#unpopular opinion but mine is solo

[chipthekeeper]

This has definitely been asked before but I'm bored so I'm going to ask it again anyway

Tell me why! Tell me your favorite track!

[beautifulpersonpeach]

A Rant.

A lot of you have sent me asks about how JK's solo promotions isn't the same as Jimin's and other BTS members, about JK's rumoured all-English album, about BTS doing payola (you can read my views 4th paragraph from the bottom), about how HYBE has apparently destroyed the BTS OT7 agenda...

I don't want to answer y'all for two reasons:

Perhaps some of you are newer followers, but I can only repeat myself so many times. Don't you get bored of hearing me say the same thing over and over again? /gen

I don't share the apprehension, worry, or appetite for speculation and theorizing that I'm seeing from many people on Tumblr and Twitter.

It's very possible I'm the one in La La Land and you all have good reason to be concerned. But the way I see it, a lot of hysteria is being driven by two things: (1) a very myopic pov, as though the time between June 2022 and December 2025 is the most defining period of BTS's solo careers, as though this is the best and only time for any member to make a move, leave their mark, and thrive. And that BTS/BigHit is working on the same timeline.

(2) All these conversations are being driven by people who have brought that toxic hyper-competitive feature of k-pop, inwards, into the group, and now see the members as direct competition in the narrowest and most reductive sense possible.

And I just don't relate.

I don't feel sad for Hobi on how his solo roll-out was 'sabotaged' relative to Jimin's, I don't feel angry for Joon on how his roll-out compared to JK's, I don't feel confused at JK possibly having a full English album, if anything I'm even more excited by how he's pushing himself and I think it suits him given his pronunciation is one of the best in BTS. I know he'll be more involved than with Seven given how long he's been working on his album, I just hope he doesn't sacrifice depth in his artistic and lyrical expression for a shallow, wider reach.

In my very honest opinion.

When BTS talk about wanting to be together for a really really long time, I wonder if people have sat down to really think about what that looks like. Because maybe it's just me, but I don't think it makes sense for a company/group that has operated like BigHit/BTS, to shove their grandest plans for seven individuals into a ~3 year window. Right now, it's JK getting the push, he's been very vocal and consistent about his solo ambitions for the last 4 years, and I'm glad he's getting this shot.

Also,

While I feel BigHit has become bloated and inefficient, the boys are still capable handling their affairs and I feel very comfortable not having all the answers for a business and career that isn't mine.

I have my opinions about how things could be done differently, and I think if people want to voice their dissatisfaction to the company that's obviously fine, but I don't feel sadness, anger, or pity for any of the guys in BTS in Chapter 2. Not for my biases, not for Jungkook, and certainly not for Jimin. And it's getting tedious repeating my unpopular sanctimonious opinions to people who have already made up their minds and really ought to be more honest with themselves.

Speaking of Jimin, it continues to amuse me how the top group of people who just do nawt rate this man, is his solos. It's like dejavu for the discourse around OSTs circa 2018 - 2021 all over again. PJMs complaining about how BigHit was holding him back from doing OSTs, just for Jimin to say he wasn't interested at the time. Or how in 2022 people were fretting in my inbox about how only Jimin hadn't done any solo work/promotions yet and I would put out gentle reminders about how he operates and his tendency to leapfrog the rest when he's ready, then we started getting the producer pics.

Jimin has always been a 'bigger picture' kind of guy so how can anyone blame me for not taking this latest outcry seriously when that man continues to do what he's always done: work in silence, and wow with the result.

(Does anyone really think a man with no plans would be airborne every 2 weeks, and that a company with no desire to market him would be paying for and managing those plans?)

Not to be dismissive of people who wanted a stronger American push for Jimin's debut, while I agree he would've benefitted from a more targeted push, I genuinely think Jimin has always been better suited for Europe anyway.

I mean, look at him.

*

Anon from yesterday said they envisioned Jungkook doing a song/video like Troye Sivan's Rush... I didn't comment on it yesterday, but Anon, personally, I've never seen Jungkook as capable of making a song like that. Jungkook will never make anything like that. The only person in BTS who has the range for that sort of provocation and subtext, is Jimin. And the market that will fully embrace that sort of art isn't America, it's Europe. In my opinion.

We'll see what his plans are.

Anyway, I'm not sure how more tactfully I can say this, but my blog isn't the place to be if you feel some type of way about seeing Jungkook succeed like this relative to your bias, if you think his promotion and success is at the expense of your bias, and so on. It's not even that I care about some vague OT7 ideal, it's that while I understand the anger and heightened emotions a lot of you feel, I just cannot relate to it. And it won't be enjoyable for either of us if you come to me with asks about it because we think very differently about the group and our relation to BTS.

You can mark this post to revisit in 6 months so we can compare notes.

[starlene]

Så som i himmelen proshot thoughts

Just some quick-ish notes on the cast and direction to sorta process watching the proshot for the first time!

Philip Jalmelid as Daniel: I've gone on record saying that acting-wise, he's not my favourite Daniel, but he really has a voice like no one else, and I really do appreciate him for that. He was also the first Daniel I saw, and he made me cry literally every time he opened his mouth to sing. You don't forget an experience like that. He's still no number one favourite of mine, but I have grown very fond of his portrayal of the character, and I especially enjoyed his first act on the proshot. I love Daniel Daréus so, so much!

Tuva B. Larsen as Lena: I enjoyed seeing all the closeups of her – there is really a lot going on under the surface in her Lena, more than I think I saw/understood live in theatre. With that said, I think the creative team has done the character of Lena a big disservice by not giving her a proper introspective/I want solo (like. How come Stig gets two but the female lead gets none?), so she always remains a bit of a mystery, no matter how talented the actor is. But I do like Tuva's portrayal. I just wish there was a bit more substantial stuff for her to perform!

Malena Ernman as Gabriella: potentially an unpopular opinion, but she's my absolute #1 musical Gabriella and I adore her. You can see that there's a tremendous capacity for joy inside this Gabriella, a bright spark that she has to suppress because of Conny. I can 100% see where the actors who make Gabriella meeker and more shy are coming from, but for me, Malena's Gabriella is where it's at.

Björn Kjellman as Arne: I mean, he's fine. It's just that Morgan Alling was so, so, so much better in the role.

Anders Ekborg as Stig: the only actor I've seen that I feel really gets this insane character... as much as you can get him, anyway. I have no idea why the musical spends so much time on Stig's marital troubles, nor why the thought of marital sex makes this Lutheran priest turn into an ultra-repressed Catholic monk, but Anders almost sells it to me. He has a voice like no one else, too. The red shirt in Stig's final scene is a piece of costume design I really, really like.

Sofia Pekkari as Inger: she's good, I don't really have further notes.

Rikard Björk as Tore: he's really good and has clearly done his research, but I gotta say, I think this is a role that truly benefits from having an actually disabled actor do it. I suppose it might not have been viable in the original production where they have to do a lot of cognitively very taxing workshopping and last-minute changes – but I'm so glad they cast the brilliant Jaakko Lahtinen as Tore in Helsinki. Jaakko's portrayal was so refreshingly honest and genuine, I don't really think any non-disabled actor can give the role that. That being said, Rikard also did a great job editing the proshot, he's clearly something of a renaissance man with all his talents!

Linus Eklund Adolphson as Holmfrid: love love love. Brilliant. Best Holmfrid I've ever seen by a mile. The bit in the beginning of the 2nd act where he mimes getting a kiss from the audience and putting it in his pocket? One of my favourite details in this entire show.

Christopher Wollter as Conny: hands down the best Conny I've seen, with the perfect mix of scary and incredibly insecure. Way too many actors just lean into the scary vibes. (Also the best Daniel in the original cast, but that's besides the point of this post.)

Annica Edstam as Florence: babygirl. The other half of my Gabriella/Florence otp that I know will come true one day. Love.

I know there are more named characters but these are the ones I feel the most strongly about!

Direction by Markus Virta: I've seen other productions do certain scenes better, but as a whole, I really do appreciate the simplicity and straightforwardness of Virta's direction. He lets the songs and the characters stand on their own, which I think is a good way to go – elaborate choreography/blocking and extra whatever can and has been nice, but this is not the sort of musical where you really need that. On the proshot, Virta's direction loses me during the last ten minutes, like it always has (we absolutely do not need to see Daniel's soul embracing his child self, not when absolutely nothing in the previous two hours has indicated we're dealing with a world where tangible afterlife visions like that are a thing) – but other than that, fantastic work, no notes.

Random notes:

I like how subtle Lena's "grandpa must go paint another angel on the wall" thing is here. I've written in length before how much I dislike the instant pregnancy thing – but I dislike it less here, where it's not a huge joyful declaration of pregnancy like in some other productions but a little unsure line that's left to the audience's interpretation. It's unclear if Daniel really gets what she means, and I'm also free to imagine she's really having her ex's child or whatever.

Am I losing it, or was there a short reprise bit of Den tid jag har in the last scene early in the run that wasn't included in the proshot anymore? I thought the last scene felt a little less overwrought and cringy than before, somehow.

Did anyone else watch the proshot yet? What did you think?

[the-golden-ghost]

Reverse unpopular opinion: Lupin III (as in the man himself)

LUPIN MY MAN

He's just so... much. In the best of ways. He can be Anything You Want Him To Be, Baby, he can be yuor angle or yrou devil, he can be brown he can be blue he can be violet sky he can be hurtful he can be purple etc. etc. etc

He's selfish. He's egotistical. He's reckless and stupid and self-centered and obnoxious and also BRILLIANT and charismatic and generous and brave. He brought together a team of uber-talented solo acts and forged them into a functioning unit. And then he took it a step further and turned them into a family. Do you think anyone else on earth could so thoroughly capture the heart of Fujiko Mine? Who else could even compare with her? Who else could have won the undying loyalty of Daisuke Jigen, or gained the respect and devotion of Goemon Ishikawa XIII? These are all brilliant, dangerous people, experts in their field, superlative enemies, but SO unlikely as friends.

But Lupin did it. He took these people and gave them a home and a place of security - not anywhere in particular, because they're all notorious criminals and will never be truly safe in any one place - but with each other. Much as they love to backstab and betray and connive and screw each other over, at the VERY end of the day they will save each other too. That's what I love about Lupin, he takes people and makes them better, not because they weren't already incredible but by giving them a home, and he does it without making them change a thing about themselves.

I also love how much he plays people's underestimation against them. He runs around like "heehoo I'm a funny little guy and it's my birthday and I'm a little birthday boy" and make no mistake. The man's an idiot, but he's also INCREDIBLY smart.

And very dangerous.

[unholybinchicken]

Queen Meecedes for the character list?

woo let's go

favorite thing about them

It's hard to narrow down one thing because she is a literal icon but I guess how generous and kind she is, and how much she believes in people. I love her helping Marley out in 4x21 and 5x11.

least favorite thing about them

When she didn't end up getting her solo in season 1 sectionals. The way the show tried to convince us that Rachel was better than her is just factually incorrect.

(let's be real - Rachel was maybe the fourth or fifth best singer in that glee club, facts are facts)

favorite line

"They say one out of every ten people are gay, and if that's true, that means one of the twelve apostles might have been gay ... and my guess is Simon, because ... that name's the gayest."

brOTP

The Troubletones. Sancedes, Brittcedes, Sugcedes ... love them all! Kurtcedes is also a brOTP of mine that I wish had more screentime.

OTP

I love Samcedes and Shanecedes but also love Mikecedes and Quinncedes.

nOTP

I don't know if there's anyone I don't ship Mercedes with.

I guess Puckcedes if we're going by canon ships.

random headcanon

Her favourite show is America's Next Top Model and loves it for the memes. She's also a massive RuPaul's Drag Race fan and watches every season.

unpopular opinion

This shouldn't be unpopular but she was the real star of glee club and was hands down better than Rachel.

(and she WASN'T LAZY GODDAMMIT!!!)

song i associate with them

favorite picture of them

she's so prettyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[princesssarisa]

For the character ask: Elphaba and Glinda (Wicked)

Well, I'm not deeply familiar with this show, just casually familiar, but here goes. Musical only, because I haven't read the book.

Elphaba

Favorite thing about them: I admire her for standing up against injustice and fighting to free others from oppression, even if it means being labeled a "wicked witch" by all of Oz and risking her life. Beyond that, I like how relatable she is, both in her anger and in her vulnerability and yearning for love, to anyone who feels different or cast out. For a wide array of reasons – race, neurodivergence, sexuality, gender identity, political stance – countless people identify with her and feel validated because she exists. This makes her a valuable character for much the same reason as her spiritual sister (and sound-alike) Elsa from Frozen. It's probably the main reason why the trend of "famous villain reimagined as an outcast hero or heroine" has become so popular throughout the last two decades – a trend that as far as I know, Elphaba single-handedly started.

Least favorite thing about them: I hate the catfight scene with Glinda after Nessarose's death, although I blame Glinda more for it – at least Elphaba's anger is righteous and not jealousy-based. Morally, though, the worst thing she does is imprison Dorothy.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I often feel like an outsider.

*I'm outraged by social injustice and do what I can to help the marginalized.

*I have a temper that I try to control, though fortunately mine doesn't cause magical mishaps.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not brave enough to become the most hated and feared outlaw in my country in the name of fighting for justice.

*I don't pretend not to care what others think of me.

*I don't have green skin.

Favorite line: The lyrics to "The Wizard and I," "Defying Gravity," and "No Good Deed."

brOTP: In-universe, Glinda. In crossover-land, I'd also love to see her meet Elsa from Frozen and Angelina Jolie's Maleficent (both of whom arguably owe their existence to her), and maybe Enjolras from Les Misérables, since he's a fellow revolutionary – there's a funny fan comic that shows them getting drunk together at a slumber party for musical characters.

OTP: Fiyero. (Yes, I know that for some fans it's sacrilege not to ship her with Glinda, but I just like her better with Fiyero romantically, and besides, if we don't believe she really loves him, then the emotional power of "No Good Deed" and the sweet part of the bittersweet ending both fall flat.)

nOTP: The Wizard, even if he weren't her father.

Random headcanon: Someday she'll learn that the Wizard was her real father, and she'll be shaken by the revelation, but ultimately it will matter less to her than it does to him. He was just a sperm donor.

Unpopular opinion: Two of them.

(1) I think some fans – and maybe the libretto itself – view her too much as a "morally ambiguous" character. "She's neither a good guy nor a bad guy," they say, "there are two sides to every story." But IMHO, the real morally ambiguous figure in this show is Glinda. Elphaba is never perfect, it's true, but she's a straightforward sympathetic heroine until the 11th hour, when she only temporarily turns "bad" because she's emotionally broken. For the most part, she is a good guy.

(2) She's not a lesbian, she's bisexual. While she might have some unspoken feelings beyond friendship for Glinda, she truly is in love with Fiyero (see OTP above).

Song I associate with them: All her solos, but especially the iconic "Defying Gravity":

Favorite pictures of them:

Idina Menzel:

Eden Espinosa:

Rachel Tucker:

Dee Roscioli:

Jackie Burns:

Willemijn Verkaik (also the Dutch voice and German singing voice of Elsa in Frozen, reinforcing the Elphaba/Elsa spiritual kinship):

Mary Kate Morrissey:

Glinda

Favorite thing about them: Her sheer three-dimensionality and growth as a character. Of course she's not the purely good, fairy-like Glinda from The Wizard of Oz, but neither is she the shallow, bubble-headed "mean girl" she seems to be at first. She's probably the most complex character in the musical. I think she's very comparable to the King in The King and I, her relationship with Elphaba corresponding to his with Anna. Like him, she's funny and she sometimes seems like a silly, spoiled jerk, but she has real warmth, cleverness, and sympathetic qualities too, and is torn between a flawed status quo and risky changes, as well as between her conscience and her ego, while navigating a position of power. This is rare for a female character, especially an unabashedly girly one.

Least favorite thing about them: That she turns against Elphaba and tries to get her captured by the Wizard, taking advantage of her sister's death to do it no less, just because she's angry that Fiyero left her for Elphaba. Yes, she regrets it and they have their heartwarming reconciliation in the end, but it's still very bad.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like pastel colors like pink and pale blue.

*I'm not always brave enough to stand up for what I know is right.

*I can be very lively and exuberant about things I enjoy.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I've always been an "odd one out," not part of the popular crowd.

*I don't tend to be cutesy or flirty.

*I can't imagine myself becoming a political leader.

Favorite line: Most of her solo lines from "Thank Goodness," showing her inner conflict under her happy facade.

brOTP: Elphaba.

OTP: None. I know this is unpopular among fans who ship her with Elphaba, but I ship her first and foremost with personal growth.

nOTP: Fiyero or the Wizard.

Random headcanon: Someday she'll meet Elphaba and Fiyero again. I don't know the details, but it will be an exciting sequel, and even if they part again in the end, she at least won't need to live the rest of her life thinking they died because of her.

Unpopular opinion: I can't agree when I see people write about what a wonderful friend to Elphaba she is, how she's the best person in Elphaba's life, or how she's actually wiser than Elphaba because she knows that to achieve anything socio-politically you need to be liked. While of course she's more sympathetic than she seems at first, she's still deeply flawed both as a person and as a friend – that's part of the point – and while it's true that she, not Elphaba, is the one who frees Oz from the Wizard's rule in the end, she never would have done it without being "changed for good" by Elphaba.

Song I associate with them: All her songs, but especially "Popular":

Favorite pictures of them:

Kristin Chenoweth:

Megan Hilty:

Kendra Kassebaum

Gina Beck

Erin Mackey:

Sophie Evans:

Brittney Johnson (the first black Glinda):

[communistchilchuck]

ted!! alternatively j'onn

doing j’onn >:)

favorite thing about them:

• he is THE heart of the justice league, do not forget that. he loves it, he loves those he came to know since he began living on earth, he’s strong in heart and mind and yet he’s got his own struggles. he has a place he feels he belongs and yet he doesn’t feel like he can completely be his true self and it’s interesting, he can be vulnerable too.

least favorite thing about them:

• honestly? i haven’t j’onn’s solos to say, so i’ll just say that i wish he would be featured more as a league mainstay. he deserves as much love and attention as the other members do!

favorite line:

• see my ted answer.

brOTP:

• J’ONN AND MAXWELL LORD PRE-INFINITE CRISIS!!! some friends got me hooked on their relationship. i loved seeing it develop as JLI went on, they found a lot of common ground and genuine friendship in each other and they were able to bond about their roles when it came to the team and they had a lot of respect for the other despite who max was. i simply do not perceive CDTIC <3

OTP:

• not for bruce but genuinely martianbat as of right now. or him and his late wife, of course.

nOTP:

• human target pairing up him and bea was a mistake. a big disgusting mistake.

random headcanon:

• he loves oreos, but i think it goes beyond that - he enjoys anything with the same kind of crumbly crunchy texture. it’s a good sensory feeling and better-tuned to his non-human palette.

unpopular opinion:

• haven’t seen enough opinions on j’onn to know if mine are unpopular.

song i associate with them:

• don’t really have one. i will though because i like him enough to eventually read him. i’ll get to it!

favorite picture of them:

• here is a very nice one

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

I was listening to my Jinmintae playlist (sounds like a mint toothpaste brand but whatever), that I made to complement my Jkaaay playlist (super creative with these names, I know), and I wanted to share my random thoughts on the songs (that I've already heard thousands of times before but whatever):

The Astronaut is still difficult as fuck to listen to. I love the song but it makes me miss Jin too much, I sobbed listening to it. "When I'm with you, there is no one else, and I get heaven to myself". But Jin is all alone now. These past few days have made clear just how hard and isolating it can be for the members and Jin doesn't even have Army now... He must miss us so much!

Sweet Night is so fucking good, I love it. The chorus is so romantic it kills me. I really love the chorus and Adora makes the song.

Christmas Tree is good too. I love V's songs but not his solo songs. It's not that I don't like Singularity, Stigma, and Inner Child, but his tracks (including Blue&Grey) not on BTS's discography are superior and I genuinely love them.

Speaking of Blue&Grey, it's a pretty song but I've never loved it (unpopular opinion, I think). I only enjoy, but not love, the rap, and I don't care for the falsetto-y parts of the song. I think the lower parts of the chorus - that V, Jungkook and Jin share - are the best.

BE as a whole is such a forgettable album to me:

Telepathy is super boring to listen to now. I think it's too sugary sweet and goes nowhere, and the production is grating and loud.

Disease is the same. The beginning is too slow (much like in Run BTS) and the song is pretty mid until the bridge. The bridge is the real highlight but the song is still bland imo, and feels disjointed.

The funny thing about BE is that I remember Hobi being worried about us not liking it because it reflected their individual tastes too much, when, in reality, after listening to Indigo and JITB, I think the problem with the album is that they tried to compromise and show their individuals colors while still sticking to what they believe the BTS sound is or should be, and ended up making something which doesn't even reflect any of them or the group itself. Ie.:

B&G sounds like a V song but it's blander and less touching and heartfelt than a non-BTS V song; Disease sounds like Hope World J-Hope trying to recreate old BTS's sound (like they did with Run BTS), but (just like Run BTS), it doesn't sound at all like old-school BTS and I think BTS either don't know what that sounds like or are incapable of recreating it; Telepathy was Suga's attempt and doing something easy and commercial like Eight but it doesn't sound like BTS and is arguably worse than Eight; LGO is supposed to be the kind of chill (Western-inspired), sentimental track the members like, but I doubt any of them would've chosen it as the tt of their own albums. Stay is actually my favorite BE song now, because I find the lyrics and style of the song the most like "old BTS". It's like a So What/Magic Shop crossover though neither of those songs is a favorite of mine.

Despite attempts to make it a more personal, self-produced album, BE is still a BTS album whose songs were mostly chosen by the company, and, thus, I don't think it truly reflects any of them, least of all BTS, sadly.

Anyway, I used to love Serendipity but now find it so repetitive? I'm not sure it aged well tbh. Also, Serendipity and Filter sound really bad and autotuned to me. To be clear, the songs aren't bad, it's just that good old Hybe production... Also, With You > Serendipity.

I was thinking that Jimin has With You, V has Christmas Tree and Sweet Night, and Jin has Yours and The Astronaut, but Jungkook doesn't have any romantic, sentimental songs. Stay Alive isn't a drama OST, and neither Still With You nor his solos are sentimental and slow and romantic like kdrama OSTs... We've never heard that kind of sound from him...

Okay, that's it! I'd love to hear Army's thoughts!

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

A plethora of unpopular opinions for you, Sea. All mine, but I’d like to know your views too.

It does us all actual good to a remember that Louis is not a new artist but his solo career is pretty young if you sub the pandemic time.

And he’s only hitting his stride.

I see growth in the fan base but I’m not sure if it’s the type of growth his team wants.

I’m hopeful of growth in the fan base through the actual music itself, but that does mean fans need to get used to some distance. Shedding fans that think of him as a personality first and an artist second is important

I think a subtle shift is already in the works, despite plenty of fandom driven criticism around a perceived lack of interest - how many times can people ask him about avocados, I mean jfc, no wonder he ‘loves them’.

Louis seems a lot clearer on what he is and isn’t willing to share with fans and interviewers and it’s very clearly music steered.

I think Louis is shooting for something very specific, something music driven, almost classic in his career this time around. His brand is relatable, but you can be relatable and an enigma all at the same time, and I do think he wants to stop showcase his whole soul to a group of rabid strangers

And lastly; I cannot imagine the pressure these signings are for him. I cannot imagine the nerve it takes to stare down a bouncy 18 year old with no brain to mouth filter or concept of boundaries with a stranger, and not internalise the frankly bizarre shit they say. Proud of Louis, always, but that is something impressive all of its own and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that.

To be fair, young people are young. They’re enthusiastic, innocent in a way, easily swayed. They’ll learn with some experience, and some of them can sort out facts for themselves— and experience fandom in a normal way.

The strange stuff that comes out of adult Larries when they go to Louis’ concerts or meet him is what I find offensive. I cannot understand why you would want to make Louis’ life more complicated and miserable, when he’s given us so many reasons to be happy.

I agree with your opinions though!

[charlottesharlottes]

ask game: 2, 12, 18

2. - i just answered :)

12. Do you listen to their solo music?

Sort of I'm working my way through all of Paul's stuff, I did mccartney 1, ram, & all of wings. but i've taken a pause before I continue on with his post 79 work. I haven't looked into the others yet but I think i will at some point. I listened to john's 'how do you sleep' and enjoyed that, and george's 'my sweet lord' and have an extremely unpopular opinion on it (i didn't really feel anything towards it, but i guess i only listened to it once so that could change, also i'm not a fan of religion so like.. i prefer when you can at least interpret his stuff as non religious - like long long long..i don't know i could probably accept the religiousness if i liked the music more) - oops how did this turn into a MSL rant?? apologies to all - i love a lot of george's beatles stuff btw.

18. Is there an album or song that you hated but learned to love?

hm i could write loads here i think. Ofc as i said i used to be a beatles hater so initially like all their songs. but i think in my post get back re-obsession i've listened to more songs then i did when i first got into them and revisted some that i initially dismissed (not hated though actually), here are a few: - here, there, & everywhere - for no one - what you're doing - long long long - lovely rita - when i'm 64 - i me mine - she came in through the bathroom window [didn't dismiss it but had never listened to it before, spoiler alert there are some beatles songs i still haven't listened to....they recorded too many ok!!]

[berlinini]

It’s possible to defend Zayn without bashing Louis though. Louis has never been hypocritical about 1D or shy about expressing his love for the band.

It’s alright to have an unpopular opinion as I am sure mine will be with you.

Where did I bash Louis tho?

Louies often have different standard for Louis vs others - I get it, he’s our little guy. But coming at Zayn for mentioning 1D like he’s just doing it for the buzz, and not like it’s something he’s allowed to reflect as part of his journey is very hypocritical when we always applaud Louis for reflecting on 1D and the hiatus. Also the context matters and Zayn mentioned 1D because he was live and people requested their song. It’s been almost 10 years! He’s allowed to have a different outlook on the band and his experience. #growth.

So if anything the conclusion is that directioners are never letting go and I need them to disappear and also none of the guys can escape the band in their solo career.

[just-my-type-x]

Ok well you asked for it, unpopular opinion time 😂

Brad is mediocre. His music is mediocre. Fans are hyping it up as if it isn't just some Arctic Monkeys wannabe and trying to get away from the young kid-y image the vamps have. However, he knows he has to play largely on the sexual side so that fans will remain interested. The hype he gets is purely fans wanting to fuck him. The music isn't anything groundbreaking and fans will only say they like it to be suck ups quite frankly.

Not to mention everyone seems to think that he is being more successful that Connor/Lunars and James. Which I find really rude, they are doing really well with their solo stuff.

Finally, James & Connor/Lunars will be better better soloists in the sense of remaining grounded and down to earth. I'm telling you that all of this - is going to make Brad worse (and honestly, your initial opinion of him was correct).

(PS you can have your opinion, I can have mine before people get upset)

The thing is, i kinda (i am overusing this word bear with me pls) think Brad is too late on the solo stuff. If they all would've started on this solo journey at the same time i think it would've been something else and we wouldn't be so torn apart between their works. Personally, i like neither so far

I see them better as a group, everything they're showing us rn is how different they are and that just takes away from their essence as a band/group of people. I mean yeah individual stuff is great, they showed us with the extra tracks that they have directions in which they tend to go to, but they were similar sounds/tastes in the production of those songs.

And he has a long road to go down on to achieve what the other 2 have now, bc i was so pleasantly surprised by the hype both con and james received on their new projects, which is great to see. Some might say brad is trying to get the attention from them, but i don't think there's much to take honestly. Tbh, there's always hype at the beginning, bc i was hyped as well when they released stuff, but if i don't resonate with the music, i don't stay. Which can happen to anybody with brad and what he's releasing, i hope u get what i mean.

[doktordismemberment]

Roundup

Blah Blah:

Day "off" and what do I decide to do? Move a big ass couch up six flights of stairs by myself obviously. Christ, that was fucking brutal.

On deck for the rest of today? Pizza, beer, working on the next Celestial Furnace track and maybe playing some more Elden Ring?

I need to do laundry too, but I think that's probably a job for either tomorrow or Wednesday.

-

Muzak:

Heldon - Sci-fi obsessed electronic/ psychedelic legends. Heldon has always kinda reminded me of the first couple Tangerine Dream albums crossed with Robert Fripp's solo "Frippertronic" looping/ ambient stuff.

-

Richard Pinhas/ Masami Akita/Tatsuya Yoshida - Japan's "King of Noise", the drummer of prog-core titans Ruins, and the mastermind behind French electronic legends Heldon conjuring some truly beautiful damage.

Seriously, give this one a spin of you dig ENDON's weirdly melodic noisecore destruction, cos this gets way more into that territory than I was expecting.

Definitely gonna grab a physical copy of this.

-

Paranoid - A friend of mine kept telling me to check out Paranoid and I just finally got around to it like three years later (I dunno what took so long, I guess COVID Happened and It just kind of slipped my mind)... Turns out they are indeed pretty fucking killer, a total maelstrom of ripshit fast Scandinavian metalpunk.

First thing this made me think of was Anti-Cimex "Scandinavian Jawbreaker" so if you dig that you'll probably dig this too.

Great cover art too, reminds me of Exumer's "Posessed by Fire."

-

Vital Remains - Pretty much Deicide but way faster and more melodic... So, like Deicide + "Blasphemy Made Flesh" era Cryptopsy maybe? Something like that anyway. I think by the time this album came out they actually had Glen Benton on Vocals too. Solos on this album rule so fucking hard.

-

German Oak - Zoned out german kraut/ psych circa 1972. Was reminded of this album by an article I read a while back and wound up tracking down a copy. Darker and less optimistic in tone than a lot of similar bands.

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Brast Burn - 70's Japanese cult/ commune weirdos making cult/ commune weirdo muzak. Sounds melted as fuck.

-

Video Games:

Elden Ring - I lost 90+ hours of gameplay when my PS4 died but I'm finally back in and getting caught back up... Found a gigantic spiked-club/ hammer thing that I've been using to absolutely fucking bulldoze bosses.

-

Reading:

To paraphrase Jessie Ventura in Predator: "I ain't got time to read."

-

Podcasts/ Tube:

Monsters Among Us Podcast

Cryptonaut Podcast

Heavy Hole Podcast

Texas Chainsaw Massacre II

Halloween II (Rob Zombie) - Unpopular opinion, I like Rob Zombie's Halloween flicks, and just kind of his movies in general. They're big dumb edgelord slaughterfests that don't beat you over the head with a moral or try too hard to be clever.

I dunno, sometimes you want legit cinema and sometimes you just wanna to dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and slam in the back of your Dragula.

-

[actualhumansunshine]

Niall Horan Unpopular Opinions | BBCR1 Breakfast Show

[ghost-of-you]

please do share unpopular opinions (or just opinions in general) about CALM ty in advance 💕💕🥺

Okay, I'm not sure if my opinions are unpopular but let's go.

We start this off so fucking strong, Red Desert is hands down their best album opener, i love how this has Ashton written all over, the drums in it make me feel like I'm riding a horse while running away through the desert, the harmonies, the buildup, everything about it, amazing. Then we move on to no shame and the "fuck the industry but god i love it here", the lyrics in this paint such an entertainer, I live for the applause thing, buried in some of their cooler melodies to date in my opinion. Old me is the ultimate "everything i did and everything that happened to me made me who i am and i have to live with that whether i like it or not" and i love it so much "had to fuck it up before i really got to know me" that turns into a "had to fuck it up before i let you get to know me" that's life for you right there, some of their most meaningful lyrics. And we get to easier. I have a complicated relationship with studio easier, I think sonically the vault version fits 5sos so much better than the studio version, but I got to admit, current me eats the studio version of this song up, the drums that sound like they're being played with a pipe, the high notes thrown flawlessly all around, the synth layer in the guitar, the vocals, the bass you can feel in your soul, the catch lyrics, honestly, very nice song. Also, again, who told Luke he would never change?? And then we get to teeth, "we're toxic but i love every second of it", the bass alone in this song is enough to drive me feral, but everything around it builds up beautifully, the lyrics, the guitars, the drums, the high notes, great song all around, "late night devil put your hands on me and never never never ever let go", amazing, blew me away from the first time i heard it, i remember saying i wanted that tattooed on me the day it dropped. Then we move on the mandatory song about sex, wildflower. "the song is about abundance" sure Calum, sure. One word for you, HARMONIES. Also love me the mandatory Calum solo song we get every album. It just makes me happy. And now we're done with side A. I feel like this album has a very clear division, and I don't know if its because by the time it came out we had heard the first 6 songs or if its because the division is actually there.

Side B begins with Best Years, look, I think its a cute song, i like the vibes, i like the guitars, but it just doesn't stand out to me, its not bad, its not good, its just there, but i gotta give it to it "I wanna hold your hand while we're growing up" is exactly what I want out of love. Then we move on to not in the same way yet another "we're toxic but I'm loving every second", this song has THE best bridge 5sos has ever written, I don't care, I'm right, also "we fuck and we fight and you call me a psycho", the pre-chorus, chefs kiss, the way it just perfectly describes the being trapped in a cycle, and the way that's exaggerated because the guitar in this is the exact same the whole song, you're just cycling through two notes over and over and over, but we are still getting an insane buildup around the bass and the drums, ugh, talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same. Then we move on the song that made me wonder if I can make a song my whole personality, everything about lover of mine is perfect, the only bad thing about it is that it ends, the piano in the beginning, the acoustic guitar riff all around, the electric guitar riffs sprinkled in, Luke's voice, the harmonies in the back, the way we just have the strings until the drop of the drums for the second verse and the way the drums complement the melody, also, when Calum comes in, I get that he likes his high notes, i get it, but his lower harmonies always drive me crazy, and in this song in particular when he comes in I just lose it, the second pre-chorus and chorus of this are everything to me and then the outro when we get the piano back, ugh, i wish i could listen to this song for the first time again, cuz it changed me as a person.

Then we go to thin white lies, love me a good song that's completely built around the bass, the instrumentation in this song is insane, honestly, the bass, the guitars, the beat, mindblowing, and the lyrics "I don't feel your love and i don't ask too many questions" "these empty sounds and endless stories so tell me what i wanna hear" the way its just "this relationship is slowly killing me but i need to pretend a little longer so keep lying to me". Lonely Heart, this song, the way its just the guitar riff and Luke's voice, and then it just drops for the chorus, the harmonies, the little ohs and ahs in the back, the drums only bridge, that leads to a just one guitar and a high note and the drums kicking in again, ugh, gets me every time, and don't get me started on the lyrics, "I'm bad for you and we both know it, but stay with me anyway," excuse me???????? "Can i have a second chance can i have another dance can i start another life with you" excuse me????????????????? And we go from this to high, like way to kick me when I'm down. The play with words on this song fascinates me. "I think that my heart was built to last more than a night" "I know I'll never meet your expectations, but the picture that you paint of me looks better in your mind" excuse me did they really need to write this???? And the melody is pretty much just the guitar riff and harmonies and that makes such an interesting sound. And it makes the album end in such a contrasting note to red desert, since red desert revolves around the drums, honestly, amazing closer.

And now we get to the bonus song, my little love, kill my time. I strongly believe there are like, 5 different romance movie plots hidden in this song, one of their biggest strikes of genius in storytelling, it just paints a picture, honestly, if I'm really into it llwhen I'm listening, I can see the movie playing in my head, and the 80s pop feel???? AMAZING. The guitars, the synth, the beat, the song not really ending, just fading out, ooof, one of their best songs in my humble opinion, "stained hearts trying to find a home looking for something real" yeah.

Solid album all around, a bit chaotic and not at all cohesive, but it works.

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Simba (The Lion King)

Thank you! This should be fun!

These answers are for the original film and stage musical only: it's been too many years since I saw Simba's Pride, I've never seen The Lion Guard, and I have reservations about the 2019 remake.

Favorite thing about them: I don't think I can name just one thing: he's just an engaging, well-rounded character over all. He goes through an epic coming-of-age journey in the vein of stories from the Bible, Shakespeare, and various myths (not to mention Bambi), with poignant themes of grief, guilt, and responsibility. Yet the fact that he's playful and mischievous, even as an adult, makes him likable, and the fact that he's clever but not always wise makes him interesting. More so than if he had just been a wide-eyed innocent. Yes, he's far from perfect – he can be arrogant and reckless as a cub, and he runs from his duty as an adult – but neither are most of the time-honored heroes whom he parallels, like Hamlet, Gilgamesh, Joseph son of Jacob, or Moses. The fact that we follow him from childhood to adulthood also makes him an especially appealing, relatable character for child viewers. What more can I say?

Least favorite thing about them: His refusal at first to go back to Pride Rock and reclaim the throne from Scar. His reason why is understandable and sympathetic, but still, he almost leaves all the animals in the Pride Lands, including his long-lost mother, to starve to death under Scar's brutal reign.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I have light brownish eyes (though mine are hazel, not burnt orange).

*I'm close to my father.

*I sometimes try to avoid my responsibilities.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm human.

*I'm no good at fighting.

*Even as a child, I would never have done something dangerous just to prove how brave I was.

Favorite line:

From "I Just Can't Wait to Be King":

"Everybody look left, everybody look right

Everywhere you look I'm standing in a spotlight!"

To Mufasa, when the latter reveals his fear of losing Simba to the hyenas:

"I guess even kings get scared. But you know what?... I bet those hyenas were even scareder!"

One of the saddest moments in all of cinema:

"Dad, Dad, come on, you gotta get up... Dad, we gotta go home.... Help! Somebody! Anybody... help..."

From "Endless Night," the solo he sings in the stage musical:

"You promised you'd be there

Whenever I needed you

Whenever I call your name

You're not anywhere

I'm trying to hold on

Just waiting to hear your voice

One word, just a word will do

To end this nightmare"

Explaining to Nala why he changed his mind about going back to the Pride Lands:

"I finally got some sense knocked into me. And I've got the bump to prove it."

His response to Scar's "The pressures of ruling a kingdom...":

"...are no longer yours. Step down, Scar."

brOTP: Mufasa, Sarabi, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki.

OTP: Nala.

nOTP: Mufasa, Sarabi, or Scar.

Random headcanon: When Mufasa says "One day the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new king," Simba sincerely doesn't realize that this means he'll only be king after his father dies. Children often don't understand euphemisms. He thought Mufasa only meant that one day his time as king would end and Simba would take his place. So when he sings "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," he's not singing "I just can't wait for Dad to die." The fact that just a few hours later, he asks Mufasa "And we'll always be together, right?" shows that he hasn't registered that someday they won't. (This might not be a headcanon, but just plain canon – I'm just tired of hearing people complain "Simba looks forward to his dad's death.")

Unpopular opinion: His journey doesn't "lack a middle": his childhood and his adulthood are two separate journeys in and of themselves. The fact that the film skips over his years in the jungle with Timon and Pumbaa takes away nothing from his character development. If you analyze his character arc based on the template of the Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell, his childhood until his father's death covers only the first stage of the journey ("The Ordinary World," establishing the world the hero has always known). The majority of the stages ("The Call to Adventure," "Refusal of the Call," "Meeting the Mentor," "Crossing the First Threshold," etc.) take place later. I've also written my own analysis of his character arc (which I'll share in a separate post), according to a different "hero's journey" template, inspired by Campbell's but not identical to it: the Masculine Journey from Victoria Lyn Schmidt's 45 Master Characters. This template makes more sense of the length of time spent in Simba's childhood than using the Campbell template does – his childhood scenes and his adulthood scenes each consist of a complete Masculine Journey-style character arc. Each arc includes every one of the stages ("The Perfect World," ""Friends and Enemies," etc.), with his childhood journey ending in what Schmidt calls "Rebellion" and "Failure," while his adulthood journey ends in "Awakening" and "Victory." His teenage years would have been completely irrelevant to include, either (from the Campbell perspective) because his journey really starts in his adulthood and his childhood is only a long prologue, or (from the Schmidt perspective) because the years in the jungle are only a bridge from his first complete journey to his second one. I hope this hasn't been too heady and confusing, but whenever some critic complains that Simba's character arc "has no middle," I want to give them a scholarly essay explaining why they're wrong.

Songs I associate with them:

"Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", "Endless Night" from the stage musical, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" and the instrumental and choral finale, "King of Pride Rock."

Favorite pictures of them: