#I was thinking about lady Gaga and when the movie was released

[swedenis-h]

Egs mene

[todorkihoe]

show me your teeth

pairing: gojo satoru x reader

content warnings: smut, biting/marking, unprotected sex

song: teeth by lady gaga

thinking about satoru who's got a thing for biting. he's got that wide, almost wolfish smile with a nice pair of pointed canines to top off his perfect pearly whites. you often find your gaze lingering on his mouth, just admiring and wondering.

satoru, for his part, is able to read you like a book and absolutely uses this skill to his advantage. the descent into madness is a slow one.

it starts on a regular weekend afternoon with the two of you in the kitchen, whipping up some sweet mixture and playfully flicking flour at each other. just enjoying each other’s company.

"here try this, 'toru," you hum, swiping up some of the chocolate cake batter on your finger and extending it toward him. he grasps your wrist and to your surprise, slides your whole finger into his mouth, tongue twisting and tasting. you gasp and try to remove your finger, but he keeps hold of your wrist and just barely digs his teeth into your skin.

when he finally releases you, satoru makes no effort to conceal the grin on his face, admiring the blush rising to yours.

"whoops, sorry." you both know he's not.

you huff, examining the indents his teeth left in your skin, trying to ignore the heat building inside of you.

the second incident happens a little later, when the two of you are wrestling each other on the couch. you think you've got satoru beat but then he flips you onto your back and pins both of your wrists in one hand.

before you can protest, his free hand is tickling at your ribs, causing to shriek and squeal while he laughs. he further shocks you by beginning to impishly nibble at your neck, adding to your torment.

however, you shock yourself by letting out an involuntary moan when his teeth reach that sensitive spot right under your ear. you both freeze and your face feels like it's on fire when you notice a distinct hardness pressing against your hip just moments later.

satoru half-coughs and half-chuckles to break the tension, letting you sit up to finish pretending to watch the movie on the TV. you feel his gaze burning into the side of your face for the rest of the film.

the nail in the coffin is when he’s got you pressed into the mattress, hips lazily pushing into you. you’re moaning and sighing so sweetly for satoru and the sounds draw his eyes down to your throat and he watches as each noise and movements makes the muscles contract. mouthwatering.

you toss your head back into the pillows and satoru can’t help but bury his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply and letting his tongue loll out to taste you. his teeth practically fucking itch and he rubs them against your sensitive skin, pleased with your lewd reaction, clamping down around his cock even tighter.

“f-fuck, sweetheart can I-” he begins, but you already know what he’s asking and enthusiastically nod, tilting your head even farther to bare your neck more. with shaky hands, satoru brushes the hair from your neck and grips your jaw to hold you in place and then he bites. 

and everything is all hot, burning agony. the initial sting fades into something even more pleasurable and your hands fly up from where they’re clutching the sheets to pull him in even closer.

his thrusts become rougher, erratic, and sloppy like he’s lost all control of himself. the thought of it alone makes you shiver and oddly enough, you find your own teeth aching, the sight of sweat beading on his neck all too enticing. without even thinking you lurch forward and sink your teeth in, the flavor of his skin bursting on your tongue.

you’re delighted at the strangled moan that leaves his mouth where he’s still connected to your neck, teeth digging in even harder, threatening to break skin. you think you might even want that as you get closer and closer to the delicious edge. 

when you pull back from his neck you can already see a deep, purple mark forming, sure to last for days. the thought of him parading around, letting everyone see just who he belongs to is almost too hot to bear.

your breaths sync up into something hot and gasping and satoru reaches down to messily brush over your clit once before you’re done for. you think you might scream when you finally cum but you’re not sure over the sound of your blood rushing in your ears. satoru is quick to follow, filling you up with one last slam of his hips before sagging against you and releasing your neck.

you spend the next few minutes unmoving and floating back down to reality and when you finally try to sit up, you wince at the dull, aching pain radiating from your neck.

“sorry, pretty girl,” he grins, tongue laving over the mark to soothe it. and once again, you both know he’s not sorry.

[icanseethefuture333]

Celestial alignment: Pick a pattern in the sky

Messages to realign you with your soul path

Pile 1:

Shufflemancy -

Replay by Lady Gaga

JMK by Sango ft. Xavier Omar

Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine

Ten of Wands, Eight of Cups, The Magician, The World, & Three of Cups

There is a call for you to let go of thoughts that are holding you back. There is something about repetition here that is preventing you from progressing into the next chapter of your life. You could be taking on the burdens of other people as a way to help them. Your guides are urging you to please stop. You are constantly making sacrifices for others when they aren't doing this for you. Your lesson right now is to focus on making yourself the top priority. You are always putting yourself on the back burner. Some people here take care of their family members or work in the medical field. It's understandable to be worried and to care for your loved ones or other people, but who's be concerned about you? Who is making sure that you are alright or have what you need? If nobody is there for you, then you have to be there for yourself. Start making goals or a list of things you wish to accomplish. You need to realize you are worthy and deserving of what you desire, start dreaming again, pile 1. The universe is waiting and ready for your call and demand. Once you have faith in yourself, the universe will be ready to make your dreams come true. A journey of peace, abundance, and celebrations will be coming your way soon.

Summary:

Change your thoughts & way of thinking.

Practice mindfulness & work on releasing limiting beliefs.

Learn how to include self care in your daily routine

Set boundaries

Think about what your goals or dream are

Make a list or a vision board

Research information on manifestation or spirituality that aligns with your beliefs

Pile 2:

Shufflemancy -

Bruises by Kelela

Brain by Mariah the Scientist

Omega by SAAY

Seven of Wands, King of Wands, Wheel of Fortune, The Aeon (Judgement), & Nine of Pentacles

This pile gave me goosebumps when shuffling - You have a very intense aura and strong presence, pile 2! Something about having to "fight" or the "brain" being significant. I'm reminded of this wounded emoji: 🤕. You could suffer from past trauma or have a mental disorder. I had to rewrite for this pile because it didn't save and I felt so frustrated having to write for this pile again, but it made me realize that this is possibly how you feel in life. You are constantly having to work with difficult circumstances without seeing any progress of the outcome. There were a lot of struggles that you had overcome and I am reminded of movie The Truman Show. His entire life was just programmed for him and he was forced to live a life he didn't want for the entertainment of others just so they could have a TV Show to watch. So I feel like people found joy in your misfortune and suffering, which I am terribly sorry for. The thing is though that was in the past and you don't have to deal with these people anymore. You don't have to pretend to be this character that obviously doesn't resonate with you. You can create an entirely new life, new self concept, new everything for yourself. Think of who you want to be as an individual, not what other people have labeled you as or want you to be. You have to start realizing that you are free to do as you please. Life can be like a simulation and we could all be considered avatars, but we don't realize is that we are able to customize our reality in anyway we wish. You have the inner strength and passion but you are just stuck in this survival mode that is not serving you anymore. It is time for you to move on and your spirit guides are being stern with me right now but they're saying "take this shit seriously". If you have a dream or goal you know you wanna do, take action and stop complaining. Stop with the excuses, the self pity, and the martyr complex. Once you start asking the universe for help is when you can start to achieve your dreams. "It's like clockwork". I am seeing that you feel that you're running out of time in life to accomplish your goals but I am reminded of Maddy from Euphoria when she said "Don't worry, this is only just the beginning". Your "shift" or soul purpose has only just begun and time is ticking for real now. I am getting a vision of someone holding a bright lantern in a dark cave and they are like making a come hither motion with their hands. So I believe this is the universe and your guides saying if you need guidance and you are unsure what to do or where to go or how to even begin the project you wish to work on - Ask them. Once you start asking the universe for help shit is going to change in your life dramatically because your purpose is very significant and it is going to be for the better of society but you have to stop being in your ego and acting stubborn because it is not helping you or anyone else for that matter. I'm not saying you have to be some sort of holy messiah or the rebirth of Jesus Christ himself, but you are going to be someone who will make a difference in this world. As you embark on this journey, it is crucial that you pay attention to the signs the universe or spirit gives you. It is okay if you make mistakes but you have to be careful and aware of people or vices that will sabotage you in the end. So listen to your intuition and notice those gut feelings. I feel like people will be giving you your flowers in the future, that could mean you will be someone who has a certain level of status, or this means people will show appreciation or gratitude for your benevolence and charity. You have this gift or tool that the universe has blessed you with and you have to utilize it for the good will of others.

This is a powerful message I channeled from spirit: "Others who have begun early are merely the matches that were chosen out of indulgence, for candles & waxes, the faster they burn, the quicker their ashes will fall. The last one to be picked, is the match that is the resource for those in need of hope and warmth when faced with the darkness."

Summary:

Use your intuition

Release the version of yourself that is no longer serving you

Embrace change & endings

The end of a chapter means a new beginning

Rely on your inner strength & wisdom

Ask for guidance

Focus on what it is meant for you

"All that glitters isn't gold"

Pile 3:

Shufflemancy -

Lemon by N.E.R.D ft. Rihanna

Starface* by Jean Dawson

Screen Time by Epik High ft. HOSHI

The Tower, Four of Pentacles (reversed), Three of Wands, The Sun, & Four of Wands

The pile's energy instantly chirped me up and made so happy! Its interesting how the piles are always so unique in their own way. You could have been or are currently in denial with your circumstances. It reminds me of Hey Ya! by Outkast. Go take a look at that music video or listen to the song if you're unfamiliar with it. It's a fun happy song, but the meaning of the lyrics are actually quite depressing. You could have this mindset of: "Y'all don't wanna hear me you just wanna dance!". You could be someone who is pessimistic and a downer, always wanting to look at things from a more "realistic" perspective. Although, your spirit guides are asking you to actually change this way of thinking. I actually see that you have a really bright and energizing aura! You could be really funny, pile 3! Your purpose could align with having a good sense of humor or being a source of hope and optimism for others. You could be interested in working in the entertainment field. Once you get past this, you will realize how much fun life can actually be! Your past challenges could also be viewed from a more positive standpoint. For example, the situation might have been unfortunate, but did you learn anything valuable? Or was there any positive outcomes because of that said situation. Reflect on your life experiences and lessons to see where the universe actually might have helped you dodge a bullet or blessed you with protection or love. You could also attract new people into your life who will make you feel a sense of joy and gratitude. This pile just reminds me of a fun summer day, where people eat watermelon or have fun at the pool. Another song I'm channeling is Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Will Smith. You will be celebrating and having a good time with your loved ones in the future soon. I believe honestly your path for now is to focus on happiness and sharing love and light with others!

Summary:

Have fun!

Make jokes that uplift people's energy

Focus on the good vs dwelling in negativity

Try to make someone laugh or smile!

Make plans for the summer

Hang out with your friends or spend time with family

Your past struggles are why you're still here. You overcame a great deal and should be proud of yourself!

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Thailand surprised me

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 eps - I love love love Sol! Pink-haired baby idol blast from the past nursing a crush = absolute catnip for me. This is def my favorite Thai BL currently airing. And it’s probably because it has a sort of odd queer authenticity to both its gayness and its rep of the film industry. I mean, of course it’s sanitized into BL fantasy-landia, but there’s an underpinning of something real, for lack of a better word. Normally I prefer the fantasy of my dumb BL worldview, but in this one I’m kind of liking a little chew and grit.

All of which is to say: this is very fucked up messy gay, which normally I’m not wild about, but for some reason I’m really enjoying this version.

On the other side of the BL coin we have:

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 1 of 12 - And I like it a lot. It’s fun and I’m enjoying it (possibly more than it deserves). I like how it’s a little absurdist. I like that it starts with a one night stand. I like all of the side characters. I love the asexual representation. Bonus LUBE! It’s a fun show. More FUN that GMMTV usually goes for.  

Two Worlds (Thurs iQIYI) ep 8 of 10 - The sketching in the cave scene was v sexy. And I’m enjoying this BL, but not for any other reason than MaxNat being MaxNatty all over my screen. 

1000 Years Old (Thurs iQIYI) ep 12fin - I don’t know what I feel about this one. Mostly just indifferent. It was meant to be the paranormal Thai BL pulp about vampires that we were all waiting for, and it ended up just being boring. Frankly, I'd rather be pissed off than bored. 6/10

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 4 of 12 - I truly love the naked lust on our side couple's pining friend's face. Usually only Japan get this thirsty.

Book is perfectly cast as Moo's older bro. They even look a bit alike but it might have been a mistake, because he’s so damn charismatic. Stole all the breath from the show for a bit. 

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 5 of 16 - No report until next week. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 11 of 12 - What a fantastic ep. This show really is killing it. I’m so happy with Taiwan right now. 

Carry on.

Blue Boys (Korea YouTube) 3 of ? - It remains lovely and I remain enjoying it immensely. It’s very Strongberry feeling. That's always a welcome sensation.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - They are so cute and pretty much just boyfriends already regardless of what they each think. I'm scared that next week is the final episode, it doesn’t feel like it’s gone very far.

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - I liked it a little better this week. I guess I’m warming up to this one?

Boys Be Brave AKA Roommates (Korea Thurs Viki) ep 3-4 of 8 - Ah poor lonely neglected child. They are all such weirdos. I don’t understand any of these characters or their motivations except they are strange kind of cartoons of... something.

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - The guy who plays the vet should be playing a vampire. That's it. That's all I have to say. 

It's airing but...

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Memory in the Letter (Thai WeTV) - 6 eps, when it's done, tell me if I should bother?

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - supposed to have started on Friday but I couldn't find it, I also didn't try very hard.

In case you missed it

GMMTV announced the second half of their 2024 line up. I got excited and picked my favorites, details + trailers here.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

May Releases

5/10 A Balloon's Landing (Taiwan movie) trailer - A frustrated Hong Kong writer, Tian Yu, meets a Taipei street gangster, Xiang (Fandy Fan from HIStory2: Crossing the Line), and the two of them embark on a journey to find the Bay of Vanishing Whales. Along the way, they discover unexpected twists and turns and close bonds, which brings out the message that "there is always someone like you in this world who is waiting for you.

5/16 Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 1 of 6 - Strongberry doing classic BL! Weeee!

5/19 OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - LeeFrank are back - not unlike the undead (as it were). But how do we feel about it? Unsure given their track record.

5/25 The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer - HoTae & DongHee are back but unfortunately not in a cinema near me. Side couple from Unintentional Love Story, same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS.

5/28 My Biker 2 (Thai movie YT?) - trailer

5/31 The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) - May not be BL

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I love a shrimp peeling moment in my Thai BL. (Only Boo)

Unquestionably the best moment in BL this year. FIGHT ME. (Unknown)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[drewharrisonwriter]

Is that alright?

Pairings: Henry Cavill x Singer Reader

Summary: You are a musical guest in The Graham Norton Show on an episode that also features your ex-boyfriend, Henry Cavill. You play your latest single that you've written when you were 18 and in love with Henry.

A/N: Implied previous relationship. I don't think there are any more warnings, except the delusional situation that I've concocted. LOL This is based on the song Is That Alright? by Lady Gaga from The Star Is Born movie.

Check out my fic masterlist.

As the stage lights dimmed, the audience of The Graham Norton Show erupted in applause, eagerly anticipating the next musical guest. The cameras panned to the artist nervously waiting in the wings. You took a deep breath and stepped into the spotlight, gently sitting down on the chair and placing your hands on the ivory keys.

With grace and confidence, you began playing your latest single which took you nearly 10 years to release. A song you've written when you were so deeply in love with the love of your life, Henry Cavill.

As you began to sing, your voice resonated with a depth of emotion that captivated everyone in the room.

When the last note faded into silence, the applause was thunderous. 

You took a gracious bow and went over to the red couch where the guests for the night were all on their feet, applauding as well and congratulating you on your heartfelt performance. 

Henry, being a guest as well that night, caught your eye as he extended a hand to shake yours. You gave him a warm smile as you shook his hand. 

"Y/N, that was absolutely stunning." Graham began when the greetings and applause were over. "This single is truly heartbreakingly beautiful. Tell us about it!" He asked enthusiastically.

You glanced at Graham, taking a moment to collect your thoughts. This was the question you were both expecting and dreading.

"Thank you, Graham." You began nervously. 

It wasn't that it was your first ever TV guesting, but it is the first time you were sharing the screen with your now excessively famous ex, Henry Cavill. Talking about the song you wrote about your relationship with him nearly ten years ago is a bit embarrassing on your end. 

"Yes, 'Is That Alright?' is a very personal song for me. I actually wrote it when I was 18 years old, so like almost ten years ago when I was deeply in love with someone who meant the world to me."

The audience watched intently, unaware of the connection between you and the other guest on the show, Henry Cavill. But Henry, caught off guard by your revelation, nearly choked on his Martini but tried to play it cool as he waited for you to continue. 

"Ten years?!" Graham exclaimed a little exaggeratedly. "Why did it take you that long to release this gem?" 

You laughed a little, hoping you looked cool and calm enough. 

"The long answer or the short answer?" You joked and everyone laughed. 

Even Henry was laughing, you were always funny, and he was amazed you were able to preserve your humor and wit despite the nerve-wracking fame you've garnered over the years. 

"How long will the long answer take?" Graham quipped.

"However long it takes the crew to give me five shots of tequila." The studio erupted with laughter, Graham was laughing behind the cards in his hands. 

"No, I'm sorry." You began, "Okay. So for real, this song holds immense significance to me, it’s a sort of love letter, you see… and these are the words I wanted to let the person I wrote it for know but I never had the chance to.” 

You saw Henry bit his lower lip and look down on the drink in his hand. 

"Why weren’t you able to give this ‘love letter’ to them?” One of the guests asked as you were drinking.

“He broke up with me.” You said shyly and laughter ensued once again. 

“How old were you again when you wrote this?” One of the older guests on the couch asked, an actor, that you can’t remember the name of but looks an awful lot like Nearly Headless Nick from Harry Potter. 

"Just 18. I was so young when I wrote it..." 

"You were binge drinking at 18, you were not THAT young," Graham said in jest and everyone laughed once again. 

You chuckled along with the audience, appreciating Graham's lightheartedness amidst the delicate subject. From your peripherals, you saw that Henry was looking in your direction, he was laughing, too. 

The conversation flowed, everyone on the couch asked their question or complimented your latest single, except for Henry. Graham, noticing how awfully quiet he was, asked, “And Henry, how do you find Y/N’s latest single?” 

You felt a lump form in your throat, you did your best to swallow your drink and as Graham asked Henry.

Henry chuckled, looking down at his drink a bit before looking at you and saying: “It’s beautiful.”

“Awfully unfeeling.” Graham quipped with a fake whisper and eye roll and laughter ensued once again. 

You laughed at Graham’s remark, too and thanked Henry. 

When the show ended, you made your way backstage to hurriedly gather your things when you heard someone clear their throat behind you. You turned to find Henry standing at the door of your dressing room. “Hi…” He said softly. You said a quiet hello and asked him to come in. 

“I’m so sorry, but…” He began as you zipped your bag. “Do you have any plans for tonight?” 

You straightened up and faced Henry, blinking fast trying to absorb what he just asked. 

“Uh…just go back to the hotel and that’s it. Order room service, maybe.” You answered honestly, feeling your face turn warm in slight embarrassment for your lack of fun plans for the night. 

He chuckled lightly, “May I interest you with a Pint?” 

You might have stared at him a little too long before answering, because you saw him lightly cock his head to the side. “Uhm… sure.” You managed to say, finally. 

“Perfect. Meet you outside in 10 minutes?” He said with a huge smile, and you only nodded in reply. You watched him walk out the dressing room, the smile never leaving his face. 

You were a bit shocked.

It’s been nearly a decade since you’ve last seen or spoken to Henry. But the last few minutes… they didn’t feel like much time passed. You sat down and breathed, you can do this… 

It’s just Henry. 

It’s just Henry.

TBC...

[mistahgrundy]

I watched the second Joker movie. after the cut, massive spoilers! Massive rambling!

It's bad. Yes.

Little bit about me in case this escapes containment: I like villains. I'm a villain guy. I make a comic about villains! I've always liked them most in cartoons and comics etc since I was a kid. I am not an incel, I do not hate women. I am in fact a married gay trans man. I liked the first Joker movie. I like the joker. Although, gotta say, my fav joker is mark hamill joker because I am a man of taste lmao. I'm not really a Joker/Harley kinda person. I don't have strong feelings about that couple either way. So, that's me. I'm just a normal guy. I like batman comics but I don't keep up with them.

aaaaanyway. So like, the first movie is alright. It's not my favorite movie by any stretch of the imagination and I prefer the movie it's very obviously cribbing from (The King of Comedy).

a little confession: I did not watch this legally. I watched some kinda cam recording of it from a theatre. Maybe you're mad I did that or maybe you're glad I didn't give Todd Phillips money. Either way keep that to yourself I don't give a shit, I'm not going to a theatre to get covid for this.

Damn I am typing!! Sorry sorry I'll get to the movie. Here I go!

The movie starts with like a five minute fake old warner brothers looney tune starring Arthur Fleck in which his shadow keeps stealing his identity and hurting people. Weird. Ok. I kinda knew at that point I needed to buckle up for some self indulgence.

Short description of the plot: Arthur/Joker is in Arkham asylum now and he's medicated, the guards treat him like shit and pay him for jokes with cigarettes. He's got a lawyer and he's getting ready for a competency hearing to judge whether or not he can stand trial or if he'll be declared legally insane. The movie seems to weirdly imply that if he gets declared incompetent he'll be released but that's not how that works in real life...

While he's in Arkham he meets a girl named Lee in a singing group and here's where the movie just takes a hard right down into a drain. From now on you're in for a lot of off key singing from Arthur and pretty Ok singing from Lee (I mean it's Lady Gaga). It's kind of a drag on the movie, takes up a lot of time, and I think the movie would only be an hour long if it didn't have these 1970s style variety show interludes.

Arthur starts his trial and at some point Lee convinces him to fire his lawyer and defend himself as The Joker. The guards back at Arkham hate this and one night they all attack him in the shower and the movie seems to imply they did something pretty bad to him. Then when he's lying catatonic in solitary the guards murder one of his only friends in the asylum while he listens. He sorta just gives up at this point and doesn't wanna play anymore.

Nobody likes this. Lee hates it. Everyone abandons him. He wipes his makeup off confesses his mother's murder and just as the jury is announcing him guilty on all charges a carbomb goes off outside the court and Arthur escapes into the street aided by some guy dressed up as the joker.

After that Arthur finds Lee (Harley Quinzel) on those tall ass stairs from the first movie and she sings him that's entertainment signifying that their relationship is over and the cops arrest him.

He's taken back to Arkham and re medicated. Some time later a guard comes and gets him and tells him he's got a visitor and on his way another inmate stabs him to death, the end.

No you don't get to find out who that visitor was!!

Okay, so, thoughts! First of all, Arthur Fleck in this movie gets treated like an innocent baby man. In the first movie you can tell he's got problems, obviously, and he's a little bit pathetic and empathetic in the beginning but he's also you know in charge of himself despite his difficulty with reality. He's the one deciding to hurt others and murder.

But in the sequel it's all baby man all the time. He's a widdle baby a widdle birthday boy and none of this is his fault. Everyone's soooo mean to him. :( Harley Quinnzel is sooo conniving. She lied to him, boohoo, she's rich actually, she's a temptress. The movie goes out of its way to let you know that Arthur is low IQ, never went to highschool, his own mom hated him, he's gullible, he's passive and docile. He'd never hurt a fly... You think the movie will switch this up at some point and redeem itself? Hahahaahahaha nooooo in fact that way he just dies at end almost paints him as some martyred saint like biblical figure. If they make a (or were planning to make) a 3rd movie where he resurrects I am going to be so mad.

So Harley lies to him from the get go, tells him she's from his neighborhood, she's an arsonist, her abusive dad's dead, her mom's awful. In reality she's a rich girl with a psychiatric degree, her alive parents are doctors and obviously she is not from his neighborhood.

Honestly, and this probably would have made the movie even more fucked up, but I do wish the movie was more about this. It's barely about this. Joker forgives her basically instantly after a weird little musical fantasy sequence and it's like whatever. He has to forgive her, he's the perfect liddle baby man, remember? He's there to get abused and used by wily females. From Harley to his lawyer to his mother...

There was one scene in the movie that was good, and it was during the trial when they bring out Mr. Puddles from the first movie to testify. Mr. Puddles was in the party clown business with Arthur, he's a little person, and watched Arthur murder someone in the first movie.

He has a scene where he talks about how scared he was and how small he felt and how being there for that has hurt him and ruined his life and Joker almost has a moment of clarity. The only good scene in the movie. The scene where the movie itself almost has a moment of clarity.

Big props to Leigh Gill, who owned that scene hard.

Everything from Harley abandoning him after lying about being pregnant with their child (another wily female thing, baby trapping!!), his death, his trial, it's all just. Oh look at the poor lil guy. I find the whole thing really creepy. And all that for nothing. It was barely important to the plot.

Like yeah the musical interludes ground the movie to a dead halt and made the pacing very bad, but whatever about that. It's the PLOT that's the bad part. Holy moly.

Sorry if this is also poorly paced and not well thought out, lol, I'm just mind dumping after thinking about the movie for a day (I watched it yesterday)

But yeah them's my thoughts.

Also my cat just ate a click beetle and I don't think she liked it.

[lucienne-thee-librarian]

Honestly, the thing that's driving a lot of the annoyance and frustration towards Taylor Swift...I might get killed for this but fans?? It's your own fault. Yours and now the hype she has built herself are to blame imo. Nothing she's been criticized for afaik, whether its mid music or dating KNOWn racist shitbags (yes, even the private jet usage. Other celebrities do in fact do that too) is particularly unique to her. But it's the like. Holy serious way she's treated that really puts me and other people I know over the edge tbh.

If y'all didn't act like she was this master wordsmith and composer and no one has EVER done it like her, if she herself hasn't fully begun to play into the idea of her own LORE *hork* then I for one wouldn't be half as annoyed about her as I am fkdjdksms.

I won't even act like I've never enjoyed her music or I haven't even thought she's made a good song or two. But acting like she's doing anything revolutionary or deserving of THIS level of success, to the point her constant and obvious milking of her own fans for even more money (not just Taylor's version but all the million "different" covers and re-releases. Y'all are paying for NEW COVERS.) Gets waved off as a girlboss move??? Fuck outta here.

Idk, I just think if you're gonna get away with that you've GOT to be a truly world class talent or else it's too annoying to take seriously.

Pink Floyd could get away with making a damn movie about their own album because they're Pink Floyd. But also they had shit to say that was actually interesting (and about not just themselves. About society and WWII. Whatever you think of it, and there is plenty to criticize there too, was SOMETHING SERIOUS) and said in a unique way. That's just one example fjskaksj but anyway. Yeah

Oh and calling her a gay icon of any sort when Lady Gaga our out bi queen, did stuff a million times more provocative than anything Taylor has ever done, made out with a diesel dyke in the same music video where she rode off into the sunset with Beyonce holding hands after killing a diner full of people, and was constantly and loudly supporting the queer community back in the 2000s when she got protested big time for it?!?!? When it was ACTUALLY still somewhat of a risk to do so instead of the thing every halfway PR savvy celebrity tries to do to seem enlightened??? It's insulting lmaooooo

(Janelle Monae has written entire albums of amazing bops and talked about their queerness and race in them, but who cares about that I guess. Sorry I'll die bitter that Dirty Computer was so underrated. And Age of Pleasure too tbh)

[tartrat]

Lights out drop 2 review I guess

Im not good at giving reviews but here are my thoughts on paparazzi and the legacy songs because I don't own JD3 or 4 as well as other general thoughts i might have. Spoilers for paparazzi i guess.

Paparazzi: I always forget how slow this song is and i was listening to it this morning before the drop went live. Anyway I actually really like it, the outfits remind me a lot of Gaga especially the hero/villain costume from the movie part. Moves were a bit confusing at first (I only got superstar on my first try there.) but theres this sort of elegance and class to them during the red carpet section and then the sort of monstrous movements during the movie section were fun, although a bit hard to get down at first.

Hot For Me: The dance is great, i was hoping for the song to be a bit better. I don't really have much else to say.

Dance All Nite: Out of the three legacy songs in this drop, this is the best and fits the theme of the season better with all the neon in the background. I did mess up the second last gold move on my first attempt though. All around a solid map.

We R Who we R: I never knew that this was the "Hot and Dangerous" song, like i knew that it was Kesha who said it but didn't know the song lol. Its sort of lost on me like i don't know what the map is trying to say or what the general theming is. The coach is obviously a punk but then the people in the back at the rave section are normal, I think. Then there is the random fire that happens in the background. Its fun but i wouldn't go out of my way to do it often

My ranking for the new songs is:

1 Todo de ti

2 Paparazzi

3 Don't Rush

and for the legacy songs

1 Circus (Extreme)

2 Dance All Nite

3 Part of Me

4 Hot For Me

5 We R Who We R

I wouldn't necessarily say that wrwwr is the worst legacy song just more that its the weakest. I think that JD 4 has some of the worst or weakest maps in the series, i really only care about So what and Gold Dust from that game. In general JD4 is overated.

I also want to know who is stalking Eva Chase and the other Lady Gaga Coaches who are seen on the cork board. Initially i thought that Louise Dials would be the coach you could see her in the top right corner of the background in the season rewards. It could be Night Swan after the events of the escape in telephone or someone else whos hunting them down in relation to the event and noticed how Eva, and possibly Felicia evaded capture.

I think after Poker Face releases in JD2025 thats the majority of Gaga's hits covered in the series. I think what remains is Edge of glory, Perfect Illusion, and i guess Shallow (though that might be awkward), before they go for her other popular songs that aren't as big. I really hope they do Americano or Replay at some point even if its just during a season.

I'm now excited for the next event. then after that it'll probably be another celebration event akin to last year's 2024 event. I can see Night Swan being the legendary avatar for that. Its so funny because i believe that a majority of the fandom who came in from JD 2023 wouldn't have survived prior as the seasons from 2019 - 2022 were just the three new songs and legacies and then radio silence for a month an a half, with the only rewards being from the world dance floor which were always kind of weird I don't know how we managed with those basic avatars for so long, much prefer the new avatars). and then 2022 only had 2 seasons but at least they got 8 songs each. I can't really remember but i think back during the 2018 era the exclusives and legacies were just dropped at random times, like i even remember when Sax and Mi Gente leaked and was left wondering when those would release and it wasn't until like January and April respectively or something like that.

Side note its so funny how you can see some leakers complain about fans complaining about leaks. Like obviously people are going to be upset that you've been parading around leaks, people want to be surprised and make their own theories and not just be told what exactly is going down. Like all the games from JD2021-2024 have been leaked so far and i think as a direct result of that the previews have been shortened down to 30 seconds, or songs getting cut or replaced (Darkest hour still fits better than Eurythmics because it feels more like Leda's thoughts, I'll defend darkest hour and the Night Swan Prologue until i die). I think at this point the leakers are just getting off of the reactions of those who are annoyed, and we can't ignore them as it feels like they are purposely making themselves known. Best thing i can akin the leakers to is Trisha Paytas, like we all try our best to ignore her then she does something insanely weird to draw our attention back to her. I know that the leakers have had their own fair share of respective drama as it comes up on my YouTube home feed from time to time and i try to ignore it. its been going on for years i don't think it'll stop any time soon as they just find new ways to get info.

Anyway the seasons have been great this year (minus Don't rush) and im excited to see what comes next, lets just try to be positive.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Various Artists – Barbie: The Album

Mentioning the phrase “pop music” seems to illicit a lot of reactions, usually within the realms of “I love it” and “I hate it.” Most people either seem to love pop music, or at the very least, certain artists within it, or they loathe it. I wanted to preface this review with my own rather complicated history with pop, because pop music is a genre that I have a rather strange “relationship” with. I got into music during the early to mid-00s, when pop music was in an interesting place, thanks to house / dubstep music being huge, and a lot of well-established artists now were just getting started, such as Lady Gaga, Kesha, The Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and many more, but pop music was starting to become boring and bland. I was also much more into emo, pop-punk, and metalcore, although I would come to realize years later, a lot of the pop-punk that I listened to was merely pop-rock with an emo lens through it. Thirteen-year-old me thought I was the bee’s knees for listening to that edgier and darker kind of music (I did like some “classic rock” at the time, too), and I thought that was “real music,” as every preteen and teenager tends to think during adolescence. I just didn’t find anything to like when it came to “mainstream” music, but that all changed in the winter of 2012.

I remember it like yesterday, because it was one of those things you won’t forget. I was in FYE, and I had just discovered the magic of that store, but I was looking around for whatever I could find. I was always looking for anything at all, and I could spend hours in music stores, but I ended up finding a copy of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Say what you will about Jackson as a person, as well as his legacy, but Thriller is one of the best albums ever made. Without going detail into it, it’s a record that I knew about without even knowing anything about pop music. It’s one of those albums that I knew I needed to hear, so I picked it up for a good price (they always had stuff on sale, too, and that really helped my decision picking it up), and I ended up falling head over heels for it. What was interesting, however, is that, despite being released in the 1980s, it changed my perception of what pop music is, let alone what it can be. Ever since then, I became a fan of pop music, and for years after, I enjoyed plenty of pop records, such as albums from Justin Timberlake, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Harry Styles’ solo material, just to name a few artists, but listening to that record opened up a whole new world for me.

Pop music, at its core, is escapism. Whether it’s from their own lives, or wanting to live through their favorite pop singers, they want to escape. The same can be said for all kinds of music, but pop music has always been “popular” for a reason. When people think of pop music, they think of catchy, accessible, and “safe” music that doesn’t push boundaries or offend anyone. When I listened to Thriller, that misconception was completely shattered. That was when I took pop music seriously, and every now and again, you can find a great pop record, but a lot of pop music is still relatively safe, tame, and bland. Not that it’s bad, but it doesn’t push any boundaries, although that’s not the point, since it’s to sell records and make money.

I’ve found myself not as interested in pop music over the years, thanks to own tastes shifting, and pop music as a whole changing. It just hasn’t appealed to me, minus a few artists, but every once in awhile, I’ll find something I like and that “something” right now is the Barbie movie soundtrack. This film, released just a few weeks ago, is the latest topic in the pop culture zeitgeist, alongside Oppenheimer, and alongside the film, a soundtrack was released that caught my curiosity by featuring some of the most popular names in pop, such as Lizzo, Khalid, the Kid Laroi, Dua Lipa, Karol G, and Billie Eilish, although one of the big songs from this record is the remix / interpolation of “Barbie Girl” by Aqua that features Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. That’s a very stacked list of artists, let alone the whole record being produced by Mark Ronson of “Uptown Funk” fame.

Despite not listening to a lot of pop music anymore, I was curious to see how this soundtrack would pan out, especially not having seen the film yet. You can talk about this album in two ways, the first being how it holds up on its own as a soundtrack, and the second as a soundtrack after seeing the film, but because I haven’t seen the movie yet, I thought I’d first talk about it on its own, and then talk about it again once I see the movie, or write a small companion piece to along with this. Soundtracks typically are companion pieces to the movie or show they accompany, and there is often an expectation that they need to be as good, if not better, than the work they’re apart of. I won’t comment on the film, as I haven’t seen it yet, but I will say that the soundtrack works quite well on its own. The soundtrack doesn’t say anything or do anything that pushes any kind of boundary, and it does what you’d expect a Barbie soundtrack to do, which is give you an album’s worth of catchy, fun, and summery jams, and that’s okay! I’ve talked about many times how not everything needs to be deep, and this is a perfect example of that.

The Barbie soundtrack is fun, lighthearted, catchy, and enjoyable from beginning to end. A lot of the songs are quite good, if not great, and it feels like a cohesive soundtrack, instead feeling like a random soundtrack, instead feeling like a random assortment of artists. I’m curious as to how these songs work in the film, but a lot of solid tracks are here, such as “Pink” by Lizzo, “Speed Drive” by Charlie XCX, “Silver Platter” by Khalid, or the “Barbie Girl” remix I mentioned earlier. It won’t blow your mind, or ultimately change the way you think about pop music, but it’s a fun ride through the world of Barbie. There are a few standouts, such as Billie Eilish’s “What Were We Made For,” which I guarantee is going to do some numbers in the coming weeks, but there are also a few songs that don’t add anything or do anything, such as the Tame Impala song “Journey To The Real World,” which seems to have a better purpose in the movie, but it’s only a minute long, so it doesn’t really do anything or go anywhere. Haim has a song, too, entitled “Home,” and it’s a good song, but it’s nothing really that special. I enjoy listening to it, but I wouldn’t pretend it’s one of my favorites. If anything at all, listen to the soundtrack and pick out your favorites, but I don’t think anything on here is worth outright skipping, although Gayle (who’s famous for “abcdefu” from a couple of years ago) does have a weird song that interpolates “Butterfly” by Crazy Town. It’s kind of fun, but also very weird and makes no sense, especially for the Barbie movie, so I don’t know how that song fits into the overall narrative, but it’s a decent song, nonetheless.

I’m interested to see how the songs from the soundtrack fit into the film, so when I go back and listen to the soundtrack after seeing it, I can picture the songs in my head. I’m very excited to see how “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the movie, fits into the film, because that’s one of the funniest songs here. Nonetheless, this is a soundtrack that works for what it is – a catchy and fun good time. You don’t need anything more sometimes, since not everything needs to be deep, challenging, or have an underlying message to it. Sometimes a song or album can be fun, and you can enjoy it merely on a surface level. Sometimes enjoying things at face value is all you need. Pop music is at an interesting place right now because there’s nothing happening within the genre. I mean, the top three songs in the country as of this moment are country songs, so there’s no trend or overall idea that’s getting traction, unless you look at the trends of artists interpolating songs (the “Barbie Girl” remix is a perfect example of that), or the influence of nostalgia, but pop music is at a crossroads right now, so it’ll be interesting to see how this soundtrack charts and the impact that is has, especially since the film itself is doing very well at the moment. If you’re a fan of pop music, it’s worth hearing, because it has some catchy and fun summer jams on it, even if it won’t necessarily change your life.

[aizenat]

Whoever writes for the Hollywood reporter should be fired wtf.

Anyway, so she called out super fan behavior that had become way too normalized over the last decade and people are mad at being called out I guess? I’ve been bitching about this a lot this year; like with cardi. I ain’t agree with all of cardi’s meltdowns this year, but sis got pregnant and couldn’t even have a happy announcement because yall caught her man cheating and wanted to dunk on her while she worked through that all while complaining about an album release after yall upended her entire life. I’d wanna cuss yall out too lol.

You all are so fucking weird and don’t know how to be normal with celebs. Not for nothing, that’s why I’m not buying the hype around chapel and sabrina and whatever other mediocre white girl yall are claiming is saving pop rn. Because yall aren’t normal fans. If you were, you’d look at these artists as such and judge them according (and agree with me how mediocre they are lol), but instead they wear makeup or say something snarky in an interview so you have to pretend their music justified obsessing over them because you can’t just say “I like that celebs’ attitude” and move on. You don’t have to “stan” them just because you like them.

Like I jokingly call myself the worst fan ever because I’ll be a MAJOR fan of someone and not know shit about them. I LOVE how little I know about celebs I’ll say I love. I found out this year Margot Robbie is Australian! Had no idea! I don’t watch interviews because i genuinely believe that 98% of celebs have nothing of value to say and so they bore me. Always have, always will; so I never heard her regular accent! I was also however old I was last year when I found out Hugh jackman is Australian too! Again, never heard that man speak outside of a movie (why would I? lol)! Is this celeb’s parents still alive? Do they have siblings? If said siblings aren’t famous too, I have no idea! I learned this past week Kamala Harris has a sister (lol). I learned this year that Olivia Rodrigo (not a fan but I’m counting this) isn’t Latina, but Filipina I see a vaguely brown/white passing girl with a name like Olivia Rodrigo from Cali, why the fuck would I assume otherwise? You think I’m going to look her up to see? Why? I don’t care lol. Do you do your thing well? Do I like it? That’s all I need to know. Fuck the less I know the better. Knowing about Beyonce taking jay back after that nigga cheated is why no one could take her Jolene “cover” seriously. The less we know about celebs the better! Truly!

But these kids think cyberstalking their faves is normal. I was a huge fan of lady Gaga back in the day to the point that I was workshopping “little monster” tattoos because I wanted to immortalize her on my body somehow. If I didn’t get keloids (idk if I’d keloid from a tattoo but I don’t even want to fuck around and find out; that’s how I got the one on my ear from my ear piercing), I’d likely have that tattoo! And I literally cannot tell you a single thing about her life other than she’s short like me, and her real name is Stefani G-something Italian. Aside form that, idk. Siblings? Interests outside of music and fashion? Her real personality? Couldn’t tell you shit. I just love Born This Way: that album was a cultural reset and her magnum opus. I’ll never get over that album. NEVER!

And that’s all we should be caring about. All this extra shit is weird. Like I go into Conan Gray’s tag because I’m literally obsessed with his Found Heaven album, and I see kids writing fanfiction. About a 25 year old man who’s been releasing music since he was a teen and who is a real person and not some fictional character created by someone actually creative. Like idc who gets offended by this, but the second that fanfiction about real life people become common and normalized (TO THE POINT THAT ENTIRE BOOK SERIES AND NETFLIX MOVIES HAVE BEEN CREATED FROM ONE DIRECTION FANFICS), we’ve lost the plot of celebrity-ism.

These celebs are our monkeys. They dance and sing and act and look nice for us so we have something to keep us entertained. This, by the way, is why it’s imperative they’re actually GOOD and TALENTED at their craft: because I can go to a zoo to see a monkey just sitting there scratching its ass. If I’m going to spend money on a monkey and tolerate it being worth millions of dollars more than me, it better be able to do something i sure as hell couldn’t do myself. But the point is they’re performers. They are here to keep us entertained. If you can’t enjoy their work and maybe just make some stickers and buy some merch to feel close (I’m literally sleeping in a cut up, oversized Conan Gray concert shirt rn lol) and like some posts on ig and move on, you need help. Like literal and serious help.

And stop normalizing that shit! Celebs are allowed privacy! Stop stalking them, then finding out shit about them, sharing it publicly, and then getting mad when that celeb snaps at you! Stop trying to catch their partners cheating. Stop speculating if they’re pregnant. Stop looking into their families. Fucking leave these fucking celebrities alone. Motherfuckers were chanting free Britney just a few years ago, clutching their pearls over the revisiting of how horribly everyone treated Britney, but then participate in the same behavior now and don’t seem to get the irony. You think you’re exempt because you’re not star or ok magazine? Social media has replaced tabloids and yall are the new paparazzi. Congrats. You’ve become the very thing you claimed to hate.

Please leave that little girl alone so I don’t have to hear discourse of her make her blow up the way Taylor swift did. I swear to GOD if that child ends up still relevant 15 years from now because yall made this her “Imma let you finish” moment, I will fucking hunt every one of you down and end you myself. Let’s learn from the past and NOT do that shit again thanks .

[gabriellaraelyn]

Why I Wrote 'peace OR love'

Single artwork for 'peace OR love'.

So, 'peace OR love' is the second single in the series leading up to the release of my album, 'NEPHELE: Act I'. This song actually has two meanings rolled into one, but in its essence, it's about the internal struggle one has when loving something that is difficult to love.

What first inspired me to write this song was the idea of me, an artist, being in love with music and the creation of it, yet at the same time struggling with it because of how hard it is to pursue a music career. So, I present the dichotomy of peace or love.

Peace would be to give up the pursuit of a music career in order not to feel so stressed and frustrated all the time, and love would be to keep pursuing music at the cost of living a relatively relaxed life.

The second meaning is that it is a song about being in love with someone who is hard to love. If I choose peace, that is to say I leave them and give up on love. If I choose love, I forfeit peace and continue bearing the burden of loving that person.

It's sort of like a classic 'I'm in love with the villain' story, which I am always a sucker for. There's something so romantic about the notion of "everyone thinks you're an awful person but I'm going to love you anyway, no matter how hard it is."

I was actually inspired by a movie soundtrack called 'Tema D' Amore - Version 2' from Cinema Paradiso (1988).

Honestly, this is one of the prettiest, most romantic songs I have ever heard in a film score. I actually heard it first from a Simpsons episode, which is kinda random, but it did domino into me making this song so I had to mention where I first heard it.

So, I then took the same key that this song is in (G minor) and started producing 'peace OR love'.

I knew I wanted a particularly dreamy, almost vaporwave-like sound, along with a reggaeton beat. I haven't heard many synthpop/reggaeton songs, so I wanted to blend the two genres.

What I ended up with was the final product, 'peace OR love'.

As with all of the songs on this album, this track was mixed & mastered by John D. Norten, who has worked with many artists including Lady Gaga and Prince. The vision would not have been realized without his expertise, which I am immensely grateful for.

Thank you for reading all the way to the end! If you enjoyed this post, consider checking out the rest of my music!

I have a new single called 'the MUSIC MAN' which will be out on September 15th (2023), so pre-save it here & follow me on other social media platforms for sneak previews of it ahead of the release!

[themovieblogonline]

The Joker Returns: New Look At Joaquin Phoenix

Director Todd Phillips has shared a new photo from Joker: Folie à Deux. The film has wrapped filming and we have just one year to go until its October 2024 release date. As you can see, Joaquin Phoenix is embracing life in the rain, with a selection of colourful umbrellas surrounding him. There are many meanings that hide within this photo alone. It’s clear that Todd has a huge, ambitious appetite for this highly anticipated sequel. The new movie has a musical theme supported by composer Hildur Guðnadóttir and starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.  The realistic, and somewhat devastating style that he captured will stay with fans for a long time. I can’t wait to uncover more about Arthur Fleck next year when this movie releases. I’m really excited to see what Phoenix can bring once more to the role but I've also enjoyed other actors in the role too. To our delight, Todd Phillips decided to work on a sequel to the 2019 output. Only a handful of actors have dared to attempt stepping into that role on the big screen after Heath Ledger's ridiculous, yet incredible, take on The Joker in The Dark Knight. One of the biggest versions to follow is when Jared Leto swept in to give us a punk version of the character in David Ayer's Suicide Squad (2016). The general feedback seemed to be that his style and delivery didn't quite live up to what Heath had done. Jared Leto has spoken out about how a lot of the scenes in the movie sadly got cut. Although we see a different twist on this Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League, it just wasn't quite enough. David Ayer, the director of Suicide Squad, said that he has a better version of the movie that he'd like to share one day. Just like the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut hashtag, there is now a #ReleaseTheAyerCut one supporting Ayer's vision! So, will we see more depth to Jared's take on The Joker in the future? Personally, I think that would be a great idea.   Following this, the next big-screen addition comes under the title of Joker. Released in 2019, and directed by Todd Phillips, Joker is completely set outside of the DC movies that come before it. It doesn’t try to connect to them in any way, and that’s an exciting idea in itself. This finally just gives space for this iconic character to tell his own solo story away from everything else.  In a way, this movie is more of a character study, as opposed to being anything within the superhero realm. In the end, Joaquin Phoenix blew viewers away with his approach to the character. It seems like Joaquin completely lived, and breathed this character for the entire filming process. After losing 52 pounds for the role, he created a freaky and unsettling atmosphere with that haunting laugh in many of his scenes. It’s a fantastic film, that has you questioning society's – at times – selfish impact on the everyday individual. Also, that scene with Robert De Niro is legendary… After Barry Keoghan confirmed at the end of The Batman (2022), that Phoenix's version will indeed not live within other DC projects, fans were left wondering if there was a future, or if it would just be the one movie. So, how excited are you for this sequel, and which on-screen Joker has been your favourite? Read the full article

[anthonyandbrandon]

I’m happy it didn’t come out during twisters promo. I didn’t enjoy when they had him promoting love and lies during the in the heights promo. I much preferred the way the good and the bad was promoted as a standalone thing. As far as radio, he seems to love going on Elvis Duran. I’d expect him there before the breakfast club or Ebro right now.

I guess I was more so thinking about the best way to get the word out. He had so many eyeballs on him (good and bad, sadly) during that month or so of promo and the movie was in theaters for most of the summer.

Like right now no one but a small few of us are talking about it and he is going to be competing with Lady Gaga's release on Friday.

Now, Twisters did just become available on video on demand and will be on streaming soon, so maybe this was planned.

[clovemerablog]

Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars single review: “Die With A Smile”

An enjoyable power ballad with just enough Gaga to endure Mars

Review by Clove Mera, 20 August 2024 Single released 16 August 2024 Track written by: Bruno Mars, Stefani Germanotta, Dernst Emile II, Andrew Watt, James Fauntleroy Interscope Records

I came to “Die With A Smile” as a Lady Gaga fan, not a Bruno Mars fan. For this reason, it came as a surprise when Gaga only had two lines in verse two completely to herself before Mars began duetting with her. Even though the music video was published to Lady Gaga’s YouTube account, the song was conceived by Bruno Mars who then invited Gaga as a featured artist (Chelosky, 2024).

Although the song is more a Bruno Mars song than a Lady Gaga song, Gaga’s voice is still gorgeous to listen to. During her latest album, 2020’s “Chromatica”, the “Hold My Hand” singer’s voice took on a miraculous new quality which it had never done before. Her voice throughout the album, and “Die With A Smile” as well, felt like it was a tight, warm hug that was holding me safe. The bulk of this song is enjoyable but Gaga’s moments are its high points for me, especially the way she sings_ “Right next to you”_during the segue from chorus to bridge, in a register reminiscent of earlier records “Speechless” and “Yoü and I”.

Gaga is no stranger to power ballads about love, with “Hold My Hand” being a recent example. Just like a good power ballad, “Die With A Smile” does a great job signalling emotion with levels and escalation, across vocals and music. Gaga and Mars sing softly pained threnodies about their love being “…the only war worth fighting for”_against reverberated strumming acoustic guitar, and effortlessly scaling up with quick melodic guitar complemented by a bass guitar and powerful kick snare cymbal rhythm, belting “_If the party was over/ And our time on Earth was through/ I'd wanna hold you just for a while/ And die with a smile”. 

The chorus is clearly engineered for you to singalong and dance with it. It’s no coincidence that they switch from finely controlled vocals to louder, almost-shouting, in the chorus. That’s an invitation for you to join in. Similarly, I think the bass and drums act as cues to dance with.

Bruno and Gaga’s lyrics are beautiful in their imagery, singing about the world ending and the party being over. Those are lonely situations, if they aren’t something you’ve experienced then you’ve probably seen them in a movie. It’s a bittersweet love in which intrusive thoughts of splitting apart are combatted with powerful vows to love each other “…Like it’s the last night.” 

Those are practically the two modes this song has, reflecting on the relationship’s troubles and the pair’s resoluteness to fight for one another. A really powerful emotional moment comes in the bridge, which strips everything but the distant strumming guitar, which generates forward momentum, and glides into the chorus’s powerful instrumental, where the tension and release makes the chaos and the passion hits especially hard.

It’s a good song, that is indisputable. I suppose if I want to be able to enjoy it, though, I need to reframe how I perceive it. It’s not a Lady Gaga song, it’s a Bruno Mars song featuring Lady Gaga. What I miss in this song is the Gaga-ness of say, an album single. The truth is, I probably wouldn’t play this song many times, and probably wouldn’t have listened to it once, if not for Gaga’s presence.

“Die With A Smile” is available to stream and its music video is linked below.

Reference list

Chelosky, D. (2024). Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Share New Song ‘Die With A Smile’: Listen. [online] Stereogum. Available at: https://www.stereogum.com/2276399/lady-gaga-bruno-mars-die-with-a-smile/music/ [Accessed 20 Aug. 2024].

[therealeagal]

Joker: Folie a Deux (trailer)

RA RA AH AH AH

ROMA ROH MA MA

GAGA OOH LA LA

Irony works on multiple levels. Sometimes if-then doesn't suffice. It's hard to explain.

Picture of a man. A tragic anti-hero really. So fully justified was he in killing his bullies. They got what they fucking deserved. But SOCIETY couldn't handle it!

So our hero finds himself in the clutches of Gotham's very own Arkham Asylum. But all is not lost, because he finds the love of his life, one Harleen Quinzel, also trapped by the wicked whims of the SOCIETY that they definitely both live in. So begins their whirlwind romance that we should definitely see as heartwarming because they are SOCIETY's true victims, you see. Don't let the fact that Harley is played by Lady Gaga fool you. It's not a bad romance at all. It's a great romance.

THIS Joker and THIS Harley are completely in love. Because THIS Joker and THIS Harley live in a SOCIETY. Their love is ideal. #RelationshipGoals

I WANT YOUR LOVE AND I WANT YOUR REVENGE UPON SOCIETY

YOU AND ME COULD WRITE A GREAT ROMANCE.

It does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of. Joker: Folie a Deux is set for release on October 4th of this year. Once again I am debating the pros and cons of watching it.

On the one hand, I'm always right, so do I really need to see it for you to know that my description is correct? On the other hand, is a review of any substance if the reviewer hasn't read it. I never read Mein Kampf, but I could probably hazard a guess that it's not about puppy dog kisses and cotton candy dreams.

Somewhat surprisingly, no one got pissy at me when I criticized the first movie. Well, not here on tumblr anyway. Over on Twitch, I've got a sporadically ongoing argument with some folks over whether Jared Leto and Cameron...what was his name? I think it was like, Monaghan or some shit...the guy from Gotham. Anyway, whether those two were better Jokers than Joaquin Phoenix. Spoilers: I argue on the side of "They were".

And I mean, not to knock on Joaquin's door personally. Actors, by and large, work with the roles they're given. You can't dunk on them just because they were in a bad movie. Well, you can. It's literally possible. But you probably shouldn't. Depends on the movie, I guess...

But just for old times sake, if you find my assessment to be mistaken in any way - if you, in fact, consider Joaquin Phoenix's Joker to be the greatest movie ever made and you greatly anticipate falling asleep masturbating to Joker: Folie a Deux every night - I want you to very strongly consider not @-ing me about it, bro.

Please and thank you. :)

P.S. I brought back the masturbation joke! And it's still funny! When you got it you got it.

Cheers!

[gabenvrhappened]

MusicOr... We Can't Be Friends by Ariana Grande

Favorite Lyrics (We Can't Be Friends): Me and my truth, we sit in silence ⬩ Baby girl, it's just me and you ⬩ Cause I don't wanna argue, but I don't wanna bite my tongue ⬩ I think I'd rather die ⬩ You got me misunderstood, but at least I look this good;

When Ariana first released Yes, And? I didn't pay much attention to it. The song's style wasn't quite what I was looking for at the time. So, for me, waiting for Eternal Sunshine wasn't difficult, especially because her old projects weren't really my type either. Then, March 8th came, and alongside the album, she released the music video for We Can't Be Friends, and, just like everybody else on the internet, I loved the song and the music video.

It's been a while since I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but I remember loving it. Of course I would... I mean, it's such an iconic movie. Adding that to the fact that it followed the usual pop song formula and that the video featured Evan Peters, a new go-to song was born. And even though I'm at a phase in my life where my self-respect and self-love always comes first, I have to admit that there are certain persons in my life that I would welcome with open arms if they were to come back to me by loving me. Sort of like I'm waiting for their love, without really waiting for it. If you know what I mean.

Eventually, with that promising new track, I decided to go through the album, but at first, nothing stood out. Not even The Boy Is Mine, which I was really curious about because of the title. I imagined a song going in the same direction as Paparazzi by Lady Gaga, which followed a similar theme ("Promise I'll be kind but I won't stop until that boy is mine" had became my favorite delusion is the solution kind of phrase), but I was far too wrong. Because of that, I let the album collect some dust in my library and moved on.

It was only a few days later that some ray of light sparked in me the desire to go back to the record, and it was at that moment that I discovered some hidden gems I had overlooked the first time I pressed play. First, the proper The Boy Is Mine. Once the frustration of a silly expectation had dried out, I could see the song for what it was, and I really liked it (mostly because I always try to forget who's the boy behind the inspiration so I won't get mad at her for wanting that boy to be hers).

Then another song shined its way into my likings: Bye. Such an empowering anthem in a moment I was needing some validation. And the fact that it was just the second song (while many would have put as the closing track) was kind of clever. And alongside Yes, And? (which I finally I surrendered myself for), it became my go-to gym song. Whenever I need to enter the place, I try to choose a song that will make me walk confidently, as if there was fire behind me, and Yes, And? is now that song (until recently it was Reflection by Years and Years) especially because of the unique remix with Mariah Carey. Seriously… iconic… that woman is something else.

Sadly, my opinion didn't change much for the rest of the album. I even tried giving Supernatural a chance when the remix with Troye Sivan dropped, but with not much luck. Maybe with time, I'll erase these memories and impressions and come back to this and find other hidden gems. For now, I'll stick with these four songs, and my workout playlist is already happy with that choice. No second guessing. Not trying to forget it.