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jessconrad · 4 years

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Fine Line by Harry Styles: The Sunshine We Needed Through A Very Dreary Year

Or An Album Review (One Year Later)

On December 13, 2019, Harry Styles graced the world with his second studio album, Fine Line, and I don’t think it has ever left my Recently Played section on my Spotify account since its release.

I honestly don’t know how I would have survived 2020 without this album. As I reflect on everything this year had to offer, I realized this record will always shine through as it is tied to my best memories of the year.

I listened to this album a lot, with three of my five top songs from my Spotify Wrapped coming from Fine Line. (They were “Sunflower, Vol. 6″, “Golden”, and “To Be So Lonely”, respectively, if you were curious!)

I spent dull afternoons in January walking around the freshly snow covered ground on my college campus blasting “Lights Up” in my headphones. This single was released in October 2019, two months prior to the release of Fine Line, and had been a top favorite of mine with its 70s soulful style. Not to mention, the small choir of backup singers and layering synth gave me an almost nostalgic as the Christmas season started to come to an end. This song was all about finding who you are- and I was starting to figure out who I am with it.

The next month I visited Denver for a conference and I began noticing how this record was starting to become the soundtrack to my year. February’s track was “Sunflower, Vol. 6″ where I started to feel my attachment to this song. I am not sure if it was the mesmerizing lyrics, the drums, or even the Indian instrument known as a sitar that made me really hooked to this song... But as I walked through the streets of rainy Denver (which would normally make me feel very gloomy), I couldn’t help grinning from ear-to-ear as I listened to this song. It’s the feel-good musical track you listen to, in whatever mood you’re in.

Sometimes I can’t fathom how apocalyptic March felt. The beginning of March was completely normal, and I was at my peak. Looking back now, I can’t wrap my head around that I attended five live shows within one week during that month. But all good things come to an end, right? And of course suddenly, it all came crashing down. I was sent packing up my college freshman dorm and moved back home with my parents while juggling all my courses remotely. There was a song that I was always replaying though, and that was “Golden.” Arguably one of the most upbeat tracks on Fine Line, next to “Sunflower, Vol. 6,″ but the lyrics say otherwise. As the opening track, it has a very chill pop vibe, but listen closely to the lyrics. The contrast pulls at my heartstrings every. single. time.

“Cherry” and April go hand-in-hand for me. As I continued to navigate my thoughts and feelings with the pandemic, struggling with the course load of online courses, and overall the anxiousness of all the unknowns- “Cherry” was the comfort I needed. With its soft acoustic guitar, it is the perfect song for any in-your-feels playlist. And trust me when I say that the fragility of “Cherry” really helped me when I was in my feels.

Arguably the biggest summer hit of this year was “Watermelon Sugar,” and my go-to anthem of wanting to feel any normalcy of a summer that I stayed mostly indoors for. I remember when the music video dropped in May, I was grabbing coffee with a friend and begged her to watch the video with me. We sat in her car in the middle of a park, watching the YouTube video count down to the premiere of “Watermelon Sugar”. That “this video is dedicated to touching” opening message made me laugh and realized how truly brilliant Harry’s mind is. The warm, very enjoyable tune made this the perfect summer anthem with its really good electric guitar and slide guitar mixed with the horn. It’s the one song that will stay in your head for weeks.

Another song that feels like summer to me is “Canyon Moon.” In the end of June, I went ‘glamping’ (otherwise known as glamorous camping, we stayed in a very nice tiny house in the middle of the most wooded area that Nebraska could get) with my family. It’s a very upbeat song with a nostalgic feel, and the fun instrument rhythms can’t help but make you beam. The song also experiments with a dulcimer; a musical instrument with a long rounded body and a fretted fingerboard played by bowing, plucking, and strumming. I think this is what makes the song more upbeat and happy, especially the beginning as well as the slide guitar giving it unique sounds throughout. It personally is one of my least favorites on the album, but it does make me think of warm summer days and spending time with family every time I do listen to it.

July was starting to feel a little rough for me again. I was really getting tired of staying indoors and barely seeing any of my friends. I was really longing to go back to school and being around my people again. “To Be So Lonely” was a song that felt like it really understood me. Harry revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that the song was composed on a guitalele, which resembles the sound of guitar, for that light and upbeat tone that the chords give off, backing the lyrics. It’s the perfect song you listen to when you’re sad, and you’re ready to push past it. And I knew that I was ready to push past my sadness because I had one more month until I was surrounded in community.

“Adore You” was the second single of Fine Line that was released. This song is filled with so much love and passion- and it was the same immense feelings I had in August when I got ready to move back to my college town and see all my friends again. As I packed my bags and moved into my sorority house, I constantly played this song. What can I say? This was a really great song to vibe with, especially with the opening keyboard and the consistent bass that you cannot help but groove to!

Out of all the months of this year, surprisingly September was one of my darkest. With only two weeks living into my sorority house, I made the decision to move out for the safety of mine and my family’s health. I moved back in with my parents again during this month, and I felt completely lost. “Falling” had the same underlying message of being lost. This love ballad displays a theme of brokenness and creates a tone of unhappiness- the perfect song for a post-breakup or an in-your-feels playlist. I had this song on repeat more times than I can count- the soft piano setting a broken and lonely tone.

The beginning of October began to really turn around for me. I moved into an apartment with one of my best friends and I was back in my college town. I was starting to find community again and “Treat People With Kindness” became this month’s anthem. Coined after Harry’s Treat People With Kindness (TPWK) campaign, this song has a 1970s sound and makes you want to dance along with the catchy choir lyrics such as “Maybe we can/Find a place to feel good/And we can treat people with kindness”. The lyrics were very prevalent in my life, especially with the amping news of the presidential election and the continuation of the pandemic. This song was the best reminder to be kind to myself, and those around me. And let’s not forget the conga sound throughout! I believe Queen would have been very proud of this underrated track.

The timeless mature sound of “She” could have not fit November anymore. I celebrated my twentieth birthday this month (which of course included a Harry Styles themed birthday party with my roommate and some close friends). The guitar kicking in at the chorus giving so much emotion to Harry’s voice, and that’s exactly how I felt around my birthday. Lots of emotions. Not to mention, the guitar solo played by Mitch Rowland sounds like it could have been something that was released years ago, with a little modern touch. It’s growing to be one of my personal favorites on the album.

Lastly, we get to December and I felt as if this year was the longest year of my life (but also flown by way too quick). The song that resonated with me most this month was “Fine Line,” the last track of the album (and the longest at 6 minutes and 16 seconds). My favorite memories in December consist of driving around with my friend, looking at all the Christmas lights as we drink hot cocoa and blast “Fine Line”- singing our hearts out to the repetitive lyrics of “we’ll be fine line” and “we’ll be alright.” Harry discussed in an interview with Capital FM that this song would always be the last on the album, and how fitting that I resonated with this song most in the last month of the year. “Fine Line” represents the ups and downs of life, and the thin line that separates the two. This song that includes an orchestra, drums, horn, acoustic guitar, and melodies building in the background, it could not be the most perfect finale to the album- and to the year 2020.

Today is December 13, 2020- exactly one year after Fine Line has been released. Since then, Harry Styles has made headlines from petty to political. He has shown up for Black Lives Matter, cared for our sleeping habits by releasing an audio bedtime story, made us feel confident in wearing whatever we want as he appeared as the first solo male on American Vogue- all while accomplishing some of his greatest achievements with this album: releasing five music videos, being nominated for three Grammys, and climbing the music charts and catching the hearts of critics.

But Harry accomplished something even greater- he made an album that made us feel good when it was nearly impossible to. To put it frankly- Fine Line was my comfort album, and I know that it was a lot of other people’s too. And as we step into the new year, with the help of this album, it does in fact feel like... we’ll be alright.

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residentraccoon · 3 years

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Fave 2021 national finals songs

Since I don't have anything better to do with my life at the moment I decided to ramble about stuff. Okay, here are my thoughts about my fave songs from the national finals of 2021, in no particular order!

Norsk Melodi Grand Prix

• Monument was my absolute favourite and I still can't believe to this day that it didn't win :( Keiino are fking fantastic and they killed the stage (though I kind of preffered the black outfits from the 1st heat over the final ones, they suited the song's athmosphere better). I cried real tears when I saw they lost, for real. Heartbreak 💔

• Hero was such a nice throwback to 80s music style, the staging was also really neat. Would love to see Raylee come back next year in the selection, she has a cool stage presence

• Okay but Vi er Norge was a banger and I'm still listening to this one, a real shame it didn't even qualify nor win the 2nd chance round. As you already knew before, I have a weakness for violins because yes. The performance was so energetic and fun, should have def qualified. Underrated.

• Ut av mørket/Fallen angel was really good too. I wanted it to be kept in norwegian for esc but oh well. The stage show was just a tad messy but memorable.

• I can't escape was something I'd hear from Roxen ngl, the style matches her perfectly, even her cursive singing, everything. Either way I loved this one too, this song feels like a hug.

• Pages was so magical, I'm glad we got another joik song, sadly this didn't qualify 😥

• World on fire was kind of generic but puts me in a good mood everytime I listen to it, it's really catchy.

• Let loose is so g r o o v y and cool, it was my fave from the 1st heat when I got to listen to the songs. I'm lowkey happy it advanced to the final instead of Elevate, I'm sorry but I saw everyone praising that one in youtube comments, I never saw the hype, it was too regular and plain for me.

• Own yourself was so cute and funky, loved how it showed her ethnic background a lil with that disco sound.

• Witch woods...ehhh...While it's funny and unique, I think it's suited more for a witch Disney musical than Eurovision. But I like it anyway.

• Faith Bloody Faith oh yes I needed a rock song in this nf. Relieved it won the 2nd chance. Oh and I just realized, the superfinalists in mgp were literally the ones from the 1st heat. Crazy huh?

• Nordlyset is something I'd listen to near a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate in hands watching the snow fall in my cottage located in a forest far away from civillization. So soothing and beautiful <3

• Eyes wide open was epic just like his 2020 viking schlager song (i prefer his 2020 song over this one but that's another story)

Melodifestivalen

• Little tot was amazing but def not as good as Bulletproof. It's still catchy asf and one of my favs from this selection.

• Dandi Dansa aka a banger, again another catchy song.

• Every minute sounds like a summer hit, it's awesome. It's also the spawner of all those haha eric on a kitchen tile memes I've seen around during that time.

• The world and especially Sweden wasn't ready for the masterpiece called Rena Rama Ding Dong. They should tone down their preference for safe pop songs and choose meme worthy songs like this one in the future tbh. They didn't even qualify, Sweden = coward.

• One Touch is a fun club track, I can see this as a summer hit as well. But her stage show...go girl give us nothing

• In the middle, once again The Mamas delivered.

• And finally Voices, which its nf staging was superior to the esc one. We are so sorry Tusse 😔

Festivali i Këngës

• Zjarri Im a total banger, it wasn't even in the top 5 ffs Era Rusi queen.

• Njësoj has such a nice party vibe, should have qualified.

• Haven't paid any attention to Karma until it won, then I said hey this isn't so bad, it's traditional and ethnic, I can actually see Albania in the final with this.

Dora

• Rijeka was the only one I thought it will win by a landslide and I was surprised it didn't. The staging was a bit too over the top, though

• Tick Tock grew on me after it won and quickly became one of my faves of this year's esc. I'm still sad it didn't qualify 😔

• She's like a dream is super uplifting and also sounds like an 80s song.

• Colors is something I heard a million times before but for some reason I'm jamming to this? Also I heard she's blind, is it true?

Eesti Laul

• Took me a while to have a fave from this nf but after some listens Magus Melanhoolia stole my heart 🧡 it's so different from the others and the staging looked so proffesional.

• Lost in a dance had me d a n c i n, I noticed we had a lot of 80s throwbacks in this nf season, this included. The live was so dissapointing though 😔

• Not so keen on 6 at first but now I absolutely love it, she has such a nice style and the song's athmosphere is so magical.

• Time was amazing, surprised it came 2nd!

• I actually liked The lucky one lmao, I found it much better than his previous entry.

• Heaven's not that far tonight was the party 80s bop we didn't knew we needed

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix

• Probably my biggest letdown of this nf season but I actually managed to like Står lige her, digging the electro 80s (again) sound

• I also liked Øve os på hinanden as well, this one really feels like a legit 80s track rather than a throwback.

• Silver Bullet was interesting as well, it was the early frontrunner when the songs first came out from what I remember.

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu

• I love you is so wacky and catchy, and in finnish! I'd hear this as a soundtrack in an old video game.

• Dark Side was the definite winner ever since I heard it, and they even got a top 10 finish for Finland for the first time in years! Couldn't be more proud 😭

• Hurt was also one of my favs, Aksel needs to come back to esc, maybe in 2022 methinks 🤔

• Wait what is Laura Põldvere, an estonian singer tm doing in finnish nf? While I liked Play, I knew it wasn't strong enough to win, and she even came last. Do you get any flashbacks from another estonian entry with the same name that came last? 👀

C'est vous qui decidez

• Voila was the clear winner and that's about it, she deserved the win, it's just too beautiful for this world 😭

• Alleluia was an interesting sound of afrobeat, too bad their chances were killed because of messy staging :(

• Amour fou was so catchy and I loved the horse head thing lmao

Pabandom iš naujo

• Discoteque all day any day. The Roop world domination 💛

• Where'd you wanna go is so calming. I listen to this when I'm stressed and it works wonders, this was really beautiful.

• Open is so unique and soothing, a total contrast from her 2014 entry.

• Never fall for you again is a total earworm, even now as I'm writing this...even if I haven't listened to it since February.

Sanremo

• Zitti e Buoni was my instant fave, it simply stood out from the others by a lot.

Festival da Canção

• Por um triz is a beautiful ballad, was my fave.

• Saudade was the early favourite, reminds me of Telemoveis with its weird but artsy style.

Israel NF

• ...I really only liked Set me free tbh.

• La la love had a good potential but I can't not cringe at the corona reference like...ugh. Such a fun party song killed by one lyric, such a shame.

Russia's NF

• Just Russian Woman was the only one who deserved to win.

Spain's NF

• Yeah, they were both good but I liked Voy a Quedarme more.

#txt #oh my god oKAY this is a long post af #eurovision

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xfadingstarx · 4 years

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A Bleach Retrospective: In defense of Bleach

These are opinions, please respect that.

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My Journey with Bleach (please skip if you want to go straight to the analysis):

On September the 8th, 2006 YTV’s weekend evening anime programming block (Bionix) aired the first episode of Bleach. I, unfortunately, did not catch this episode, instead, I caught the second episode on September 15th the following week. I was ten and from then on, Bleach fascinated me. It had an interesting concept, tight pacing, catchy music, a good story, and unique character designs. I also really enjoyed how Bleach lacked the same kind of emotional labour that Naruto demanded (as child who survived off of constantly seeking validation from others because of absentee parents, Naruto is way too much work).

My fascination with Bleach got me started in the fandom communities of yesteryear, for I was a child with zero internet supervision. My introduction to fanfiction was because I loved Hitsugaya Toshiro.

Bleach was my entry into poetry (poem at the start of every volume).

But alas, all good things were not meant to last and by the summer of 2009, I was officially done with Bleach. It had felt stilted for some time before then. Over the years, I would gradually revisit bits and pieces of Bleach, but I would not read it in its entirety until months after its finish, about a decade after I had first saw Bleach on my TV. Between the time I stopped reading and the series ended, I became friends with people who didn’t think highly of Bleach and I also started seeing criticism I had made about Bleach in 2011 being repeated by fans on the internet, I started to think that maybe Bleach was bad, but I knew what bad writing looked like —I started reading fanfiction through Bleach fanfiction AMVs on YouTube — and somehow Bleach didn’t sit right with me in the “bad writing category”.

I sit back now, a decade and ahalf later from when I first started and ask, “was Bleach really that bad, and if so, why do I keep coming back to it?”

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What Made Bleach So Good?

Unique story and aesthetics: When Bleach first started in 2001, it was one of the first manga series to talk about souls and death in a poetic way and with such coherence. Bleach clearly knew what it wanted to say about life and death. It also had a very unique aesthetic, very similar to that of “The World Ends With You” or “Persona 5″ — an urban Japanese take on R&B kind of vibe. Also, Bleach had the most “realistic” and minimalist art style amongst the Big 3.

Cool Music: Bleach had cool music, from very solid rock’n’roll and R&B style songs in its OPs and EDs to very funky OST music with lots of pizzazz. Many singers feature by Bleach ended up successful (to varying degrees) outside of anime, eg: Orange Range, UVERworld, YUI, sid, etc.

Versatile tone: Bleach was edgy, there’s no doubt about that. It was willing to show a lot of blood and bodily violence, especially in the manga (eg half of people blowing up and bits of bone still attached). Despite this though, it was not pretentious about its edginess — it didn’t revel in it. To contrast the edginess, there is a lot of humour in Bleach with character interactions. It was able to be laid back enough with its strong characters that it would rely on the characters’ relationships for comedic relief. The post-credit skits and the fillers really helped to add to this overall feel as well.

Maturity of the Story: Bleach was very willing to handle topics that made people think. For example, the Ulquiorra - Orihime subarc was treated with a sense of carefulness about it, as if to reflect Ulquiorra’s own cautious curiosity about the heart. A less emotionally mature story would’ve gone for the cheap rape/torture porn, but instead we are treated to determined strong Orihime, who has found strength through the heart after the death of her brother, clashing with the nihilistic hollow who wants to know if there is happiness outside of emptiness. It’s a very loaded question and one that requires both perspective and life experience to fully understand both parties. As well, Bleach always knew what it wanted to say about life and death as the final conflict of Bleach is between Ichigo, who has accepted his transient life and Yhwach, who is scared of death. And ultimately, underneath all that action, Bleach produced takes on its themes that were hard to relate to unless the reader themselves had a certain level of emotional maturity (eg: 12 year old me got nothing out of the Ulqui-Ori arc, but 20 year old me spent a good 10 mins crying after)

Strong characters: Contrary to popular belief, Bleach does have quite solid characterization. In fact, Bleach is the journey of Ichigo as a character, from grappling with his weakness and pain to finally accepting all the parts of himself and his history in order to defeat Yhwach and protect those he cares about. Even the secondary characters of Bleach receive a sizable amount of backstory and/or development. Bleach also managed to have more proactive female characters. Even the damsel in distress Orihime stands up to Ulquiorra and slaps him. As a result of these strong characters, Bleach was able to rely on them and their relationships to drive aspects of the story (eg Ichigo crying in the Fullbringer arc).

Willingness to Deal with Emotion: Given that Ichigo is an internally motivated character, it was obvious Bleach would deal with emotion at some point in time. Making Ichigo just a normal high school boy also relives the previous edginess. Bleach also clearly too the time to make its readers feel in its early years. We are treated to beautiful panelling and very real displays of strong negative emotions. Bleach is also very good at giving its characters room to breathe and be sad. Eg: moping Orihime, moping Ichigo, etc. As well, Kubo went to extraordinary lengths to break Ichigo down during the Fullbringers Arc.

Interesting Character Designs: Every character in Bleach feels vibrant and unique with their personality showing through in their designs. For example: Shunshi’s sloppily tied up hair, visible stubble, and overcoat-hidden-haori show that he is both easy going and not looking for a fight; meanwhile Byakuya’s neatly pulled back hair and neck covered by scarf show that he is both someone who likes structure and is conservative.

Poetry and Symbolism: Kubo manages to weave poetry into Bleach in the beginning of each volume. The poem was said by the character on the volume. It gave the reader insight to this character and it gave Kubo a chance to flex his poetic chops. Further proof of this is the fact that many people don’t realize that the name “Bleach” refers to the bleaching of soul that is key to the story. Kubo loves to use rain to set sad scenes. It rains when Ichigo fights Grand Fisher, Zangetsu tells Ichigo that he hates the rain, etc. Kubo also specifies that he wishes for the reader to read certain volumes on stormy, rainy nights.

Panelling: Many people like to criticize Kubo for the lack of effort with the Bleach manga, but Kubo has stated that he uses negative space (i.e., foregoing backgrounds) to focus more on his character’s expressions. This not only further proves that Bleach cares a lot about its characters, but it’s done well enough that the average reader likely doesn’t notice the lack of background on the first read through. As well, Bleach has very cinematic panelling. Kubo uses the format of manga well, utilizing the human mind’s ability to fill blanks in with clever panelling to create tone and build tension and the feeling of movement through a scene.

In fact, in finding pages for this analysis, I found myself noticing that Bleach panels very similarly to slice-of-life shoujo but with a boy MC manga like "Horimiya": focus on expression through intimate angles and use of panels and breaks to create mood and the feeling of cinema; whereas something like DBZ panels like a shounen action manga with many hard lines and action shots, instead of a focus on subtle details and emotions.

Some Examples:

Notice now in Chapter 197: The approaching danger, Kubo uses a gradual zoom to build tension and the black background to add intensity and signal to the reader that Hitsugaya is relaying important information.

Here in Chapter 234: Not Negotiation, the immediate close up to Ulquiorra’s eye from the full body shots creates a sense of intimidation and unease with its sudden intimacy. As well, the immediate zoom in from Ulquiorra’s side full body shot to his facial profile creates tension and the change from the dark background to the white face with Orihime releases this tension (very fitting with considering the line for this panel is “but not you”). (This scene also ties into Ulquiorra’s central dogma of “that which is not reflected in my eyes does not exist’.)

Again in the same chapter, this gradual zoom in on the two creates tension that is then release in the next panel and summarily cements Ulquiorra as a terrifying BAMF.

In Chapter 262: Unblendable, Kubo uses the negative space to create a feeling of isolation, similar to how Orihime is supposed to be feeling.

In the same chapter, notice how Kubo creates a sense of intimacy (not in the romance sense) with the relationship of Ulquiorra and Orihime. He creates tension gradually with the zooming into Orihime’s eye and releases it with the zoom out to Ulquiorra. Through this scene, Kubo has shown us that Ulquiorra and Orihime have a tense relationship and with the implication of eye contact through the shots and panel breaks creating both the intimacy and showing Orihime’s defiance.

(Interestingly, I’ve noticed that Ulquiorra and Orihime have a lot of these intimate zoom shot-reverse-shot eye panels)

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What are the Bad Parts of Bleach?

Okay, so by now, you’re probably thinking that I’m ignoring the massive amounts of critique that Bleach gets and don’t get me wrong, while Bleach does have a very special place in my heart, I’m also not maudlin enough to pretend that Bleach was all good.

Pacing:

Pacing in the First Half of Bleach (Karakura Town - Arrancar)

When Bleach first started out the pacing was excellent. Kubo showed great mastery of pace to control the tone and highlight the emotions throughout the first two arcs. Mid-way through the Arrancar arc, the fatigue sets in and it was hard to keep up with, especially since Kubo would interrupt one exciting fight set up to go set up more plot elsewhere (eg Fake Karakura town right as Ichigo and Ulquiorra were about to battle). Whilst looking back and reading it all at once does help with the pacing, it was frustrating if you were reading/watching on a weekly basis.

Pacing in the Anime:

I don’t ascribe to a simplistic belief of “fillers bad” simply because I think that sometimes fillers can be a good thing, for example, since every chapter is ~15-20pp, some character interactions have to be cut for the sake for space, so filler is a great opportunity to add those moments back into your story. For example, a lot of early Bleach fillers are just the people of Karakura town just hanging out. That being said, Bleach does have an unfortunate amount of fillers, with some of them even interrupting tense fights (eg the Beast Sword Arc interrupts Ichigo’s battle with Ulquiorra). However, the padding that the fillers provided did wonders for the transition between Soul Society to Arrancar Arc in the anime. Ultimately, the Bleach anime adaption was a long-running anime made for syndication and that’s okay.

******* Brief Aside: many people like(d?) to point out that Bleach has a very cyclical plot structure. I used to think this way too; however, this is not the case. There are many other long running stories that repeat similar goals. The problem lies not in the idea, but the execution. The main complaint about the Orihime rescue was not that it was uninteresting, but instead that it felt a rehash of the plot of the previous arc. This is largely because the story was not given enough time to breath between similar character arcs. For example, in One Piece, Luffy and Co have to save Nami and by extension, her home village so she can join them; however, the next time a Straw Hat needs to be saved is 227 chapters (2 whole story arcs) later. In between saving Rukia and Orihime, there is only a really an arrancar encounter, a bit of training, cheering up Ichigo, and a Grimmjow encounter before Orihime goes with Ulquiorra, thus making the goal of this arc “save Orihime” in only ~59 chapters vs 227. These two similar arc goals so close to each other does indeed create the sense of repetition.

Pacing from Fullbringer to End:

This is where Bleach really lost a lot of people. If you weren’t gone after the Ulquiorra fight, you probably were by this arc.This arc went at breakneck speed, and ngl, during my first full read through I almost gave up here too. I mention earlier that Ichigo had been broken down in this arc, but it was hard to feel his despair and the weight on his shoulders because there wasn’t enough for the reader to take a beat and breathe. The Thousand Year Blood War, similarly suffered from sloppy pacing, with many readers feeling like story lines of Squad 0 and the Soul King were anti-climactic. As well, this arc started with a massacre and feature the deaths of many fan-favourite characters, and unfortunately due to the pacing, their deaths were not given a sense of gravity.

Missed Opportunities and Forgotten Story lines: Many people felt that Kubo forgot about a lot of his characters after the Aizen arc. Many thought the Fullbringer Arc was going to be a Chad/Orihime Arc. Whatever happened to Uryuu lolol? We all just collectively forgot about him for a large portion of the last half of Bleach. At one point in time, there was a rumour going around that Kubo had written out the story for Bleach and lost it. Idk if there is any credibility to it. However, in a 2017 interview, Kubo did say that he did end the series exactly the way he wanted to.

(If anyone wants to see me write an entire ass text post about Orihime and her treatment in Bleach, please let me know because I will do it)

Too mature:Even though above, I praised Bleach's mature handle on its themes, an unfortunate side effect of this is forgetting that the characters are only 15 at the beginning and for the first half of Bleach. This unfortunately, leads to some readers feeling disconnected from Bleach.

Epilogue: THE DESTROYER OF SHIPS!!! A lot of people hated this ending. Many people felt like the romance was shoe-horned in, others didn’t like the pairings, and there were some people who actually liked it. Personally, I didn’t like it too much, but it was a cute conclusion nonetheless. Since it didn't add anything to the story except for a "where are they now" look and because of that, I low-key felt like it was unnecessary, but w/e.

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Perspective

Making a long-running weekly serialized story is hard and doing it for 15 years is gruelling (obligatory “fuck capitalism” here). Like many artists of long-running manga, Kubo destroyed his health for the sake of publishing Bleach weekly. Kubo on his health after Bleach (photo from AshitanoGin on Twitter):

Given this insight, I think it’s only fair to be respectful and grateful for Kubo’s contribution to the anime-sphere. Also, through his work, Kubo seems to be a very understanding person and artist. I’m sure he knows better than anyone where Bleach went wrong, but there’s nothing that can be done now. Despite him having a twitter, he is not Joanne and doesn’t feel the need to constantly hemorrhage out word of god info about Bleach (and thank god for that).

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Final Thoughts

It’s hard to forget my happy memories when I think about Bleach. It had my first adolescent crush and first OTP. As a result, I think the best way to enjoy Bleach is to take what you want out of it. People always think that something has to be 100% without flaw for it to be good, but that is not true at all. It is totally okay to just like the parts that you like without engaging with anything else. It’s special to you for a reason, you know?

There’s no use in fretting over what Bleach could’ve been, besides, very rarely is the reality better than the fantasy in your head.

I do think though that a lot of Kubo’s issues could’ve been fixed if he planned the story better but not all of us can be “I've been planning One Piece since elementary school” Oda Eiichiro.

Other voices on this issue: here

----------------------------

Wow. I can’t believe you made it this far down. Congratulations! Thanks for reading my 2:30am non-sober take on Bleach (it only took me 7 hours to write). Here's a cookie <3

#bleach #pro bleach #analysis #writing #characters #ramblings #pro orihime #orihime #ichigo #ulquiorra cifer #hot take #quarantine thoughts #late night #weebshit #criticism #critique #anime review #manga #i'm still bleach

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charmstonegames · 3 years

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Albums for TTRPG Sessions

Listen, I know some of you like to game in complete silence. Just your game master’s dulcet tones, some pencils, dice, and silence. I’m not insensitive to this. For those of you that fit the above description, I’ve arranged for some alternate content this week. Click here if you don’t like background music.

For the rest of you, I’ve been thinking about good music to have playing in the background while you’re enjoying a fine TTRPG. First off, I want to say there’s nothing wrong with slapping on Gustav Holst’s The Planet Suite, The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack, or whatever video game OST you’ve got handy. But when I’m running a game, I don’t want any subliminal reference to some other work in the player’s minds. Music tastes have become varied that I'm fairly confident one or fewer of the below options will be familiar to your players.

It should go without saying, but play it just loud enough to be heard and low enough that the music never has a chance to overwhelm a player’s speaking volume. Aside from that, let the needle drop and enjoy the following albums.

Dead Can Dance - Gothic Spleen

Genre: Any Fantasy

Dead Can Dance is probably the most well known group to appear on this list, and frankly, they deserve it. For gaming background music, I usually don’t like vocals because I feel that it draws attention. However, Dead Can Dance tends towards chant-like lyrics that almost meld into the instrumentation. In some cases, they opt for glossolalic singing (meaning the vocalizations are deliberately unintelligible). Owing to their unique blend of world music styles, almost any of their albums make for a great soundtrack for gaming, but Gothic Spleens has this kind of nonspecific medieval feel that works for any fantasy setting. It’s sort of like if somebody made every background track of Age of Empires II into an absolute banger. Every song oozes with mythic goodness, so pop this on and your next D&D group will not be disappointed.

Shiho Yabuki- The Body is the Message of the Universe

Genre: Mystery, Supernatural Horror

Everything about this album just oozes mystery and intrigue. Remember that bit from The IT Crowd wherein Richard Ayoade plays a music stinger hoping his D&D game will find it “ruddy mysterious?” Well, this album knocks that out of the park. From what I can glean, this record was first released in Japan in 1987 and became instantly coveted by collectors in the US. Every track is both unobtrusive but tantalizingly enigmatic. This synth driven masterpiece has the rare quality of being at the same time striking and unplaceable. Other critics have remarked about Shiho Yabuki’s penchant to eschew melody for atmosphere and texture, which is why I think it makes for such incredible background music. Even if you’re not playing this for people in your game, I’d recommend you listen while you’re prepping. It just has a sort of indescribable way of wrapping itself around your brainstem and taking your mind places. It’s on YouTube, so check it out.

Umberto - Outskirts of Reno

Genre: Cyberpunk, SciFi

I don’t know a lot about the band Umberto. There’s no results that match them on the first page of Google search, so I’m comfortable labeling them mythical. Regardless, this driving synth album makes me feel like I’m living in the “Big Weird” of a William Gibson novel. There’s no vocals and positively determined drum, bass, and synth sculpting every track. It’s positively mesmerizing. If you’ve got an average story to tell set amongst a dystopian mega-city, this album will carry your session over the edge. There’s a sort of undefinable sinister mood undergirding this album that will make even the most timid players feel like they’re in a high-tech, low-life setting. If ever there was a soundscape to communicate a John Wick vibe and bi-sexual lighting this is it. You should be able to find this album on Spotify without too much trouble.

Claus Morlock - Bethany's Cradle

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Lovecraftian Horror

From what I can tell, this album was composed as a soundtrack to a folk horror movie of the same name. The story goes that the film was financed by the shadowy Lupus Pictures, apparently known for obscure movies like “Blood Of The Limping” and the “Seduction Of The Beast.” I’m nearly certain none of the aforementioned movies actually existed, but nearly is not completely. So there may have been a semi-haunted movie studio pumping out cursed pictures with awesome soundtracks in the 70s, but we’ll never know.

(Just between you and me this is absolutely a gimmick)

In spite of its dubious provenance, this album reminds me of a dark, inverted version of the Ocarina of Time OST. None of the instrumentation makes it immediately tied to any particular musical genre, but it gets a hold of you as instantly and deeply as those YouTube “beats to study/chill/vibe to” channels- and with waaaaaay better quality too. Every song is worthy of being sampled by some trip-hop obsessed musician in their basement. I can’t legally say there’s an ancient curse that makes anyone who hears this album love it, but what’s it worth to you to find out?

A Hawk and A Hacksaw - You Have Already Gone to the Other World

Genre: Anything sorta fantasy

When I was in high school, there was a resurgence of “cool celtic” music- specifically the Wicked Tinkers, Tempest, and Flogging Molly. This band does this but for Eurasian folk music. From what I can tell, this is another soundtrack to a movie that may or may not have existed. The story I’ve heard is this is a soundtrack for a lost soviet visual masterpiece. I’m not here to decide if this actually happened or not, but boy, would I want to see the movie that inspired this. It’s both barrels of rock-infused, steppe tribal music pointed right at your face.

It’s pretty difficult to describe this album, but I’ll venture to say that it sounds vaguely foreign to American ears, but definitely badass. The album somehow sounds bigger than a Motley Crue arena show and more intimate than a coffee house ukulele player. It’s intoxicating. It give you the feeling that you’re in the middle of an important story, even if you can’t quite tell if it’s the beginning, middle, or end. You and your players will feel like you’re centerstage of a grand, eternal show with this in the background.

I’ve got to be honest, I’ve been listening to these albums as I’ve been working in this piece and I got no less than 6 new campaign ideas. I’m all sorts of brimming with energy now.

I’ve got to do some deep breathing to calm down, but you should check these out and see which ones fits your current campaign best.

For more stuff like this, visit charmstonegames.com!

#ttrpg #ttrpg stuff #rpg #rpg music #d&d music #dungeons and dragons music

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flowerslut · 5 years

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BREAKING DAWN Part 1 & Part 2

an updated, more modern take on the original soundtrack.

(TWILIGHT) (NEW MOON) (ECLIPSE)

spotify link — BD pt1 spotify link — BD pt2

[track list and commentary under the cut]

Part One

Endtapes — The Joy Formidable ➼ ➼ ➼ I Will Be Waiting — Let’s Eat Grandma

This soundtrack starts off so strongly that I had no choice but to pick one that can kick it off just as well. Let’s Eat Grandma might be my favorite band I’ve found this year. Their genre-bending is exquisite.

Love Will Take You — Angus & Julia Stone ➼ ➼ ➼ Need Ur Luv (Japanese Wallpaper Remix) — Charli XCX

Talk to me a year ago and tell me I was going to be putting Charli on a Twilight soundtrack recreation and I would’ve stared blankly and asked “fucking how?” Well, with this incredible Japanese Wallpaper remix, that’s how.

It Will Rain — Bruno Mars ➼ ➼ ➼ In My Blood — Shawn Mendes

And how do you replace baby Bruno? Well, only with today’s romantic power-balad singing baby, Shawn Mendes. It’s a perfect replacement, if you ask me.

Turning Page — Sleeping at Last ➼ ➼ ➼ For Now - Reimagined — Kina Grannis

Any other 2009-era Kina Grannis stans? Message From Your Heart? All those YouTube covers? No, just me? Whatever. Kina belonged on those soundtracks back then, and this is setting things right.

From Now On — The Features ➼ ➼ ➼ Cliffs Edge — Hayley Kiyoko

One of Hayley’s older songs, so it’s not too new, but I felt that is matched From Now On’s mood fantastically.

A Thousand Years — Christina Perri ➼ ➼ ➼ human — Christina Perri

No, this isn’t cheating. But only Christina Perri can truly replace Christina Perri. It’s also a perfect pre-change Bella song. I’m sure you heard this song everywhere at the end of the saga when everyone took to YouTube to make their cathartic recap videos. 2012-13 was a great (but weird) year to be a Twilight stan.

Neighbors — Theophilus London ➼ ➼ ➼ FACE — BROCKHAMPTON

Whether you like BROCKHAMPTON or not means little to me. They were absolutely ending up on one of these soundtracks. And as replacement to Neighbors, it’s like they belong. “Tell me what you’re waiting for? I just want to love you.” Ouch. Harsh Jacob vibes.

I Didn’t Mean It — The Belle Brigade ➼ ➼ ➼ All out of Tears — Z Berg

Z Berg created a song that sounded like it was made for one of these soundtracks. It’s insane. And one of my fucking favorites.

Sister Rosetta — Noisettes ➼ ➼ ➼ Digital Witness — St. Vincent

The Twilight soundtracks (and also Sufjan Stevens himself) are responsible for introducing me to St. Vincent. Now, years later, she’s consistently been one of my favorite artists. She has the range, y’all.

Northern Lights — Cider Sky ➼ ➼ ➼ Pool — Paramore

Of course I was putting Paramore back on one of these lists, you crazies. (And this isn’t the last you’ll see of them, either.)

Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Wedding Version) — Iron & Wine ➼ ➼ ➼ New America Classic — Vitamin String Quartet

There isn’t a wedding version of New American classic, but there is a Vitamin String Quartet version! (And no offense Iron & Wine, but it sounds so much more like an actual wedding song.) Any OG Twilight stans know that in this house, we love and cherish the Vitamin String Quartet. They were like our musical savior back in the day. Couldn’t find a decent quality soundtrack upload? No worries. Odds are, they’d already recorded an insane strings cover already.

Requiem on — Imperial Mammoth ➼ ➼ ➼ Waste — Oh Wonder

I unashamedly adore this song by Oh Wonder. Their dual vocals always put me in a damn trance. It’s so beautiful to describe. Just listen.

Cold — Aqualung & Lucy Schwartz ➼ ➼ ➼ Willow (feat. Robert Pattinson) — Tindersticks

Told you I’d stick him back on the soundtracks eventually. This song is so hauntingly perfect. When I first heard it it reminded me why I was so in love with Robert back in the day. That voice, man. Talent leapt!

Lloverá — Mía Maestro ➼ ➼ ➼ Silence II — Son Lux

It’s not as beautiful as the Carmen actress’ ballad, but it’s just as haunting.

Love Death Birth — Carter Burwell ➼ ➼ ➼ Sæglópur — Sigur Rós

When I went through my Sigur Rós phase way back when (pre-Twilight) Sæglópur was my favorite song for ages. It takes you through the whole spectrum of emotion, just as Carter Burwell’s music does. I thought it was an ideal way to end this first half.

You still get bonus tracks! Here’s two for the first movie:

Otherside — Perfume Genius

Simple. Powerful. Emotional. All you need at this point in the saga.

Everything In Its Right Place — Radiohead

A song that feels like waking up from a dream. Perfect for Bella’s dramatic change. (And of course I had to actually add Radiohead to one of these.)

Part Two

Where I Come From — Passion Pit ➼ ➼ ➼ Manchester — Kishi Bashi

Bella deserves to see the world for the first time with vampire eyes while Kishi Bashi magically transforms the scene in the background. It’s *chef’s kiss* literal perfection.

Bittersweet — Ellie Goulding ➼ ➼ ➼ Warrior — AURORA

Can I go off topic for half a second and tell you guys that I cried when I saw AURORA featured on the new Frozen song? No one deserves that wide recognition as much as she does. And no one does mystical pop better than AURORA (not even Ellie Goulding).

The Forgotten — Green Day ➼ ➼ ➼ Warm Winds (feat. Isaiah Rashad) — SZA

SZA deserves this spot and don’t even question why. SZA’s first album was so iconically emo. She’s another artist I’m convinced would’ve been reached out to for a track if she’d been making music just a little bit earlier.

Fire In The Water — Feist ➼ ➼ ➼ Carry Me Out — Mitski

Even though I’ve been a Feist fan since I got my first vocal comparison to her pre-Twilight (so I was ecstatic when she was featured here) I think Mitski really encapsulates everything a Twilight soundtrack needs.

Everything and Nothing — The Boom Circuits ➼ ➼ ➼ Highspeeds — Elliot Moss

I can’t not give Elliot Moss a spot. And that's it.

The Antidote — St. Vincent ➼ ➼ ➼ Unholy Trinity — Von Grey

I needed a harder song for this replacement and Von Grey’s music does the trick. This is the band of an old Tumblr friend that goes fucking hard, y’all. She and her sisters know how to bang out the tunes.

Speak Up — POP ETC ➼ ➼ ➼ Reasons Not To Die (Demo) — Ryn Weaver

This girl just knows how to fucking get me. Her second and final appearance on the soundtrack, here to just make you want to laugh and cry all at once. And as a replacement to another top favorite, it works well.

Heart of Stone — Iko ➼ ➼ ➼ Smother — Daughter

Heart of Stone actually made my end of year top tracks playlist for 2018. I knew I needed a solid replacement. And you can never go wrong with a Daughter track.

Cover Your Tracks — A Boy and His Kite ➼ ➼ ➼ In The Mourning — Paramore

We bid farewell to Paramore with their final appearance here. In The Mourning is another long-time favorite. It’s beautiful. And sad! We love it.

Ghosts — James Vincent McMorrow ➼ ➼ ➼ Weight — Crywolf

You need that late Breaking Dawn depressing shit? I got you that late Breaking Dawn depressing shit. “Bless me with just one kiss before you leave me here with my heart.”

All I've Ever Needed — Paul McDonald & Nikki Reed ➼ ➼ ➼ Beetroot (What If I Was 1?) — Blue Americans

I can’t describe how double-sad I get when I remember that Paul McDonald & Nikki Reed divorced not long after the saga wrapped. (Not that I ever had an attachment to him, but this song is so nice!) So that’s why Beetroot is a little sadder than All I’ve Ever Needed. Still a great song though.

New for You — Reeve Carney ➼ ➼ ➼ Black Hole — HANA

Black Hole is a little more pop than New For You. But it’s beautiful and nice and lovely and I am also In Love with HANA. So you get her here.

A Thousand Years (Part 2) — Christina Perri (feat. Steve Kazee) ➼ ➼ ➼ I Get To Love You — Ruelle

Had had had to put this incredible, romantic, hopeful song at the end of this soundtrack specifically. Just listen and tell me you don’t get emotional over their future with this.

Plus Que Ma Propre Vie (More Than My Own Life) — Carter Burwell ➼ ➼ ➼ Half Life - Instrumental Version — Imogen Heap

How are you supposed to pick a song to end the soundtracks? Thankfully, Imogen Heap had the foresight to release instrumental versions of each song on her Ellipse album. Such a thoughtful queen. We thank her by giving her the final word.

What’s this? No more? It’s okay. You do get bonus tracks, but not here.

I’ll be posting one more soundtrack, full of all the extras and little gems that I couldn’t quite place in any specific spot on the soundtracks. A whole other playlist full of Twilight-vibey songs for your listening enjoyment! Look out for that next week. Happy New Year!

#the twilight saga #twilight soundtrack

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riskeith · 4 years

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ooo! how was playing? what do you think about the event? i’m really enjoying it actually... always nice getting new daily things to do hehe.

yeah i think everyone knows The Cover now. i still can’t believe they did that... not complaining tho... oh really? you’re absolutely right and judging by the way they’re taking the story it seems like those two will have a lot more growth to their relationship. who knows maybe we’ll even get a part where bakugou apologizes or even talks about their past etc. one can only wish. YEAH i’ve seen both the movies and i love them!! they’re super fun and such a nice break from everything that happens in the anime sjskjssk kiribaku in the first one was so gay i.... we get it boys y’all in love fhjsjdjfk (THE SIDEWAYS TODOBAKU SMILE... one of my favorite moments ever) i am all caught up now.. waiting for s5... :(

no clue!! it’s just my theory so it might be wrong. the blue one was cute too so was the pink one.... they’re all cute why do we have to pick just one :( HEY you do know how to draw 😡 pretty amazingly too! but i’d love to see that in your style chongyun is so precious.. <3

omg i gotta hustle hard for AR 35 then i already miss him. i’m at 26 now and god.. it’s getting more and more difficult i can’t imagine how it is at like 45... 😭

oooooh!!! honestly barbara healing is godsent if you don’t get him you should consider it (hopefully you do though!!) IVE SEEN VIDEOS OF OCEANID AND HE LOOKS SO SCARY CLUNA.... no thoughts head empty only boy scouts party. looking at others with amazing parties: ok but do you have boy scouts party?

i mostly have sword users! but like i mentioned i’m starting to fall in love with book users (and even bow users) shskfhdkd so i might consider investing in those some day idk they just shoot of attacks and it’s so sexy. no hands dirty. ningguang seems so op 😭 plus geo is so nice!! like an all around element.

HE’S TALL? he has a short person voice...

i’m making a twitter i wanna see some fluff 😭 wait really? even this fandom is shit? why 😭 i sometimes see yt comments and the thing i’m iffy about is how people talk about spending money on it etc but is there more?

i’ve never heard anyone do that that’s so interesting!!!! do you write it down in the same doc and then delete it or do you write it separately?

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS!!! i’ve had so many ideas come to me before bed and i always think that i’m gonna remember them but i never do it makes me so upset. especially if it’s an idea of how to continue a story i’m stuck with... god it’s the worse. writer things 🤪

“stan loona” aka bane of my existence. i don’t usually tell ppl i used to stan because of that reason sksksj. god that was the worst sheesh. anyway. yelling at ALL of these!!! ofc i know daddy issues slowed!!!!!!!!! it’s like one of the most popular slowed songs we’re all just a sad horny bunch loving sexy vibes huh. i listen to slowed songs a lot when i write actually it sets the mood. it doesn’t even have to be anything racy sometimes it’s just calms you down. do you listen to music while you write? also i don’t listen to any of those you mentioned except troye 😭 i’m sorry 😭 but if you’re have recs i’d love to hear them ofc!!

“after school” time that’s so cute. it reminds me of when you’re younger and you run back home and eat a snack and watch cartoon (i say that as both of us still watch cartoons... yee) speaking of crying; would you consider yourself a crybaby? (such a random question hskshdjdfhhd)

before i leave; let me blow your mind with a little something... https://twitter.com/primo_fates/status/1347780975078506496?s=21

hehe... mwah. ;)

it was good!! i tried to get some ominous masks and weathered arrows, but drop rates are always shit lolll. and i think the event is alright! i don’t love it but yeah as you said it’s fun to have something more to do every day.

ikr omg... it’s such a good cover LMAO. omg a bakugou apology 😩😩. what did you think of deku vs kacchan part 2?? i regularly rewatch clips of it and cry LMAOOO god bakugou.. “why did i become the reason for all might’s end?” heart broken wow. NICE!! yeah i remember everyone freaking out over the kiribaku scenes in the first one and honestly,,,, how else do you explain it LMAO. (AND THAT SIDEWAYS SMILE!!! holy shit i watched the movie like the day after i got into todobaku and that scene obliterated me.... absolutely destroyed!) aw nice! but yeah now it’s just the waiting game i guess lol welcome to the club 🤪

IKR??? i saw the “once you pick one the others are gone” and i was just nooooooooooo whyyyy. you can’t give us all these options then don’t actually give us an option 😭 AHAHA thank u but i always joke that i can only draw well like once every 10 tries so... yeahhh we shall see! i have this thing envisioned in my mind but i am unable to execute it fskhfkdsjfs

yeah omg when i reached 45 i was like “wow i’m gonna have to do the ascension quest soon” but it’s taking me so long to reach ar 46??? yikes how am i meant to get the experience with no quests fkhdsfkjsd

i use barbara a lot in the fire domains and with the pyro regisvine!! it’s kinda funny that i’m bringing a level 40 into a level 70+ fight LOL but yeah she’s good! AND YEAHHH OCEANID LEGIT GIVES ME NIGHTMARES I JUST. as soon as i had an actual team that could beat it i grinded it as much as i could before my world level went up and it became impossible again.... but since mine might go up again soon maybe i should grind some more... and maybe i’ll be able to level up both xingqiu and barbara lol. EXACTLY!! can they pls interact in game somehow omg.. we need a bennett story!! and more razor!!!! and chongyun too!! i forgot he hasn’t actually appeared in game hfsdkjfds. and ofc xingqiu <3

fdfjlsjfs are you gonna go from a no long range team to an only long range team ahahah. and you like geo??? omg no... i hate it bc it’s so like. inert FHKDJFSD. but i guess the shields are really nice!

HE’S 172 CM!!!!! he has a baby face too so it’s pretty wild fhskdjds

ooo wdym how they talk about spending money? i don’t really look at youtube comments tbh lol. and i haven’t really seen people talk about spending money much on twitter? tho some content creators i follow open commissions for money for the gacha fhsdfksj. if you do end up joining genshintwt i hope you have fun!!

same doc and then i delete! but sometimes if the plan is really long i’ll make a new doc so i can see both at the same time (but recently i’ve just been opening the same doc again so i can see both that way lol). do your dotpoints go into the same doc as your writing one?

LMAOOO yeah i’m always like “hnghhh okay it’s fine.. i will Remember... trust myself” and then i never do and it’s just like welp goodbye to that amazing idea. but also bc it was thought up at such a weird time maybe it isn’t actually that good after all LOL

oh nice!! yeah slowed songs are soooo good. and i usually do listen to music! it’ll depend on what i’m writing bc i like the songs to have a similar vibe, but sometimes it’s too distracting so i put on lofi or something so there are no words ahaha. oh rippp LOL! hmm well badlands by halsey was my klance/voltron album writing soundtrack for a really long time.. i wrote a few fics with that in the background i think! melanie martinez’ k-12 album has a whole free movie to go with it! if you wanna check that out. bastille’s pompeii was really popular but i also really like flaws and of the night from them.. a lot of these are older bc i don’t listen to new stuff fhsdfkjds. and hmm pentatonix (they’re an acapella group!) do a lot of covers so maybe you can find one of a song you like and check them out that way? ahah that’s a lot feel free to not listen to any!! no stress at all lmao

oh fun fact melanie has a idk what to call it character? and song called ‘crybaby’! so very coincidental you asked. but yeah i think i am? LMAOOO like if i’m alone in my room watching something and it’s sad i Will Not hesitate to cry.. like sometimes you just gotta get it out you know? and sometimes maybe it’s a little boy singing a korean cover of colours of the wind but it’s so ethereal you just burst into tears but that’s fine! FHDSKJFHDSFKJS. how about you?

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD!! i legit. my jaw is dropped. i. oh my god 😭😭😭😭😭😭 FHSJFKHSKDJF1!!!! 😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 this is so atmospheric and cosy and warm 😭😭😭 i can go at peace now.. fhskfhdsjf

thank you always!! - c.r. xoxo

#marriage anon #wowclunaanswers #long post

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cxhnow · 5 years

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R&B duo (and real-life sisters) Chloe and Halle Bailey have unparalleled talent and an unbreakable bond. With a “sexy, darker” new sound and exciting solo projects on the way, the multihyphenates are all grown up and ready for their second act — both together and on their own. "You. Look. Stunning!" Halle Bailey watches as her older sister Chloe poses in a faux-leather Nanushka trench coat against a vibrant background of red and pink, Kelis's album Tasty blaring through the studio. Halle's eyes dart between the shots popping up on the monitor and the real-life vision that is 21-year-old Chloe, who smirks at her sister's instructions to "slay" and "work" as they echo in the cavernous studio. Chloe returns the favor when it's 19-year-old Halle's moment in front of the lens; being photographed separately is a rare occurrence for the pair. Chloe cheers Halle on as the latter poses in a houndstooth Area dress, nipped at the waist with a patent leather belt, and matching knee-high boots: "That's gorgeous! You're beautiful." When Chloe and Halle arrive at Milk Studios in Hollywood for our cover shoot on Oct. 29, the energy is celebratory; they are fresh from the set of the Freeform series Grown-ish. Chloe and Halle graduated from recurring roles on the Black-ish spinoff to series regulars for season two, playing college students and track star twins Jazz and Sky Forster. They — along with cast members Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Francia Raisa, and Luka Sabbat — just wrapped filming on the third season, which premieres Jan. 16. The next installment of the show promises an unplanned pregnancy, an acting debut from Kylie Jenner's former BFF Jordyn Woods, and a much-appreciated homage to Beyoncé's 2018 Homecoming performance. It's also a busy time for Chloe x Halle's music: in 2019 they dropped two singles, "Who Knew" and "Thinkin Bout Me," and are putting the finishing touches on their highly anticipated second studio album, Ungodly Hour, which drops this year. They are buzzing while talking about their new, more mature sound. "It's more grown; it's sexy, it's darker," Halle tells me. She and her sister showed up in laid-back looks before undergoing superhero-style transformations in a curtained-off section of the studio, where they snacked on chips and guacamole and drank green juice while trying on dozens of potential designer outfits. They are sweet and petite, and during a break from the photo shoot, they sit side by side on a velvet ottoman across from me. Both are wearing curve-hugging dresses by Dion Lee and have traded their matching Alevì Milano heels for slippers and slides. Chloe and Halle are defining themselves individually even more than before, and their style is part of that. Throughout the day, Halle will rock playfully sexy ensembles (my personal favorite is a Carrie Bradshaw-esque Maison Margiela button-down shirt cinched with a Zana Bayne belt). Chloe's outfits are equally grown-up and sexy, but with an edgy sophistication — she will channel Olivia Pope, smizing in a camel-colored Fendi trench coat and graphic Sophia Webster heels. Their looks will always complement each other but still reflect the woman wearing them. Their eyes are wide, their mocha skin glistening, braids cascading down their backs. The mood feels highly melanated and highly favored. Chloe and Halle's connection goes beyond the typical sibling bond — they are collaborators, costars, and best friends. It's what makes the stakes of this next stage of their career, as they explore a more adult sound and divergent career opportunities of their own, so high. To see them posing together is like watching a delicately choreographed dance. It's as if they each instinctively know which way the other is about to lean her arm or turn her head and will shift congruously. Between shots, Chloe and Halle smooth each other's braids, bump shoulders to the bass of "Milkshake," or talk in hushed tones. Chloe is the textbook older sister and ultimate hype girl ("The angel that's always in my ear," Halle tells me). "We'll always squeeze each other's hands or look in each other's eyes and crack a joke," Chloe says, admitting that they both sometimes feel anxious while posing on the red carpet or for photo shoots like this one. I recognize their subtle movements, exchanged glances, and seemingly secret language; it reminds me of the way that my sister and I — and sisters everywhere, really — exist in our own universe. Chloe and Halle spent their childhood in Atlanta before moving to LA, where they reside today with their parents Courtney and Doug and their 14-year-old brother, Branson ("We're the Three Musketeers," Chloe says). In 2011, they launched their YouTube channel with an impressive cover of Beyoncé's "Best Thing I Never Had." Wearing matching red tank tops and bouncy braided bobs, they showed off melodies reminiscent of vocalists well beyond their years (Chloe was 13, Halle just 11). They would go on to cover hits from John Legend, Alicia Keys, Lorde, and Rihanna. In 2015, their rendition of Beyoncé's "Pretty Hurts" got the attention of Bey herself, and she signed the duo to her Parkwood Entertainment management company. And, as they tell me, being the protégés of a megastar like Beyoncé is a masterclass in ambition. "She's a boss and she takes care of her own," Chloe says. "She's independent and knows what she wants, and she's not afraid to articulate that." They employ their mentor's take-charge attitude by trusting their instincts when making tough career choices. "That's what we truly admire about Beyoncé . . . she's allowed us to grow in our own right, and as much as she is vocal, she lets us fly on our own." Up until now, Chloe x Halle's sound has been bright, ethereal R&B soul; they released their debut EP Sugar Symphony in 2016, followed by a critically praised mixtape, The Two of Us. Their 2018 album The Kids Are Alright — with jazz-inflected trap-pop songs like "Happy Without Me," "Everywhere," and the Grown-ish theme song "Grown" — showcased their angelic harmonies, earning them Grammy nominations for best new artist and best urban contemporary album. They solidified their place in history with a chill-inducing performance of "America the Beautiful" at the 2019 Super Bowl. But with age comes experience and, yes, growth. The new Chloe x Halle era will reflect their sisterhood and the kind of women they aspire to be: powerful, strong, and effortlessly sexy. "We're not little kids anymore," Chloe tells me. Their sound has evolved from light and airy soul-pop into "edgier, grittier" R&B, like something you'd want to hear during an episode of Euphoria. They teased new music during an "electric, intense, and fun" performance at The Forum in LA late last year. "We played two new songs; 'Do It' — that's one of our favorites — and 'Rest of Your Life,'" Halle tells me during a phone conversation after the shoot. She describes both tracks as being high energy with party vibes. While Ungodly Hour will be a clear departure, the sisters seem to be more musically aligned than ever. Chloe and Halle say there's no formula to their music-making process. "We feel like that takes away any creativity," Chloe explains. They went delightfully old school for brainstorming sessions, filling two or three poster boards with magazine cutouts representing what the new project should feel like. Before creating music, they keep things breezy by having "tea time and girl chat" and narrowing down the themes they want to write about. "I'll make a beat and Halle will hear some really sick melodies and go on the mic and record them," Chloe says. "I'll lay some melodies down and splice [them] together, and then we do lyrics, but we never force it." Halle nods. "It's much like throwing paint on a wall and seeing what happens, and that's the beauty of it." When I ask how they landed on the album title Ungodly Hour, Halle tells me that it came from a single studio session with English electro artists Disclosure. "They are two brothers, and they're literally like mirrors of us," Halle says of duo Howard and Guy Lawrence, who they worked with on the up-tempo title track. "[Ungodly hour] was a phrase for that riff. We kind of spoke it into existence, you could say," Chloe continues. She reveals that one of their early mood boards included the phrase "The Trouble With Angels" (possibly a nod to the 1966 religious comedy starring Hayley Mills?), and notes how exciting it's been to tie those themes together. I spent hours holed up in my childhood bedroom plastering editorial images on any available surface, so it's nice to hear that some methods will never go out of style. But let's not get it twisted: Chloe and Halle aren't two girls making cute collages — they're artists with a precise vision and the talent to execute it. Their technique is free-flowing, but there's a keen attention to detail that influences those working with them. Singer-songwriter Victoria Monét, who helped pen chart-toppers for Fifth Harmony and Ariana Grande, collaborated with Chloe and Halle on Ungodly Hour. She confirmed my theory that they are Black girl magic personified. "I really admire their spirit," Monét said over email. "They feel amazing to be around, and their voices represent that." "They're so hands-on with everything, from melodies to lyrics and production," Nija Charles said over email. The 22-year-old songwriting phenom produced hits for Cardi B and Summer Walker and worked on the sisters' sensual kiss-off "Forgive Me." "Watching them work always makes me go back home and want to perfect my craft." Hands-on is certainly one way to describe the sisters, who play a role in writing, arranging, producing, and playing instruments on nearly all of their own music. What does it mean to two young, gifted, and Black businesswomen to have so much creative control of their work? "Since we were young, our parents instilled in us the power to do things on our own, and not rely on people if [we're] just as capable," Halle says. This encouragement is what motivated them to learn instruments and produce their own music as preteens. Although extraordinary on their own, Chloe and Halle are quick to praise those who have inspired them along the way. I can tell they harbor a deep sense of sisterhood within their own circle, a tight-knit group of family and close friends with the occasional superstar thrown in. It's galvanizing for them to see other young stars doing equally amazing things. "I stan over Zendaya. I love her, and Normani," Chloe says, beaming. "There are so many amazing women right now, and I'm just happy to be a part of this generation with them." Halle agrees, shouting out Grown-ish castmates Yara Shahidi, Francia Raisa, and Emily Arlook as women who uplift them when they're low. The feeling is mutual for 19-year-old Shahidi, who told me being part of Chloe and Halle's atmosphere is "truly a gift." "We share successes, challenges, frustrations, everything!" Shahidi said in an email. "I define sisterhood as an eternal bond with your best friend," Halle tells me. "I'm so fortunate that I get to do this with my sister every day." She looks up to Chloe more than anyone else; after all, as an older sibling, there's a responsibility (and sometimes pressure) to protect, guide, and set a good example. But Chloe is just as heart-eyed about Halle and lights up when talking about her. "Forget all the business stuff and the music and acting; this is my best friend," she says. "Whenever we're apart for 15 minutes, we're like, 'I miss you!' We're texting each other, FaceTiming. I love this one." I make a mental note to respond to unread texts from my sister. "You'll need each other one day" is something I heard a lot growing up, especially when being reprimanded for terrorizing my younger sister. And it occurs to me that Halle and Chloe might need each other even more this year. In 2020, they are each embarking on big solo projects: Chloe in the supernatural thriller The Georgetown Project, her first major movie role as an adult, and Halle as Ariel in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. For Chloe, a self-professed scaredy cat, working on the "sophisticated horror film" with the likes of Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Samantha Mathis, and David Hyde Pierce has been a real game changer. "When I got the script, I fell in love with it. I was like, 'I have to do this,'" Chloe tells me. The movie follows a troubled actor (Crowe) who unravels while filming a thriller, and Chloe plays an actress cast alongside him in the project. She learned a lot about herself during the production process, but more importantly, she conquered her fear of scary movies. "I know how it works behind the scenes, so now when a scary movie trailer comes on, I don't close my eyes." When the topic turns to The Little Mermaid, Halle's enthusiasm is palpable. "It's so overwhelming, and beautiful, and breathtaking. I'm like, 'Wow, am I really doing this?'" she tells me. When I ask what she hopes to bring to such an iconic character, Halle takes a beat. "Freshness," she says. "Just being authentically me. It's amazing that the directors have been so forward in asking me to show my true self . . . that's been a really fun growing experience." Halle also tells me that she's most looking forward to the music ("Of course!"), and reveals that the movie will feature classics like "Part of Your World" and new songs written by composer Alan Menken, who scored the 1989 animated film. "I've been a fan of The Little Mermaid since I was 5, so those new songs are very exciting to me, as well as the old," Halle says. "That's probably like, ding, ding, ding! My number one." Halle's history-making casting news was announced in July 2019 and marked a major win for diversified representation, but drew criticism from those who don't think a Black woman should play a fictional sea creature. The defense came swiftly: Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall and Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel, showed support, as did Beyhive members worldwide. After spending a day in her presence, I can corroborate that Halle — with her doe eyes, dulcet-tone voice, and winsome charm — was born to play the role. I ask how she approaches the downsides that can come with celebrity. "It's beautiful that people are tuning in to our lives and that they love what we're doing, and I just think of them as friends," she says, unfazed. Chloe's older-sister senses are tingling. She sits up a little straighter. "You know when certain apps crash?" I do; a Twitter blackout is secretly one of my favorite things. "Who are you without these things, without your followers? You realize that you can't rely on outside validation for who you are as a human being. If I think I'm amazing, then I'm amazing." The sisters have flourished in the industry as Chloe x Halle the duo, two halves of a preternaturally talented whole. They appear at events together, maintain joint social media accounts, and don’t have separate Wikipedia pages (though that’s certainly going to change). They’re a dream team, navigating fame by leaning on each other. Working separately allows them to stretch as individuals, but as their careers evolve, it’s inevitable that their relationship will, too. Chloe seems genuinely joyful watching Halle grow into her own. “I see it happening right before my eyes and it makes me really happy,” she says. But those feelings of pride haven't come without a bit of loneliness, too — especially as Chloe films her first solo project. "In the beginning I was really, really sad," she tells me. There have been plenty of tears and, according to Chloe, plenty of text messages, too. "[Halle] texts all the time; daytime, all the time," Chloe laughs. "To have someone who's always in your corner encouraging you, and making you feel better when you're down . . . it's just such a good feeling. I'm just happy to have her as my partner in crime in life." Naturally, it’s also been “a little scary” for Halle, who admits that she’s been clinging to her sister over the years. Just as Chloe is the consummate firstborn, Halle fits snugly into her role as little sis, always looking to her “safety blanket.” She tells me that visiting Chloe on the set of The Georgetown Project gave her a new perspective. "I was just so proud of her, because you always want to see your beautiful sister succeed," Halle says. "We always do those monumental things together, so when I was able to be on the outside and look in, it was really cool." Ultimately Halle realized that — like gluing magazine cutouts to poster boards — some things don’t have to change: “Regardless of if I'm branching out, she's always going to be there. That bond and our sisterhood will never go away.” Though some things may be mapped out — production schedules, release dates, fishtail fittings — so much more lies ahead for Chloe and Halle. I ask where they see each other in five years. Halle springs up; she sees Chloe with every award in the book. “She’s going to flourish. What do you call it? EGOTs?” Chloe’s five-year vision includes even more plastered photos, but this time they’re of Halle, and they’re on giant billboards across the world. “I’ll be hearing her voice [singing] while walking down the street like, ‘Who is that? Oh yeah, that's my sister. I know her. You don't,’” she says. The three of us laugh, but their predictions aren’t out of the realm of possibility. Their Grown-ish costars agree: actor Trevor Jackson tells me he hopes to see them collecting armfuls of trophies and “truly dominating the world.” Shahidi insists Chloe and Halle’s hard work knows no bounds and remembers them simultaneously filming season one of Grown-ish and mixing their debut album, The Kids Are Alright. “The sky is not even the limit,” she cosigned. Chloe and Halle have more to shoot before the sun sets in smoky LA. It's been a long day, but their energy is still straight-up sparkly. We wrap up our conversation, exchanging thank yous before they disappear to the wardrobe area. They'll model more effortlessly sexy pieces from Nina Ricci and Fendi, cheerleading each other during lighting changes and eye shadow touch-ups, before the day gives way to night. As the sky changes, so does the vibe. Chloe is jetting off to North Carolina to film tomorrow morning without her sister, and they seem to be soaking up this moment in time. Things are coming to a close both on set and in their lives, chapters ending and new ones beginning. But no matter what comes next — together or separately, making music or making moves — Chloe and Halle will keep throwing paint at the wall and seeing what beautiful things come out of it. There's no magic formula. It's just what we sisters do. ★

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#chloe x halle #chloexhalle #chloeandhalle #chloe and halle #ungodly hour #ungodly hour news #2020 #oct 2019 #jan 2020 #popsugar #news #articles #ungodly hour articles #interviews #ungodly hour interviews #chloe bailey #halle bailey #the georgetown project #tkaa

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lgcsol · 5 years

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solo: i see fire dance cover.

solo thread for trainee mission part one: bonus thread. i see fire — dance cover. word count: 764 words. point distribution: +5 dancing.

coming from ballet as his primary background, the process of exploring new styles has always been cathartic for him, reminding him of the beauty in learning. it never ceases to amaze him, all the forms of dancing that can take place, each holding its own signature when it comes to artistry. learning hip hop dance since his middle school days would be one of the pinnacles that prove this point of him, infusing elements learned from all the genres he’s been exposed to prior to hip hop. he’s definitely not above utilizing all the techniques in ballet to perform better dance styles, the mixture creating his own style. it might be one of the factors why he was bullied, in a sense, from both outside and inside the ballet community he was in once. his deviation something they deemed both uncanny and uncouth, from the inner perspective. from the outer, the stigmas against boys that danced delicately still persisted during his private school days, just the classic case of narrow-minded kids surrounding him.

all the expensive ballet classes aside, delving into jazz, and then hip hop would never be something he regrets. sure, the industry pushes him towards the hip hop more considering the low number of stylistic dances performed in the kpop realm, but he relishes in it regardless. examining international dancers, though, makes his dancing venture broader in horizons, hip hop not confined to the whole mixture of classic moves, sharp steps. when he stumbled upon this one dance before he even got signed as a trainee, he was determined to nail the cover. he uploaded the rough version on his youtube channel, once, not long after the original dance video itself. proud of his achievement he was, but now looking back at it, he did miss crucial details that could’ve delivered the edges better. it’s been bothering him, these days, and he was quick to make the decision to return to perfecting it. there’s nobody with him this time, his fellow trainees busy with their own schedules, so these nights he’s been booking the room for himself, practicing it himself.

so here he is, again. half-wrapped in his oversized hoodie, the cold weather outside definitely inflicts shivers into his body. he doesn’t want the room too warm either, so this is perfect. he listens to the song once again, getting the surreal feelings from the lyrics… down the memory lane, he locates himself, four years ago, simply dancing to this. he’s grown a lot from that point, for certain, having been groomed to become the perfect performer all this time in legacy. he hums to the song as he stands up to stretch, limbs feeling stiff since today was a lot of vocal adjustments to prepare for his performance in the jazz bar. the warm-ups bring the mood further in, deeper into the vibe that he wants to deliver. his camera is set to record, his eyes fixated on his reflection in the full-length mirror. he presses the play button from his phone before moving backward from where he sets the phone down, the dance commencing immediately.

the serenity of the night with the soundproof rooms enables him to dive straight into the somber mood, the fantastical lyrics lulling him into the precise movements, with the grace of his younger days spent in the ballet halls. the techniques used in this dance are inevitably complex, to become extremely still is to become extremely sharp. all the jagged colors combined with the pints of eloquence in motion bring him to the right emotions. forgets that this is maybe the seventieth trial, he’s embodying the flames, all soft in its prevailing capabilities of destruction. the song itself is simply a masterpiece, both music, and lyrics. the moves now feel easier, as if he tries less when in fact more ounces of energy is exerted to form the right stops among the fluidity. maintaining the balance is also a challenge in itself, not wavering while standing on a foot, portraying the sobriety of a tale. he hums along with the song as he finishes the last of the dance, solemn as they come to an end.

he jogs a little towards the camera, then, and stops the recording before sitting to review the outcomes. his camera is surely not up to par with the professional camera used to film the original one, but this would do. he’s getting there, he can see it, as he watches his performance again and again, noting the parts he’s still weak at, and others he can strengthen even more.

#thr.#sol.#lgc:traineemission #tw bullying

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soundrooms · 6 years

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Soundrs: TAETRO

My name is TAETRO, I’m an electronic musician and producer living just south of Boston. I create performances, tutorials, soundpacks, on my Youtube Channel and Instagram. I love making everything from ambient, to lofi, house, pop, hip-hop…anything that let’s me play with sound design. For me I need to constantly connect the electronic and the organic so I’m constantly forcing those two worlds to collide with synths against field recordings.

• What are your inspiration sources?

I get inspiration from a lot of places especially other producers as well as film. I guess I try to listen to a lot of music and take my favorite parts of everything. Then since I’m always watching movies, I’m always pulling emotional context from those stories. Of course then I’ll also be walking through my apartment building and be inspired by a creaky pipe.

• Tell us something about your workflow.

My workflow is very simple and fast. When I sit down I generally have an idea of how to start—with either a pad synth or drum beat. I’m a very in-the-box Ableton Live based producer and knowing what’s available to me at all times makes it easy to quickly build something. Usually always creating loops first and then arranging later.

• How would creative rituals benefit your workflow?

I wouldn’t say I have a lot of “rituals” but—I can sit at my desk and be making music in thirty seconds. Everything is set up, I plug two cables into my macbook and everything is ready. That efficiency is what I need or else if it seems too complicated I just feel defeated. Also I’ve started forcing myself to create arrangements when I’m done with a session. This helped my output a lot…more finished products and less files with twelve loops.

• How do you get in the zone?

Watching other creators on Youtube master their craft (not even specifically production) really pumps me up. That goes for podcasts too. I just love hearing how other creators and artists find success. My apartment is also a loft so I’ve got massive windows, and high ceilings. Basically it’s a space that KEEPS me in the zone.

• How do you start a track?

Generally always with loops. I might have a mood in mind which points me in the direction of the chords/sound palette. Drones are always great to play around, and then adding a kick to pound out the energy.

• Do you have a special template?

I don’t use any project templates but I do have a couple preset audio effect racks that I use on everything. Basically it gives me compressor, EQ, and reverb with the eight macro knobs being my most used functions.

• What do you put on the master channel?

I'm a big fan of Ableton Live’s Glue Compressor, especially the ‘make it loud’ preset. I also use TAPE by ELPHNT for a lofi sound. If it’s a performance project I’ll use a master beat repeat rack that assigns the eight macro knobs to different rates, and then an effects rack with things like a reverb breaker, delay, low pass/high pass etc.

• How do you arrange and finish a track?

I’ve always got the A section down because I start composing with loops so I’ll build that up in arrangement view, usually staggering entrances, and then I’ll figure out where the B and C sections need to go and fill in the gaps. From there it’s just a matter of tying the sections together, polishing with some nitty gritty sound design, and then hit export. I don’t really stress too much about finishing anymore, if you just keep putting out music, you're able to continually out-do yourself.

• How do you deal with unfinished projects?

Delete them or finish them.

• How do you store and organize your projects?

I've got a ‘Recordings’ folder that lives on my desktop on my macbook’s hard drive. Once projects are finished I dump them onto an external drive in a folder with the year they were created. If projects are sitting in that folder too long, I get rid of them.

• How do you take care of studio ergonomics?

I’m all over the place, I don’t really take care of the ergonomics in my studio. I can’t sit still. I jump from my desk, to the couch, to the floor.

• Tell us something about your daily routine, how is your day structured, how do you make room for creativity?

I’m really fortunate in that I’m surrounded by creativity pretty much all day every day. I teach music full time. On my commutes I’m either listening to my own mixes, podcasts, or new music. At work my kids are always pushing me. I’ve got kids who want to dive deep into Ableton, bands learning pop tunes, and really strong writers—it’s an inspiring environment. Then by the time I get home I’m exhausted, but the best outlet is to make a beat (or play PS4). I usually try to make something everyday or else I get very bored.

• Share a quick producing tip.

I’ve been going for like an 80’s chorus-y thick vocal vibe lately by duplicating my vocal tracks twice so in addition to the original you have two more of the exact same recording. Bring down their volume a bit, pan one left, one right, displace (use Ableton Live’s Track Delay for example, Ed.) them ever so slightly, and detune them by like 12-20 cents. Instant 80’s vocal. Adjust displacement, levels, detune, and panning to your liking.

• Share a link to an interesting website (doesn’t have to be music related).

This guy shiey’s channel on Youtube is fascinating - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpXwMqnXfJzazKS5fJ8nrVw I love watching urban exploration type stuff and abandoned places are so interesting.

• List ten sounds you are hearing right this moment : )

the hum of my space heater, the hum of my PS4, highway traffic, low gusts of wind, a siren, a whistling wind sound, Dunkirk playing in the background, my fingers typing.......that's all I got I think

Thanks taetro! If you want to get featured, send a message here on tumblr or email to [email protected].

#inspiration #motivation #workflow #audio production #audio producer #music producers #producers #Music Production #studio #home studio #music studio #soundrooms #soundrs #interview

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taykhhsins · 6 years

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The Vibe

Previously on... Masterlist

Chapter IV

It has been two weeks since the concert, and my name and face were plastered all over the media. The overwhelmingly positive reviews of the song and my performance with Sik-k has been the biggest energy boost for me. I have too much inspiration for songs now, I've run throw my notebook. When I’m not writing songs in the studio or making videos for my channel, Jay and Cha Cha have been running me all over Seoul to prepare for the music video and meeting important people in the industry. When I do go to my hotel I'm sleeping within minutes.

Jon and I are playing phone tag right now, we never catch it other at the right time. I hope this doesn’t become a trend in our relationship. Of course, I could be a Higher music artist in the states, like most of my future label mates, but seeing how beautiful Korea makes me not wanna go back. Yeah, I miss Jon and my family but… Korea has been so welcoming to me musically. I don't know what I’m gonna do.

But I can't think about that stuff right now. I need to focus on filming this music video. Being a Youtuber I’m comfortable in front of the camera, but I’m not usually acting in my videos. When we were tossing video ideas around I suggested they hire a model to play the main girl. The song is a very flirty chill song, so I know the video would have to match. I didn’t want to be in a position that would make Jon jealous, but they insisted I be the main girl. So here I am on set cuddled up with Kwon on this small ass coach. We were shooting in this cute little house in Busan, right on the beach. We shot our solo shots earlier the morning to take advantage of the natural light. They want the romantic sunset to be the background of our couple shots.

“Alright Sik-k, for this next shot, your gonna rap this part as you look into her eyes.” The director says a handheld camera in his left hand.

“Like this” Sik asks his thumb lifting up my chin just like the director said. When our eyes met I crossed my eyes and stuck my tongue out, since we weren’t filming at the moment I could afford to be goofy. Sik-k laughs and pushes my face away.

“Yeah something like that” The director chuckles out “maybe will do another take with that ugly face, it'll be cute” he adds before backing up to get in position.

“all of her takes have that ugly face, she can’t help it” Sik-k jokes earning an elbow to his ribs.

“oops just trying to get in position… my bad.” I mumble dismissing his yelp of pain. He plucks my chin just as they yell action. We look into each other's eyes as he raps his part. We did a couple of shots like that so the editor had options for the final video.

“okay for this next one, Vibe, you’ll sing to him, but towards the end of the chorus grab Sik Hand and you'll both walk off to the left and out the door. Got it?” Asks the director, I nodded along as I pictured what he wanted in my head.

“so as I say ‘Wanna spend all my time with you, come to explore life with me babe’, I lead Sik out of the house?”

“Right!” He confirmed moving to where he’d film us. “start the track” he calls out when everything is in position. When the music started, I did as he asked. But as I go to pull Sik-k up, he was like dead weight. His stupid smirk settled on his face, I could tell he was trying to hold his laugh in.

“Min Sik Kwon!” I exclaimed, letting a few giggles slip through my lip. His face cracks into the stupid laugh he was holding in. “you're so annoying” I mumble popping his hand.

“Reset! Let's do this again, c’mon Sik” the director calls.

I sat back down and cuddle up close to him again. They play the track again and I do my part. This time everything goes as planned. We shoot a couple more clips before cutting for a break.

“ I'm happy you did this shoot with me… it can be really awkward doing that intimate stuff with a model” Sik confessed as he relaxes into the coach. “I was really worried when you were arguing for us to hire one.”

“I wasn’t so sure about doing it… like you said it's kind of intimate, so I was worried about my boyfriend.” I say letting a deep sigh escape my lips. I pull my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms tight around them. “I have gotten a chance to explain the concept to him, so I still a little meh about it,” I confess. I don’t wanna argue with him over bull shit, but at the same time it would be worse if I don't tell him at all and he finds out like the rest of the world.

“Do you think he’ll really get upset about it?” He chucks a little, but I can't help but think back to that day, Jon, got mad about them feeding me fucking food. If he could get mad about something so innocent who’s to say he won't about this. Anytime I bring up the guys he gets so salty and annoying that I don't wanna talk to him anymore. I pretty much hate talking to him now

“He got upset when I told him that y'all were feeding me food when we went out to eat a while back.”

“Is that why you slap are hand away now?” Sik-k’s annoyance was evident on his face and it only deepens when I nodded my head.

“Think about this way, wouldn’t you been on edge if your girl was in another country surrounded by men all the time?”

“I don’t know…I guess I wouldn't be too thrilled that another man was putting food in my girl's mouth.” He says with a sigh. “But this is work, it's how we get known and start making that money. He is gonna have to get over that if he wants to date an Idol.” He adds gesturing around to all of the cameras and people.

Everything he said was right… doing music videos like this is part of the job description. Being on set shooting has been so fun, and I’m not gonna give it up because he is a little insecure. As much as I don’t wanna piss him off, I wanna enjoy my time here. These experiences I'm having are once in a lifetime, I can spend my time tiptoeing around trying not overstep boundaries I don't even know are there

“Hey, tell your boyfriend that your gonna be my Platonic date to this award show coming up.” Sik demands putting emphasis on the word “Platonic”.

“Why I gotta be your date, hmm? Got turned down by that girl from the club?” I tease. He pushes at my shoulder and I fall over on my side, still laughing. Hanging around Sik can have just as many serious moments as funny ones. He knows how to cut the tense in the air. Being around Sik was just relaxing to me

“It’s so we can promote the song, besides we are performing there anyway”

That revelation made me stop laughing immediately as I sat up to look at him.

“What's with that look? They didn’t tell you?”

“No, they ain’t said shit to me! When is it?” Just as my questions slip through my lips the two CEOs stroll on to set. “Hey! When were you gonna tell me we were performing at an awards show?” My question catching them by surprise.

“We were just asked like two days ago,” Jay says

“We actually came to tell you now… though Min Sik could keep that mouth shut.” Chase says smacking min Sik in the back of his head. He yelped loudly grabbing at the back of his head

“I didn’t know it was a secret” He hisses

“Well, when is it… I didn’t really pack for an award show.”

“It's this Friday, and your look has already been taken care of,” Chase says leaning over the couch in-between Min Sik and me

“We have a styles getting a couple of looks for you to choose from when the day comes” Jay adds his two cents. “How's the music video coming along?”

While Sik filled them in on the progress of the video I checked my phone. I had a few texts from Autumn, Marcus, and Jon. I quickly texted the first two back and let Jonathan's text sit for a little longer. He asked what I was up too and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell him exactly what yet. Before coming out to Korea I wouldn’t have hesitated to tell him, and I can’t say I know exactly how we got here in these short two weeks. If our love is to work we have to be completely upfront right? I mean he has been honest with his feelings and so should I.

I typed out several variations of a text, but they all mean the same thing. It was a simple thing to say so why couldn't I just say it? “I'm shooting a music video with Sik-k. Oh, and I’m going with him to an award show.” It doesn’t matter how I say it, I know the reaction was gonna be the same. Just as the Director called for the end of the break, I hit send and turned off my phone. I’ll deal with the reaction later.

I didn’t get a reply until on the day of the award show, two days later.

“Ok.” was all it said and I after being ignored for two days I wasn’t exactly in the mood to reply back to him. It helped that really didn’t have time to text him back anyway with preparing for my performance.

Higher Music and AMOG rented the penthouse of this fancy hotel not far from the venue. We all slept here last night because we had a long day of rehearsal and Jay didn’t want us to be late or anything. Jay Park “the professional” was on the clock now and everything had to be perfect. He made us run through the song ten times until it was how he liked it. I couldn’t hate on him

At the moment we were chilling eating Dinner before we had to get dressed up… Well, the guys where. I was standing in front of a rack full of clothes. I needed to decide what I would wear on the red carpet. I run my fingers across the soft fabrics. This was my first red carpet appearance and I needed to make a great impression. Debuting to an entire country on national Tv is different than debuting at an underground hip-hop club, this was more damning. H1gher Music could decide not to sign me based off this and that would be the single most devastating thing in my life right now

“Put on a runway for us.” Hoody suggests before taking another sip of her sujo. All the boys nod in agreement. I agree, having their opinion would help me make a choice. The stylist and I wheel the rack into my room and she puts me in the first outfit. It was a light pink pants suit with a black low cut bodysuit. I slipped on the white pumps she picked out.

Checking myself out in the full-length mirror, I didn’t hate the look. It was perfectly tailored to me, but it didn’t feel like something id wears.

“Shall we show them?” The stylist asks already headed for the door. I follow after her out to the rowdy crowd. Grey gestures for me to do a spin and I do, Showing them all sides of the outfit. I even took the suit jacket off to show them the bodysuit more.

“Next,” they all say, and with a sigh of relief I go and change. It was like that for the next two outfits, but the next one… damn. It was a white off the shoulders dress. stopping at the middle of my thigh and the sleeves pooled nicely at my wrist.

“This is the one” I mumble to myself as I look in the mirror. Slipping on some pumps that matched my skin tone, I walked out to see the reaction of the peanut gallery. They dropped silently when their eyes landed on me. I did a spin like the other times, but when I turned around they still hadn’t said anything. I looked down at it because maybe it really wasn't the one. Maybe it looked way uglier than I thought

“so?” I ask a little put off by their quietness

“This is the one. We don’t need to see more.” Min Sik said walking over to me.

“You look stunning.” Hoody says clapping

“You aren't allowed to stand by me… fucking steal my shine” Jay says jokingly

“Are you sure it isn’t cause I’m even taller in heels?” I say trying not to laugh in his face, but hearing everyone else dying got me.

“Ha ha Ha our Erin thinks she’s so damn funny” He mumbles walking into his own room to get dressed.

The van ride was filled with laughter, so I didn’t have a chance to feel nervous, but once we pulled up to the venue It all came rushing in on me. Seeing the red carpet, the fans, and all the Cameraman has me running through all the ways I could fuck up. What if I trip over in front of all these peoples? Or my dress falls apart?

“Stop shaking, you’ll be fine.”Min Sik whispered in my ear. I didn’t realize that my leg was shaking until Sik-k rested his hand on my knee. “I’ll be right there with you. Just breath”

I took a deep breath and exhaled just as the doors to the van slide open. Cameras flashed rapidly and the sounds of fans filled my ears. Jay and Chase got out first then the rest followed before it was just me and Min Sik.

“I'm not gonna let you fall,” He says before getting out. He takes off his suit jacket and blocked me from the cameras as I climbed out. When I stood next to him I helped him put his jacket back on. His hand resting on my back and guiding me down the carpet.

We stop every couple of feet to take photos; sometimes with the entire group, or just me and him, or just one of us. When we finally get inside the venue, I let out a breath, I didn’t know I was holding, out. We followed staff to our seats. They put us on the left of the main stage up in the balcony. I looked around at the venue, It was quickly filling up with Idols and fans. The coaches next to us were empty, but not for long. I watched as a staffer collected the name tags off the seats before I could see who would be sitting next to us.

“Oh my fucking God” I let slip as the seven men walked in, It was BTS. Sik pinched my sides before laughing. He knew just how much of an ARMY I was. Honestly, anyone who watches my videos knows I am the biggest ARMY. I make dance covers and lookbooks inspired by them. This moment is like getting that DM from Jay all over again.

I stood up with everyone else and greeted them, before taking our seats again.

Jay leaned down next to my ear “Don’t start fangirling” He teases.

“Leave me alone,” I say pushing his face back. But I can still hear his stupid laugh. “I really want their autograph” I mumble to Sik hoping he would keep it between us. I clear forgot who I was talking to and who I was surrounded by.

“Well let go get it,” Jay says standing up.

“what- wait-“ before I could stop him he had already gotten their attention. I slowly turned around in my seat to see them looking at us.

“Hey my friend is … what do you call your fans again?” He asks

“ARMY.” they say and my little heart damn near explodes.

“Yeah she's a huge ARMY, always listening to your music” Chase chimes, and Sik pushes me to stand up. BTS eyes landed on me and I wanted to go hide somewhere.

“Sorry to bother you” I mumble. “But would it be okay to get a photo… and you guys Autograph” I ask playing with the sleeves of my dress. They looked at each other before nodding.

“Yeah, we’d look to take a picture for an ARMY.” Namjoon says with his signature smile. Sik took my phone and told me to sit in between Jungkook and Jimin.

“Its uh… Nice to meet you guys” I try to say but out of nervousness my Korean pronunciation was shaky. Jimin and Jungkook looked at me confused. I repeat it again but clearly and they smile nodding saying it back.

“Our Erin is so nervous she’s forgetting how to talk, So cute” Sik jokes

“You wanna die? Just take the picture” I grumble making BTS laugh loudly. He sucks his teeth at me before snapping photos. He hands my phone back to me and I look over the photos quickly.

“You watch Anime ?” Jungkook asked pointing at my Spirited away phone case.

“Yeah… Spirited away is my favorite Movie” I say starting a conversation that I didn’t think would end. All the members got in on the conversation… except for Suga or Yoongi. He didn’t say much and didn’t seem that interested in what we were talking about. I didn’t get a bad vibe from him, and I know it was in his nature to be a little more reserved around new people. I gave Jungkook my number so we could play each other in Fortnite, I told him I was gonna kick his ass. Jonathan and I would play each other and I've gotten pretty damn good at the game. I've even bet Sik and Chase when we play during our downtime.

“So do you work for Jay Park?” Jin asks leaning in closer. I notice Yoongi, who was sitting beside him perk up a little.

“I'm on trial for a recording contract with H1gher Music.”

“So are you a rapper?” Yoongi asks quickly

“I can rap a little, but I’m mostly here to sing. Singing is what got be discovered so that what I’m sticking with” I laugh nervously. Knowing that I had Yoongi’s attention mad my fingers rub quickly against my phone case. Yoongi was just as handsome in person as I thought he’d be… well, all of BTS was really.

“That’s really cool, Good luck on your debut.” Taehyung chimes in with his big boxes smile.

“I should get back to my people, It was really nice to meet you guys. I’ve been in ARMY since your debut, keep up the good work.” I say flashing a bright smile before heading back to my seat. Just as I sat down the show started and a Camera was pointed at us. I saw that we were on the big screen and I shyly wave at the camera with Sik-k laughing beside me waving too. We got to watch most of the show, and I had to fight myself from sneaking looks over at BTS throughout the whole show. About halfway through the show Sik-k and I got escorted backstage to get ready for our performance

I quickly change out of my dress and to my performance outfit. Long silk pants and a black bralette. My stylist helps me into a black silk jacket and to put on the chokers she picked out. With one last look in the mirror, I’m out the door. Sik-k and I both walk out of our dressing rooms at the same time.

“Ready E?” he asks as we follow the staff to the side stage

“As Ready as I’ll ever be” I whisper. I feel like I've drunk three cups of espresso and a red bull; I'm a jittery mess all over again. He pats my shoulder in attempts to reassure me, but the thought of performing in front of industry professionals and my favorite Kpop group was making me want to run away. If I fuck up in front of all these peoples I will be the embarrassment of H1gher Music and I just know Jay and Chase won't sign me then.

“When you hit that stage all them nervous are gonna go away.”

“How do you know that.”

“Because you're like me. We get nervous before every performance but when we hear the music we totally forget we were even scared.”

He was right. As soon as I heard the first note, the nervousness of earlier felt silly. My energy feed off the crowds loving reactions and I got lost in the moment. Just like the first time I performed, Sik-k and I played off each other. We danced around each other singing the lyrics like it was just us. Our on-stage chemistry is undeniable. When the sang the last note, I wanted the song to begin again.

The walk back to our seats was filled with compliments from Idols I have looked up too. I was riding on a high that I never want to come down. And the good Vibes didn't end there either, as soon as we entered our section everyone seating they broke out into a round of applause. My cheeks burned as I saw the look of amazement from BTS.

“That was really amazing” Namjoon spoke and his members nodded in agreement. I simply bow my head and say “thank you” because anything more would show just how much I'm freaking out inside. It's one thing to meet your Favorite group, it's another thing for them to compliment you on something. I was just a little flustered

“Now I’m really looking forward to your debut,” Jimin adds

“Fingers crossed that I get signed,” I say with a wink

“She’s too good not to get signed.” I hear Suga mumble and I can feel the burn from my cheeks rush to the tips of my ears. I can’t wipe the smile off my face when he smiles up at me. Before I could say anything I was called back to my seat. I quickly waved goodbye.

Tonight I can't fall asleep because all I can think about is everything that has happened today. A smile was a permitted fixture on my face and I can't say id ever get tired of it. This was the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. This moment right now, the post-performance high still lingering on me as I gaze out my hotel window. It is now that I feel like my dreams are tangible, I can feel it on my fingertips

...Continue

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thebandcampdiaries · 5 years

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Dom3stic - You don’t

Healing from Dallas, Texas, Dom3stic is a rap artist who stands out because he brings a unique personality to the table, making every song unique. Recently, the artist released a brand new single titled “You don’t,” which is now available on the web. The song is a rap track combining different influences, including mainstream hip-hop as well as underground ideas. Fans of artists such as Eminem, Jay Z, Kanye West or Kendrick Lamar are definitely going to enjoy this release because the production is crisp and clean and punchy, allowing the vocal flow to really stand out. The sound is punchy and modern, and it has a very contemporary feel, which increases the clarity of the mix in a very unique way, even despite the fact that there is still a lot of warmth into the mix.

The song begins with a really textural sound, creating a cool atmosphere in the background. There is a sense of being in a musical landscape and the noises in the background become more and more present, up until they lead to the crescendo of the beat starting up. When the beat finally hits, you'll hear a very dark, Lo-Fi inspired sound that still has a lot of definition to it. The drum part is aggressive and slow-paced, almost like a really powerful hit in slow motion. The intensity of the sound of these drum parts perfectly matches the vocals and the huge bass tones. In order to bring this song to life, Dom3stic teamed up with a very talented producer known as Dansonn Beats, who contributed to the track with some cool vibes. I really love the quality of the production and I think that the sound and atmosphere of the track definitely hits the nail on the head, perfectly capturing the mood of the lyrics and the pace of the song. On the other hand, Dom3stic is a really killer vocalist and every word that comes out of his mouth has got so much purpose and intensity, giving such a personal vibe to this release. This new studio effort represents a significant step forward for the artist, showcasing a sound that feels refined, yet instinctive and loaded with energy. From the unique mix of great lyrics and engaging grooves, down to the immediacy of the hooks, this release channels a various range of influences to perfection, resulting in a balanced, diverse and exciting tone that will certainly please a very broad audience. This track really does get down and dirty as far as hip-hop music goes and I am always a big fan of rap songs that set the bar higher when it comes to energy and gritty. I really love the saturation of the sound of the mix in general, and the fact that there is a little bit of fuzziness to that parts, rather than having them always being crystal clear and perfectly clean. This is really what adds a lot of character to the release and brings some extra excitement for example when the drums hit, the fact that they are a little distorted actually makes them cut through the mix a lot more. The same goes for the lead vocals. There is a really tasty compression and saturation effect on the main vocals, which really allows the rap parts to effortlessly feel like they actually belong to the song rather than having a person singing on top of a beat, which is something that sadly you hear a lot with new rap artists. This case, this track sounds like a full-on production and every detail in the mix is perfectly balanced and tastefully executed by someone who is obviously very passionate about creating good music. When you combine such natural talent with a set of groundbreaking production aesthetics, you just can’t go wrong. This release is here to stay and make its way onto many playlists!

The song has a very personal touch, and it is clear from the start that the artist is deeply connected to the material that he is singing.

Find out more about Dom3stic and listen to “You don’t” on YouTube and other streaming platforms on the web.

https://youtu.be/X6MRgDunJuE

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haeddoti · 4 years

Text

Hey there once again! This time I talk about mycurrent favorite songs, my most-listened-to songs and my all-time favorites as well! Actually, I think I can make a whole separate post about k-pop, there is so much more to talk about!

Most-listened-to songs

Whistle- Black Pink

Pop/Stars- K/DA

favOriTe- Loona

Touch- NcT 127

Wow Thing- SM Station

Google Play Music lets you see how many times you listened to a song, so that’s what this list is based on. I don’t use Spotify as much (at least not now) plus I don’t think it would change the ranking too much.

Current faves

Runaway Kids- Harbour

Talk too much- COIN

Tick Tock- Day 6

9 and three Quarters- TXT

modern loneliness- Lauv

For my all time favorite songs, I actually want to go more in-depth than with these previous songs because I actually care a lot about how music makes me feel and I like talking about things I like.

Now let’s get into the songs that are my all time favorites, songs I have enjoyed for a long time already or songs I don’t think I will get bored of. Note that these songs don’t include my “emotional well-being songs”, aka songs that I listened to in really emotional situations and songs that will make me cry if I listen to them in the wrong moments. I do love them too tho.

“Fireflies”- Owl City

“Cause they fill the open air

and leave teardrops everywhere

You’d think me rude but I would just stand and stare”

Oh wow this song is a masterpiece. It was my first ever CD that my parents got me for my birthday and I loved listening to this song even when I was a kid. It has this dreamy atmosphere and the lyrics are so beautiful yet creepy at the same time. It paints this image in my head and I attempted to draw it a lot of times already but I’ve got it quite right, so I guess I have to keep trying. The song also has a certain kind of melancholia which I really enjoy.

This song fits somehow every mood I’m in. Happy? Yes. Sad? Yes. In need of comfort? Yes. Need to calm down? Yes. It is such a timeless artwork and I’m sure I will listen to it many more times.

“Cruel Summer”-Taylor Swift

“I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you”

(I’m aware this sounds like Stylish but eh)

Ahh my summer-romance-dream-wish song. If this song would be a photo, it would be the sky right before dawn with little pink clouds. It sounds like vintage camera videos look, you know, the one’s where the video is squared and the screen flickers slightly and everything is sepia-ish yellow.

It sounds like late night talks in the summer and eating watermelon and swimming in a lake in the forest and hiding your clothes behind a tree. It sounds like summer nights. And I love it so much. It sounds so sad somehow, almost like a heartbreak. This is one of my summer road trip music songs, which is a genre you’ll find quite often among my favorites.

This song makes me wanna dance and draw and cry all at the same time.

“Summer Days”- Macklemore& Patrick Stump

“Pull the roof back just me, you and the stars

Toast to the Gods”

Did I mention I like summer road trip music? Yeah. This is coincidentally also my favorite walking-through-the-city-song at any time of the year. It boosts my confidence, my self-esteem and even though I’m not that into highly sexual songs, this one is really nice. I actually listened to this song for the first time on the radio while driving to Lake Constance and it took me a solid 3 days to find this song on YouTube because I couldn’t make out the singers voices as much and they didn’t say the title of the song afterwards. The imagery sounds like the “The Last Resort” Map from Hitman 2, at least that’s what I thought of when I listened to this song another time. I really like the song and the ~vibes~ it has when you play it as a background music while chilling with your friends.

“rooftop”-N.Flying

“Every time I look up in the sky,

There’s not a single star,

It’s alright, you’re my universe

shine bright for me”

Do you believe in love at first sight? Or rather, first listen? I certainly didn’t but BOY, this wasn’t love at first sight but a whole marriage proposal on my part. I randomly listened to this because someone on twitter said they were underrated so I just looked for their most recent comeback and I instantly fell in love with every single thing about this song. This is another road trip star gazing song, which I absolutely love. It literally says so in the lyrics.

This is also such a pretty, romantic love song, I can’t.

“Butterfly”-LOONA

“Fly like a butterfly”

Best K-Pop MV and Choreography of 2019, don’t @ me. This song is my favorite Loona whole-group song and the best Music video of every genre I’ve ever seen. Aesthetically pleasing? Superb editing? Diversity? An expensive looking MV with optimal usage of minimal built sets? You name it. This MV has it all. The song itself is also a work of art. It sounds dreamy, like early mornings and soft music in the city.

Some people criticize that the chorus doesn’t have actual vocals but honestly, that would ruin it. The chorus is fine as it is and from a performing pov, it also makes sense; as a viewer, you are supposed to focus on the dance and the atmosphere and not the singer.

Idk man, this song is just so good and I highly suggest it to everyone who at least wants to see a really good music video.

“Vegas Lights”- P!atD

“We gotta be starting something,

would you change it if you could?”

My favorite P!atD song. It’s another road trip song and the song that would play in a teenager movie, when they are in the park during summer eating pizza pretending to be in Vegas. This song is so fun, and fast paced and an instant mood maker and I love every second of it. The bridge of the song is also really good, amazing contrast between the chorus.

The sass in the voice of Brandon is also amazing. Walking through the city while having an “Oh if you only knew, what we’ve been up to” is very much amazing and confidence-boosting, even though I’m just walking to the supermarket.

“I just”- Red Velvet

“I just leave”

This song is the epitome of melancholic-break-up-love songs. They way it summarizes the want tot run away from pain and sadness is projected really well through their voices and it is definitely my favorite RV B-Side. It makes me want to cry sometimes. There are, in fact, not as many lyrics because they repeat the “I just leave” and Ah-y-ah quite a lot, but the actual text lyrics are so powerful and deep, it’s amazing. I usually don’t listen to b-sides at first and the only reason I found out abut this song in the first place was because they actually did a “vertical MV” and I watched it because I thought it was a title song and then I was shocked because I learned it was in fact a b-side. This is one of those songs I could show to my nonkpopfans-friends because it doesn’t sound too k-pop-y and the instrumental provides enough atmosphere to make everyone understand what the song is about: Break-ups, fear and longing of something new.

“Letting Go”- Day6

“Holding onto you will do you no good,

I know, so I struggle to get you out,

The times we had together, our dear memories,

I let go, let go, let go

So you can smile someday.<i> “ </i>

Let me present to you the most underrated and under appreciated Day6 song to this date. This is, in my humble opinion, not only their best but also their most heartbreaking song. Its different to “How can I say” or “I need somebody” because it depicts a different kind of pain. The pain of wanting someone else to be happy while knowing that you’ll never be the reason they’re happy. Its just so...wow genius Young-k, we stan. Anyways, this is also the only K-Pop song I can sing in Korean and actually know all the lyrics. Definitely a must listen, even if you don’t listen to K-Pop on a regular basis.

#day6 #favorite music #kpop #alternative #music and feelings

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thiskulifefall18 · 6 years

Text

Music influences college life

Prologue

Music. Music is everywhere; it travels in the wind, vibrates in the water, and moves from person to person. It’s embedded in our everyday lives. Music reaches into the deepest parts of our souls and grabs all sorts of emotions we didn’t even know we were capable of feeling. Music can define a person in ways such as how they behave to the style of clothes they wear. For us as college students we use music as a way to focus on certain task, to put ourselves in a certain mood, or to give our minds a break. We also come to find we use music as a way to connect with others. The beautiful part about music is it has the power to bring all types of people from all walks of life together. All it takes is for another person to feel the same way about a song/artist as you do and that could be the start of new friendship. Music is healing, it’s a certain type of medication for the mind and soul.

Act 1: The Piano in Johnson

Ever since I could remember music has been a part of my life. My parents never signed me up to learn any instrument but my dad got me and my cousin different color acoustic kid guitars one Christmas and he also got me the ‘I Can Play’ piano. I loved this because it had cartridges that you put in it, hooked it up to the TV and I was able to learn different songs. The last time I played it I was probably in second or third grade and soda spilled on it. The summer of third grade we moved. Sometime after we settled into the house my parents got me a keyboard for Christmas. It came with a song book and I could read the simple treble clef and for a few weeks I would try to play it by reading or pulling up the song book on the keyboard so it would show you how to play and you would have to repeat it.

I wanted to learn modern songs so I went to YouTube and I would search for piano tutorials. There are many different versions of songs on YouTube ranging from slow and easy to hard. I always learn through a simple paced tutorial and I only play the lyrics because playing cords takes practice and it’s hard to play two different rhythmic patterns at a time. It’s easier for me to play what I can hear and every time I play a note I can hear the next lyric in the song.

Earlier in the school year,as I walked through the rec room, I saw someone by the piano with their phone out trying to play ‘7 years’ by Lukas Graham. I only heard the beginning notes as I walked through but I could immediately tell what song he was trying to play. There was also a time I walked in and as I approached the rec room I heard the piano. I noticed that there was only one other person in the space. He stopped when I walked in but after a few minutes he continued to play. I listened to try and see what he was playing but I couldn’t figure it out.

Someone recently approached me one day when I was playing in Johnson and asked me if I was good at playing. I didn’t know how to explain it. I told him “kind of, I just search the song on YouTube and follow along.” I mentioned that I only play lyrics. I asked him how he played and he responded with expressing that he “plays it by ear”. I also talked to a girl in my audio class. She told me, “I can read the treble clef. I took piano lessons growing up.” We talked about the different ways to play and we realized she is someone who would play two parts with two hands.

The piano in Johnson is great because it gives kids in the Hall a place where they can express themselves through music and feel like they have a voice. Don’t be afraid to walk up to it and try. Maybe you’ll enjoy it as much as I do just remember that no matter what happens, if you feel inclined to play to keep practicing and never give up. Music is a part of everyone’s everyday life, don’t let someone else’s words erase who you are as a person.

Holly Wagner

Act 2: Party Vibes

My first college party was on Halloween weekend. Everyone was dressed up; costumes ranged from sexy police girl to a dude wearing a Stewie face mask (Family Guy). At one point I saw Post Malone, or more like someone who did a good job dressing as him. But that wasn’t the first thing I noticed when I walked in. It was the music. The music hit my ears the second I stepped inside. It was a song off of Lil Wayne’s new album called Uproar. Everyone was dancing. It was crazy, there were bodies everywhere moving in all different directions to the beat of the song. Everyone, from freshman to senior were on the dance floor dancing and laughing; having a good time.

Music is everything at parties. It sets the vibe of the party and gives people a way to use their “buzzed” energy. Music has this ability to make the listener feel a certain way. One of the upperclassmen here at Kutztown loves to go out. She says sometimes the parties are really lit and sometimes they’re okay, “a great night out depends on which Frat house is throwing because some play good music (a.k.a dance music rather then rap) and some don’t.” In other words when students go out to party they’re looking to dance and get “lit”, but it’s more fun to dance along to songs that are boppy and upbeat rather than rap songs where you can hardly hear what the artist is saying. Imagine a college party without music… yeah you can’t because it’s not a thing. Music is part of the party culture whether it’s a party here at Kutztown or just a hangout in your dorm with friends.

Maya Gelnett

Act 3: Melodious Coffee

It's finals week! You've been trying to keep up with your work all semester, but you are finally caught up. You try and try to make time to study, but could never really look at your notes without falling asleep. Students often use energy drinks and coffee to fight drowsiness when they know they are falling asleep, but… there's one the thing that every student uses when they are studying to stay up called...music!

You wouldn’t think most people actually listen to music while studying due to the fact at a young age you was told not to. From interviewers I came across some negative effects when trying to listen to music and study at the same time. As a college kid myself I fall victim to this technique. No matter what genre the music falls under I need to have some type of sound in the background for me to stay up and study notes. I personally don't drink coffee or energy drinks since they are not necessarily good for you; however I listen to melodious coffee which requires no money to help me fight sleep to review notes. I realize from students the variety of music that is listened to while studying is vast. It was very interesting to see that students prefer instrumental music (which contains no vocals) over music that actually contains vocals. The anonymous student answered “I would die without music in a day”, “Music helps me study it really serves as a background noise so i don't fall asleep.” These answers were the most common responses when asked the same questions with different students. We can see music most of the time has a positive effect when it comes to studying. I believe we should abandon unhealthy items like energy drinks and coffee if we can use music as our own melodious caffeine.

Kevon Mitchell

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