#⭐️ | supernova

[starshapedlake]

Dreamer... has there ever been a dream that?? well 2 questions kinda just opposites... have you been to a dream thats been very plesant and have you been to a dream that has... scared you?

(Dreamer - he/they)

“To answer your second question…”

(this image is a little bit disturbing! includes staring)

[dysfunctionaldogdude]

I want Pea really bad I can't sense anyone clearly and I think I accidentally pushed Hannibal out of front and shut everyone out

I'm not really regressed since this isn't how I feel when I regress [I usually regress impurely so I know it's not that]

I just really feel like Steven and I think I just want my general CG [not only for regression]

[percivore]

SUPERNOVA TRIO 💫🌠⭐️ THE WORST CAPTAINS

[lesseraive]

SUPERNOVA 🩵🌙 aespa ⭐️🦋

[sacrifesse]

┣▇▇▇═─ SPACE iD PACK 〰️

🌌 ︵︵ REQUESTED BY ANON ᶻ 𝗓

🌌 ︵︵ TAGGiNG @id-pack-archive ᶻ 𝗓

✙ ︵︵ SYSTEM NAMES : the shining stars (system) , the astronauts , the supernova system , the spaceship system , the cosmos (collective) , the comet collective , the constellation collective , the stardust system , the infinites , the aliens , the star gazers , the cosmic collective

✙ ︵︵ NAMES : nova¹ , celeste¹ , celestine¹ , luna , eclipse , stelle , stella , apollo , atlas , cosmo , orion , comet , aurora¹ , aries , phoebe , juno , esther , juliet , cyra¹ , jupiter , mars , miranda , neptune , star² , sky , sol

¹ names that certain alters of the darling stars use

² names we go by as a collective

✙ ︵︵ PRONOUNS : galaxy galaxys , star stars , astronaut astronauts , space spaces , ship ships , cosmos cosmos , comet comets , constellation constellations , stardust stardusts , alien aliens , universe universes , infinite infinites , moon moons , sun suns , planet planets , void voids , vast vasts , gravity gravitys , rocket rockets , satellite satellites , 🔭 🔭s , 🪐 🪐s , ☄️ ☄️s , 🛸 🛸s , 👽 👽s , 🛰️ 🛰️s , 🚀 🚀s , 👾 👾s , 🌌 🌌s , ✨ ✨s , ⭐️ ⭐️s , 🌟 🌟s , 💫 💫s , 🌠 🌠s

✙ ︵︵ USERNAMES : starryscars , starryeyed , luvlystars , spaceluvr , moonlitavenues , moonlitpath , starrybunnie , cryingcosmos

✙ ︵︵ TiTLES : the astronaut , the alien , prn who explores (the depths of) space , prn who is weightless , the weightless one , prn who peers through the telescope , the star gazer , prn who watches the stars

✙ ︵︵ LABELS : galactic system

✙ ︵︵ GENDER SYSTEMS : genderstar

✙ ︵︵ GENDERS : spacegender , stargender , fargalaxian , astroscenic , galaxyboba(gender) , spacefoxic , hauntspacian , galaxyflower , galaxyhacker , galaxystimgif , cosmiclatteic , galaxyabomination , innerplanetan , outerplanetan , titanmoonic , explodastrian , nephoastragender , galain , hexaturmic , enientic , noxventic , sueaumoc , noctichrine , canistellation , heavoid , beltzelestial , universpacic , multiverocus , spacecoric , lumicattic , lumipuppic , lumibunnic , moongender , galasterios , staric , nasagender , stargalactic , destria

[PT: space id pack. requested by anon. tagging id-pack-archive. system names. names. pronouns. usernames. titles. labels. gender systems. genders. /END PT]

[anchoviiies]

gn!reader x Luffy where Luffy experiences jealousy for the first time (unconventionally) and gn!reader is unaware

Exploding meteors

⭐️🍎⭐️

Luffy centric, gn!reader. enjoy!⭐️🍎

Inside Luffy, there's an ever-expanding universe: planets and stars orbiting around his guts, supernovas, meteors, and asteroids colliding with each other.

Sometimes they explode in the middle of his forehead, right between his eyes, causing him intense headaches.

It happens when: Sanji takes too long to cook, and the kitchen is filled with smells and odors he can't eat yet, not at that moment;

when he gets angry,

when he's sad;

when he stays alone for too long;

when he's the first to wake up, and the ship is still asleep.

It doesn't happen often, but it does, and he hates it a bit.

Other times, he feels the explosion in his chest, right next to his heart.

It happens when: he watches you reading on the ship's deck, or when you turn to smile at him.

When his eyes capture yours;

when he reaches out a hand in your direction, finding your fingers to hold onto immediately.

This happens frequently, and he loves it.

It’s something that fills his insides, grounds his feet to the ground, makes him feel puffed up.

Lightweight but not superficial.

All words he found in your books when you forget them on his bed or when you read them aloud because Luffy gets bored in silence.

But what he's feeling right now is different.

An entire galaxy has turned inside out, a black hole has opened in his stomach.

It hurts and burns.

Luffy runs a hand over his belly, trying to dispel the pain.

It's not like when he's hungry, and it's not even like when he eats too much and his eyelids get heavy. He watches you talking to that person, nodding happily, then placing a hand on his shoulder, and Luffy's stomach hurts again.

When you turn and smile at him, he thinks it might get better: they smiled, their eyes are on me again, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s oka- except, well, it's not okay at all.

The black hole grows, swallowing everything it finds: Luffy feels it slide down his arms to his hands.

They're sweaty, and he tries to wipe them on the fabric of his jeans.

You've already stopped looking at him again, continuing the conversation with that guy.

Now, Luffy really wants to hear what he's saying, but the discomfort is too great, and his stomach hurts so much that he wants to go back to the ship and sleep until the day.

Everything twists inside him, everything collides and shrinks, and Luffy himself feels a little smaller.

He sits on the ground, crossing his legs. He drops his face into his hands and watches you, sighing softly.

Inside, it's all a mess, but not on the outside. You smile and chat and laugh, he smiles and chats and laughs. People around you walk, hold hands, and the sun begins to set behind you, extinguishing in the sea.

It’s not fair.

"Y/N?" He reaches out a hand - quite literally, stretches it toward you, grabbing your shirt sleeve gently. "Y/N?" He asks again, insistently.

"What's wrong, Luffy?"

"Can we go? My stomach hurts."

"Didn't you eat too many takoyaki?" You giggles.

That guy laughs, and Luffy scowls. "No."

The smile fades from your lips as you watch him rub his hand on his stomach, his eyebrows furrowed and his cheeks slightly flushed.

Is he really in so much pain?

You bid farewell to your friend - if you can call him a friend, just an old schoolmate you happened to meet by chance - and let Luffy take your hand, rising from the ground and rushing toward the port.

"Luffy? Is everything okay?"

"Nope," he simply replies, avoiding your gaze.

"Do you want to talk about it? Where does it hurt?"

He shrugs, still avoiding your eyes. "Stomach. Already said. You weren't listening because you wanted to talk to him."

Inside Luffy, there's a whole universe.

And since he met you, it's all evolving.

A Big Bang of new planets and unexplored worlds: some breathtaking, others not so much.

Like the one that was born today, making him nervous, silent, and agitated.

Sweaty, overheated, and cold all at once, and this, and this, and-

"Luf." Your voice is gentle, as are your hands, which move closer to cradle his face. You force him to look at you, caressing his cheeks with your thumbs.

"I'm sorry if you felt sidelined. It wasn't my intention."

The black hole shrinks a bit. His stomach hurts a little less.

He sighs.

"Can we ask Sanji to make us caramel apples?" He finally says after a moment of seemingly endless silence. "But you ask, ‘cos he’s nicer with you."

You smile. "Of course."

[nyuuko]

Hihi! I was wondering if I could please get moon/star related npts? No worries if not, and I hope you have a lovely day regardless ^_^

MOON / STAR NPTs

NAMES

Alcmene, Ashtoreth, Danica, Helen, Lucero, Luna, Maristela, Menodora, Monday, Selene, Seren, Steren, Sterre, Adastra, Adsartha, Affy, Aidoann, Aiglanor, Dániza

PRONOUNS

xe/vae/moon/star/lune/lunar/twinkle/glitter/sparkle/supernova/light/bright/shine/orbit/constellation/dark/orb/spin/drift/space/galaxy/stellar/🌕/🌑/🌙/💫/⭐️/✨/☄️

TITLES

shooting star, satellite, astronaut, astronomer, the orbiter, rotating on [prn]’s axis, the dark side of [prn], the moon half-hidden, [prn] who sits in the crescent moon, the sea watcher

[fleetways]

OKAY! It’s time for the Chimera Baby Lore Post!!

🌼 How did you come up with the OC's name?

In both a meta and non-meta sense, Chimera Baby’s name is probably the most notable part about them. The name Chimera Baby is a reference to m-flo and LiSA’s Tripod Baby, ft in the game Shadow the Hedgehog. For over 6 months that was her official non-official name, as I couldn’t decide on a name for her. I received over 15 name suggestions, but in July I ran a poll at which point she was dubbed Mira!

As it turns out, Mira happens to be the name of a binary star system. Two stars in a dance doomed to end in supernova—rather fitting for a chimera character, wouldn’t you say? I like to imagine Shadow was the one to name Mira something meaningful and space-themed like that, meanwhile Sonic named the other child something totally arbitrary (“His name is Mochi because he's white lol”)

On that note, I’ve also decided Sonic calls Mira “Chili” exclusively, because its silly and he would. So Mira, Chimera Baby, CB, and Chili are all names she goes by!

🌸 How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

I like to depict them anywhere from baby to teenager, but in their most recent incarnation I’d say they’re somewhere between 15-17

💖 Do they have any love interest(s)?

At the moment no. She’s generally too aloof and off putting for anyone to approach her with romantic intent, but maybe in the future….

🍓What is their favorite food?

Strawberries and Triangle Chao Fruit

⭐️ What do they do for a living?

💥 Do they have any hobbies?

Besides combat training, CB enjoys the occasional outdoor activity. Sometimes her friends goad her into a game of soccer (which she is an absolute beast at), but she generally prefers solo sports such as archery, rock climbing, or hiking. Sometimes her brother convinces her to fish with him, but she finds it pretty boring (but would never turn him down)

💃 What do they do best?

Mira excels at hand-to-hand combat. As the reigning champion of Chao Karate, Mira takes their martial arts training very seriously. They also possess exemplary control over chaos energy, and incorporates this into their technique. While they may not be as fast as their fathers, they make up for it with not just raw power, but an extremely disciplined technique.

Her skills also happen to make her an amazing breakdancer, but she’ll break your face if you ask her to demonstrate.

☀️ What is one of your OC's best memories?

A tie between making her baby brother laugh for the first time and the time she drew first blood for the first time in a fight with Shadow

🌧️ What is one of your OC's worst memories?

The aftermath of almost drowning as a child after she saved a chao friend.

✍️ Is their current design the first one?

For the most part—I did redesign their shoes because originally they were rocking some McDonalds drip.

💡What originally inspired the OC?

This post i made ^^

Basically its a mix of me poking fun at the phenomena of Sonadow fan-children all looking kinda similar, and this plush reminding me of actual chimerism in animals and wanting to create a character with that characteristic! Over the months my ironic love for her has grown into genuine fondness—so while she remains primarily as a parody, she’s also a character I’m having fun exploring concepts with <3 Much like both Shadow and Sonic the Hedgehog, you can take her as seriously or not seriously as you wish!

👾 What genre do they belong in?

PS1-era graphics Jet Set Radio game

🏳️‍🌈 What is your OC's gender identity and sexuality?

Non-binary and trans (you decide what direction). And she’s bisexual bc i love bisexuals <3

🍃How many sibling does your OC have?

One little brother Mochi—he is a perfect angel who is also her closest friend. She adores him, but you wouldn’t know from seeing them interact.

⚠️ What is the OC's relationship w/their parents like?

So I mentioned that Mira was reared in a chao garden, where her dads basically only visited once every couple days if not longer (Sonic and Shadow are not very attentive parents, go figure). However, this was honestly a perfectly fine arrangement as I headcanon mobian children don’t need the same level of parental contact as human children (Hell, Cream is kind of an outlier FOR having a present parental figure in her life).

That being said, I imagine Shadow spent more time with her when she was really young before stepping away, which made her really latch onto Shadow more than Sonic during that time. Especially seeing as Sonic is the most laissez-faire parent ever but simultaneously was the type to abandon her on a floating platform in midair with a trail of badniks so she can learn how to homing attack.

Much like her father before her, her latent Black Arms genes have caused her to develop a burning desire to destroy Shadow—a fact that Shadow seems strangely indifferent about. While this fact has pretty much wrecked their previous relationship, there are circumstances where Mira will put aside her goal and work with Shadow against a common enemy or towards a common objective (of course, this doesn’t stop her from trying to stab him in the back during these operations).

Her relationship with Sonic has remained mostly the same, with Sonic treating her much more like a friend or little sister than a daughter. They have lunch together at least once a month, and usually she’ll go to him for advice on any social interaction matter—conversations that have become much more frequent now that she’s begun to make friends.

💗 What do you like most about the OC?

I think I popped off with her design—chimerism is such an interesting concept and I loved balancing her two sets of genes without making it seem too busy. I also love her dynamic of trying to kill Shadow and how you would think her growing up in chao garden basically alone would have contributed to that, but that's not the case at all she’s just like that <3

‼️ Who is your OC's arch-nemesis or rival?

Shadow the Hedgehog is her self-proclaimed nemesis, but she makes a fair share of enemies and rivals wherever she goes due to her punch-first-ask-questions-later attitude. One notable rival is another OC of mine named Sauvik the Badger—another cold and brooding anti-hero much like her. Sauvik and Mochi are something of a team, but being a protective big sister she wants him to stay away from her brother. This generally leads to a fight that Mochi is inevitably forced to break up.

⏰ How long have you had the OC?

She was created in January of 2023!

—

That’s all! Feel free to ask any other questions and remember to vote for her here!

@sonic-oc-showdown

[hypnautic-cereal]

I’ve shared about my Welcome Home au on Discord and TikTok, but not here yet

So, I introduce to you: the Wish Maker au!💫

A Welcome Home au of mine that spawned from a meme I thought of one time while I was in the shower. Essentially the WH crew in this au are able to grant different kinds of wishes, and strive to make any and all wishes come true for a more better earth

(Please note that I did each of these art pieces separately, so all the canon sizes are the ones up on this first one⬆️)

First of all, we have our Wally variant: Wally Starling💫

Wally is the newest neighbor to land on Planet Home, as he was recently born from the stardust of a recently died supernova. Wally is gifted the power to grant star wishes as well as a high/moon jump, and aspires to be Judy’s as great of a wish maker as his friends

Up next: Our spectacular star, Sally Starlet⭐️

Glowing wherever she goes, Sally Starlet is the leader and protector of Planet Home. Legends as true as wishes have told that a portion of Sally’s power was distributed among each of her friends. Who knows what power she could behold at full capacity?

Next on our list: Our lovable dog Barnaby B. Beagle🎤

It might not seem like it at first, but Barnaby B. Beagle is a dog of many cultures. Barnaby grew a swift and tight friendship with Wally Starling, even being the one who gave Wally his name when he first arrived on Planet Home! Inspired by 90s family game shows as a sign of his love for fun and friendship, Barnaby grants the wishes from different cultures (such as tanabata tags, and grapes from under the table on the new years countdown)

Next up, our dynamic duo: 🎂Julie Joyful and Frank Frankly📚

Always excited to celebrate any occasion, Julie is your girl to call for a party. Her partying expertise is always to serve for others happiness. With help from Poppy Partridge and Sally Starlet, there’s no party on Planet Home that won’t be ready on time. Once the birthday candles are blown, a dash of confetti from Julie’s hand will have the wish granted in no time

Although they’re always in a rush, Frank Frankly is the brightest/smartest neighbor on the wishful Planet Home. Any questions the neighbors have about anything, Frank is able to answer in various ways. His specialty lies in granted wishes found in nature (such as dandelion puffs or the first winter snow), as well as proofreading wishes to the wisher’s intent. With provided help from Julie Joyful and Eddie Dear, there’s no task to tough for our beloved brainiac

And last up: 🌙Poppy Partridge, Eddie Dear💌, and Howdy Pillar🐛

Looking over the dreams of those down on Earth, Poppy Partridge acts as a guide to those who don’t know what their hearts desire. A scent of lavender and lilac follow wherever she goes, as a sea of stars speckle her pillowy soft tail feathers. Her and Sally Starlet happily work side by side, making sure all goes right from day to night

Folk tales from the old west tell the tale of a person who retrieves the wishes that haven’t been granted so that they can be granted as soon as they can. That there is our confident yet clumsy and forgetful dreamer, Eddie Dear. With his Lasso of Limitless Length and Star of Time, there’s no limit to when and where ungranted wishes will be granted. He takes his job with pride, especially if Frank Frankly is by his side

Ever need that little bit of push when playing the lottery? Or need a wish from that coin you tossed into the well? Well, our terribly generous Howdy Pillar’s got your back. He’d be more than happy to grant you luck and fortune for whatever you might need for the day. He does seem to fall asleep quite often, even with all the energy he needs for the day, so he carries his pillow Benjamin in case he’s ever tuckered out (get it? Cause money…$100…Benjamin Franklin-). So, what Howdy’s Place deal are you looking for today?

JESUS OK FINALLY FINISHED WRITING ALL THIS😭

But yeah, I have a lot to share with you guys about this au, and I hope you all enjoy and stick around for all the stuff I wanna share for it! I even have a whole playlist for this au (as well as a discord server but that was made for the fun of it and doesn’t have any actual functionality lol)

[starshapedlake]

angst of an oc not explained yet

Nova is . Well he is ! Wow for being a grown man who is married and lives a relatively happy life he is the unhappiest individual! That. Might have to do with the fact his entire family (and I mean ENTIRE) is missing. And since his entire house which is also a giant tower of business was empty for decades ((for context he’s a living star so time is a lot longer for him)) he probably has abandonment issues. Yeah like he lived a completely normal childhood until he reached early adult ears (17-18) and everyone just DISAPPEARED???? Not all at once but one by one . So maybe it started when he was like, 15

I’m so nice to him

[dysfunctionaldogdude]

I wish I could sense Pearl clearly :(

[nyasfiles]

|| AESPA - SUPERNOVA ⭐️

[pocima]

My seasonal music highlights: spring 2024 🦋

Welcome back to my silly little songs of the season reviews, you can check out this winter’s installment here ⭐️ one fave song per artist, no particular order, there will be a mini review section and trust I loved these songs as well, just couldn’t yap as much about them, you know the drill. GIF source: Supernova by aespa.

*: Full album review guaranteed to be presented in my year-end favorite project list

☾ Adulter8 - Sega Bodega*

Father… you have raised the bar yet again. Sega Bodega’s new album Dennis was by far my most anticipated project of the year, which unquestionably delivered the excellence I was expecting and more. I was so captivated by Adulter8’s intricacies that I couldn’t help but play it at least 92 times within first week of the album’s release. What starts off with an 8-bit-like sequence escalates into one majestic pre-chorus and afterwards the best beat drop I’ve ever heard in my life. The lyrics are a result of a thesaurus browse, simply the distorted “dilute, adulterate, diminish, reduce me to nothing, seduce”, effortlessly accompanying the elaborate Arabic-influenced instrumentals. Those beat drops though… especially the first one… that build-up… calling that “top-notch” would be insulting. I felt like my soul left my body for a split second when I was first listening to it at 12AM. I cannot even attempt to comment on the greatness of that singular drop. The song is overall just incredible and addictive, and will most likely end up as my favorite song of the entire year. I don’t even feel the need to comment on more for now because come on, this is Sega Bodega, this is off of Dennis, this is Adulter8. If you get it, you get it.

☾ Mine - aespa

The looooooong anticipated release day of Armageddon the album was a national holiday for Synkcity. We’re seeing such bright times after all these hate trains, mismanagement from SM, the sabotage from rival companies coming to light and what-the-hell-not, honestly. After nearly three whole years and three EPs, aespa finally present their full-length debut. Needless to say, singles Supernova and Armageddon are top-notch, continuing aespa’s all-smash title track streak. However, there was an album delight that blew my damn mind, and it was Mine. Hearing the first chorus in the highlight medley was enough to keep in mind that the track would be one of the best b-sides of the album, but I regretfully have to admit I didn’t think it would be one of aespa’s biggest guns as a whole. My jaw fell harder with every. second. of this. song. Karina and Ningning’s breathy, sassy, forceful, majestic raps kickstart the track along with tambourines that feel like digital diamonds jingling up in front of you. Winter comes through with the earth-shattering second half of the prechorus, and Giselle kills it by spitting one of her most plate-shifting rap verses. A major reason why Mine is my personal favorite off of the album is because how much everyone shines in their own right. Winter and Ningning are back at being one of 4th gen’s iconic vocal duos (as well as their pleasing rap lines), Giselle retrieves her well-deserved main rapper position (SM you can still catch it), and Karina effortlessly wraps both the vocal and rap roles around her fingers as she always does. That bridge? That bridge is disgusting even for four of the bridge architects of K-pop. The girls absolutely outdid themselves on this. The instrumental track may be less maximalist than the title tracks’ or, say, Set The Tone’s, but oh boy are they vehement and so hypnotic. The drums, the synths, especially the ones in the last chorus… it all forms together to make the song nastier and nastier as it progresses. Everyone involved in this walked into the studio with a mission to change the trajectory of music. I’m afraid I’m in this MY lifestyle for long. aespa truly are unsteppable.

☾ Fácil - Empress Of*

For Your Consideration promoted Empress Of into my new favorite indie popstar, and Fácil is my chosen earworm off of it. Every song on the album is so sultry and charismatic, and Fácil has this distinguishing sharpness in its sound, courtesy of umru, to top it off. Empress Of’s ear for memorable melodies and catchy lyrics especially come in clutch here, with casual melodic beatboxing in the background and the looping “tócame aquí, tócame ya, ya, ya, ya”. The self-made hisses and snares go hand in hand with umru’s signature punchy splices. Multiple layers of vocals linger in the entire track, from panting and breathing to sensually delivered lines in the higher range. The bit I’m gonna point out next is more self-indulgent (and I’ve pointed it out on my page previously lol) but nevertheless, I felt like the casual bravado and the combined danceability and grit of the track was akin to candy bOmb by OnlyOneOf, and the more good music with similar vibes, the merrier. Can’t get enough of either.

☾ Hypertonic - TAN (+ my Soda origin story 😙)

TAN have proven themselves to be masters of old gen K-pop revivalism since they came out the gate with their 2022 debut Du Du Du. The group first came to my attention with Walking On The Moon and later in 2023 with the hit Fix You, which went multi-platinum on my personal devices. For some strange reason, I still didn’t fully open my eyes and get into them despite their almost unmatched title tracks. That is until they released the first-day diamond-certified Hypertonic. Hypertonic, as a song, is pretty much everything I could ask for from a new gen pop boyband: in-your-face electronic production, intriguing composition, high-powered vocals and raps, and a full song structure, despite the track duration falling slightly below 3 minutes. The gritty synth heavy instrumentals are robotic and over the top in the best way possible, giving you the feeling that they’re straight out of 2000-10s Japanese EDM archives. The verses, chorus, rap and bridge hit all the right spots, going with the instrumentals instead of being overshadowed by them or vice versa. The high notes in the bridge and outro couldn’t have topped off the track’s overflowing energy any better. Now, I wanna bring up how I was particularly taken over by the first half of the second verse. I mean it when I say “taken over” because I was so obsessed with that particular member’s flawless line delivery that I was scrambling to learn their names. The particular member turned out to be their main vocalist Jooan, and it all made sense because he was behind the perfect vibratos (earned by his musical theater education), a good amount of high notes and runs (along with brilliant lead vocalist Hyunyeop) and bits that blew me away in previous songs I’ve heard from the group. Honestly, I was starstruck by all of TAN at first Kprofiles browsing sesh. I mean, what’s there not to love about a band of superb singers (+ superb main rapper Jiseong who’s obviously included in the “singers”), dancers, songwriters, producers (the self-production makes the music even more impressive), choreographers and overall artists who are intensely passionate and excellent at everything they do? This type of multi-skill and well-roundedness is exactly what I seek and keep up with in both K-pop and outside of it. Jooan though… you will pay for being the cause of some of my most humiliating K-pop fangirl posts. Love me a mind-blowing vocalist (duh), dancer, rapper, songwriter, producer, sound engineer, overall a true all-rounder with an irresistible face card. Please give these dudes’ music a stream or two because they really have no business not getting their flowers from K-pop fans and tasteful people.

☾ Malena - Domiziana

Somebody took “after your biggest flop comes your biggest slay” a bit too literally, and I am more than satisfied with that. After the colossal washout that was Domiziana’s previous single Katholisch Erzogen, which was merely another one of the examples of cheap blasphemy for shock factor accompanied by a fake-creepy beat straight out of the Tiktok “musician” archives, Malena turned everything around. Not only was it a massive bounce back from whatever she had going on with that disaster, but also an upgrade in her whole career in every single way. The production is arguably her most minimal but most defined and well-executed to date, with the amapiano influences and siren-like background vocals doing wonders. The vocals and lyrics are her best by a landslide as well. The whispery, high head voice stays, but this time with more emotion and variety in delivery. We listen to a story about cheating, betrayal and a lack of commitment, enriched with references to the cult classic movie Malena, the namesake of the track. The music video is set in Domiziana’s mother’s hometown, Catania, with different sets, cameras and editing. Malena ends up being an incredible audiovisual experience and the current highlight of Domiziana’s work. Maybe it’s just her highs and lows, maybe it’s her taking her career more seriously than ever, hopefully the latter. May she beat the one-hit wonder allegations (mind you, Ohne Benzin doesn’t hold a candle to this masterpiece) and continue to serve like this.

☾ Lipgloss - Terror Jr

A portion of pop music fans constantly ask for the good old 00-10s to be brought back, meanwhile some others wish to move on and focus on more future-oriented, complex sounds instead. Lipgloss masterfully combines both, delivering nostalgia yet nonetheless sounding shiny and brand new. The simple repeated chorus, casual lyrics and the vibe of the production overall feel 2016, and fans have likened the song to Terror Jr’s Bop City era’s sound. Still, the natural execution of this song makes it solid and refreshing on its own rather than a pathetic attempt at reviving what pop used to do. It took me a bit too long to find out that the experimental pop duo’s producer David Singer-Vine was ½ of The Cataracs, a producer duo behind numerous 2010s pop hits such as Like a G6 by Far East Movement and In The Dark by DEV (along with the entire The Night The Sun Came Out album). As a solo artist he produced songs such as Gold by Kiiara and Stuck With Me by Tinashe. This made the Terror Jr experience make a lot more sense: listening to their music feels like taking a trip to the present in a fancy time machine, with hosts who have a nice grasp on the past and the future. Special shoutout to that music box all over the instrumentals by the way, that scratched my brain just right.

☾ Perfect - Cosha

I didn’t call the MurMurs EP the “free therapy album” when it first dropped for no reason, you know. Alternative R&B hidden treasure Cosha returns to heal us all after her 2021 re-debut album Mt. Pleasant, with more of her sublime melodies and vocals. In the EP, Cosha keeps switching from soulful, serene and down-tempo (Fire Me Up, MurMurs Interlude) to drum-heavy, danceable and inviting (Relish, Glow). Meanwhile, Perfect pinpoints that sweet middle ground. Firstly, the beat is absolutely hooking. The drums, bass and recurring plucks pull me in the most, and Cosha’s higher-range head voice is pure magic, especially in the chorus. The second verse has this slight beat switch that brings forward the bass that I’m obsessed with, and then we’re back to that divine chorus with even more adlibs, high notes and harmonies. It’s laced. I feel like the whole project, but especially this specific song, would suit many people’s tastes, so this is especially a deep cut recommendation of mine to everybody.

Mini reviews

❥ Nasty - Tinashe: I feel so bad that this is going into the mini reviews section because the song has been on rotation since it dropped, I don’t believe I need to elaborate on its earworm factor. Obviously, Tinashe has an ear for hits, and the production is relatively simple yet so effective. So glad that it’s going viral and Tinashe is getting the hype she deserves.

❥ You know what (Hey listen) - 4s4ki: I’m afraid as long as 4s4ki keeps making music, she will keep appearing on all my favorites lists. She just can’t miss no matter what genre or sound she tries out. This one’s for the people that get their head in their hands and slide down a wall at 1AM. Give us vocals, give us guitar breakdowns, give us a REAL love song, give us everything, queen.

❥ Hard dreams - Gesaffelstein feat. Yan Wagner: Real techno’s been so back since Gamma dropped. The visuals for this album still hold their title of being the best of the year, by the way.

❥ Botoxxx - Isabella Lovestory: She SLID on that bridge. Love to see the budget in the MV. We need the sophomore album.

❥ Caught Up - FLO: The guitars? The vocals? That key switch in the bridge? FLO’s discography is still flawless. We need the debut album.

Thank you for reading, feel free to give feedback on the song recommendations or review formatting ☻

[novathesheltie]

a supernova contemplating his galaxy⭐️