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chosetherose · 4 years ago

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Submission:

Mr Perfectly Fine

So I've seen a lot of theories about Mr Perfectly Fine. I think we all have. The official narrative is that it's another song "about" Joe J*nas. Gaylors think it's about Taymily. I've even seen the argument that "Mr Always Wins" is Taylor throwing shade at current beard Joe Aly*n. (Which I can definitely see, tbh. This is Miss "and you poke that bear, Taylor Kloss come out" TS we're talking about. She's no stranger to sneaky wordplay.)

But I was listening today and another idea hit me, which I haven't seen anyone talk about so far.

I wonder if Mr Perfectly Fine is a song about Scott B*rchetta? Specifically, about the Fearless era, when Taylor was "encouraged" to let Emily go for the sake of her career. We can all guess who would have been behind the encouraging.

Obviously MPF is like most of the vault tracks on Fearless TV. It's been reworked from Taylor's current point of view, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's angry about more than just the Taymily situation when she sings it now. But it does really fit for that. All you really have to do is change the lyric "I've been Miss Misery since your goodbye" to "I've been Miss Misery since HER goodbye" and boom, you have a song in which "he" isn't the lover but the outside influence who was instrumental in breaking Taylor's heart. If you've ever read Jane Austen's Persuasion, just imagine Taylor as Anne, Emily (and her other girlfriends) as Captain Wentworth, and Scott as Lady Russell, who talked Taylor out of the match for the sake of her future.

Verse 1:

Mr. "Perfect face" Mr. "Here to stay"

Mr. "Looked me in the eye and told me you would never go away"

Everything was right Mr. "I've been waitin' for you all my life" Mr. "Every single day until the end, I will be by your side"

This all seems like romantic imagery, but it could also be metaphorical. We all know that Scott and Taylor seemed like a match made in (business) heaven at first. Taylor has talked about how Scott took a chance on her. Scott talked about seeing something unique and special in Taylor, and throwing everything behind her. We all know Taylor basically made Big Machine. It's easy to imagine Scott telling a young Taylor she had the perfect face for country. It's easy to imagine him telling her he was in it for the long haul, willing to promote and develop her as an artist even if it took a while for her to break through. It's easy to imagine both of them thinking their meeting was fate - a perfect partnership that would last her entire career.

Then comes the pre-chorus and the chorus.

But that was when I got to know Mr. "Change of heart" Mr. "Leaves me all alone," I fall apart It takes everything in me just to get up each day But it's wonderful to see that you're okay [Chorus] Hello, Mr. "Perfectly fine" How's your heart after breakin' mine? Mr. "Always at the right place at the right time," baby Hello, Mr. "Casually cruel" Mr. "Everything revolves around you" I've been Miss Misery since your goodbye And you're Mr. "Perfectly fine"

We know that Taylor and Emily were together for nearly two years before the break up, and it seems like the break up was directly related to Taylor's increasing success. In this situation, it's not hard to imagine Scott as "Mr Change of Heart" - someone who initially encouraged a private (closeted) relationship, but then changed his mind and decided even that was too dangerous. Taylor was better off alone. She was only a teenager, after all. She had years ahead of her to fall in love again. Maybe this girl thing was just a phase anyway. She was too young to throw away the opportunity of a lifetime. "Mr Casually Cruel" is, of course, a reference to All Too Well's "so casually cruel in the name of being honest". It evokes the same feelings here. It's belittling, from someone who thinks they're older and wiser. It's easy to imagine Emily repeating some of these statements back to Taylor later, claiming they come from the same place of greater maturity. You can see how Taylor came to feel no-one was on her side, when she sings about the Taymily break up in Bye Bye Baby.

And Scott would be "perfectly fine" after breaking Taylor's heart. Because he's not hurting. He's not part of the loss. I've always thought some of the descriptions Taylor uses for "Emily" in MPF seem overly harsh, and don't tally with her attitude in other songs. But they absolutely fit for 31 year old Taylor looking back at Scott's actions through an adult lens. Angry that he had such influence over her. Angry that he was so dismissive of her feelings, but mined them for a profit. Now she sees it all differently. She feels it was all about him, all about the impact her stardom would have on his label, and he didn't really care about her feelings at all.

[Verse 2] Mr. "Never told me why" Mr. "Never had to see me cry" Mr. "Insincere apology so he doesn't look like the bad guy" He goes about his day Forgets he ever even heard my name Well, I thought you might be different than the rest, I guess you're all the same

Pre-Chorus] 'Cause I hear he's got his arm 'round a brand-new girl I've been pickin' up my heart, he's been pickin' up her And I never got past what you put me through But it's wonderful to see that it never fazed you

Here is where I think Taylor starts to conflate the past and present. She goes from talking about Scott's first betrayal to his last and worst one. Selling her masters to Sc**ter Braun. Never had to see her cry? No explanation for the betrayal? Insincere apology? Attempts to sign new artists to replace Taylor at Big Machine? Apparent indifference to something Taylor still hasn't got over? All of this checks out for Scott and the masters situation. Especially the line about thinking he was "different than the rest" only to find out "you're all the same". She thought Scott was like a father to her, but when it came down to it he was as greedy and self-serving as Sc**ter.

She doubles down on this in Verse 3 and the bridge.

[Verse 3] So dignified in your well-pressed suit So strategized, all the eyes on you Sashay your way to your seat It's the best seat, in the best room Oh, he's so smug, Mr. "Always wins" So far above me in every sense So far above feeling anything [Bridge] And it's really such a shame It's such a shame 'Cause I was Miss "Here to stay" Now I'm Miss "Gonna be alright someday" And someday maybe you'll miss me But by then, you'll be Mr. "Too late"

This is absolutely about a business man. It never fit for Taymily or Joe J*nas. It doesn't fit JA either. ("All eyes on you"? "The best seat in the best room"? "Always wins"? In his dreams!) JA wishes he'd made as much out of Taylor as Scott did. It's like the Mean Girls quote "I like, invented her!" That's what Taylor did for Scott. She put him on the map.

(Just like she's doing right now for JA. Bearding like Scott taught her all those years ago. I think the "always wins" / "alwyn" soundbite is another way of saying they're all the same to her, these men using her for their careers. She doesn't trust JA any more than she trusts Scott. The comparison is pretty revealing about her real feelings regarding JA. Pretty damning.)

The final lines say it all. Taylor would have stayed with Big Machine if they'd been more supportive of her as a person and as an artist. They could have had it all. All the success she's experiencing now, Scott could have been a part of. But he chose another road, and Taylor was left trying to process it in her songs. Trying to claw back the rights to her work by rerecording her albums. And now all that's left is for Scott to miss what he lost - far, far too late to ever get it back.

- ❄️🥀

(P.S: You're welcome, Lucky One!)

#CTRsubmission #submission

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orrible-orrible-orrible · 4 years ago

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Rating Walls Lyrically

AKA the hardest thing I did this week

Disclaimer - it's physically impossible for me to dislike a Louis song but I do place them differently based on their lyrical genius.

12. Perfect Now - She is a little too corny and no Louis I don't want to be reminded of the fact that I can be perceived as a physical entity. Funnily enough, despite this, it has one of my most favorite lines in the whole album - don't you wanna dance just a little dance, you never stop given half the chance.

11. Too Young - Put together the song makes me emotional as hell because of his voice and the meaning behind it but just in terms of its lyrics, I don't think there's anything particular that does justice to Louis's lyrical capabilities. The song's best lyrical moment is Louis breaking my heart over and over again by reminding me that he was once too young to know he had everything.

10. Don't Let it Break Your Heart - This is this low not because it's bad but just because there are better songs on the album when it comes to lyrics. Also, I wanted him to write a bridge which he didn't. Louis WHY?!?!?! The best lyrical moment of the song is of course Louis being a source of strength by reminding us that we are indeed driving down a road to something better.

9. Always You - She is the undisputed pop queen of the album and I will dance to it everytime it comes along. I go feral over the mention of usage of word Home and whoever is wrapping their legs around Louis is one lucky person. I sometimes don't know how I have survived that knowledge that this is something that happens in Tomlinson household. The lack of a different bridge kills a girl :( and hence the rank.

8. Kill My Mind - At this point, I am already regretting my decision to make this list because KMM deserves so much better but he managed to write better songs than this. BLAME HIM. BLAME HIS MIND. The lack of the bridge once again is :( but this song is the hottest thing on the album. KEPT ME LIVING FROM THE LAST TIME FROM A PRISON OF A PAST LIFE !?! ON A MISSION JUST TO FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU KISSED ME FOR THE LAST TIME!?!? Gonna rob a bank just so I can make out to this lyric. For legal purposes, this is a joke.

7. We Made It - Do I want to shout we made it on tour with Louis till I lose my voice, absolutely yes. Love the nostalgia and the hope and devastation this song brings me. WMI ofcourse has one of the most heartbreaking lines on the album in "oh god what I could've become don't know why they put all of this on us when we were so young" and I have no other reason of putting it this low except that this is not Louis on his best.

6. Habit - As I am typing this, I am crying becuase I love this song so much but I have had to place it on number 6?!?! Tomlinson, when are you paying me for emotional distress!??? No faults, BEST CHORUS ON THE ALBUM. Imagine being that fundamental to someone's life. The way he sings GOD I AM MISSING YOU AND YOUR ADDICTIVE HEART!?!? I have to scream in the void. Brb in a moment.

5. Fearless - If you put me in jail for this I will not stop you because *Taylor Swift voice* in my defence I have none. Oh to hear Louis introspect/diss about the dangers of fame and the power of youth. Also, to the tumblr user who has made the fearless*louis holding a dandelion edit, I owe you many breakdowns. Fun fact: Karl Marx has declared from the afterlife that he wanted Fearless to be the unveiling anthem of the Communist Manifesto and he is incredibly proud of Louis for writing this.

4. Two of Us - No comments except I am very proud of Louis for being brave enough to share this profound, evocative and raw side of his life. Thank you.

3. Defenceless - This ranking is an invitation for bloodbath, I know. But wow, what a lyrical moment on the album. The imagery, the metaphors, the vulnerability. Top notch. Louis maybe sleeping on his problems like he will solve them in his dreams but I didn't sleep peacefully for a week after I heard that he just is too tired to be tough and just wants to be loved. Universe better be taking note or there will be some problems.

2. Only The Brave - I think I can hear the whispered chants of "she's gone insane" for not placing this song as the Valedictorian. I share the sentiment just so we are all aware. This song has given me so much brain damage in the last year that I don't have thoughts left. The only reason it's on second is because Louis admitted that he didn't have a lot of input in the writing process of it.

1. Walls - *ba dum tsh* after much ado and painstaking effort, I present to you my favorite song Louis has written for the album. The title track is Louis's lyrical genius in all its glory and I feel every possible emotion every time I listen to the song. The verses, the pre-chorus, the chorus, the bridge, the outro - ALL IMMACULATE. I love growth and pain when it's presented to me in this delicious form. Here's reason 2828 why walls is incredibly special to me.

#txt #walls #lyrics #Louis's songwriting #please I spent so long on this #even though no one asked #come fight me about this #lt #Louis Tomlinson

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28quavers · 3 years ago

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END OF THE YEAR: THIS OR THAT

thank you so much for tagging me @berlinini <3 i'm sorry it took so long i didn't see it until now

JHO or DLIBYH - as much as i love JHO, especially the live version, since the pandemic began DLIBYH has really become my go-to comfort song. i have such a soft spot in my heart for the piano edit, it works like the warmest safest blanket

BTY or miss you - she'll always be my fav off the singles pre-walls. the sound, the lyrics, the huge difference between verses, chorus and bridge... i love it, i'm all in for those type of songs that when you first listen to them you're like "how can this be the same song?". also i'll always be curious about how present louis would go for the live performance of this song rn, but i guess we'll never know :(

JLY or OTB - always, all the way, i'll never forget the shock after listening to OTB for the first time that January 31st 2020 at 00:38 am

fearless or defenceless - as much as i love the lyrics and the bridge in defenceless, as well as the incredible way it translates to a live show like we could see in afhf; fearless will always remain superior, especially bc it's THAT song live

always you or habit - always you is a banger, but the instrumentals and the verses in habit are something else for me

too young or WMI - only bc of the opening of afhf i have to say WMI, but Louis' soft tender voice in Too Young never fails to make me emotional

KMM or walls - i want more songs like KMM, i want more rock louis, more electric guitar louis, this are the type of songs i usually listen to so i definitely need more like this from Louis. But Walls is a masterpiece top to bottom: lyrics, instrumentals, strings, all the layered meanings behind every single word. So... BOTH!

perfect now or two of us - as much as i love the live from london version of Perfect Now, i have to choose Two Of Us, it's just too special (and my first time listening to louis)

copy or change - aaah this was the hardest one, i think based only on how much more excited and curious it made me for the sound of LT2, bc it had some aspects both in structure and sound that we hadn't seen before from louis, i have to say Change. But i could easily choose Copy too tbh

beautiful war or 7 - bc even some Catfish and the Bottlemen fans say it: louis sings it better than them

drag me down, TTD or LBD - the three of them have things i like more and things i like less, but i think DMD is the one i enjoy the most. also, louis taking ownership of it and forgetting about the "nobody, nobody" is poetic justice

live from london or AFHF - live from london was perfect but as louis said in AFHF you could feel it, there was something special in the room (even through a screen)

sorry this was quite longer than intended, and although i know i'm late...

Happy New Year to you all louies !!!

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snarkywrites · 5 years ago

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The Nodes of Destiny in the Natal Chart

The Nodes of Destiny are linked with the missions that we have in this lifetime. We have arrived pre-programmed with the lessons from the past with our South Node showing where we have excelled and mastered, while our North Node is learning and developing. The birth chart is comprised of many more themes and this does not mean you have to solely focus on what the North Node means, but it is a good guiding concept to help navigate you through road blocks in life. We all want to learn more about ourselves and the Nodes is a great way to begin with this process. It is a fun way to uncover another missing piece in the puzzle of life. Below you will see some descriptions of what it means to have them in the signs or in their respective houses. Of course, there is a lot more to the Node than just a few sentences, it takes a lifetime to unravel, to master what we were here for and to see how that mission relates to our other pieces in the natal chart. Start by mastering the complexities of the ascendant to uncover the mysteries and purposes of the Nodes.

Aries / 1st House – You have awareness of what it means to have powerful personal connections. Friendships are important to you and you respect and value them more than others. You are reliant, caring and will always provide a helping hand. However, your mastery of these topics can turn you into a pushover. With the Node in Aries or the First House, you need to begin to craft your own identity and independence. Use your diplomacy to create balance with others, while still learning about what drives your ego. Your mission here is to shine brightly and fearlessly.

Taurus / 2nd House – Aries North Node has to develop the ego and curate it while in Taurus, the native has to build the foundation to strengthen it. Taurus North Nodes have to master their ego, to put their value first and not allow others to diminish it. You have excelled at sharing and building with others, but now you must do it for you. The hardest part of knowing how to be one with another is to come back and rebuild for you. Your goal is to master what makes you the provider and winner.

Gemini / 3rd House – With the North Node in Gemini, you must learn to let go of stubborn biases and ideologies. The lesson here is to be more open minded and embrace new ideas and concepts. You have mastered what it means to be a teacher, but you need to go back and take on the role of the student. Even if you have mastered all there is to know, you still need to understand how to view things from different sides. North Node here wants a collaborative effort with others, to not be judgmental and to continue their passion of learning.

Cancer / 4th House – Developing compassion, honoring your emotions and caring for those around you is the mission of this North Node placement. Here we see a glimpse of the divine mother since Cancer is ruled by the Moon. You have learned what it means to take on the empires, by claiming your achievements and advancing to the top. However, now you must focus within. To bring the harmony home and to leave the battle grounds in the workplace. It is a powerful position to be in because there is an advantage in mastering your inner world and the outside.

Leo / 5th House – The connection you might have to others will have to change with this placement. You are at ease doing things for others and being magnanimous, but the lesson that must be learned will be the acceptance of the ego. Your brilliance will radiate when you overcome the fears you might have that pertain to claiming your right to the throne. To freely express who you are without fear is another major focal point in your development. Life is to be lived freely, filled with excitement and to accept yourself for who you are. Honor yourself and your abilities.

Virgo / 6th House – Your mission is to take control and not be afraid of the potential failures. You have exceled at being there for others. Your caring nature will have people gravitate towards you, but you might still find it uncomfortable to come out of your shell. The lessons for the Virgo North Node are to assume the roles of leaders, not in the sense of Aries, but in a way that allows for you to take command of a situation by bringing order. Do not let yourself get driven by petty drama while adapting a martyr complex. Be clear with what you want and do not throw yourself into an abyss when things do not go your way. Most importantly, stand up for you.

Libra / 7th House – Many people will revere your fearlessness and the ability to speak your mind with ease. Taking on challenges is not an issue for you, but you can be very controlling and driven by the ego. With the Libra North Node, the native must learn to expound and understand what it means to be in a diplomatic role. There is a great deal to learn when it comes to dealing with others and how to approach situations from a place of mutual respect. The Libra North Node truly needs to focus on being the tactician and not the warrior. You are already strong, no need to assert your dominance with fury.

Scorpio / 8th House – A powerful place to have the North Node. This placement tied to the material and the unknown. Your lessons involve allowing yourself freedom from possessions. Stop clinging to them and learn to understand that you are here for a higher purpose. Scorpio North Nodes need to learn to trust others and learn from them. Without understanding, how can you evolve and learn? You can be a guiding light to many people, as long as you do not pass judgments and are truly willing to help. There is a fear in surrendering to the unknown, but when you have understood your mission, you will be empowered by those choices, the material will have irrelevance granting you the keys to transcend.

Sagittarius / 9th House – With the North Node in the sign of Sagittarius or the 9th House, you will feel conflicted by your ideas and the ways that they are presented to the world. This placement is where the magic happens. You can cultivate your philosophy and think outside the box. However, your major setback here is the lack of faith you might have in yourself. The mission for these natives involves trusting your abilities and to make sure that you can back arguments with facts. Although you might be passionate regarding topics, you must focus on truths. This is how you will rise and become the mentor to many.

Capricorn / 10th House – When it comes to grounding and perfection, you have become well-versed in these areas. The mastery you have for the concepts within will allow for you to take on the world. With the North Node in Capricorn, it is your mission to reach the summit without fear. You are here to take on a powerful leadership role but also be a guide for those who are working for you. Emotions will need to be contained and you will need to allow logic to rule your decision making. It is not easy, but this is something you must be comfortable in for the long run to run your empire.

Aquarius / 11th House – Something powerful here is developed once you learn to abandon the ego and surrender. You excel at taking control and being in charge. Another gift you have is the ability to know what to do when put in positions of power and guiding others. Your lesson here is to use your gifts to help those that might be afraid to express their voices. An inner power grows when you relate to the collective; helping them to achieve more and to cause social changes. You are the catalyst for more when you work in groups and not alone.

Pisces / 12th House – The things you have mastered begin with asserting who you are and letting others know just what you feel. With your North Node in Pisces, your lessons begin with taking a humbler approach to relating with others. You might know what is best, but you need to learn to understand where they are coming from. Embrace the idea that sometimes, you need to motivate others instead of critiquing them. Your mission should revolve around the collective and to not fear seeking a higher power. You are here to transcend and evolve with each lesson. The souls you meet in your lifetime will help shape who you are throughout your journey.

#Astrology #North Node #Natal Chart #My Text #Aries #Taurus #Gemini #Cancer #Leo #Virgo #Libra #Scorpio #Sagittarius #Capricorn #Aquarius #Pisces

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yououghtaknow · 4 years ago

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18 and 20 for the meta asks? also I already commented on clip 3 but fr this clip was so good that was such a good execution of that scene and s5 has been so good and literally brightens my day thank u 💛 i hope you’re doing well

hi, thank you so much!!!!!!!! i hope you’re doing well too <3 <3

i am putting a read more because i am a rambley person, but underneath you will find talks of unused plot points, the parallels between the girl squad and the lad squad, and what taylor swift album(s) i believe each season has the vibe of.

tw for discussion of abuse, mental health problems, addiction and eating disorders

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

skam brighton has. so many aus. because it itself is an au of an original work. me and two of my great writing friends have written a great numbers of aus including but not limited to riordian-verse, glee, doctor who, rwrb, trc, a murder mystery au, and many aus based on comfort media of mine that i started on never finished (house of anubis, barbie movies, etc.). and many of them are unironically so good???? @fingersmithbysarahwaters and @nightwing642 are incredibly talented screenwriters. but also i did write a screenplay adaptations of the first two books in the raven cycle series and 2/3s of rwrb for no reason other than fun and autism.

as for skam brighton. oh boy. not many plot points have been changed, but some certain scenes/character moments were changed. for example, the scene in season 2 episode 8 where liz has a meltdown at the shopping centre and she has a heart to heart with mary was originally liz having a meltdown and running into al in the sensory room. but i wanted to hold back on revealing al as a main character until season 3.

also in the og season 3, jake and al didn’t break up. as i was finishing the season, i was getting ideas for how i wanted the series to develop (james’s crush on al namely) so i thought it would be good for both of their developments for them not to end up together. also in season 3 i hadn’t planned for jake to move house originally, so there was a scene in the finale episode of the lad squad hanging out, but it got cut because it just didn’t make sense.

in season 4, al and bree were a lot meaner to each other originally, because i love it when it gets busy at the brighton and the gay people get mean, but then i thought about it and decided it was out of character for both of them to be downright cruel. al and bree also had a scene in season 4 that was cut due to just not making sense.

also, in season 5, the “inner white girl” scene originally wasn’t in the show at all, but one day i was listening to the song, and about a week before the episode came out, i wrote it. also, bree wasn’t written to be a she/they until literally the day of putting the clip out because i thought it would be cool. that’s it :)

also the way i write is that i write the full clip out in a google doc and then edit it in ao3 about an hour before i put it out, so a lot of changes happen there. just small things, like making dialogue flow better, changing certain songs because i just want to, and sometimes adding in new sequences that i just thought of.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

oh!!!! there!!!!! is!!!!!

personally, my favourite thing to write is little symbolic moments that make me happy because i play 4d chess in my head with myself every time i write.

before i go off, i must say, so many hints and clues have been dropped for season six so far. season six has been my favourite season to write and i’m already planning a spin-off project based on it to write, and it’s gonna be starting sooner than you think.

so a piece of writing i’ve been thinking about lately is the parallels between the girl squad and the lad squad. before i begin to go off, these are the characters i think parallel each other the most.

jake - sandy james - bree nick - rori theo - esther al - liz

jake and sandy is quite an obvious parallel to draw - both are football players, both begin the series closeted and having a close relationship with bryan - but their personalities are quite similar. both of them are closer with their mother than their father, both use their relationships as a method of protection, and both are afraid of of societal rejection at the beginning of the series. they also both discovered their sexualities and mental health issues over the course of their seasons, and both of their love interests are more outgoing theatre kids. jake and sandy’s relationship is also so interesting to me - because they start as very awkward friends, and jake tries to help sandy by making bryan break up with her, but outs her in the process, and sandy doesn’t want to forgive him. she takes her time and comes to terms with it on her own and decides to forgive him because sandy’s just a sweetheart - and this also parallels the way jake takes his time to forgive his mother. also, in their friend groups, they’re both the newcomer to them, and we get the introductions to the group dynamics in their seasons, and in the later seasons, they’re both a lot more relaxed as they’re in recovery <3

james and bree are also very similar characters. both have problems with substance abuse, both have promiscuous reputations, both have both mommy and daddy issues. they are both dean girls, to put it in spn terms. they’re both very funny, and use humour to cover up their struggles. both are dealing with a lot of mental illness and, throughout the series, it becomes more and more clear. they’re also both seen as “the hot ones” of their groups, with a lot of the characters canonically having small crushes on them (liz, rori and nick with james; rori, esther and annabell with bree). they’ve also both canonically hooked up with sophie. which i just think is fun. they also played mimi and roger together, which i think shows their parallels as addicts and people (with roger struggling with recovery and depression until the end, when he begins to get help, and mimi living the high life until it all crumbles down around her). they also share a want for independence and both are very sana-esque characters (james being middle eastern and religious, bree being the cool rebel girl in season 1).

nick and rori are both the “fun friend”. they’re both comedic relief in the early seasons, but we do get in depth with them as the show goes on. in grease, they play james and bree’s love interests (which is ironic, as rori and bree get together and nick is in love with james), and in rent, they play angel and maureen, the two main comedic relief characters. both of them struggle to connect their asian identity with their british identity, and both struggle with how the world perceives them (nick with their gender presentation and rori with her eating disorder). they both struggle with toxic masculinity and toxic femininity and use humour to cover up their struggles.

theo and esther are similar in the fact that they’re the squad members we know the least about. they’re both jewish, they’re both the mum friend of their respective groups, they’re both autistic and they’re both quite nerdy. they’re the most grounded member of their respective groups and tend to take charge and help make decisions. they’re also both quite sarcastic and very firm in their opinions.

al and liz are parallels simply because they are both nooras and vildes. they’r eboth autistic, they’re both the odd one out in their friend groups - liz being a lot more serious than the girl squad, al being a lot more in his own little world than the lad squad. they’re both very blunt and straight forward and say whatever they’re thinking.

also just some of my favourite bits of foreshadowing: nick being bitchy to liz throughout season 2 because they’re in love with james….. al talking about his sister to jake in season 3 and whenever al talks to the girl squad, bree insults him or walks away…… in season 4 episode 1, audrey mentions bree’s cousin is pregnant and then when bree finds out the results of her pregnancy test, oh no by marina plays (i’m now becoming my own self fulfilling prophecy)....... nick and all of his gender stuff throughout the series……. just all of the character stuff with grease and rent….. also just bree and rori’s whole relationship arc because it has everything. queerbaiting. subverting expectations. musical homoeroticism. a little cheating for fun. and they were best friends. honestly bree and rori season 3 is very august by taylor swift…… you weren’t mine to lose……..

speaking of, no one asked by here’s each season of skambr and the taylor swift albums they’re most like.

season 1 - debut/fearless

bro sandy is just such a debut/fearless era person. she’s looking for her place in this world!!!!!! she has the teardrops on my guitar energy (quite literally sandy pre-canon voice i bet he’s beautiful that boy she talks about and he has everything that i have to live without about bryan and sophie)..... the fun giggly crush songs that are deeply homoerotic….. esther season 1 voice the entirety of you belong with me. like esther really made a deeper connection with sandy in one month that bryan did in years of knowing her. sandy also is the type of person to stan love story, she just thinks it’s such a fun song and she does yell the key change every time it comes on.

season 2 - speak now/lover

elizabeth!!!!! liz is the type of person who only liked old taylor and then got internalised misogyny and then got over it and loves taylor again. the story of us is canonically a liz/rori song…. yes i am still a liz/rori subtext warrior….. liz is very never grow up and dear john is a very her and james song in the fact that they both relate to it……. when they bonded over their trauma “don’t you think i was too young”...... also lover is a liz season 2 album because it’s about liz learning that love is the most important thing in the world….. liz voice i want to be defined by the things that i love. also the archer is just a skam brighton song because it is an isaac song. also i’m just gonna say it. i like me! it’s a good song when brendon urie isn’t in it, you all are just afraid of having fun. also though liz in season 5 is very better than revenge because, while her season is about unlearning your internalised prejudices, i believe she deserves to be misogynistic for 3 minutes 37 seconds.

season 3 - red

now this is controversial. this season is about depression, grief and anger, and these feelings are red. literally jake voice so you were never a saint and i loved in shades of wrong we learn to live with the pain mosaic broken hearts….. like treacherous….. holy ground….. the whole country pop vibe….. the bitchy songs mocking people’s perceptions of the singer….. 22 is a lad squad song…. also jake voice i remember it all too well but it’s about his father’s abuse and his mother’s neglect…… like the whole season is just jake getting to the point where he is at “begin again”. also i feel like jake would like red because he spent a lot of time watching taylor swift music videos as a youth both because he liked the music and had crushes on the guys in them, and he feels red is the perfect middle between the country and the pop and the indie and he just really likes being sad.

season 4 - reputation

bree big reputation holland!!!!!!!!! she has it all - the romantic drama, the hatred of men, the fucking homoeroticism. bree stans the reputation tour and they have made the entire holland-fletcher family watch it on their netflix (al fucking loved it because he’s a canon swiftie, audrey had a fun time, patrick was a little confused, but has the spirit). listen bree “i did something bad”. bree “look what you made me do”. bree and rori “new year’s day”. bree voice i swear i don’t love the drama, it loves me!!!!!!!!! like the reason the season has a lot of reputation songs and ends with daylight from lover is a metaphor for bree leaving their reputation era…. also reputation has she/they vibes

season 5 - 1989

1989 my best friend 1989!!!!!!! i am coming out here as a 1989 (deluxe) stan. it’s just a serotonin album for me and it is just so nick. the mocking songs about their reputation…… the genuinely deeply depressing homoerotic songs that have fun upbeat music…… the cars….. also clean is just such a nick song. he is in recovery, he is just so personal to me. also nick voice one night he wakes strange look on his face pauses then says you’re my best friend and you knew what it was he is in love!!!!!!! nick canonically in love with all of their best friends braxton!!!!! also nick feels like a 1989 stan because they just have those fun energies. nick WILL scream the spoken part of shake it off at the top of his lungs. also new romantic is just a skamverse song in general. also just. out of the woods. no reason for me to say it other than it’s one of my favourite songs of all time.

season 6 - folklore/evermore

no evermore is not out yet. yes i am claiming it for season 6. see taylor has said that these albums are all about telling stories/fairy tales and that’s what season 6 is about. i cannot wait until next friday when the main and my plans for the hiatus are revealed…….. genuinely i do not know how anyone perceives skam brighton so i don’t know who people think the next main is, but…… i can only describe the state of me writing this season as the various ambiguous disorder gifs.

#skam brighton #skam brighton spoilers #what's up i've been a swiftie since i was 3 fucking years old and i will be loud about it!!!!!!!!#also i do love my funny little people i play with in my head (the skambr main squad) they are my dearest friends i would do anything for the #them

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straykidsupdate · 6 years ago

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Stray Kids are shaking up K-pop’s status quo

The South Korean pop band Stray Kids are clustered around a laptop for a Skype interview, pale in the screen’s glow as heavy rain turns New York City to grey. It’s a fitting backdrop for the group: from their 2017 pre-debut release “Hellevator” to the latest single, the snarling, trumpeting EDM of “MIROH”, the K-pop group have made similarly dystopian environs their visual backdrop, where neon and CCTV screens flicker and the group are hemmed in by skyscrapers, tarmac, and tunnels as they attempt to escape or defy their surroundings.

This concept – of attaining freedom – is central to the group, and it’s an idea that’s rooted in reality. The group’s leader, Bang Chan, handpicked each member for the group from their parent label JYP Entertainment’s roster of trainees, a process unheard of in K-pop, where that power lies with executives and creative directors. Stray Kids write and produce all their material, too, and are one of the few idol groups to do so. Their music focuses unflinchingly on their youth – the anger and frustration, the ecstatic highs and ragged lows – while questioning their own shifting sense of identity.

With bleached bangs falling into one eye, Bang Chan recalls not the gravitas of the opportunity to form his own group, but the pressure of picking wisely. “There was a lot on my mind,” says the 21-year-old, speaking during the band’s run of sold-out North American concerts. “Choosing the right people was a must, because I’m going to be with them for a long time. Because I’d been a trainee for so long,” – seven years – “I think I had the ability to figure out what potential they had.” He turns to his bandmates and namechecks them: Woojin, the eldest at 22; Lee Know; Changbin; Hyunjin; Han; Felix; Seungmin; and the youngest, I.N, who turned 18 in February. “With everyone around me right now, I’m really glad we’ve become this team.”

Bang Chan and 18-year-old Felix, whose cavernously deep voice is at odds with his Bambi-innocent looks, were both raised in Australia, and the broad twang of their accent conveys a cheerful, anything-is-possible resonance. It’s the former who helms the conversation. He’s an engaging speaker and a careful listener, stopping to translate questions for the non-English speakers. At times he falters, and at others he deflects to well-worn answers (a reflection of their newness), but he’s unmistakably a leader, a role he wears effortlessly.

As a whole, Stray Kids are known for their friendly, indefatigable rambunctiousness, but with nearly a dozen rookie awards and five EPs in just over 12 months, it’d be foolish to underestimate their tenacity. Their start was a baptism of fire. On Stray Kids, the eponymously-named survival TV show that they were formed through, they were required to write tracks and perfect performances to short deadlines, then ruthlessly critiqued by the CEO of their label, JYP Entertainment. Two of the group members, Felix and Lee Know, were initially eliminated, although eventually reinstated in the final episode via a public vote. Felix, axed due to his less-than-fluent Korean, hasn’t forgotten the sting. “I still think about my Korean and how I use the language,” he sighs. “I try to learn, and fix it.”

You can see his determination when Stray Kids appear on Korean variety shows to showcase their work and their personalities. Felix’s shyness in speaking had resulted in less camera time but, in recent months, his studying has appeared to pay off and he’s a far more confident presence, able to convey the charm that's endeared him to their fans. It’s the result of constant help from his bandmates, he says, radiating positivity (which is, delightfully, Felix’s default setting). Lee Know, however, who’d had only a short idol training period and was cut early in the series, favours a more stoic approach. “I think I’m here thanks to that feedback. I worked really hard then, and I’m still trying to work hard now too,” he says, and although his small smile seemingly hints at something more pronounced, he settles on a double thumbs up and sits back.

“Choosing the right people was a must... With everyone around me right now, I’m really glad we’ve become this team” – Bang Chan, Stray Kids

Their rough-meets-polished sound was set up by the darkly anthemic “Hellevator”, but the thundering EDM and guitar riffs of their official debut, “District 9”, cemented them as a fresh force in K-pop. In its music video, they flee a clinical-looking prison and use a school bus to smash through to the safety of the titular District 9, although even there they’re left searching. “I don’t know who I am, it’s frustrating, it always worries me / Answer me, then give me an answer that will clear it all,” Hyunjin raps with a volatile urgency.

This ceaseless quest weaves through last year’s EP trilogy (I Am NOT, I Am WHO, I Am YOU) and into their latest EP, Clé 1: MIROH, the clear narrative allowing for sonic experiments (from the minimalist electronica of “3rd Eye” to the bright pop drawl of “Get Cool”) without losing momentum. In their song “NOT!”, they celebrate breaking out the “system” – the status quo – and the strength of being different. For Stray Kids, this is more about ambiguous storytelling than holding a deliberate ’us versus them’ mentality. “We usually don’t compare (ourselves) to others,” says vocalist Seungmin, in English. “Like in the song ‘My Pace’, we’re saying we don’t care about others’ (achievements), we’re just talking about Stray Kids’ own way.”

While Stray Kids have definitely created a richly empathetic musical tapestry, their chosen path raises a pertinent observation: in breaking out of one “system”, they’ve joined another. The idol system that they’re now a part of often appears more restrictive than the one they leave behind, and as they move towards the bubble of fame and money, there’s also the potential to lose a sense of oneself. Both feel paradoxical to their story. Bang Chan pauses. “Well, honestly, we wouldn’t call it a system, let’s say a ‘world’, and we’d call it a decision that we made. In order for us to get out of the main system, we chose being idols, and through K-pop we can show the message we want to express.”

Han, the 18-year-old rapper, singer, and songwriter/producer, drapes himself, cat-like, over Felix’s head and neck to get close to the camera. “I think fame and success can be dangerous to a person, depending on how they feel about it, but we’re going to try to always be positive and good natured about it,” he opines, gesticulating rapidly. “We’re still lacking so much, but we’re going to try really hard to understand other people’s feelings and be a good influence.”

Given Stray Kids’ formation, creative freedom, and growing success makes them something of an anomaly, might their presence provoke change in the idol world? Bang Chan furrows his brow. “I suppose so,” he says with the questioning tone of someone presented with an unfamiliar concept. “I guess it’s up to how people take it in.”

Stray Kids, evidently, have been more preoccupied with looking inward, and, when examining their new EP, it’s apparent their gaze has been in flux. Clé 1: MIROH, which Bang Chan describes as “us being really confident because all nine of us are together”, presents a new fearlessness on tracks like “Boxer”, “MIROH” and “Victory Song”, where Han triumphantly raps:“A laidback victor, a smile spreads on my face / Who else is like me, there’s no one.”

“When I was becoming a singer, some people didn’t support my dreams, so I was sad. I remember that and put those feelings into this song” – Changbin, Stray Kids

They pose fewer existential questions than on previous EPs, but, says Bang Chan, “if you look at tracks like ‘Chronosaurus’ and ‘Maze Of Memories’, it shows nervousness or anxiety, and a feeling of being lost as well.” The latter, its doomy hip hop propelled by tense piano and bursts of foreboding strings, was an emotional outlet for their silver-tongued rapper, Changbin. “When I was becoming a singer,” he says, in English, “some people didn’t support my dreams, so I was sad. I remember that and put those feelings into this song.”

Yet despite sieving emotions and thoughts through the music, their biggest questions, says Changbin, remain unanswered. “But we’re trying,” he smiles. He points to the close presence of their fans, known as STAY. “Maybe we can find the answer soon, through STAY.” How does he intend to discover deeply personal epiphanies through others? “I’m young and lack a lot of experience,” replies Changbin, reverting to Korean. “There are still a lot of childish elements about me as well. By watching those around me, I can find out what I like through them. I feel like I can find myself through (others’ journeys).”

For now, Stray Kids simply continue doing what they’ve done so well thus far – capturing the human condition, including tackling difficult subjects like depression (“Hellevator”), anxiety (“Rock”), and negative thoughts (“Voices”), all of which, Bang Chan says, they’ve experienced first-hand. The group’s core writing team (Han, Changbin, and Bang Chan, together known as 3RACHA) have not only refined their style over the past year but, according to I.N, “improved on their speed of making songs. They’ve gotten really fast,” he says with a sunny grin.

3RACHA’s Soundcloud days are far behind them, although, to their credit, they haven’t deleted the handful of songs that were posted pre-debut. Some will remain just enthusiastic learning curves, but others were raw and powerful, such as “Broken Compass”, which was refashioned into “Mixtape #4” for Clé 1: MIROH.

The “Mixtape” songs, which are only found on the physical versions of their EPs, are where, Hyunjin says, “we all contribute, and fill our individual verses with our personal stories”. In January, 3RACHA revisited a few songs during a Vlive broadcast, and cringed to the point of sweating profusely. As Changbin and Han crease up, Bang Chan covers his face, mock-groaning. “We can’t listen to them now!” But there’s a glint in his eye. “We do have to do episode two of that,” he adds, grinning.

It’s not just the songwriters who are evolving; from being wide-eyed, ambitious and nervous trainees who didn’t always get along, as Hyunjin recently revealed, Stray Kids have become compelling performers with close bonds. They’d clung tightly to Bang Chan during their survival show, but do Stray Kids today feel less lost – or at least more secure in their responsibilities? “I’ll just leave the room so the guys can talk more freely,” jokes Bang Chan, even as Changbin, owner of a bone-dry sense of humour, simply yells, “No!” Vocalist Woojin leans in. “He was very good to us while we were filming the show. At that time we always followed him very well, and relied on him a lot.”

“I don’t have a lot of confidence but when he’s next to me, I know I can do this,” adds Felix, as they ready to depart for the next schedule in a packed day. “But,” Woojin says, “now we’re all developing our own selves, too.”

Source

#stray kids #190606 #era: clé 1 miroh #t: article #dazed

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makeste · 5 years ago

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a BnHA playlist/fanmix thing

@psqqa so I finally put together a list of some of my BnHA playlist tracks! this is by no means comprehensive because I have literally half a dozen different playlists with different themes (e.g. “instrumentals”, “BakuDeku”, “songs that either remind me of Kacchan or that he would work out to”, “angsty apocalyptic final battle”, and so forth) and omg it’s a lot. but this is my most inclusive playlist, which consists of general character theme songs for most of class 1-A, the League of Villains, and a few others. my taste in music generally leans towards alternative/indie/rock/grunge, but it can kind of go all over the place. so the genres may vary here and there, especially since I opted to go with whichever song I felt fit the character best regardless of how well the tracks all blended together musically.

also I have a bakudeku bias but THAT’S NOT EXACTLY BREAKING NEWS what can I say. and this is actually me holding back lol but oh well.

Deku - Rise (Katy Perry) - “makeste did you really just kick off your BnHA playlist with a Katy Perry song” yeah I did! because!! I won’t just survive/oh you will see me thrive/can’t write my story/I’m beyond the archetype. like, this song was made for anime protagonists. oh ye of little faith/don’t doubt it, don’t doubt it/victory is in my veins/I know it, I know it. this kid just doesn’t give up. this is no mistake, no accident/when you think the final nail is in, think again/don’t be surprised/I will still rise.

bonus: Blood (Archis) - this song is fucking gorgeous both musically and lyrically. don’t let them win/don’t let them get/under your skin, into your head/they’re full of it/you’re full of life/you’ll prove them right if you’re giving up/so let’s go for blood. it really is fucked up how dismissive BnHA society is of anyone who’s quirkless. it’s so stupid too, because the majority of quirks aren’t even all that great. “look at me I can make DSLR lenses pop out of my body!” lol fucking great. so obviously superior to normal people who have to take pictures with actual cameras like fucking scrubs. anyway, so Deku was written off from a young age as helpless, defective, and deficient, all because he lacked a quirk. so it’s been so fucking great to watch him finally prove them all wrong. (...by getting a quirk. lol. but STILL.) well it sure took a while to turn it around/but I never gave up on me.

Bakugou - We Will Rock You (VonLichten mix) (Queen) - I like this version of the song because it adds a bit of an extra oomph and it’s a little bit fiercer. anyways, this has been my Bakugou theme song since day one, and what I love about it is that each verse works for a different stage of his ~journey~. buddy you’re a boy/make a big noise/playing in the street/gonna be a big man someday -- this is Katsuki as a fearless young child, with hints at the growing chip on his shoulder (kicking your can all over the place). and then the second verse is him a little older, starting out at UA -- buddy you’re a young man/hard man/shouting in the street/gonna take on the world someday -- and proclaiming to the world that he’ll be number one. and lastly we have the final verse, with its line gonna make you some peace someday, which I know is meant in a make-peace-with-things-before-the-end kind of way, but in a BnHA context you can totally tweak it to be a reference to the man he’s aspiring to be. gonna make you some peace, because he’s gonna be greater than the Symbol of Peace himself someday.

bonus: Defy You (The Offspring) - the wind blows/I’ll lean into the wind/my anger grows/I’ll use it to win/the more you say/the more I defy you/so get out of my way. perfect song for a boy who cannot and will not be stopped. you cannot stop us/you cannot bring us down/never give up/we’ll go on and on. or, in his words: “I will win... that’s what heroes do.”

All Might - Legends Never Die (League of Legends OST) - listen I have never played League of Legends lol, but ever since I heard this song in a Marvel edit, this has been the All Might song for me. you could probably just watch the Kamino battle on mute with this song in the background and everything would fit. legends never die/when the world is calling you/can you hear them screaming out your name?/legends never die/they become a part of you/every time you bleed for reaching greatness/relentless, you survive. the lyrics basically speak for themselves. we stan a champion.

Aizawa - I’ll Make a Man Out of You (Mulan OST) - y’all I went through so many songs looking for something that summarized Aizawa’s tiredness/doneness-with-life while also alluding to his mentor side, and then suddenly BAM, it hit me. anyways so yeah. you’re the saddest bunch I ever met/but you can bet before we’re through/mister I’ll make a man out of you. also just try to listen to the “say goodbye to those who knew me/boy was I a fool in school for cutting gym/THIS GUY’S GOT ‘EM SCARED TO DEATH” part without picturing 1-A bitching about their scruffy teacher overlord whom they secretly love.

bonus: I’m So Tired (Fugazi) - if you’re looking for something more musically cohesive with the rest of this playlist in general, as opposed to SUDDEN DISNEY SONG OUT OF NOWHERE, this may be a bit more up your alley lol. I’m so tired sheep are counting me/no more struggle, no more energy/no more patience/and you can write that down/it’s all too crazy and I’m not sticking round. anyways Aizawa needs a nap.

Todoroki - Alive (Sia) - I grew up overnight/I played alone, I played on my own/I survived/I wanted everything I never had/like the love that comes with life/I wore envy and I hated it/but I survived. guys this little candy cane boy has been through some shit. but he hung in there and now he is thriving. I’m still breathing/I’m alive.

Ochako - You Gotta Be (Des’ree) - because she’s a badass. you gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser/you gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger/you gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together. anyways I sure would like Ochako to get the spotlight in an arc again one of these days. she’s the best.

Iida - Never Die (FNDTY) - it was actually pretty hard to find a song that fit Iida’s unique forty-year-old man personality since my musical tastes usually run towards moody shit and he’s pretty much the opposite of that lol. but I think the tempo of this song fits his quirk, at least, and it makes me smile, which he does also. you can run/you can fly/you can never die.

Kirishima - Guts Over Fear ft. Sia (Eminem) - so this is a song all about overcoming your insecurities and finding the courage within yourself. I freaking love how the pre-chorus I was afraid to make a single sound/afraid I would never find a way out builds up and transitions into so here I am and I will not run/guts over fear. I’m so proud of Kiri you guys.

Momo - You Are Young (Keane) - another song about getting the better of your personal doubts and demons! hey now, don’t be scared, baby, don’t be scared at all/of all the things you don’t know/you’ve got time to realize. Momo has so much potential and she’s going to be such an incredible hero one day. now that she’s gaining more confidence the sky is pretty much the limit for her. you’ve got time/you’ve got to try/to bring some good into this world/cause you are young.

Mina - Safe and Sound (Capital Cities) - oh hey it’s the most upbeat song in the world, for the world’s most cheerful and optimistic and endlessly delightful person. I could fill your cup/you know my river won’t evaporate/this world we still appreciate/you could be my luck/even in a hurricane of frowns/I know that we’ll be safe and sound.

Kaminari - Thunderstruck (AC/DC) - okay yeah maybe I didn’t try too hard on this one lol. BUT IF THE SHOE FITS and honestly, it does. title aside, I think this song fits Kaminari musically too. it’s badass and it puts a smile on your face. went through to Texas/yeah Texas/and we had some fun/we met some girls/some dancers who gave a good time/broke all the rules/played all the fools. and then, of course, the chorus. you’ve been thunderstruck.

Jirou - Dream On (Aerosmith) - you know I had to go with a rock song for Jirou, so might as well go with a classic that’s all about (a) loving music (sing with me, sing for the year/sing for the laughter, sing for the tear) and (b) shooting for your dreams. dream on, dream on/dream until your dreams come true.

Tokoyami - Dark Necessities (Red Hot Chili Peppers) - I could have possibly gone with something a bit more goth for Toko as opposed to the Chilis, but the lyrics just fit so well though. you don’t know my mind/you don’t know my kind/dark necessities are part of my design/tell the world that I’m falling from the sky/dark necessities are part of my design/do you want this love of mine?/darkness helps us all to shine. Tokoyami doesn’t get enough respect for being a teenage edgelord without being a cringey mess. he’s setting such a good example for others.

so that’s pretty much it for my 1-A songs, but here are some bonus BakuDeku songs because I am obsessed

Muddy Waters (LP) - this is my theme for Deku VS Kacchan 2. goddamn Katsuki is such a hot fucking mess during this fight. and he’s hurting so much, and he’s reaching out to the only person he knows to reach out to in the only way he knows how. I will ask you for mercy/I will come to you blind/what you’ll see is the worst me/I’m not the last of my kind/in the muddy water we’re falling/in the muddy water we’re crawling. this song brings that good angst you guys. this is a relationship that has been through the wringer, and two boys who have basically no idea what they are doing, just kind of stumbling along. it is not clear why we choose the fire pathway/where we end is not the way that we had planned/all the spirits gathered round like it’s our last day/to get across you know we’ll have to raise the sand. anyways these kids chose the highest possible difficulty level for their path forward, but they’re doing it though. together, y’all.

Admiration (Incubus) - because Izuku is frankly infatuated and doesn’t even try to hide it. you’re an unfenced fire/over walls we’ve trampled/it’s you I admire/my living example. “an amazing person who was even closer to me than All Might.” he’s so open in his respect and awe for practically everything Kacchan does. just staring at him in starry-eyed wonder. and this part of their dynamic has always been so compelling to me -- how unconditional it is on Izuku’s part. that is some fiercely strong love there on his part that it can survive all the bullshit Kacchan heaps onto it, and all his best attempts to snuff it out. he just latched on and wouldn’t let go. anyways it resulted in something extremely unhealthy for quite a while, but it’s turning around now and being reciprocated, even if Kacchan’s version is prickly and tentative. don’t get ahead of me/could we just this once see eye to eye?

Ordinary Love (U2) - I can’t fight you anymore/it’s you I’m fighting for/the sea throws rocks together/but time leaves us polished stones. I fucking love that metaphor, though. yeah, just give them time. they’re gonna figure this all out one day.

and have a bonus theme song for class 1-A in general before we move on

Charlie Brown (Coldplay) - something about this song just embodies that restive, fidgety energy of youth to me. all the boys, all the girls/all that matters in the world/all the boys, all the girls/all the madness that occurs/all the highs, all the lows/as the room a-spinning goes/we’ll run riot/we’ll be glowing in the dark. there’s like a disorderly, disheveled beauty to this. say what you will about Coldplay, but some of their songs are like the musical equivalent of a rainbow.

anyways so now I’m gonna segue into some songs for a few of the season 4 characters. starting with...

Nighteye - While I’m Still Here (Nine Inch Nails) - ticking time is running out/yesterday I found out the world was ending. I still can’t get over how psychologically devastating Nighteye’s quirk is. it’s basically just Major Bummer: The Quirk. this season is really going to fuck me up emotionally isn’t it. a little more/every day/falls apart and/slips away/I don’t mind/I’m okay/wish it didn’t have to end this way. fucking hell. guess I better brace myself for some solid gut punches to the soul.

Eri - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Florence + the Machine) - nothing to see here, just a little girl being treated as nothing more than a human bloodbank, and told that her quirk is nothing but a curse even as her abuser hoards it and uses it to wage a war. this is a gift, it comes with a price/who is the lamb and who is the knife?/Midas is king and he holds me so tight/and turns me to gold in the sunlight. but I also picked this song for Eri because of the way the POV slowly gathers up their courage and tries to fight back. I wish that I could just be brave/I must become a lion-hearted girl/ready for a fight/before I make the final sacrifice. excuse me I need to go hug Eri.

Mirio - Carry On (fun.) - okay so it was kind of hard to pick a song for Mirio, I think maybe I was overthinking it. anyways I ended up going with something hopeful to try and embody his endless, determined optimism. this song has kind of a quiet courage that builds up as it goes on. my favorite part is the second bridge: cause we are/we are shining stars/we are invincible/we are who we are/on our darkest day/when we’re miles away/so we’ll come/we will find our way home.

bonus: Mirio and Tamaki - Kids (Acoustic) (OneRepublic) - back when we were kids/swore we would never die/you and me were kids/swear that we’ll never die. lol at least we have one healthy childhood friendship to stan in this series.

and now on to THE VILLAINS, yay. this is probably the most musically cohesive section of this playlist, since VILLAINS!! means I can go with an overall darker ambiance.

All for One - Sympathy for the Devil (Neptunes Remix) (Rolling Stones) - didn’t even have to think about this one. please allow me to introduce myself/I’m a man of wealth and taste/I’ve been around for a long, long year/stole many a man’s soul and faith. this is the gentleman villain song and a perfect fit IMO.

Tomura - Pet (A Perfect Circle) - or really, this is more “AFO and Tenko”, I guess. manipulating a traumatized child into hating the world and raising him to become a killer. pay no mind to what other voices say/they don’t care about you like I do/safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils/see, they don’t give a fuck about you like I do/just stay with me/safe and ignorant. this is one of those songs where literally the entire song fits both lyrically and musically. just perfect. I’ll be the one to protect you from your enemies and your choices, son/they’re one and the same/I must isolate you/isolate and save you from yourself. like it’s a struggle here not to quote the entire song. ...eh, one more. swinging to the rhythm of the new world order and/counting bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums.

bonus: Flesh and Bone (Black Math) - Tenko angst. god that last arc was so fucking good. I walk alone, beside myself/nowhere to go/this bleeding heart that’s in my hands/I fell apart. stupid manga with its darkly compelling villain character arcs.

Dabi - Shadow on the Sun (Audioslave) - aaaangst lol. and I can tell you why/people go insane/I can show you how/you could do the same. p.s. Dabi you still owe me a flashback! also “shadow on the sun” is a pretty good metaphor for his relationship with Endeavor. fire quirks make for such great metaphor potential.

Toga - Bones (MS MR) - you know I really have no idea why this song pings me so hard for Toga lol. but whatever, it is what it is. marinate in misery/like a girl of only 17/man-made madness/and the romance of sadness.

Twice - Misfits (Third Eye Blind) - my people are the misfits/the ones that don’t fit in. this is another song that clicked pretty naturally without requiring much thought on my part. well those are the ones for me/yeah those are the ones for me/the misfits, the freaks, the enemy/you and me.

Spinner - Normal Person (Arcade Fire) - is anything as strange as a normal person?/is anyone as cruel as a normal person/waiting after school for you/they want to know if you/if you’re normal too/well are you? this song is such a burn on quirk society and all of its issues. I can’t tell if I’m a normal person, it’s true/I think I’m cool enough/but am I cruel enough? I especially love the ending -- if that’s what’s normal now/I don’t want to know.

and a bonus League of Villains song:

Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears cover) (Lorde) - just change “rule” to “destroy” I guess lol. help me make the most of freedom/and of pleasure/nothing ever lasts forever/everybody wants to rule the world. god I love this cover. this is one of those songs I’ll play over and over again anyway so it’s nice to have a good excuse what with the direction this new arc appears to be headed in.

and lastly, a couple of Hawks and Endeavor songs because they don’t really fit in any other section and I didn’t really plan out this post!

Hawks - Weapon (Matthew Good) - just a really nice, angsty theme for the man who goes too fast, off on his spy mission of doom. careful, you be careful/this is where the world drops off. plus some bonus angst about how he’s trapped in this role that he never wanted to be in. and you give in/and you give out for it/ain’t it so weird/how it makes you a weapon.

Endeavor - Find My Way (Nine Inch Nails) - lord my path has gone astray/I’m just trying to find my way/wandered here from far away/I’m just trying to find my way/you were never meant to see/all those things inside of me/now that you have gone away/I’m just trying to find my way. I don’t really need to comment more on this, do I? also, the part where Trent Reznor’s voice drops to a whisper and says please/I never meant for this, though. omg. Endeavor you’re such a bitch and you had all of this coming, but even so. oof.

and that’s pretty much it! she said, like this post wasn’t long af as it is lol. anyway so there are... 34 songs here, lol. I should probably try and put it all into a youtube playlist or something for convenience. I’ll edit once I’ve done that.

edit: playlist!

#bnha #boku no hero academia #class 1-a #bakudeku #league of villains #fanmix #bnha fanmix #bnha meta #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha

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francesderwent · 6 years ago

Text

reputation - first impressions review

…ready for it? weirdly I’m super into it???? the pre-chorus is good, the chorus is outstandingly good, and it builds perfectly! but mainly I love it because it’s like a dark version of Enchanted or Everything Has Changed, and I love Taylor’s “dark” songs (Haunted, I Know Places, etc), and her love-at-first-sight songs are my favorite of her “light” songs!!! so the fact that this is about that unshakeable certainty that something is going to materialize, but with the feeling added of standing on a precipice…or maybe you are the precipice, or he is?? or both? it’s perfect. wait I’ve got it, it’s like Enchanted and I Knew You Were Trouble COMBINED, and as such it is brilliant.

End Game the lyrics in Taylor’s verse are fun, and I love Ed, but the song is yawn. also it gets stuck in my head any time someone mentions the avengers movie, which is constantly, and that’s definitely making me resentful.

I Did Something Bad this song makes me wanna dance slutty, and I love it. the production is exactly what it should be, the verses, the pre-chorus, and the chorus are all perfect, and her voice sounds amazing. plus thelonelybrilliance said I was this song back in the day and so I am legally obligated to adore it. catch me singing this every time I pre-meditatedly break my school’s dress code. go ahead and liGHT ME UP

Don’t Blame Me I don’t hate it, but the rhythm is kind of boring? also it sounds like a Hozier song for some reason and that’s not an overlap I was expecting or which I know what to do with.

Delicate I love the content of the song – she’s really captured something about the beautiful gossamer-fragile early stages of a relationship – but I don’t love the production of it, I liked the acoustic performance at the Time 100 thing so much better. and especially I think I’m biased against it because I hate the thumbnail on the video. Taylor’s feet don’t point or turn out properly in the split, and it deeply bothers the former dancer in me. I DO really like the bridge on this song, which I think may be the only song on the album whose bridge is absolutely transcendent in that classic Taylor way.

Look What You Made Me Do the most frustrating song ever, spiritual successor to “Bad Blood” which greatly surpasses it in every possible underwhelming way. starts amazingly strong with the creepy fairytale instrumental, the verses are solid and Taylor’s voice sounds glorious in them, the pre-chorus GOES OFF, and then the chorus suuuuuucks. I feel like she should have switched the bridge and the chorus somehow?? the sing-songy “I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me” has the same vibe as the weird chanty chorus, but without, y’know, being super annoying and dull.

So It Goes… the rhythm in the chorus is, again, unfortunately, kind of boring. it doesn’t really get good until the last thirty seconds when the different vocalizing all overlaps and she switches into her higher register, but it does get really good for those last thirty seconds, like, I get chills kind of good. it does make me wanna listen to the True Blood theme song, which is the same vibe but southern gothic.

Gorgeous I have never been more devastatingly called out by a line than I was by “you should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk”, except that I literally do that constantly, while sober. and also except for the fact of “you should take it as a compliment that I’m talking to everyone here but you”, which called me out Even Worse.

Getaway Car this is the most Taylor Swift song on this album in that it creates a whole story within a self-enclosed universe, which somehow, by virtue of being self-enclosed, becomes open to everyone’s identifying with it. it’s a brilliant metaphor, and the bridge is killer.

King of My Heart if I don’t have this song play as I enter my wedding reception, it’ll be because my future husband asked me not to, very persuasively. ALL AT ONCE THIS IS ENOUGH

Dancing with Our Hands Tied I really thought “I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us” was just one of those things that tumblr says, probably from a fanfiction or riverdale or something, but it’s from this song. huh. it really is the OTP song, I can think of like five couples off the top of my head that it applies to.

Dress I was listening to the album while making dinner and had to skip this song partway through because it was going to scandalize my roommates, and so I listened to it on the metro instead, and it’s shockingly incredibly sweet???? the whole thing is about how much she has let this man into her heart, how much she’s let him become a part of her identity, all the way down, so that even her dress – something that we all associate with Taylor being Taylor – is actually about him. at the same time, I feel like this song retroactively validates my being uncomfortable with the breathy vocalizing in Wildest Dreams.

This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things now this is Taylor Swift spite. juuust harsh enough, capable of laughing at itself, and fun. kudos to Taylor for rhyming “mama” and “drama”. masterful.

Call It What You Want this song sounds like Ed Sheeran??????? the syncopation?? is classic Ed Sheeran and I love how much he’s influenced her style!!!!! FRIENDSHIP *ahem* anyway, the bridge is real good.

New Year’s Day I listened to this song months ago, actually, and I am completely emotionally overwhelmed by this being the closing song on the album. “Clean” and “Begin Again” are both about moving on, leaving behind the one thing that defined that phase of life for you. “Long Live” is about something that she can trust to be with her through changing phases, but specifically something non-romantic. Fearless literally ends with a song called “Change”. but with New Year’s Day, it’s not about an ending, it’s about the determination that even if we don’t know where we’re going next, it’s going to be together, because I’m going to stay. this era doesn’t end with “well, I made some memories, found some moments to hold onto, but something else is coming around the bend”. it ends with I will hold onto you. in the midst of everything, where you’d least expect it, the thing she gets to take away with her at the end of the day is a love she can count on.

#cate liveblogs!#I say first impressions #but I've listened to it all the way through about three times #still #these impressions will shift once I've listened to it a few dozen times #taylor swift

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overcaffeinated-creative · 6 years ago

Note

Solus for the oc character meme if you like?

01. Full Name: Solus Vetra

02. Best Friend(s): Lumi Kirrin, Jazari Naaji, Ursa Wren

03. Sexuality: Pansexual, Polyamorous

04. Favorite Color: Silver, Light Blue

05. Relationship Status: Married to Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan Kryze. For the last couple of centuries of their lives she and Lumi are basically married. Otherwise, she’s single or, as in one universe, dating/married to Anakin for a few years.

06. Ideal Mate: They absolutely have to be intelligence and able to keep up with her. It doesn’t have to be the same kind of intelligence she possess but there has to be something there. She loves learning from her partner(s). Also, someone not afraid to challenge her to grow or stand their ground. They also have to understand her devotion to the the Resol’nare, if not match it.

07. Turn-ons: Intelligent Banter, Calloused Hands, People who have a kind of edge to them that makes her want to learn more. A more joking take would be “Tall, Blond in Armor (preferably Mandalorian) who is a Whole Dumbass and has lost a fight to Count Dooku.

08. Favorite Food: Spiced Leathermeat or Varos (either as fruit or turned into tihaar). An argument could be made for live caught amphibians or small reptiles but that’s as much for the enrichment activity of hunting as the taste.

09. Crushes: Pre Vizsla, Bo-Katan Kryze, Lumi Kirrin, Jazari Naaji, Shaak Ti, Anakin Skywalker. There’s more that becomes more dependent on the AU.

10. Favorite Music: Space Sabaton. Otherwise, she’s rather likes things with strong beats and lyrics that tell a story. Unless it’s club music where she just wants a beat and notes that drown everything else out.

11. Biggest Fear: That in the end she’s not done enough and failed not only Mandalore but her Family as well.

12. Biggest Fantasy: Happily living on Krownest with her family and raising her whole gaggle of children. She’d open a school of sorts for fellow Mandalorian Force Sensitives to help them learn about the Force. It stems as much from her refusal (and eventual spearheaded ban) of the Jedi/Sith being allowed within the Sector as comforting them. She was an absurdly powerful Force Sensitive that felt scared and alone with her power. If there’s a way to stop others from feeling that she has to try.

13. Bad Habits: She will catch and consume living reptiles (typically lizards) as intimidation tactics against people, Rules are Made to Twisted and Exploited, She doesn’t turn being a Spy off well, and her Art Supplies/Clothes multiple then expand across her living space.

14. Biggest Regret: It’s kind of Verse dependent really. The two most common ones involve Pre and the Order. If Maul kills Pre within the Verse she regrets not being there to stop it form happening. Otherwise, she regrets not finding a way to leave the Jedi Order/Republic sooner than she did.

15. Best Kept Secrets: Another Verse dependent thing. Any of the shenanigans she got up to with Lumi and Jazari as children or at the Temple, Most of what she’s done on Nar Shaddaa, and who keeps moving the mugs (only a inch or so but with the Force) or hiding shoes of the people who annoy her too early in the morning.

16. Last Thought: I finally get to see them again.

17. Worst Romantic Experience: This is a kind of ficlet to explain how it’s both the Best and Worst. See, there’s a specific time period between Pre announcing he’s in charge of Death Watch and Solus joining. In that time period Pre’s her worst romantic experience because of this. Jumping into bed with the Governor Vizsla was a delightful treat form her bodyguard sub-mission involving Satine. Lots of chemistry, lots of passion, and just a lot of a good time on a mission that was only partway over. Then, the other shoe dropped and so did her mood. There may have been rants about “He had not right to be that good and ruin me. Then turn out to be that.” Which was also misplaced anger and confusion as she started to question her whole world view.

18. Biggest Insecurity: It’s kind of two different ones that compete to be the biggest. The first is this worry that people, especially their families, think of her as Pre (and to an extent Bo-Katant’s) early mid-life crisis due to being a decade or more younger than them. Another is the fact that she was a member of the Jedi Order, did live within the Republic, and as a result did enforce the will of both of them. That made her Dar’Manda in her own eyes.

19. Weapon of Choice: Her dual lightsabers and her brilliant mind. Because no fight with Solus is ever just physical.

20. Role Model(s): Ursa Wren (As a child she thought her fellow Countess was Fearless and never lost that idolization), Tarre Vizlsa, her grandfather Harti Wren, and after she forgives him, her other grandfather Jai Vetra.

GIVE ME THE NAME OF ONE OF MY OCS IN MY ASKBOX AND I’LL ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY

#caff answers #kristune #star wars quotes #solus vetra #pre vizsla #bo-katan kryze #pre x solus #cw age gap #cw power imbalances #uh whatever else people want me to warn for with this pairing?#bo-katan x pre x solus #s: chaos incarnate #s: destined only to cross

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thesinglesjukebox · 6 years ago

Video

youtube

BROODS - PEACH

[7.20]

New Zealand's finest and, frankly, prettiest sibling act return.

William John: Look, this could be sheer coincidence, and I could be doing that likely very annoying thing where I characterise all New Zealanders as being part of a monolith of people who are all only a degree away from someone who did something in a Tolkien film. But between the buoyant, lurching bassline in Chelsea Jade's "Pitch Dark," the delightfully defiant album Ultra Red from October, the smiling-through-the-squall that runs all the way through Future Me Hates Me, the new record from The Beths, and now this bit of fizz from brother-sister Broods, it does seem as though New Zealand's pop scene is brimming with fearlessness at the moment, and it's thrilling. Put it down to Jacindamania, or a direct, inspired response to melodrama, or fate, or perhaps a confluence of the three. On "Peach," Caleb and Georgia Nott swirl around happily in solitude and find contentment in the present. It's a saccharine message, and not novel, but it is worth reminding oneself when confronted with the daily horrors of our desolate world that in spite of all apparent misery, self-actualisation is still possible, new days are on the horizon, and a dream need not be treated as mere delusion. The giddy, helium-inflected vocals in the pre-chorus here are rousing enough for that directive to filter through, but true lucidity comes with the chorus and its clattering of drums and woah-ohs. It's as though a curtain has been opened in a dark room, and everything has suddenly been bathed in clarifying, auspicious sunlight. [9]

Ian Mathers: I don't love the sample or filter or just performance that makes the voice sound like a little kid's bit for a bit right before the chorus, and this feels like it could have been trimmed by a minute or so and seemed a little less disjointed, but it wouldn't really take much altering to turn "Peach" from something promising to something great. [6]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The desire for isolation aligns well with the introspective verses, but the song then aims to capture quiet contentment through an arrangement that finds a middle ground between insularity and pomp. It feels like the musical equivalent of walking in a parade and feeling happy about one's life; in this moment, all of life's suffering can be ignored and things are just as they should be. The titular "everything's looking peach now" hook is a bit too happy-go-lucky though, and the song ends up sounding like canned excitement. The vocal processing and inelegant structure also read as forced quirkiness, and it actually makes me feel extremely lonely. It's like everyone around me is having a blast and I'm trying my hardest not to kill the mood so I play along. Forcing my best smiles and acting more gregarious than usual, I hope that no one notices how I really feel. Of course, in the back of my mind I keep asking myself, "what's wrong with me?" This isn't healthy for me to listen to and I'm never going to play it again. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: It's hard for me to hear this as something other than an intricately adorned edifice whose sole purpose is to showcase some pretty great drum fills. And yes, they are pretty great. But the untelegraphed stylistic changes make it difficult to establish a baseline mood, and the insistence on layering new elements rather than perfecting the existing ones smacks of dilettantism. As a result, I have no clue what those pretty great drum fills are supposed to make me feel, other than mildly impressed. [4]

Rebecca A. Gowns: This is so fun! I just want to listen to this over and over again. The verses are so deliciously restrained, and that bombastic multi-part chorus is so meaty I could chew it like a big fat gumball. It reminds me of the first time I heard "Praise You" or "Let Forever Be" -- or maybe it just reminds me of being on the verge of young adulthood, feeling like anything was possible, getting lost in daydreams, and wearing out my DVDs of music videos with clever conceits. [10]

Will Adams: The pre-chorus -- where the vocals distort, the house piano comes in and the synths start to soar -- makes me think this could really use a Galantis remix. It's the best part of a song that's otherwise shrouded in reverb and a mix that lacks brightness. [6]

Julian de Valliere: Whenever I'm feeling terrible about life and my general existence I don't normally turn to songs that promise the sun will break through the clouds tomorrow, because when I'm sat on the toilet in the only room I can be afforded some privacy to fall apart I don't really want to be reminded of a hope I can no longer seem to generate. Those songs, all of which have undoubtedly been painstakingly assembled to inspire joy and optimism and all that good stuff within my breast, only manage to come across as cruel in my head. "Peach" has also been geared to stimulate such emotions, but there's a specificity in Broods' lyricism -- particularly that middle eight -- that allows it to register as intended. "Peach" doesn't try to downplay the severity of any situation, but spins the endless possibilities of the future in a way that's more realistic than impossibly cheerful. Yes, there'll be bad times, but also good ones, eventually. And then maybe more bad. But then probably more good. When you're desperately waiting for things to turn around, each knock-back can feel like another sign to stop pushing forward -- but I'm so grateful to this song for reminding me that forward is the only way. [10]

Alfred Soto: The drum fills, whooshes, and synth fills, and a startling call and response moment with multi-tracked vocals -- this track has ideas galore. After several listens with diminishing returns, I don't hear the song, though. [5]

Katherine St Asaph: Catcall's "The World Is Ours" retrofitted for 2018. It's one ever-so-slight step ahead of alt-pop, like a runway trend that's just started to trickle into all the stores (not quite how that works, but), and may well sound less joyous a year later. But it isn't a year later yet. [7]

Edward Okulicz: Not entirely sure of the use of "peach" as an adjective as opposed to "peachy," but am entirely sure that this is a confident bit of alt-pop that is only pretending to be shy in the chorus because that's how all the best pop songs and rollercoasters work, and the thing is stuffed with cool noises and insanely catchy hooks. The drums, the chorus that explodes and then becomes whole again only to explode as a slightly different chorus! There's a piano house mix yet to be created that's a hypothetical 10 that I'm willing into existence with my mind. Please, Broods, please, make my year. [9]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Broods #pop #music #music review #writing

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strayframes · 7 years ago

Text

Jet Li - China’s Hero

By Sam Cave

Beijing, 1963. A child is born into poverty, the youngest of five. By two years old, his father has passed away. His family can’t afford meat, so young Lie Liajie is often hungry but never complains. When he is eight years old, his mother enrolls him in a summer course for martial arts. He shows a natural talent for Wushu, and his instructor takes notice. The boy attends a non-sparring Wushu event. Soon after, the instructor refers him to Wu Bin, coach for the Beijing Wushu Team. With his family’s permission, he is allowed to join. The coach takes a special interest in the boy, making him practice twice as hard as the other students. The criticism is harsh and constant, but he has good to food to eat and a sense of purpose that will help him to rise above his environment - China’s rocky crossroads between the Great Leap Forward and Mao’s cultural revolution.

A few years pass. Once a year the team is allowed to go to the movies. They watch Shaw Brothers and Shaolin five venoms, and sometimes Jimmmy Chang. One night the team gets to see a film called Fist of fury, Starring a westerner name Bruce Lee. the older boys love the film, and they clap and cheer, some of them smoking cigarettes and drinking rice wine. Their instructor chaperones hush them but also smile and laugh. Even as strict as the coaches can be, these boys need to blow off steam. The boy sits and watches the film, wide eyed. A friend passes him a Coca-Cola but he doesn’t notice. He is mesmerized by Lee Little Dragon’s screams and whoops, his speed and tempo. It is not so much Bruce Lee’s skills - the boy has seen Wing Chun and Southern Style Kung Fu before many times. It is the pauses, the stare, the speed with which he executes each maneuver. These are the things that a young Lie Lianjie would incorporate into his own fighting style, as the years ahead transformed him into the Martial Arts idol in known as Jet Li.

Asian cinema is a vast genre, with very different subsets. When I think of Japanese film, I picture ghost stories and bloody action like The Grudge or Battle Royale. Korea has the darkly comic revenge films of Chan Wook Park (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance). John Woo (Hard-Boiled) and Wong Kar Wai (2046, In The Mood For Love) both hail from Hong Kong. Historically, Mainland China’s identity in film has been firmly rooted in martial arts and Wushu-style historical epic tales. This makes sense, since the Wushu novels of writers like Jin Yong hold a place not unlike Tolkien in Chinese literary culture. Jet Li’s characters in Once Upon A Time in China, Fist of Legend and Fearless are based on real historical figures, and the China depicted in these stories is an honorable, decent place worth fighting for. The nationalistic message is often heavy-handed, but considering the China of twenty or thirty years ago, perhaps people needed to believe in not just heroes, but Chinese heroes.

I first discovered Jet Li when I saw Lethal Weapon 4. He played a silent martial arts villain with a ponytail who could dismantle a gun in seconds. His pre-combat stare was like nothing I’d ever seen onscreen before. It is his trademark - when he glares at his enemy he eminates both pure calm and pure danger. LW4 was Li’s first time crossing over into American films, after making over 30 movies in China since his debut in the 1980’s. Becore Jet Li started acting, there was an effort to find a successor to Bruce Lee, as evidenced by the early films of another Chinese martial artist, Jackie Chan. Chan was ten years older than Jet Li, and had been trained at the Chinese Opera. By Contrast, Li’s training focused purely on martial arts. He specialized in Wushu from the age of eight. Unlike Bruce Lee, who broke with Kung Fu tradition to establish his own style of fighting, Jet Li would become a Kung-Fu formalist. His trained at the Shao-Lin temple and spent years becoming an expert in Northern-style Kung Fu. Before the age of 10, Li won gold medals at the All China Games, and his team performed for Richard Nixon at the White House. According to Wikipedia:

he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"

Jet Li would not be groomed as Chan was, to carry on Bruce Lee’s legacy. Too much time had passed and the industry had moved on from Bruce-sploitation and the legacy of Enter the Dragon. When Li first emerged in the 1986 film Shaolin Temple, his Northern Wushu and Tai Chi background was evident in every move, every trap, every aerial spinning kick. His fighting and performing style harkened back to old-school Kung Fu films by Shaw Brothers like Five Venoms and (bla).

…

The storyline of a typical Jet Li film goes something like this: A guy from mainland China (cop, soldier, fill in the blank) is tasked with the responsibility of protecting someone or exacting revenge for a dead master. He goes to Hong Kong, Japan or America, where his upstanding and honorable values are called into question by his new surroundings. There’s a girl, a villain, and much flying of fists and feet until finally the hero returns to China, happy to be home (in The Defender, he is killed and his body goes back to China).

After a few years as a supporting, utility player, Jet Li got the role of a lifetime playing Wong in Once Upon A Time in China. The film, directed by Tsui Hark, was a retro/throwback style historical epic with sharp cinematography and high-flying wire assisted wushu fight choreography and stunts. It was a leap forward for Hong Kong film, and spawned 3 sequels with Li reprising the main role. The films that followed could be described as Jet Li’s Hong Kong period. Fist of Legend, The Defender (also titled Bodyguard from Beijing), The Enforcer, Meltdown, Hitman, Tai Chi Master, Swordsman series. The list goes on.

Some of these movies showcased Li’s martial arts skills better than others. Sometimes he had guns, like Chow Yun Fat in Hard Boiled. Sometimes he had a kid sidekick or a love interest. One thing is for sure - playing in a Hong Kong action movie in the 90’s was not for the faint if heart. Cut-rate action techniques and low-budgets loaned themselves to accidents. The fighting was often full-contact. Actors could end up with a face full of glass from explosions. Still, the Beijing Wushu prodigy found his place amongst other martial artists like Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh, churning out epics, gangster films and cop dramas for audiences in Hong Kong (now hurtling towards its handover to the mainland) as well as the rest of Asia and beyond.

The only unfortunate aspect of Jet Li’s Chinese catalogue lies in the poor production values of most of these films. The overdubbed English is poorly translated, the action has a cartoonish quality and the characters are usually stock and cheesy. In other words, they are typical ‘Chop-Socky’ Kung Fu films made in the style of Bruce Lee’s catalogue, before the technical achievements of later films like Crouching Tiger, Hideen Dragon and Iron Monkey. There are some clear exceptions, such as the Once Upon a Time in China series, expertly directed by Tsui Hark and featuring another Kung Fu prodigy, Donnie Yen.

Because they were made before the age of DVD and HD, Li’s films could only be seen by Western audiences in rare Chinatown screenings in a few major cities. In the late 1990’s a new pop culture trend would change this pattern, and the trajectory of Li’s career – catapulting the Wushu prodigy from China to the United States. When Wu-Tang Clan first arrived on the American hip-hop scene in 1993, no one was prepared. Their albums were soundscapes comprised of hard-hitting verses, skits, and samples from Kung Fu and martial arts films. Along with Nas, DMX and others, Wu-Tang popularized Jet Li’s films by referencing him directly in their music. Li noticed, and his late 90’s output reflected this unlikely alliance. Black Mask, Romeo Must Die, and Cradle 2 the Grave featured Li’s action sequences cut to high-energy hip-hop. The films were successful, proving that Jet Li’s Wushu could be imported to the West.

Like Jackie Chan, Jet Li’s late 90’s crossover into Hollywood films was inevitable. It was a career move probably not based on financial need (he was already wealthy), but more based on the fact that he had outgrown the Hong Kong film scene. After his role in Lethal Weapon 4, he starred in a string of ambitious but fairly crappy vehicles like Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, and Cradle 2 the Grave. These films, though largely panned by critics, served the purpose of greater exposure to US audiences and access to directors and filmmaker

In 2006, Jet Li announced his retirement from martial arts movies. The final entries into Jet Li’s martial arts catalogue, all made around this time, are easily the best. Hero, Unleashed, and Fearless are examples of bigger-budget Jet Li, not so different from his Chinese films but with an emphasis on acting and emotional content.

Hero is an epic historical tale in the style of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In the film Li plays Nameless, an assassin tasked by an Emperor to eliminate those warriors perceived as threats to his his throne. Filmed in wild and beautiful colors with flawless cinematography, Hero is an example of contemporary Chinese cinema, and how much technical ground has been gained in the past 15 years. The film has been hopelessly replicated and borrowed from since its release in 2002, mostly due to its historical accuracy, dark tone and operatic fight sequences. It was at the time the most expensive mainland Chinese film ever made, and sits at the beginning of a trio of martial arts films by director Zhang Zimou, who before Hero was mostly known in art house circles for his dramatic collaborations with actress Gong Li.

The casting of Hero was an eclectic mix of non-martial artists and experts, with Jet Li (the mainland’s biggest star) in perhaps his biggest starring role to date. Donnie Yen, who at that time was still a supporting player, was brought in for the first fight scene. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, coming off the huge success of Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love, played the feuding lovers Broken Sword and Flying Snow. And Crouching Tiger’s Ziyi Zhang played Moon, the loyal servant. Leung and Cheung were both veteran Hong Kong actors, neither one from strictly martial arts but with 20 years of experience in all genres. Zhang came from a ballet background, and though she had a breakthrough performance in a Crouching Tiger, her martial arts skills were limited. Jet Li recognized her talent and mentored her on set, and joked about his short legs being the reason for his never trying ballet. It made sense for Li to reach out to the younger Zhang, also from the mainland and twenty years his junior. For so long he himself had been the young Wushu prodigy, but now at over 40 years old he was sliding into an elder-statesman role.

The action sequences in Hero used wires extensively - not just as a tool to exaggerate aerial jumps and spins but to make the characters fly and soar the air, dreamlike and surreal. This deliberate wire choreography may have been influenced by The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, but Hero has its own sort of Cecil B DeMille outrageousness to it that is totally out of balance with the serious tone. In fact, Hero is almost weighed down by its own sense of gravity, and is sometimes unintentionally funny when it’s adding more and more layers to each action sequence. (Arrows). It is here that Jet Li is the films saving grace. His sense of form, toughness and his skill not just as a martial artist but as an actor corrects the balance. When Li extends both arms in front of his face and slides his sword back into its sheath with a resounding and satisfying ‘click’, the film resets itself and we, the audience are given a break from the proceedings.

Unleashed raises a poignant question: can a man who has been reduced to an animal find salvation? In this film Jet Li plays Danny, a childlike soul with violent tendencies, trained since childhood to fight and kill on demand. His aggression is symbolized by a metal collar, which is controlled by his brutal ‘master’. Li is passive until the collar comes off, at which time he becomes an attack dog, dispatching his opponents in a flying, screaming rage. Unleashed is pure pulp, but it is elevated by the presence of Morgan Freeman (as Danny’s kind savior), and by Jet Li’s performance. Danny is a kid, full of wonder and innocence, but unable to escape the violence that has defined his existence. Li plays it with subtle, quiet emotion and dignity. The action in Unleashed is as usual exciting and well mounted, choreographed by longtime collaborator Yuen Woo Ping. There are even some darkly funny moments, like when Danny kills an opponent with one poke to the Adam’s apple. Yikes.

Fearless is an atypical Chinese martial arts film, because it shows the hero as lacking virtue (at least for the first half of the film). Li plays Huo Yuanjia, Godfather of Wushu and undefeated champion of Tianjin. After murdering a rival in the ring, the rival’s disciple takes revenge and kills Huo’s family. In his grief, Huo goes into exile and lives amongst simple farmers. Finally he returns home, humbled but also disgusted by the imperialist influx of foreigners taking over China. He begins to fight again, but this time for the honor and reputation of China – essentially for China’s place in the world. His final fight before dying from poisoned tea is against Tanaka, a Japanese samurai. It is worth noting that the Japanese occupation is a common theme amongst Chinese and Korean films. Both countries suffered under Japan at different times, and in the world of Fist of Legend and Fearless (two parts of the same story) the scars are still fresh. Fearless is actually titled Jet Li’s Fearless, and this film finds the actor back in his comfort zone of pure Wushu action and Chinese history. Where in Fist of Legend he reprised Bruce Lee’s performance in Fist of Fury as Chen Zheng, student of Huo Yuanjia and avenger of his master’s death, Li gets to play the master himself. Fearless is a mainland production, not as artsy as Hero and more in the vein of Once Upon a Time in China.

In the wake of Bruce Lee’s untimely death, the martial arts world was fractured. In the West, Karate was gaining speed and this popularity gave actors like Chuck Norris (a contemporary of Lee’s) and Jean-Claude Van Damme

It would seem the sun has set on Jet Li’s career. He left his audience wanting more, and with Disney hinting that he might return to his martial arts roots in Mulan, there may be more to see. In his personal life, Li occupies the rare position of the a mainland Chinese with wealth, who, now living in Singapore, is somewhat beyond the reach of the communist government. As a devout a Buddhist he has in fact visited the Dalai Lama (while making sure to voice his belief in a united China). He

So, the question remains. What is your favourite Jet Li movie? And why does Jet Li Matter? In the opinion of this humble critic, Jet Li Matters because China matters. Mainland China needed a hero during times of extreme transition, when the Western idea of the Middle Kingdom was that it was a place that manufactured plastic trinkets. Audiences got used to Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, and yes, Jackie Chan - as the heroes of Shao Lin or daring Beijing Police detectives, fighting their way through low-budget films made by an industry trying to keep up with the world, yet not afraid to have some fun in the moment. I still have only seen a handful of the original Jet Li movies, and so my perception of his work is top-heavy, weighed down by the performances from the end of a unique and amazing career. But what performances they are: Danny the Dog sitting next to Morgan Freeman at the piano, trying to find the courage to say his own name. Nameless and Flying Snow deflecting a sea of arrows with their swords, weightless in the air above a temple. And finally Huo Yuanjia, in the last moments of his life and with poison coursing through his veins, finishing his battle against Tanaka, Japan, Imperialist Britain, and himself. Jet Li Matters.

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thestuckylibrary-bigbang · 7 years ago

Photo

Part 3

This is the final post of the AUs! Take a look through all these wonderful works in the following genres!

Shrinkyclinks (Non-Serum Steve/Winter Soldier Bucky)

Shrunkyclunks (Modern Bucky/Captain America Steve)

Soulmate AU

Spies and Secret Agents

Sports AU

Sugar Daddy AU

Supernatural/Occult AU

Time Travel and Parallel Universes

Canon ‘Verse | AU Part One | AU Part Two | Masterpost

Shrinkyclinks (Non-serum Steve/Winter Soldier Bucky)

After, Therefore Because of It words by noncorporealform | Art by artgroves

Rating: E Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence Words: 94k Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers Tags: Alternate Universe - Detectives, P.I. Bucky Barnes, pre-serum Steve Rogers, murder mystery, conspiracy, human experimentation, past sexual abuse, minor character death

Summary: “If you move back to Brooklyn, we can pick up where we left off,” Bucky said.

“Where did we leave off?” Steve asked.

Bucky had an image in his head that had never dimmed in intensity. It was a closed door. The door in his childhood apartment, and Steve was on the other side of it, walking away down the hall. Confusion grabbed at his seventeen year-old heart. He had wanted Steve back as soon as he walked away, even though he understood the reasons for him leaving. Where Bucky wanted to pick up was to figure out that strain in his heart that came after the door shut, the one he hadn’t understood, and still didn’t.

“I don’t know,” Bucky admitted.

Steve wants Bucky’s help to solve the murder of Dr. Abraham Erskine. Meanwhile, Bucky wants to find out what happened to Steve after his mysterious disappearance at seventeen.

Ghost of You by RedSteele

Rating: M

Archive Warnings: Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings

Words: 20k

Relationships: Steve Rogers/James “Bucky” Barnes

Tags: Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, Non-Consensual Medical Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, modern!Bucky, Comic Book Science, Graphic Depictions of Violence, only a little bit

Summary: Bucky’s job was far from monotonous, but between his last mission being a complete bust and being taken off rotation for field work, he found himself with a lot more free time and little to do with it. But when strange events started to happen at SHIELD, he stumbled onto a conspiracy that could tear his whole world apart. Who was the man in the hospital gown that kept appearing out of nowhere? What was Shield hiding? And most importantly, who is Steve Rogers?

Art by tsumi-noaru

Tint & Shade by inthearmsofathief Art by ensign-cannonfodder

Rating: T Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Words: 25k Relationships: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Tags: Shrinkyclinks, Post Captain America: Winter Soldier, art therapist Steve, Recovery Fic, PTSD

The man blinked, slow and heavy. His pale blue eyes didn’t seem to be seeing the world around him. “Joe?” Steve took the peroxide out of the man’s hands and shook his head. “I’m not –” “How’d you make it out?” Steve stilled for a moment before putting the peroxide aside and peeling back the man’s hoodie. The guy was delirious. “I thought Hydra killed you,” he murmured. Steve got one arm out of the hoodie, relaxing a bit at the man’s words. Whatever he’d been through, he wasn’t on Hydra’s side. “Fearless Captain Rogers. Course you made it out. Bet you kicked those Nazis right in the head.” Steve pulled back. Captain Joe Rogers? Joseph Rogers. That was his grandfather’s name. He’d died in World War II. This guy couldn’t possibly be talking about him.

–

Somewhere between the fall of Shield due to a long running Hydra infiltration, finding out that his land lord is an Avenger, and being commissioned for some truly gaudy paintings, Steve finds himself harboring the worlds most wanted.

Shrunkyclunks (Modern!Bucky/Cap!Steve)

A Game Show Love Connection by emphasisonem (Ao3, Tumblr)

Rating: M

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 43,334

Tags: Shrunkyclunks, Cap!Steve, Modern!Bucky, Alternate Universe- Modern Setting, Slow Burn, Romance, Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Mild angst, Fluff, This is a very soft story, Because I want these dopes to be happy, So expect some serious rom-com vibes

Summary: The last thing Jeopardy producer Bucky Barnes needs is some asshole who passed the online test pretending to be Captain America and wasting his time. The last thing he expects is for the guy on the phone to turn out to be that Steve Rogers. There’s a popular expression that insists that stranger things have indeed happened, but Bucky’s pretty sure that this is the weirdest day of his life.

In which Steve Rogers starts watching Jeopardy as a fun way to learn about the things he’s missed, gets selected through the online test, auditions for the show and surprises the hell out of everyone. Especially one James Buchanan Barnes.

Art by @cptnsgrs

bucky barnes: tsa employee extraordinaire by deceptivesoldier

Rating: M

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 28.6k

Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers

Tags: Alternate Universe- Airport, Alternate Universe- Canon Divergence, Post-Avengers (2012), Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes (Shrunkyclunks), Humor, Cheesy Villains, Soap Ducks

Summary: When Bucky Barnes decided to take a job with the TSA working nights at baggage claim, he fully anticipated his job to consist of answering dumb questions (“The luggage is behind you, sir”) and sitting on his uncomfortable chair while keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior.

To his aggravation, however, once it was revealed that Captain America had arrived from the 1940s through ice-travel, Bucky’s routine starts to include “Villain Babysitter”, as wannabe villains begin coming through the airport in hopes of destroying Cap. As a point of professional pride, Bucky takes it upon himself to keep them from leaving the airport.

At least until someone above his pay grade can come by and deal with them.

He did not expect that someone to be Steve Rogers himself.

Steve, who for some reason, likes coming to the airport. Given that the man is a national treasure, from his smooth mouth to his patriotic ass, who is Bucky to argue?

Art:

Cover Art by @lovesfic

Banners by @lovesfic

Moodboard by @lovesfic

Paintings of Bucky and Steve/Bucky by @rohkeutta

Deep Cover by SoftObsidian74 (ao3)

Art on tumblr by @ellebeesknees

Fic rating: R Art rating: G Archive Warnings: Chose not to Use Archive Warnings Words: 109,816 Relationships: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Tags: Cap!Steve/modern!Bucky(shrunkyclunks), meet-ugly, PTSD, amputee!Bucky, unintentional stalking, identity porn, secret identity fail, fluff and angst, the Avengers are all good bros, eventual smut

If you wanna feel like a rockstar, you call Bucky Barnes, owner of Shining Star Karaoke and DJ Services. Bucky has gained faithful followers for making people feel like the main event. When different men with the same Dorito physique pop up at his gigs all over NYC, he isn’t sure if he’s just a magnet for gym bros or being pranked. Spoiler: The man in the uncanny disguises is on his own mission to sing any time, anyway, and any song he wants without being judged as Steve Rogers or Captain America.

Don’t Leave Me Asunder by maikurosaki (aka allegra-dreams on tumblr)

Rating: T

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 31k

Relationship: Steve Rogers/ Bucky Barnes

Tags: Shrunkyclunks, Captain America Steve Rogers/ Modern Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Bucky, Amputee Bucky, Tony is a Good Bro, PTSD, Bucky swears a lot, Fluff and Angst

Summary: Like many other war veterans, Bucky Barnes is alone. He doesn’t talk to his family, he has no friends and his only human interactions are with his cleaning crew from Avengers Tower. Plagued by nightmares and pain, he lives each day in isolation. Until the Avengers bring their fight at home and Bucky gets to meet the famous Captain America. To his surprise, both their lives change forever after that

Or: the janitor listening to music and ignoring the battle around him AU that no one asked for.

ART by the wonderful merrkkat

I’ve been holding my breath, by MsPeppernose

Rating: E / NSFW

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 20k

Relationships: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Tags: Explicit Sexual Content, Voyeurism, Head Injury, Pining, Masturbation, Anal Sex, Steve is a creeper, But only a little, and mostly because he’s lonely, AU, Shrunkyclunks,

Summary: Steve Rogers likes to visit his local coffee shop between missions, and it has nothing to do with the hot barista named Bucky…well, it maybe has a little to do with it. It’s just coincidence that Steve’s apartment is also directly opposite said barista’s apartment meaning Steve frequently has a full view of his living room.

It’s not spying, not really, and it turns out to be lucky, because one day he sees Bucky get knocked out. It’s up to Steve to save him…and then think of a reason why he saw Bucky get injured in the first place.

Incredible Art by the wonderful @lasenbyphoenix

More heart, less attack by Detour (@juststaygold)

Rating: T

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 39,789

Relationships: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Tags: Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Shrunkyclunks, Self-Discovery, Emotional Baggage, Recovery, Canon Divergence - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Summary: After SHIELD’s collapse, Steve comes back in New York. Without a war or crisis, he’s struggling to find his place in the world again. There’s time to relearn his city and time to wonder what he’s doing here.

When a mysterious guy hits on him on the subway, it’s a welcome interruption. Something resonates between the two of them, a connection neither of them try to deny. The trouble is that Barnes disappeared three years ago, and the more Steve learns, the more he wants to know.

But Barnes disappeared for a reason.

S__am rolls his eyes. “Yes, Steve, you could have a lead on a three year old mystery because you’re just that good, not because a random hipster flirted with you.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Steve says.

Art by Doomcheese

no matter how long the day is (i’ll come home to you) a collab between @talkplaylove and @artgroves

View no matter how long the day is art tag on @artgroves.

Rating: T (Fic, Art)

Archive Warnings: Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Words: 27,769

Relationships: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Tags: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Alternate Universe–Canon Divergent, Notting Hill AU, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes (Shrunkyclunks), Modern Bucky Barnes, suicide ideation, Canonical Character Death

Summary:

Steve’s spent an hour along Portobello Road before he sees the paparazzi on the left side of the street, trying to be inconspicuous by a street lamp. He crosses the street and ducks into the first store he sees, tucked behind a screaming red door and under a blue and white striped awning.

He listens, feet planted in front of the door, shoulders tense, as he looks around the shop. Row upon row of books are on the shelves in front of him, the wood creaking under their weight. Behind the counter is a dark haired man wearing a jacket, elbow on the table, stubbled chin on one hand, gloved left hand flipping the pages of a book.

No one follows Steve in.

———————–

Or, the one where Captain America travels the world, learns how to be Steve Rogers again, and meets Bucky Barnes along the way. Also: the one where two old souls fall in love over young adult books, long distance calls, and texting at strange hours of the day.

Read on Ao3 |

Red, White and Those Other Colors by coveryourheads (rsk110)

Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers Characters: Steve Rogers, James “Bucky” Barnes, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Thor (Marvel) Additional Tags: James “Bucky” Barnes No Power, Loosely follows movie plots, No Winter Soldier, Cats, Angst, Steve Rogers Angst, References to Depression, Bucky is James Barnes Grandson Summary:

Steve Rogers wakes up from the ice to a world where he has nothing left.

He meets Bucky, his best friend James Barnes’ grandson, who is an agent of SHIELD.

[His cats are perched on the bench, watching the night sky. The volume is low but he can hear Steve’s laughter, filming the fascinated cats and the fantastic display in the air above. Lights burst in the black sky, in splashes of various flares, in red, white, and other colors. Awe aspiring and patriotic, loud, but so calming and majestic. It fills him with satisfaction as big as the sky, in those flowing and falling colors.]

ART POST -HERE-

Soulmate AU

A soulmate is a scary thing by SkyKathryn

A Soulmate is a Scary Thing [Art] by Lasenby_Heathcote (Ao3) / Lasenbyphoenix (Tumblr)

Relationships: Steve/Bucky, Bucky/Loki (minor) Fic Rating: Not Rated Archive Warnings: Underage Tags: Sex, loki x bucky sex, Steve x Bucky endgame, Steve Rogers Feels, Burns, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Medieval AU, Medieval Medicine, Prince!Steve, Knight!Bucky, Soulmate AU, soul marks, Forbidden Soulmates, growing up fic, consetual sex, Kingdoms This is a prefic for Soulmates are a Dangerous Thing, but can be read on its own as its the start. Ever since they were kids its always been Steve and Bucky, Bucky and Steve, but after they grow up and Bucky starts realising things werent all as they seemed he starts to panic, to try and save his best friend from a fate he knows he cant outrun without letting his own fears and feelings slip. But no matter how hard he tried there was no way to outrun the plans the universe has set out for you, but you can try. Medieval au.

the cold never bothered me anyway by @icoulddthisallday

Rating: E,

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: ~70k

Relationships: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Tags: shrunkyclunks, soulmate AU, Bucky is an Awkward Millenial, Steve Rogers vs the 21st Century, virginity hang ups

Summary: Bucky Barnes has spent his whole life in a state of mild hypothermia. Steve Rogers has spent the last 70 years in the ice. The two things aren’t related until, suddenly, they are. Shrunkyclunks soulmate AU (AKA the awkward bb au).

art by instagrims, banner by @icoulddthisallday

Spies & Secret Agents

Between Midnight and Dawn by The_She_Devil

Rating: E

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Length: 53k

Relationships: Steve Rogers/James “Bucky” Barnes

Tags: domestic violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, panic attacks, substance abuse, torture, explicit sexual content, language, vomiting, choking, threat of suicide, alternate universe - modern: no powers, alternate universe - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Summary: After a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission gone bad, Bucky is left with no memory of the past year, which includes his and Steve’s divorce. Steve, who has never really gotten over his ex-husband, is left to navigate the fine line between helping and hindering Bucky’s recovery while trying to protect himself. At the same time, both men are fighting to uncover the truth of Bucky’s disappearance, what was done to him, and why.

Art by Fowly

Fields of Grey by Aelys_Althea with Art by @mithborien

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers

Characters: Steve Rogers, James “Bucky” Barnes, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, Bruce Banner, Vision (Marvel), Nick Fury, Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Special Forces, Assassins & Hitmen, mafia, Moral Ambiguity, Character Development, Childhood Friends, childhood illness, Minor Character Death, References to Cancer, Pining, Reunion

Summary:

Steve strove to be Right. To do Good. That was what his mom had told him second chances were for, and if he owed her memory to trying. Joining the police force, protecting people, was a natural decision to make. For Steve, it had always been black and white, good and bad. Special Forces team SHIELD embodied everything he stood for.

Except that there was Bucky. Bucky, who had disappeared for years. Bucky, who was a member of HYDRA, the organisation that was so black in its elusive, criminal endeavours as to epitomise. In an effort to haul his oldest and dearest friend from the snake pit while at once putting down the beast he’d fought to suppress for so long, Steve is struck by an unfortunate revelation: there exists a rather impressive field of grey that complicated things.

The world wasn’t nearly so simply black and white as he’d initially thought.

nothing is (but what is not?) by layersofsilence

Rating: M

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 40k

Relationships: Steve Rogers / Bucky Barnes

Tags: Implied/Referenced Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Temporary Character Death (prior to start of story), loosely inspired by Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, ShrunkyClunks

Summary:

Three years after his best friend (his lover, his Bucky) had been killed in action, Steve receives word that he’s alive. But seeking men back from the dead has consequences, it seems, and in his search Steve finds himself at the centre of an ever-widening conspiracy that’s slowly revealing itself to involve everything he thought he knew.

Playlist by @thunderboltsortofapenny (links to Spotify)

Sports AU

howitzer by spacebuck

Rating: E

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 111K

Relationships: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Tags: College Sport au, Hockey au, brief homophobic language, college hockey level violence, closeted character/relationship, mild descriptions of injury/medical attention.

Summary:

Bucky Barnes, figure skating champion, is forced to switch his skates for hockey ones when he leaves for college. Problem is, he’s never played hockey before, and now he has to be good enough to get the scholarship he needs. Enter Steve Rogers, Carter University Men’s Hockey player, who’s decided that he’d do anything to get this boy on his team.

Cue five am runs, overwhelming classes, new friends, plenty of snow, and a sport that’s fast becoming a way of life.

Header by Jessie Lucid @lucidnancyboy

Art by Jessie Lucid @lucidnancyboy (on AO3)

Art by @ninjasherlock

wholesale change, by @biblionerd07

Rating: M

No archive warnings

Words: 83k

Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers

Tags: Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Homophobia, Coming Out, Getting Together, Guilt, Depression, Anxiety, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers

Summary: Steve Rogers, captain of a losing NHL team, has taken so many bad penalties this season he’s worried he’s going to get sent down to the minors as punishment. His agent comes up with a plan to make Steve irreplaceable to the fans–a reality dating show. Where the contestants want to date Steve.

Art by the amazing @denimbxy (art tumblr @cal-aus)

Sugar Daddy AU

Something Sweet by ColorCoated

Rating: E

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings apply

Words: 23k

Relationships: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Tags: Past Relationship, Modern AU, Age Difference, Mention of DaddyKink, Drinking, Romance, Masturbation

Summary: _“What’s your name?” Steve asked almost immediately, needing to match a name to this gorgeous, pouty little face. _ “Bucky,” the dancer answered with a wide smile. “Bucky Barnes.”

_“Bucky?” Steve repeated with a shake of his head. A least he knew what he could call the kid, but for goodness sake. He shook his head a second time. _“Geeze, a kid’s name for a kid.”

_Bucky looked a little offended and glared at Steve. His eyes narrowed and he pointed aggressively to his crown, “Not a kid.” _—– Workaholic Steve gives himself a night off and is immediately charmed by Bucky, who he meets at a nightclub. Steve is a bit put off by the age difference, and now he has to figure out how to start a relationship with the young guy who just passed out in his guest room.

This story is a prequel, but can be read independently.

Art 1, Art 2, and Fic Banner by Chalenmimi-frenchtoast

Sugar Lips and Sinful Hips by TheFlailing (tumblr)

Rating: M

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 20k

Relationship: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers

Tags: No Powers, Modern Setting, Age Difference, Sugar Daddy Bucky, Brief mentions of sex Summary: Bucky Barnes is a successful New York businessman, and at a glance, it looks like he’s got everything a man could want. But deep down, underneath the money and the pretty face, the truth is this: he’s lonely. Enter one Steven Grant Rogers: starving college student, just trying to make ends meet - and hot as fuck. Bucky desperately needs to be in his pants. And that’s all; nothing more. Right?

Art by @glide-thru (tumblr)

Supernatural/Occult AU

Heart and Soul by super0random0girl (tumblr)

Rating: T

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 22k

Relationship: Steve Rogers/ Bucky Barnes

Tags: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Semi-Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Faery!Bucky Barnes, Siren!Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood Drinking, References to Sex Work, Period-Typical Homophobia

Summary: “It’s the people who hurt innocents that he hurts and kills. Because he’s kind like that.”

Sarah nodded again, adjusting Steve’s blankets in preparation to keep moving. “And why do we think that he is so kind?” she asked playfully.

“His soulmate is Good and carries half of his Heart, so Saxon’s soulmate influences his heart into Goodness,” Steve answered dutifully. “And since Saxon has a Heart, it means that Saxon is a Soul and his Heart will live for as long as Saxon will.” Sarah nodded. Just as she was leaving, Steve piped up again. “Do you think that I’m a Heart? Do you think that I’m still alive because my Soul is still alive?”

Or, a siren and a trickster walk into a bar and find out they’re soulmates.

Art here and here by shutupimcreating

Heartlines by thewriterofperfectdisasters @jjjakesully

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Category: M/M

Fandoms: Captain America (Movies)Marvel Cinematic Universe

Relationship: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers

As a child, Steve’s family was brutally murdered by witch hunters, and he’s been running ever since. He hasn’t let himself feel anything for a long time, but now he’s met Bucky, a guy that’s funny, smart, and hot as hell. But what Steve doesn’t know, is that Bucky is avoiding hunters as well: his parents, who want to bring him back into the family business. When they ask Bucky to find one last witch, with the promise he’ll be out of the business for good, what happens when Steve finds out he’s the target? Will they be able to get past centuries of bias and bloodshed and find happiness together?

Art by @falcon-hill

In This Life and the Next (Read on AO3 |) by scootypuffjrsucks (AO3 | Tumblr)

Tumblr Art Post by starshieldfolder (Tumblr)

Rating: M

Pairings: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers

Characters: Steve Rogers, James “Bucky” Barnes, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff,

Archive Warnings: None

Important Tags: Alternate Universe - The Mummy (1999); shrinkyclinks; Fluff; Fluff and Angst; Kissing; Action-Adventure; Horror; Comedy; Alternating POV between Steve and Bucky; Violence and Blood; Everything you’d expect from an AU of the Mummy; so not historically accurate in any way; but a lot of fun

Summary:

In 1926, when Steve’s friend Tony presents him with an interesting artifact from an ancient city that isn’t supposed to exist, Steve hopes his days as just a librarian might be over. The artifact leads him to Bucky, a mysterious man with a strange golden arm who was found in the desert with no memory. Steve and Bucky immediately feel a connection to one another that leads them on an adventure to discover the past and save the future. Together, they travel to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, unleash a cursed Mummy with a grotesque red face, and do everything in their power to stop him from destroying the world.

Notes: In the true spirit of the movie, very little about this fic is in any way historically accurate.

in this twilight by @belovedmuerto, art by @curry-ketchup

art is here, please go lavish Curry with praise as he did such an amazing job.

Rating: Teen and Up

Archive Warnings: none

Tags: vampire!AU, vampire!Bucky, witch!Steve, some mentions/implications of past rape/non-con, but there is no rape/non-con in this fic, soulbond, soulbond au, dubcon cuddling, shrinkyclinks

Summary: this is a gift/ it comes with a price/ who is the lamb?/ and who is the knife?

Time Travel & Parallel Universes

From Tralfamadore, With Love by newsbypostcard

Rating: E Archive Warnings: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings Words: 106k Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers Tags: time travel, science fiction, slow burn, pining, dancing, chronic illness, mutants

Part of the 2017 @thestuckylibrary-bigbang

Summary: In 2018, Steve, Sam, and Bucky embark on a mission to explore a Hydra-owned warehouse when a kid with mutant powers sends Steve 18 years into the future. After figuring out where (and when) he is, Steve tracks Bucky down in 2036 to find he’s become a successful business owner and an impassioned advocate for mutant rights. Steve’s just as in love with Bucky as he was when he left, but for Bucky it’s been a long 18 years. It’s hard to accept when Bucky keeps him at arm’s length… but Steve’s never met a challenge that he didn’t take.

As he gets used to life in 2036 and the flaws in Bucky’s idyllic life expose themselves, Steve also has to manage a suspiciously ubiquitous security force, a Brotherhood of Mutants, and old competing loyalties among his aged friends. There’s a Bucky in 2018 waiting for him to come home, but if he does that, it means leaving this Bucky behind for a third, unforgivable time. How can he choose? What’s Bucky not saying? How can he face losing everything – again?

Art [ 1 , 2 ] by @icoulddthisallday

I, The Paradox by @drowningbydegrees Art by @riakomai and @hopeless–geek

Fic rating: Explicit Word Count: 80k Relationships: Steve/Bucky(x2), Bucky(x2) Tags: Time Travel Shenanigans, Angst, Threesome, Self-cest, Character Study, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex

Sharing a life with a recovering Winter Soldier means never quite escaping what Steve sees as his biggest failure. When one of Tony’s machines functions differently than advertised, Steve is given an unexpected opportunity to change the past. He’s spent so much time mapping out all the ways he could have saved Bucky from falling, but in the moment, he never stops to consider whether or not he should.

Actions have consequences, and meddling with time has more drastic ones than most. Steve wakes with two divergent timelines in his head, and two very different versions of Bucky in his bed. With the machine broken, and no idea whether their situation is permanent, this new arrangement promises to be an adjustment for all three of them. Only, that may not be the worst of their problems…

Art post by @hopeless–geek Art post by @riakomai

#sbb2017

46 notes · View notes

katiewattsart · 5 years ago

Text

MANIFESTO LAUNCH

Red Alan's Manifesto by Grayson Perry, 2014

Poetry | Political Statement

Possibly Gender Fluid

Documentaries

Write a Manifesto - Create Poster

Manifestos are usually written in a group

Political Ethos

Gender Issues

ASSESS WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU - what do I want to say within my art

A manifesto is a public declaration, often political in nature, of a group or individual’s principles, beliefs, and intended courses of action.

10 game-changing art manifestos

By Harriet Baker (Royal Academy)

Published 10 April 2015

Some time between 1966-76, Richard Diebenkorn wrote ten notes on beginning a painting. Described by the critic John Elderfield as a set of “artistic intentions,” they are a valuable insight into the mind of the artist, revealing some of the ways that Diebenkorn challenged himself in his work. Diebenkorn, of course, was not the first artist to lay out his beliefs. From Joshua Reynolds’s lofty Discourses to the impassioned manifestos of the early 20th-century’s avant- garde, artists have laid out pages of their visions for art, many of which changed the course of art history. And while contemporary artists continue to set their objectives on paper, it is often done with a more wry and humorous touch. The result is a collection of imperfect but fascinating ideas about what art should be.

Discourses on Art, Sir Joshua Reynolds,

1769-1790

I wished you to be persuaded, that success in your art depends almost entirely on your own industry; but the industry which I principally recommend, is not the industry of the hands, but of the mind... We may go so far as to assert, that a painter stands in need of more knowledge than is to be picked off his pallet, or collected by looking on his model, whether it be in life or in picture. He can never be a great artist, who is grossly illiterate... He ought to know something concerning the mind, as well as a great deal concerning the body of man.

Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, Discourses VII, 1769

Sir Joshua Reynolds, Self-Portrait as a Figure of Horror, c.1784

Reynolds Discourses on Art, now considered to be the founding text of British painting theory, elevated art as an activity of the mind, not the hand, and called on painters to imbue their work with much more than simply what they saw in front of them.

The Discourses were very influential, but controversial too; William Blake annotated his copy furiously, noting his “indignation and resentment” at Reynolds’s ideas, while the Pre-Raphaelites accused Reynolds of ignoring the truth in favour of ideal beauty.

ART HISTORY

The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism, FT Marinetti, 1909

1. We intend to sing the love of danger, the habit of energy and fearlessness.

2. Courage, boldness, and rebellion will be the essential elements in our poetry.

3. Up to now, literature has extolled a contemplative stillness, rapture and reverie. We intend to glorify aggressive action, a restive wakefulness, life at the double, the slap and the punching fist.

F.T. Marinetti, 1909

THE FUTURISTS

The Futurists published a huge number of different manifestos, using them to communicate their aesthetic, political, and social ideals. The scale with which the Futurists created and disseminated their manifestos was unprecedented, allowing them to transmit their ideas to a wider audience.

Many Italian Futurists supported Fascism and parallels can be drawn between the two movements. Like the Fascists, the Futurists were strongly patriotic, excited by violence and opposed to parliamentary democracy. When Mussolini took power in 1922 it brought Futurism official acceptance, but, later, this adversely affected many of the artists as they became tainted by association.

The Art of the Manifesto (or Art Manifestos)

By Eulàlia Iglésias

“We want to sing the love of danger, the habit of danger and of temerity.” Thus begins the Futurist Manifesto that Filippo Tommaso Marinetti published in French newspaper Le Figaro on February 20th, 1909.

A spectre haunted European art during the first years of the 20th century. Imbued with the spirit of the new age, fascinated by the technological innovations shown in different fields, and sympathisers of the many social and political revolutions that were arising throughout the continent, a generation of youngsters decided to break with the academic legacy and canon in force since the Renaissance to create art more in harmony with their own times: the avant-gardists. And the way to proclaim this new art was through the use of manifestos.

Up to Marinetti’s, manifestos had been circumscribed to the political sphere. By putting pen to

paper to define their intentions and affinities, these young artists declared the pragmatic character of the avant-garde. They created and destroyed in order to show their rejection of tradition and their longing to change life and transform society. The term ‘avant-garde’ has a clear military connotation, and manifestos were a war declaration of sorts against the world as they knew it.

Futurism was an Italian art movement that aimed to capture the dynamism and energy of the modern world in art. The Futurists were well versed in the latest developments in science and philosophy, and particularly fascinated with aviation and cinematography.

Futurist artists denounced the past, as they felt the weight of past cultures was extremely oppressive, particularly in Italy.

The Futurists instead proposed an art that celebrated modernity and its industry and technology.

Elasticity (detail), (1912), Umberto Boccioni.

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913), Umberto Boccioni

Giacomo Balla Abstract Speed, The Car has Passed 1913

Mario Sironi’s 1918 drawing ‘Uomo Nuovo’ (New Man)

Jacques-Henri Lartigue, 1913

László Moholy-Nagy Light Prop for an Electric Stage

László Moholy-Nagy- Dual Form with Chromium Rods

As early as 1922, László Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) began to make metal sculptures. He believed that new materials called for a new kind of art, and metal was appealing for its connection to industry and modern machinery.

Dada manifesto, Tristan Tzara, 1918

Tristan Tzara was a French poet and essayist, famous for founding Dada in Zurich in 1916 and writing the founding manifesto.

Spanning a wide variety of mediums and forms – from photography and performance art to painting and collage – the Dada movement was born out of a reaction against nationalism and rationalism, which these artists believed to have caused the First World War.

Though the movement was far from coherent, its key figures – including Hans Arp, Kurt Schwitters and Hannah Hoch – produced highly political and irreverent works influenced by Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism.

Jean Hans Arp, bois gravé et collage pour la couverture de Dada 4-5, 1919

Hannah Höch

Known for her incisively political collage and photomontage works, Dada artist Hannah Höch appropriated and rearranged images and text from the mass media to critique the failings of the Weimar German Government.

Höch drew inspiration from the collage work of Pablo Picasso and fellow Dada exponent Kurt Schwitters, and her own compositions share with those artists a similarly dynamic and layered style.

She rejected the German government, but often focused her criticism more narrowly on gender issues, and is recognized as a pioneering feminist artist for works such as Das schöne Mädchen (The Beautiful Girl), (1920), an evocative visual reaction to the birth of industrial advertising and ideals of beauty it furthered.

Hannah Höch, Das schöne Mädchen (The Beautiful Girl), (1920)

Hannah Höch, Für ein Fest gemacht (Made for a Party) 1936

Hannah Höch, Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany, 1919

Man Ray, Rayograph, 1922

Man Ray. Untitled Rayograph, 1922.

Surrealism was an artistic, intellectual, and literary movement led by poet André Breton from 1924 through World War II. The Surrealists sought to overthrow the oppressive rules of modern society by demolishing its backbone of rational thought. To do so, they attempted to tap into the “superior reality” of the subconscious mind. “Completely against the tide,” said Breton, “in a violent reaction against the impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of rationalism, we turned toward the marvellous and advocated it unconditionally”.

Many of the tenets of Surrealism, including an emphasis on automatism, experimental uses of language, and found objects, had been present to some degree in the Dada movement that preceded it. However, the Surrealists systematized these strategies within the framework of psychologist Sigmund Freud’s theories on dreams and the subconscious mind.

In his 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, Breton defined Surrealism as: “Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express...the actual functioning of thought...in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.”

Max Ernst. Loplop Introduces Members of the Surrealist Group. 1931

Hans Bellmer. Plate from La Poupée. 1936

Lee Miller, Portrait of Space, Nr Siwa, Egypt, 1937.

SITUATIONIST INTERNATIONAL (IS)

Were a revolutionary alliance of European avant- garde artists, writers and poets formed at a conference in Italy in 1957.

The Situationist International brought together experimental poetry, avant-garde art, and radical social criticism to explore new techniques of engagement in cultural protest and revolutionary praxis.

When the Situationist International was first formed, it had a predominantly artistic focus; Gradually, however, that focus shifted more towards revolutionary and political theory.

It was anti-capitalist, and left-leaning, but was also committed to the disruption of the hegemonic politics of Europe in the late 20th century through artistic praxis as well as political agitation. Although eventually fracturing, SI provided a blueprint for rebels and artistic dissidents still followed today.

The notion of "Spectacle", originally outlined by Guy Debord in various Situationist writings, is key to understanding both the conceptual underpinnings of SI and its enduring legacy. The idea of a permanently distracting and preoccupying spectacle, which obfuscates the oppressive nature of capitalism, has been adopted by artists, activists, critics and academics as a key philosophical concept in the current moment of late capitalism.

Although a collaborative and supposedly open movement, SI adhered relatively rigidly to the direction of Guy Debord and the key ideas and artistic strategies he identified. This is somewhat ironic, as it was actually the wider dissemination and public take up of their ideas that ensured their longevity long after the group fragmented.

Asger Jorn experimented with spontaneous line and semi- figurative representation in paintings he called “modifications.” His works attempted to change people’s behaviours towards art, writing, and the spaces they lived in.

“A creative train of thought is set off by the unexpected, the unknown, the accidental, the disorderly, the absurd, the impossible”

Asger Jorn

Jorn was one of the few artists who identified themselves as Situationists during the main period of the movement’s activity but the political rhetoric surrounding the movement and it’s manifesto influenced the work of many future artists.

Asger Jorn, Modification with Brittany Woman, 1962.

Situationism as an art movement did not produce too many artworks as a matter of fact, with the exception of Asger Jorn, the movement’s output is next to none.

However, Situationism is credited with providing some of the most revolutionary theories at the time, concepts that heavily impacted the art scenes for decades.

Many of their game-changing ideas can still be found in today’s contemporary art.

The political background of SI influenced the evolution of music, Punk in particular. Also the political aspect of the movements is recorded as being instrumental in the origins of street art (graffiti), performance, and installation art.

Protests in Paris during May ’68

Peter Kennard, Haywain with Cruise Missiles 1981 & Defended to Death 1983

“Never Again’, Peter Kennard

Crushed Missile (1980) by Peter Kennard

Krzysztof Wodiczko, Hirschhorn Museum Washington DC 2018 and Projection on to South Africa House 1985

The Guerilla Girls, 1985-90

In 1984, a group of anonymous women, wearing gorilla masks, picketed the Museum of Modern Art in New York. MoMA was opening a show which purported to be a definitive survey of contemporary art, and yet out of the 169 artists featured in the show, only 13 were female. Since their inception, the group have worked to expose the under- representation of women in the art world by targeting galleries, art dealers and critics. Their manifesto comes in the form of their famous slogan artworks.

Guerrilla Girls, no title, 1985-90

Since their inception in 1984 the Guerrilla Girls have been working to expose sexual and racial discrimination in the art world, particularly in New York, and in the wider cultural arena.

The group’s members protect their identities by wearing gorilla masks in public and by assuming pseudonyms taken from such deceased famous female figures as the writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) and the artist Frida Kahlo (1907-54).

Guerrilla Girls, The Advantages of Being A Woman Artist, 1988

The Stuckist Manifesto, 1999

Established in 1999, the British group the The Stuckists proclaimed themselves to be “Against conceptualism, hedonism and the cult of the ego-artist.” The movement was formed by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to celebrate and promote figurative painting in a reaction to the proliferation of conceptual art. Every year, the Stuckists famously demonstrate outside Tate Britain as the winner of the Turner Prize is announced.

1. Stuckism is the quest for authenticity.

2. Painting is the medium of self-discovery.

3. Stuckism proposes a model of art which is holistic.

4. Artists who don’t paint aren’t artists.

5. Art that has to be in a gallery to be art isn’t art.

The Stuckists, 1999

"Your paintings are stuck, you are stuck! Stuck! Stuck! Stuck!”

Tracey Emin

Billy Childish, Hand on Face, oil on canvas, 2000

Possibly the best-known recent example of an artistic manifesto in the digital age is that of The Stuckists – an art movement established in the UK 1999, which has now grown to at least 233 groups in 52 countries.

Its founding members, Billy Childish and Charles Thomson, rejected conceptual art, instead advocating a return to figurative paintings with ‘spiritual value’.

The success of this movement (members of which continue to demonstrate against The Turner Prize at London’s Tate Britain every year), has spurred other contemporary artists into creating their own manifestos. For example, The Resurrection Of Beauty, written by philosopher and photographer, Mark Miremont, calls for a rejection of what he describes as “The sarcastic relativism of dada”.

Outside the Turner Prize, Tate Britain, 2005: Stuckists demonstrate against the purchase of Chris Ofili's The Upper Room. The cutout is Tate chairman Paul Myners.

Manifestos within Photography

Brett Weston, Garden Apartment, New York

Group f/64

Formed in 1932, Group f/64 this group of so-called 'straight' photographers focused on the clarity and sharp definition of the un-manipulated photographic image. Committed to a practice of "pure photography",

Group f/64 encouraged the use of a large-format view camera in order to produce grain-free, sharply-detailed, high value contrast photographs. Group f/64 mounted a revolt against the dominant fashion within the art of photography which was to ape the painterly and graphic techniques associated with Bay Area Pictorialism. The members' preference was for a style of art photography that would fully promote the camera's unique mechanical qualities.

The original 11 members of Group f.64 were Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Edward Weston, Willard Van Dyke, Henry Swift, John Paul Edwards, Brett Weston, Consuelo Kanaga, Alma Lavenson, Sonya Noskowiak, and Preston Holder.

"Pure photography is defined as possessing no qualities of technique, composition or idea, derivative of any other art form." —Group f/64 Manifesto, August 1932

Dunes, Oceano, Edward Weston, 1936

Half Dome, Apple Orchard, Yosemite, Ansel Adams, 1933.

Two Callas, Circa 1925, Imogen Cunningham

Group f/64 displayed the following manifesto at their 1932 exhibit:

The name of this Group is derived from a diaphragm number of the photographic lens. It signifies to a large extent the qualities of clearness and definition of the photographic image which is an important element in the work of members of this Group. The chief object of the Group is to present in frequent shows what it considers the best contemporary photography of the West; in addition to the showing of the work of its members, it will include prints from other photographers who evidence tendencies in their work similar to that of the Group.

Group f/64 is not pretending to cover the entire spectrum of photography or to indicate through its selection of members any deprecating opinion of the photographers who are not included in its shows. There are great number of serious workers in photography whose style and technique does not relate to the metier of the Group.

Group f/64 limits its members and invitational names to those workers who are striving to define photography as an art form by simple and direct presentation through purely photographic methods. The Group will show no work at any time that does not conform to its standards of pure photography. Pure photography is defined as possessing no qualities of technique, composition or idea, derivative of any other art form. The production of the "Pictorialist," on the other hand, indicates a devotion to principles of art which are directly related to painting and the graphic arts.

The members of Group f/64 believe that photography, as an art form, must develop along lines defined by the actualities and limitations of the photographic medium, and must always remain independent of ideological conventions of art and aesthetics that are reminiscent of a period and culture antedating the growth of the medium itself.

The Group will appreciate information regarding any serious work in photography that has escaped its attention, and is favourable towards establishing itself as a Forum of Modern Photography.

‘Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on and a desire to transcribe it visually.’

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932

n 1947, following the aftermath of the Second World War, four pioneering photographers founded a now legendary alliance.

Combining an extraordinary range of individual styles into one powerful collaboration, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, George Rodger and David Seymour started, the most important artists’ cooperative ever created: The Magnum Photos agency.

Robert Capa US troops assault Omaha Beach during the D-Day landings (first assault), 1944.

“Capa was the boss because, for one thing, he kept on the lookout for stories for all the Magnum photographers. But equally vital were his experience, generosity, connections, aggressiveness, and the vision he had for Magnum, which kept us going. Since few of us were married, we had much time to spend together. We talked a lot, but rarely about photography. Our discussions were more often about politics or philosophy or racehorses, pretty girls, and money. We constantly looked at each other’s work, and criticism could be tough if the work did not measure up to the expected standard.”

Inge Morath

Magnum Photos represents some of the world’s most renowned photographers, maintaining its founding ideals and idiosyncratic mix of journalist, artist and storyteller. Our photographers share a vision to chronicle world events, people, places and culture with a powerful narrative that defies convention, shatters the status quo, redefines history and transforms lives. Magnum has documented most of the world’s major events and personalities since the 1930s; covering industry, society and people, places of interest, politics and news events, disasters and conflict.

Marc Riboud

An American young girl, Jan Rose Kasmire, confronts the American National Guard out the Pentagon durning the 1967 anti-Vietman march. (1967)

In planning the weekly news magazine, publisher Henry Luce circulated a confidential prospectus, within Time Inc. in 1936, which described his vision for the new ‘'Life'' magazine, and what he viewed as its unique purpose. ''Life'' magazine was to be the first publication, with a focus on photographs, that enabled the American public: “To see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events; to watch the faces of the poor and the gestures of the proud; to see strange things — machines, armies, multitudes, shadows in the jungle and on the moon; to see man’s work — his paintings, towers and discoveries; to see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to; the women that men love and many children; to see and take pleasure in seeing; to see and be amazed; to see and be instructed…”

On November 23, 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life is published, featuring the work of photographer Margaret Bourke-White.

Life was an overwhelming success in its first year of publication. Almost overnight, it changed the way people looked at the world by changing the way people could look at the world.

What the editors got from Bourke-White was a human document of American Frontier life & the photo essay format was born.

Photographer Margaret Bourke-White had been dispatched to the Northwest to photograph the multimillion dollar projects of the Columbia River Basin. What the editors expected were construction pictures as only Bourke-White could take them. What the editors got was a human document of American frontier life which, to them at least, was a revelation.”

(time.com)

Workers on Montana’s Fort Peck Dam blow off steam at night, 1936

Luce, and Life magazine gave photographers the opportunity to delve into the stories of extraordinary people with the magazine’s photo essay series format which endured for years.

Across a dozen pages, and featuring more than 20 of the great W. Eugene Smith’ pictures, the story of a tireless South Carolina nurse and midwife names Made Callen opened a window on a world that, surely, countless LIFE reader had never seen - and perhaps, had never even imagined.

Cindy Sherman Interview 2019

What are your three top tips for becoming an artist?

Try to forget everything you learned about making art. Find a group of like-minded artists or creative people to hang out with. Take chances with what you do, make things that no one but

you will ever see, unless it turns out so good you want to share it.

Why do you make art?

It’s my life and it’s what I’m most passionate about. And it’s fun!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Find inspiration in reading

Cindy Sherman, Untitled A 1967

Anthropcene

Anthropocene is a multidisciplinary body of work by Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier, which includes a photobook, a museum exhibition, a feature-length documentary film, and an interactive educational website.

The project’s starting point is the research of the Anthropocene Working Group, an international body of scientists who argue that the Holocene epoch ended around 1950, and that we have officially entered the Anthropocene in recognition of profound and lasting human changes to the Earth’s system.

The Holocene is the name given to the last 11,700 years of the Earths history- the time since the end of the last ‘ice age.’ Since then, there have been small-scale climate shifts notably the ‘Little Ice Age’ between about 1200 and 1700 A.D but in general, the Holocene has been a relatively warm period in between ice ages.

My earliest understanding of deep time and our relationship to the geological history of the planet came from my passion for being in nature.

Coal Mine #1, North Rhine, Westphalia, Germany, 2015

As a collaborative group, Jennifer, Nick and I believe that an experiential, immersive engagement with our work can shift the consciousness of those who engage with it, helping to nurture a growing environmental debate. We hope to bring our audience to an awareness of the normally unseen result of civilization’s cumulative impact upon the planet.

This is what propels us to continue making the work. We feel that by describing the problem vividly, by being revelatory and not accusatory, we can help spur a broader conversation about viable solutions.

We hope that, through our contribution, today’s generation will be inspired to carry the momentum of this discussion forward, so that succeeding generations may continue to experience the wonder and magic of what life, and living on Earth, has to offer”

Edward Burtynsky

Lithium Mines #1, Salt Flats, Atacama Desert, Chile, 2017

Gregory Crewdson is a photographer, but he calls himself a storyteller. He has spoken of his belief that “every artist has one central story to tell,” and that the artist’s work is “to tell and retell that story over and over again,” to deepen and challenge its themes. True to this, Crewdson’s most recent body of work, Cathedral of the Pines, shares the aesthetic that has defined his career”

Sylvie McNamara , Paris Review, 2016

The Shed, 2013, Cathedral of the Pines, Gregory Crewdson

The writers that are still influential to me are the writers that shaped me as I was coming of age as a young photographer. The ones I feel most aligned with would be, first and foremost, Raymond Carver and John Cheever. That brand of American realism. There are many more, but those are the ones I would say really shaped me in terms of storytelling.

Above all it’s their exploration of the ordinary, the familiar. I think with Carver in particular it’s the idea that you can find this sense of drama in a small domestic event, and it can be magnified and made transformative in some way. I see my pictures as being very much aligned with that, taking a familiar situation and making it dramatic, in my case through gesture and colour and light. And then, of course, giving the impression that everyday life is unsettled in some way, or made mysterious or wondrous somehow. I guess the story I most identify with is Cheever’s “The Swimmer.”

It’s realism meeting a psychological strangeness—it’s all located in a sort of familiar landscape and terrain, but it’s transformed. The irrational activity of swimming home through the neighbours' swimming pools is similar, in my mind, to the act of making the dirt piles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s that same attempt to find meaning in a world that feels alien, trying to make sense of a world that you feel disconnected from.

Gregory Crewdson

What is the purpose of an Artistic Manifesto in the 21st Century?

The Futurist manifesto was to provide the blueprint for many subsequent art movements, including the Dadaists, Surrealists and Situationists.

The document, published first in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dell’Emilia before being translated and appearing in French tabloid, Le Figaro, outlined the aims of this emerging art and social movement in dynamic, bold, revolutionary and often incendiary language.

Upon reading it, no-one was left in any doubt as to Futurism’s rejection of the past and its celebration of industry, precision, speed, youth and violence. As part of its vision for a better future, the manifesto advocated the modernization and complete cultural rejuvenation of Italy.

Since then, the artistic manifesto has lived on, even though other ways of broadcasting ideas began to become more prominent. In the 21st century, and the manifesto is enjoying something of a renaissance among artists, thanks in no small part to the advent of the internet and the opportunity of reaching large numbers of people more easily than ever before.

The Holstee Manifesto

The manifesto began as the guiding ideas behind Dave and Mike Radparvar's company, Holstee, which was launched in the summer of 2009 after quitting their corporate jobs. The brothers, along with their friend Fabian Pfortmüller, wanted to start a business that gave back and incorporated their social and environmental values.

To be sure, they were clear about what they were doing with their new company when they wrote the manifesto and published it on their site.

“Mike and I sat down with our best friend and co-founder, Fabian, to reflect and write down why we were starting Holstee. We sat on the steps of Union Square in New York City and, together, defined what success would look like. Not the typical kind of success — based on extrinsic motivators like wealth or status — but a different kind, based intrinsic motivators like putting energy into things that feed our soul and spending time with the people we care about.

Dave Radparvar.

The document has been viewed online more than 50 million time and translated into 12 languages. When Holstee turned the message into a $25 poster - printed on recycled paper, it became one of the company’s top sellers.

The Holstee Manifesto - Life Cycle

youtube

WRITING YOUR OWN MANIFESTO

A manifesto is a declaration of aims and policy

This task asks you to articulate and commit to a statement regarding your work in that arts and its intent

Ask yourself the question, ‘What do you believe?’

#phot202

0 notes

scottgalina · 5 years ago

Text

Every Kellyoke So Far, Ranked

My morning routine at work has become thus: First, I enjoy the greatest iced coffee with skim milk and sugar that New York City has to offer, courtesy of Bashir on the northwest corner of 43rd and Broadway. Second, I do whatever work things I have to do that are none of your business (unless you’re someone I work with in which case I prioritize your things). Third--and at this point it’s around 10:45a/11:00a--I open YouTube and click my first recommended video and laugh. You see, every weekday morning, without fail, in the top left corner of my YouTube homepage is the day’s Kellyoke. If for some reason you’re reading this and don’t know what Kellyoke is, allow me to educate you. Kellyoke is the way Kelly Clarkson opens every episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. But more than that, it is, quite simply, a way of life.

Born from Kelly’s extensive history of #KCRequests on tour (fans request songs on Twitter, she covers them) Kellyokes are approximately two minute covers of popular songs--usually a verse, chorus, bridge, culminating with Kelly simply vocalizing at the end. This is where I laugh. I laugh because not since Jessie J was on that Chinese reality show has there been such a consistent stream of covers sung so exquisitely and captured with such perfect audio.

And I laugh because Kelly Clarkson’s voice is not to be believed. I know everyone “knows” what a good singer she is, but I’m not sure that people have fully come around to the cold, hard fact that she’s one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Certainly that she’s the greatest singer of her generation.

Each Kellyoke begins with a “Woo!” or “How y’all doing?” or some other burst of excitement from our fearless leader. Then she launches into the cover of the day. Sometimes (mostly upbeat songs) she’ll travel through the audience, traversing down and up stairs and dancing through the rows. Other times she stays stationary at a mic stand either by her band, or somewhere else in the studio surrounded by fans. (This super informative, though nowhere near long enough (nothing could be, really), Vulture piece sheds a little more light onto what goes into these decisions.) Most end with Kelly at “home base” in front of the couches she interviews guests on, which is captured by a weird camera that seems like it’s a GoPro and is stationary so never has her perfectly framed, and always seems lower quality than the other cameras. Kelly concludes each song with another “Woo!” or “Hey!” and always gestures to her band, usually accompanied by her saying “Give it up for my band, y’all!” She’s a class act! (If you’re used to watching Kellyokes on YouTube, then you’re used to them immediately being followed by the official Kelly Clarkson Show bumper which begins with Kelly saying “I will not stop talking.” I learned how to use GarageBand so I could edit that out from the mp3s I make of each Kellyoke. It’s a sad life, what can I say!)

As God decided was my duty (I was bored and, again, sad life!), I recently rewatched all of the Kellyokes that have aired to this date (I mean, you can imagine, it wasn't a hardship.) and below have “ranked” them. But I use the term very loosely. Because how can you rank perfection? Even the “worst” (and I use it even looser this time) Kellyoke is still at least a minute and a half of KELLY CLARKSON SINGING. Which is better than anything else on the planet. It’s better than mango even. So please take the “ranking” aspect lightly.

A brief housekeeping note: I have omitted both the first Kellyoke, “9 to 5”, because it was the first and there was a pre-taped component to it, and the medley of her own songs she performed on November 1st, because I wanted the list to only be covers. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” was performed on November 6th but seems to have been scrubbed from the internet. I remember it being perfectly fine, but didn’t include it because I can’t prove it. I’ve also not counted the November 21st “Neon Moon” cover because it was performed with Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and John Legend, and November 25th’s “Ain’t Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)” because it was a duet with Garth Brooks. This is about KELLY and KELLY ONLY.

With all that out of the way, please find every Kellyoke so far ranked.

53. Express Yourself - 9/20/19 Okay, this one is really scary. On paper all the pieces are there: Kelly Clarkson, looking amazing, singing one of Madonna’s most famous songs, working her way through her audience. The catch is that the audience in this instance has been replaced by soulless facsimiles of human beings that seem to have been directed to tune out the music they can hear and instead focus on a song in their head (keeping what it is to themselves) and engage with Kelly as though that’s what she’s singing. It’s horrifying to watch as no one sings along with her and everyone claps to a different beat. Even when she gets to two seemingly gay men, they don’t sing along! Were they told not to? It’s almost like when you watch a party scene in a movie or TV show and you know they either played elevator music or were dancing in complete silence because they didn’t know what song they were going to dub it in later. This is a good excuse to make something the worst and not have it be Kelly’s fault, because she’s perfect.

A quick note on the audiences of The Kelly Clarkson Show before we go any further. It’s unclear what they’re told before each taping. A lot of times it seems as though they’re instructed to clap any which way but on the beat. Almost like the warm-up person says to everyone “Forget anything you’ve heard or instinctively felt about clapping!” It’s very strange. It’s also very strange to watch the way they interact with Kelly Clarkson who is singing sometimes inches from their faces. I know you can’t judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes, but I am VERY confident in saying that if Kelly Clarkson was singing anywhere CLOSE to my body, I would be neither calm nor collected. I might be shocked. I might be stunned. I might faint. But in no way would I be able to carry on normally. More of all this throughout the list!

52. Believer - 9/19/19 This is a totally solid entry that suffers only because it aired back-to-back with the “Express Yourself” episode and I resent how into this song the audience here is; the total opposite of the other one. Everyone should know “Express Yourself”! I don’t think that’s too much to ask!

51. Come and Get It - 11/8/19 This is ranked low mostly because I’ve always had an issue with a song that’s opening lyric is a young woman singing to a man “You ain’t gotta worry, it’s an open invitation,” so this choice bummed me out. Kelly sounds great, but we’ll keep moving!

50. Cake By the Ocean - 11/13/19 A pretty straightforward rendition of a song that doesn’t allow many vocal pyrotechnics. That’s okay. It’s still early.

49. Blow Your Mind 10/8/19 The least-known song Kelly’s covered so far (I think? Right?) leads to some pretty low energy from the audience. Kelly sounds really good, but the whole thing just kind of...happens.

48. Happy - 11/22/19 This is about exactly what you’d expect, which is not a bad thing. Kelly Clarkson singing can never be a bad thing!

47. Wrecking Ball - 10/15/19 An understated opening with a bit of a funereal vibe, if we’re being honest. This one finds Kelly starting planted in the middle of the audience with a few terribly uncomfortable looking people right in her shot. She plays with the melody which we love, and things get better once she starts walking, but all in all this isn’t one that moves the needle.

46. Delicate - 11/5/19 Some confusing excitement at the top as we try to figure out where Kelly is and what’s going on and then it’s like...Oh! She’s there and that’s what’s going on! We almost do really well with a song that feels like it’s fool-proof in terms of clapping on the beat, but our friend in white and our other friend in yellow prove that’s not quite the case! It really takes all kinds!

45. Sucker - 9/10/19 The second Kellyoke, and first proper one, is perfectly solid. The faster parts trip her up on the words a little, but her voice sounds impeccable on the chorus.

44. You Look Good - 11/11/19 My biggest takeaway from this perfectly lovely Kellyoke is that Kelly’s pocket is literally...every note ever written. It’s a common theme that will come up over and over on this list, but it never ceases to amaze me how flawlessly she sings. Even watching all of these videos back to back, it doesn’t get old! She is the greatest singer in the world!

43. Juice - 9/30/19 She’s looking great and having fun here! If I could complain, it would be about Kelly not singing enough, which reminds me of a story MIA told after she worked on Christina Aguilera’s album Bionic. MIA was excited to write songs to show off Christina’s insane range and Christina was excited to make mellow, less-showy songs in MIA’s style that didn’t require her to belt the way she usually does. It seems their time together was...fraught.

42. Jealous - 10/16/19 Kelly’s at home, both in leopard print and staying in one place at a mic stand in the band area. It seems pretty obvious that it’s because she really does not know the words to this one, and to make her navigate the stair-business along with the cue-card-business would be totally unfair. We have many more exciting entries on this list, but then she does....that at the end and you wonder why anyone else bothers singing ever!

41. What Makes You Beautiful - 10/10/19 This is fun for everyone, and the arm swaying alleviates all the clapping mishegoss so the audience looks good too. Nothing of it is too consequential, but her alternatives to the melody at the end are great!

40. Independence Day - 10/23/19 If this entry is a tad underwhelming, it’s only because it’s so in Kelly’s wheelhouse. But what a wheelhouse to be in!

39. Ain't No Other Man - 9/16/19 A lot of YouTube comments on this video (Yes, I read the comments. Have I not been completely transparent about how miserable I am??) suggest that Kelly was holding back vocally on this one which feels true. Is it because she’s not fully confident on the choppy arrangement? Is it because Christina was a guest that day? Is it because she wasn’t feeling well? Who could ever know. Regardless, she still sounds better than literally every other singer on their very best day so who cares? My only true “note”: It would’ve been nice to hear the “D-do your thang, honey,” right?

38. Any Man of Mine - 10/18/19 Another song that Kelly seems to love singing. I know I’m wrong, but the violin player doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s not chasing her throughout this whole thing. This is also, by my calculations, the first ever Kellyoke to feature a key change. We love to see it! (Am I using that right?)

37. Let Me Blow Ya Mind (10/9/19) The strangest thing about this Kellyoke entry is that every which way its listed on YouTube only credits Eve, leaving out Gwen Stefani, which I can’t figure out. The title is “Let Me Blow Ya Mind (Eve Cover) By Kelly Clarkson | Kellyoke” and the description is “Kelly Clarkson covers Eve's 2001 single, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" for a live audience.” What gives? This one really makes the case for Kelly making every single song sound, not necessarily better, but like a song that was written for her. Maybe there are songs she wouldn’t sound good singing. If there are, she’s smart enough to not try!

36. Roar - 10/11/19 Kelly’s “Woo” at the beginning is maybe the most excited one in the Kellyoke canon. She looks great in purple (even if the sleeves are a little funky) and the vocal run on the final “roar” is breathtaking. A real motley crew of audience members here!

35. What About Us - 11/4/19 A slightly wonky arrangement that Kelly can’t seem to get in the groove of, but it’s Her singing P!nk, so it’s hard to complain. Kelly and P!nk should co-headline a stadium tour together. I think everyone would love that. Thank you in advance!

34. Shut Up and Dance - 9/23/19 This is all good and fun, but I’m most fascinated by the two women at the 26 second mark, one of whom seems to be hugging herself in order to reach her hands back to her wife, girlfriend, friend, or stranger behind her. It’s a really sweet moment that’s only marred when Kelly gets closer and the woman releases her hands to reveal that she, like the vast majority of The Kelly Clarkson Show audience members, hasn’t yet mastered the basic human function that is clapping.

33. Wild One - 10/17/19 Kelly enters through a new side door for this one, bypassing using the stairs at all. This one is great because Kelly seems to really genuinely love the song.

32. Straight Up - 11/18/19 This one is fun both because it’s unlike most of the other songs on this list and because Paula Abdul was the guest that day (along with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Justin Guarini.) The lyric flub during the first chorus is a little vexing, but for the most part it’s all just a joy, with everyone firing on all cylinders.

31. Love Me Like You Do - 10/7/19 This song feels a tiny bit like you can hear her say “Oh, I know that one. Let’s just do that.” right before she goes on. The high pony seems like it was styled by God and the option-up at 1:01 garners a rare reaction (from the girl on the aisle and her, seemingly, sister) that acknowledges that the people in the audience are MERE FEET from Kelly Clarkson while she sings like THAT. Kelly’s vocals at the end are gorgeous.

30. Sugar - 10/29/19 This is the perfect example of a song that Kelly sings and instantly makes feel like her latest single. Her voice just elevates everything! There is nothing she can’t sing! I hope I’ve made that clear at this point! The audience loves this one and how cute is Jessi with her beret and tambourine? Give it up for Jessi, y’all!

29. Mine - 10/28/19 Kelly looks and sounds amazing here and the audience crowded around her are all doing their best impressions of human beings having a good time and enjoying live music.

28. Can't Feel My Face - 10/14/19 A fabulous horn-centric arrangement lets Kelly’s voice really soar. One of the best audiences, clapping-wise, that we’ve seen.

27. Ride - 11/14/19 Obviously the stars of this entry are Kelly’s dress and hair and the queen in the audience who knows all the words. We get the octave jump earlier than usual which is exciting.

26. Feel It Still - 11/20/19 I’m wondering how many of the artists whose work is represented on this list have heard these covers. Do you think they lose their minds? Are they so honored? Does it make them crazy to know that they will ever be able to sing as well as her? Do they reach out to her privately? Or can they not stand the thought of speaking to someone so talented?

25. Til the World Ends - 9/26/19 When I first saw that she was singing this, I was thrilled because, along with “I Will Wait”, “Crazy For You”, “Go Rest High on That Mountain”, and “My Man”, her 2012 cover of the full version is one of my favorite #KCRequests of all time. (If she ever does “I Will Wait” for Kellyoke I will cease to exist. Know that.) This arrangement is a little different and a little slow to my ear, but still...what a song!

24. Miss Me More - 9/17/19 Kelly’s having a great time with this one in spite of an audience full of people who are dressed like they didn’t know they’d be on national TV, not only that day but in this lifetime, nor are capable of acknowledging that Kelly Clarkson is singing like that a few feet from their stupid faces. Bonus points for the logo colors. Pink goes good with green.

23. Lips Are Movin' - 10/30/19 We still don’t know why this had one of the most dramatic entrances in Kellyoke history (I can only assume it’s because they taped it the same day as the Halloween episode and wanted to take advantage of Bridget being at the studio? Can anyone reading this even begin to imagine how terrible it is in my head?) but it turns into a perfectly lovely rendition.

22. Never Be Like You - 11/7/19 What could it possibly feel like to sing like this? Do us mere mortals have a point of reference? Is it similar to the way we walk or sleep because it’s so easy for her? Or is it something she has to work towards and feels accomplished after completing like me jogging for one city block or completing a customer service phone call?

21. If It Makes You Happy - 9/25/19 A little low energy and doesn’t lend itself totally to the walking around (she almost doesn’t it make it to where she needs to be at the end!), but again, her voice is so unreal that it doesn’t really matter. I wonder why she chose to do the second verse (“I still get stoned” isn’t totally her brand) and it’s nuts to me that the verse is literally low for her but...whatever! HPA (high pony alert) as well!

20. Uptown Funk - 11/18/19 First of all, how great is this entire look? This made me smile because when it started I thought, “Oh sure, we know how this will go.” And then I thought a little ahead through the rest of the song and was like “Oh shit, she’s really going to tear into all the ‘Don’t believe me just watch’ business isn’t she?” And, reader, she does! And the vocalizing at the end is just gravy.

19. Better Now - 11/12/19 I know everyone has different tastes and it takes all kinds, but this is just factually better than the original, right?

18. Chandelier - 9/13/19 A more somber mood to close out Kelly’s first full week of shows, and the audience doesn’t quite know how to be. But GOD, does that dress move well! The words get botched a bit but the voice makes up for it. I know it goes without saying (and yet I still keep saying it!) but, Kelly Clarkson’s voice is ABSOLUTELY INSANE. If you listen to nothing else on this list (WHY???) at least listen to this one.

17. I Love Rock ‘N Roll - 10/4/19 Kelly’s right at home here rocking out in her signature leopard. The audience is eating it up--they know this one and it seems like they’re actually listening to it in the room! Kelly screams and growls and sounds amazing. The high pony really solidifies this entry’s status.

16. Before He Cheats - 10/2/19 This doesn’t even sound like a cover. It literally just sounds like her song.

15. Stay With Me - 11/27/19 Choirs make me cry so I’m a big fan of this. It’s another one that makes you laugh when you remember there’s a literal daytime talk show that unfolds over the 58 minutes that follow it. But then makes you emotional from the beauty of God’s voice. Lots of emotions in one minute and 40 seconds!

14. The Story - 11/19/19 This is absolutely beautiful. Doesn’t feel like there’s much more to say, right?

13. If I Could Turn Back Time - 10/22/19 Four days after the first Kellyoke key change comes this one that almost doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen! By the time she gets to the mainstage it seems like she’s getting ready to wrap things up, but it’s just a fake out. The key changes and it’s insanity. As much fun as the audience seems to be having here, it does make me think that once a week there should be a taping that is solely attended by gay men. I think it would be just an insane Kellyoke to start, then a Q and A with Kelly and the audience for the rest. I’m not positive what it would mean for the ratings, but that’s not my job!

12. Bitter Sweet Symphony - 11/26/19 My first thought during this one is that I couldn’t believe that there was more to the show after this. This IS a show! This should have played on a loop for the rest of the hour and everyone else should have gone home. I mean, is this the most gorgeous or WHAT?? An unexpected song, a beautiful arrangement, the voice of an angel. Instantly legendary. Few Kellyokes have begged for an expanded, complete version the way this one does.

11. Why Haven't I Heard From You - 9/27/19 Reminder that Kelly Clarkson is as famous as she is in spite of never releasing a country album. Would she be more famous if she’d only released country music? Or even just one country album? Listen to how at home she is on this song! And look at how much loves Reba! You can just tell! I don’t want to be too presumptuous, but I do feel like the pants here aren’t a coincidence. Feels to me like there might have been a discussion about mobility and how into the song she’d get at the end. And she does! That last line! A true legend!

10. I Put a Spell on You - 10/31/19 We love a production and this is one, honey! I’ll pay this Kellyoke the highest compliment I can which is that it’s the closest we’re going to come to recreating The Rosie O’Donnell Show in this year of our lord 2019. (That would be assuming, of course, Rosie O’Donnell was the greatest singer in the history of the world.) There’s some questionable back-up dancer business around the one-minute-mark (Was she supposed to be alone? Was she actually supposed to touch Kelly??), but that’s the only thing that’s not absolutely perfect about this.

9. I Like It, I Love It - 10/25/19 It probably won’t surprise anyone reading this to find out that I wasn’t particularly familiar with this song before hearing Kelly’s version (unless there’s an emergency, I try to make sure the only male singers in my iTunes library are Harry Styles and Steven Pasquale), but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to Kelly’s version. What really struck me is that she didn’t change the pronouns which...well, it made me cry at my desk. It was a long week, okay?

8. Walking on Broken Glass - 10/1/19 Animal print? Check! Iconic song? Check! And buy me that skirt! The real killer here is Kelly’s bridge, which she chooses to FULL THROAT BELT (she knows no other way, really) instead of following Annie Lennox’s falsetto-ed lead. We still get a glimpse of Kelly’s head voice (if not whistle tone) at the end. Kelly’s happy, the audience is into it, this is a good one!

7. Think - 9/12/19 This was only the third episode of the show, so it was easy to think that it might never get better than this. And the truth is, it rarely does! What makes this even more unbelievable than the sheer power of her voice, is that she does this all while going up and down two sets of stairs! Who can do that?! I’ve been known to stop conversations getting on the escalators going up from the Q train just to be able to really focus on what I’m doing, and she’s singing and wearing heels and doing it all at once like it’s no big deal??

6. If I Can't Have You - 10/3/19 This one starts out as a little bit of a bummer because on paper it looks like it may be track seven of her album All I Ever Wanted. (Two quick things here. First, if you ever want me to get light-headed from talking too much and too quickly, ask me about my theory that the best song on any album is track seven. Second, if you don’t know “If I Can’t Have You” get the fuck on it! And then listen to the Smoakstack Sessions acoustic version. And then listen to the live version mashed up with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” that she only performed a few times in Australia. And then you may marry me.) Anyway, once you get over that initial disappointment, this is a near perfect Kellyoke. If there’s anything else wrong with it (and I know she can’t control the title of the song), it’s only that her whole look is reminiscent of a middle schooler who is playing Smitty in How to Succeed and had to provide her own costume. BUT! Don’t let that take away from everything else to feast on during this one minute and 55 second masterpiece.

5. Alone - 10/21/19 “Anyone here like Heart?” is a clunky opening to what will go down as one of the all-time great Kellyokes, but by the time we get to the “Y’all ready?” we’re off to the races. Because we’re NOT ready! We think we are, but how could we be? I mean, it’s Kelly Clarkson singing “Alone” and somehow it’s even better than you could ever possibly imagine?? Even the audience engagement here doesn’t bother me as much as it usually does. Maybe because I would watch a documentary mini-series about that group of friends, especially the woman in the denim jacket who plays the air drums after Kelly walks away. I feel like she has a gay son. She better work.

4. Bad Romance - 9/11/19 This one ranks high on both personal and technical levels. Personally, this is certainly something I feel responsible for conjuring through sheer force of will and witchcraft. I don’t want to be buried (“Jesus, I thought this was a silly list of Kelly Clarkson covers!” -you) but if I did, I’d feel comfortable putting here in writing that I’d like “Kelly Clarkson sings a powerful rendition of Lady Gaga's 2009 single ‘Bad Romance’ #KellyClarksonShow #LadyGaga” engraved on my gravestone or the door to my mausoleum or whatever. Technically, again, not much to say beyond “Well, listen to it.” Taking the second verse up an octave is inspired and the ad libs are divine. The flubbed lyrics are a plant to make us think she’s human.

3. Only Girl in the World - 11/15/19 I said “Oh shit” out loud at my desk when I saw the song title, leopard print, and high ponytail all in one Kellyoke. What a trifecta. And what a performance! Let’s be real, this one boils down to the 55 second mark when you and Kelly start a will she/won’t she dance as the bridge crescendos. And like, OF COURSE SHE WILL. SHE’S KELLY MOTHERFUCKING BRIANNA CLARKSON. YOU THINK SHE’S NOT GONNA BELT THAT NOTE YOU WORTHLESS SWINE? I’m no Mister Golightly so I don’t know how to read music that well, but this seems to be the highest belted note in a Kellyoke up to this point. (And PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong. Feels like it’s important for me to know.) Her kids at the end are sweet, but this one became top ten long before they ran out onstage.

2. Let's Go Crazy - 9/24/19 The “Dearly Beloved” probably sounded better in theory, but what otherwise sinks this totally perfect vocal performance is an audience full of goons who deserve to be incarcerated or, at the very least, fined. Did I take for granted that everyone knows how to clap on the beat? Even if EVERYONE doesn’t, the odds don’t seem to lend themselves to how many people in this audience have no idea how to clap. Was there an a support group meeting for the rhythmically impaired that morning somewhere near the Universal lot? Do you think they were laughing in the control room? Also, doesn’t it feel strange that the below people could be in the same room and making those faces at the same time? Surely someone’s should be different. And I know which one I think!

1. I Wanna Dance With Somebody- 10/24/19 This is the Kellyoke motherlode. It may never get better than this. Every choice Kelly makes is the one you want her to. This one has it all: full-throated belting, whistle tone, iconic song, iconic outfit, option-ups left and right. The brief moment of audience participation lets us know that Kelly wants you to think this is for everyone, but it’s really just her taking the opportunity to go fucking wild. It’s what we and, more importantly, she deserve.

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captusmomentum · 7 years ago

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8, 11, 13, 33, and 39 for Inan, Alhanin, Tace, and Fewena, E and H for you plz and thank you :D

UNSURPRISINGLY THIS IS V LONG SO IT’S UNDER A CUT

8. What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a childAlhanin:

to stop goofing off and do her chores, she was fairly good about doing things since she was Mom’s Little Helper when they weren’t with the clan and had that Be Good and Do Things mentality really early so she could help mom out but she’s always been really bad about stopping her chores to goof around with children.

Féwena:

to stop arguing or fighting or picking on someone. she was a tiny terror.

Inanallas:

to stop wandering off. to start their homework, do chores, try playing with the other kids more. the sort of things you’d tell a daydreamy child to do/not do.

Tace:like, everything. stop back talking, stop trying to skip class, stop lying, stop reading above your approved level like– just think of what someone could tell a kid to stop doing in the circle/a circle like environment and he got it.11. How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?Alhanin:

asks questions like a functional grown ass adult until she’s sure she gets it. Especially when it’s really important. if it’s not too big of a deal might just let it slide tho.

Féwena:

basically interrogates, them/whoever’s available and is like Weirdly Annoyed she’s confused. But she’s always kinda >:| so but yeah also tends to get progressively more snappish and heated as she asks questions for literally no reason. she’s just too salty to act normal.

Inanallas:

depends on who’s involved, if it’s someone they know p well they’ll just ask them for clarification. but if it’s a stranger or someone they consider intimidating or something like that they’ll either look around fervently for someone like Thenvas, who they know and will see the confused terror in their eyes and know what to do, or feigns understanding long enough to scamper over to one of their friends and plead for help.

Tace:

gets really mad and petty for no fucking reason and bitches while asking questions then cuts them off from explaining to bitch more. or just doesn’t fucking care and ignores that the interaction even happened bc like, he wasn’t gonna do jack shit with that anyway.

13. What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?Alhanin: greens, especially olive-y ones. it certainly doesn’t look like shit but idk if it’s the best since she and few’s coloring is basically “different shades of red/red-orange”

Féwena: deep reds, darker colors, olive green, basically Edge Lord Colors generally. Overall yup on point tho idk how good the red and green are since her coloring is so red, more red is possibly just too much and green runs a risk of gross.

Inanallas: light blues. it does actually look very good on them and helps soften how pale they are while highlighting their eyes. also makes them seem more approachable and less spooky which the tattoos tend to do.

Tace: Every Color Bitch. he’s…. well he’s arrogant but he’s technically not wrong. his best colors tho are pastels and saturated colors, they really pop on him.

33. Could they be considered lazy?

Alhanin:

only in her wildest fucking dreams, she likes to pretend at being the lazy lovable rogue but nope she’s a lil worker bee.

Féwena:

kinda, she certainly doesn’t lift a finger if she doesn’t see why she should.

Inanallas:

they can seem lazy, but it’s all the mental anguish keep them from getting things done. It was big problem in their inq au to manage their image, thenvas was doing all the inquisitorial work in skyhold (so basically running the whole dang thing) in their stead while inan still did all the field and in person work. it was month before they could even bare to leave their room after they got made inquisitor. it can take them ages to get anything done and to others it can look like their total slackers and completely irresponsible but the reality is they’re grappling with themselves over what to do.

Tace:

lol YUPPPPPPP. tace is HILARIOUSLY LAZY. he HATES working or doing ANYTHING and loves lounging around. to be fair, a good part of that tho is just like complete and total burn out in effect. but he also genuinely fucking hates like, all the kinda academia-esque shit the circles did and would just Not fucking do it bc Fuck You and go take a nap instead. even when he was in his poorly thought out affair with anders in his da canon verse and helping at the clinic he was forever moaning and groaning and whining.

39. How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people?

Alhanin:

Honestly fairly easy. it’s a bit difficult to explain exactly but for Al, giving people a chance and not holding them to their flaws, thinking the best of them (within reason) is natural and also an important part of her whole philosophy. compulsive lying is bad, but the reason someone does it could be to protect themselves from something worse, so it’s important not to immediately judge or write people off because of flaws or actions and to reserve judgement until you know more and to always be willing to give people another chance. but at the same time, alhanin is always involved in the justice system somehow and is forever looking for people’s flaws and any/all potential red flags that they’re genuinely Bad or will just do it all again. So she’s both willing to forgive a lot but also ready to pin people at the drop of a hat.

Féwena:

depends on the flaws, if it’s one she finds unforgivable and/or annoying then NOPE and she will beat you up for it, mentally/emotionally or physically. otherwise she’s pm lets things slide until someone else says their not okay w/ something or w/e. she’s aware she’s really not in a position to throw stones most of the time since she’s a belligerent, kinda xenophobic/bigoted/anti-human aggressive asshole (tho it doesn’t stop her from ridin’ that high horse around town whoops).

Inanallas:

kinda, it’s harder for them when they’re younger and things always feel more dire or visceral and they hyper focus on and distort the negatives but it gets better as they get older and they understand more about life and other people. post-trespasser or the au appropriate exp/age equivalent is very good at being kind and forgiving flaws, even when they’ve personally been hurt because of them. standard inan, which is aprox dai inan (usually pre-skyhold or near to the end bc of the Dark Zone) is very mixed and sporadic about it and hypocritical, clearly still trying to come to terms with how some flaws are okay, some are not, and how extremely situational that can be.

Tace:

TACE DOES NOT FORGIVE SHIT. TACE DOES NOT FORGET SHIT.

He fucking remembers every last fucking flaw a person’s got and will hold them against them until he fucking dies you can try and pull this from his cold dead hands and even then it won’t budge. even once he’s basically married to keshet and living in domestic bless he still is hilariously petty and loses his mind about all of keshet’s flaws (and tbh keshet exaggerates some, like the shitty jokes, just to rile him up), it’s kinder when it’s with people he likes/cares for, like Keshet and CONSIDERABLY less frequent and nicer when it’s someone he cares about and is Highly Sensitive like Thenvunin bc he’s not trying to make them feel bad. but he’s still judging, silently, in his Heart, and then out loud at home over wine while keshet very Obviously ignores him.

QUESTIONS FOR CREATORS

E) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?Alhanin: ye ye, al is super chill and encouraging so that’d be cool. we’d get on just fine.

Féwena: there’s a chance we could but it’d be rocky there for a while, few is Rough to deal with sometimes and has a very brusk personality.

Inanallas: we’d get on really well and also overshare and cry a lot it’d be a sad lil tiny losers weeping club. inan would probably ask me to draw them shit all the time.

Tace: i have noooooo fucking idea. it’s hard to tell who tace will tolerate until he meets them. i’d probably wanna be friends w/ him but be too scared to talk to him bc he’s so INTENSE and he’d be like w/e, too busy losing his mind over shit elsewhere.H) What trait do you admire most?

Alhanin:

how committed she is, how deeply she takes being Fair and Just to heart, how genuinely altruistic she is and how dauntless she is.

Féwena:

her fire, passion and tenacity and her total fearlessness to stand up to anyone over anything. and her ability to actually control that somewhat so she doesn’t go completely out of control.

Inanallas:

their bravery to push through and find a way to do things they need to even while scared shitless and the seriousness they treat things with when they finally accept responsibility or even if they haven’t accepted it yet. when they got made inquisitor they knew they were the worst choice objectively for a myriad of practical reasons and when thenvas arrived immediately began basically therapy w/ him and gave him pm all her responsibility bc he WAS the best choice and he knew her well enough to be able to help get them functioning again so they could do right by this shit.

Tace:

how totally unrepentant he is for his existence and how he refuses to let people try to convince him he’s the bad guy or that he deserves the abuse he gets and how he constantly stands up for himself against literally everything and everyone while doing his best not to fall into the trap of becoming as bad as them to survive it.

#theladypirate #answered #filled meme #tace #alhanin #fewena #inanallas #al hcs #few hcs #tace hcs #inan hcs #this was very fun but also very difficult #bc even tho i put in a solid shift at sleepytime junction I'M STILL SO TIRED MY EYES ARE LIKE FUCKING IMPLODING #THEY'RE OPEN AND TECHNICALLY FUNCTIONALLY BUT I AM FIGHTING TO SEE AND COMPREHEND #lfgjfds;gjs kill meeeeeee #i kees tho in thanks for the nice asks this was fun and interesting

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