone loves. "Don't worry about it, leave it to me." He goes back to typing on his computer, and I love how I don't have to worry about anything while I'm with him. "Only be beautiful, not that you need to." He raises his sharp eyes quickly and laughs when he sees me blewing hard. I'm glad I ordered iced coffee.

I would love to be who he thinks of, but I must be, after all he comes to me whenever we have a day off or a day off, today is a clear example. He could very well be with his members somewhere nice, but he passes them with me.. should that mean anything? Isn't that right?

For the first time I knew how to be loved, even if I don't know for sure that he loves me. Does it make any sense?

"Please choose a good movie this time." I say taking another sip of my drink.

"Hmm, I don't know if I want you to pay attention to the movie, or to me." He says thoughtfully, and aimda looking at the notebook screen, I feel his hot hand covering mine that was on the table.

After so many frustrations and loves that went wrong for me, I wanted this one to work out, if everything ended today, I wanted to be the one he thinks of, if the sun didn't shine or the moon forgot to come, I wanted to be the one he thinks of. Because I know that the woman he loves will be the happiest person in the world, and I would like it to be me.

[taylortruther]

In the midst of all these deeply controversial and infamous lyrics of Taylor's, I've always wondered about Question, one of her most confusing songs till date for so many reasons.

First of all, for a song so obviously inspired by one of her exes, Taylor is very bold for including lyrics like "You painted all my nights a color I've searched for since" And "Does it feel like everything's just like second best after that meteor strike"???

I mean firstly I can't for the life of me pinpoint WHEN Question was written, or atleast supposed to be written. It's obviously looking back at a relationship in retrospect (hence the first lyric being "I remember") so like...was this written DURING Joe? Is she seriously saying that the two month situationship that happened more than a decade ago screwed her up that much?

Also speaking of Question, it also reminds me of the insane "star crossed lovers" and "soulmates" narrative she was hinting towards during the OG 1989 era. She was going HARD on the superlatives; We NEVER go out of style// You know for me, it's ALWAYS you// I'll NEVER forget you as long as I live// I would stay FOREVER if you say don't go etc...like it confuses me SO MUCH you have no idea.

What do you think? I really wanna hear the theories on Question. Midnights, atleast as per Taylor's own words, is a purely autobiographical album. I don't think she has ever alluded to anyone else being "the one that got away" this bad in all her other songs. It's a pretty popular theory that The 1 is also about Harry.

Anyways what do you think?

well, i think harry makes sense, given the ootw references with color and ootw intro.

as for writing those things in her present: i don't really find it strange that a writer would write about previous relationships and how they affected her. even if they affected her in a good way. i think if you look into your own past you'll find that you're still hurt, or fond, or whatever, of people in your past and they informed who you are now. and if you're an artist, maybe they still find their way into your work.

i don't pearl clutch about how joe might've felt about her writing about exes. idk. if he had an issue, they presumably talked about it.

also, this logic is funny (not laughing at you anon, but just this idea, which i've heard many times before) because it implies that taylor is unique in that she reflects on the past. but she's not. she's unique in that she puts out albums, but the rest of us still deal with our regrets, memories, the ones who got away, the what-ifs, we just suffer in silence LMAO. however, this is something i learned as i got older, because, well, regrets take time to pile up.