#Bryan Michael cox

[rnbria]

Binder files: 2007

[yomtunes]

Bryan-Michael Cox • R&B MONEY Podcast • Ep. 074

[rubylioness]

Ayo, Say Goodbye by Chris Brown lowkey the same song (kinda) as Burn by Usher 💀😭

[cha0ticr0b0tic]

Red Dragon posting :)

So I was rewatching the Red Dragon episodes of Hannibal S3 because they're my favorites. Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon is one of my Thrillers of All Time; I read it in the right place at the right time and the rest is history. Naturally I had to follow that up with the Hannibal episodes (watched for the first time over lockdown) and Manhunter my beloved a few years later.

Revisiting Hannibal S3 E8 "The Great Red Dragon" makes me realize just how important adaptational changes are when it comes to establishing the general tone/vibes of the piece. In Manhunter, Michael Mann follows Harris and gives us Will and family in Florida, where he's far, far away from Hannibal, Jack Crawford, and the FBI. It's Florida, so it's sunny, and what's more, it makes you think of retirement and escapism. (Of course, I lived in Florida for three years and can tell you otherwise, but I'm just going with the common associations with the state.) The climate is ideal, and the biggest stressor on Will's mind is making sure he can help his son get some baby turtles to the ocean once they hatch – all in all, a pretty stress-free life. When Jack shows up with news of Dolarhyde, the two of them sit on the beach and discuss current events, and there's this sense of "Well, shit. Vacation's over." Time to head into the dark.

In NBC Hannibal, on the other hand, Jack visits Will in the dead of winter, at his home in Virginia. They sit outside on Will's porch in the snow and the cold because Will refuses to let Jack into his house (the domestic sphere which he's worked hard to build and maintain.) In both cases, as is the case in the OG novel, Jack intrudes upon Will's peaceful life. However, this scene taking place during an East Coast winter as opposed to a Florida spring/summer makes everything feel a lot more ominous, but also a lot more... I don't know, inevitable? The cold and the dark are already here, and things are about to get a whole lot darker as Will separates from his loved ones and reconnects with Hannibal.

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

We shot a promotional Summit video today with the rest of the Comm Team. Usually when I write scripts, most of the characters are interchangeable because I don't know who will actually say the lines, but I like writing for our team because I know who they are and what they would say in certain situations. It's fun to watch my ideas play out.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 7.7.2023 - 2.51pm.

[adamwatchesmovies]

X2: X-Men United (2003)

There have been A LOT superhero movies since the genre really blew up in 2000 with X-Men. The fact that X2: X-Men United remains one of the best means a lot. There aren’t many sequels which top their predecessors but this is one of them. Full of great character moments with the characters we've come to love and with plenty of contestants for new favorites, it’s got action, suspense and many reasons to come revisit it over and over again.

After Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) - a teleporting, blue-skinned mutant - attempts to assassinate the U.S. President (Cotter Smith), he allows William Stryker (Brian Cox) to shut down Charles Xavier’s school for mutants. Actually, Stryker's goal isn't merely to capture the mutants; he wants Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and his mutant tracking computer, Cerebro. With their leader gone and the students on the run, the X-Men have no choice but to turn to Magneto (Ian McKellen) for help.

When we met Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the film took us for a loop by revealing that the most important mutant at Xavier's school was Rogue (Anna Paquin), not him. This twist made us even more eager to learn about Logan’s past. Was his adamantium-laced skeleton and those mechanical retractable claws (the series hadn’t yet retconned these to be a natural part of his mutation) some kind of ultimate weapon program gone wrong? Something forced upon our amnesiac hero? The answer comes in the form of the mutant-hating Stryker, a great baddie that poses an extreme threat because he’s smart and ruthless. There are some deliciously gross and squishy moments waiting for you as you piece together the lengths he’ll go to. It gives me the willies thinking about what he did to his mutant son - almost as much as learning what his son did to his mother.

There are many scenes to make your skin crawl. Magneto’s escape from his plastic prison (a favourite moment of mine), the final battle between Wolverine and Lady Death Strike (Kelly Hu), Stryker’s domination of Magneto…. you probably didn't expect those fom an action superhero film. Neither did you foresee the emotional blows. Bobby “Iceman” Drake (Shawn Ashmore) betrayed by his brother, the children being taken away by Stryker’s forces in the middle of the night, Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) teasing Wolverine with her shapeshifting powers, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) sacrificing herself... There’s a lot going on. A lot to love.

It’s hard to pick a favourite thing about this follow-up. You suddenly find yourself routing for the mutant terrorist Magneto because we’ve been given an even bigger, more sinister foe for our heroes. That’s no small feat. X2 is a confident picture with a lot of balls in the air and director Brian Singer (who’s fallen out of favour today but was a wizard behind the camera) keeps them all afloat, all perfectly distanced to keep the balance and the excitement flowing smoothly.

What’s there NOT to like in X2? It builds on the success of the first in so many meaningful ways. You see the younger X-Men grow into adults, the love triangle between Jean, Wolverine and Scott “Cyclops” Summers (James Marsden) get even more tangled, heroes like Storm (Halle Berry) in a whole new light and villains suddenly become heroes. This film gives you a lot to digest, making it a superhero adventure you eagerly return to over and over. (On Blu-ray, May 19, 2019)

[erik-powery-for-america]

I Don't Wanna  "I Don't Wanna" https://youtu.be/xFV23sN1SBs?si=eYNslit76EQ764sG… via @YouTube by Jagged Edge.  Produced by Bryan Michael Cox.

[bleach-your-panties]

These songs fit them so well, like let's be for real💕:

Eren, Jean, Connie, Reiner, Porco, Choso, Gojo, Nanami, Megumi, Noritoshi, Todo, Naoya, Toji, Juuzou, Chifuyu, Mikey, Mitsuya, Renji, Shuuhei, Kensei, Kenpachi

"It was hard to find a girl that's really down for me, seems like a lot of niggas trying me,"

"Cause they trying to take my baby-oh, what the, hell no!"

"So now you really better check yourself,

"Messing with my girl is bad for your health, and"

"So you know you will be dealt with,

"Better find your own, own girl, oh"

Armin, Jean, Connie, Bertholdt, Colt, Choso, Yuuji, Yuta, Ino, Gojo, Tamaki, Kirishima, Shoto, Sero, Izuku, Denki, Draken, Kazutora, Hakkai, Angry, Izuru, Ichigo, Uryuu, Ulquiorra

"Only thing that keeps me up when I'm feeling down"

"I dont know about you, but I gotta keep mines around"

"Cause I done looked, I done searched and it's hard to find"

"Another shortie like mine, baby, yes I'm"

"Addicted to how we kick it, everything you say to me,"

"Never knew it could be so wicked, hoping that you stay with me,"

"Search around the world, but you will never find"

"Another shortie like mine, shortie like mine"

Onyankopon, Eren, Connie, Floch, Levi, Geto, Toji, Inumaki, Sukuna, Katsuki, Yo, Mirio, Shinsou, Aizawa, Dabi, Yamada, Nishiki, Rindou, Ran, Kokonoi, Hanma, Kisaki, Baji, Smiley, Taiju, Grimmjow, Ikkaku, Love, Shunsui

"If your chick come close to me, she ain't going home where she 'posed to be"

"I'm getting money like I'm 'posed to be,

"I'm getting money like I'm 'posed to be,

"Oh, all my niggas close to me, and all them other niggas where they posed to be,"

"Oh, the hoes go for me"

"Have your chick send a pic like, 'pose for me' "

"Ohh, that's how it's 'posed to be"

"That's how it's 'posed to be"

"That's how it's 'posed to be"

"Everything good like it's 'posed to be"

[thechanelmuse]

Muni Long - "Made For Me"

Nothing like longtime songwriters with initial dreams of being singers in the forefront positioning themselves from behind the writer's table to the stage. I've followed Priscilla's journey since her covers of songs like Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and the Fergie "Glamorous" Dictionary tune days (before DMCA notices) when Youtube first launched.

"Made For Me" is what I call a loop record, meaning it makes the listener want to keep it on repeat. Priscilla's explored different sounds in the past, like country, before she reinvented herself as Muni. This song gives me that merger. It's a tender, classic R&B ballad that invites a soft yodel effect in the chorus while marrying ballad keys with a simple percussive arrangement that got that knock. Can't go wrong with a JD and Bryan Michael Cox production 🤷🏽‍♀️. Feels refreshing for this era, but also nostalgic enough to easily fit amongst songs from the early 2000s. The best of both worlds.

If this is the direction of Muni's new album. Man.... The choir rendition she performed on the Soul Train Awards (that I've played daily since then lol) better be on it as a bonus track. Just luscious and takes it to another level.

[dalekofchaos]

Gunnverse Batman fancast

Fancast for James Gunn’s DCU/Batman!

DCEU recast

Burtonverse Recast

90′s Justice League

Reevesverse Batman

Superman

Wonder Woman

The Flash

Green Lantern

Aquaman

Justice League

Green Arrow

Teen Titans

Suicide Squad

Justice League Dark

Batman Beyond

The Dark Knight Returns

Telltale’s Batman

Injustice

Legion Of Doom

Birds Of Prey

Jensen Ackles as Batman/Bruce Wayne

Peter Capaldi as Alfred Pennyworth

Jon Hamm as Thomas Wayne

Lena Headley as Martha Wayne

Courtney B. Vance as Lucius Fox

Laura Dern as Dr Leslie Thompkins

Bryan Cranston as James Gordon

David Harbour as Harvey Bullock

Stephanie Beatriz as Renee Montoya

Bill Hader as Jack Ryder/The Creeper

Jodie Comer as Vicki Vale

Jesús Castro as Nightwing/Dick Grayson

Kiera Allen as Oracle/Barbara Gordon

Dacre Montgomery as Red Hood/Jason Todd

Lucas Jade Zumann as Red Robin/Tim Drake

Kristen Stewart as Batwoman/Kate Kane

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress/Helena Bertinelli

Riley Lai Nelet as Batgirl/Cassandra Cain

Mckenna Grace as Spoiler/Stephanie Brown

Izaac Wang as Robin/Damian Wayne

John Boyega as Batwing/Luke Fox

Caleb McLaughlin as Duke Thomas/The Signal

Alexander Ludwig as Azrael/Jean Paul Valley

Michael B Jordan as Azrael/Michael Lane

Ana De Armas as Catwoman/Selina Kyle

Brian Cox as Commissioner Gillian Loeb

Sam Witwer as Captain Howard Brandon

Michael Weatherly as Detective Arnold Flass

Robert De Niro as Carmine Falcone

Gina Mantegna as Sofia Falcone

David Dastmalchian as Alberto Falcone

James Carpinello as Mario Falcone

Al Pacino as Sal Maroni

John Goodman as Rupert Thorne

Michael Imperioli as Anthony Zucco

Willem Dafoe as The Joker

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn

David Tennant as The Riddler/Edward Nygma

Alfred Molina as The Penguin/Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot

Oscar Isaac as Two-Face/Harvey Dent

Giancarlo Esposito as Mr Freeze/Victor Fries

Viggo Mortensen as Black Mask/Roman Sionis

Jane Levy as Andrea Beaumont/The Phantasm

Adam Driver as Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane

Kevin Grevioux as Killer Croc

Laz Alonso as Bane

Doug Jones as Man-Bat/Kirk Langstrom

Peter Stormare as Clayface/Basil Karlo

Toby Jones as Mad Hatter/Jervis Tetch

John Lithgow as The Ventriloquist/Arnold Wesker

Natalie Dormer as The Ventriloquist II/Peyton Riley

Dohmnall Gleeson as Hush/Thomas Elliot

Raul Esparza as Hugo Strange

Anya Taylor-Joy as Poison Ivy

Pedro Pascal as Deadshot/Floyd Lawton

Frank Grillo as Deathstroke/Slade Wilson

Finn Wittrock as Talon/William Cobb

Karl Urban as Owlman/Thomas Wayne Jr

Stephen Fry as Professor Pyg

Stephen Lang as David Cain

Daniel Radcliffe as Anarky

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Cluemaster

Keanu Reeves as Prometheus

Ming-Na Wen as Lady Shiva

Ghassan Massoud as Ra’s Al Ghul

Nadine Njeim as Talia Al Ghul

Yasmine Al Massri as Nyssa Al Ghul

Michael Fassbender as Dr Simon Hurt

Kat Graham as Jezebel Jet/Black Glove

Christian Bale as The Batman Who Laughs

[fans4wga]

SAG-AFTRA Warns ‘Acting Profession’ May ‘No Longer Be an Option’ Without ‘Transformative Change’ in Contract

"

SAG-AFTRA held an informational meeting for more than 760 people over Zoom on Monday afternoon.

Among those who signed on were actors Lupita Nyong’o, Vanessa Kirby, Melissa McCarthy, Vanessa Hudgens, Lucy Liu,  Laverne Cox, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Jon Huertas and Josh Pence, according to a source.

CAA’s Bryan Lourd, Faith France and Ryan Abboushi also attended, as did UTA’s Jay Gassner and Shani Rosenzweig and Houston Costa and Kris Heller of IAG. Publicists included Mara Buxbaum, Jill Fritzo, Luke Windsor, Brianna Smith and Cheryl Maisel.

The meeting was led by SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. The guild shared a one-sheet of talking points for participants. Among the bulleted items on revenue sharing, health care and retirement, online casting platforms and artificial intelligence, the memo states, “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

Crabtree-Ireland read questions from participants in the chat, including one asking if SAG-AFTRA members should “unsubscribe” to struck streaming services. While there is no rule regarding subscriptions, Crabtree-Ireland said that leaving a streamer is one way of showing support of the strike, a source tells Variety.

There are two more similar Zoom meetings set for Tuesday, July 18.

As Variety’s Gene Maddaus reported on July 15, the biggest sticking points for SAG-AFTRA and the major studios is the union’s demand for 2% of the revenue generated by streaming shows. The two sides also remain far apart on basic increases in minimum rates, with the studios offering 5%, 4% and 3.5% across the three years of the contract, while the union is demanding 11%, 4% and 4%."

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Michael de Adder, Washington Post

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 31, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

The second Summit for Democracy organized by the White House concluded yesterday with an invitation to a third summit, to be held in Costa Rica later this year. The second summit was not just a United States party: its virtual sessions were co-hosted by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia. Over the course of three days, participants from more than 100 countries discussed ways to surge resources to reformers during democratic openings, address inequality, promote economic growth, combat corruption, advance the status of women, promote media freedom, encourage youth political participation, combat hate speech, strengthen unions, and defend the rule of law.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden congratulated the attendees for helping to make democracy work, turning the tide against autocracies. In the U.S. he said, “we’ve demonstrated that our democracy can still do big things and deliver important progress for working Americans.” As ordinary Americans have seen lower costs for prescription drugs and health insurance premiums, progress on rebuilding infrastructure, innovation, and policies to address climate change, they have, Biden said, “resoundingly and roundly rejected the voices of extremism attacking and undermining our democracy.”

Biden highlighted the ways other countries are advancing democracy: Angola is trying to build an independent judiciary, the Dominican Republic and Croatia have combated corruption. Biden called out “many other countries…from countries taking the first steps toward reform to well-established democracies of people making real changes to protect and strengthen their democracy.” The work of democracy “has never been easy,” he said. It “is hard work. The work of democracy is never finished. It’s never laid down and that’s it, all you have to do. It must be protected constantly.”

He continued: “We have to continually renew our commitment, continually strengthen our institutions, root out corruption where we find it, seek to build consensus, and reject political violence, give hate and extremism no safe harbor.”

The U.S. has invested in global democracy by committing more than $1 billion to shore up government transparency and accountability, support media freedom, fight international corruption, defend elections, and promote technology that advances democracy. It intends, Biden says, to commit $9.5 billion over three years.

Protecting democracy, the president said, “is a defining challenge of our age.”

Today, Leslie B. Dubeck, the general counsel for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, wrote to Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary; Bryan Steil (R-WI), chair of the House Committee on House Administration; and James Comer (R-KY), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, to warn them that their attacks on Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg and his office were “unlawful political interference.”

Jordan, Steil, and Comer have tried to intervene in the district attorney’s investigation of former president Trump. Even before a grand jury of ordinary citizens voted to file charges against Trump, the three men demanded the district attorney share with them confidential information about the state of the investigation. The district attorney did not give it to them because, as Dubeck said, “our Office is legally constrained in how it publicly discusses pending criminal proceedings,… as you well know. That secrecy is critical to protecting the privacy of the target of any criminal investigation as well as the integrity of the independent grand jury’s proceedings,” she wrote.

She called their interference “unnecessary and unjustified” and reminded the men that Congress has no jurisdiction over individual criminal investigations. Nor does it have jurisdiction over state investigations. “The Committees’ attempted interference with an ongoing state criminal investigation—and now prosecution—is an unprecedented and illegitimate incursion on New York’s sovereign interests,” she wrote.

Dubeck noted that the men were reportedly working closely with Trump to attack the district attorney’s office and the grand jury process, making it seem that “you are acting more like criminal defense counsel trying to gather evidence for a client than a legislative body seeking to achieve a legitimate legislative objective.”

Dubeck noted that Trump has been threatening Bragg personally and warning that his indictment might unleash “death & destruction.” She pointed out that the three men, as committee chairs, “could use the stature of your office to denounce these attacks and urge respect for the fairness of our justice system and for the work of the impartial grand jury.” Instead, they and their colleagues were collaborating with Trump to attack the justice system as politically motivated. “We urge you to refrain from these inflammatory accusations, withdraw your demand for information, and let the criminal justice process proceed without unlawful political interference,” she wrote.

Dubeck concluded by noting that subpoenaing the district attorney for information about an ongoing state criminal prosecution, as they threatened to do, was “unprecedented and unconstitutional” and expressed hope they would “make a good-faith effort to reach a negotiated resolution.”

Also today, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled in favor of Dominion Voting Systems in a key point of the company’s lawsuit against the Fox News Corporation for defamation. The ruling also established the central point for dismissing the story that Trump had won the 2020 election. Davis wrote—in italics—“The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that [it] is CRYSTAL clear that none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.”

The Fox News Corporation had argued that the false statements of its hosts claiming that the voting system had thrown the 2020 presidential election to Biden were not defamatory because they were opinions. In his decision the judge went through the statements, calling out 20 occasions on which lies were stated as facts and similar occasions on which deliberately omitted material changed the meaning of what was presented.

The judge has determined that the hosts’ statements were false. Now the case will go to a jury trial in April to determine whether Fox hosts knew they were lying and whether Dominion sustained damages from the defamation. The company is suing for $1.6 billion.

In the last stop of her Africa visit, Vice President Kamala Harris today was in Zambia, which co-hosted this week’s Summit for Democracy. Neither Harris nor Biden will comment in any way about the impending indictment of the former president. At a press conference in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, today, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal reminded Harris that she had “spoken about democracy and the rule of law at every stop in Africa,” and asked her to comment on news of the indictment.

When she declined, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema stepped forward. “[L]et’s remove names from your question,” he said.

“Let’s put what we decided we will do to govern ourselves in an orderly manner. First, our constitutions, bedrock law. Then, secondary laws, other regulations create a platform or framework around which we agreed, either as Americans or as Zambians, to govern ourselves.  And so, to live within those confines.

“And when there’s transgression against law, it does not matter who is involved. I think that is what the rule of law means.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[sihaya74]

NEW The Lessons of Bryan Fuller's Hannibal S1:E1 -- PLEASE LOVE MY INNER MONGOOSE

Lessons of Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal

S1:E1 – PLEASE LOVE MY INNER MONGOOSE

It seems that the character of Will Graham was destined to be played by a beautiful, curly-headed man with a penetrating gaze.

            And goddammit, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

            The name of the show which my blog series is exploring is Hannibal – the eponymous title heralding to the viewer exactly who the story will be about and what connotations the viewer needs to bring to his well-appointed table.

            It occurs to me that most people, upon their first viewing of Hannibal, bring different experiences depending on what they have seen before and possibly, what generation they belong to. The first Hannibal Lecter I ever saw was indeed the on-screen first, Brian Cox, in Michael Mann’s 1986 film, Manhunter. I still love this film with all of my heart and soul, but unfortunately, Cox’s Lecter gets so little on-screen time that he does not stand out much. I will not criticize – obviously, all directors must make their decisions as they see fit. It just means that the Hannibal Lecter, wickedly brilliant psychiatrist, former surgeon, and notorious cannibal, that I came to know and love was the portrayal by the incomparable Sir Anthony Hopkins, which very rightfully won him an Academy Award.

            I truly thought I would never be able to see another actor render Dr. Lecter upon the screen and feel comfortable with it – just as to me there is only Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch and only Kurt Russell’s Jack Burton. When I finally watched Hannibal, some five years after its final episode (FINAL EPISODE, FOR NOW – I WILL NEVER GIVE UP HOPE FOR SEASON 4) – I had finally warmed up to the idea of a different Dr. Lecter. I had enjoyed Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, (another fabled on-screen villain), and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Long story short, Mads exceeded my expectations – exceeded my hopes and dreams for the character even. I will not say that his Hannibal has obliterated Hopkins’ Hannibal in my mind, but I feel very comfortable with Mads as the Younger Hannibal, and I feel that should Bryan Fuller ever be able to take up the Silence of the Lambs story that Mads will rise to that amazing occasion in his beautiful, nuanced, astonishing style. He is quite simply one of the greatest on-screen actors I have ever seen. He was born to do it. He’s also an extremely handsome Devil, so there’s that…

            There’s definitely that…

            If you don’t know what I mean, go watch Charlie Countryman or Polar and get back to me…

            However, there are some people, who upon their first watching of Hannibal, have never seen the prior Hannibals, never read any of the books, as I have, and so they come to characters and the story cold – with only perhaps some anecdotal information about liver and fava beans and Chianti or perhaps not even that much – only an inkling that the series looks dark and creepy. There are entire legions of Fannibals who have only ever known Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal. And therefore, have only ever known Hugh Dancy as Will Graham.

            And as Will Grahams go, Hugh Dancy is, in my opinion, the best.

            Please do not get me wrong – I love love love me some William Petersen-curly-headed, bandy-legged, skinny-tied, pink-shorted Will Graham. Petersen’s performance was heartstopping. I rewatched Manhunter over and over to experience it again and again. His intensity and focus was intoxicating. And he was fucking gorgeous.

            But upon watching the first scenes of S1:E1 of Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal, “Apéritif,” when our lovely Mr. Dancy kicks his way through the red door of the Marlow home, I knew I had found my Will Graham. I have loved the character of Will Graham a long time – since that first viewing of Manhunter. Then, I immediately purchased a copy of Red Dragon and read all about my darling empathic profiler and fell in love with him even more.

            I am a very empathetic person. All my life, it has been both a blessing and a curse. More often than not, the curse was the way I experienced my empathy – it was taken advantage of by abusers and narcissists. Empaths draw narcissists like the moon draws water and my baby Will Graham is no different. So, I always found Will very relatable. A line from Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon springs to mind. Harris describes a conversation between Will and Jack Crawford; they are discussing a lead in the Tooth Fairy murders and all of a sudden, almost non sequitur, Harris says of Will, “He was sick of himself” (65). Speaking as a person who becomes exhausted with her own spinning mind on a daily basis, all I can say is that Will Graham is like my spirit animal.

            Even though the show is named after the King Cannibal himself, I have always maintained that the show is in fact Will’s. Practically all plotlines revolve around him. Every main character in the show is in love with Will, in their own particular ways. And Will is oblivious, wrapped up in his own tangled mind. The only time he is able to pick out the knots is in the decriminalization and recreation of murders in his head. Well, in that, and in caring for his dogs, and in fishing. These are the only times Will can make sense of anything he feels. The simple zen ease of fly fishing – the simple love of tending to his pack of strays – and the simple act of cuddling up inside a murderer’s mind – seeing all the elements that make murder and seeing himself there as the maker. The character is lovable from the jump. Mr. Dancy just solidified it for me. His portrayal is Will Graham. I will accept no substitutes.

            But all of this preface, which truly serves as my preface for the rest of this blog series is leading up to my purpose – to identify and explain the lesson we as the viewer learn from Bryan’s very first episode of Hannibal.

            It has to do with one of the most dominant themes in the entire series – that of seeing and being seen.

            As viewers, we see Will Graham first as he exists in his own mind – as a powerful creature. As we watch him decriminalize the Marlow murder scene, we are witness to his efficacy as a profiler and his potential for real, dynamic action. Even though is it a visualization only in Will’s psyche, we, as audience, see him kick in the door, see him shoot the Marlows, see him commit the crime. He is endowed with raw savagery and undeterred intention. This is not a shaky, twitchy Will Graham. In his mind, he is powerful and steadfast.

            But outside of his mind, he is vulnerable – wobbly and confused. From the first moment that Jack Crawford enters his classroom, Jack identifies Will as something different, something strange – in short, he others Will from the get-go and Jack communicates this message to everyone on his team, to Alana Bloom (who is, of course, already aware), and later, to Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

            It is Will’s otherness that Jack wants to tap into and use. Many Fannibals often criticize Jack Crawford for taking advantage of and exploiting Will, but let’s face it, Jack is trying to catch serial killers who murder innocent people. In Will, he has found a veritable dowsing rod for murderers, and no reasonable person could expect him to abandon this magic wand, damaged and temperamental as it may be.

            In every one of my viewings of the series, even though I know what is going to happen, I desperately wish Will could just walk away from Crawford, from the FBI, take his dogs, and move into a beach house somewhere, and spend his days fishing and taking tourists out on fishing expeditions.

            I guess I want Andy Dufresne’s ending for Will. But there is no Zihuatanejo for Will – his fate is bloodier and more romantic. Harris’ Will winds up a bit like I always hope for, kinda. In The Silence of the Lambs, Harris writes, “Will Graham, the keenest hound ever to run in Crawford’s pack, was a legend at the Academy; he was also a drunk in Florida now with a face that was hard to look at, they said” (73). I can’t imagine Hugh Dancy ever being hard to look at, and so his Will needed a different fate.

            Returning to “Apéritif,” it is emphasized constantly in the episode how Will is not the same as everyone else. He is possibly on the autism spectrum; he “deals with huge amounts of fear;” Alana has “never been in a room alone with” him; he “makes jumps [he can’t] explain,” and so on (Fuller 9, 23-24). Everyone’s curiosity about Will is palpable. Whether each character’s curiosity is tainted with attraction, jealousy, or covetousness, in S1:E1, all roads lead to Will. This is very important when one considers the fact that in the space of only one episode, the character of the Minnesota Shrike, Garrett Jacob Hobbs, is introduced, tracked, found, and killed. It really is amazing how much Bryan packs into this one episode of television.

            And even though the central hub of the plot is finding Hobbs, the story is mostly about Will – Will the odd duck, Will the wounded empath, Will the King of Lonelytown Castle inside the bone arena of his skull.

            Until…Hannibal Lecter happens. He really is a happening in all the stories in which he lives.

            From his first meeting with Will in Jack Crawford’s office, Hannibal tries to relate to Will. He points out things they have in common: they both have tasteless thoughts; they both have trouble finding mental refuges from their work lives; they both can’t shut their powers of observation off.

            With regards to Bryan’s theme of seeing, Hannibal sees Will and recognizes him immediately. Fannibals like to argue exactly when Hannibal falls in love with Will. Some argue it is instant, love at first sight in Jack Crawford’s office. Some argue it is more gradual and reveals itself as the series unfolds. It is difficult to say. Both types of love exist. Only Hannibal knows.

            What I can say is that Hannibal is a master of sizing up other people, as evidenced by Bryan’s line about Hannibal’s perception of Jack: “Hannibal reads Jack Crawford in one slow blink” (Fuller 33). And using that same intuition, Hannibal reads Will as easily as a sonnet by Dante and just as easily, is bewitched.

            So, by the time we arrive at the breakfast scene in Will’s hotel room in Act Five of the episode, Hannibal has made up his mind that he will do whatever is necessary to make Will Graham interested in him, perhaps, even like him. The beautiful empath has drawn the calculating narcissist yet again.

            As they sip coffee and munch on Hannibal’s “protein scramble,” most likely made with Cassie Boyle sausage, Hannibal explains his understanding of how Jack sees Will.

HANNIBAL: I think Uncle Jack sees you as a fragile little tea-cup, the finest china used only for special guests.

            Will responds.

                        WILL: How do you see me?

            Hannibal then answers him.

                        HANNIBAL: The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by

                                                                                                                                    (Fuller 39-40).

            This exchange is a perfect example of how Will is seen by those around him and how he actually wants to be seen. It is significant that Hannibal refers to Jack as “Uncle Jack.” I believe he means mostly Will’s uncle and not uncle to both Will and Hannibal. Hannibal and Jack are closer in age to each other. Will is younger than both men and so the connotation is that Jack is Will’s uncle – a man who is not Will’s father, who is dead and gone – but a man with some claim to Will, an authority figure who can issue commands, a father surrogate. This “father” possesses Will and believes him to be a rare and uncanny item – a useful thing, like a tea-cup, but delicate, weak even.

            I cannot speak for everyone in the world, but I know that I have been considered “weak” in my lifetime. Called “weak” to my face by people I loved who told me I had to “toughen up.” Empaths often get this treatment. We are told to stop being the way we are. We have to develop a thick outer shell, arm ourselves against psychic onslaughts, or our hearts will be dashed to pieces. The truth is that a sensitive person cannot be talked out of it. And other people who try to “toughen” those people up are doing so because they themselves are uncomfortable with emotion. Basically, “STOP HAVING EMOTIONS BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM, SO YOU MUST BE AT FAULT HERE, EMPATH!”

            People who feel things deeply are not weak. And neither is Will Graham.

            And he doesn’t want to be seen that way, even if he feels that way a good deal of the time.

            We like people who see us a force to be reckoned with. We like it when others recognize that we have power. Will Graham wants to be seen as he sees himself in his own mind. The way he wants to be.

            And that is what Hannibal gives him. He allows Will his power.

            Mongooses (yes, that’s the plural – I looked it up) are known for fighting and killing snakes, specifically cobras. They are able to do this because they have a genetic mutation that protects them from the effects of snake venom. They have even been known to square off against larger reptiles, like crocodiles. [See Snoop Dogg’s Plizzanet Earth.]

            Monogooses are sassy bitches, to say the least. And in Will Graham’s little red heart, inside his rumpled and resplendent exterior, lives the sassiest of bitches. And more than a bitch, a predator. That is what Hannibal sees. To Jack Crawford, Will is prey. Hannibal sees Will as the predator he is. Then, the not-so-good Doctor spends thirty-eight more episodes trying to coax that predator out so they can fight side by side as equals. That is love, isn’t it?

            And so…the lesson? We all have an INNER MONGOOSE.

            We all want to be seen in our power.

            I didn’t want to be told that I was weak, or too emotional, or not tall enough to be really beautiful. I wanted to be seen as I saw myself in my dreams – devastatingly gorgeous, wicked smart, and full of agency. I want someone to love my INNER MONGOOSE.

            And we all do.

            Get you someone who loves your INNER MONGOOSE.

            Don’t settle for anything less.

            Here endeth the lesson…

            References:

      Fuller, Bryan. Writer. “Apéritif.” Hannibal, season 1, episode 1, Chiswick Productions,

                  2012.

      Harris, Thomas. Red Dragon. New York, Berkley, 2000.

      Harris, Thomas. The Silence of the Lambs. New York, St. Martin’s Press, 1990.

[cha0ticr0b0tic]

I just watched Manhunter – the 1986 Michael Mann adaptation of Thomas Harris’ infamous novel Red Dragon – and I have some THOUGHTS that I cooked up in the shower because this could not be more different from Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal, and that’s not a bad thing at all!

A little bit of context so I can explain where I’m coming from: back in late 2019 I was studying abroad in the UK and our professors took us to a Blake exhibition in London. As a writer, socialist, and avid horror fan, I was floored. I got really overwhelmed in there and spent the next couple days decompressing before I started digging into his work in earnest, as well as works revolving around his art. I bought a copy of Red Dragon not long after that trip and worked my way through it when I had free time. I also started working on a paper for class about Blake’s influence in my favorite movie, Blade Runner, which meant I was deep-diving into noir as well as this trippy artwork – lots of anticapitalist rhetoric, lots of body horror, lots of monsters. Sooooo many monsters. 

The pandemic hit, we all were sent home, and I watched a lot of crime shows – Twin Peaks, Mindhunter, and Hannibal were the main ones. I was really excited to get to the Red Dragon storyline in Season Three and I was not disappointed. By that point in the show, Hannibal had turned from a police procedural with supernatural undertones to a full blown queer Gothic romance. That also includes the Dolarhyde/Reba storyline, even if it didn’t last. 

Dolarhyde got a lot of attention in the show – more than I was expecting, honestly. Richard Armitage did SUCH a wonderful job portraying that character, it’s incredibly nuanced and sympathetic. Our first moments with Dolarhyde are where he’s working out, practicing his speech, and getting his infamous back tattoo of the Dragon. There is a lot of attention paid to his body, and his discomfort in his body. I’m half-joking, but the trans vibes are strong with this one: “Becoming” might as well be referring to transitioning, albeit into a giant monster (whatever floats your boat!). As an out-and-proud director making an out-and-proud show, it makes sense that Fuller is focusing on the queer elements of the Red Dragon – the coding was always there, but now he’s really bringing it front and center via Dolarhyde’s physicality/body language.

I was kind of surprised, then, that Dolarhyde was not as prominent in Manhunter. There was hardly any discussion of the Red Dragon artwork at all, which was also surprising – is it because it was too fantastical for a director who deals with grounded, gritty crime? Compared to the NBC show, this Red Dragon was kind of one-note, which was a shame. He’s the bad guy, after all. He’s the guy Will is supposed to catch. But then I remembered: Dolarhyde is this movie’s Waingro. He’s the destabilizing element. I’m not an expert in Michael Mann, but I know he’s very into the stability of the family unit (shout out to good dad Will Graham!) and Dolarhyde specifically targets stable families – this was already in the Harris novel, he didn’t have to make that up to fit his thematic interests. Dolarhyde only matters because he serves as a threat to our hero and his values.

This version of Will Graham is surprisingly grounded, privately tortured, and full of resolve and dedication. We see that he’s got a history with Hannibal – there are definitely some queer moments here (there are a surprising number of 80s love songs in the soundtrack, hmm wonder what that’s about), and it’s a bummer we don’t get much of Cox’s Lecter because he is delightfully funny. Still, I don’t see this Will succumbing to his inner darkness anytime soon; he’s got a very good relationship with his wife and son (Vincent Hanna, take notes.) He is very much a Michael Mann Protagonist, even if he comes from another writer’s mind. In contrast, Bryan Fuller’s Will comes across as a Gothic hero(ine) in that his sensitivities are always highlighted, he looks like he needs to be taken to the seaside for his health, and he can’t seem to shake his demons (Hannibal is, after all, difficult to avoid.)

In any case, both adaptations are valid and it’s kinda comparing apples to oranges. Manhunter leans way more noir, Fuller’s Hannibal is Gothic all the way. I am definitely going to be rewatching Manhunter to pick apart some of the queer coding & subtext hehe

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 17/02/2024 (Beyoncé, VULTURES 1)

For a seventh week, Noah Kahan stays strong at #1 with “Stick Season” - but it’s Bey season and Ye season… no, those words don’t rhyme, and welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

Welp, as always, we start with our notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the top 75 and a peak in the top 40, and this week, we bid adieu to: “HISS” by Megan Thee Stallion (that was quick), “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” by Skepta, “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter, “When We Were Young (The Logical Song)” by David Guetta and Kim Petras, “Surround Sound” by JID featuring 21 Savage and Yung Baby Tate, “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan, “Runaway” by Ye featuring Pusha T, “Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Is it Over Now?” by Taylor Swift, “Black Friday” by Tom Odell, “Agora Hills” by Doja Cat, “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski and finally, “Baddadan” by Chase & Status and Bou featuring IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga and Takura. Yeah, bit of a bloodbath here.

You know, we actually have barely any returns or gains as a result of the influx of 13 new songs, so we have some vague post-GRAMMYs impact and that’s kind of all, with it mostly being in our returns - “Coal” by Dylan Gossett at #73 (probably not GRAMMYs), “FE!N” by Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti at #71 and on a much more positive note, Tracy Chapman’s classic original version of “Fast Car” all the way at #38. It first charted at 1988 and peaked at #5 (when Glenn Madeiros’ schmaltzy “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You” was #1) and then returned in 2011 and peaked at #4, when… “Party Rock Anthem” was #1. This won’t last or peak nearly as high, but it improves the net quality of the chart for the time it’s here. As for the gains, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift at #57 and “Home” by Good Neighbours at #34. Yup.

As for our top five, we see Mr. YG Marley creep in maybe in part to his grandfather’s documentary as “Praise Jah in the Moonlight” is at #5. Then “Lose Control” by Mr. Teddy Swims is at #4, “Beautiful Things” by Mr. Benson Boone is at #3, “Murder on the Dancefloor”by Sophie Ellis-Bextor breaks my gag at #2 and finally, Noah is building his seven-week ark at #1. Now our real stories, of course, are in our influx of new entries, many of which are pretty damn high and have exceedingly more to talk about than I wish they did, so I suppose let’s start rounding those off.

New Entries

#64 - “ONE CALL” - Rich Amiri

Produced by Rio Leyva and Zuko

Now, I am not familiar with Rich Amiri, which is a pretty generic rap name all things considered so for all I know, I’ve listened to his mixtape, but I am familiar with some of his producers. Rio Leyva has credits across a lot of recent pop-rap mainstays like Lil Tecca, The Kid LAROI and even Yeat, and he tends to produce in a style many would say is rage-adjacent… so it makes sense that this is a rage song, with some genuinely wiry, menacing leads in the synths and a dirty, factorial trap skitter. The song’s barely two minutes, so it doesn’t really give Mr. Amiri much time to even finish his one verse, which is full of personality-void Auto-Tune and mindless repetition, but he isn’t exactly derivative of any specific person, it just sounds like he hasn’t figured out his exact voice yet, which is expected with up-and-coming rappers. The content obviously isn’t worth speaking of - it’s just flexing and violence and sex all delivered pretty plainly - but he’s not the worst at it? I don’t know, this is great production but I feel like there are rappers who could make this pop out a bit more. Maybe 454, SoFaygo, someone with a high-pitched squawk to make this feel dynamic? If you still want to go for relentless cool, get Thouxanbanfauni on the remix and this could be a slam dunk.

#62 - “Made for Me” - Muni Long

Produced by Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and JordanXL

“Hrs and Hrs” is not a song I remember much at all let alone fondly, but the voice behind Muni Long is Priscilla Renea, a very prolific songwriter, so I imagine that with Jermaine Dupri on the boards, there could be some R&B wizardry to make her chances at a second hit much more solidified. As for if I like it or not, well, I can see it being a hit considering the 2000s throwback sound with the classy (yet almost basic-sounding) pianos, even down to the groove and the incessant sound effect that’s a bit distractingly loud in the mix, but by the end of the song, you almost forget it’s there and think it would sound weird if it wasn’t. Even if I generally like this song, I don’t really think it fits the song too much, which is about finding your soulmate and… NOT losing them. There should be some grandiosity to this, especially with that powerful voice and chorus, but it feels a bit lost in its own attempt to be “cool”, which… I don’t know, will it be a theme this episode? Probably not, but the first two songs definitely share the element of just not going far enough with good ideas. This is still a solid tune, though.

#60 - “Dance Alone” - Sia and Kylie Minogue

Produced by Jesse Shatkin and Jim-E Stack

Sia. Kylie. Two pop stars of very, very different prepositions but ultimately in the same niche. I have no hopes for anything Sia does, pretty much, never liked her, but what else would I have to say at this point? Her songs produce so little analysis from me because a lot of the time, it’s just kind of immediately obvious what will happen and what I’ll think. There are painfully basic vocal melodies, very typical disco-house beats, and Sia tries to actually play down the hamming but lets her natural characteristic of her voice end up preventing her from doing so because, well, that’s just how her voice sounds. A “subtle” Sia is just an awkward fit, and she may be trying that on purpose so she doesn’t put off pop listeners, but it just results in her being completely outclassed by Kylie, who eats this up as expected. That little “woo!” in the pre-chorus is to live for, as is the “(dance)” ad-lib in the final chorus, but by the time we’re in the “bridge” (see: the post-chorus again, same phrase repeated ad nauseum), Sia’s clipping in the mix again and nothing sounds like it cares about me caring, so I’m not caring. It’ll go hard in the Mumsnet forum voice chats. Do they have those? They should have those.

#55 - “Birds in the Sky” - NewEra

Produced by Karl Durkan and Ben Williams

Okay, I’ll bite: Who are NewEra? Well, according to Genius, they��re an EDM production duo from Dublin and this track from last year is their only song to appear on streaming, yet it’s released on Warner interesting. Either way, it’s clearly blown the Irish duo up a bit, so there must be some merit and well, the sample - wherever it’s from, I genuinely can’t find it - is about as weirdly mixed as they always are on these piano-led EDM cuts, but it doesn’t stick out too much amidst the more typical trance grooves and very basic, almost preset-sounding drums that lead into a constant anticlimax, leading the pianos and barely impactful drop sound like they’re teasing you into a false sense of confidence that the song is at all moving. It damn well works though, it’s pretty hypnotising, so when I was lulled into the drumless glitching section where the cheap pianos actually build up to a pretty good pounding drop, I was thoroughly immersed. These guys have done something right.

#50 - “Make You Mine” - Madison Beer

Produced by Madison Beer and Leroy Clampitt

Madison Beer is one of those ostensible “pop stars” that don’t exactly make innovative, experimental or often even interesting music but still exist only on the peripheries of the mainstream, many of which eventually get some kind of breakout chart hit, and this might just be Ms. Beer’s… well, if this is supposed to convince me on the personality and character of Madison Beer, I am not impressed at all, she doesn’t sound interested in developing that. If it’s supposed to convince me on her production ability… yeah, I’m hopping on this train. This is incredible. My comment on her vocal performance is not a detracting remark of the song, her emotionally confused, at times static and always intimate vocal take adds a lot of depth to the intense, but more accurately hallucinatory sensuality of the song. There’s a lot of staccato repetition, sure, I mean, it’s deep house, but it’s all a luring act as you can “slip inside her mind” (sure), against the warped synth basses, echoed and fuzzy vocal production, mesmerising synths that are incredibly well panned and mixed - the sound design is immaculate, and that’s not even mentioning the incessant groove or one of the catchiest nonsense hooks in pop of recent years. The drop barely registers as such, it feels like a natural climax that the song just slides into, despite all the little intricacies in both the build-up and the catharsis that transform the song into a fizzling journey of sexy club-pop that goes a lot harder in the details that I expected it to. I mean, the overdubbing of synth leads and curious glitches in the outro - nothing’s going to go exactly “wrong” in this hook-up, but it’s not where either expected to be… and for that night, it’s life-changing. I didn’t think I’d like this as much as I do but oh, my God, please make this a hit. ASAP.

#47 - “Heaven or Hell” - K-Trap

Produced by Nathaniel London, Jester Beats and Godwin Sonzi

Well, K-Trap’s back, this time without Headie One, and I guess this is his song for the ladies. There’s a swash of R&B keys, a Central Cee acoustic guitar - or an *NSYNC acoustic guitar relistening - and an actually interesting choice in making the drill hi-hats and really the rhythm section in general a bit papery, with a bass that feels mixed a bit too low yet still being relatively busy. K-Trap is just rambling misogynistically over all of this, and not just in a typical rap way, it’s a bit distracting and groan-worthy, but his comical delivery of some of this as well as the female spoken interludes kind of explain away his hypocrisy a bit. Not too effectively, of course, but it’s worth pointing out that it’s somewhat of a two-way street. I still find the soft percussion resemblant of sample drill pretty refreshing and enjoyable, I just wish maybe there was a more melodic presence of a rapper on it. Still okay.

#44 - “16 CARRIAGES” - Beyoncé

Produced by Beyoncé, Ink and Dave Hamelin

So, Queen Bey released two country-influenced songs on the Sunday - one’s in the top 10, the ballad is at #44. I will wait until this act two of RENAISSANCE is actually out before making any statements on Beyoncé doing country outside of that I hope she ends up shouting out or giving chances and/or feature spots to other Black women in that field, as a way of propping up that community within an industry that pretty flagrantly prevents that instead of just doing a genre switcheroo because she can and convincing nobody about anything systemic in the meanwhile. Hell, that’s more for me, personally, because I’d like to know a lot more Black country artists, and given that I’m obliged to listen to this album, I mean if you care about the genre, Bey, it’d be cool to point me in some directions. Not that it’s her job, but it would be a worthwhile light to shine especially since Beyoncé is both a hitmaker and a bit of a tastemaker.

As for the first of her country efforts though, this is a pretty heartfelt southern soul track that could almost act as a campfire song if not for Bey just not being in that zone as a singer, but it definitely has the clapped rhythm of one and some compelling lyrics regarding her time touring with Destiny’s Child. Now it’s less smoky than I’d really want a song like this to be, it doesn’t sizzle as much as it stagnates, particularly with that crash into the guitars and church organs that doesn’t really surge the way I so badly wanted it to. I do find the vocals excellent, the narrative interesting and still surprisingly relevant to her as a modern touring act as well, and the rapping is surprisingly well implemented, it feels just like she’s shooting the shit in the middle of her country storytelling song. In that regard, I’d like there to be a lot less grandiosity to the presentation, maybe do without the soaring overdubs or horns, make this more of an explicitly acoustic effort. I know it wouldn’t fit Beyoncé and all her harmonies and belting, as her presence isn’t always fit for minimalism, but she could pull it off. The problem with that would be is it doesn’t emulate the theatrics of a stage performance and the abrupt shock of showbiz being put onto her at an early age, so there’s some great mirroring there that almost makes up for me not being greatly into the actual sound of these tracks. Regardless, it does have me excited for the more solemn moments on this album, but we won’t be covering that until the end.

#37 - “Abracadabra” - Wes Nelson featuring Craig David

Produced by Mike Brainchild and Rndm Beats

CRAIG DAVID?! And it doesn’t appear to be a sample? The crowd says “bo selecta” indeed. Whatever about this Wes Nelson guy, he sounds like an AI amalgamated what every R&B singer has sounded like since the planes hit, or realistically, just Jeremih, but the beat is a rough-around-the-edges 2-step jam with harder bass than you’d think and some blocky space synths. It’s all very rote but it’s also Craig David and man, you can put however many filters on his voice, it’ll still sound like Craig David, and I can’t even seriously critique him anymore. I’m sure he’s a complex, nuanced human being with flaws and feelings but to me, he’s just an unexplainable deity figure. Also, there is a moment during the drop of this song - and the outro - where the beat cuts out for Craig David to say “Bruh”, and I just needed to point this out.

#31 - “Forever” - Noah Kahan

Produced by Noah Kahan and Gabe Simon

The Vermont singer-songwriter has released what appears to be the final deluxe edition of his #1 album Stick Season, subtitled “Forever”, henc ethe name of its sole original song. I’m honestly surprised this didn’t debut higher, but there is a lot debuting above it, and Kahan tends to have sleepers. Speaking of sleepers, I’m not really feeling this one as much. It’s got the wistful acoustics but it’s a lot slower in its pace, especially for its first half, which makes Kahan’s frail, nasal vocal that I’m still not that big on not nearly as ignorable, especially as it punctuates the lyrics so exactly and ends up making the harmonies, especially in the pre-chorus, somewhat haunting, which given the deterministic lovelorn lyricism, doesn’t seem to be the intention? It eventually picks up a nice little bluegrass-esque groove but nothing too far from an average Lumineers track in terms of just lacking bite and punch, whilst forcing Kahan to strain more than he needs to, to sell pretty resonant content.

#18 - “BACK TO ME” - Adolf Hitler and Ty Dolla $ign

Produced by Hitler, Ty Dolla $ign, 88-Keys, Wax Motif, AyoAA, Feez, Nic Nac and James Alex Hau

88-Keys, huh? Now, I’m not saying that Kanye West is Hitler, I’m just doing him a favour and comparing him to his idol. There are a lot of things that he loves about him. In a perfect world, I have the choice to completely ignore this album, especially since two of the debuts from VULTURES 1 (debuted at #2 on this week’s album charts) are considered widely to be the best tracks by both me and a lot of the fans, though I am a sucker for the darker, problematic last quarter that people don’t tend to like that much. I don’t want to admit that, of course, and I’m kind of torn between not feeding into exhaustive discourse by not mentioning any controversy and then feeling bad for not doing so because I’d be supporting his cult of fans who supposedly only care about the music, regardless of how his music is constantly reminding you of his controversies. It’s also not easy when you have two pretty damn good tracks from an album that largely consists of the man embarrassing himself and, well, Ty Dolla $ign, who sounds wonderfully smooth on this track and many others. He stands out particularly well over the punchy breakbeats and bass that entrench the mix. Hitler does embarrass himself as usual, but the minute-and-a-half Auto-Tuned quoting of an old comedy movie that he probably doesn’t even remember the rest of is an almost poetic reflection of where he is as an artist and a man. Oh, and Freddie Gibbs shows up to steal the show so effortlessly with his tightest, rapid flows I think I’ve heard from him in years, some excellent, topical wordplay that feels like it’s what the album wanted to be: playful and effervescent in its hedonism. He steals the show so much in fact that the song just ends after he does, he takes complete ownership. Nice one, Gibbs, do it on someone else’s album, for the love of God.

#17 - “BURN” - Adolf Hitler and Ty Dolla $ign

Produced by Hitler, Azul, Morten “Rissi” Ristorp, Chrishan, The Legendary Traxster and Leon Thomas III

This is just what this guy’s album used to sound like. We have a mid-album reminder that he can still do it, but only for two minutes, and half of that is Ty the Tasmanian Tiger over here carrying the album with his sloppily-mixed but still incredibly passionate and incessantly catchy chorus - I’ve had it in my head for the whole damn week, pretty much - over a very conventional, punchy chipmunk soul beat that lasts less than two minutes and it just ends up on a bittersweet note. The Hitler verse is his most coherent during the whole album, it’s pretty fun, it’s pretty traditional, not worth the attention paid. And neither is…

#12 - “CARNIVAL” - Adolf Hitler and Ty Dolla $ign

Produced by Hitler, TheLabCook, Ojivolta and Digital Nas

Now, thankfully, there really is nothing of value to cover here regardless of how and where you slice it. The song is like 60% Rich the Kid, which should show you how inspired the former GOAT has been lately. Hitler spends most of his verse just being cheaply transgressive for attention, pretty much explaining why I’m not a fan of prominent critics covering this album, dignifying it as more than an ego trip surrounded by yes-men. That’s not to say transgression can’t be art, there’s a lot of discussion to be had about the value of transgressions against the audience. And Hell, maybe a rage song about riding dick featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti warrants that level of analysis, but that’s exactly what Hitler wants me to do here, and I’m not taking instructions from Hitler! I’m not following orders!

#9 - “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” - Beyoncé

Produced by Beyoncé, Killah B and Nathan Ferraro

Alright, this is just fun. I’m sure someone more equipped than me to talk about country than me will have a lot to say about this song, but I just got a kick out of Bey’s sultry voice, as always perfectly layered with energetic ad-libs and riffing, over that acoustic rolick and clearly programmed thumping production and generic country ambiance. You can tell that this isn’t produced by Nashville staples as much as it’s a semi-outsider attempt at fusing country with Beyoncé’s more natural pop and R&B territory, but it doesn’t detract from it being a sick groove about just having a lot of fun on the dancefloor, boogieing with somebody who makes you forget about everything that’s going wrong. That whistling post-chorus with all the traditional fiddle - if I’m getting that correct - in the background is such a cool little moment, especially with the panning that replicates the live hoedown feel. It absolutely feels much more like a costume party than “16 CARRIAGES”, but to be honest, I might prefer this one just because of how easily Bey dresses up in this particular set of clothes. That’s not derogatory either, she literally lists off “hoops, spurs, boots” in that gorgeous outro. I’m actually glad that such a large, potentially problematic but still full of music to discuss ends on such a delightful, carefree note. Love it.

Conclusion

It’s not getting the best, though, Best of the Week is going to… surprisingly enough, Madison Beer for “Make You Mine”, but Bey obviously grabs the Honourable Mention with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”. As for the worst, I mean… there is a song with Rich the Kid on this week. “CARNIVAL” is a shoe-in, but given this was actually a pretty great week in terms of overall quality, it’s difficult. I think I want to give it to K-Trap for “Heaven and Hell” but that’s really because it appears as the lazier, less interesting of the songs I wasn’t a fan of. On another day, it probably would have been Sia, but K-Trap doesn’t have a Kylie Minogue feature. Anyway, with all of that chaos out of the way, thank you for reading, rest in peace to country legend Toby Keith, and I’ll see you next week!