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venusvity · 1 year ago

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.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫ VENUS VICTRIX ... THE THRID FULL ALBUM !

Venus Victrix is the third full album of the fictional South Korean girl group VENUS. The album was released by Flowerbank Entertainment on December 18th, 2023. Before the release of the highly anticipated album, the girls released two pre-release singles, "DRAMA" and "I AM THE BEST," both getting two weeks of promotions and being met with widespread praise. With a total of twelve songs, VENUS would promote "THE BOYS", "UNTIE", and "BYOB (bring your own bestie)" for three months.

Venus Victrix has a total of 12 tracks, with all the girls having writing credits on every song. The tracklist is nearly entirely produced by other people as Venus decided to take a step back from producing for the time being, with the exception of "Making The Bed," which is written, composed, and produced by Chloe.

Long-time creative director Adrian Reyes produced a majority of the album alongside Ideal Music producer CLOSURE AKA Zion of Arm Candy, THATZTY AKA Tyler of Sunlite, Piper of SNS, Yuki of SNS, LULU formerly of ALLUME, SOOORA AKA Sora formerly of ALLUME, TSUISON AKA Noah of DeepDive, DOWN2LEE AKA Finn of DeepDive, and most notably Lee Chang.

The girls were given the honor of picking a song from the Flowerbank Vault, choosing "I Love You" out of the 50 songs within the Flowerbank Vault. All money earned from the song will go to his mother.

TRACK OO1. THE BOYS

TRACK OO2. I AM THE BEST

TRACK OO3. DRAMA

TRACK OO4. UNTIE

TRACK OO5. I LOVE YOU

TRACK OO6. BYOB (bring ur own bestie)

TRACK OO7. 7SECONDS

TRACK OO8. THAT GIRL

TRACK OO9. WE'LL TALK LATER

TRACK O10. THROUGH YOUR WINDOW

TRACK O11. TALLY

TRACK O12. MAKE THE BED

Venus Victrix, received an impressive number of pre-orders, indicating its widespread appeal. Within just six days of the pre-order period starting, the album had received over 800,000 pre-orders, and by December 12th, the number of pre-orders had reached one million. Out of these one million pre-orders, 670,000 came from Korea, while 340,000 were from the US and Europe. Moreover, a limited edition vinyl of only 18,888 copies had sold out within days, further highlighting the album's popularity. As per the latest reports, the album had accumulated 1.2 million physical sales worldwide by January 12th.

The album debuted at the top spot of the Gaon Album Chart and broke the record for first-week sales on Hanteo among girl groups. It sold an impressive 590,000 copies in just one day after its physical release date. Gaon Chart would go on to announce that Venus' album received an official million certification after selling over a million copies in South Korea on January 22nd.

Undoubtedly, their highest performing album yet, VENUS, would be virtually unavoidable for the three months they were promoting, whether it be their songs being played on the radio or their faces on billboards; Venus was everywhere. Citizens would dub this era "The Venus Virus" as it seemed everyone and their mothers were listening or talking about the group during this time.

Venus was gaining popularity not only in South Korea but also worldwide. Venus Victrix made its debut at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with a total of 110,000 album-equivalent units. This includes 81,000 pure album sales, 26,000 stream-equivalent sales, and 2,000 track-equivalent sales.

Pitchfork would go on to rank the album 8.1 out of 10, making it the second highest-rated album on the site. "Venus not only pushes the boundaries of K-pop with their stellar vocal performances but also elevates the genre with 'Venus Victrix.' The album's catchy hooks and dance-worthy tracks are complemented by lyrics that delve into deeper themes, making it a standout release in the world of pop music."

Multiple Youtubers would go on to review/react to Venus Victrix. Music reviewer Anthony Fantano would be the first to review the album, giving it a 7.8 overall.

"While 'Venus Victrix' has its merits, I can't help but feel there's a missed opportunity here. The vocals and lyricism are commendable, but the overall sound lacks a certain adventurous quality. It's a solid 7.8, but I expected a bit more risk-taking from Venus."

Twitter's favorite reactionary Zach Campbell would go onto react to "The Boys" music video, heavily praising the girls and the song for it's energy and visuals. Unlike Fantano, Campbell would go on to become a darling amongst Constellations.

"This music video is like a visual feast. [...] Venus is playing in a league of their own!"

Most notably, AJay Delux would post her video "Venus Victrix - First Listen." just two weeks after the album dropped. Her review of the album was very positive, praising the girls for their vocal talent and versatility. Sena and Jiah would go on to post the video on their stories, thanking her for her review and mentioning how much they love her videos. AJay would go on to rate the album a 8 out of 10.

"Alright, that was a wild ride through Venus's 'Venus Victrix.' The vocals and lyricism held it together, and the diversity in sounds across the tracks kept it interesting. I'm giving this a solid 8 out of 10. Venus delivered the fun pop with meaningful lyrics they promised."

OO1. LOTS of interactions with other idols, especially for TikTok! Venus tends to stay in their bubble most of the time, but this time around, they really put themselves out there! Even bliss was socializing more, which is something constellations haven't seen since FOREVER. They mainly did the "BYOB" challenge with other idols, but for a few (mainly girl idols, lol!), they did the "UNTIE" challenge, which constellations ate up!

OO2. The long promotional schedule seemed to confuse a lot of fans with how fast-paced the industry seems to be nowadays. "I felt like we missed out on an opportunity with Burn The Witch by only promoting it for such a short period of time," Creative director Adrian Reyes would go on to explain at a press conference, "Things move too fast, and I want to change that. Venus is supposed to not be like other groups, which is why we went with what I feel is a proper promotional schedule. If it was full up to me, I'd promote this album all year." And while a majority of the internet knew what he was getting at, disgruntled K-pop stans on Twitter took this as an opportunity to frame Venus as "Pick Me's" and "Not Like Other Girls," which caused a multitude of fan wars on the site. None of the girls use the app, so they didn't see or care.

OO3. For the three-month promotional period, they will promote a different song and b-side for that month. For Dec-Jan, they promoted "The Boys"; for Jan-Feb, they promoted "BYOB" and concluded promotions with "Untie" in March. This gave fans an insane amount of content to be and look forward to, making sure none of their fans were bored. Even then, they still caused problems on every social media site they could.

OO4. Through their reality-styled web series, "VenusVentures," they would give their fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Venus Victrix. However, the chaos backstage would turn out to be more entertaining than anyone expected. From funny bloopers during dance rehearsals to unexpected moments during the photoshoots, the web series was a hit, with many of the clips taken from the show going viral.

One of the more notable clips to go viral was a clip of Baebi and Chloe arguing over what they're going to have for dinner after they finished filming.

"I want a fruit bowl," Baebi would snap at Chloe over her shoulder, who would huff and flip her hair over her shoulder, looking annoyed as usual.

"I want Thai food. You always want nasty fru-"

"And action!" The director would shout, cutting the girls' fight off. Both of the girl's expressions would change in a split second, their annoyed ones being wiped away and replaced with fierce and confident ones, and the intro to The Boys would play. The clip, while not only hilarious, showed off the girl's professionalism and dedication to their craft.

OO5. Though there were A LOT of fan events organized by Flowerbank, one of the most notable ones would have to be the art gallery they put on. Venus invited Constellations to submit their fan art to Flowerbank to be displayed in a "Venus Gallery" as well as hold an art competition where the winners would receive not only VIP tickets to their upcoming tour but also to have their art incorporated into Venus' official merch, and also $10,000. The members of Venus personally selected the three winners. The event became one of the most special and heart-warming events between constellations and Venus, causing much buzz and conversations around all corners of the internet.

OO6. Though the girls are known for their versatile concepts, the music video for "Through Your Window" surprised many fans with its controversial yandere concept, which was a bit surprising due to the song's light and almost mystical sound. The visuals, though beautiful, depict the girls stalking their love interests and presumed murdering him after they see him talking to another girl. "We could've gotten Venus as fairies, but instead, we got them killing men," one fan would tweet, though another fan would quote the tweet in defense of the video, saying: "I would actually like to see Venus kill more men idk why yall are complaining," causing an internal fan war. Though the video's concept was questioned, the girls acting and visuals were highly praised, and a selfie of Bliss with blood splattered on her face soon joined the "the most annoying mfs have this picture as their icon" list.

OO7. Of course, it's not a Venus comeback without some drama. Chloe's iCloud would be hacked, leaking multiple pictures of her with a lesser-known actor, Jeon Juyeon. What really caused controversy around this was not the fact the pair might be dating but that Juyeon was Chloe's long-running fansite "CozyChloe," having over 50k followers on his fansite Instagram account. This blew up the internet essentially, causing just a shitstorm for literally everyone. The rumors only got worse when Juyeon went on to deactivate CozyChloe and private his personal account. Chloe would catch a lot of heat for this, a lot of people saying she's abusing her power as an idol and taking advantage of her fans. Though their relationship was never confirmed, Chloe would go live on the official Venus account, issuing an apology in front of the infamous "apology wall" at Flowerbank Entertainment.

OO8. More importantly, they'd collaborate with Tate McRae! Venus would release an English version of Untie with Tate on it, even performing the version with the pop star a few times. Most notably, they'd perform with Tate on the show with her acting as a six-member, causing a lot of jokes and memes between the two fandoms. While Tate was in Korea, Venus would make her an honorary sixth member, letting her stay in the dorm and taking her to their favorite restaurant. While the collaboration was a bit sudden and off guard, many people found the girl's bond cute and wholesome. The vlogs, including Tate, would go on to reach a collective 12 million views.

OO9. The outfits for Untie would come under fire by religious organizations, saying the outfits were too promiscuous and revealing for television. At first, the girls would ignore the accusations, but once the internet caught hold of them, it blew up and was impossible for them to ignore. "While I don't agree with them, I do understand why old people would think a strappy tank top is promiscuous," Sena would go on to say when asked about the controversy, "I think it's important as artists that we're allowed to express ourselves even if that means showing our shoulders. So, I guess don't watch it if you don't like it. It seems kind of easy. We're adults. I thought we knew that." And she'd give a cute smile and a fingerheart, causing the audience to laugh.

O10. Towards the end of their promotions, VENUS would announce their third world tour! In April, the girls will travel to 22 countries, performing 66 shows all around the world. This will be their most extensive tour yet. The tour was announced via a promotional video posted to their YouTube channel. The video was set in a cyberpunk setting, with the girls dressed in sleek and futuristic outfits while walking through a city, being the only ones in black while the citizens are dressed in white. "Do you feel different?" The girls would ask in various languages, such as Korean, English, Thai, Mandarin, Japanese, and Vietnamese. The video ends with all five of Venus in front of a massive screen that is surrounded by little screens. The screens glitch for a moment before flashing white, the phrase "(IM)DIFFERENT." appearing on all of them, revealing to be the name of the tour. It's a short video but effective. In the description was a link to VENUS' official website, where tickets will be sold.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫ OUTFITS #1 ... THE BOYS !

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫ OUTFITS #2 ... BYOB (bring ur own bestie) !

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫ OUTFITS #3 ... UNTIE !

#╰ * venus : discography ⧽ burn it to the ground .#ficnetfairy #fictional idol group #fictional idol community #kpop fanfic #idol oc #kpop oc #fake kpop oc #kpop au #idol au #kpop addition #idolverse #oc girl group #bts addition #fake kpop girl group #fake kpop idol #oc kpop group #stray kids addition

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fromtenthousandfeet · 7 months ago

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Is the love and support for Jimin deep, but not wide? Did we succeed in growing his fanbase, or did we just get smarter? We were told to get Apple, which I did. I learned to properly stream Spotify and YouTube, which I do. I bought different versions of his album, which I don't need.

But what is the point of all these charts and wins and firsts? I'm not interested in a pissing contest with other K-pop groups, other BTS members, or Billie or Harry or Jade, or anyone else.

I would like to enjoy Jimin's music in the way I can enjoy the music of any other popular and successful artist. To walk into a store and hear Like Crazy playing. To turn on the car radio and start singing along to Who. Ah, serendipity!

Why is this too much to ask? Why won't they put him on the radio? How is he supposed to reach the GP if nobody hears him?

I'm tired of doing Hybe's work for them. I'm tired of enriching the pockets of these assholes only for them to mock and sneer at us. BTS is the cash cow, but so are we.

One line I haven't crossed: buying anything from a BTS store. Have never, will never.

And as for now, I will keep streaming--as pointless as it may feel--but I'm not buying any more albums. Enough. Basta!

Forgive my rant. I pretty much freaking worship Jimin, but I'm just so fed up with this Hybe/Geffen B.S.

Talk me down, please.

Hmm. Are you reading my mind?!?

I'm not sure if I'll be able to successfully talk you down, but I'll try.

First, let me start off by saying that I am in no way an expert on Korean culture and I'm basing what I'm about to say on watching an obscene amount of K-dramas (embarrassing but true) and newspaper articles I've read about the Korean educational system. Broad generalization - Koreans are obsessed with rankings to an extremely unhealthy degree.

BTS didn't just export K-pop to the rest of the world, they seemed to have exported the obsession with charts, superlatives, placements, accolades, accomplishments. I don't blame BTS per se, but more the fandom who have made it their life's work to make sure BTS always did well on music charts and music competitions. I see that it's both a labor of love and a means of expressing support to the group, but at what cost? And who really cares? All that stuff takes the focus away from supporting good music for good music's sake. And as long as the focus is on chart placement above all else, the general public will continue to view K-pop as fraudulent.

What's the point of literally billions of streams of songs that never make it to human ears? What's the point of albums sold that end up in landfills? And it's almost an insult to the artists who make the music. Can you imagine knowing your fans aren't even listening to your music, they just feel obligated to buy it, or worse, do it to compete with other K-pop acts. Yes, initially this effort was a way to bring attention to BTS outside of Korea when the industry ignored their existence, but at this point, the streaming culture and obsession with charts is a mental illness.

So who has the courage to say no more? What will it take to collectively agree that Jimin lovers will enjoy his music and his amazing performances and stop stressing themselves out over charts and awards? I don't know, but I do know that Jungkook's fake accomplishments are like fuel the fire in this situation. PJMs, wounded from the incessant gaslighting from the company and JJKs alike, aren't going to stop trying to prove reality anytime soon. Everyone needs therapy!

I do have a suggestion, though, and that is to focus all our efforts on getting radio for WHO. I think this is infinitely more important than mass streaming and buying. You are right that the Jimin fandom is deep, and while wide, it's not wide enough to accomplish what all the scolds on Twitter we do. There are a finite number of people who have both the will and means to stream incessantly. And the number of buyers will dry up. As my mother used to say, you can't get blood from a turnip.

Fans' money and labor is better spent getting the word out to the general public about Jimin's insane talent. He's met us half way with a song that appeals to the general pop music-consuming public. He's given us a compelling music video. It absolutely sucks that the onus to market him falls upon his fandom, but it is what it is. The powers that be at HYBE are definitely afraid of the success he would achieve with just the basic promo package.

Radio play means fans won't have to work so hard for charting and won't have to buy so much. But most of all, as more regular people recognize and compliment JImin's talents, the more confident PJMs will become. As it stands now, his fanbase is altogether too insecure. (Did none of you grow up with an older brother who teased you relentlessly? Was I the only one? Don't take the bait!)

So, what to do to get that garbage company to give Jimin radio? I hate that it already feels like we've lost too much momentum, but let's not give up. How many fans live in Los Angeles?! HYBE America's office is located at 2110 Colorado Ave STE 200, Santa Monica, CA 90404-3763. Any PJMs up for a little protest outside their office? Santa Monica is lovely. Maybe hit the beach afterwards? Trucks parked outside of HYBE headquarters? Tagging the songwriters and producers from WHO? Using shame and public humiliation seem to be the only tools in our toolkit. Twitter/X is pretty much useless these days.

Anon, I've been doing what you've been doing. I even bought from the BTS store, despite my better judgement. I agree with you, though. Enough is enough. Basta!

We are only two people, but change has to start somewhere. Let's encourage others to celebrate Jimin's artistry and accomplishments and stop playing the K-pop numbers game.

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hooked-on-elvis · 10 months ago

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"You Asked Me To" (1973/1975)

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"You Asked Me To" is a song written by the country singers Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver. Jennings first released the song in June 1973 on his album Honky Tonk Heroes, and the song spent fifteen weeks on the Billboard country singles charts. Elvis recorded the song on December 11, 1973 at Stax Records studios in Memphis, Tennessee, but it was only released during Elvis's 40th birthday (January 8, 1975) in the album Promised Land. The delay paid off. The country album peaked #1 on the Billboard's Top Country LPs chart, as well as the Cashbox Country albums chart.

THE MUSICIANS ON THIS TRACK: Guitar: James Burton, Johnny Christopher, Charlie Hodge. Bass: Norbert Putnam. Drums: Ronnie Tutt. Piano & Organ: David Briggs, Per-Erik Hallin. Vocals: Kathy Westmoreland, Mary (Jeannie) Greene, Mary Holladay, Susan Pilkington, Voice, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. OVERDUBS — Guitar: Dennis Linde, Alan Rush. Percussion: Rob Galbraith. Piano: Bobby Ogdin. Organ: Randy Cullers. Vocals: Ginger Holladay, Mary Holladay, Mary Cain.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RECORDING MOMENT FOR THIS SONG IN 1973:

Studio Sessions for RCA, December 10–16, 1973: Stax Studios, Memphis The night began with "You Ask Me To", a Waylon Jennings song that had been one of several recent hits for the Texas singer-songwriter. As a teenager Jennings had watched the young Hillbilly Cat perform in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, and he (like Buddy Holly, also from Lubbock) was impressed with what he saw. Now Elvis was following Jennings’s recording closely, and completed a lively take on the second try. For once, though, Elvis was satisfied before Felton [Jarvis]; the producer wanted to get something more from his singer, but when the hopped-up Elvis messed up on the next attempt, he started taking out his frustration on Felton. With the overwhelming criticism of the previous sessions, Felton felt compelled to push, encourage, and direct his artist, in an effort to make sure he gave the very best he could. Settling for take two just wasn’t good enough for what Felton was looking for, and though they had to fight through a few more mistake-ridden takes to get there, by take six he knew he’d done the right thing.

"You Ask Me To" by Waylon Jennings, released on the album Honky Tonk Heroes in June 1973:

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My favorite part of Elvis' cover of this song, and what gives it a noticeable difference from Waylon Jennings' original recording as you can notice, is the backing vocals added to the tune. I simply LOVE the female voices accompanying Elvis during the chorus.

On the other hand, one thing I'm not sure why it happened is the minor difference in the title between the original release and Elvis' recording. The original title, as written on the cover of Waylon Jennings' 1973 album is "You Ask Me To", but in Elvis' 1975 album it's written "You Asked Me To", which are also words in the lyrics anyway but the slight change in the title for the past tense form may be a little confusing for the ones noticing it. Below, Elvis' Promised Land LP back cover and Waylon Jennings' Honky Tonk Heroes LP back cover.

#i love elvis' rock and roll - blues and gospel songs but I'm a sucker for his country recordings beyond words could say #elvis presley #waylon jennings #country music #elvis music #1975 #promised land #elvis discography #elvis #elvis the king #elvis fans #elvis fandom #elvis history #70s elvis #elvis album #Youtube

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triple-a-444 · 10 months ago

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To celebrate BiT being in the charts it’s time for me to start something new and a little bit different for me…

Time for some lyric appreciation

All these are from Bears in Trees’ new album How to Build an Ocean: Instructions

Can everyonе just shut the fuck up for a second? - Your Favourite Coat

I write little poems each day inside my head my only conclusion I don’t wanna die yet - Things That Look Like Mistakes

Candles always best glow in the darkness - Injured Crow

I sleep better on the sofa please do not take me to the bedroom - I Can’t See Anything I Don’t Like About You

You can't be everything for everyone but you can be everything to someone - All You get is Confetti

If you want to eat the fruit you gotta feel the rainfall - Tai Chi With My Dad

Ok I’ve been keeping to one part per song but omg this one has a lot

I Wanna Feel Calm:

I try not to let my trauma do the talking but from time to time the Ts add up

I can see in your eyes that I can be exhausting

I want to hold on to every impermanence each an eternity in their own way

Been overwhelmed for like a year now feel my defences lower

Still didn’t do every lyric I wanted in this one but I’d just end up with the whole song 😭

Right back to it 😅

I know my love will never be enough to sing my enemies to sleep - Henry Says

And I'm begging you to feel something dream outside your bedroom window for a change - Hot chocolate

We all sing the same old songs we just sing them different now - Nothing Cures Melancholy Like Looking at Maps

I promise to text back as long as you'd like that - We Don’t Speak Anymore

This is gonna be another long one but it’s the last song so I’ll let myself off

I Don’t Wanna Be Angry: we love songs abt platonic relationships <3

Just wanna know that you're with me

But now I'm beating my soles to the pavement like the tarmac's done me wrong

I'll see everything was temporary, all the joy and all the pain

These worries won't changе my fate, because none of this is real just mental games I choose to play, trying to control how I feel

Love ain't just a feeling love's an action

Sorry this is long but I rlly wanted to do this. BiT are just amazing and their lyrics are rlly what make their songs so special

#bears in trees #how to build an ocean: instructions #lyrics #song lyrics #song #album #dirtbag boyband

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jacqthehermit · 2 years ago

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"The first ever Korean soloist in history to debut at #1 on Billboard Hot 100"

Yep I am late and this time I don't have any excuses. I didn't get sick like last time. I think I am just burnt out but I don't wanna fully admit it bec I don't have the right to be burnt out lmao. Anyways, I am here to talk about Jimin and not me.

Where do I even start?

I previously said that I'll start typing my thoughts again so I could get back to them in the future. But honestly, I don't know if I actually want to remember everything that happened during Jimin's FACE era. It actually gave me more heartbreak than happiness. As much as I wanted to focus on the success of the album and how the songs were carefully written by Jimin, I think there are more serious matters to talk about.

I mean yes, Jimin attained all these record breaking achievements however at the same time, he experienced a lot of injustices mostly bec he's an asian making honest music in a white dominated industry.

After hitting no.1 on HOT100, Billboard suddenly deleted 90% of his sales in the 2nd week which made him fall 40 spots down. If the sales were not deleted, he could've stayed no.1 for another week.

Spotify merged the 2 versions of Like Crazy in the first 4 days (like they usually do with other artists' songs) but when it was able to hit no.1 on Global Spotify Chart, they suddenly separated the 2 and never put them back. They even fucked up the producer credits for a time period.

Even after hitting no.1 on Global Spotify Chart and no.1 on HOT100, US radios kept ignoring Like Crazy and refused to play it. They would ask for requests and when LC acquires the most votes, they will pick another song. If the song was not paid and not from a white artist, US radios dgaf no matter how well the song is doing on the official charts.

Youtube has always been a BTS anti. Youtube does filter other artists' views too but when it comes to any BTS related videos, they filter out 1000000x harder. No matter how it is proven that BTS has one of, if not the largest fandom in the world, Youtube still considers us bots.

They usually delete a lot of views during the first few days of a BTS video then tones down after. However during Jimin's music videos (SMFPT2 and LC) they kept deleting an average of 1M views per day even 2 weeks after the release. The fact that LC was no.1 trending music video worldwide for days but it was stuck with the same views was so frustrating. Even if you compare its views to likes ratio from other Korean artists' mvs, you'll definitely see something's wrong.

When Jimin was about to hit 2M album sales in 1 day, Hanteo deleted 700k sales. They were even planning to make Jimin not hit 1M in 1 day bec they suddenly froze his sales. Luckily the fandom was able to screen record their website and posted a bunch of proofs of their anomaly. After bombarding them with emails, they gave up and brought back Jimin's 1M sales. Sadly the 700k sales were not given back.

The worst part from all this mess? BIGHIT/HYBE never said anything. Never defended their artist. Always does the bare minimum and makes the fandom do all the work, from promo, to radio spins and even in demanding for accountability from all these charts and platforms. Very disappointing knowing they are the biggest entertainment company in SK. BTS built the company from dust through their blood, sweat and tears but they can't give the same energy back? Pathetic. Tho when it comes to their rookie group they be doing the most lol.

"Bangtan are not babies, they are grown up, adult men. They are shareholders of this company. They know everything, they approved of this blah blah"

I know BTS do have the power and voice regarding their work but at the end of the day, there are certain things that the company has the final say (Hell they can't even release certain songs sometimes if not approved by the company!). I'm so sick of people bringing up this argument just to disregard the company's blatant negligence to the Tannies. Also, me talking about this does not mean I don't acknowledge all the good they've done, there are just so many questionable decisions made by the company that needed to be addressed but the space is not enough to list them all.

"You're crazy, it's not that deep. Go touch some grass"

Tbh if I can make all of these not true I would. I would save Jimin from all these unfair treatment specially he is just facing all of these alone since this is not a group comeback. But this is the reality. All these sabotages were not conspiracy theories, they were real. Even all of us were shocked that these charts and platforms did these things in broad daylight. This is how dirty the music industry is against people of color. This is the truth.

Other fandoms usually just focus on the visual aspect and rarely their faves' music (numbers don't lie bruh). They would be making fun of our fandom bec we take streaming, voting and charting seriously. And when BTS keeps on winning and their faves don't, they'd protest lmao. Why am I mentioning this?

Sometimes after fighting all these music charts and platforms I would think, what if I didn't dive deep? What if I'm just a casual music listener and a visual stan? What if I didn't know how corrupt the system is? Things wouldn't be so stressful right?

But then again, I fell in love with BTS bec of their music. And they have proven how much they love making music. Of course as a fan, I only want the best for them. I want them to achieve everything they deserve as artists and musicians. Fighting the impossible like the music industry is indeed exhausting however if it's for an artist like BTS then it's all worth it.

I want to end this long ass rant by congratulating Jimin on his historical solo album debut. I am sorry if I didn't focus on typing about FACE. I wanted to emphasize that despite all these sabotages, no payola, no playlisting, no radio and no western collab, Jimin made it to the top.

There might be people (mostly the ones who don't know how the charts and system work) thinking it was easy. It was never easy, always never easy when it comes to BTS.

Nevertheless thank you Jimin for making this masterpiece. I am proud of having you as a bias. You deserve all the success and praise. We will always have your back no matter what. I love you.

P.S.

I cried when I first listened to Set Me Free Pt. 2. If you are a Jimin biased person, you'll understand.

I am a big fan of 80s music and Like Crazy has 80s music vibe so I love it so much.

I wanted to include every achievement of FACE and LC on every chart in different countries but there's not enough space.

There might be another Korean soloist in the future who will achieve no.1 on HOT100 like Jimin but that will never change the fact that he will always be the first (also 2nd asian soloist overall after 60 years) and I can't flex this enough.

Please listen to Jimin's record breaking solo debut album if you haven't yet~ 🙇‍♀️💓

#Park Jimin #Like Crazy #No. 1 Billboard HOT 100 #BTS #Bangtan Sonyeondan #jacqthehermit.drawing

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weaversweek · 4 months ago

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13 "You get what you give" - New Radicals

writer Gregg Alexander

With Gregg you get two artists for the price of one: an Alanis-generation consciousness-raiser; and a clever-but-catchy pop-rock natural who has finally struck gold after over a decade of false starts.

Part of the UncoolTwo50 project, marking the best singles from 1977-99.

It used to be easy to get agitprop into the charts. Ask Joni Mitchell, who made a career out of doing so. Ask Paul Weller, who started kicking against the system in 1977 and has never stopped. But in the closing months of the century, with the media increasingly homogonised and nationalised, it was ever more difficult to advocate for something transgressive and different.

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The video for "You get what you give" was transgressive and different. Young kids run amuck in a shopping mall, locking yuppies in cages, tying security guards under nets, moshing in the food court. All the while, this power pop song clonks along at a metronomic pace, precisely two beats per second.

A counterculture punch comes in the very first verse. "Wake up, kids! We've got the dreamer's disease." Gregg is one of Us, positioning himself against Them. "Every night we smash their mercedes-benz", something we might like to do but never would dare make happen. "If you feel your dream is dying - hold tight!" Stuff gets better, there is a place for optimism.

Gregg repeats the message hard and often, looping back through "This world is gonna pull through, don't give up, you've got a reason to live". At the end, he throws out names of celebrities he might like to kick the ass of. It's an early example of the Dead Cat strategy, all the chat is about this coda and he's been able to sneak a profoundly anti-capitalist message to the audience.

The New Radicals were not long for this world: one massive hit, an album full of blue-eyed soul (it's ended up next to Deacon Blue in my collection). There's one other enduring song on the album, "Someday we'll know" covered a few years later by Hall and Oates. Reviewing the CD, Mat Snow wrote in Mojo magazine, "in the longer term one suspects that such an awkwardly large talent as Gregg Alexander will find himself roller coasting in the career trajectory pioneered by the aforementioned [Todd] Rundgren."

Gregg Alexander turned into one of the new century's most prominent songwriters, penning "Life is a rollercoaster", "Murder on the dancefloor", "On the horizon", the soundtrack for Begin Again, and many more. He chose to concentrate on his talents: not everybody is cut out to be a rock star, and we've got to accept that choice. He spent much of the 2000s in advocacy work for poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa, working with NGOs and giving a million bucks in donations. Those farthings from your stream are going to a good cause.

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Gregg continues to record: there were seven unreleased albums when he spoke to Billboard in 2018, maybe they'll come out after he's dead. The New Radicals reunited for a one-off gig in January 2021, marking the life of Beau Biden and celebrating his father Joe's new job. It was also the walk-on music in 2020 for Douglas Emhoff (Kamala Harris's husband).

Look down the list: we've not had a male vocal since last Christmas. One day, this list will have its last male vocal, and we might not care too much because we're revelling in brilliant songs.

Numbers have a certain tyranny: this was the very last cut - the Song 51 - when I did #Uncool50 a couple of years back. Some mild credit to the late cuts for this list:

51 Sixpence None the Richer "Kiss me" 52 The Waterboys "The whole of the moon" 53 Black "Wonderful life" 54 A-ha "Take on me"

55-61 Alisha's Attic "Alisha rules the world" Boy Meets Girl "Waiting for a star to fall" Debbie Gibson "Electric youth" Dream Academy "Life in a northern town" Duran Duran "The reflex" Fools' Garden "Lemon tree" Heavy D and the Boyz "Now that we've found love"

62-69 An Emotional Fish "Celebrate" Don Henley "The boys of summer" Goodbye Mr Mackenzie "The rattler" Princess "Say I'm your number 1" Runrig "Hearthammer" The Big Dish "Miss America" The Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" Wah! "The story of the blues"

#new radicals #you get what you give #1998 #shopping mall #gregg alexander #sneaking agitprop onto hit radio #politics #beau biden #one of the 50 greatest songs of the late 20th century #uncool two 50 #uncooltwo50 #pop music #20th century #1977-1999

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hotarutranslations · 4 months ago

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2 Consecutive Weeks of Ikebukuro Sunshine

Evening

📚

Released October 30th "Gekkan Entame" Ishida x Oda

→Thank you very much to the many who have already voiced having read it🎈

Releasing November 9th "BOMB" Ishida x Oda

→It has the atmosphere of loungewear~ so by all means🎈

Releasing November 15th "EX Taishuu" Ishida x Inoue x Yumigeta

→We had a talk about the album release, and towards my graduation🎈

Releasing November 22nd "Up To Boy" Ishida x Oda x Makino

→Everyone is wearing a blue outfit, There was dancing, emotions, and fun🎈

Preorders Ongoing Please Definitely Check It Out

On November 20th, At the Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square,

We're going for a Album Release Commemorative Event💿💿

This was announced but,

Somehow!

The following week on the release date, November 27th, At Ikebukuro Sunshine City Fountain Square,

We'll also be holding an event💿💿

2 consecutive weeks! Amazing! lol

Please definitely come and visit…!

Being able to have my last at Ikebukuro Shunshine, I'm happy about that~~~

I think it was when the album was released before but, Perhaps in 2014, Surely, because of the members,

The single costumes had 2 per outfit,

Like, Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai.. Password is Zero..also had people, Was Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa..mixed in? Ah, maybe its different? lol

Sorry I'm writing this blog on impulse⚠️

It was something like that--!

More than when I stood there the first time, The next time I stood there, And the next time I stood there,

Those who are watching from above, I remember thinking, They've gathered! I'm happy!🎈

It may have been that there really were, more people watching,

It may have been that I was able to, Look up myself

.☺️☺️🪽

I think this may be my last, Free viewing event..

For those who can't go to YokoAri..

Of course, Its different from a concert but,

I would be really happy if you could see us for a bit of a live performance!!!!!

By all means, freely🎈

Definitely participate in the farewell event too🎈

Happy happy🤍

This!!!

Look forward to this every Friday!!!

Thank you very much!!!

I was happy to have a shoot, With stuffed animals🫣🤍

A shoot with your pet… I've also seen things liek that, That is also wonderful,

I feel that same way, I'm happy to have a shoot with stuffed animals🤍

Everyone is cuteeeee

By all means! Look forward first off to the 8th

I'm sorrryyy I forgot to bring Ta-chan🥲

Photobook On Sale🤍

Play▶️List

Graduation Announcement Blog🐣🪽

Morning Musume '24 Ishida Ayumi Graduation Commemoration "Graduaton Memorial CD"🍀

Preorder Deadline is November 22nd🍀

📺Morning Musume Happy Daisakusen

Show titled as such on Hulu-san👑 Streaming starts on October 19th

📺Sendai Broadcast "Ara Ara Kashiko"

I appear once a month as part of the AraKashi Family

The previous shows, and makings, are on OX VIDEO STORE!

📺Hello Pro Dance Every other Thursday at 11:30PM~

Season 12 will start airing, On October 17th (Thurs)🕺

Thank you for following.. Instagram💙🩵

💿 August 14th new single✨ "Nandaka Sentimental na Toki no Uta/saiKIYOU"

Thank you very much 🏅 For Oricon Weekly Chart #1🏅

💿November 27th New album✨

Professionals-17th

This is the last CD release for Ishida "Yuukan na Dance" is being performed at autumn tour It Includes 8 new songs, with a total of 13 songs

Look forward🕺

🪩"Morning Musume '24 Concert Tour Autumn WE CAN DANCE!"

Its Ishida Ayumi's last tour💙 I'm looking forward to seeing you

📻Morning Musume '24 Morning Jogakuin ~Houkago Meeting~

Airs Every Saturday, On Radio Nihon at 12:00AM~

Past Broadcast Episodes Are Available →Program Details

see you ayumin<3 https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12873960725.html

#Ishida Ayumi #Morning Musume '24 #Morning Musume #Hello! Project #Translation #Blog

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nickgerlich · 6 months ago

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Going Up The Country

Music is another one of those highly contentious subjects that can quickly digress into argument. Our likes and dislikes are deeply personal, and reflect a lot about our personality, our upbringing, and the randomness of what resonates within.

I cut my teeth on rock music, and like most of my young male friends, the harder and louder, the better. It was probably hormonal rage, given that I was just entering adolescence. Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were my mainstays, and rarely would I ever drift toward—much less admit to liking—pop hits.

Fortunately, my tastes have matured and widened considerably through the last 50+ years, and I now listen to a wide variety. I guess you could say that certain musical genres were like Brussels Sprouts and asparagus. I acquired a taste for them.

I still cringe, though, when I think back to the musically dreadful late-70s, when the Bee Gees were stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive with an endless onslaught of disco records. They and many other artists were stealing all the air time, leaving rock and rollers wondering what hit them.

Some of them figured if they couldn’t beat them, they had better join them. Thus, we found the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, and others—gasp—releasing disco-infused songs. They were terrible, embarrassingly so. In an effort to show their versatility, they showed just how afraid they were of losing what they thought was theirs.

The trend of crossover artists continued into the 80s, when rap and hip-hop started exploding. I recall all too badly several white artists trying desperately to include a break-out rap in the middle of one of their pop songs. This was at a time when African-Americans dominated the genre, and, well, white guys trying to emulate the style looked rather foolish. I hear white men can’t jump, either.

Here we are today, and we see crossover artists once again making their statement, with a large group of pop and rap stars going country. One of the most notable among them is Beyoncé, who has seen her popularity escalate, while at the same time raising more than just a little ire among long-time country fans and others. How dare she pretend to be country and just drop in like that?

Then there’s Post Malone, the rapper who just released F-1 Trillion. I am listening to it right now as I write. Wow! What a great album. But I think Mr. Malone is not as likely to draw the disdain of country fans, because he went about things completely differently. Rather than pretty much flying solo like Beyonce did, he partnered with numerous established country stars for duets on the album.

Now that’s a way to endear yourself with the country crowd. If Luke, Blake, Lainey, Hank, Morgan, and the rest were willing to do this, then he must be legit.

I’ll be honest. I never liked Post Malone as a rapper. That’s just not my style of music. The album before this, though, marked his transition as he ventured into a more polished pop sound. And now I hear a twang in his delivery, urban poetry gone to the boondocks. Keep it classy, Post. This is good.

And you might be wondering what an aging rock and roller like me is doing fawning over a country album. While I never started out liking country per se, I did love country rock, as in the Eagles. I also grew up playing Southern Gospel on the piano at church, so I knew the Nashville Number System and could play in any key to match the range of the vocalist or choir.

Today, I love me some Texas Red Dirt Music. Why, just a week ago I saw Band of Heathens and West Texas Exiles in Lubbock, and have seen Blackberry Smoke—too country for rock and roll, too rock and roll for country—six times. Turn it up.

The question is how music listeners will react in the long run, though. Will Beyoncé retain her diva crown? Will Post Malone keep topping the charts? And will all this great new music cause Dr. Gerlich to take up line dancing?

The music we listen to is as much a consumer behavior matter as the kind of products we buy. We build our playlists with what we like, and tune in to satellite radio stations that closely match our interests. Everything else can just keep out.

Beyoncé and Post Malone certainly did not need the money, but they did want to hop on the country train. And 45 years ago, the Stones, Rod Stewart, and others did the same with disco. As much as I hated the latter, I’m OK with the former. Maybe it’s because I like country far more than disco.

I don’t listen to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple much these days. I still like their music, but I have grown far beyond just one item in my musical diet. Sabbath’s front man Ozzy Osbourne was a real trip to see back in ’79. Sadly, I never saw Deep Purple, and now their amazing keyboardist is dead.

All I know is I am enjoying this smorgasbord, and I hope that the country fans whose knickers are in a twist figure out how to lighten up a bit. I’m practically old enough to be Post Malone’s grandfather, but I’m digging what he’s doing. As long as people are humming a happy tune, regardless of who wrote it or performed it, what could go wrong?

Dr “Finer Things” Gerlich

Audio Blog

#marketing #country music #music #Beyonce #Post Malone

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thelensofyashunews · 1 year ago

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Rising FL Star BossMan Dlow Shares Video for Hot 100 Hit "Get In With Me"

Bubbling out of South Florida with the slipperiest flow in the Sunshine State, BossMan Dlow is about to blow. Today, the Port Salerno native shares the highly-anticipated video for "Get In With Me," one of the fastest-rising and most surprising rap hits of this young year, generating over 10 million on-demand streams to date, and making its debut this week at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Slithering atop a sinister instrumental by Dxntemadeit, Dlow stacks a series of slick-talking flexes, starting off the song with a memorable one-two, "I was bad in f*ckin' school, now I'm tryna dodge a sentence," and elevating from there, commenting on his iced-out wrist, noting his recent purchase of thousand dollar sneakers, and whipping his Bentley Bentayga like there's no tomorrow. The young rapper's charisma pops out of the speakers on "Get In With Me," as he rhymes in short bursts in an addictively off-kilter cadence. In the video, the rapper who calls himself "Big Za" gives a glimpse into his high-rolling lifestyle, starting with a long night of partying in Miami, before he takes his Bentley to Orlando for the NFL Pro Bowl. The video features clips from Dlow's post-game club performance with YTB Fatt.

The new video for "Get In With Me" is only the latest step in the song's rise from regional hit to national smash. Released in mid-January, the song started life as a freestyle on Jacksonville, Florida freestyle series "Kreepin Through The Streetz." When Dlow posted a snippet from the freestyle on his Instagram feed, the post immediately went viral, generating over 8 million views and drawing comments from the likes of DaBaby and Luh Tyler, and many others. The song built grassroots momentum upon its official release, generating over 51k creates on TikTok, getting posted on social media by fans like Lil Baby and Solange, and trending on YouTube with a still image video. That grassroots bubble quickly exploded, and "Get In With Me" grew from an internet hit to an IRL problem–it currently ranks #11 on Apple Music's All-Genre Chart, after peaking at #1 over the weekend, and at #8 on Shazam's U.S. Top 200. Over the weekend, players from the Kansas City Chiefs turned up to the song in the locker room after winning their second straight Super Bowl.

Born and raised in Port Salerno, a city on Florida's Atlantic coast north of West Palm Beach, Bossman Dlow emerged in late 2023 as one of the burgeoning Florida street scene's most exciting voices. Before "Get In With Me," the 25-year-old rapper built a loyal following with songs like "The Biggest" ft. YTB Fatt (2.5 million YT views), "Phil Jackson" (1 million YT views), and "Rotation" (1.4 million views). Those three anthems and more appear on 2 Slippery, Dlow's first release for Alamo Records, which dropped in December. Featuring additional features from fellow Floridians Loe Shimmy and Woodboy Gee, the tape racked up over 2 million streams on Apple Music in its first week, reaching #17 on the platform's Hip-Hop Albums chart and #47 on the All-Genre Albums chart. The rising star has been generating over 19 million streams per week across his catalog.

With a national hit on his hands and the world in his sights, Bossman Dlow is ready for stardom. Stay tuned for much more.

#bossman dlow #south florida #south florida rapper #south florida artist #port salerno #port salerno rapper #port salerno florida #port salerno artist #get in with me #Youtube #Spotify

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watchinglikeafangirl · 1 year ago

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Everyone is mad at Hybe labels

Many fans are claiming Hybe labels is focusing less and less on their old KPop groups and shift their eyes towards the new rising idol groups. That is absolutely true and a very obvious marketing strategy that is unfair to the idols and the fans.

I just saw a video about the recent events of TXT fancalls where the fans paid a ridicilous amount of money in order to have a videocall with the members. The time limit was set to 15 seconds which is absolutly unfair to TXT and the fans. Obviously, this is due to Hybe wanting to generate more money per minute. 4 videocalls in one minute is pretty beneficial, so it's smart on money terms, but it's bullshit when it comes to the factor of humanity. And I wanna talk a bit about Hybe labels and their strategy to push themselves into the spotlight, so they can be a monopole in KPop.

Hybe has many KPop groups under the label, not many of them are under its name. There are many, many labels under Hybe, but I guess we all know that. For example, Seventeen and Enhypen are not under Hybe's name, but still belong to PLEDIS and BeLift which are owned by Hybe.

The KPop groups I want to point out arw TXT and NewJeans because you can see what purpose each group serves in order to be beneficial.

TXT is an "old" KPop group with their debut in 2019 and NewJeans is a new KPop group with their debut in 2022. Both are part of the 4th generation but handled in very different ways. You see, Hybe label plans to expand to the US. They want their label to be in the US physically (like second headquarters). But what does an expansion need? Money and reputation. Both TXT and NewJeans serve that will.

TXT

As I said, TXT is considered to be an "old KPop group" since it's already been four years. They have a huge fanbase, they started as the new BTS and recently went viral (again) for their VMA performance of their new single "coming back for more". TXT is already established in the business. They have a fanbase, they have the needed substance and many fans have been around for several years now, so they can be used to generate more fame and attention for Hybe. Concert tickets are becoming expensive, videocalls for only 15 seconds because fans are that desperate, challenge videos with an easy choreography, songs with international stars. It all leads to money and reputation. TXT is known, TXT is famous and TXT is used by Hybe for its own benefit. I mean, every label uses their idols for its own benefit but Hybe is on a mission. It's aggressive and effective. If I scroll through Spotify, TXT has not released a proper album in two years (the last one recycled their hits). What have they been doing? Going on tour abroad. They themselves say they spend more time abroad than in Korea. Because TXT has been pushed to be a KPop group with increasing overseas fans. It's not bad they have many fans overseas, why would it be? But it's the way Hybe is pushing through it. Rather than releasing new music cause that wouldn't generate that much money while they're home recording, TXT has to work with the songs they have (it's already A LOT) and don't release many new songs. It's to stabilize the attention given overseas. It establishes reputation.

Since the MOA fanbase is already a few years old, fans are willing to pay for it. Ticket prices can be high because people are okay with paying that much money since they've known the group for some time now. It's nostalgia and loyalty that's being used to gain money. There's just one problem, not all TXT members speak english. And that's where NewJeans steps in.

(I googled some ticket prices and the average price is 143$ in San Francisco which is 194,111.06won which is 136€. I would say that's much and I personally wouldn't buy it.)

NewJeans

The songs NewJeans sing are supposed to be hits. They are produced and written to make it to the top of the worldwide charts. It's not a bad thing, but it's why their music seems a bit boring. It's super-generic and wasted potential. But it's enough to have a ton of dance challenges and after all, chart music stays for several weeks. NewJeans debuted and it wasn't just that they debuted famous, I haven't seen another KPop group be as famous as they were after like two weeks.

They're all very young and Hybe does everything to make them look appealing to young girls on the internet. They are the definition of MZ generation with their haistyles, oufits and slightly mature charisma. To sum it up, NewJeans is american. Their imagine is appealing to fans overseas. Plus, they can all speak english, so international promotions are easier. NewJeans is a product of Hybe's expansion and they are used for that. Hybe is presenting itself as "american", NewJeans has become the new faces. The songs are in the charts without people realizing it's a Kpop song they're listening to. Hybe makes KPop global and it generates so much reputation and so much money since their songs are being streamed, the music videos clicked and the challenges danced. NewJeans is the symbol of internationality for Hybe and KPop. It's not that they opened a door, that happened years before, but they make KPop mainstream. Many idols have made KPop mainstream, I'm not saying NewJeans are the ones who initiated or started this but they're Hybe's big entrance to international mainstream.

Conclusion

Hybe is growing and it's good for the genre and bad for the idols. The fans get tired and I feel like if this goes on for the next years, Hybe will kinda fall flat on its face...but who knows with the future in the entertainment industry. There are voices of fans getting louder that the idols are too overworked and used too much by the labels. Hybe is pushing overseas promotions and produces music that has no color. TXT's music is suffering as well, the last singles were not great music ("coming back for more" and "do it like that"). Good songs, yes, they stayed in my head, but there wasn't an originality to it and it's very sad.

The difference is, MOA is big in Korea and outside of Korea, they have a lot of fans in Korea as well. Their online presence isn't that big, they are not being pushed that much on YT for example. It's because old KPop groups are used to give Hybe money. Bunnies isn't a big fandom since NewJeans' music is made to be in the listeners ears for a while and then leave. They have a strong online presence but forgetful music. The new KPop groups are there for Hybe's reputation.

#kpop #hybe labels #txt #txt moa #newjeans #newjeans bunnies #it's just not fair for the idols #ever since sugar rush ride i knew what path txt is following #newjeans was kinda obvious after hybe boy #with hybe doing this you can see how much control a label has #and it's sad to see #they shifted txt's music and purpose to fit the expansion #wrote this before txt's new album was announced

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fearsmagazine · 2 years ago

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Acclaimed Los Angeles-based Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey reveals new track “Bewitched,” alongside a music video. The video was shot in London by director Lewis Cater.

A good song, but it sounds like a number from a Disney princess move. Give it a listen and let us know what you think.

“Bewitched” is the latest offering from her highly anticipated forthcoming album Bewitched, due September 8 via AWAL Recordings. About the song, which features accompaniment from the London-based Philharmonia Orchestra, Laufey explains, “‘Bewitched’ is a love song. I wanted the Philharmonia Orchestra to illustrate that feeling when you’re first falling in love with someone, and for it to emulate the thoughts that run through your head after a perfect first date.”

The new music is already receiving widespread attention—the album’s first single, “From The Start,” is garnering 1.5M streams per day across DSPs, and is currently the most streamed jazz song in the U.S., Top 50 overall on Spotify in the U.S., #6 on the U.S. Viral Charts, and Top 50 on the U.S. Shazam charts. Moreover, NPR Music praised her previously released track “Promise” as “delicate poetic music.” Bewitched follows Laufey’s 2022 debut full-length, Everything I Know About Love, which reached #1 on Billboard’s Alternative New Artist Album chart and featured hit single, “Valentine,” that peaked at #1 on the Spotify Jazz Chart.

While Everything I Know About Love shows what Laufey calls her “hopeless romantic” side, Bewitched has a more mature outlook, although it’s still in love with love. Laufey notes, “This is a love album, whether it be a love towards a friend or a lover or life. The first album also touched a lot on things like moving out of my childhood home and moving into a new city for the first time—being an adult. With this one, I’ve experienced a little bit more of that, and I’m writing about the magic in the love of being young.”

Additionally, Laufey will celebrate the album on the road this fall with ‘The Bewitched Tour,’ which sold out in minutes. The tour will make stops at iconic venues throughout North America including two nights at San Francisco’s Fillmore, Chicago’s Thalia Hall, New York City’s Town Hall, and Los Angeles’ Theatre at the Ace Hotel. Laufey’s performance at The Ford on September 16 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic is also sold out, and she is set to perform at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra on release day. Full tour routing below.

Laufey (pronounced lāy-vāy) is looking to bridge the gap between the past and the present, the history books and social media, the Reykjavik concert hall Harpa and the Los Angeles rock dive Troubadour, by writing, recording, and performing songs that are truly timeless, inspired by jazz greats and classical masters while possessing a point of view that could only be conveyed by a 21st-century twentysomething. Laufey explains, “As a musician, my goal is to bring jazz and classical music to my generation through a more accessible road.”

Raised between Reykjavík and Washington, D.C. with annual visits to Beijing, the Icelandic-Chinese artist grew up playing cello as well as piano and became hooked on the jazz standards of Ella Fitzgerald after digging through her father’s record collection. In 2020, while still a student at Berklee College of Music, Laufey released her debut single “Street by Street,” which went on to top the Icelandic radio charts. Following the release of her 2021 Typical of Me EP, Laufey was named Best New Artist in Jazz and Blues at the Icelandic Music Awards and hosted her own show on BBC Radio 3/BBC Sounds. By 2022 Laufey was the most streamed jazz artist on Spotify. Today, she has 500 million streams across all platforms and is the biggest streaming artist from Iceland in the world.

#Laufey #Bewitched #music #video #youtube #Youtube

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deadcactuswalking · 2 years ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 01/04/2023 (Ed Sheeran, Jimin, Paris Paloma)

Welp, you knew it was coming. Or, really, he was coming. Ed Sheeran takes the #1 from Miley Cyrus with his new single debuting at the top, “Eyes Closed”. More on that later but for now, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, even on this busy week, we start with our notable dropouts – songs that are exiting the UK Top 75 (which is what I cover) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week includes many of the debuts from last week, which is no surprise, including “Set Me Free Pt.2” by Jimin, but we’ll get back to him. Otherwise, we say farewell to “I Wrote a Song” by Mae Muller (it’ll be back in May), “PAINTING PICTURES” by Superstar Pride, “Weekends” by Freya Riding, “In Ha Mood” by Ice Spice, “Martin’s Sofa” by Headie One, “Pointless” by Lewis Capaldi, “Lavender Haze” by Taylor Swift, “Hide & Seek” by Stormzy and “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd (again). There’s always one week per season or so where you can tell the hit parade is having a drastic change over the seasons, and this may be that week where we see that spring turnover – finally.

As for what’s filling in the blanks, well, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi and “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM are back seemingly at random at #65 and #72 but we also have two artists with albums impacting the chart in our returning entries, both of which we’ll talk about in detail with our batch of new songs. Firstly, “The Kind of Love We Make” by Luke Combs is back at #75, and secondly, Lana Del Rey takes “A&W” back up to #45 – neither reach new peaks, and it really would have been great to see “A&W” in the top 40, but both are great songs and I’m glad they’re back, though again, like much of this week, I’ll say more on them later. As for our notable gains, we see “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen at #66 (I imagine a lot of people will be bothered that this is a thing – not me), “Shivers” by Ed Sheeran getting residual hype at #55, “Oh Baby” by Nathan Dawe and Bru-C featuring Issey Cross and bshp at #41, “Hell n Back” by Bakar at #35 off of the debut, “Pretty Boys” by Caity Baser at #30 and finally, “REACT” by Switch Disco featuring Ella Henderson and the late Robert Miles at #26. I’m not exactly pleased about all of this, but what can you do?

Now before we get into our new entries, we can cover the top five, where we see “Die for You” by The Weeknd at #5, “People” by Libianca at #4 and “Miracle” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding at #3. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus has been pushed down to #2 by our ginger prophet’s debut, which we’ll cover at the end, but we’ve got a country song, a posthumous single, a K-pop track and Lana Del Rey album cuts to talk about so... joy. Let’s just get into them.

NEW ARRIVALS

#73 – “The Light” – Juice WRLD

Produced by Gezin, Hurtboy AG, ManOhManFoster and Max Lord

Even more posthumous singles from Juice feels like overkill at this point. I know the man recorded thousands of unreleased tracks but the way that the label and management feels the need to create genuine single and album rollouts has gone way beyond “feeding the fans” and into just pure exploitation territory, which is kind of sad because well, a lot of these songs aren’t even bad. This one... absolutely is, and honestly makes me mad. Juice’s vocals are drenched in reverb and echo that distance it even further from this obnoxiously programmed attempt at emo-pop, with drum mixing that sounds genuinely horrible, louder than any kind of melody that the song finds, but with too many cooks producing the track and Juice’s vocals still clearly an unfinished demo where we hear punch-ins just so he can try and find the beat, there’s not much melody to offer either. At some point they give up and put a trite trap beat under the whole song like some kind of amateur YouTube remix. I didn’t even notice initially but the more I researched, I found out that this was actually censored. I thought why of course, since none of the others had been censored, and honestly, I can’t seem to find much of a reason: they even uncensored one line about hoes being pretentious because fans complained. They reworked and censored a dead man’s art for what I can only assume are financial reasons in order to make it more accessible and radio-friendly, only for his fans – who otherwise eat up all of the posthumous garbage the label gives them (which is the label’s fault, not theirs) – to actually push back against it and force them into changing that one line and none of the others. This is an embarrassing and pathetic attempt, and the fact that it debuted so low may prove that people are sick of this grave-robbing schtick, and God, I hope so. The fact that this was originally intended to be a love song makes the label scum involved in revamping it seem even less sympathetic: I probably wouldn’t have liked the song if he was alive and fully involved in its production, but at least then it’d be a genuine track, released by someone who can consent to its release and adjust it to get to his artistic vision. Over three years after Juice’s death, that prospect is clearly no longer possible, and the flagrantly cash-grabbing label snabs to replicate the success and resonance he had with his audience is utter disrespect. The less Juice WRLD I cover from now on in this series, the better, because every time I do, it’s just a truly sad experience.

#71 – “Flip a Switch.” – RAYE

Produced by Di Genius, RAYE and Mike Sabath

I was a tad underwhelmed with My 21st Century Blues as a whole because it has most of the expected debut effort scruffiness and confusion in what it actually wishes to convey. With that said, it’s an honest album – one that kicks itself in the foot in order to be so – and has some beautiful songs... “Flip a Switch.” is not one of them. Sure, I like the harmonies in the intro, but otherwise I find it an oddly dull kiss-off about a guy who clearly didn’t want RAYE for love and just for sex, so it leads her to a similarly vengeful and careless mindset. It’s a cool enough sentiment and definitely one RAYE can deliver with both power and nuance – Hell, she did just that in “Escapism.” – but against this hybrid, mono-genre beat, anything she sings is going to sound disappointing, especially when her hypnotic harmonies are lost behind a deadpan performance from RAYE that kind of just sucks, I’m sorry. The writing’s okay, but the flailing acoustic guitars and sterile drums are not, and her lack of casuality in any of her rap flows becomes increasingly obvious with this one wherein she’s forced to rap for the whole song and she basically just loses any of her power on the mic. It just ends up sounding actually dead, which may have been the point, but without a bridge that actually, you know, sounds like a bridge, or any kind of further narrative, there’s not much of promise to be found on this mediocre production and one of RAYE’s worst performances, outside of those backing harmonies which again are great. It’s just a shame that the rest of the song really isn’t.

#70 – “Fast Car” – Luke Combs

Produced by Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton

Ohio singer Tracy Chapman first released “Fast Car” in 1988, and it became a top five single here in the UK, peaking at #5 in its original run and since kind of becoming a beloved classic. It reached a new peak of #4 in 2011 and for some reason became victim of several terrible tropical house remixes, with Jonas Blue’s version featuring Dakota out-peaking the original at #2. Now my favourite rendition of “Fast Car” will always be how it was sampled in the rap classic “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow” by Nice & Smooth, but the original is a pretty undisputed song so I was interested to hear how the UK’s favourite country star (not exactly the highest bar) would tackle it. As is, Chapman’s “Fast Car” is a beautiful folk-pop track about the cycle of life, starting with escapism: chasing their dreams with their partner and just driving away is a necessity with the tragic background, yet that backstory ends up informing how her partner ends up acting, just like her father, and Chapman takes a stand against it using the exact same motto they used to get together in the first place: “leave tonight, or live and die this way”. It turns out that it isn’t what it seems, and it’s a bittersweet song, sure, but there’s satisfaction in how much confidence Chapman has gained since, and still finds a lot of time to reminisce on the earlier escapism of that relationship. Does Luke Combs do it justice? Well, it’s hard to say for me; he does do it more justice than Jonas Blue but that’s a given. I do love his delivery as always, as he just has a BIG voice, giving more power – alongside the more conventional, streamlined country production – to the narrative and really amplifying the drama. He doesn’t change the narrative much either, even still calling himself a “checkout girl” in the verse, which I think is a great choice. It feels more like he’s elevating another voice than really lifting his own... which honestly works in this context. The album’s called Gettin’ Old – part of that is understanding other peoples’ stories and integrating what you learn from them into how you live your own life. If “Fast Car” is your choice to cover in order to express that, I’d say they’re some pretty damn good lessons to learn. It’s a great song, really difficult to mess up especially in this acoustic sound.

#68 – “Candy Necklace” – Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste

Produced by Zach Dawes, Lana Del Rey, Nick Waterhouse and Ian Doerr

No, I didn’t listen to that new Lana Del Rey album. Who do you think I am, someone who listens to Lana Del Rey albums? I barely have the time to read her album and song titles in full. I’m also not largely a fan of Lana, so having two tracks to cover here is not exactly exciting, but they do both have features so maybe it won’t be too bad – and hey, I loved “A&W”, so this could be good? I’d introduce Jon Batiste but I mean, he won Album of the Year in 2022 without anyone knowing who the Hell he is, so I think he’ll be fine. This is a song about young love, about Lana’s brain shutting off when she’s with this restless guy and all his innocent little candy necklaces, though you wouldn’t know it based off of the whispery vocals and intense pianos that eventually have credence given to them by the second verse, where for whatever reason, this relationship is bringing her down... with a pretty cheesy implementation of an A Tribe Called Quest reference before the chorus continues basically as if that verse didn’t happen. Now Lana is an albums artist; I fully expect that context is required and provided by the album, and this fits into a larger narrative, but considering how minimal the song is outside of the manic piano solo, I don’t get a lot from this song as it stands on its own, especially since Batiste could really have played off Lana for the whole song to give more detail and only ever shows up at the end for a final mantra. It just ends up kind of disappointing by the end, which is a shame because there’s something more to tassle with here.

#48 – “Paris, Texas” – Lana Del Rey featuring SYML

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Lana Del Rey

Okay, well, I will introduce SYML, since I had to look up who this was myself, and it’s the stage name for Seattle musician Brian Fennell, who does not provide vocals and is rather just sampled for the instrumental, though it fits very well into the sprinkling piano sound of the other Lana album cut we covered. I like how she specifies she is going to Americanised, diluted versions of these important European cities, it adds some cohesiveness and depth to the meandering track that absolutely makes use of that meander: it’s about moving on, even if it’s not onto anything all that new or special. If you’re no longer enveloped in that scenery, maybe it’s just time to go, and with her frail falsetto floating over acoustic guitars, it’s a pretty breezy track that exemplifies that feeling of not really being “home” in one place but still having the constant mindset of having to move around and venture into new place, only for the outro to kind of confirm the fears of this moving around all being a tad pointless. Surely, when you know you’re right at home, you will be, right? The framing can definitely be interpreted as about a relationship (or more than one), but I prefer the idea of it just being about uncertainty and not knowing where you can actually feel safe. It’s something that resonates with me particularly, not because I moved around a lot but because there’s no place that actually feels like home for me... except music. Okay, let’s not get too sappy on this, we’re only at #48 and I already put way too much emotional depth into two other new entries so far. It’s an excellent song, and I’ll leave it at that. The original SYML instrumental isn’t half bad either, but the Lana version adds a lot more depth.

#38 – “Fly Girl” – FLO featuring Missy Elliott

Produced by MNEK, LiTek and WhYJay

I really wanted to like this. The original “Work It” is undeniable and a song that hit #6 here in the UK in 2002, though I’m surprised it never reached any higher. This new song with promising girl group FLO is heavily based on that 2000s banger and... it’s just a mess. The first verse mentions a checklist and that’s absolutely what it is: does it have a slick R&B acoustic guitar line? Yes. Does it have an overpowering hip hop rhythm section with hard bass? Yes. Does it have good enough harmonies with lyrics about being fly, sexy and independent? Yes. Does it interest me? Well, kind of, but not for the right reasons – it seems like it’s checking all of the boxes, but the guitars sound like MIDIs, the “Work It” sample takes the reversed section and makes it sound oddly eerie, and Missy’s ad-libs throughout have way more energy than FLO do. I can’t really tell the difference between the girls yet – it took me a couple years for Little Mix even – and they do sound good together but the strings and bass just kind of protrude in a way that has less groove or nuance and instead just sounds kind of funny. That’s before we get to the trap breakdown which gives up on itself as soon as it kicks in, and the same goes in general for the warped bass in that second verse, or the build-up in the pre-chorus that anticlimactically stops bothering for the chorus. There is an uncharacteristically gritty beat switch that completely messes the song’s momentum in order for a mediocre Missy Elliott verse, even if she has some great lines and still as much effortless swag as she ever had. The problem is that she doesn’t have much room, with very little time and a lot of interruptions from FLO. The final chorus is genuinely so overwhelming I have nothing to say about it, and alongside the chorus with the staccato, Auto-Tuned riffing, random spoken word is that same interjected “Work It” sample which just comes in with no sense of sequencing. It’s bizarre, and only kind of in a fun way. Honestly, I’m just kind of glad there is a song this obviously messy and grandiose, hyper-focused on being as all over the place as possible, in the top 40 because if there’s anything about the 2000s I miss, it’s the guilty pleasure.

#29 – “labour” – Paris Paloma

Produced by Justin Glasco

Okay, I’ll bite: who the Hell is Paris Paloma? Well, they are a folksy pop singer with this being their breakout hit, and through some clunky, kind of old-fashioned writing, in not a dissimilar way to Hozier last week, condemns the patriarchy and misogyny, although Paloma is much more personal, focusing on a betrayal in what could be seen as a relationship but also the wider world that promises opportunity but really makes you work for it, with the elite playing God around you. It’s a good lyrical and thematic concept, but I don’t really like the song: Paloma is not an interesting or unique voice in the indie pop scene, and whilst there is some grit to the darker folk touches here that feel almost gothic, honestly, the chorus is pretty underwhelming. With some more electric guitar and less focus on the muddy, mono-genre-sounding bass and stomp-rock drums, I think I’d like this quite a bit, and be more able to get past the clunky lyrics that I think at least prove a point. In fact, the semi-sincere apologies and scathing attacks on this guy alongside a pretty smoky instrumental makes her sound kind of badass... but not enough, especially not if Justin Glasco’s going to make her sing over 2012-era Imagine Dragons. This is a good song just waiting to come out and prove itself, but the production holds it back – regardless, I’m actually interested to hear more from Paris Paloma if this brand of Tumblr folk pop is going to make a resurgence, just out of curiosity if anything.

#8 – “Like Crazy” – Jimin

Produced by Pdogg and GHSTLOOP

I knew there was hype behind Jimin and his solo debut, FACE, but I was surprised that this album-release single is out-peaking the debut... until I realised how many God damn versions he released. Whilst I try and appreciate all of the K-pop I hear, and often end up disappointed, I’m not afraid to say that this is just bad. It’s not as comical as “Set Me Free Pt.2”, sure, but the original Korean standard version – which I’m listening to as I write this – has these cheap acoustic guitars drowned in a lot of reverb and muddy bass alongside the vocal samples. I figured it’d be an alternative R&B track, especially considering the tacky sample of a 2011 romcom starring Jennifer Lawrence (really, guys?), but it turns into a boring 80s synthpop pastiche in no time, because why be interesting when you can be anything else but? The synths are either flailing or piercing, never floating or really finding any solid footing in the mix, especially once the cheap buzzing comes in post-chorus, only to completely render itself irrelevant soon afterwards. Jimin’s voice continues to sour on me with his nasal nothingness crooning over an already boring track. It’s honestly sad that this is the route Jimin’s going to get a hit; I know sales got it this far but the existence of an English version (though some of the original is also English) and several dance remixes makes this a clear push to the international market in just the laziest way possible. The English translation proves the lyrics as awkwardly generic, and then we have the remixes that feel like the cheapest, most surface-level renditions of the respective genres of deep house and UK garage possible. The deep house remix has these annoying and unfitting festival claps, and ends up becoming your typical house-pop nonsense. The UK garage remix starts with a freaking trap beat, so I didn’t bother listening to it in full – yes, it does eventually become UK garage, but I guess he just had to knock on another genre in there. I honestly can’t tell that the fact Jimin and co wrote a song that works perfectly fine in all of these genres but is never actually good in any of them is impressive or just proof that the cynical pop establishment is studying the vaccine that prevents its pop singers from ever being contaminated with any unique personality or defining sound. This is garbage, I’m sorry, BTS fans, but this is not how I, if I were a fan, would want my favourite boys to move past the group and their regional fanbase, because this is a gaping void of a pop song.

#1 – “Eyes Closed” – Ed Sheeran

Produced by Aaron Dessner, Fred again.., Max Martin and Shellback

So, Ed’s back, and thanks to great sales, he of course hits the top. It’s his 14th time here, how could you be surprised at this point? This is the lead from his upcoming album, - (Subtract), which promises a more personal and alternative style, probably courtesy of production from The National member Aaron Dessner, though it’s interesting to see Max Martin still here alongside Ed’s flagship co-producer Fred, who appears once again, as his name prophesied. Recently, I’ve been on kind of an Ed Sheeran defence streak, or at least for the past album cycle or so... so I ended up kind of excited for this, and were my hopes reached or hell, even surpassed? Well, you can tell it’s a mixture of Dessner’s folk rock and the streamlined pop of Max Martin considering how the acoustic pluck sticks out like a sore thumb amongst a sterile kick drum in that first chambering chorus. Ed sounds frail when dedicating each song and dance to the loved ones he lost, and for a song with a chorus about dancing with his eyes closed, it’s really not danceable. It’s a rhythm more appropriate for the third line in the chorus, “time is moving so slow”, and once the minimalism succumbs to a vaguely danceable rhythm with the tropical guitars back in the mix for the post-chorus, it becomes increasingly obvious how the emptiness is absolutely the point. That second verse about his delusion just wanting him to believe his room isn’t empty hits really hard, and I get this vision of Ed alone in a bar just kind of moving along – not dancing, just nodding his head and taking another drink. I’d like a bit more lyrical detail maybe, and whilst the production fits, it’s not exactly always to my taste, but as a concept, especially lyrically and thematically, it’s really well executed. The mixing does do it some justice too with how much echo there is and I can’t really fault a song with the perfectly melodramatic pop song line, “I guess I could just pretend the colours are more than blue”. It’s also decidedly not lead single material so if that’s all he has for radio, I’m excited to hear what Ed was cooking up with Dessner for the album cuts. For now, this is pretty solid, but I’m aching to hear where this is going.

Conclusion

I think it’s pretty obvious that whoever the Hell is managing Juice WRLD’s back catalogue gets Worst of the Week for “The Light”, and I can’t blame him for any of it. Please, let the guy rest. The Dishonourable Mention goes to “Like Crazy” by Jimin, though again, most of the blame for that doesn’t catch Jimin himself, not because he’s dead because I damn sure hope he’s not but because he’s one cog in a pretty hopeless machine, and it’s definitely not unique to K-pop. It just turns out that we didn’t get much of that this week, though you definitely could read “Eyes Closed” that way, even if I can’t because of how the lyrics resonate with me. As for the best, it’s honestly pretty easy: Best of the Week goes to “Paris, Texas” by Lana Del Rey featuring SMYL for, you know, making me cry, but Luke Combs easily snags the Honourable Mention for his cover of “Fast Car” and would on a good day maybe end up further than Lana though those two songs are just phenomenal. Maybe we’ll get a bit of a slow down next week, but who knows with these charts? Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you then for whatever’s on the horizon! Right now, though... God, I have a headache from listening to five versions of that bloody Jimin song.

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emilyblame · 3 years ago

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ok, kids, here we go!

so, for those of you who may not remember, around a week ago i asked you if you would fill a survey about Waterparks for me. the questions were:

1. which ablum cycle was the band on when you started listening?

2. which one is your favorite EP or album?

3. pick your top 5 favorite songs.

i didn't tell you then, but the main questions i wanted to answer with this survey were:

1. which is the fan favorite album?

2. when did you guys started listening to Waterparks? (just out of curiosity)

3. is there an asociation between the cycle you started listening to the band and which your favorite album is?

4. which song is the fan favorite? (again, just curious)

before going right into it, i wanted to thank all of you who participated in this. this was super fun to watch happen in real time (yes, i checked the results every day.) i was expecting maybe ~40 people to fill this out, but there was a total of 174 people who filled this (including me). that’s so many of you taking time off your day to do something kinda silly, so thank you so much.

ok, let’s go through my questions one by one! i made charts, obviously.

1. which is the fan favorite album?

not gonna lie, i thought for sure it was gonna be Entertainment. i also thought GH was gonna get more love than Fandom. guess i was wrong left and right with this one huh. but it’s pretty much self-explanatory: you guys voted, Double Dare won. honestly, i think this the order most people would choose the albums from most to least favorite, right? i mean, i wouldn’t, i would say: Entertaiment, Fandom, DD, GH, main studio albums, let’s forget for a second about all the other things. but, no? where was i going with this? nevermind.

2. when did you guys started listening to Waterparks?

i was surprised to see two people have been here since before Equal Vision. fucking war heroes. like, how did you put up with all the shit for so long? anyway! most of us showed up during the Entertainment cycle. which makes sense, i think, since it’s around the time they became more popular. not many people in this last cycle, but to be fair it’s only just starting, so...

3. is there an asociation between the cycle you started listening to the band and which your favorite album is?

now this is where it gets interesting! i made a heatmap of cycle and album, here:

you have cycle on the y-axis (vertical) and album on the x-axis (horizontal). as you can see on the legend (number of votes), the darkest blue means 0 votes, and the lighter the blue gets, the more votes that particular combination got. now, this can totally be a coincidence (i haven’t done any actual statistics analysis on this) but most people who started listening to Waterparks over the Double Dare cycle, chose Double Dare as their favorite album. we can see the same thing kinda happening with Entertainment too. and at the very least i find that fascinating. like, i now people say this all the time, that your favorite album is the first one you heard, or the one they were touring-- but to actually see numbers, like, a tangible sorta proof that fuck yeah it could be true. i don’t know, i’m geeking out a bit about it tbh.

moving on! last one!

4. which song is the fan favorite?

now this one i had already asked before, but it was different: back then i made you choose your favorite song from each release without restricting it to one song per album. so it was a little over the place (you can check it here if you weren’t around or forgot it existed). now, however, i asked you guys to pick 5 songs, no more, no less, out of e v e r y single song ever released (i even put the demo album there, which technically isn’t an official release, but Glitter Times is in my top 5 and i make the rules here (?)). here’s what happened:

(you’re gonna have to really zoom in this bitch if you wanna see anything). i’ll tell you guys what the top 5 were, but basically we’re all still in love with Not Warriors coming in number one with 23% of total votes. in close second came Rare with 20.7%. tied in third place are Take Her To The Moon, It Follows, and Fuzzy, with 16.7% of total votes. in fourth place Royal with 16.1% (love of my life.) and finally Gloom Boys with 15.5% of total votes. fun note: Pink and Peach came tied in 6th by literally 2 votes. i was a little shocked that Paranoid didn’t get any love at all, i thought it would win something. i think it was around Tuesday? maybe? Magnetic was getting all the votes but then it kinda stayed there where it is now and Fuzzy took the lead within GH. i’m also surprised about It Follows, that’s a deep cut.

general final note: i kinda wonder what would’ve happened if we’ve done this outside of tumblr. like, cross-social-media-fandom. but i’m not gonna lie, i’m scared of twitter. so again, thank you so much to everyone who participated, and if anybody has any questions or comments, my inbox is open. let’s make this fun! just, you know? be nice.

#waterparks #parx genuine question #waterparks polls

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natromanxoff · 4 years ago

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Record Mirror (July 14, 1979): 119/?

THE QUEEN BACKLASH ENDS HERE

WITHOUT DOUBT Queen are among that elite number of bands universally hated by the rock press.

The rancour is, make no mistake, mutual which is understandable. If you find yourself on the receiving end of an inveterate dislike at the outset of your career and watch it being nurtured and carefully cultivated over the next six years you’re bound to retaliate.

Queen’s hatred manifests itself by their continued habit of ignoring the music press i.e. refusing to give interviews. There is the occasional token “chat”, pointless as it is innocuous, but in the main it amounts to a blanket “No.”

One of the last interviews Freddie Mercury gave was the last nail in the perspex coffin. Under a headline which boldly asked ‘Is This Man A Prat?’ the king of the leotards was demolished by one of the old school Queen haters and Freddie obviously came to the conclusion, in its wake, that interviews in future would be both superfluous (he was popular enough) and detrimental.

The curtain, velvet naturally, closed.

Roger Taylor, a little wary, a little weary, sits stiffly in an armchair. The juggernauts rattling the Chelsea Street outside create a sonorous buzz bomb hum in the room.

You expect a member of Queen to look elegant. In fact Roger is only wearing a wine colour mohair jacket, black shirt and blue jeans.

He apologises for being a little late and explains how he went to the wrong address. Roger seems to be the only member of Queen left who is prepared, albeit rarely, to open his mouth in the presence of a hack. A question springs to mind . . . why?

“We all sat around a table before I flew over from Munich to discuss the press situation and we agreed I should be the one to represent the band. Freddie is very uncompromising and refuses to have much to do with journalists.

“Obviously, he’s had a few raw deals with them in the past,” observes Taylor.

Roger himself has a rather low view of the music press.

“Most of it is rubbish. There was something I liked recently, a piece on Malcolm McLaren, but in the main I think I’m the only one of Queen to actually read the music papers.”

Why does he think the band are systemically slagged?

“I think it’s because Queen have always come across as being a rather confident band. We seemed, to other people at least, to be very sure of ourselves. I think the press may have misconstrued the confidence, mistaking it for a form of arrogance. Hence they became wary of our motives which bred a dislike for our music.”

Now that’s what I call a neat conclusion.

At the risk of being sent to Coventry by my colleagues I’d like, if I may, to come clean. I love Queen (you’re fired, Ed).

I think it all began with a simple pre-packed but indisposable line – “Dynamite with a laser beam” and has continued uninterrupted (despite the occasional flaw) right through to ‘Queen Live Killers’.

A combination of reasons, Freddie Mercury’s lascivious lisp – the most attractive intonation known to man . . . Brian May’s reel ‘em off rococo riffs that would, in his capable hands, transform the theme music for ‘Waggoners’ Walk’ into a meisterwork . . . John Deacon’s almost stoic stance, incongruous yet integral . . . Roger Taylor’s intense power, so unexpected from one so slight . . . the ability to go over the top without failing into the trap of caricature . . . a desire to give the punters what they want without pandering . . . that cast iron confidence . . . those nine glorious winter weeks of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ which kept the cold away from my soul . . .

Yes, I love Queen.

Roger explains the story behind ‘Killers’ which features just about every Queen classic which ever found its way into a silk lined memory bank.

“We always knew that one day we would make a live album. I think it was well planned. About 90 per cent of our last European tour was recorded on a mobile unit and we then spent weeks sitting through the songs in the studio.

“The result is a 100 per cent LIVE album. Nothing has been touched up in the process of selection, I think that’s pretty rare these days. Many ‘live’ albums are tampered with.”

The choice of single is unusual – ‘Love Of My Life’. “It’s not so unusual when you hear the way it came out. The song seems to have such a wide appeal. Everywhere we go the reaction to it is the same. The audience are just bursting to sing along.”

The result is Queen’s best single since ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ (that was their LAST one crawler, ED)

As I mentioned earlier the band are currently residing in Munich where they are “experimenting” in the studio.

“We are recording in a totally different way for us,” says Roger who speaks with a delicate London accent only typical of cockneys with dramatic training and David Essex.

“Every time we entered a studio in the past we had a good idea of what we were going to do. This time we started from scratch and the result is amazing. The music is nothing like anything we’ve done before, I guess you could say it’s much simpler.”

And this novel approach to their music also extends to their shows. On their next British tour – in the late Autumn – the band will be playing much smaller venues than they are accustomed to.

“In London for example we went to play to audiences of about two or three thousand in different areas. I think it’s much fairer to the fans.”

But won’t this affect their stage show which is after all a crucial factor for any powerpomp outfit?

“Not really. We will just scale down the show accordingly. Besides,” he says taking another bite out of the biscuit, “we haven’t used dry ice in years.”

The monkey on Queen’s back, as corpulent and cantankerous as ever, has been put there by those who firmly believe the band can never emulate past achievements. Roger is cognizant of its presence but refuses to unpeel its bananas.

“That all began after ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. When it stayed at number one all those weeks we were kindly informed that we would never be able to make another single to rival it both artistically and from the point of view of sales.

“Yet ‘We Are The Champions’ sold a great deal more and has since become the biggest selling single in the entire history of Elektra Asylum – our label in the States.

“We don’t do the amazingly complex things any more because we’ve moved on from that. We concentrate on the music we are doing now and we intend to do it the best we can, it’s ridiculous looking behind and and what you’ve done.

“There’s nothing like going back on the road to re-unite the bond between the four personalities and strengthening our belief in the band. We are a real working unit and, in my experience of the music business, one of the most democratic bands around today.”

A statement like that cries out to be expounded.

“People think every member of all the bands, not naming any names, are treated equally that is get the same money as their colleagues. That’s rubbish. In many bands there are a couple of guys that get all the money. The rest are on wages. Queen share the profits equally.”

And they don’t have a manager taking his cut either, John Reid departed a couple of years back and now the band themselves make all the major policy decisions. Why did they decide to dispense with the services of a manager?

“Basically because we were fed up with giving other people money. Y’know it never ceases to amaze me how naive those guys are in bands who have just had their first hit. After all this time I’ve forgotten just how naive we must have been at the beginning.

“I mean, everything seems so great when you get into the charts for the first time. You’re living on cloud nine and nothing else matters. But in truth that hit means absolutely nothing. So few people achieve any amount of financial success in this business.

“Oh, you think, you’re really living . . . for a while. Somebody gets you a flat in Chelsea and it’s all free. But one day the rent stops being paid for you and you realise you’re skint.

“Since John Reid has gone the four of us have always made a point of discussing everything together. We have various people working for us but all the important decisions are made by us alone. That way we get freedom of choice – and financial independence.”

My attention is suddenly diverted.

“FORTY-LOVE!” Wimbledon, the Persil White opiate for the hoi polloi squashed in a strawberry crush wrings out its perspiring petticoats on the TV in the next room. Roger’s girlfriend, an extremely attractive French girl called Dominique, is engrossed. The couple have lived together for two years. Crippled old marriage questions permeate the air.

“I don’t believe in marriage,” says Roger. “It’s simply a contract and the fewer contracts I enter into the better. If you get on well with someone then there isn’t any harm in living with that person – but marriage is something else again.”

They live in a six bedroomed Victorian house just outside London, which is set in 20 acres. Roger has a “tiny” town house in Barnes as well. What’s it like having a bank full of money at the age of 29?

“I don’t hide away from life. Queen have never been one of those ‘being grabbed in the street’ type bands. It may happen when the four of us are together – but when we are out alone we are seldom bothered. That gives me the opportunity to enjoy myself. I go to clubs a lot. I like having a good time. I don’t think you could describe any of the band as leading sheltered lives.

“But I have completely lost touch with how much things cost. When you find yourself living in hotels for so long you never really deal in money as such. Everything is available whenever you want it – but you never see the cash actually being handed over.

“I’ve forgotten what it was like to be penniless which Queen were for years. I guess that must happen to many successful rock bands.”

Another thing that happens to many successful rock bands – they quit the country. But not Queen it appears.

“We have always based ourselves in England and I see no reason why we shouldn’t continue to do so. We could leave at any time but we choose to stay. People believe we are tax exiles because we spend a lot of the time out of the country recording in studios all over Europe and touring.”

And what will happen when the band finally trudge wearily down the road leading to that ivory strewn elephants’ graveyard . . . ?

“I know it’s bound to happen one day. I suppose I’d take a long, long holiday . . . and then make a solo album.”

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #dominique beyrand #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #record mirror #record mirror july 1979 #queen scans

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jimmys-zeppelin · 4 years ago

Text

ghostin'

chapter fourteen

(table of contents)

(chapter thirteen)

june 16, 1976

you're somebody else

On Wednesday, Ellie decided to call Jimmy on one of her earlier nights coming home from the studio. That day was full of writing more songs and collaborating on mixing others with her producer.

As the line rang, she thought about what time it'd be for Jimmy. Hopefully it wasn't too late. A click, followed by a sound resembling the closing of a door were all Ellie could hear before a voice came through, "Hello?" Jimmy said.

"Hey, Jim it's me." Ellie replied sweetly.

She heard his smile through the phone, it sent butterflies through her stomach. "Eleanor, my love..." he said. He sounded a bit groggy, but not groggy from sleep per se, "How's it going?"

"Great. Still working on the album. Wish you were here to put some of your touches on things."

A soft chuckle came from the man, "If I was there right now, I'd be touching much more than your songs, my dear."

"Oh I can't wait until you can actually do it. I miss you."

"I miss you, too." Jimmy said, his voice going serious, "say, we didn't really get to talk about the whole...situation the last few times we've spoken."

"I don't want to take up too much of your time talking about it. We can just figure it out when you get here."

"Why are you putting this off?" Jimmy asked, concern rising in his voice. "You're the one who wanted this, dove. And now I agree. Why not talk about it?"

Ellie stammered, knowing he was right—no matter how high he sounded, "I know we're ready. And I want to do this with you, I just...want to leave it up to when the time comes."

"Ellie, you know that's not the way I do things."

"I don't want to hyper-plan things. It seems more fun if we're spontaneous."

Jimmy sighed into the phone, the huff coming out a bit garbled on her end, "at this rate, it's not a matter of us having fun, it's about getting to the end result."

"Oh." Ellie said, "I see." she paused, thinking of what to say next. Jimmy interrupted her thoughts, however.

"I'm sorry." he said.

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I've upset you...among other things."

"In more ways than one..." she whispered, mostly to herself. Whether he hadn't heard what she said or if he chose not to address it, he ignored the comment.

Saying something would only make matters worse, but neither of them wanted to hang up, knowing that if they did, neither would be happy with the outcome come of the phone call. Ellie hated to be constantly ragging on him and nagging him about his extracurricular activities in experimentation, but it was something she couldn't help but notice every time they spoke. He sounded more and more drained every time he picked up the phone, no sense of life within his thin frame.

"Erm," he started, "we've got a release date for the film. I got us both tickets for the premiere."

"I thought you said it wasn't finished."

"It's not. But I guess that's just how movie stuff works."

"You finish shooting your fantasy sequence yet?" Ellie asked, picking absently at a thread from the throw pillows strewn about the couches.

"Yeah, they re-cut the sequence of me climbing up so my butt didn't look as big."

"I told you it wasn't a bad thing, Jim. Give the ladies what they want." she attempted at a joke, only half chuckling at it herself. She was met with an exhale from Jimmy; only having found mild humor in the statement.

"Unless you want me to look like I have more of an arse than you do..."

"Your butt is cute. It's teeny." Ellie said, picturing the asset in her mind.

"You'd be the only one to think so, love. Anything new with you?"

"Songbird charted. It's going up the ranks." She said, her voice coming out more monotoned than she'd meant it to.

"You don't sound nearly as happy as you should be, that's amazing." Jimmy said, a bit of life returning to his demeanor.

"I wanted you to play on it. We just didn't have time and the label didn't want to wait."

"I know it's frustrating. But there will be other songs, I guarantee it."

"It would've meant so much if you got the chance to play. We only got piano backing on it, but I wanted acoustic guitar."

"But you can play guitar, too."

"I wanted you." Ellie said, a quiet sniffle coming through from her end of the phone. Her words masked what she truly wanted to say and he knew it.

"You know, I could take a week. Come visit. Re-record a bit for you and you can put it in with the song for when the record comes out."

"No, Jimmy. I don't want to take time out from your schedule. Plus, I'm only a bit emotional because of my period. It's fine, I promise." Ellie said, coming up with a quick lie so that he wouldn't go through with his proposal. She knew that if she gave him enough incentive, he'd show up in a heartbeat. It was endearing, if anything. She just didn't want to concern him. "Listen I'm getting a bit tired, I think I'm gonna head up to bed."

Jimmy stuttered a bit in response before he exhaled a defeated sigh, "Oh, okay. Well, I'll talk to you soon, then." He sounded slightly hurt under his generally calm tone. The guitarist thought he hid it well, but Ellie knew him to the point where even the lightest sigh could give away exactly how he was feeling. However, she chose to ignore it, only leading her into her farewell.

"Goodnight, Jimmy." she said. The two exchanged goodnight's and I love you's before finally hanging up the phone. Taking in a deep breath, Ellie exhaled shakily as a rogue tear slipped down her cheek. She composed herself, however, and made her way to the kitchen to grab herself a drink. Or ten.

---

masterlist | playlist

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