#visuals were cool but overall the song is a 5/10 for me

[c0tards--s0luti0n]

random but that scene drives me crazy. n e way what were your thoughts?

FOR REAL .... its too fresh in my head to really analyze anything yet but my thuoghts on the whole thing was ITSSO GOOD . the writing was so good the songs went so hard the visuals were so cool its gonna take me a bit to have coherent thoughts but overall 10/10 easily in my top 5 musicals i think

[danielfeketewrites]

How Eurovision 2023 Should Have Ended

Well, not quite. I just really want to talk about my favourites.

Because I've been a bit obsessed. This was the first Eurovision I actually watched. I didn't think this would be something for me, but as it turns out - I was wrong! There were so many amazing songs, iconic performance, etc.

The thing is, after re-watching and re-listening a lot of 2023 ESC, I realised that none of MY top 5 actually reached top 5. So that's what I want to share with you today.

But first - honorable mentions (actually turning this top 5 into a top 10)!

10. Lord of the Lost (Germany) - Blood & Glitter

Budget Rammstein is still some amount of Rammstein. These dudes just seem really nice.

9. Mae Muller (UK) - I Wrote a Song

Was she out of breath? Definitely. But still... The song is really catchy and the visual presentation was incredible. Didn't deserve the last place for sure.

8. Loreen (Sweden) - Tattoo

Basically everyone and their mum pointed out already how convenient it is for Eurovision to come back to Sweden for the ABBA anniversary... Still, Loreen has a beautiful voice and this was a solid song.

7. Käärijä (Finland) - Cha Cha Cha

Cha, Cha Cha, Cha Cha Cha Cha!

6. Alessandra (Norway) - Queen of Kings

She was a favourite of a friend of mine and I can really see why. Strong, beautiful voice. Powerful song. Nice performance.

And now, finally, my top 5!

5. Voyager (Australia) - Promise

I... really like this. At a glance this seems like a mix of generic synthpop and genric rock, but that crescendo! It feels so optimistic, so nice and fun. I have no idea why but this song just always puts a big, stupid smile on my face.

4. La Zarra (France) - Évidemment

I feel like instead of bringing generic popsongs, it's always better when Eurovision contestants bring something that feels specifically "of their nation". This is definitely a great example of that. Gotta love La Zarra's voice and presence. She's incredible.

3. Teya & Salena (Austria) - Who The Hell Is Edgar?

This is actually my favourite song of the whole competition. I've listened to it so goddamn much in the past few weeks. Also, I'm in love with Teya. And possibly Salena. They are amazing, incredible, and just overall iconic.

Just the creativity of taking a name of one of the most famous writers on the planet and turning it into... a beat? It's a song about getting possesed by the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, but also about up-and-coming female song writers getting nothing for their work. I love Teya and Salena and I love this goddamn song.

Oh mio padre, there's a ghost in my body!

But, when we're talking performances, there are two that I would rate even higher than that...

2. Pasha Parfeni (Moldova) - Soarele şi Luna

This was where my vote went. I'm not even that into the song, but the performance is... well, spellbinding, really. I don't even know how to explain it. It's really the combination of both that works for me so well, I think.

And finally, my number 1...

Vesna (Czech Republic) - My Sister's Crown

Yeah, they're from my country.

But I genuinely thought they were incredible! An awesome, cool song mixing modern pop with folk music. An amazing, complex choreography. Singing in four languages!

And that's not even taking in account the messaging of the piece. Not just the call for female empowerement. But also the radical, pan-slavic yet anti-russian sentiment. And also - the hands! Specifically, the SOS sign that they are doing. Everything here has layers to peel off.

This was overall an incredible song and performance. Vesna is brilliant. It's a crime they didn't make it ito the actual top 5.

That's it! Those are my favourite performances and songs of Eurovision 2023. What do you think of my takes? Hot? Cold? Shit? Let me know!

Thanks for reading this!

[styrmwb]

Beat FFXVI last night (spoilers and lots of rambling ahead)

"I liked it, but" is pretty much how I felt about the game. It had very high highs, there were a lot of things about it I liked, but something about it soured it for me. And I think the fact that I was so excited for it, but it didn't fully land made that feel worse overall. I also think the game didn't come out at a good time for Me Specifically, because it is a very intense, pay full attention and give all your energy to game. I can't really chill with it after work or do other things while playing it, and honestly I haven't really been wanting to play action games much recently. I do think in the future I'll be able to look back at it more fondly than now.

Things that I liked: visually, holy shit. Every Eikon Battle, every zone, they fucking killed it. If this was just like, a show? Oh my god amazing beautiful 10/10. The Bahamut battle and the final boss were two standouts to me especially. Fuck. It's so cool.

The characters. While I wish some got a little better treatment (More Benedikta and Barnabas, maybe like, solo Jill sections where you play as her?), overall I cared so much about the whole cast. Clive and Joshua together was one of my favorite relationships cause you can tell that they cared for and loved each other so much and goddammit they deserved to be happy together. Even the characters that I thought were just gonna be on the side, like Gav or Byron (I did not expect them to be so prominent but fuck yes) or really anyone in the hideout, I really did appreciate everything about them. The game felt like it had a party despite only Clive being playable.

The music. I mean, of fucking course the music. Soken and his team can do no wrong. I was originally scared it was gonna be... generic? But my fears were unfounded. Find the Flame; banger. Into the Mire? Might be my favorite song tbh they went so hard for the First Dungeon. The ENTIRE Titan fight? God DAMN

Eikon abilities. When I really got them going, I was having a lot of fun in combat. I ended up running Phoenix (Gouge, Rising Flames); Bahamut (Ice Age, Upheaval); Titan (Raging Fists, Flames of Rebirth). I would dodge up to raise Megaflare level, then go crazy go stupid with all of the other abilities, looking super cool and exploding everything around me. Felt fucking awesome.

Finally, story. It was definitely a more generic FF story, gather all the crystals (by smashing them), get the summons, kill god, but I liked it. But I think if the super cool big moments weren't as cool and I didn't care about the characters as much, it wouldn't be anything special. Those parts of it were so stellar though.

Uhhhh haha now the part I'm still struggling with. What didn't I like. What soured this experience specifically. One thing I know didn't help (that I'm sure people are sick of hearing about) was the lack of exploration and open world. I wish there was more side bits, I wish there was like, FFXI/XII/XIV style zone transitions. I wish it was closer to XII/XV, or if it went full action and was more like Stranger of Paradise. Instead, it just feels like a sad middle ground that doesn't quite excel at the world or the levels.

Side quests. Again, common complaint. But they were just... a slog. I appreciated what they did for the world. I appreciate the characters they gave us. But they were just... so common, and so boring. It felt like a chore, "goddammit I gotta clear out 5 sidequests let's waste 2 hours woooooo" agh. XIV does the same thing where they are quests purely for world building, but actually doing them kinda sucks. Makes sense, same team.

Combat outside of Eikon Abilities. There's nothing particularly wrong with it? I think the reason I didn't really care for it was more on my end, I didn't want to play an action game. I can't dock this against the game, but I can say it was part of the reason I didn't enjoy it as much.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm struggling to quite pinpoint what it is. There's not much about the game I didn't like, but what I did was so heavy that it made the game almost... a chore to pick up. I would usually be fine once I got into the groove, but the fact that I felt that feels so shitty.

I think if I had to rate this game in my imaginary FF tier list that I haven't made fully yet cause I can't pick between some of my children, I think I liked it a little more than XIII (stronger highs), and a little less than XV (weaker gameplay). Didn't match the hype, but I did Get Hyped.

[startreatment]

my thoughts on the eras tour so far! (if you care idk)

kinda happy she did those little era sets instead of trying to make the songs work as a monolith! overall, the tracklist is ok, although i would def make some changes - what she did to SN is a crime and i'm still a bit upset and red deserved better than that damn ATW 10 minute version and debut got pretty much ignored, which is the least surprising thing ever ofc, but it still hurt. evermore getting like 5 songs is INSANE tho! love the fact that she kept the secret song tradition.

the order of the eras doesn't really make sense to me tho - fearless into evermore into rep into speak now was kinda crazy.

the saddest part is the fact that there were NO MASHUPS???? FOR THE ERAS TOUR?? like WHAT? she had like 4 for rep tour and none for this one ??? i don't understand her sometimes.

the costumes were cool! evermore's the only ugly one, but it's ok, i still like these better than the rep ones. her folklore stevie nicks florence welch slay was INSANE and that pussy cunt cunt vigilante shit/midnight rain/etc bodysuit? soooo sexy

the choreo was cool, the visuals/the runway were ok and the show itself was soooo fun! vigilante shit made me feel lightheaded, the entire midnights set was pretty (that lavender haze performance? beautiful), folklore set was crazy good as well.

overall? could've been better, but i had fun watching it through an instagram live, so i'm sure it's incredible in person. biggest misses: speak now mistreatment, ATW 10 minute version, no mashups (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[reblogging4thewin]

15 Questions

Thank you @doctorprofessorsong for tagging me!

1.ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope. Although my parents seriously considered naming me "Caroline" or "Carolina", after the state. Thankfully they didn't. 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I had a few tears from stress/frustration last week. Life has been great overall the past several months, so other than that, it's been a while. I've teared up a few times with something I read. 3. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet. I plan on buying a house first, which, thanks to my new job, is an attainable goal.

4. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Nah; never. /s

5. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT SOMEONE? Definitely their hair. It's just what stands out to me visually. It takes me a while to learn a face.

6. WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOR? Brown.

7. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. I like a good fantasy film or sometimes romcoms. I do like scary movies but like actual suspense/thriller/mystery - I will nope out of gore p*rn.

8. ANY SPECIAL TALENTS? I do a lot of things. But breaking it down to core skills, I guess what I'm good at is explaining things with analogies, planning/combining things with other things in my brain (like music, rhymes, plot ideas), and making things that are precise (like tiny details in a drawing, or timing videos to the beat).

9. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? North Carolina

10. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? The ones I do the most are: writing songs/poetry, writing in general, drawing, video editing. I also love RPGs, platformers, and puzzle games. I didn't paint or knit anything last year, so I want to go back to those this year - I have a blanket to finish.

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? I guess not. I had birds but they stayed with my parents when I moved out; they're family pets.

12. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY / HAVE YOU PLAYED? None. I was going to run track in middle school, but my mom pulled me off of the team before our first meet.

13. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5' 2"

14. FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? Besides band? Science. The science classes at my school were never as cool as the ones on tv shows, but I liked them anyway.

15. DREAM JOB? Something where I make graphs/charts with stats and do some form of investigative research. In theory it would also be cool to make it big as a musician, but really if it takes off I'd rather it not explode so it can remain a side-gig. I'm not about the constant hustle and movement there.

I had also wanted to run for Congress, but I stepped out of politics a couple of years ago because I wanted to have full creative freedom and stop having to censor everything I do for electability.

No pressure tags @sobernatural @thisisapaige @cas-as-in-ass @emeraldcas

[roseposts-stuff]

hello dear people!!! i ranked series 1 of doctor who a few days ago and decided now it's time for series 2!!! as i said previously, my reviews are like 98% based on Vibes and im also a pretty positive person so it's probably like 90% "!!!! I LOVE THIS!!" lmao. anyway, lets go!!

1. The Girl in the Fireplace - this was great!!! i loved reinette and im ALWAYS ready for timey wimey bullshit, drunk ten gave crowley vibes i lived for that and also im a fan of the random horse go king, and ofc the story overall was rly interesting

2. School Reunion - SARAH JANE SMITH SARAH JANE SMITH!!! need i say more? i LOVE this episode i liked having mickey back and meeting sarah jane and love a tiny bit of doctor angst and like the general Vibe of this episode is so good its one of my comfort episodes i would do ANYTHING for this episode y'all!!!!!!

3. The Idiot's Lantern - listen folks listen i LOVED the boy he was sweet and i loved the story and im always down for humbling bigots i loved rose and 10 sm and the setting was cool and i loved the way it's shot this is also such a comfort episode for me man i love it

4. Fear Her - listen i think this is kinda controversial BUT I LOVE THIS EPISODE its also a comfort episode, i love rose's characterisation and i loved the family it was sweet and i think the importance of the song was beautiful and i liked the idea of drawings coming back to life and i loved the mundane setting sm, also im not a timepetals fan but this episode was so cute man

5. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit - this story is SO GOOD the side characters are great and like my interpretation of the "satan" is that it's not necessarily like the _satan_ but a creature that is the idea for that like they say in the episode and like to me that's such a great thing, if i try to explain how i think about that, this post will become way too long so i won't, and i loved how 10 really was like i love humans and kinda reminded how everyone is amazing it was great

6. New Earth - I LOVE THIS EPISODE cassandra-rose and cassandra-doctor were great and i loved the story and the hopefulness and happiness of the ending i just love it so much

7. The Christmas Invasion - i rly like the story, it was great having harriet jones back and i loved how much mickey and jackie were in this, i liked the introduction to ten like baby, my son, you silly guy why are you quoting the lion king i absolutely adore you you silly little alien

8. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday - it was great having mickey back and the story is great, it had some funny moments i had a great time, visually i wasn't too much of a fan so that's part of why this is so low, like to me one important thing is the visual aesthetic, the ending was rly sad and i need people to talk more about the doomsday theme it's SO GOOD it's so haunting and beautiful i'm going insane fr

9. Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel - i like this story but tbh i'm not a big fan, somehow the overall Vibe™ is just not slaying for me, like somehow im a huge cyberman hater i'm not sure why, and idk i'm just not the biggest fan of this

10. Tooth and Claw - idk i'm not a huge fan of this episode, it's enjoyable and i like it while watching but overall i'm not a fan of the story, i'm not one for werewolves so maybe that's why, rose's outfit ate tho slay queen i loved it

11. Love & Monsters - even tho this is the last one, i do like it on some level, LINDA was SO ADORABLE and if we had followed them being silly this would 100% be a story i really like and also jackie tyler was great, but i don't like the absorbaloff. i just dont. also the ending 😁 you do what 😁

there we are then!!! here are my opinions:D

[aunelson]

Movie reviews series #1

As part of an English assignment, I will be posting a series of movie and soundtrack reviews, and then analyzing the combination of each movie and how well its soundtrack fits.

The first movie I watched was the 2014 Sci-Fi Thriller, "Interstellar". Firstly, I loved the movie! Christopher Nolan directed the movie, and he did a great job! WARNING: MOVIE SPOILERS AHEAD. The story takes place on Earth as it is on the brink of an apocalypse. The world has a food crisis, and schools are only training kids to be farmers. All sorts of propaganda are spread about the moon landings being faked and brainwashing people into believing that there is no chance for society to live amongst the stars. Our main character, Cooper used to be a pilot for NASA but now lives on a farm with his dad and children. Due to some strange gravitational anomalies, he and his daughter Murph find coordinates spelled out in dust piles on Murph's bedroom floor that give coordinates to a mysterious destination. Cooper and Murph travel to those coordinates to discover NASA working in a secret facility. There, Cooper agrees to pilot a mission that will travel through a wormhole to another solar system to look for habitable planets. That is just the beginning of the story and there are so many cool details and moments, that I couldn't bring myself to write a "short summary" in less than 5 pages, so I'll leave it at that. Now, on to the soundtrack.

The soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer, one of the greatest composers of our generation. I listened to the whole soundtrack a couple times, and it was amazing how well the emotion of each piece was displayed. There are songs with a lot of pace that just got my heart pumping immediately, but there were also songs that were more drawn out and created a somber mood. The song "Mountains" has one of my favorite details about the soundtrack that most people don't know. That is, when this song is playing, the characters are on a planet that experiences time dilation. It is explained that every hour spent on that planet is 7 years on Earth. In the song "Mountains" there is a prominent ticking sound every 1.25 seconds. Each tick is then equivalent to one day on Earth. It's details like this that truly separate average soundtracks and great ones.

Overall, the soundtrack was incorporated expertly into the movie. There are a few times when music is playing and then it suddenly cuts out when the camera switches to a view in outer space. Moments like that were very interesting and created a memorable effect. I can still visualize the movie when listening to the songs to this day. I would give the movie a 9 out of 10 as it is definitely one of my favorites of all time. The soundtrack gets a 10 out of 10 though, because listening to it, I cannot find a single note out of place. Overall, the combination of the two is perfect for me.

[heavenknowsffs]

alright folks here's my eurovision song ratings

Germany - wtf? so random 0/10

Lithuania - perfect for the original theme of eurovision which was "make fun of other countries" but the song is catchy 2/10

Russia - language points! awesome lyrics feminist bop 10/10

Australia - powerpuff girls in 2021 gay vibes but also child vibes cool visuals 4/10

Ireland - bland pop song 0/10

Cyprus - miley cyrus but in another country speaking spanish and english (WARNING for a lot of flashes in the official video) 5/10

Norway - bit sad, also on theme with previous eurovision vibes 2/10

Slovenia - this song is about castiel supernatural 6/10

North Macedonia - the gay man that saved us all 7/10

Croatia - 1/3 language points. bland because it's not entirely in croatian, the chorus is cool. visuals... pretty cool 7/10 (should be in croatian)

Belgium - weird af what y'all on? but also men ain't shit so 5/10

Isr*el - free palestine. the irony of the name of this song..... won't even comment on this one

Romania - billie eilish vibes but only visually? nice message in the lyrics 6/10

Azerbaijan - immaculate vibes, language points!! and yeah let's gooo 9/10

Ukraine - DUDE! YES. language points! the lyrics are so cool and the concept too 10/10

Malta - hot girl shit LET'S GOOOO lizzo vibes 8/10

San Marino - *beyonce gif* Flo Rida??? ana malhoa vibes (WARNING for flashes at the beginning, official music video) 7/10

Estonia - too straight and not even in their language. tony carreira of estonia 1/10

Czech Republic - 1/10 of language points, the video has a lot of movie references but i personally didn't like it that much 2/10

Greece - dude don't ride a horse like that (i fell off a horse yesterday this triggered me) i was too distracted by this flying horse to pay attention but it seemed it was going to be political and then wasn't so :/ 1/10

Austria - "amen i guess" ?? i'm not catholic sorry 2/10

Poland??? i don't know bitch - horrible song, looks like one of the brit entries 0/10

Moldova - it's about sex, weird af visuals, perfect for the old eurovision theme i miss making fun of other countries. they had the psy dance move as well. idk tik tok dance vibes. my friend says it gave him meghan trainor vibes (song) 3/10

Iceland (?) - also perfect for the old eurovision theme. power rangers who? little big vibes (if you don't know little big they had that weird song for russia last year). the lyrics are about love but the video is power ranger themed 4/10

Serbia - also about sex, pretty cool tho. language points! pretty girls (but that's a theme in every song ;) ) i think it's fun because it's not in english (WARNING for flashes in the official video) 7/10

Bulgaria - pretty song and has a sweet message at the end 6/10

Georgia - i though it was gonna be a cover of dream a little dream of me. needless to say i was disappointed. the guy looks portuguese af 2/10

Albania - powerful voice. language points! also religious but very pretty even though i didn't understand the lyrics all that well 8/10

Portugal - listen. i have a lot of opinions because this is my country but LISTEN. i will never forgive them for not bringing a song in portuguese (and there were good ones) BUT after hearing every song and deliberating i do believe we have one of the top 5 songs 10/10 (also thanks spanish hermanitos for the love in the comments i see you <3)

Finland - finland you have my love. this song is too good for eurovision, sadly i don't think it will go far but it's on my top 3. i do hope it wins or is at least in the running for winning! (i also thought this about our salvador sobral and we won so ;) we never know do we?) 11/10

Latvia - great voice but the background voice is super annoying. there's a lot of diversity in the video and it was a nice message 6/10

Switzerland - (WARNING for car accidents in the official video) depressing af, the video doesn't fit the song lyrics imo. language points! the video is beautiful 5/10

Denmark - super weird and i think it's about sex, there's no video so yeah it's a normal dance song for me. language points! 5/10

France - cute lyrics i loved the way they relate to the video, it's pretty. language points! 6/10

The Netherlands - it's cool but not my fave. the video is pretty too and i loved the dances 6/10

Italy - ITALYYYYY OH MY FUCKING GODDDDDDD. this is my favourite the bissexuals stay winning <3 the song, the lyrics, the video, language points!, all perfect, even heard it twice 20/10 (minor warning for the end of the video it has some stuff involving eyes and bugs)

Spain - so sweet and language points! fernando daniel vibes 8/10

UK - didn't even get through half of the song and went back to finland's song, don't talk to me 0/10

overall my faves are italy, finland and portugal followed closely by russia and malta. overall in the videos lesbians stay winning it's all pretty girls 😭😭

[wickymicky]

my top 10 favorite kpop singles of the first half of 2021

i did one of these at the end of march, for the first quarter of the year, and this is my update for the second quarter, which obviously is also the first half of the year lol. so like, that’s kind of a big deal, we already know half of all the kpop that will be released this year, and im starting to have strong favorites that all the stuff from the second half of the year will have to struggle to beat, haha. 

rather than do a big thing like my year-end list that i did at the end of 2020, i’m gonna limit myself to just three sentences per song for songs 10-6, and five sentences for the top 5 songs haha. if these songs are good enough, and they stay high on my list all the way through to the end of the year, then i’ll post big full-size reviews of them then, i guess. or if you want to know more of what i think about something, or why i put something where i did, feel free to ask me about it lol, i love having discussions about this kind of stuff

anyway here’s the list

10: Lunarsolar - DADADA This is kind of a surprise pick for me lol, and I’d be lying if I said that at least half of the reason I wanted to include it here wasn’t just because I want more people to know about this song, and also to surprise people with an interesting pick haha. But genuinely, I think this song is really solid, there aren’t many flaws with it that I can even think of, and I’ve listened to it a ton since it came out. It’s such a fun song, and if you like girl groups and you don’t know this song, then I highly recommend it haha

9: Rocket Punch - Ring Ring When I saw the teaser images, I thought this would be a disco concept, and like it kind of is... but only in the visuals lmao, the song seems pure 80s synthwavey stuff, more like Everglow La Di Da than GFriend Mago (and I’m into that, personally haha). This was a really cool comeback for this group, and I’m continuing to get more and more into them with each new thing they do! I don’t really have a lot to say about it, but it’s just fun and catchy and bright and loud and good, and yeah, it’s a song I’ve really enjoyed listening to a lot, which is really all that you need in order to make it on this list, you know?

8: Cherry Bullet - Love So Sweet This song feels really simple to me, but in a good way! It really feels like the songwriter(s) had a really good idea one day, and wrote a song for it immediately, rather than trying to start a song and come up with ideas as they went haha. It feels like everything in the song is in service to that underlying idea, and everything helps bring it to life more

7: Itzy - In the Morning (or Mafia in the Morning, whichever you prefer. I just tend to call it “Mafia” and nothing else, lol) Okay this one might be kind of a hot take, cause I’ve seen people be prettttty divided on this song, but I personally love it haha. Sure, the lyrics are corny as hell, but that’s nothing new for kpop, and I do think the use of the mafia game as a song motif is kind of interesting, I suppose. But honestly the biggest reason why I love it is the production haha, cause damn this song hits hard and the instrumental just sounds so cool (as do the bsides! their Guess Who mini album is my album of the year so far for sure, no question)

6: Fromis 9 - We Go I’m so glad Fromis came back with this song, and I feel like it’ll be a really meaningful song for me in time. This period of time right now, when we’re starting to feel like progress is being made in the fight against this virus that’s been dominating our lives for a year and a half... I think this song captures that feeling perfectly, possibly without even necessarily trying to. It sounds like a sigh of relief, meeting friends who you haven’t seen in a long time, or just the reassurance that even though many people are still very much in quarantine and taking things very seriously, this won’t be forever and there is still good in the world... that’s what it sounds like to me 

5: TRI.BE - Rub-a-Dum This one was kind of a surprise for me lol, cause I wasn’t expecting to like a song with this title this much. I like Doom Doom Ta, and I would have put it relatively high on this list if Rub-a-Dum hadn’t come out afterwards, but I feel like this song does everything that Doom Doom Ta did but better, and in a bit more of an interesting way. It was written by Shinsadong Tiger and LE from EXID (just as Doom Doom Ta was) and I think this song has LE’s touch all over it, in the best way. I love that this song is kind of experimental, cause like it only has one verse... it goes Intro > Verse > Prechorus > Chorus > Bridge > Final Chorus haha, and i think that’s mostly so that you can luxuriate in that chorus drop as much as possible. The song just really works for me overall, it’s super solid and I just couldn’t deny that it’s in my top 5 favorite songs of the year so far. 

4: Dreamcatcher - Odd Eye As soon as this song came out, it was another moment of “Wow, Dreamcatcher just put out the song of the year right at the beginning”, just like they did in 2020 lol. But as the year has gone on, I think I’m not as into this song as I was into Scream and Boca (the other two from Dreamcatcher’s Dystopia trilogy, with Scream being my SOTY last year). But like... a Dreamcatcher comeback that I feel is just fairly decent and not one of my most favorites... still gets it to 4th place overall haha. That’s just Dreamcatcher’s power, even the songs I’m not as obsessed with are ones that I still get pretty obsessed with. I love this vibe, it’s a really different take on a cyberpunk-y genre from other kpop songs that have dabbled in it, and overall I think every member slayed this (especially Handong who made her triumphant return this comeback!)

3: Weeekly - After School Okay, I’ve been pretty conflicted on this song, because even though initially I wasn’t sure how much I would get into it, it nevertheless is my single most-listened-to song of 2021 so far. Part of that is how much I love Weeekly, part of that is how fun the performances were to watch (and I’m counting watching those as listens to the song lol), but also I think it really did grow on me quite a bit, and I was even considering it to be my favorite of the year for a while. It’s a lot of fun, it’s really catchy, and it’ll probably go down as one of their most iconic and fan-favorite comebacks. It’s the kind of song that’ll get stuck in your head for weeks. It’s just very very very very... Weeekly, haha. 

2: Everglow - First This song is a fucking whirlwind, and it really beat the shit out of me just like the members do to the camera in the music video lmao. It’s pretty different from La Di Da, which has become one of my favorite kpop songs ever, but I really really like it too. I feel like First is what Everglow were going for with Adios and Dun Dun, but fully realized, in a more complete form. I love how high their budget seems to be now, and I love how they seem to be really coming into their own as a group, I feel like this is the Everglow they were always meant to be. Honestly, I could see this maybe becoming my SOTY by the end of the year, and it’s very close (within 10 or so) to being my most-listened song of the year, but I do still think it’s too soon to say for sure haha

1: STAYC - ASAP This was such a hard decision to make, because honestly the top 4 on this list were all really strong contenders for first place, but after a lot of thought, I’ve decided that ASAP is the one I feel like I’m the least likely to change my mind on. I’ve listened to this song every single day since it came out, except for like 4 or so, which means that even though I’ve listened to it less than the three songs below it on this list, I’ve listened to it more consistently than any of them... I just have not gotten tired of it. It’s such a breath of fresh air for kpop. It’s kind of minimalist because it really doesn’t have any extra stuff, it’s very streamlined and it knows exactly what it is and that’s all it needs to be, and that makes for a very satisfying listen, in my opinion. This song sounds like what heart-shaped things look like. ASAP ❤︎

[becomeawendybird]

Fic Writer Questions

I was tagged by @allwaswell16!

1) How many works do you have on AO3? Approx. 57

2) What’s your total AO3 word count? 896,137

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they? 1

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Small Doses (Loving You It's Explosive)

Tell Me This is Paradise

Buried Like Treasure

I've Always Like the Fireworks (Um... who knew this had this many kudos?)

Far Afield

5) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Personally, I think it's But Now Together, We're Alone because it's mostly unresolved by design. SPOILER The prompt was based on the song Stockholm Syndrome and Harry goes back even though nothing has changed and the court is still super toxic because Louis is the sun king and Harry is what he wants so that's what he gets.

6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Literally all of them? But, I tend to fade out pretty early into them getting together in any fic on the assumption that yes, from here on out they're together, the end. I could go with my most cathartic endings which are probably my longer fics because they have more build up. Here are the ones I think are most cathartic:

After Dark, After Light

Lend Me Your Hand

The Earl and His Duke

Buried Like Treasure

One Minute to Midnight

7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I've written two Harry Potter-verse fics:

Sun-Dappled

Drop to Hold You

and my Bon Appétit-verse...

Felt Nothing Like Home

I just realized that those are both problematic now, haha. Cool.

Ooh! Also a pseudo Agent Carter-verse.

In a Little Bit of Trouble

An argument can be made for a Pirates of the Caribbean-verse.

She's Never Been One to Stay At Home

8) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes, definitely. Also "what kind" is an interesting question. You want some wlw? A little BDSM? Blow jobs? I got something for everyone.

9) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Haaaaaaa. This came up the other day. I do respond to comments... about twice a year. I'm terrible at taking/responding to a compliment and have terrible executive dysfunction which is a perfect storm for me. BUT I will say, I read and appreciate absolutely each and every single one.

10) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I have, and I pretty much knew it was inevitable? At the very least I'm glad it was a substantive argument and not just like... blind hate.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah every once in a while my longer or more popular fics pop up on Wattpad. Somehow never the wildly popular wlw one, though. Funny how that works.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, I don't tend to allow translations. Mostly because I don't like that I can't guarantee they're not changing or twisting my words, which is absolutely NOTHING against the people who actually spend their time doing this. Just a control thing!

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yeah! With twenty of my closest friends for @louandhazaf!

Wine Not?

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

Louis/Harry! Pretty much why I'm here. But I read Sterek every once in awhile because this fandom has a surprising lack of werewolf fics.

15) What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Oh, man. I'm going to change this a little: I have two WIPs that I'm definitely GOING to finish: Buried Like Treasure 2 and my Pirate AU that was supposed to be for the Omega Harry fic fest.

16) What are your writing strengths?

I've gotten a lot of compliments on my pacing in longer fics and I think my dialogue. Also, the statistics have made it clear I'm pretty good at wlw smut, ha.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not very visual -- we had a whole long (super interesting!) conversation about mental visualization in one of my group chats and it turns out... I don't have that gene, haha. I think it comes across in my writing too. You might not know what they're wearing at every single moment or what the room looks like, but you'll always know how they feel!

18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I'll drop a word or a line but I will NEVER leave you as the reader without context clues as to what it means. You should never not know! This is a big pet peeve of mine.

19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

One Direction

20) What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

This is a really tough question... I think overall my absolute favorite is my newest long fic The Earl and His Duke because I came up in the world reading romance novels and it's the closest to a traditional one that I have. BUT that's my latest fic so is that why? I'm not really sure.

I think also Buried Like Treasure is high up there, and the most underrated of all of mine that's also very high up on the list of my favorites is One Minute to Midnight. I think people might get put off by the age gap in that one, but if they were to actually read it they might see that 1) there's no mental age gap because Louis is cursed into an older body but his mind is the same age 2) everything is strictly professional while there is an age gap and both parties are respectful of that 3) Both parties are hella confused by this weird pull towards each other and ponder the ethical quandary of it all

---

I'm going to tag @lululawrence @sadaveniren @londonfoginacup @disgruntledkittenface @crinkle-eyed-boo @laynefaire @jaerie and @a-brighter-yellow

[insomnihan]

han’s Entire Thoughts & Feelings on TWICE’s “Alcohol-Free”

I LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it has been eighty four (84) f uCKING YEARS since my last review post (lit rally when dreamcatcher released odd eye………………) BUT IM B A C K

ALRIGHT SO- (again)

i had to look up the genre of the song first to understand what it is and if im remembering correctly its called bossa nova and i DIG IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ill be honest tho it did take a second listen of the song listen the jyp whisper i cannot stand- but OFC there were SO MANY catchy sections that s hit got stuck in my head SO quick listen the part where they list all those driNKS CHAMPAGNE WINE TEQUILA MARGARITA MOJITO WITH LIME SWEET MIMOSA PIÑA COLADA Y E T theyre not actually talking about drinking actual drinks but being drunk on love and s hit like that yknow SYMBOLISM™- the instrumentaL TS VERY LIGHT and i wanna describe it as bubbly like a drink yknow????????? the drums are pleasant and the bells and the guitar sounds and synths (???) and the horn THERES A LOT™ YET ENOUGH TO KEEP THAT SUMMERY LIGHT RELAXING FEELING

the rap wasnt too jarring or out of place tho i honestly still dont really know how to feel?????? as it keeps going i do start liking it more mayhaps bc the cut off after the chorus is sort of unexpected??????? thats personally for me like that ‘yo’ made me go like 😮😮😮 every time so i like chaeyoungs part more than dahyuns i think-

yes yes i know ‘thats what you do to me’ I K N O W

THE DANCE OKAY I NEED I MEAN I N E E D TO TALK ABOUT THIS PART FIRST PART DURING DAHYUNS RAP AT THE START WHERE THEY MAKE THE BAR AND MINA MAKES THE DRINK AND GIVES IT TO DAHYUN THATS PRETTY COOL TBH- okay im done as for the rest of the dance its pretty fitting for the song!!! it doesnt really have that ‘k*ller move’ yknow (like in fancy that one move yknow) but the dance does its job and goes with the overall vibe of the song- its a lot of swaying movement and like that first half of listing the drinks where the movements are like visualizing making the drinks i dunno i thought that was pretty cool!!!!!!

i think the visuals will be a shorter section in this posts since its really all colorful and shiny places and then next to the beach and the bar- i noticed its all of little pattern stuff????????? its a lot of intricate patterns or flowers and a lot of props of lounge chairs and umbrellas and couches and tables and fruits and trees and all the glasses and bottles ofc and then suddenly GIANT GLASS and a car with whatever that was floating above them???????? and then that one shiny place with the lights?????????? theres a lot of aesthetics in one video tho theyre not too different from each other

T H E M

LOVE THESE WOMEN LIVING A HOT GIRL SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CANT BELIEVE NAYEON JUST???????? LOOKS LIKE THAT??????????? LIKE THAT LIKE THAT??????? PLSSSS THE BRAID AND THE PINK OUTFIT DURING THE FIRST CHORUS DANCE IS SHE SERIOUS- AND THEN 1:50…………… i cant speak- (im gonna be talking about white outfits a lot…………) i will not and cannot begin with the blue shorts look youre not gonna make me begin-

jeongYEON OH MY G O D THE PURPLE (???) STREAKS SMALL BRAIDS WITH THAT RED SHE IS SO STUUUUUUUUUNNIIIIIIIIIINNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i can honestly go on for an ENTIRE paragraph for this look alone but i WONT) might i say that the white one thats short in the front and long in the back………… be still my Dumb of Ass™ heart

MOMO BETTER STOP RN RIGHT THIS INSTANT SO I DONT D WORD IMMEDIATELY- the first fiVE (5) SECONDS WERE F UCKING UNDER ATTACK- i dunno what it is okay but its that beige??? light brown??? outfit……… the high ponytail thats also kinda wavy……… then the light blue crop top and dark blue shorts and the red headband mY SOUL IS GONE-

sana sana saNA SANA S A N AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! THE SHORT PINK DRESS- I LOVE THIS HAIR COLOR ON HER SHE IS SO UNREAL ANOTHER WHITE DRESS THAT ENDED ME COMPLETELY THE ONE AT 1:10 the white dress the red flowers all over it with the red feather fan………… and then the pink one…………… and then just existing so beautifully on the beach heLP ME-

JIHYO HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my bias looking SO good 🥴🥴🥴 its the white and sparkly dress with the red flower in her hair and on her cheeks while shes sitting in that glass for me- but that blue and white and gold outfit stooooooooooop 😩😩😩 SHE LOOKS LIKE SUCH A GODDESS™ FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THIS WHOLE VIDEO STOP IT™ ITS FOR MY HEALTH

I SWEAR TO YOU MINA HAS BEEN GETTING TO ME RECENTLY WHAT THE F UCK IS SHE ON ABOUT???????? MY HEART HERE TAKE THE S HIT YKNOW WHAT I DONT NEED IT- im litreally struggling to breathe the dark pink (???) and black with the headband and the star earrings i CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE 😩

DAHYUN NO STOP I CANT- THE WHITE DRESS WITH THE PRETTY PATTERNS????????? WITH THE PEARLS AROUND HER NECK THE PINK AND RED FLOWERS IN HER HAIR?????????? YES IM TALKING ABOUT 1:33- yes yes that lip bite k*lled me thanks for asking- the blue one with the beads and the braids my brain is lit rally struggling to Function™ rn-

CHAEYOUNG SHUT THE F UCK UP THE PINK HAIR??????? ARE YALL SEEING HER?????? ill be frank im pissed that shes got f ucKING SLEEVES ON FOR THIS tell me you hate me without saying you hate me😔 if I MUST CHOOSE LOOKS I LIKED its the long wavy with the flower in her hair in that off shoulder?????? (2:35…………… my beloved-) and then the yellow……… the yellow is smoething else………

RED IS THE™ COLOR TZUYU I SAID WHAT I F UCKING SAID SHE REALLY REALLY™ HAD TO POP UP AT 1:00 AND DO THAT SHE LOOK SO GOOD WITH BROWN HAIR AND THAT LIPSTICK- (i can go on and on forever about this look too but I WONT™) the short white and blue and goLD IM LOSING IT IK I K N O W

LIKE this is certainly different from what were used to with twices title tracks BUT does that mean its bad???????? ABSOLUTELY F UCKING NOT its a good song overall!!!!!!!!!!!! the instrumental is great their singing is GREAT the dance is GREAT AND FITS THE SONG and it gives off such a chill vibe and overall feel like tbh i wont listen to it very much but i wont skip it in my playlist bc this kind of chill vibe is very specific- i personally dont have any complaints for this song and its all in all a good ✨Hot Girl Summer Time✨

IN CONCLUSION: IM DRUNK IN THIS SUMMER BANGER (DRINK RESPONSIBLY)

[bluejaywriter]

Guess who re-listened to the entire ZSJL (all 4 hours)

Me. The answer is me.

Thoughts while listening to ZSJL the second time:

Intro/Part 1: “Should be called “The Amazons””

1. Philippus got the first line of ZSJL (“Alert the Queen!”), unless you count Clark going “URRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH” fifty times, or the Amazons going “OOH-AHH! when the motherbox first goes off.

2. Bruce “Vain” trolololol you probably think this movie’s about you, don’t you, don’t you

3. I wish they did more with Lois in this movie. I was pretty happy with what they gave to Iris and Elinore and the Amazons, but Lois did seem pretty stuck in her “mourning for Superman” mode. Which, okay. But also, ehh.

4. Also I only know Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from that one Harry Potter scene.

5. Has anyone actually counted how many times the Ancient Lamentation Music™ shows up.

6. Why does Wondy’s theme have a cooler synth in this movie than in her movie that’s literally set in the 80s.

7. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Hippolyta? I should mention it more often. She deserves good things (better things than this damn universe seems to want her to have :P).

8. I love that Menalippe is the one calling the Amazons back to their marks. That’d be Antiope’s job if she were here :(

9. Damn even the Amazons get a cool synth theme.

10. But it really is interesting that Junkie XL went with a synth instead of just a straight-up orchestral sound, or even the more tribal sound he seemed to be going for in other parts.

11. I appreciate that the Amazon fighting sounds aren’t like… you know. How most female fighting sounds are in media.

Part 2: “Artemis needs her own movie”

12. I don’t like Steppenwolf’s voice

13. God I’m so glad they got rid of all the Joss lines :P

14. You’d think after 100 years in Man’s World, Diana would have some better excuses up her sleeve e.g. “I sat inside reading a book all weekend” or “I watched a vintage TV show” like God, Diana. Do better.

15. Every time they say “quarantine” in this movie I feel things I’m not supposed to feel.

16. I still don’t get the Aquaman song when he’s taking off his shirt. It just… is a weird fit.

17. I’m glad we got an Aquaman movie before this. It… would’ve been confusing without it. Like, who’s this random long-haired dude.

18. “Dessad, Dessad, I call to thee” is how I start Zoom calls now.

19. I really like Dessad’s voice. It just… it’s nasally enough to be, oh so it’s this character. You just know who he is from the moment he speaks.

20. I dislike WonderBat very strongly but like. Ehh. I get that people like it, and it’s more canon-supported than any of my ships, that’s for sure.

21. I kind of wish we’d gotten the scene where the Amazon turns into a parademon. Or whoever it was.

22. Just listening to the movie makes me realize how grunty Darkseid is. I wish he had some language (maybe he is speaking Apokoliptian? And I’m just uneducated?).

Part 3: “Ray Fisher needs to do audiobooks”

23. I think Barry/Iris’ song is the first one I felt like the pop song really worked with the scene.

24. The football scene was the first part in the movie where I was like, okay the soundtrack is pretty good. It’s not as strong or memorable as Hans Zimmer’s on the last two Snyder DC films, but it does a reasonably good job supporting the film.

25. Ray Fisher has such a beautiful voice.

26. The whole Cyborg sequence is one of my favorite things ever. 2nd or 3rd favorite scene after the Speedforce.

27. I don’t have a lot of patience for Barry, in general. He’s less awkward than in the Josstice League, but he’s still on thin ice.

28. I feel like Arthur’s background scenes are the weakest overall. It might be because we got an entire Aquaman movie, but I also feel like I would’ve been really confused if I hadn’t seen that movie first.

Part 4: “Exposition and stuff”

29. There’s really not a lot of dialogue in this movie. Like. A LOT of things are just visual storytelling. It makes just listening to the movie interesting.

30. Okay, but did anyone else think that Martha Kent had a stronger Southern accent in her scene with Lois? Like, I know it’s someone trying to do his best impression of a Kansas farmer, but... like, sometimes in the past movies she’ll have a slight Midwestern twang, but it’s never quite Southern, and it’s throwing me off.

30. I… get that Superman is like the big deal but it really doesn’t make sense to me that the Apokoliptians never came back in the 5000ish years that Superman WASN’T active. I mean he was only Supermanning for what, less than two years? You literally have a 5000 year-old warrior on your team, I wonder how we can utilize that time frame in a way that make more sense... :P

Part 5: “But what if I don’t care about Superman”

31. I just feel like the part where they’re bringing Superman back is the most boring part lol

32. I also don’t like that Lois JUST gets back on her feet and then… Clark shows up again surprise motherfucker

33. I’m curious what the point was of Aquaman pushing against waking up the Motherbox and Bruce pushing back. Like. Does anything come from that.

34. Okay. This is 1.5 years of writing the Goddess of Death talking, but I kind of strongly dislike that they brought Clark back like this instead of doing the honorable thing and actually going to the Underworld to beg for him back. Like. The JL honestly deserved to get their assess kicked for trying to cheat Death like that. Also it would’ve been cathartic for Arthur’s “no one getting back without trading one in return” line to come into fruition with Bruce dying and then Clark getting his memories back immediately afterward when Lois appeared. Take that Batman

35. Batman, you dumb fuck, the safeword isn’t “Clark” or “This world needs you” it’s “SAVE MARTHA”

36. I’m bored.

Part 6: “The Flash scene”

37. Honestly, am I the only one who doesn’t care about Superman? He’s a side character in this movie. Give me more Cyborg scenes. He just lost his father for God’s sake. Why didn’t we get the scene of Victor figuring out how to get the plane to fly?

38. Although, I have to say when Supes shows up it’s a fun fight. Did he have to punch Steppenwolf so many times tho. It’s fucking brutal.

39. I have no complaints about anything. Forget everything I ever said. This Flash scene. God.

40. Oh good, Cyborg is back. Let’s stay with this guy for a bit. He’s neat.

41. I love that Arthur and Diana both got their dues for Steppy attacking/tormenting their respective peoples.

42. A Hall of Justice/recap scene would’ve been nice. Like we didn’t actually get to see all six of the League just sitting together (eating pie at Ma Kent’s diner) and celebrating.

43. I’m so glad the outro is Silas instead of Lois. It just feels right.

44. I actually prefer Henry Allen’s “Look at you go” line to the “His foot’s in the door” bit. Don’t tell anyone I said that

45. HI DUSTY

46. Man… I hope they don’t kill Hippolyta in a future movie (says me who’s killed Hippolyta in most of my own DC universes)

47. Why does the fake Luthor have such a Joker-esque laugh.

48. I don’t actually care about the Joker. Maybe if I did, then I would care about this scene.

49. Well that was fun.

ALM* final count: 19 appearances

*Ancient Lamentation Music

[ascalonianpicnic]

30 questions: GW2 edition

I was tagged by @just-eyris-things and @where-is-caithe to fill out @pr-gw2 ‘s lovely question set <3 which i took forever to get to riiiip but here we go~

You can draw, write (to explain in details or not) or just post screenshots! If you miss one it’s totally okay, whether it’s by lack of answer or time. Have fun!

1. Favorite living world season? while I think 4 was probably better in terms of writing and gameplay, I think lws3 is still my favorite. It was the first new story updates I got to experience in game and @mystery-salad and I played all the updates together so it was really fun! It’s just a really nostalgic season for me

2. Favorite expansion? Path of Fire. It’s really good man, it’s so good and so pretty and the plot I’m <3

3. Favorite soundtrack? Alpine Marches!

4. First profession you played? Necromancer! I’d say it was an excellent choice~

5. First race you played? Sylvari, and I still main her to this day~

6. Favorite Destiny’s Edge character? It was originally Caithe, and I love Zojja a lot, but after a ton of hate Eir got back in April and May, I’m an Eir stan now. That’s my milf and she’s amazing

7. Favorite Dragon’s Watch character? Kasmeer currently~

8. Favorite Elder Dragon? Jormag, sorry for being massively gay for them

9. Best boss fight (story)? Probably the fight with Balthazar at the start of the Departing? Though to be honest I’m a huge fan of all of the Balthazar fights, his mechanics are really fun and his visuals and dialogue are *chefs kiss*

10. Best boss fight (fractal)? High Priestess Amala, it’s such an interesting fight but such a fucking tragic one

11. Best boss fight (raid)? I’ve only fought Cairn and never won but he’s cool. Based purely of aesthetics, Samarog is my wife, and I am very interested in Dhuum and the Soulless Horror

12. PvE or PvP or RP? RP my man, y’all hit me up for some rp Please

13. Favorite canon couple? Kas n Jory~

14. Favorite fanon/self made couple? for oc/oc it’s def Aildyn and @mystery-salad​‘s Matthias, and for oc/canon, Rhosill and Canach just hit a warm spot in me

15. Favorite quote? “They’ll write more songs about you. Keep your legend alive. I’ll find whoever did this. I promise.” Norn pc to Almorra’s body in Whisper in the Dark, I did in fact tear up hard at that

16. Most emotional cinematic?  Hard to say, since none of the most emotional moments for me were cinematics, but dialogue over action that adds to scenes, like leaving Blish in the Mists, or Executioner Amala’s death, where you and Braham are just stuck in space together for a few minutes after. That said, maybe when Braham pushes you free of Joko’s spell and takes your place so you can fight? Was that a cinematic?

17. Favorite VA? Sumalee Montano, the voice of Marjory

18. Post a fun screenshot! uvu

19. Post a landscape screenshot! It’s the best I’ve got on this laptop sorry ^^’

20. Most used mount(s)? the Skyscale, it was well worth the effort

21. Favorite mount skin (for every mount you have)?

Overall - Desert Scarab for the beetle

for the rest - Storm Ridge (raptor), Sun Temple Gecko (springer), Magnificent Hummingbird (skimmer), Stardust (jackal), Sky Bandit (griffon), Starclaw (warclaw), Shimmerwing (skyscale)

22. Favorite weapon? in general, i adore axes and how they’re used on every class with access to them. in terms of just skins, Sharur and the merciless focus are my two favorite skins.

23. Favorite gear set? Zodiac, definitely. I know it’s skimpy and ridiculous but I love it

24. Favorite title? “I’m rich, you know” is my dream title, but “good apple” is my favorite of the ones I have

25. Something you worked really hard to get? I made Chuka and Champawat this year!!!! It took forever

26. Favorite GW2 Youtuber / GW2 related video? now is my time to shill! @yolosmith​ has some really fun wvw roaming videos that you can find [here] !!!

27. Most used miniature? Mummy Legs

28. Most used novelty? The bouquet of roses~

29. Number of achievments points? 10,581 points, I don’t put in a ton of effort to gaining points for the sake of it

30. Something you’d love to see in GW2? I want More norn content! Especially anything about Forgal or his father since we’re meeting new followers of Ox/Dolyak

I’m not going to directly tag anyone since I literally have no clue who has and hasn’t done it and I’m late to the party, but if you see this, I’m tagging you to do it, fight me

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Idol Edition)

2020 was shit. But oh boy, at least the music was good.

And it took us a good while to decide on these lists.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high but deserves your attention!

Like last year we have a separate post for Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks in 2020 and a list for the Top 10 K-Dramas in 2020 in our opinion, which will drop in the coming days.

Some of the artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (like N.FLYING, SF9 and OH MY GIRL), so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

APRIL “LALALILALA”

APRIL is a very well-rounded girl group but their talents have been squandered by DSP’s mismanagement in recent years. With DSP seeming to try again and with member Naeun’s meteoric rise thanks to acting in webdrama hit “A-TEEN” and the internationally loved K-Drama “Extraordinary You”, “LALALILALA” seemed like the song to finally give APRIL the awards they deserve. Except it did not, which is an absolute shame because “LALALILALA” is easily one of the strongest girl group tracks this year. The futuristic synths and snappy drum instrumental made for a delightful pop track and reminded us of DSP’s heydays of churning out similarly pristine and impactful tracks for KARA and Rainbow. If you were a fan of past DSP girl group bops like KARA’s “Pandora” and "STEP”, this is the song for you!

Cherry Bullet “Hands Up”

Whoever thought of putting “Beethoven” and “girl crush concept” together should get a raise at FNC Entertainment because it worked. Sampling Beethoven’s famous piece “Für Elise” in different parts of the instrumental using different instruments ranging from synths to different keyboards, the producer was able to provide rookie girl group Cherry Bullet with a hip-hop heavy girl crush banger that is catchy and fun. Also, it is clear the girls of Cherry Bullet really enjoy this song, exuding confidence and charm in the choreography and overall performance. After a few listens, you would be nodding to this addictive song and body rolling to the chorus. If you are a fan of girl crush songs, you have to listen to “Hands Up!”

Cignature “ASSA”

Honestly, we are annoyed with C9 Entertainment scrapping the highly talented girl group Good Day after merely one song and their relatively strong run on KBS’ “The UNIT” and re-debuting only some of the girls in Cignature under their sub-label J9. However, we cannot deny that “ASSA” is a powerful track. It is many things at the same time - it covered the quirky girl group demographic with the cute and somewhat bratty sounding introduction where the girls seem to be talking and singing at the same time, then a somewhat mature buildup came out of nowhere with a more raspy and charismatic delivery on the vocals front before an aggressively girl crush drop begins the chorus carried by the members feeling themselves (specifically their hair) with attitude. If you love the quirky sound of fromis_9 and Oh My Girl but also want some OG girl crush energy like 4MINUTE, “ASSA” is your song!

CSVC “No Mercy”

Okay, CSVC is not really an “idol” group in the traditional sense. A project group made up of 4 indie artists (CHEEZE's Dalchong, Stella Jang, Lovey and Park Moonchi), CSVC tries to recreate the 90s girl group sound of legends like S.E.S, Fink.L and Baby VOX and we are here for it. Not only do all four members have the pipes to carry the early K-Pop sound that has heavy RnB influences, they went all out in the song production with the retro reverbs littered throughout the track and new jack-swing inspired intro. The MV was also a love letter to 90s K-Pop girl groups with the intense use of flares, extreme use of lighting, the “futuristic” sets seemingly made of tin-foil and the members all donning all black or all white outfits. If you are a huge fan of 90s K-Pop, CSVC’s “No Mercy” is the song for you!

ELRIS “JACKPOT”

Honestly, we have no idea what the hell HUNUS Entertainment is doing with ELRIS but even with the mismanagement, they continuously give ELRIS great songs and “JACKPOT” is easily one of the best girl group songs of the year. It builds up from silky vocals to strong rap, which is followed by wonderful harmonisation before we dive into a two-part chorus which made use of the members’ strong vocals as well as gave us catchy moments to sing along to. The music video is also a delight, with the girls dancing on a stage built to look like a roulette. The addition of the 2 members also made ELRIS’ already powerful stages even more impactful. We have been hearing rumours of disbandment but we hope it is not true. If you want to listen to the definition of a well-rounded and fun K-pop girl group track, ELRIS’ “JACKPOT” is THAT SONG!

IMFACT “Lie”

IMFACT is truly a strong boy band with great vocals and strong song production skills of their own yet they CONTINUE to be SLEPT on. I mean being managed by Star Empire Entertainment does not help but it is ridiculous how little domestic and international support they have. They have a distinct sound which they continue in “Lie” - electropop infused with K-Pop song structures and a generous use of unique drums patterns. If you love electropop and K-Pop, it is time to stan IMFACT and check out this amazing song!

NATURE “Girls”

Maybe n.CH Entertainment go a boost in Mnet money after taking on the job to manage TOO after Mnet’s “To Be World Klass” show because their budget really went up and it shows in NATURE’s “Girls”. This song is truly a masterpiece. The chorus is like what you would expect of a club banger EDM track but the verses are made up of clean vocals exhibiting anguish and longing over a relatively simple beat and the bridge was orchestral instrumentals mixed with the drumming of a marching band and the loud chants of the girls. The music video is also simple yet haunting. If you like the darker tracks of 9MUSES and RAINBOW like “Sleepless Night” and “Black Swan” but also the electronic sound of Berry Good in “Don’t Believe” days, this is the song for you for you!

ONEWE “End of Spring”

We need more bands making it in mainstream K-Pop and ONEWE’s “End of Spring” gives us another reason why we think so. “End of Spring” is a breath of fresh air in this year of mainly 80s retro dance tracks and hip-hop heavy pop songs in the K-Pop world, as it instead went for a pop rock sound more reminiscent of American pop rock acts like Train in “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” and One Republic in “Counting Stars” but with a dose of the energy in a teen summer party. If you enjoy a fun pop rock song, ONEWE’s “End of Spring” is the song for you!

OnlyOneOf “dOra maar”

OnlyOneOf is a rookie group with a lot of potential given their heavily alternative RnB and overall escape room-esque sound. They had many great songs in 2020 with wonderful music videos but our favourite here at K-Pop Timeout has to be the MV-less “dOra maar”. This laid back and smooth song showcases each member’s unique vocals and sounds more like a top Korean RnB artist experimental collaboration than a K-Pop boy band song. Also, it is always fun to see K-Pop artists take inspiration from art and culture of different countries (the titular Dora Maar is a French photographer and the lover of Pablo Picasso). If you are mostly a Korean RnB fan, OnlyOneOf’s “dORa maar” might be your gateway drug into the idol scene!

Weki Meki “COOL”

Fantagio seems to be a bit unsure about which sound to give Weki Meki, as the group swings between aggressive and catchy girl crush songs to more generic cute summer songs like a pendulum. They should really consider keeping Weki Meki with the sound they found in “COOL” because the girls really carried this supermodel runway power walk song with poise and confidence. While we have seen boy bands dabble in the runway model sound such as IN2IT in “Snapshot”, SF9 in “Now or Never” and KNK in “Sunset”, we have actually rarely seen girl groups going for this expensive sound. Additionally, the music video for this song is powerful, with the scene of the girls facing each other and vogueing in a long dark room being highly memorable. If you love power girl crushes or any of these boy band songs we have mentioned above, you would really like this song!

Special Mentions of Underrated Debuts:

There were many strong debuts this year and I would like to mention 2 underrated rookie groups to look out for in 2021!

Male - E’LAST “Tears of Chaos”

While more and more male groups are debuting with either badass or cute images, E’LAST decided to enter the K-Pop world with a highly orchestral sound. And the boys have the talent and visuals to carry such a dramatic and theatrical concept. Their label E Entertainment, also seems to have every intent to do the most for these boys, as seen in the production quality of their MVs. With these boys already dropping new material right now, you all should keep an eye on them! 

FEMALE - woo!ah! “Bad Girl”

With many strong female group debuts this year, you may have missed woo!ah!, from the small label of NV Entertainment. This small company in fact is led by SM China’s former CEO and this person certainly has an eye for talent because woo!ah! is a very balanced 5 member girl group that has a lot of potential to make it big. In fact, the group is beginning to develop an international following, with “Bad Girl” reaching #1 in the Vietnam's biggest music platform, edging out both aespa’s “Black Mamba” and BLACKPINK’s “Lovesick Girls”. They have already followed up with B-Side track promotions so check out these underrated rookies!

[ben-solo98]

I can’t believe anyone at Warner Bros thought it was a good idea to release the theatrical version of JUSTICE LEAGUE when this version exists. I’m glad Zack was allowed to come back and show us his true vision. It could just be the 4 hour runtime, but it feels like an epic from the classic days of Hollywood. I really like Zack Snyder, I think he's a visionary director. I also think he's overpraised and overhated at the same time. He has a very vocal and passionate fanbase who think he's a god of cinema and then there's an equally vocal group of people who think he's one of the worst things to ever happen to movies. I like him a reasonable amount. Even if I don't always love his movies in their entirety, he's puts some of the most beautiful visuals on screen that I've ever seen, especially in the comic book movie genre. He also made me appreciate Superman, I've loved superheroes my entire life, but I was mostly into Marvel when I was a kid and when I did venture over to DC it was primarily for Batman, couldn't care less about Superman. Boring. Until I sat in a packed theater in June of 2013 to watch MAN OF STEEL in IMAX 3D and Zack Snyder (and everyone else involved) blew my mind and finally made me understand/appreciate the character of Superman. I'll even defend that Kevin Costner death scene, I don't care. Supes is only a small part of this film, but all of the scenes featuring him and/or the supporting characters from his solo ouing were some of my favorites, because of what Zack and the cast (especially Henry Cavill) had set up in the previous two films, but also because it was usually underlined by Hans Zimmer's amazing Superman theme.

On paper, the story is very similar to the theatrical version, but it feels like a completely different film. I didn't hate the theatrical cut when it first came out, but it definitely felt like it was nowhere near what it could have been and the more time that has passed and more we've learned about the controversies behind the scenes of those reshoots, the more problems I've found myself having with it. There's a different tone to this cut and while it's still not a perfect film, it's executed 1,000 times better. There's only about 4 or 5 scenes that I think are exactly the same and obviously since this movie is twice as long it's mostly new footage. My two favorite scenes from the theatrical version were Wonder Woman's entrance and the History of the Mother Boxes. Both scenes were still present here, but they were extended, more brutal and all around more awesome. Which just proves you gotta let Zack complete his vision, he knows what he's doing. It also proves that most of what was likable about the last one was because of Zack. Ray Fisher as Cyborg was a big highlight for me the last time around. Another character I didn't really care about until I saw his portrayal of him, which really says something about how great of an actor he is because he's been very vocal about how he was mistreated making that version of the movie, plus his role wasn't nearly as significant, but he still came out as one of the only really great things about that film. He's even better here, we get some much needed backstory on his character and next to Superman, he's kind of the heart and soul of the movie, it all falls apart without him. And it's refreshing to see a black character like this portrayed in such a positive way, I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but I couldn't help but think that we don't really get to see black men cry much on screen. I really hope this isn't the last time we see him take on this role.

Ezra Miller as the Flash is a big step up as well, I didn't hate their interpretation in the last film, but the Flash was definitely my least favorite character. Wasn't ever excited about the character's upcoming solo film until now, my mind has been changed. Ezra Miller is a very solid Barry Allen and brings some much needed humor to the table. His powers are also fully utilized here, that's the thing about this cut of the movie, every character gets their moment to shine. I still think this film was lacking in the Aquaman department, there's some continuity issues between this movie and his stand alone feature. Mainly that we're introduced to two supporting players from his film and they feel like completely different characters. All of my Aquaman problems happen in the first half, I still thought Jason Momoa did a great job. I'm one of the few people (maybe the only person) who's been a Batfleck fan since the day they announced Ben was cast in the role, it's a shame we'll never get to see him in any Batman solo movies, I was really looking forward to that. J.K. Simmons is only in two scenes as Commissioner Gordon, but I want like 5 Batman films with him reprising his role. There's actually a few big actors who were in the first one and I didn't know why they agreed to do it and they don't get much more screen time here, but they actually feel crucial to the story. Also Jeremy Irons is an underrated Alfred, I think Jeremy Irons is just underrated period.

Steppenwolf is definitely a worthy villain this time around. I don't know why Joss Whedon decided to change his design or his motives/backstory, or why you'd completely cut out Darkseid, but that sucked, this was good. Occasionally he'd say something that made him sound like a bad guy from an 80s cartoon or old video game, but overall it was good.

Tom Holkenborg's score is phenomenal. Danny Elfman did it for the other one, I usually like him, but Tom's works a lot better. And some of Danny's comments make it seem like he has a really big ego and Tom's have made me feel the opposite. Almost everytime Wonder Woman came on screen this female warrior cry/siren song (I don't know how else to describe it) would play, at first I thought it was cool, but after 4 hours it got old. That's my only criticism about the score. There were a few "strange" music choices, Zack is known for those, sometimes I think he just does it because he likes to troll the haters, I respect it regardless. But, the last film had two covers recorded for it I really liked: "Everybody Knows" by Sigrid and "Come Together" by Gary Clarke Jr. (Which I've been on record saying it's "better than the Beatles' version"). I missed those songs a little, but also, not a big deal, ultimately.

I thought the 4 hour runtime would be way too long, but honestly, it worked. Nothing felt unnecessary, the story flowed at a reasonable pace. Sure, you could have probably cut out the last twenty minutes because it gives the film 3 or 4 different endings that just set up future films that will probably never happen now (I hope I'm proven wrong), but as a fan, I loved those scenes. I'm looking forward to see what happens and if anything good in the realm of DC films comes of releasing this. 8.6/10.

[agiospills]

What I think about Selena Gomez’s last album.

Before I start sharing my opinion on Rare, I just wanted to say that this is my opinion as a LOCAL and not as someone who loves Selena. My reviews will be based on how I personally take the songs. Maybe it’s not what Selena meant with the lyrics but anyways. I’ve already heard the album, it’s not my first listening. I think there are a lot of things that need to be talked about. Be careful with the spoilers even though I don’t think I’ll spoil too much. Enjoy!

1. Rare

Rare is a cute song that talks about self-love and being confused about a love story and its consequences. I would definitely name it "Bad Liar’s little sister". It’s a great opening to the album. I personally do know that Selena is obsessed with the 80s and I get some Talking Heads vibes out of it. While concentrating on the song, I do think the lyrics are repetitive but if I don’t concentrate on it, I wouldn’t notice. This song did not suprised me, like I mentioned I think it’s a replica of Bad Liar. So there was nothing in the record that made me surprised. It’s definitely a 8/10.

2. Dance Again

Dance Again is about overcoming sadness and being happy again. It gives me some MAJOR Prince vibes. I like the disco and 80s vibes about it. Again, I think she could’ve got a lot deeper in the lyrics. When you know what Selena went through, I think she could’ve explored it more. I do think it should be the third single, I mean it’s definitely a song that makes you dance. I can see it being a radio hit. This song surprised a lot, I’ve never thought that Selena would and could explore the Disco genre. And I really love it. It’s a 9/10.

5. Ring

I’m so sorry for all the Ring stans out here. Bur what the fuck is this? I wanna say mean things about this record. I don’t think the album needed it even though I think it makes it more versatile. Again, I’m not a fan of the lyrics. But if there’s something about the song that caught my attention is Selena’s voice. She completely took a different tone and challenged her sound. I don’t want Selena to EVER make a song like this one. I really hate it. I don’t know about y’all, but I would rate it a 3/10.

6. Vulnerable

THIS IS WHAT I WANT! This is exactly what I want and need from Selena. First of all, thank you Jesus for these amazing lyrics. I needed it after listening to Dance Again and Ring. I love her soft voice, it makes the record so much better. I think the song is an amazing representation of wanting something that makes you bad. It’s literally my favorite track on the album, it tells a story and a story that I fully understand. BUT, I wish that she could’ve added a verse that makes the song more relatable for the outro. 10/10!

7. People You Know

Again, this is exactly what I want from Selena. I love the lyrics of the first parts. I don’t like how the song ended though. AGAIN, she could’ve ended the song with a different verse than the chorus that we just didn’t need. Thank God, the production saved that small detail that lowkey got on my nerves. I can also imagine it as a third single, I think the music video could be interesting. I just don’t want her to make the song something that we all know isn’t about, for example what she did with Fetish or Same Old Love. Again, it’s a perfect description of regretting a love that became toxic. I don’t know if the song talks about relationships or friendships. But I personally think it’s about a relationship, I take it that way. I love the record, 8.5/10!

8. Let Me Get Me

It’s gonna be a similar description to the ones I wrote for Vulnerable and People You Know. I don’t like how she finished the song, the production is perfect though. It’s a song that surprised me. And I love the pop-Middle Eastern vibes to it, the chorus is so CATCHY. It makes me want to get up and dance. I still think she stayed in her basic sound when it comes to the vocals. I can definitely feel what she is feeling while listening to the song, it radiates freedom and relief. I love it. 9/10!

10. Crowded Room (ft. 6LACK)

I love R&Bish Selena. I think her voice sounds so good, I love seeing my two words on a song together. 6LACK’s verse in the song was NEEDED. I can’t imagine the song without his part, and I love how Selena uses her head voice. I love the chorus because it reminds me of Me & U by Cassie, a fucking classic. I mean I’m so hypnotized by Selena and 6LACK’s voices that I don’t pay attention to the lyrics. For the hundredth time, I really want Selena to add high notes or something that makes me jump from my chair or whatever the fuck I’m sitting on. It’s a 9.5/10.

11. Kinda Crazy

It’s... cute? I mean I love the production, I think the producers did an amazing job with the song. It’s a not a reliable song to me, I mean I don’t have a lot of things to say about that song. I’ve heard it in 2016, and I’m hearing it again. What I think is interesting though is that it sounds like she’s talking about Charlie Puth’s weird obsession with her? Or maybe I’m being delusional lol? But yeah, please Selena get deeper into your lyrics, like come on... It’s a 6/10.

12. Fun

0/10. Please Selena, once but not twice.

13. Cut You Off

Not a fan of this song. I don’t think it’s a skip though, it’s interesting to listen to because the lyrics are reliable. But a-fucking-gain, the lyrics are not enough for me. I wanted something deeper, you’re talking about a love that drained you during 4 years. I don’t think it was needed on the album. But hey, it’s cute. It’s a 5/10.

14. A Sweeter Place (ft. Kid Cudi)

This song is definitely one of my favorite ones on the album. The first time I heard it, I cried. I think the production makes it cool and soft but it’s actually sad. It talks about Selena’s experience with almost dying and what it felt like to be almost dead. And I think she decribes it in a good way, because it really feels like that. I love Kid Cudi’s verse, if you’re not into his vibe then you won’t like it I guess. Again, I love seeing my two worlds collaborating. Perhaps it could be a good single, I definitely can see some awesome visuals for the music video. I love the fact that this song is the last song on the album, in a way, we’re saying goodbye to Rare after our first listening. But to me, the song sounded like a goodbye but like FOREVER. And I just love it. 10/10!

My overall opinion:

Rare is an amazing album that sounds so fresh. I think the Pop industry needed this album, it gives me hope for what this generation is about to listen. Rare is a perfect description of a versatile and cohesive album. The collaborations were interesting, the only skip of this album is Fun which I really hate. The way I’d rate this album is kinda harsh but Selena didn’t release an album since 2015, there are some songs that she could’ve scrapped instead of scrapping her best songs. I definitely think Stained and Feel Me (I mean with different lyrics for Feel Me lmao) had a place in this album, if we wouldn’t have heard them. I think this album is a grower and I can’t stop listening to it. I haven’t heard such a good Pop album since 1989 by Taylor Swift. I think the wait for Rare was definitely needed and it was worth waiting. If Rare isn’t nominated at the GRAMMYs, I will be mad. It’s a masterpiece. It’s just the songwriting that ruined everything on a couple of songs. I do not understand why Lose You To Love Me and Look At Her Now are on the album, they sound so different from the tracks. But honestly, good work from Selena. I’m madly impressed. I rated it a 6.5/10 on my Twitter account, but I guess it’s a 7/10 now. Bravo Selena!