#I can see a lot more people being disappointed at the lyrics and not saying so because they're afraid | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fcble · 5 months ago

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Post format inspired by Dulce @almostyours and JJ @chcrryade. Thank you to everyone who let me mention their OCs!

"I stopped my pace and wanted to shout. / Wings, spread out again! / Fly. Fly. Fly. Let me fly once more. / Let me fly just once more." — The Wings by Yi Sang, translated by Ahn Jung-hyo

깃털 (FEATHER) is the debut mixtape of INTAK, of fictional boy group FABLE. It was released digitally through streaming services and SoundCloud on August 16, 2024, seventy-nine years and one day after the liberation of Korea from Japan's colonial rule. Unlike his work as a member of Fable, he released it under his previous SoundCloud username WND3QUD, from the phrase 중3병 typed out on the Korean keyboard. Deriving from the somewhat derogatory Japanese term "chuunibyou," his recent usage of the name is meant to be an acknowledgement and greater understanding of the person he was at fourteen when he identified strongly with it. With the album's themes of the self and the meaning of money, it is also loosely inspired by Yi Sang's 1936 novel The Wings.

The record boasts an impressive array of features from other idol groups, surprising fans who were previously unaware that Intak "knew people like that." In line with Fable's concept and what Intak sees as his due diligence as member of the group, a few of the songs contain Fable's signature traditional instrumental sound. This was a decision that went over well with the majority of the group's fans. The vocal minority are a few Haksu solo stans, who realized that the teased solo debut of this year went to Intak, and not Haksu.

There was little promotion prior to the album's release, aside from a few social media posts with the title and release date, and one Weverse post from Andrew almost two months in advance spoiling the eventual release.

▶ PRESS PLAY

YOU SEARCHED FOR...

TRACK 001. 한국 (KOREA)

"@1:32 ik he was mad as hell in the recording studio. andrew count your days?" ─── A comment on the official music video, August 16, 2024

"Intak released his mixtape a couple of days ago and to say I'm obsessed is an understatement. For everyone else who missed their old sound, this is for you. KOREA is obviously the most Fable song of them all. Between the lyrics and the instrumental, the song posits Intak, Fable, and their music as representatives of Korea. I was under the impression that was their goal from the beginning. These past couple of years haven't shown that, but Intak is bringing it back." ─── 'Old Fable is back and I'm living for it' by bangchanslefttoe on r/kpopthoughts, August 18, 2024

"Ah… isn't it too much? How can he call the song KOREA and then release it under a Japanese name? He should know better. Really, it's disappointing. He said the album was inspired by Yi Sang too. Doesn't that just make it more embarrassing? F*ck I want Haksu's solo album instead." ─── '[enter-talk] WHAT CULTURE IS FABLE REPRESENTING, ANYWAY?' by pannchoa on pannchoa.com, August 19, 2024

TRACK 002. 꼴통 (BASTARD) ft. NOAH of DEEPDIVE @bluwavez

"[checking calendar] ya we still have time for BASTARD summer" ─── @kcdjification on Twitter, August 16, 2024

"I think BASTARD had a lot of potential. I wish there was a little more in the lyrics. One Yi Sang pun in this song and it's in Noah's verse? Come on, Intak, you're better than that." ─── A comment on the album's official discussion post on r/kpop, August 18, 2024

"I know Intak's 'Feather' flew under a lot of people's radars, but I tuned in. 7/10 if I'm being generous. My favorite song is definitely BASTARD. Is it because Noah is there? Um. No comment." ─── 'ranking every kpop comeback (august 2024),' shineesback on YouTube, September 1, 2024

TRACK 003. CASH

"just listened to CASH. close enough welcome back karl marx!" ─── @h4nd__dr4wn on Twitter, August 17, 2024

"What did I write? Nothing. This is Intak's solo album. He's always written our music. [pause] If he asked, I would have. If not, it's patronizing. If I wanted to release a solo album, would you expect Intak to write one of the songs? [pause] Rhetorical question. Let's listen to CASH." ─── Andrew via Weverse Live, August 17, 2024

"For my solo album, I want Andrew-hyung and Intak-hyung to both write it. They're both important to Fable, and I can't image what we'd be like without them." ─── Haksu via Weverse live (immediately after Andrew's comments), August 17, 2024

TRACK 004. GOAT ft. CYRUS of XPLOIT @ripsoff, JC of LITTLE HOUSE @okmgi

"did anyone else have flashbacks to 2013 goat remixes or was that just me" ─── @yjuntual on Tumblr, August 17, 2024

"Let's talk about the worst song by far. GOAT was certainly a choice. It's the most generic track on the album. Any rapper can call themselves the goat. It's a jarring disappointment right in the middle of an otherwise decent album. And of course I can't forget the worst part. What on earth possessed Intak to make him think it would be fun to make goat noises on the track? Easiest 0/10 I've ever given." ─── A Rate Your Music review, August 19, 2024

"i know it says ft jc in the title but tell me why i still jumped when i finally heard his voice at the end 😭😭" ─── @GOLDFlNCHS on Twitter, August 20, 2024

TRACK 005. 태권도 (TAEKWONDO) ft. ANGEL of LUCKY @lvcky0ne

"Did everyone listen to 'Feather' yet? If you didn't, go listen to it now and then come back and tell me what your favorite song is. I like TAEKWONDO. Eolssu~~~~" ─── Byeonghwi via Weverse, August 16, 2024

"not to be overly parasocial or anything but intak and andrew's arguments in the fable dorms must go crazy bc andrew would never write a song like this. open discussion does andrew even know what TAEKWONDO is." ─── @kkotcheoreoms on Twitter, August 17, 2024

"promotions for this album are literally so bad if i wasn't locked in to literally everything lucky does i would've missed out on angel content 😔" ─── @.cheonsarang on Twitter, August 19, 2024

TRACK 006. BUCK ft. HERO @anqelblccm

"🔥🔥🔥" ─── Mingeun via Instagram stories, August 16, 2024

"you guys don't understand how badly i need a live performance of BUCK hero would eat that shit UP please please please please please" ─── @hrts4hero on Twitter, August 17, 2024

"Ever since Fable's Intak released his mixtape earlier this month, I've been hooked on a handful of the songs. I know everyone likes Fable for their traditional concept, but they have some extremely solid b-sides in their discography. Enter BUCK. Went platinum on my Spotify last week." ─── 'recent underrated bg b-sides you should listen to,' evvnemoon on YouTube, August 27, 2024

TRACK 007. 무리야 (FLAKER)

"3. FLAKER. Introverted king. He's so me. #intakforpresident2k24." ─── 'ranking every feather song! (nothing to do with sabrina carpenter lol),' @flwrble on TikTok, August 17, 2024

"everyone is clowning intak for putting a song about introversion on an otherwise deep album but i think there's a deeper meaning here where he's trying to be a different person except this is his nature and he can't escape that and anyway it ties back to the wings bc that protagonist is in a pit of self-deception so deep he might as well be six feet under and intak's interpretation moves past that to the slightest glimmer of self-realization like bro looked in the mirror so yes i've connected the dots" ─── @cyb3rn1ghts on Threads, August 18, 2024

"'You're Intak's token extrovert.' I see everyone's listened to FLAKER. You mean his friend. That's how friendship works." ─── Kiyoung via Instagram live, August 20, 2024

TRACK 008. 날개 (FLY) ft DIAZ of VARSITY @ncrdyboyz and EUNJUN of ARM CANDY @hearthr0b

"idk why but this part of the song always makes me tear up 🥹🥹 fable ur sooo important to me" ─── @berryseop at 1:42 on SoundCloud, August 17, 2024

"Another Feather factoid: The Korean title of FLY is the same as the original title of Yi Sang's novel that inspired the album." ─── @prodbyfable on Twitter, August 17, 2024

"FLY is a dreamy collaboration between Fable's Intak, Varsity's Diaz, and Arm Candy's Eunjun. The trio delighted us with the back-and-forth narrative between Intak and Diaz, paired with Eunjun's smooth vocals. Although a b-side, it definitely has title track potential." ─── '10 of Our Favorite Recent Kpop Collabs' by S Kim for Soompi, August 31, 2024

TRACK 009. 풍각쟁이 (PUNGGAKJAENGI) ft. JAESEOP and EUNSU of FABLE, ???

"he credited eunsu as eunsu of fable. brb i'm gonna break down NO ONE TALK TO MEEEE 😭😭😭😭" ─── @twosuluvr on Twitter, August 16, 2024

"PUNGGAKJAENGI is a really fun song because every verse is in a different dialect. Jaeseop's uses the Gyeongsang dialect. Although he was raised in Seoul, he was born in Gyeongsan, in North Gyeongsang. Intak's is Jeolla's dialect, given that he considers the South Jeolla province home. Eunsu's uses his Gangwon dialect. As a side note, this might be the first time Eunsu has so openly spoken satoori. If I didn't know he was from Taebaek, I would have thought he was born and raised in Seoul." ─── @prodbyfable on Twitter, August 17, 2024

"crediting the pansori singer as a bunch of question marks is certainly a decision! not sure what they were thinking there" ─── @haksubak on Twitter, August 17, 2024

#╰ to be written in ink is to be immortal — [ discography. ]#╰ to be written in ink is to be immortal — [ intak. ]#fictional idol community #kpop oc #idol oc #kpop addition #fake kpop group

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crescentrivers · 7 months ago

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*sighs* time to be autistic on main again

So I remembered the existence of the rockabye musical, which is a musical involving eldritch horror free to watch on YouTube, that sound familiar? Yeah the venn diagram between Hatchetfield fans and Rockabye fans should be a circle and I’m disappointed it’s not. (Here’s the link btw go watch it)

A more detailed explanation of the plot is that this band gets hired to write a lullaby to put an eldritch god to sleep so it wont wake up and end the world in the process (I believe the musical uses the lovecraft mythos or some parts of it? Idk im rewatching it tomorrow it’s late at night rn) the musical has a diverse cast and some pretty good songs.

Anyway the point is that I’m picturing a post TGWDLM Paulkins animatic to the song Crazy for You from Rockabye (link to the song) so here’s me going through the lyrics, explaining why they fit and a bit about how I picture this animatic (under the cut because this is about to be a long post) also Rockabye spoilers under the cut

Okay so the song’s a duet between two characters named Xander and Simon, Xander’s lyrics will be used for Paul and be in blue, Simon’s lyrics will be used for Emma and be in green. Lyrics they both sing will be in purple (not because of lord in black associations I just needed some colors). In Rockabye this song takes place when the characters have entered some Black and White like dimension, I’m comparing it to the Black and White because I genuinely don’t remember the name right now. Being in the dimension is driving the characters a little crazy, this is why Xander is falling for Simon. Simon seems unaffected by the dimension but it’s kind of implied he’s actually gained the ability to see the audience. Now onto me being insane

Some love can be so mundane / enthralling can fade to plain / simple romance is so easy to obtain

This to me could be infected!Paul/Pokey calling Emma and Paul’s relationship boring/plain/simple, Paul is known as the normal tm man afterall.

I’ll change your perspective dear / my love is infectious here / what was once so very cloudy will be clear

I feel like this is pretty self explanatory. A lot of it is reminiscent of how the hive describes infection, changing someone’s perspective and making reality clear feel like actual things a hive member could say in the show. Also infected!Paul calling his love infectious, do I even have to explain that.

I’ll bleed you dry / I will cut you down to the middle with my own teeth / you’ll see in time / inescapable is the monster that lies beneath

What cute things to say to your significant other 🥰 I mostly want to talk about the last two lines, “you’ll see in time” as in it being inevitable and then “the monster that lies beneath” referring to Pokey. Maybe Paul breaks a little when he says that last bit, mainly to lead into the next verse

I can feel you crawling under my skin / my composure is running thin / pain is pleasure if your willing to give in

First line Paul is freaking out a little, maybe he’s not fully infected and kind of snaps out of it. While I think in the actual musical “you” refers to Simon I think Paul would be talking about Pokey here and not Emma for obvious reasons. Next line Emma starts to sing and immediately panics realizing she’s being taken over, Paul is back to infected mode says the next line as some twisted way to comfort her. (Also it’s worth noting in the cast recording Xander’s actor laughs after saying that line which I feel like Pokey would do in that situation)

I’ll bleed you dry / I will cut you down to the middle with my own teeth / you’ll see in time / inescapable is the monster that lies

Chorus again. Emma is singing with Paul now but she isn’t fully infected yet. Paul doesn’t snap out of it temporarily this time. I should mention that now “monster that lies” could have a double meaning in this situation cause Pokey tricked people in order to infect them.

After this Xander asks Simon to dance with him and there’s an instrumental part. Back to the lyrics

This is hopeless, how am I to fix this now (your blood pumping through my veins) / show is over take your bow (my skin plastered to your face) / we’re screwed we’re dead (the beating organs we discarded turned to waste)

The two sing different lyrics overlapping, lot to unpack with this one. In the original musical Simon is talking to the audience here. Emma is processing that the infected have won and that things are over, “show is over take your bow” is A. A really fitting thing to say in a musical apocalypse. And B. Would fit the fact that Emma starts to see the audience at the end of TGWDLM much like Simon does in Rockabye. Then for Paul “your blood pumping through my veins” could be referring to how they become one through the hive mind or how Pokey is taking over their bodies “the beating organs we discarded turned to waste” is how when they are apothesized into the hive mind they die, discarding their beating organs, and how the infection literally replaces your organs and blood with blue ones. I picture at the last line Emma is panicking and Paul snaps out again for a second looking kind of horrified about what’s happening before becoming all smiley again

I’ll bleed you dry / I will cut you down to the middle with my own teeth / you’ll see in time / inescapable is the monster that lies

Final chorus, song end. Maybe Emma gives into the hive here

#cresrivposts #cresrivtalks #my post #hatchetfield #paulkins #paul matthews #emma perkins #pokotho #rockabye #rockabye musical #the guy who didn't like musicals

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indiaalphawhiskey · 2 years ago

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Hi, I want to work through something because I want to be able to enjoy my time in this fandom and support Harry and Louis as they are now. Unfortunately, I can't help but be incredibly disappointed in the decisions that HL have made. Let me preface this by saying that I am aware of how entitled and selfish I sound but emotions sometimes override logic.

I had really big and unfair expectations of Harry and Louis. I honestly thought after One Direction they would come out and start their solo careers on an authentic and free foundation. They had the potential to be such an inspiring and important power couple in the industry and society in general. I pictured them being an amazing source of representation, attending charity events and talking about important issues. All the while staying intensely private. It's this wasted potential that I really struggle to accept. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the Harry and Louis from 2014/15 would be a bit disappointed in where they are now, not on the career front but having a fake son and still kissing supermodels.

As someone who doesn't place a great deal of value on things like career and ambition it's disappointed me how they've chosen that above all else. I believe there are more important things in life. Again, I know how all this sounds but no matter how hard I try I can't help how I feel. But I want to change because I want to be able to enjoy the people that HL are now. It's hard because I'm not here for their careers I'm here for them purely as people and as a couple.

Hi! So first, I’d like to say that I really appreciate the openness of your tone, even though we have quite different opinions. I’m going to strive to match that openness in my response, and if I fall short, I apologize in advance. It’s not at all my intention to come off as rude or aggressive, I just want to challenge your way of thinking about activism, authenticity, and the roles their careers play in that.

You say you’re not here for their careers. You’re here for them as people and as a couple. You don’t seem to see those two are directly interlinked.

The only reason we have access to them as people/as a couple, is because they both chose to continue their careers in the public. They both could have easily chosen to take a step back and work in the background (music production, management, etc.), which would mean no drama. Maybe would’ve meant a bigger chance for them to come out publicly.

But that would have also meant no content. No music, no pap pics, no articles (barring maybe one or two about a charity event, if what you imagined came true). That means no safe spaces at their concerts. No flag waving. No speeches about acceptance, and I need you, you need me, about your body, your choice, about helping people come out… No lyrics about all this time, and we could be lucky again, and you can throw a party full of everyone you know, and we’ll be alright…

No input, no… personality. So who would you be loving? Who would you be here for, exactly? Who would you be supporting? A snapshot of who they were as people/as a couple? The idealized fantasy of a power couple? The people you remember they were seven years ago?

Related to that, I understand that explicit activism is important to you. I understand that you understand that you’ve placed a lot of expectations on them that aren’t fair. Why you’ve done that could be for many reasons — maybe that’s how you personally choose to connect with the queer community, maybe you feel like if you had their platform and their resources, that’s what you would do, I don’t know.

But everything you’ve mentioned (“…come out and start their solo careers on an authentic and free foundation. They had the potential to be such an inspiring and important power couple in the industry and society in general. I pictured them being an amazing source of representation, attending charity events and talking about important issues…”)

Well… who’s to say this isn’t “authentically” who they are (while still working to preserve other things that are important to them, like the privacy of their relationship and their opportunity to make art), even without being “out” and “out together”? Who’s to say they aren’t currently an amazing source of representation? Who’s to say they aren’t talking about important issues?

Because, to me, they are. They may not be doing it at the helm of a pride parade in a rainbow mankini making out in front of news cameras.

But isn’t it equally as important to hold spaces for queer people to just gather and experience joy? Isn’t it equally as important to be verbal about challenging adversity and coming out on top? Isn’t it equally as important to make coming out to one’s parents a communal, celebratory fantastic memory instead of something that’s solitary and filled with fear? Isn’t equally important to prop up young musicians and show them someone with power will be kind, will be supportive, will open doors for them?

There’s value in pragmatic, maybe even implicit, forms of “activism”, too. There’s value in championing life and love and kindness and joy and upholding it for the people who can’t uphold it for themselves. (And it’s especially meaningful coming from two people in such a historically abusive, conservative, homophobic industry.) There’s value in using your time in the spotlight for the benefit of your actual fans.

TL;DR I guess what I’m saying is, we all seem to uphold this gold standard of activism to the letter, and assume that anything less than that isn’t activism, isn’t authenticity, isn’t representation. But having such a rigid definition of “doing good” for a community negates the constant and consistent representation and good they’ve both fought to be able to do.

You said a lot more in your anon, but this is really all I have energy to answer. If it doesn’t change your mind, that’s okay. If it’s still not enough for you, that’s okay too. It doesn’t, and won’t ever, negate everything they’ve done for me and for others.

Maybe one day you’ll find your way back, or maybe you’ll find a couple that represents you the way you need to be represented. Until then, all the best. 🤍

#iaw ask #iaw anonymous #larry #activism #queerness #representation #discourse #long post

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alexturne · 1 year ago

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I'm having a lot of thoughts and idk if I've fully thought it all out, but I needed to get it down and try to work out how I feel about it all..

I genuinely don't think this whole "discourse" is what's happening. I'm sure they just really wanted to do the whole bit with the strings and that's all.

Nothing to do with Alex and Miles being less close than they once were. Nothing to do with their relationship being less profound than it has always been. They're super important people in each other's lives and there comes a point when you've been that for someone for so long that it no longer requires constant reconfirmation. Their friendship is so solid, so deeply rooted within them both, that they don't need to perform together to assure themselves that they're good. There's no question. They're friends, and they always will be, no matter how much time passes, they'll always be there for each other. I have no doubt about that.

And they asked Miles to come along, they knew they could count on him to make it and do an amazing show, even on short notice. And Miles was there watching, having fun, riding the high of his own show, and I bet it doesn't hurt him the slightest bit not playing 505 with them. And neither does Alex not joining him for a tlsp track. And it's just very fun to watch Miles do such a great job on such a massive stage and to watch Alex (maybe) send some inside jokes his way, and definitely acknowledge his presence more than he has for any other opening act.

Miles has enjoyed playing a couple of the more Miles centric tlsp tunes during the last year at his own shows, and he probably just took them off the setlist when they figured out they wouldn't have the time/energy to rehearse and work it all out. And to not lead anyone on and create false hope that Alex might show up. It's been a long time since they've done it. And Alex is the sort of guy who has probably forgotten his own lyrics, and would require more time and brain capacity to practice to get it in order. Or something else that is perfectly reasonable.

Like, I'm all for delusions but I guess I'm just saying that I don't think it's that deep. They're friends. Close friends. Very important to each other. (Maybe more if that's how you choose to view it). And I bet they don't even think about the shows in the same terms as we do, every little thing doesn't matter as much to them as it does to us. Not everything is a "sign" and there are so many pragmatic and logistical reasons that play into a tour like this that we know nothing about.

I bet Alex is exhausted, excited for the tour to be over and to get to go home and rest, I know I would be! Even if he has loved every bit of it, I would be completely worn out and just ready to go home. But I bet they were also so excited to have the strings and they wanted to really have them shine during the set. It was their show. The Monkey's show, and they finally had the chance to let the vision they had for the album come to life. What an amazing end of the tour.

I won't get too much into why they haven't utilized the strings sooner, because they obviously could've and I don't get why they didn't, and maybe they could've skipped the strings on 505 and had Miles up for it instead. It would've been incredible. So much potential. A lot of fans would've been pleased bout that, and I know they'd enjoy it and have fun playing together too.

But they didn't, and even if I would love to know the actual reason, I'm choosing to let it go and assume there is a very logical and reasonable explanation, and not some big dramatic fallout going on. I can be disappointed about not seeing them, but I don't think it "means" anything in the grander scheme of things.

Miles could've played with them (assuming he doesn't for the last one either), and I won't get into that discussion too much either, because ofc they could have done it together, but so many things had to work out and maybe Miles just wanted to do his own thing. Maybe they never got around to having the conversation, maybe something entirely different happened. We don't know.

And yes ofc I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see them together, I won't deny it. I would've loved it, both as a fan of their music and performances and as a tiny little happy milex lover, my shipper and fic writer heart would've been so so pleased about it. But we didn't get it this time around, and that doesn't mean that their friendship is over or that they hate each other or that they're not close anymore or that they don't love each other anymore. And it doesn't mean that we won't ever see them play together again.

I think they would love to perform together again, but I would assume they also have so many other things they love to do too. So many other things that require their energy. Even together, but also just their personal dreams and wants in life.

They're both into the idea of tlsp being back someday, but as it has always been with them, tlsp will return when the time is right, when it happens naturally. That's the beauty of it. It's something that just happens and that's why they both love and enjoy it so much, I think. It's about freedom and spontaneity, it's without boundaries, it can't be planned or controlled, it's a beautiful chaos between two close friends who love to make music together, and who are incredibly talented at it. But they're also artists who have other ambitions. Other projects they love.

And their friendship doesn't depend on tlsp releasing new music. It is a product of their beautiful friendship, but the friendship came first. Them not writing together right now actually says absolutely nothing about the current state of their friendship. Which we have seen signs of being as healthy and strong as ever, if a bit more private than it used to be. And that's fine. They're super private people, and honestly I would have much more reason to worry for their friendship if they suddenly started posting about it all the time and parading each other around. They're not like that and they never will be and that's fine.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Yes, they're being dumbasses - both the band and our dear milex boys, throughout the whole tour - with not utilizing the strings earlier on the tour, not playing more of The Car on the setlist, not skipping more of AM, not taking advantage of ALL THAT POTENTIAL. They could've done the strings for Glastonbury, it would've been perfect. They could've easily included Miles in a few more gigs (it was sooooo lovely when they did), these last ones in particular, and it would've been so beautiful and meaningful and they would've had so much fun with it - they could've made so many better decisions than they did. The whole tour came with some question marks. We can all agree on that. They're being stupid and they seem to not always think very far ahead, and sometimes forget to use their brains, and I assume that's why they end up not having time to rehearse and work things out sooner, and that is honestly just so dumb of them. They could be doing so much more and I hope some things will improve next time.

But either way - the tour is over and I've loved every second of it.

The new album is super gorgeous and it finally got the string section it deserved. What an amazing finish to the tour. I sincerely hope they will be bringing a lot of The Car back next time around.

Deeply in my own heart I wish we would see Alex and Miles on stage together again soon, but at the same time, I wish Miles the very best with his own work, he truly deserves all the success in the world. And I hope Alex will get some well-earned rest and time off. I hope he will go free of paparazzi and find peace and quiet after this insanely taxing year, and I hope he finds bunches and bunches of inspiration for new songs. I hope tlsp will be back sooner rather than later and I hope they're happy.

I've loved getting to follow the tour, I've loved being on here freaking out with you guys, and I will miss getting to see their little faces everyday. Truly.

But I think it's so well deserved for them to take a break and I hope they will be back soon.

#this is so rambly and maybe ill backtrack later if my thoughts and feelings change #but i feel like its good to try and be reasonable about it all #and try to see it from their perspective #just to keep our own hearts calm too #assuming he doesn't join for the last show either #judt trying to clear my own head #arctic monkeys

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billysjoel · 9 months ago

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ttpd thoughts

for the record, i'm not trying to be like. purposely hateful or anything, i'm just so deeply disappointed with her. this last year has been a mess and she's repeatedly acted in ways that, at the very least, rub me in the wrong way and at their worst have disgusted me and made me lose so much respect for/faith in her. miss americana has become a piece of performance art rather than any sort of meaningful activism.

she made a very public display of dating/hooking up with a bigot and basically said "fuck you, i do what i want" in response to valid criticism and then tried to smooth it over by working with one of the women he'd called slurs. almost every time she spoke this year, whether in an interview or through tree, she reinforced my worry that she views herself as untouchable and that any sort of negativity or criticism directed toward her should be discounted because she's an "underdog" and a woman, despite the fact that there are very real issues with her words and actions. and don't get me started on everything with football guy and his trump-loving ass.

she is absolutely allowed to do, say, date, fuck, etc. anyone and anything she wants. she can write songs about all of it. she can do damage control and pr and control the narrative however she chooses. she can run smear campaigns and drag names through the mud while maintaining she's the perpetual victim when she's arguably the one with the most power in any given situation. i can appreciate that fame presents a set of challenges that i will never experience or fully comprehend.

but i'm also allowed to have my opinions on it, especially when so much of it is so heavily publicized. there is so much we will never know and there is also so much we do know that we never should have. pretty much since eras was announced, she's become so deeply oversaturated and it went from being cool to see so much hype and getting a new album and new re-recordings to feeling like everything is about money and breaking records. it's become a machine, a content factory, and so many decisions feel rushed, incomplete, and incongruent. it doesn't feel like there's been real thought about the material itself and instead it's become about aesthetics and sensationalism.

i think that's why i'm so frustrated right now and it's highly likely that these albums will grow on me or at least some of the songs. i've been listening to the 12 songs i liked on repeat since i finished my initial run through each album and i already like them even more. but i wish that it could truly just be about the music for me. that's what's always been most meaningful to me about taylor is her lyricism and the stories she tells through her songs. but knowing everything i know and having seen everything i've seen over the past year, it's tainted my perception of the albums and the songs on them.

i think that taylor has a lot of growing to do as a person. i've heard people say that sometimes celebrities are frozen at the age they became famous and i think that really shows in taylor's case. the irony of a song being titled "so high school" was certainly not lost on me. a lot of her phrasing feels very juvenile, just as her treatment of joe and everything surrounding the end of their relationship has been. i never really had feelings about him one way or another, and as i mentioned above, there's a lot we'll never know about what happened between them. but she's been pushing her victim narrative so hard and the only thing i've seen from joe is his support of palestine. actions speak a lot louder than words. it changed so drastically from the initial news of their breakup being amicable to turning him into yet another villain. i have no doubt in my mind that taylor has been treated very poorly by a lot of the men in her life, and joe is likely not an exception. but i'm to the point where i have to take everything she says with a heaping tablespoon of salt.

at the end of the day, taylor's music is her own and i understand why she's said that she wants her work to be about the music and not about the men. i can see how it would feel invalidating to have her songs picked apart and attributed to the men they're written about. and i'm not even trying to do that here. but i can't recall a time when she's been so public about her relationships? in the past, it's felt a lot more like speculation, but jesus, between ratty and tk this past year, we've just been inundated with so much that unless i was an extremely casual fan that managed to escape her face on every news show, billboard, and social media website, i can't fathom not knowing what she's singing about on these albums. she can't have it both ways.

i still have all the music that came before ttpd, and like i said, with subsequent listens, ttpd will probably grow on me a bit, but idk man, i'm over it. and i think it's important to be willing and able to criticize or at the very least analyze your favorite media, whether it's music or tv or film or literature or whatever else. your favorite thing probably sucks in one way or another and pretending it doesn't doesn't make you a better person than someone who acknowledges it. these are complex, extremely nuanced things i take issue with and when it comes down to it, i will never know taylor personally and be able to talk to her about these things and get her point of view and her thoughts. that leaves me to say my piece, which is what this post is.

as a recovering swiftie, i'm just so very tired.

#ramblings #ttpd lb #ttpd2 lb #i have a blood draw in a few hours im gonna go lay down #im more than willing to discuss any of this btw #but im not going to argue or respond to hate if i receive any #also from a purely sonic perspective?#there is nothing special vocally apart from waolom #and the music sounds so similar in almost every song #okay to rb if anyone is so inclined

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sanders1665 · 24 days ago

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There's ufos over New York and I ain't too surprised.

Memphis sat across from Erydan at a small table in the Blue Café, a warm and unpretentious spot where mismatched chairs and the scent of freshly brewed coffee created an atmosphere of quiet charm. Both men sipped the house coffee of the day, a dark Ethiopian roast that carried subtle hints of citrus and chocolate.

From the jukebox in the corner, John Lennon’s “Nobody Told Me” began to play, its rhythm and lyrics weaving into the ambient murmur of the café. Memphis’s attention sharpened as Lennon sang, "There's UFOs over New York, and I ain't too surprised."

He leaned back in his chair and gave a small chuckle. "I wonder what he meant by that," he mused aloud, staring into his cup. "Did he actually witness one? Or was it just Lennon being Lennon?"

Erydan smiled, stirring his coffee absentmindedly. "Hard to say. But it’s the kind of thing you’d expect from him. He always had his eye on the unusual."

Memphis nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, but here’s the thing—why is everyone seeing them now? New York, L.A., the middle of nowhere. Lights and shapes zipping across the sky. What’s going on, man? Feels like there’s more to this than just coincidence."

Erydan leaned forward slightly, his good-natured curiosity evident. "Something is definitely changing. Can’t you feel it? People aren’t just imagining this—it’s too widespread, too...persistent. It’s like the air itself is charged."

"Exactly!" Memphis said, a spark of excitement in his voice. "I mean, some of those videos are insane. Sure, a lot of them are probably fake, but not all of them. Too many credible witnesses are talking about this stuff."

Erydan took a slow sip of his coffee, then grinned. "So, what do you think it is? Aliens? Advanced tech? Or maybe it’s us—future humans coming back to take a peek at their history."

"Man, I don’t know." Memphis shook his head, laughing softly. "I don’t want to say aliens—feels like the obvious answer. But some of these things…they just don’t move like anything we’ve got. I mean, if it’s ours, why aren’t we hearing about it? And if it’s not ours—"

"Then whose is it?" Erydan finished, his tone light but curious.

Memphis pointed at him, a grin spreading across his face. "Exactly. I’m telling you, though, I can’t wait to see my own drone or UFO, or whatever they are. I don’t want to miss out on this one."

Erydan laughed, shaking his head. "You sound like a kid waiting for Christmas morning."

"Can you blame me?" Memphis leaned back, spreading his hands wide. "Something’s happening, man. You can feel it in the air, in the way people talk about it. It’s like…like the universe is gearing up for the next big show."

Erydan raised his cup in a mock toast. "To the great big show, then. Let’s hope it doesn’t disappoint."

Memphis clinked his cup against Erydan’s with a grin. "Here’s to that."

As Lennon’s song faded into the next track, the two men sat back and let the conversation drift to lighter topics. But the charged feeling Memphis had mentioned lingered, like static in the atmosphere, as though the world was on the brink of something extraordinary.

#my post #spilled words #my poem #spilled thoughts #my poetry #poems and poetry #poem #poetry #new poem #free write #poetry writing #creative writing #writers #writing

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channie-binnie · 6 months ago

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Thoughts on the Stray Kids ATE Album

Wanted to just randomly put my thoughts and feelings regarding each song in the album because this is my first comeback with SKZ

Chk Chk Boom - Holy shit. This was the song I was looking forward to the most, and it did not fucking disappoint. As a Mexican Stay, just hearing them sing a little Spanish was everything to me. But what I loved most was Changbin’s flow. Idk it’s different from what I am used to hearing from him, but I enjoyed his parts the most. And the MV? I knew that Ryan Reynolds is a huge fan of SKZ, with Hugh Jackman being a fellow Aussie. I loved their cameo in the MV, and I bet they had fun filming it as well (Changbin could not keep it together and broke out in a smile when Ryan was speaking towards the end). As of now, have probably replayed the song more than 10 times due to it being so fucking good.

Mountains - This one I feel is going to take the longest for me to have it be up there as one of my favs. Not saying that it’s bad, but I don’t see myself going back to that song specifically (no hate please). I don’t have as much to talk about this one, but let’s see if my opinion changes in the future once I continue listening to it a few more times.

JJAM - I was moving to this one specifically. Well, I was moving to the whole song. The “peanut butter jelly time” line goes hard ngl (bonus mention of the “I know, you know, Lee Know). I love whenever Changbin and Han go back and forth with their raps. Idk what else to say except that this is definitely a no-skip for me.

I Like It - This song is right after Chk Chk Boom for me. Seungmin’s intro?? Hooked me right away. But damn once you read the lyrics? Damn. But that really is the reality of love for some people. The falsetto of Seungmin, I.N, Lee Know, and Chan’s voices before the chorus? Fuck yes. This is another song that is on repeat for me.

Runners - Chan and Hyunjin are just ugh. Their vocal delivery? Yes. And Seungmin killed it in this song. This is not to say that I am ignoring Felix, because damn. I thought I would get used to his deep voice, but there are still times I would get caught off guard. I.N’s voice continues to be absolutely heavenly to listen to.

Twilight - The song sounds rich, if that makes any sense. I can easily imagine this song playing at an expensive restaurant. I wasn’t sure if the album was going to have a slow song, so I was surprised to hear this one. My music taste is all over the place, but I immediately loved the slowness of this one.

Stray Kids - This one made me emotional. I know I haven’t been a Stay for long (like 2 months now) but it makes me feel happy to see how much they accomplished as a group, and I feel the fans that have been there since the beginning, that feeling is a lot more stronger. After hearing that they still want to continue doing music together (with them renewing their contracts for more years) is something that I am looking forward to in the future. With the callbacks to their older song titles, I’m just happy that they still want to be together. Older fans must be feeling something else right now.

Chk Chk Boom (Festival Version) - I will say, regarding Rockstar, I didn’t quite enjoy the rock version of LaLaLaLa, as I preferred the original much more. But this version of Chk Chk Boom? Both the og and this version are tied. I don’t know which one I prefer tbh. I might prefer the og, but this version is so fucking good I can imagine myself not caring which version gets played.

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rainy-astrology · 1 year ago

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BTS RM Birth Chart Analysis

Based on my opinion and observations. Not an expert. May change later.

September 12th, 1994

Seoul, South Korea

Unknown time

☀️♍️🌙♐️

Virgo suns are meticulous, analytical, and logical, which RM is. He's very intelligent and is especially articulate with his words. With a Mercury in Libra, he knows how to phrase his words in order to appeal to others.

Sagittarius moon is open minded and curious, it explains RM's philisophical side. He's obviously a deep thinker who puts a lot of meaning into his works.

He most likely has a Sun square Moon, which can indicate possible issues of inner conflict about his identity. Wants to follow his mind, while also wanting to follow his heart. May feel like he needs to prove himself to others.

Mars in Cancer is in fall. Mars in Cancer can be repressive and unsure how to properly express intense emotion.

Venus in Scorpio is in detriment - Venus is generally soft and calm, while Scorpio is intense and passionate. There can be issues of obsessiveness and possession. However, whatever these natives want, they will pursue it and not give up easily.

Possible rising: Virgo. He's just so Virgo lol. He's tall (I've noticed a lot of Virgo rising men are quite tall) calm, studious, and rational. Also a mixture of clean and messy. I do recall Joon saying he showers a lot (sometimes more than twice a day I think? He does work out and dislikes the sweat) and I also recall Suga talking about how messy Joon was when they still lived together and his disappointment in seeing how clean Joon's apartment was lol...I also have a good feeling that his Pluto is in 3rd house (3rd house placements in general tbh Mercury should be very influential in his chart) Pluto in 3rd is a deep thinker and highly analytical placement. He puts a lot of thought and meanings into his lyrics, always making sure to check they're apropriate first too. Pluto in 3rd can also get their words misunderstood, which seems to happen to RM often - people overanalyze and misunderstand what he says and does and try to paint him in a bad light. He has a lot of power in his words and way of thinking though, he's truly wise and influential. With Pluto being transformation as well, Namjoon has learned and expanded his mind immensely throughout his life...from having questionable beliefs and lyrics to a much more considerate and careful, wiser character is one hell of a growth process.

It would also give Chiron in 1st (if virgo asc is in 1st/2nd decan), which I think makes sense for RM...This placement deals with issues of self esteem, feeling misunderstood, and many matters concerning one's character. Namjoon has been pretty open about his own struggles of depression and going to therapy (not sure if he's still depressed and/or going but I do recall him mentioning both before). A lot of people did insult his looks in the beginning of BTS' careers and overall just disliked him, so I'm sure that took a huge toll on his confidence. Having to carry the responsibilities and burdens of a leader + having constant hate thrown his way for little things and some genuine small mistakes - it's not very surprising he was at his lowest years ago. Chiron in 1st also indicates having a lot of stressful experiences at a young age and he did have to face all this at 19 (still very young imo). I think these heavy feelings can be seen very well in a lot of his solo songs and lyrics. Questioning himself, his character, the feelings of depression and self hatred, etc are expressed clearly in his writing. Chiron in 1st pushes the native to learn confidence and build self-esteem as adults, which RM seems to have improved a lot in. E.g being direct about not apologizing for other's misunderstandings over a simple Instagram story he posted, especially when he had no ill intentions at all.

Sun would also be in the 1st house, which could explain his persistent and strong character. Sun in 1st is usually a confident and/or ambitious placement. The latter definitely applies to Joon - he pursued his dreams despite the huge risk of failing and all the hate that he received. What he chose to do was considered unconventional and was disliked for it. Still he was very determined to succeed and to make a new way, make better contributions to art (due to possible uranus and neptune in 5th; uranus in 5th is esp very noncomformist). This placement is also good for leadership and Joon is definitely a natural leader.

___

Other analysis:

MBTI | Enneagram

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Kpop astrology list

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Other blogs:

Main: Kpop typology (MBTI + enneagram) @rainymbti

Side: Kpop fanarts @rainy-artworks

#if joon has nothing in his 3rd house. im gonna be so mad lmao #namjoon #kim namjoon #bts #bts rm #bts astrology #bts namjoon #bangtan #bangtan boys #astrology #birth chart #birth chart analysis #kpop #kpop astrology #kpop birth chart analysis #virgo sun #sagittarius moon

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oldwitcheshat · 1 year ago

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Big Steddie and obviously I’ve been reading 500+ ficlets and they have been plaguing my brain. Needless to say, I decided to write something and it is 100% made up of ideas from across lots of fics. Plus it’s Steddie Omegaverse week and I’m a hopeless sap for omega Steve/Alpha Eddie.

Be warned: this is not proof read.

Also, the baby’s name is the same as the one from Junos Steddie Dads even if the fics are not of the same premise. He is just the one that made me first obsess over this pairing in the first place.

Day 6 of Steddie Omegaverse: pregnancy

Omega Steve has been a Streamer since he dropped his title in high school. After babysitting Dustin - who watched his favorite streamers and would non-stop talk about them- he began to stream. Originally, it was just for fun. Then three years after high school, he announces his move to LA with his best friend Robin and a few others. Overtime, his reaction and drama takes became more and more popular - even more popular are the videos and streams his platonic soulmate Robin joins him. While he wasn’t the most famous streamer, he was well known.

After being cleared of falsely accused murder charges, Alpha Eddie moves to LA and is quickly followed by Gareth Jeff, and Freak. Eddie picks up working nights at bars and eventually convinces the owners to let his band - Corroded Coffin - play. One night a producer sees them and recognizes their talent pretty quickly. They get signed and are suddenly doing tours and interviews and releasing new albums.

Those who follow Steve’s channel and those who are fans of Corroded Coffin know that Steve and Eddie have mates. Eddie gushes over his omega in interviews and shows a sweet side of him not seen in concerts. Steve talks about toxic-alphaism and how his alpha proves that people can be alphas without being a dick. What their fans don’t know is that they are mated to each other.

It started as Steve wanting to protect Eddie from his stream fans after all the traumatic spotlight Eddie went through in Hawkins. But when Corroded Coffin popped off it became a game to see how long it would take their fans to notice.

But no one noticed that Steve played the acoustic, non lyrical versions of Eddie’s songs played in the background of all his streams. And no one noticed that Eddie’s tour breaks lined up with the same weeks Steve takes off of streaming for his heat. When someone in chat points out that him and Eddie have the same last name, Steven shrugs and says they must be related through marriage somewhere in their family. People definitely don’t notice the same Dustin that runs a popular Corroded Coffin fan account also runs an equally as popular Steve fan account.

One day on an interview, Eddie announced that Corroded Coffin is taking a break from tours for a couple of years. When asked why, he announces on live tv that his omega is pregnant. Everyone is so excited but are disappointed when Eddie says that he isn’t telling who his omega is.

“It’s on his terms when he wants to come to the public eye and I respect that” Eddie says already knowing that Steve is very much in the public eye, just in a different way.

That same night, Steve streams and announces his pregnancy with Robins help. Chat goes wild and Steve laughs saying that he’s not going to put his mate on blast until his mate is ready to be seen. It’s the same excuse Eddie uses and one they have agreed have used several times.

Eddie is in interviews less and less as he and Steve prep for their baby to be born. Steve, however, posts more videos and streams more about baby things and no one notices that his mates voice in the background sounds a lot like Eddie Munsons.

They both say in their own ways that they aren’t going to discover their baby’s gender until they are born. They don’t want to put pressure on who their child is before they are even born.

People only begin noticing and connecting the points when they both post the same photo announcing the birth of their new baby girl Bobbie. And if it’s a photo of Eddie hugging Steve and Bobbie shortly after she was born, that’s okay too.

#this is my first fanfic #since like middle school #don’t judge me #Steddie #Omegaverse #Steddie Omegaverse week #omega Steve #alpha Eddie #mpreg mentioned #streamer Steve and metal star eddie #non canon

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alittledizzy · 1 year ago

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The latest stream where Dream was on call with George (and Sapnap) has really just convinced me that dnf is real more than anything else. The vibe between them right now isn't overt flirtatious we need the world to know; the vibe between them is soft and settled, a little nervous and unsure not with each other but with what they're showing on camera.

Dream is more comfortable verbally, it's clear; he can work their audience more. He also has less shame with being blunt to the audience when he feels like he needs to, and we may not know the motives behind that. But Dream also is the one making big overtures; saying he's in love on stage, speaking in terms of being in a relationship, the lyrics of his music fitting very specific situations.

So Dream is big picture. And George is small picture, small moments. George and the expressions on his face - the soft smile verging on adoration when he's watching Dream sing, the way he didn't even want to look directly at the camera when Dream was on a call, the bashful smile when Dream tweeted about the anniversary, the way the joke for George has become 'dnf isn't real' (it's marketing!) isntead of the joke being 'dnf is real.' Even the way George wouldn't directly address or dismiss the chain he wears when being teased about it; George will joke unendingly about every topic in the world except those certain ones and with those things his expression just gives everything away.

I know a lot of people expected the music to culminate in some big third act confession or announcement about a relationship, but that's just not now real life works. To me this looks like two men that have spent the past year getting a point where they are really fucking happy and in love and they did that primarily by not putting their feelings out there to the audience first. They've gotten to figure their shit out together and I think that privacy is and will continue to be important to them. Dream will always make big gestures but be slightly contradictory on a day to day basis; George will always be the one that gives the entire game away just with the expression on his face even if he's tight lipped. They will probably continue to tiptoe around each other on streams until they've worked out a comfortable balance with 'dnf for an audience' side by side with 'Dream and George, who are partners in life' that doesn't feel too vulnerable and expose too much.

And I guess my entire purpose with this post is just to say that I know some people are disappointed in this era of them and think dnf doesn't feel like it used to but... like, that's it, you know? They were long distance and the internet was their touchstone to each other, and now it isn't. If things were exactly the same now as a year ago, I'd probably be less of a truther. So I'm perfectly happy with the status quo and excited to see the breadcrumbs of their actual life together.

#dreamnotfound #dnf

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dyinginlasvegas · 2 months ago

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One Day We'll Get Nostalgic For Disaster

This is the first chapter of an ensemble Fallout New Vegas fic by Prix, starring Arcade Gannon, Benny Gecko, Craig Boone, and a female Courier Six. Masterpost here. AO3 link here.

Saturday, January 22, 2281. 2:08 A.M.

It is the coldest night in January. Of course it is. That makes it all the more cliché.

Arcade stares at the ceiling with one wrist resting beneath his head. It’s warm in bed, helped by the presence of the man next to him. He doesn’t look over at him. Judging by the steady, deep rhythm of his breathing, he’s probably fast asleep anyway. The darkness is another good excuse.

Arcade thinks of what he will say if he disturbs him as he gets up to leave.

Is it kinder to lie? To give some excuse so transparent it would border on insulting?

Or would it be kinder to tell the truth?

‘I’m sorry, Emmanuel, but this isn’t going to work. Your lyrics are the most poetic words I’ve heard in Freeside, but we hardly know a thing about each other. And I can’t tell you. I won’t tell you. So it’s better if we leave it at this.’

Arcade feels a metaphorical weight settle over his chest. At the same time, he feels the tip of Emmanuel’s nose brush against the bare skin of his shoulder. The warmth in his breath just makes him shiver instead of adding to the sense of being sheltered from the night. Suddenly, he wants to be back at the Old Mormon Fort as quickly as possible, back to a tent and layers of clothing and blankets. Braving the elements is easier than braving the disappointment of yet another awkward goodbye.

He moves carefully, keeping steady as he sits up and swings his legs down over the edge of the bed.

‘Our flirtation and… courtship… has been delightful, but here we are, and I can’t say it. I know I’ll see you around, and I won’t know what to say.’

He’s careful not to stub his toes against Emmanuel’s guitar case – priceless as far as he is concerned – as he searches for the rest of his clothes.

‘I hope you keep writing your music. It’s almost a lost art.’

One thing he doesn’t like is that there is a second bed in the room. He knows that, west of Hoover Dam at least, most people are too concerned with staying alive to have anything to say about another person’s choice of intimate company. He isn’t sure what ‘the King’ would have to say about it, though.

‘One day you may sing on a stage for an audience worthy of your craft. But I’m no suitable patron for that. I have to get back to my work. The wasteland needs music, but it also needs medicine, and between the two of us, you’ve got quite the head start.’

Arcade pulls on his white coat and squints at the mirror that hangs on the wall just behind the door. It has a long, jagged crack that runs along near its frame. There are a lot of mirrors in the “school,” and for the moment he’s grateful. He can barely see through the blue-gray, hazy dark, even after putting his glasses back on.

He reaches out and carefully operates the door handle so as to make as little noise as possible. He looks back over his shoulder, more concerned about being heard within than without. While he opens the door a bit further, some light comes in from the hall which startles him for an instant. It shines right onto the bed and Emmanuel’s face.

Emmanuel doesn’t wake, though.

His coiffed hair has held up pretty well under the circumstances. The thought makes Arcade’s lips quirk into something that is almost a sad smile.

“Good night, Emmanuel,” he says softly before stepping out into the hall and quietly closing the door behind him.

He takes less care when he reaches the stairs. He walks toward the door as though he has just concluded a house call and nothing at all is unusual about his presence. It’s almost the truth.

Outside, he grits his teeth to prevent the cold night air from making them chatter. He trudges back down toward the Fort. About a block out, he turns back to watch The King’s School of Impersonation’s purple and blue neon sign glow and flash. It seems appropriately ‘cool.’

“Impersonation,” he says to himself, as if chiding. He turns his back and hunkers down a bit as he walks on against the wind that manages to breach Freeside’s walls.

Im-‘person’-ation has nothing to do with being a real person. He wonders if they know that – the rest of the Kings. He thinks that Emmanuel is mistaken about the definition of the word, but he hasn’t had the heart to tell him about the difference in ‘impersonation’ and ‘self-actualization.’ As much diversion as the past several weeks of closer acquaintance have provided, the waters have never run quite that deep. And because he’s walking away now, Arcade is secure in the fact that they never will.

#fallout #fallout fanfiction #fallout new vegas #fnv #arcade gannon #prix op #writing #fic

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joyswonderland1108 · 1 year ago

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Solos suck ass.

I can't believe a day came where i had to click uninterested on posts about Jimin or Jungkook.

The algorithm works this way the more you interact with something the more posts about the same thing/person will show up more. You all know i'm a Jungkook and Jimin stan so naturally my algorithm picks up that i'm interested in posts about them individually or together, which also means the algorithm suggests shitty posts the same as the ones i've seen earlier.

There's this one post i've seen and i'm not gonna share it cause really both parties are disgusting but this made me think.. This is why you should be mindful of what you say because later it can backfire, and the only one receiving hate from all that is the members.

Jimin and Jungkook solos are in this constant war getting back at each other and they're both setting up Jimin and Jungkook for hate. If you're a solo congratulations do you want me to give you a cookie for that? You go be a solo in your own bubble and talk about your fav all you want, but don't forget that you're a solo so keep other members names out of your mouth, don't go thinking that by dragging other members your fav will be happy with you. Thank you for all the efforts you do for the member you are solo'ing but that's all, that's literally all there is to thank you for.

Another thing i wanted to mention since some people felt the need to bitch about it. And i'm with @kkhluvsbts in this one, you are entitled to your own opinion about something as long as you stay respectful, if you feel a bit disappointed that you can't see JK being credited on any song in GOLDEN, fine whatever those are your feelings and no one can invalidate them, but going the extra mile to diss him about that?

A gentle reminder that Euphoria was not written by JK yet no one was barking about how it doesn't associate with him or how it doesn't represent him or how it doesn't mean anything to him, and to begin with as per Namjoon's words it was supposed to be a Jimin and Jungkook subunit but they decided to go for Jungkook only.

Jungkook didn't write Seven either but because he felt a connection to it he chose that one song, it's also the way he interprets each lyrics those are personal to him. When he was interviewed about Seven he made a slight distinction between the MV and the lyrics and this to me at least showed me how Jungkook sees the lyrics for himself, not how YOU perceive them or how YOU understand them.

Should i also remind you of the poems you google when you're an X mood and you post them because it defines how you feel at the moment? Should we invalidate your state at the moment because it wasn't written by you? Should we just pretend you are lying about your feelings at the moment cause you chose to post words written by someone else?

Also since y'all are being smartasses you do realize that Jungkook didn't start working on his album very early right? I do hope y'all weren't just hypocrites pretending to care about him when you don't even realize this. Writing your own songs can take a lot and i mean A LOT some people have been writing the same song for YEARS not just weeks or months, do you think JK would be happy to give us something he didn't have enough time to write properly?

I just want to understand what's so wrong with connecting with words that you yourself didn't write? When Jungkook chose "There for you" or "Best of Me" for his GCFs he didn't sing any of those yet he felt a connection with them and felt like they were the most fitting for what he was trying to show us.

I don't know just how long this fandom will keep on being dominated by immature brains. I come here everyday hoping i'd get inspired to write something cute about my biases but end up being disappointed with the shit happening. Y'all need to get a life istg.

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passports-pls · 1 year ago

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I was very disappointed in the lack of quality Mine playlists so I made my own 🤞

Listen here

you COULD listen to it in your own free time OR you could listen to it alongside my mentally insane directors commentary 😌

(under the cut)

for the sake of this post not getting too long I am grouping all the important songs into different categories pertaining to the different eras of mine tm

Pre-Daigo Misery (Nobody - The Other Woman)

This section is mostly abt Mine being a lonely little weirdo (characterised mostly by the smiths unsurprisingly) and because this era lacks a lot of actual content my notes are less specific between songs

There are actually so many male manipulator songs that fit too perfectly with Mine in this part of his life that I couldn't resist like I'm sorry but creep by radiohead is LITERALLY about him i don't make the rules

Okay but I do find 'Heaven Knowns Im Miserable Now' so funny in this context because I'm sure Mine was forcing himself into the yakuza expecting it to be so much easier to have close connections with these other men compared to his previous 9-5, only to find its almost exactly like his 9-5 just with more crime

'Salvatore' and 'Therefore I Am' are specifically the songs I attach to his bateman-esque grindset and his bubbling hatred for most of the people he works with dsfgf

okay but THE OTHER WOMAN ASWELL. It's literally mine you wouldn't understand. He dedicates so much time to taking care of himself and setting himself up to be an actual catch of a man and yet,, no one gives a shit about him despite all the effort he puts into his lifestyle to appeal to the ppl around him

LIKE??? Kicking and screaming he's so lana del ray coded

Just the sheer depression of this era i feel so bad for him

Yandere-mode activated (Can't Get You Out of My Head - The Killing Moon)

Self explanatory however actually finding songs that pertain to his specific brand of obsession was surprisingly difficult sfdsf

Although I will say that I cope and seethe at the fact that I had to sift through Killing Stalking playlists to settle on most of these songs gfdgsf

Theres such a delicate balance between the right amount of fluff and insanity that very few songs capture without being about literal stalking

like no in this case the stalker fucking won

that and vibes of idolizing Daigo like a god, I think 'Out of Touch' and 'Stolen Dance' do this the best

And freak because I can only imagine in all of Mine's relationships it's always been purely transactional and no ones ever put in the effort to actually talk and get to know Mine in any intimate form.

my poor touch starved blorbo

FEELINGS TM (Romantic Homicide - How to Dissapear)

THIS SECTION I FEEL GREATLY ABOUT

These songs to me are all about how Mine copes with Daigo's hospitalisation and when he wakes up. His whole internal battle surrounding his premature grief and his loss of connection with Daigo because could no longer see him as a truly living thing anymore

'Change' specifically hits when you think about it in this context. Because it's not so much about any real change in Daigo himself it's all about Mine's mental image of him now (because let's be real, Mine was way more in love with the idealised version he had of Daigo more than anything tangible about him)

IFHY is a little more of any iffy choice but I think it still convey's a lot about how conflicted Mine likely felt as well as just continuing his Yandere behaviour just in a much more sinister flavour

Okay but here's where my favourite song of the entire list is

WHITE FLAG BABY

admittedly it's completely self indulgent and ties into the mine-lives theory. But just the guilt and shame Mine felt when he see's that Daigo was indeed alive and that he was going to have to explain the past few weeks to him

yeah i would've thrown myself off that roof as well

also the lyric "I will go down with this ship" paralleling his "everyone abandons ship eventually" line just tickles my brain in the best way

'Door' and 'I Guess' are also just Mine guilt tm as well

'I guess' even more specifically because he's literally attached himself to daigo like a parasite and now he's thinking daigo's gonna break up with him I just AUGH

He KNOWS he's completely fucked up but I don't think he realises how much of a pushover Daigo is just yet and that he would have forgiven him eventually gjfdg

I'll probably update this with more notes as I remember them but for now I hope y'all enjoy the playlist!

#mine yoshitaka #rgg #ryu ga gotoku #yakuza #character playlist #Yakuza 3 #playlist #now I can finally listen to Mine flavoured goodness without gritting my teeth #Spotify

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sycamoreesc · 2 months ago

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It's finally time: My first ever upload! Today I'm listing my top 36 of 2024's Eurovision Song Contest. I encourage you to go over there and leave a like and comment if you can

Before I start, I want to point out that I have not included Israel in a protest of their inclusion in this year's contest despite the ongoing conflict, for sending an extremely political act, and for the way their delegation behaved during the week of ESC. In case it means anything to anyone, I would have ranked the song pretty close to last anyway, because it is a pretty boring, middle of the road ballad. Eden has a lovely voice but the song was just not for me anyway. It would have placed near the bottom even if there were no issues with their participation.

Also remember!! These are all just my opinions! Please don't take me too seriously, and I'd love to hear anyone else's opinions as well ❤️

On with the show! I will go from my least favourite to my favourite.

36. Before the Party's over by Mustii for Belgium

Starting off with a controversial one, because I know how many people loved this song and hyped it up before the contest, but it absolutely did not live up to the hype. I'd say it's a fine song in studio, but Mustii just could not sing it live. I do like the ending when everything comes together, but at the same time, he is just shouting the same words over and over again. I'm also judging the whole song, and the build up to that moment, i.e. 3/4 of the song, just isn't worth it for me. So, with apologies to all the Mustii stans, I had to put this last.

35. Özünlə apar by Fahree ft. Ilkin Dovlatov for Azerbaijan

I always love when acts feature their culture in their songs, which Ilkin brings to this song through his vocalisations (not sure what they're called, please forgive me). Unfortunately, that's all it really has going for it. It's pretty boring to me, and I feel like I'm constantly waiting for it to explode into a power ballad, but it just never gets there. And other than that, there really isn't that much to say about this song. I do commend Fahree for sending the first song with Azerbaijani lyrics, though; I love when countries send songs in their own languages.

34. Dizzy by Olly Alexander for the UK

Like many other brits, I have had high hopes for us since Sam Ryder in 2022. But this is just so.... meh. That's the only way I can describe it. It's a very radio-friendly soft pop song, which is fine, but that's it. I also did not like how sexual the staging was either. The anti-gravity box thing was pretty innovative though, and I enjoyed how the dancers made it really feel like gravity was changing around Olly. But that's not really about the song. I remember being really excited when Olly was announced as our artist because I liked a lot of Years & Years stuff, and then being really disappointed when I heard the song for the first time after seeing people on social media hyping it up.

33. Sand by Saba for Denmark

This is another song that is just fine. There's nothing in it that stirs any kind of emotion within me. It's a fine song and that's about it. I genuinely don't know what else to say about it. I liked that Saba had some glittery sand at the beginning of the song to emphasise some of her movements, and I kinda wish they'd figuered out a way to keep sand in the staging for the whole song.

32. The Tower by Luna for Poland

This is interesting for me, because I remember liking it back in May, but I haven't really listened to it since, and listening to it again for this ranking, it just wasn't doing anything for me. I think Luna struggled a little bit with her breath control, but the song itself is fine. I like the chess theme they had going on, but I don't think I really understand why they chose that. Maybe someone can help me understand the significance.

31. Titan by Besa for Albania

I've heard a lot of eurofans say that this song was a lot better in the original Albanian, and of course I always love to see more languages included in Eurovision, but I actually haven't listened to the original, so that has no pull on me. I liked this song, but it's not something I could listen to a lot. The first half is a bit iffy for me, I think because I'm not a big fan of ballads, but I do love a good power ballad, so when we got to the second half, it got more interesting for me. Also, I liked the verse being more of an r&b style. Overall, it's an alright song that gets better as it goes along.

30. Hollow by Dons for Latvia

Ok please don't hate me, Dons has an incredible voice and he deserved to be in the final, but this song is just not for me at all. Like I said before, ballads aren't really for me, so this suffers a similar fate to Titan. I found it pretty boring until the final third of the song when it becomes more powerful. I also thought the staging was a bit lackluster. I know ballads are normally sung with minimal staging, but just having the big circle made me feel like it was missing something. Or maybe that was the point, it is called 'hollow' after all. Also I couldn't take it seriously because of his blue body armour, I'm sorry 😭

29. Scared of Heights by Hera Björk for Iceland

This is a bop and I like listening to it. It's also incredibly generic. Hera is a Eurovision icon and I love her glittery golden jumpsuit, but I feel like the staging was a bit empty for such an upbeat song; some dancers really would have suited this performance in my opinion. I wish I could come up with something more to say but that's literally it, and that's why I can't put it any higher.

28. Fighter by Tali for Luxembourg

Luxembourg has come back fighting (haha) with this song. I think it's a good song and I liked the staging, too. Unfortunately, it just simply doesn't evoke any strong feelings for me, so I would feel like I'd be lying to myself if I put it higher on this list. That doesn't mean it's a bad song though, and I did enjoy the little fast bits after the main chorus (I'm so sorry I don't know the terminology for that, but I hope you know what I'm on about).

27. Mon Amour by Slimane for France

Before you get mad at me, just know I recognise that Slimane has an inredible and powerful voice, and this song is a lovely love ballad. However, as I've mentioned a couple of times, ballads aren't my thing. I think I'm picky with them, because I do have a couple higher up, but Mon Amour is not one I particularly enjoy. Also, as someone who is autistic and struggles with eye contact, his consistent eye contact with the camera was extremely uncomfortable for me, and I have to look in any other direction to avoid his gaze. I do recognise that that's a me problem, though. Overall, beautiful ballad, just not for me.

26. Loop by Sarah Bonnici for Malta

Only just making it into my personal grand final is a great girlbop for the ages. I wasn't super impressed with this song back in May, but rewatching and relistening to it for this list, I couldn't help but dance along. It's really catchy in a good way, and I understand why people were annoyed or shocked that it didn't get to the final. The reason it's down here is because it's just not something I would regularly listen to. It's good, but not great, for me anyway. Sarah's voice is impressive, and so is her dancing, but in general, I'm not much of a fan of interrupting the song for a dance break that takes up a big chunk of it's run time.

25. Liar by Silia Kapsis for Cyprus

From one girlbop to another. I think that Liar got a lot of flack back in May because it got through to the final while Loop didn't. However, in my opinion, Liar is a better song. I like the beat and the cadence of the song, and Silia has proven she's an excellent performer despite only being 17. Having that kind of breath control while doing all that jumping about is pretty impressive. It also suffers the dreaded dance break interruption, but I find it less intrusive than Loop's because it's much shorter.

24. In The Middle by Natalia Barbu for Moldova

I really like this song. It's got a nice aura to it, I like the violins mixed with modern pop beats, and Natalia has a very strong voice. The chorus, while obviously lacking in lyrics, is very catchy and I genuinely enjoy singing and clapping along. The almost operatic chorus at the end caught me a bit off guard, but I wouldn't say it was unwelcome. I also liked the violin break. The only bad thing is that it's just not really that interesting of a song.

23. Zorra by Nebulossa for Spain

Another pure bop from this year, and I completely understand why everyone chants along with the chorus. It's a really well produced pop song and I love the story it tells about reclaiming this word. While I understand that some poeple in Spain thought it was a bit controversial, and also tell me if I'm missing to point here, but to me it's like english-speaking people reclaiming the word slut which I've seen many people doing online in the past couple of years, which I don't take issue with. Anyway, back to the song. I think it's fun and a great song to dance along to. Also, am I the only one who wanted to give those dancers a coat? Their butts must be so cold! 😭

22. Always on the Run by Isaak for Germany

I enjoy this song a lot, though it does seem a little derivitive of artists from the late 2010s like Rag'n'Bone Man. That doesn't make this a bad song, though, just a bit dated. I think Isaak has a great voice; he has the ability to make his voice sound very smooth and soft, to gravelly and rough, which really suits this kind of song. The staging is also simple but effective, with Isaak being in a box for the first two thirds of the song, but coming out of this box for the breakdown and final chorus, which I really enjoy the symbolism of. It's a great song overall, and I still listen to it occasionally.

21. We Will Rave by Kaleen for Austria

When I first heard this song I thought 'wow this is so 2014' but in a good way. Rave songs like this were pretty popular in the late 00s-early 10s, so this song gives me such nostalgia. I know I was just talking about how Isaak's song felt a bit dated, but We Will Rave is a great example of how to take a genre that isn't heard very often anymore and turn it into something that still hits just as hard in the modern music scene. It's a great track, fun to dance and sing along to, and gives me some of that sweet, sweet nostalgia. It does have an Interrupting Dance Break though, but it feels more forgivable here because the song is literally about dancing and raving.

20. Ramonda by Teya Dora for Serbia

Ramonda is a gorgeous ballad that Teya herself said represents having hope despite feeling at your lowest. I love the use of this flower as it blooms in unlikely places as a metaphor for this feeling. Teya also has a beautiful voice that goes from being very soft and almost dainty at the start, to being incredibly powerful at the peak of the performance. I mentioned in the paragraph I wrote about Hollow, that while ballads tend not to have much staging, there's still a way to stage a ballad well, and I think this song shows that. The rocks in the middle feel like they are surrounding Teya at the beginning and making her feel small, but by the end she is triumphantly standing taller than them as the ramonda flower blooms from them, which is excellent storytelling in itself, and also using the smoke machine and the lights to look like clouds and lightning was a brilliant effect. The reason Ramonda is only 20th in my list is because, as I've said, ballads aren't for me, so I didn't really connect with this, although I do appreciate the story being told. It's a beautiful ballad, but I would most likely skip it if it came up in my playlist.

19. Pedestal by Aiko for Czechia

I was really disappointed back in May when this song didn't get through to the final. I really enjoy pop rock like this and I enjoy the message in the song, to learn to put yourself first. Singing along to the chorus of this song is a lot of fun. I understand why they did it due to the story of the song, but the interruption to the argument did take me out of it a bit. It's a fun pop rock song that is pleasing to my ears, but it is also a little generic, and I struggle to connect with songs about relationship issues due to being aro myself. Obviously I do still enjoy the song a lot though.

18. One Milkali (One Blood) by Electric Fields for Australia

This is song is just so much fun and I resent anyone who thinks otherwise! /lh I remember being sad that this song didn't get to the finals, but rewatching the performance, I can see that Zaachariaha did have a bit of difficulty reaching the big notes. I also love their use of the digeridoo, as it's not something you see (or hear) everyday in pop music, although I'm not sure if it was implemented in a very seamless way. It just seemed a bit out of place, but maybe that's just because I'm not used to hearing it. In any case, the song is a lot of fun, I love the music, I love the message, and I just really like it to be perfectly honest. It's right up my street.

17. Firefighter by Nutsa Buzaladze for Georgia

Nutsa's vocals are so amazing. Very strong and powerful! Firefighter is a great song and she really sells it with how she nails her whole performance. The song itself is catchy and energetic, and you're really sucked into it when you listen to it. The live performance does have a dance interruption, but it feels more natural due to it happening right after the intro before the song proper starts. I also really love the sound of violins that can be heard before the final chorus when Nutza isn't singing; it really adds a kind of ethnic vibe to the song which I feel elevates it a lot.

16. Grito by iolanda for Portugal

This is the highest ranking ballad in my ranking. I love the story and the message of Grito, and iolanda has that kind of voice that kind of voice draws you in and entrances you. Or maybe that's just for me. I love that the song starts a capella, with the music building and building until it reaches that break before her big note that clears her mind, and the music is extremely soft after that, almost inaudible. It's an amazing way to show the chaos that can occur in your mind when you are overwhelmed, and then the peace that comes afterwards. Another example of excellent ballad staging. It's a meaningful ballad that just missed out on my top 15.

15. 11:11 by Megara from San Marino

Going from the highest scoring ballad to the highest scoring non-qualifier. I can't help but love this song. It reminds me of a lot of rock songs I used to listen to as a teenager, but it really sticks out as unique in this year's contest. I love the pink and black aesthetic, I love the cartoons they use, and I love the way Kenzy emphasizes her words with her facial expressions. I love the breakdown with more traditional spanish guitar mixed in with this cool rock sound (according to wikipedia, it's called fucksia rock so... do with that information what you will, I guess). In the performance however, Kenzy seemed to either forget the words or just completely run out of breath at one point, and by the end she was struggling with her breath control, so as much as I do really enjoy this song, I can't put it any higher.

14. Zari by Marina Satti for Greece

I absolutely adore how Marina mixes traditional Greek music with modern pop. It's so up my street it's practically on my doorstep. Zari is a very fun song that I can't help but dance along with, and if I knew any Greek I'm sure I'd be singing along, too. I love that the dances are incorporated into the song, rather than having one long dance break, and incorporating traditional Greek dances too makes me very happy. I love the celebration of Greek culture in this song while maintaining a very modern vibe.

13. La Noia by Angelina Mango for Italy

I'm going to start this one by saying I love the instrument in the back that occurs occasionally throughout the song but I have absolutely no idea what it's called and it's driving me crazy! It's the one that lowkey sounds a bit like a kazoo, if anyone knows what on earth I'm talking about. ANYWAY, the song is great. We seem to be blessed most years with Italy sending very unique songs to the contest. While this is a pop song, I would be hard-pressed to call it generic at all. The chorus just makes you want to move your body, and the break in the song makes you really appreciate Angelina's powerful voice. I think the staging leaves a bit it be desired, but I have to admit, there's something about the way Angelina and her dancers walk exactly on the beat that really tickles my brain. Also I love her huge stomping boots, which seem a bit out of place, but I love them anyway.

12. Unforgettable by Marcus & Martinus for Sweden

This song would not have gotten this far up if the live performance wasn't so much fun. It is a pretty generic pop song about a pretty girl, which seems to be standard for Sweden, but I can't deny that it is a whole bop and a half. I actually tend to skip over the studio version, but like I said, the live performance really sells it. Marcus and Martinus both have great stage presence, and the staging being very digital really fits well with the electronic sound. It's also one of those songs I can sing along to while not being serious at all, and being very dramatic. My favourite part is the breakdown at the end (not sure if breakdown is the right word to use here, but it's the part where the're singing "her love, is dangerous and I know it," etc.); it's a whole lot of fun to sing and dance to. Just great vibes all around.

11. Jako by Ladaniva for Armenia

I was actually surprised that this landed outside of my top 10, but unfortunately I just listen to and connect more with the others more often. That doesn't change the fact that I absolutely love this song to bits! Pure traditional music with a modern twist that is just so enjoyable to listen to. Jaklin is also incredibly charismatic and is clearly very comfortable on stage. She exudes a kind of energy that I can only hope to achieve a fraction of. The whole song is just great fun and a wonderful celebration of Armenian culture. While the chorus is only made of la's, I have to say it works very well with this song, and the whole crowd being able to sing along really helps it to shine. Overall a very unique and fun experience.

10. Ulveham by Gåte for Norway

If you're like me, you will also be questioning... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, EUROPE? For this to only make it to the final by a hair, and finishing dead last in the final with only 14 points is an absolute travesty of the highest proportions. Gunnhild's vocals are absolutely on point, the folk elements mixed with metal works perfectly, the staging was great, with the band rocking around Gunnhild in the middle, who seems to be able to control water with her voice??? How did this score so low? Also juries, you're supposed to be judging objectively, and this performance was objectively brilliant, from the vocals to the staging to the music itself. I have to say, I don't often listen to metal, but the way the folk elements weave so effortlessly in with this song is pretty incredible. If you can't tell, I'm a bit incensed by this whole thing, but at the end of the day I do understand that most voters were pooling all their votes into only like 5 songs, and Baby Lasagna would have hoovered up a lot of votes that would have gone to Ulveham in any other year. Or that's how I'm justifying it anyway.😅 So overall, I really do enjoy this song a lot, I think everything just comes together so well, and the only reason it isn't higher is because metal just does not always agree with my ears.

9. Doomsday Blue by Bambie Thug for Ireland

Doomsday Blue is a masterclass in how to create an incredible Eurovision performance. The way they used the cameras to get the absolute perfoct shots at every angle, the way they used their props perfectly (like with the candles), the tasteful costume change, and the acting performace of both Bambie and the demon all comes together to create a cohesive story and an impressive presentation of it. The song itself is very unique, using very distinct individual styles for the verses and chorus that somehow just works really well. Bambie's vocals are also incredible, being able to perform technical screams to being able to be soft and airy in the chorus, to the power in the last verse. Just like with Ulveham, this would likely place higher in this list if it wasn't for the fact that metal just isn't very accessible for me.

8. (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi by 5miinust & Puuluup for Estonia

This song is so much fun. Folk and traditional instruments mixed with rap? Yes please and thank you very much! Nendest, as I will call it here, is such a bop and anyone who doesn't find themselves bopping along with it is either lying or doesn't know what fun means. /lh I love songs that aren't too serious and yet they have a hidden meaning that is often pretty deep. The meaning in this song is the persecution and false imprisonment of poor people by the police because the police think the poor people are all drug addicts. So I just really enjoy how silly this song is while having that kind of meaning. It's a great compsition and it's performed really well, and I think it deserved to be placed higher than 20th (clearly).

7. Luktelk by Silvester Belt for Lithuania

This is a very unique and catchy song that I can't help but dance along to. I know it's about a relationship, and Silvester is asking them to stay a little longer with him, and I mentioned earlier that songs like that don't tend to resonate with me. However, this song is in Lithuanian so I don't understand what's going on there, and I can focus solely on the music and how Silvester's vocals sound, which I like a lot. The music flows so nicely, it has a fast tempo but it doesn't feel like it's rushing, I like that each line in the verses are punctuated with the double beat, and while there is a dance break, it's incredibly short, and it feels natural to have a break in lyrics in any song that has a similar breakdown before it. I also really love the red and blue colour pallette; the contrasting colours work really well with the concept of being unable to make up your mind, like the phrase 'being in two minds' about something. Overall, the song is great and I listen to it often.

6. No Rules! by Windows95man for Finland

One of my favourite types of songs are those songs that are fun and unserious, that I can be just so overdramatic while singing along to it. And that is exactly what No Rules! is. It's so much fun, and singing Henri's parts really damatically and acting out the dramatic moves is an absolute must when listening to this song. I also love that the music hearkens back to the euro-electropop and eurodance of the late 90s and early 00s (think Blue, Better Off Alone, Around the World or even Barbie Girl), while also not feeling outdated or bland. I also really enjoyed how they staged it; from the overuse of denim (and the jegg), to the creative ways they came up with to conveniently cover up Teemu's privates, it just all comes together in one big silly and overdramatic time.

5. Veronika by Raiven for Slovenia

Completely changing tunes from a silly fun-time song, to a dark and mysterious song about the first persecution of a witch in Slovenia. I was genuinely shocked that this song placed 23rd in the final, on account that it is incredibly unique, well staged, and innovative. Raiven's vocals are perfect (I believe she's a trained opera singer), and she has great stage presence. She really sells the story and I love the use of the dancers to bring an animalistic or possibly even inhuman vibe to the performance. I also really love the choice to bring out the screams at the end of the performance, as in the studio version it's more in the background, and I think bringing them to the forefront really elevates the song in a unique and interesting way. Overall, I really love this song for all it's dramaticism and telling of a Slovenian folk tale.

4. Teresa & Maria by alyona alyona & Jerry Heil for Ukraine.

This is an absolutely gorgeous song about empowerment and taking responibility for who you are and who you become. Jerry's vocals are almost ethereal, and alyona's rap verse complements the song in a very unique way. The whole sound of this song feels like I'm almost having a religious experience; it gives me chills, makes me think, and enraptures me all at the same time. The staging, while simple, is very effective. I particularly love the transition from Jerry plunging her mic into the rock as if it were a sword, to alyona's entrance with her taking a knife out of her hair. I also liked how the camera shook during alyona's verse, as if accentuating the point of the song, and making alyona seem large and powerful. Overall, a brilliant song and composition that I think falls into a lot of people's top 10s, and for good reason.

3. Rim Tim Tagi Dim by Baby Lasagna for Croatia

Before the Baby Lasagna fans come for me for not putting him first (honestly I'm scared of you guys), I want to say I think he would have been an absolutely worthy winner (in fact I think any of my top 5 would have been worthy winners), and I am sad for Croatia that they didn't get that first win, but I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't enjoy the other two more. With that being said, I absolutely adore this song and it makes complete sense to me that it won the televote by a mile. It's a very catchy rock song with sentimental lyrics about leaving your home village in search of a better life. Genuinely, I can't find fault in this song or the performance; Marko's vocals are perfect, his stage presence is great, the traditional costuming is excellent (also I love the doilies on all of the instruments, especially on the drum cymbals), and overall the performance comes together perfectly. The song's ability to connect with the audince is awe-inspiring, and you can see how literally everyone in that arena was dancing along in the break. Overall, I only have one word: incredible.

2. Europapa by Joost Klein for the Netherlands

I'm not going to rehash everything that happened a la Joost's disqualification because frankly everything's already been said, and I don't want this post to get any longer than it needs to be. Anyway, This song is such a love letter to Europe (and of course to his parents), and it's such a fun 3-minute journey. I love all the references Joost makes to different countries and their traditions, and how despite how happy the song is, Joost is singing about how he feels uncomfortable away from home, while celebrating all of these places at the same time. I also love how this song, and all of Joost's music really, is clearly inspired by a lot of the electronic and jumpstyle music that was popular in the 00s; I'm particularly reminded of artists like Scooter and Basshunter, although I know there's a lot more hardcore jumpstyle out there that I was never exposed to. All that to say, this music style is another that feels very nostalgic to me while also not feeling dated. Overall, this is such a great song, a real crowd-pleaser in the best way possible, and just a real fun time all around.

1. The Code by Nemo for Switzerland

You guys have no idea how hyped I was that my favourite song won the contest. I've been watching for as long as I can remember and this has never happened to me before! Where do I even begin with this? I guess first off, I love how Nemo incorporates pop, rap, and opera into one song and somehow it's still coherent as one song. It flows together so easily, you wonder why no one has tried it before (not to my knowledge, anyway). I think Nemo has an incredibly creative brain to be able to pull something like that off. I also love the staging; using the rotating disk symbolises the struggles that we as non-binary people go through while learning to accept ourselves and balancing what is deemed 'appropriate' by society. Eventually, Nemo is able to ride this spinning disk triumphantly as they finally feel like they've figured it out. As they say, they broke the code. Nemo's gnc costume is also amazing, and I love the story that they actually picked out their outfit from random stores in Malmo literally the week of the contest. That kind of chaotic energy really feels like it suits the song and performance. The absolute grip this song had on me in May, and to some extent still now (although rn I'm really obsessed with their new song Eurostar. It's amazing and so different to The Code. If you haven't heard it go do it NOW), was palpable. I couldn't get enough. I felt like it spoke to me on some deep level, and maybe that's because it's a song all about accepting yourself, and as someone who is also nonbinary, and has also found out that they are autistic just this year at the age of 26, accepting myself is a huge part of my journey right now. So maybe it wasn't the European public's favourite, but it will forever leave a big imprint on my soul.

If you've made it this far, you are incredible and I love you as much as a person can love a person over a screen that they don't even know.

If you agreed with anything I said, let me know! If you didn't, also let me know!

Thank you so much for reading my ramblings and watching my video, it means so much 💖

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