#Japanese Tour 2011

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

AN EXTREME MUSIC LEGEND SURROUNDED BY HIS FAR EASTERN PROGENY -- ALL HAIL KING RAINY!!

PIC INFO: Spotlight on living legend Royston "Rainy" Wainwright, bassist/graphic artist/co-founder of English hardcore punk band DISCHARGE, surrounded by a handful of his adoring Japanese fans, during the band's 2011 Japanese tour. Photo from the private collection of Rains.

And because the Japanese scene in its entirety would sound waaaaay different than it does today had it not been for the kick in the pants that the Dis-fathers provided over 40 years ago.

Dis nightmare still @*®!%#$& continues!!

Source: www.picuki.com/media/2712101934290776562.

[cherrylng]

My Chemical Romance exclusive sneak peek [INROCK (January 2011)]

L→R: Ray Toro (g.), Gerard Way (vo.), Mikey Way (b.), Frank Iero (g.)

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Exclusive sneak peek of the private art studio for this magazine!!!!

REPORT: RIE FUJIWARA/Warner Music Japan (★) PHOTOS BY KAORI SUZUKI

Nov. 19, 2010 in Los Angeles

My Chemical Romance continues to treat their albums as works of art. This time, we got an exclusive sneak peek into their private art studio, which is the source of their ideas. The works of art there are, of course, being shown to the public for the first time in the world. It was as if the mysterious world inside the brain of one artist, Gerard Way, was unfolding…

The location chosen for the My Chemical Romance (MCR) photo shoot was an art studio owned by MCR themselves. The location is near Silver Lake, which is famous for being home to many artists and art professionals in Los Angeles. It is hard to explain because there are not many places like this in Japan, but the art studio owned by MCR is a room in a building that is a collection of many square spaces like a warehouse, but with white walls and high ceilings. Gerard's wife, Lindsay, also has her studio in this building, where she holds exhibitions and is the centre of the MCR family's art activities.

When I opened the door, I was first surprised at how small it was. The space is about the size of a four-and-a-half-tatami room [2.5 x 3 metres] (although in reality it was a little larger). Standing at the very back of the room were the four red, green, yellow, and blue dolls that also appeared in the music video for "Na Na Na". Above their heads is an illustration of the spider used on the album cover. One black-painted wall was decorated with handwritten "Na Na Na" lyrics, while the other wall was artistically decorated with Gerard's sketches and drawings. What appeared to be Gerard's sketches were also randomly placed on the desk. Naturally, this studio is all about MCR.

Ray was the first to arrive at the studio. He has that sociable, cheerful personality and chats with the hair and make-up ladies. Gerard was the next to arrive. It's still warm in Los Angeles, so why was he wearing a furry Russian hat with earmuffs? Mikey and Frank came next and went crazy over their souvenir Japanese sweets!! Their favourite was the strawberry-flavoured Koala March, while the second was the classic, Kit Kat matcha-flavoured. The matcha-flavoured Melty Kisses was also a big hit. They couldn't wait for their visit to Japan in February, and the four members fought over the chocolates while gobbling them down.

Once the snacks have filled their stomachs, the photoshoot can begin. First, from inside the studio. The members brought several different jackets. They all asked Gerard for his opinion on which jacket would look best with the background. Gerard checked the balance of everyone and gave quick instructions, saying, “You do this, you do that.” Gerard is in charge of MCR's art direction, but he also manages the band as a fashion leader, and the three members listened to Gerard's advice obediently, giving us a glimpse of the strong unity of MCR, or rather, their friendship, which was a very heartwarming moment. The shoot ended successfully with some shots outside the studio as well. The members were very tired after a gruelling two-week ‘European promotional tour,’ but they were harmonious from start to finish and allowed us to take many wonderful photos.

Translator's Note: There's something pretty funny to picture MCR just gobbling down Japanese snacks to the point that there's a small fight over the chocolates.

Please do support me with Ko-fi! ☕

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.08.05] AERA x Yuzuru Hanyu: 24.8.12-19 No. 37

person in focus

"After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well."

A session with photographer Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year. In a long interview exclusive to this magazine, he talks about the ideals he pursues.

Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu

Born December 7, 1994 in Sendai. 2009 Won the Junior Grand Prix Final at age 14. 2010 Became the youngest Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships. 2011 While practicing at a rink in Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and he had to live in an evacuation shelter. The rink where he was training was temporarily closed. 2012 First participated in the World Championships, coming in third. 2013 Graduated from Tohoku High School. Enrolled in a correspondence course at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Won his first Grand Prix Final. Won four consecutive titles thereafter. 2014 First Asian gold medal in men's figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. First World Championship win. 2017 Second World Championship win. 2018 Second gold medal in men's figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2020 Won his first Four Continents Championship, becoming the first man to win all major international junior and senior competitions. 2022 Participated in the Beijing Olympics. In July, announced his professional career. The ice show "Prologue" was held in Yokohama in November and in Hachinohe in December. 2023 In February, the ice show "GIFT" was held at Tokyo Dome. In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In March and April, he appeared in the ice show "Stars on Ice" (Osaka, Iwate, Yokohama). In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Miyagi, Niigata, Kobe). In November, the ice show "RE_PRAY" tour began at Saitama Super Arena. The following year, it was held at SAGA Arena in Saga in January, Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February, and Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi in April. 2024 In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Aichi). On September 15th, he will be performing in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance Challenge" in Ishikawa Prefecture.

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

It has been two years since he made a new start as a professional figure skater in the summer of 2022. In 2024, he led three successful ice shows: "RE_PRAY" (Saga, Yokohama, Miyagi performances), "notte stellata" and "Fantasy on Ice".

The shoot with Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year began with a cheerful greeting from each other, "Thank you for your continued support this year," and "Thank you." When she said to him, "You're still as young as ever!", Hanyu replied with a smile, a little embarrassed, "I'm almost 30."

"Move freely."

With those words, he made expressions and gestures as he pleased.

Various scenes were set up in the vast studio. Hanyu, who changed costumes and was photographed in each scene, moved and made expressions freely, sometimes under instructions and sometimes as if he was imagining (creating) a story himself. The people watching repeatedly let out gasps of amazement as the images were displayed one after another on the computer monitor. It was nothing short of amazing how he instantly exuded various moods - from boyish with a hint of innocence to cool and seductive.

His creativity was not limited to the way he behaved as a subject. When the BGM was played during the shoot, his body naturally responded to the music, and he also requested songs himself when he saw the costumes. There was also a moment when he saw a prop that had been set up and asked, "Do you have one more of these?" This revealed his high level of creative awareness.

The shooting has completed.

"Thank you very much," he said, and there was something light-hearted and cheerful about it. After a year, what he showed in the studio was a more mature and expressive side to him.

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Exclusive interview with this magazine

[In pursuit of a distant ideal]

He is now in his third year as a professional figure skater. Reflecting on his days of taking on unprecedented challenges, he spoke about what he has gained from them and what the future holds.

Photo: Mika Ninagawa    Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Yuzuru Hanyu, the journey continues

hair & make up: Noboru Tomizawa  styling: Masataka Hattori costume: NEEDLES    BED j.w. FORD    YUKI HASHIMOTO  prop styling: Ayumi Endo

Yuzuru Hanyu started out as a professional figure skater in 2022. In his first professional ice show, "Prologue," he performed the first solo ice show in history. He skated for nearly two hours, with a structure that richly conveyed his skating career. Following "Prologue," he then performed a solo show at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in history, "GIFT." The ice show filled the gigantic venue, which had never been seen before.  After "Prologue" and "GIFT," he held the performance "notte stellata" in March 2023, which was filled with thoughts and prayers for March 11. It has been a year since our interview last summer, following those three performances.

Changes in the "depth" of thinking

"When I was interviewed a year ago, it had just been a year since I turned professional. I had a desire to grow and learn more specialized things. In the year since then, I think that my technique, expression, and many other aspects have changed. Among them, I feel that I have had many more opportunities to think about expression. I have been thinking about expression even in my daily life. I think that the way I think about my show, the way I think about each program, the depth of those things has clearly changed." He talks about what triggered the change in the past year. "First of all, I had to spend more time thinking about writing a new ice story after GIFT and also about my own performance.” The new ice story was "RE_PRAY", under the title "ICE STORY 2nd".  It opened on November 4, 2023 at Saitama Super Arena. It was performed in Saitama for two days, on that day and the following day, and in the new year it was performed in Saga on January 12th and 14th, and in Yokohama on February 17th and 19th, for a total of six performances in three cities. After the premiere in Saitama on November 4th, Hanyu said the following. "First of all, I myself have learned from games, manga, novels, and various other sources, about what life is all about, how precious life is, and other similar things that everyone else roughly feels.

In games, the concept of life is really light in a sense, and you can repeat it, so you can use characters to do all sorts of things and push forward with curiosity. If you apply that to the real world, you might be a person who has the drive to grab hold of dreams, or conversely, from a different perspective, you might be a very terrifying person. But if you could do it all over again, I'm sure people would try it."

24 hours a day, always skating

In this story with a game motif, the question of "choice" is often depicted. We make choices in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. What if you choose a different option than the one you originally chose? Or would you choose the same option? This story asks the audience, which serves as an opportunity to reexamine their way of life. Of course, just like "Prologue" and "GIFT," the fact that this story was completed and received with overwhelming acclaim was due to the performance of Hanyu, who was the sole performer. And even after six performances, he did not try to stay in the same place. He continued to evolve. There were many evidences of this growth at the final performance of the Yokohama show, for example. The movements in the performance of "Chicken, Snake and Pig" where he moved forward as if resisting the shackles. The performance of "Megalovania", following a silent performance without music with only the sound of his edges resonating, was more integrated with the music than in previous performances. Not only in the production aspects, but also in the details of Hanyu's performance itself, there were traces of refinement here and there. After the Saga performance, Hanyu spent his days preparing more rigorously for the Yokohama performance.  "Of course, I trained and restricted my diet. Well, how should I say it, there are 24 hours in a day, but I spent the entire time on nothing else but skating. In other words, skating was always present, 24 hours a day.” "That's right. To put it simply, it felt like I was spending every day just working on 'RE_PRAY'." The reason he spent all his time facing skating was because he had regrets about the Saga performance. "After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well." However, the standards of frustration have changed from when he was a competing athlete.

Still not enough

"Gradually, the focus is shifting from scores to an evaluation. If something technical that I had planned didn't go well, then my evaluation vector changes and my perspective shifts. I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in Saga, so I was simply disappointed." After spending 24 hours focused on skating, the Yokohama performance came. After the final performance, he said, "I feel a sense of accomplishment like winning the Olympics." While he felt a sense of fulfillment, he wasn't completely satisfied. He also felt that his ability had not yet caught up with what he wanted to do. "So I feel like there are still things I need to study more. Of course, I think I'm evolving. I think I'm getting better. But I still feel like it's not enough. As I keep digging deeper and deeper, my ideals become higher, and the things I want to express are becoming more and more specific. The more my ideals become more concrete, the more I feel like I'm not catching up." He is aware that he still has areas where he needs to improve, especially in the finer details. This is something he realises now, which he didn't feel this way when he was competing in the sport. "It's impossible to realise this when you're a competitive athlete. After all, if you can jump, you win. To be honest, if you couldn’t jump, there was no point in talking about it, as the outcome of the competition was pretty much decided by how many types of quadruple jumps there are and where you put them in the program. For example, what memories do you have of this song, the background of this song, what is the story you want to express, how will the story and the song fit together, or what meaning is in the choreography, to be honest, there’s not much room to think about them. You have to complete all your technical elements in one go in the four minutes of a competition (free skate), so that's all you can focus on."

A world not in first place

Win the match. In a competition, that is set as a goal. "Since I had already achieved that, there was no way I could go any higher. If you think about it in the world of competition, I won first place, so even if I tried harder, I couldn't get any higher than first place. In other words, I just tried to see how long I could maintain that first place position.

But in the world I'm in right now, even if I think I'm in first place, it may not be. It’s a place where I can think, "I'm still at the bottom". When I look at the various works of art or technically excellent things from around the world, I feel that there are still many things I can't do, so I think that I still have a long way to go." When he moved from the world of competition, which was fixed in a sense, to a new world, it was no longer a confined space. However, whether one knows its vastness or not, whether one feels that there is an endlessly wide world out there, is up to the individual. So even though the world is infinite, some people only notice a limited space. Or, there are those who limit the space themselves.

Right now, Hanyu thinks, "I still have a long way to go." He feels like he's at the bottom. This is because he knows that the world is endlessly vast. The reason he feels this way is because he has the ambition to move forward without being content with the present. So instead of seeing the place he has arrived at as the end point, he knows that there is still space to go beyond that.

Ideals evolve

"I may have surpassed the ideal I had a year ago. But the sense of distance between me and my ideal is probably the same as it was a year ago. For example, if the distance between me and my ideal a year ago was 10 meters, it may be 10 meters, no, 11 meters now. That's how I feel. I'm living and experiencing life, I see information every day, and in the midst of that, my ideal evolves. My ideal gets further and further away. But at the same time, through what I have seen and experienced, I'm sure I’m also one step closer to my ideal." Then, after a short pause, he continued with a smile. "As long as I want to, I think I can continue for the rest of my life." The skater is still on his journey, striving towards the ideals he has built with his own will. 

Source: AERA issue 24.8.12-19 No.37, pg 9-15 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0D89L6LS2

[white-cat-of-doom]

how many versions of cats were released on cd? I have the obc and olc versions so I was wondering if you knew what other versions there were, and if possible where to find them :D many thanks!

Hello Anon,

There are eighteen cast recordings:

Original London 1981 (both 2CD full recording and 1CD highlights)

Original Broadway 1982 (both 2CD full recording and 1CD highlights)

Vienna 1983 (1CD highlights)

Budapest 1984 (1CD highlights)*

Australia (Sydney) 1985 (2CD full recording)

Japan (Osaka) 1985 (2CD full recording)

Hamburg 1986 (2CD full recording)

Amsterdam 1987 (1CD highlights)

Paris 1989 (2CD full recording)

Japan (Nagoya) 1989 (2CD full recording)

Mexico 1991 (1CD highlights)

Warsaw 2004 (1CD highlights)*

Prague 2004 (1CD highlights)*

Dutch Tour 2006 (1CD highlights)

Italian Tour 2009 (1CD highlights)*

Japan (Tokyo) 2019 (2CD full recording)

2019 Movie (1CD highlights)

Vienna Revival 2021 (2CD full recording)

*Non-replica production, if that matters

In addition, there are a number of promo CDs that include a handful of tracks from the casts at the time of release:

Hamburg 1996 (3 track promo, assuming audio taken from 1986 cast recording)

Japan (Tokyo) 1996 (3 track promo)

CATS 1998 Elaine Paige (3 track promo; 'Memory' included, and two other non-CATS songs)

Japan (Osaka) 2001 (4 track promo)

Madrid 2003 (1 track 'Memory' promo)

Moscow 2005 (8 track promo?, two versions; both have 4 instrumental tracks)

Dutch Tour 2006 (3 track promo, audio from 2006 cast recording)

German Tent Tour 2011 (3 track promo)

Of everything listed above, the only ones I do not own are the Madrid 2003 'Memory' promo, Prague 2004 cast recording (a very rare CD that was scrapped before moving to production, only test/promo copies exist), and Moscow 2005 (another very rare promo release, only found with the press packages). Who knows if I can ever get my hands on them.

In terms of where to find them, the OLC, OBC, and Vienna 1983 are still being produced today and can be easily found new online, through Amazon or eBay (or better yet, in-person at your local music store!), and so is the Budapest 1984 CD as well (at least from what I can tell, it is always readily available brand new from Hungary). The 1989 and 2019 Japanese cast recordings are also still readily available brand new from Japan through the Shiki webstore. The 2019 movie highlights is also very easy to find, considering it just was released. The Vienna 2021 recording is still available from the label's website (at 45% right now!), but they only ship within Europe.

All the others can be found second-hand to varying degrees of ease online (i.e., eBay). The 1980s cast recordings are not too difficult, with Hamburg being fairly easily found, but as you start moving into lesser known (and shorter running) productions, it becomes more difficult to find them. Some are extremely uncommon, and I purchased the only copy I have even seen go for sale throughout the years, and I am still waiting for the chance to get the few I do not have.

Happy hunting to you, Anon!

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today - March 25th, 1977 - Queen Story!

'Teo Torriatte' bw 'Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy' released in Japan

Taken from album 'A Day At The Races', 1976

- 'Teo Torriatte' (Let us Cling Together)'

Written by Brian May

🔸“Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)”, which features a chorus sung in Japanese. The band offered the song for inclusion on the charity album Songs for Japan, a compilation of recordings by international artists put together to support people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

👉 The song was originally included on the band’s fifth album, A Day at the Races, released in 1976. It was apparently Mercury himself who had the idea of including Japanese lyrics on the track. When the band came back to Japan for another tour, Tōgō says, “Freddie wrote down the lyrics by hand and asked the woman who was working as their interpreter to translate them into Japanese.”

- Tōgō Kaoruko, music critic and journalist Music Life magazine

➡️ Full article↘https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00703/let-us-cling-together-queen%E2%80%99s-special-ties-with-japan.html

(Originally published in Japanese on May 31, 2019. Interview and text by Itakura Kimie of Nippon.com.)

- 'Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy'

Written by Freddie Mercury

🔸Freddie Mercury: "It’s called 'Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy', and it’s in my ‘ragtime’ mood that I get a chance to, (laughs) to do on every album and this time, this is something I’ve come up with this time around"

Kenny Everett: "Right, a little frilly number from the pen of Fred."

- Mercury interview

November 1976, Kenny Everett Radio Show

📸 Japanese Sleeves

[unholyverse]

waterparks // kerrang january 2018 #1705

(full article text under the cut)

LIFE COMES AT YOU FAST

The past couple of years have been such a whirlwind for Waterparks that the trio have barely had time to breathe. Beyond all the bluster and bravado, it's taken a private toll on Awsten Knight. On the eve of new album Entertainment, though, the frontman is ready to go again…

Words: Jennyfer J. Walker // Photos: Andrew Upovsky

A few years ago, Awsten Knight dropped out of college to focus on his band, Waterparks. To gain the funds to do so, he spent his time teaching guitar and babysitting. Today, the Texas-based trio—completed by guitarist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood—are one of the most in-demand young bands on the planet. The name Waterparks first became synonymous with more than just being a fun place to hang out in your swimming trunks in 2016, with the release of their debut album, Double Dare. And the three-piece have only gotten bigger since. After forming in 2011, they picked up Good Charlotte's Benji and Joel Madden as managers (and Benji as a producer), toured the world with All Time Low, sold out Camden's Underworld (4,846 miles from their hometown) in under an hour, and recorded second album Entertainment, which is out next week.

There have been personal moments that made Awsten realise he and his band have 'made it', too, like when he was awarded Tweeter Of The Year in the Kerrang! Readers' Poll ("That's literally just all the dumb shit I said on Twitter," he says, baffled as to why anyone would care about his caps-lock musings). Then there was the time a Japanese fan flew to a U.S. show, and turned up to meet Awsten looking exactly like Awsten…

"He was dressed just like me!" the singer says in more disbelief. "He dyed his hair blue and he had my necklace [the rainbow foot one]. He was straight-up me! And I was like, 'Oh my God, some guy in fucking Japan, who doesn't even know my language, likes my shit that much that he's dressed up like me… that's fucking awesome.'"

Ask Awsten to reflect on his band's success, to properly look back and take it all in, and he'll get uncomfortable.

"I don't really look back at stuff as much as I should…" he admits. "I feel like if I stop to think about any of that too hard, it would freak me out. So I think the best thing, at least for now, is to keep my head down and keep working as fast as I can and as hard as I can to keep it going."

And how do you feel when you're forced to reflect?

Before replying, he thinks for a second and exhales, making his lips vibrate.

"It kinda doesn't feel like it happened…When we got back from Japan I was just tired and laying there, and a week later I talked about it in an interview, and they were like, 'You just got back from Japan with All Time Low,' and I was like, 'Oh yeah! We did do that, huh?'" It doesn't feel…"—he thumbs through the pages of his brain dictionary, looking for the right words—"…it doesn't feel real."

The only time Awsten really nods to his achievements is within the blue walls of his childhood bedroom, where he's rested his head for the past 20 years, and is currently doing so while the band take their first proper break in two years. In between shelves crammed with DVDs, books ("because reading's tight") and his bed there's a nightstand. On the top sit a pack of Twizzlers and a pot of vitamins, and in the cubby hole below rests a stack of six or seven magazines, all of which have Awsten's face on the cover. He'll only take them out to properly look at when new ones arrive in the mail- there have been two this week - but he likes having them there, when he's in the room. "Being able to see those things is small," he says. "But it's enough to be like, 'Okay, cool.'"

[Image of the band walking around with the caption, "The gangs of New York aren't quite what they used to be."]

Awsten's aware that few bands take off like Waterparks have. It's a fact people remind him about often, including his friends and mentors Benji and Joel.

"They tell us, 'Your band is extremely special,' and I'll be like, 'Thank you so much!' I'm thankful to hear it…'"

The Maddens' elder brother Josh, meanwhile, has taught the frontman that it's important to take time for yourself in order to survive in any successful band. "Josh told me, There's Waterparks Awsten and there's Awsten Awsten. They're both the same guy, but you need to make sure both of them have the same love and care. It's tough to do…"

He lets out a brief laugh at what he's about to say. It's something he often does.

"Girls have accused me of being a workaholic before. It's still hard for me to answer when people ask, 'What do you do when you're not doing music?' I don't have that much to say…Which isn't a good sign of progress on that front, because it's what I'm doing all the time. If it's not for Waterparks, I'm working on music for somebody." He has, though, taken steps to care for poor neglected Awsten Awsten while he's been off tour. He's learned the importance of getting the recommended eight hours sleep and not staying up all night working on band stuff. He's started going to therapy. And he's training at a small boxing gym in downtown Houston.

"It's definitely a dumb-guy chemical thing, but Otto and I will go through phases where we're like, 'I just wanna fucking fight someone!' Pretty much the entire last tour I was in that mode. I thought, 'I better actually prepare and be good at this shit if it does happen!'" Now, one of the goals on his bucket list for 2018 is to win a boxing match.

Such drive means the frontman's never struggled to keep his eyes on the prize when it comes to Waterparks. As soon as our morning chat ends, Awsten says he'll start working on more music.

His self-assuredness and stronger-than-graphene vision for the band mean he's never had to fight to stay true to himself, either. He's more likely to walk into the record label and tell them what's what.

"Dude, honestly, I'm so fucking good at marketing!" he says, not-at-all modestly. "I've got a vision for us, and I know what we are. I'm aware what works and what doesn't. I'm a control freak, which I guess is a thing I should work on, but it's definitely kept things very true to who we are."

New album Entertainment is saturated with that same confidence, and the frontman says he feels no pressure whatsoever putting it out.

"When it was getting made, nobody knew [since it was done in secret], so they couldn't get hyped or anything. Now, if anybody wants to have expectations, it's already done. There's nothing I can do."

Doesn't a little part of you worry about whether people will like it?

"Not really," he says, shrugging his shoulders, "because I know it's good. Not to be cocky about it…I just think it's a very good album. There were songs I thought would make the record that didn't, which means everything on there is the best of the best."

The most confident man in rock does have one Kryptonite, though: his feelings. That became apparent three weeks before the release of Entertainment, when Awsten tweeted a picture of two pages from a spiral-bound notebook. On those pages was a handwritten letter, in his trademark caps, explaining that he'd gone off Waterparks' second record. The words were fairly cryptic, stating, "the last couple months have [been] weird, difficult, and everything else that sits in the realm of 'bad'. I lost a lot mentally and physically. Certain things happened and to be overly honest with you, Entertainment was ruined for me. I stopped listening to it, and felt weird to hype it in interviews. However, the worst part was the pure dread I felt thinking, 'Fuck. I still have to tour on this and sing these words every night.'"

Yet fans knew the note related to Awsten's break-up with his TV actress girlfriend, Ciara Hanna, the subject of much of the album's lyrics.

"I was glorifying people and things that I really don't fucking like and that really sucked," he says.

How did you feel about the future when those songs were ruined for you?

"Very fucking bleak!" he says. "I was like, 'Fuck, I'm ready to make another album, let's do that instead!'"

Would you have scrapped Entertainment if that was an option?

"There was a time that I would have said yes. But it's a piece of fucking art, and it would be a shame to let certain people or things ruin that."

In order to feel excited about the album again, Awsten had to change the meanings of the songs in his mind.

"My love songs are not about anyone now," he says. "They're just about love. And the dark places I was put in because of certain people or events? Those are stories. Every album is going to be a snapshot of where I was at that time."

Which explains why he thanks Ciara "for filling me with too many feelings" in the CD's thank you notes.

Quiz Awsten about which songs on the album are the most personal to him, and he'll say "the ones that make me go, 'Agh fuck!'" are Lucky People, Rare, TANTRUM, Crybaby and We Need To Talk.

"I try to keep my shit together around other people," he says when asked if there were any breakdowns in the vocal booth, "but the day Crybaby was made, that was one of the worst days of my life…" What was happening that day?

"I don't wanna talk about that, if that's okay," Awsten says meekly. "I feel like I give a lot to people, and some of the stuff that is written about on this album, I haven't told anybody about, 'cause it's just very… low, dark, personal shit. There are certain things that people don't need to know."

One song he is comfortable delving deeper into is diss track TANTRUM. An album highlight, it sees Awsten rant his frustrations away.

"TANTRUM's blunt as fuck!" he offers. "A lot of the stuff's metaphorical, but that one's like, This married guy tried to fuck my girlfriend and I'm gonna kill him when I see him!' I was like, 'I'll put his name in it, fuck it! I don't care."

We point out that when the guy in the song hears it, Awsten might just get that boxing match he's after…

"I just might, but I'm prepared," he says seriously.

As we wrap up our interview, Awsten's pouring his second coffee of the day, ready to resume being a workaholic. We ask how he's feeling after what's been a frankly terrible couple of months, and at the start of what's set to be the year of his career.

"I mean…" he pauses. "If someone has empathy and is able to feel certain things, like a functioning emotional brain- or in my case, maybe it's more emotional than it should be, I don't know yet—everyone is a work in progress."

He lets out a particularly-Texan "GOD DAMN!" and laughs at how corny he sounds.

"But everybody is literally just doing their best. Everyone is working on it. I'm working on it…"

ENTERTAINMENT IS AVAILABLE VIA EASY LIFE RECORDS ON JANUARY 26. WATERPARKS TOUR THE UK IN MARCH — SEE THE GIG GUIDE

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

THE MADDENS AREN'T JUST MANAGERS FOR WATERPARKS. AS AWSTEN REVEALS, THE TWINS ARE MORE LIKE FAMILY

"The Madden Brothers are the fuckin' best! They've taught me a lot. I knew about the idea of having role models and shit, had them and I've definitely h before, but actually seeing them at work, and the way they accomplish things and get shit done [is very cool].

"I wouldn't be who I am right now without them. What's cool is, I'd never in a billion years be like, "You guys are like me…'but we often have conversations about what we want to to accomplish. Last night I talked to Benji, and he said, 'Dude, everything that Joel and I did, see in you.' And I was just like, 'Fuuuuuuck!

"They're more like friends than mentors to me now. Half the shit we talk about is not even band related. We talk about life, how to be different and things I want to be involved in…I want to accomplish a lot. Some of it is musical and some isn't, but I want them to be my team for all of it."

[gaymer-hag-stan]

Happy 16th anniversary to the Nation's Girl Group!

On the 5th of August, sixteen years ago, Taeyeon, Yoona, Tiffany, Jessica, Seohyun, Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, Yuri and Sunny gave their first ever performance of Into the new world as Girls' Generation.

The group rose to fame in 2009 with the single "Gee", which claimed the top spot on KBS's Music Bank for a record-breaking nine consecutive weeks and was Melon's most popular song of the 2000s decade. The group cemented their popularity in Asia with follow-up singles "Genie", "Oh!", and "Run Devil Run", which were released between mid-2009 and early 2010. Their second Korean studio album, Oh! (2010), won the Golden Disc award for Album of the Year (Disk Daesang), making the group the first and only female act to win the Album Daesang.

Girls' Generation ventured into the Japanese music scene in 2011 with their eponymous Japanese album, which became the first album by a non-Japanese girl group to be certified million by the RIAJ. The group's third Korean studio album, The Boys, was the best-selling album of 2011 in South Korea. An English version of the single "The Boys" was released in an attempt to expand the group's endeavor to the global music scene. The group's fourth Korean studio album, I Got a Boy (2013), was supported by the title track, which won Video of the Year at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards. Girls' Generation continued to build upon their popularity with their fifth and sixth Korean studio albums, Lion Heart (2015) and Holiday Night (2017). Following a five-year hiatus to focus on their individual careers, they returned with their seventh Korean studio album Forever 1 (2022).

The group's signature musical styles are characterized as electropop and bubblegum pop, though their sound has varied widely, incorporating various genres including hip hop, R&B, and EDM. In 2017, Billboard honoured Girls' Generation as the "Top K-pop Girl Group of the Past Decade". They are the first Asian girl group to achieve five music videos with over 100 million views on YouTube with "Gee", "I Got a Boy", "The Boys", "Mr. Taxi", and "Oh!". In Japan, they became the first non-Japanese girl group to have three number-one albums on the Oricon Albums Chart, and their three Japanese concert tours attracted a record-breaking 550,000 spectators.

After their 2009 meteoric rise to the top of the industry, SNSD has influenced K-pop in ways that cannot be denied. They truly ushered in an era where women could not only hold their own but also outperform their boy group counterparts and Gee has been the golden standard of what a K-pop girl group should sound, look and act like.

Thank you ladies for bringing on the best generation, Girls' Generation!

[aeverse]

XOXO is a fictional South Korean girl group which currently consists of the four members: Aera, Jiyeon, Eunmi, and Yu. The group debuted on June 24, 2011 under Delphi Entertainment. They are mostly known for their diverse concept, giving all sides to ‘XOXO’.

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. BASICS

GROUP ✧ XOXO

MEMBERS ✧ Aera, Jiyeon, Eunmi, Yu

FANDOM ✧ Valentines

COLORS ✧ #E24767 & #B51A3A

COMPANY ✧ Delphi Entertainment

DEBUT ALBUM ✧ Electric Love

DEBUT SONG ✧ Darling

DEBUT DATE ✧ June 24th, 2011

GREETING ✧ “Hugs and kisses, we’re XOXO!”

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. MEMBERS

jung AERA leader, main rapper, visual 1991

lee JIYEON main dancer, lead rapper, center 1992

oh EUNMI lead dancer, face of the group, lead vocalist 1994

park YU yoojung maknae, main vocalist 1994

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. DISCOGRAPHY

You can find XOXO’s discography here.

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹. HISTORY

XOXO debuted with the single “Darling” in June 2011. The group began promotions with their debut stage on May 27th at M! Countdown and continued promotions on various Korean music shows to June 20th.

The group returned a year later with the mini album “I Am Me” in June 2011. The album consists of four songs, including “I Don’t Need a Man” and “U-Go-Girl”, which XOXO promoted at the same time. “I Don’t Need a Man” gained XOXO quite a bit anti-fans, mainly men. They posted on Reddit about burning or cutting up pictures of XOXO’s faces and demanded apologies but there was no statement from Delphi Entertainment.

Though XOXO had gained some attention with their first comeback, it was not until their third comeback that the group rose to stardom. In March 2012, they came-back with their full album “Electric Love”. The album consists of nine songs, including “Mr. Chu”. The album peaked atop South Korea's Gaon Album Chart and has sold over 234,500 copies in South Korea. The album's title track peaked atop South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and was the second best-selling digital single of 2011 in the country, selling over 3.3 million copies. XOXO received a total of five wins on music shows this era.

For their third mini album, Jiyeon did not participate in the stages as she had injured her knee but was in the music video. She constantly supported XOXO’s stages, posting constantly on Twitter and Instagram.

XOXO made their Japanese debut in 2014 with the Japanese versions of their already existing songs. At this time, Eunmi took a hiatus for the majority of the year for unknown reasons and was not seen until the end of the year music awards. The members did not mention her at all throughout activities, confusing fans who then made demands for XOXO and Delphi Entertainment to update them. Neither XOXO or Delphi Entertainment acknowledged these demands.

With the comeback of Eunmi and their second full length album, XOXO announced their first tour, XOXO 1st Asia Tour 2015. They had eight shows, 2 in South Korea, 2 in Japan, 2 in Thailand, 1 in Indonesia and 1 in Taiwan.

XOXO released the first episode of their reality show “Hugs and Kisses!” on November 2015 which comprised 10 episodes being released throughout the year following the four members as they traveled around Asia for their first tour, XOXO 1st Asia Tour 2015.

In January 2017, XOXO announced their North American tour and held four shows: New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. Tickets were sold out in three minutes.

In 2019, Delphi Entertainment announced the indefinite hiatus of group activities. All four members still remain under Delphi Entertainment. Aera is busy with her modeling contract, Jiyeon and Eunmi both actively promote as solo artists, and Yu goes by Yoojung now and is focused on her acting career.

[spicykaraage]

Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Kazuya Tokugawa

[PROFILE]

Birthday: July 27th (Leo)

Blood Type: AB

Birthplace: Ehime

Relatives: Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Older Sister

Father’s Occupation: Diplomat

High School: Unknown

Grade: Second Year

Committee: Student Council (President)

Strong Subjects: Physics, Geology

Weak Subjects: Art

U-17 Training Camp Position & Rank: Second String | Court 1

World Cup Team: U-17 World Cup Japanese Representatives

Favorite Motto: “To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.”

Hobbies: Snowboarding, yachting, watching dolphins [TP]

Favorite Color: Ultramarine

Favorite Book: The Analects of Confucius

Favorite Food: Japanese food (especially natto), protein, tomatoes [TP], chicken breast [TP]

Favorite Anniversary: The day he won his first trophy

Preferred Type: He doesn’t think about it

Ideal Date Spot: Yachting in Auckland Harbour

His Gift for a Special Person: “I would like to discuss and decide it with you.”

Where He Wants to Travel: Marina del Rey

What He Wants Most Right Now: A new snowboard ➜ A wetsuit [23.5]

Dislikes: Carbonated drinks, popping candy ice cream [TP]

Skills Outside of Tennis: Waking up early, fingertip handstands

Routine During the World Cup: Early morning running

[DATA]

Height: 189cm

Weight: 79kg ➜ 71kg [23.5]

Dominant Arm: Left

Vision: 1.2 Left & Right

Play Style: All-Rounder

Signature Moves: 10 Ball Strike, Black Hole, Premonition (not a technique), Howling, Sixth Sense, Divine Path of the Asura

Favorite Brands:

Racket: BRIDGESTONE X-BLADE FORCE 3.15MID PLUS

Shoes: Prince PRO HOLD TOUR IV CG

Overall Rating: Speed: 4.5 / Power: 4.5 / Stamina: 4.5 / Mental: 4.5 / Technique: 4.5 / Total: 22.5

Kurobe Memo: “After suffering a major setback, he rapidly improved to the point where he’s able to hit his 10 Ball Strike with ease. The biggest concern right now is if he’s severely injured after taking a blow in the abdomen from Byoudouin…”

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Locker at the U-17 Training Camp:

Wristband // He has a white and black one

Snowboarding magazine // He is so skilled at snowboarding that he will spend whole winters just in the mountains. He buys a magazine every month during the season

Sports drink // He made it himself

Supplements // They change each day depending on his condition

What’s in His Travel Bag:

Laundry detergent // He washes everyone’s clothes and will neatly fold them

[TRIVIA]

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 8 | Publication Date: 08/04/2011

He plays practice matches with Oni during his free time

He has a large motorcycle license and his own motorcycle

The Prince of Tennis II 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 09/04/2013

He is on bad terms with Byoudouin

He has taken a liking to Ryoma since he’s always wanted a younger brother. He’s lately been feeling a sense of rivalry with Ryoga since he feels as if he’s taking Ryoma, a favorite person of his, away from him

He was not aware of Ryoma or Atobe while he was abroad

The Prince of Tennis II 23.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 05/02/2018

The girl he had picked up on the beach is still in touch with him. He was forced to give his contact info and she messages him often, while he messages her back every now and then

He was in Paris before being invited to the training camp

The Prince of Tennis 20th Anniversary Book: Tenipuri Party | Publication Date: 08/02/2019

His ideal relationship is one where he and his partner are practically married

When he tries thinking of his ideal type, he gives up and states it’s too much of a bother

He, Oni and Irie spend their vacations together. The previous summer, they had went camping together and discussed their thoughts and feelings about the World Cup around a campfire

He is the only person who will go along with Irie’s performances due to him being so serious that he cannot tell it’s an act

One of His Off Days at the Training Camp:

5:00am - Wakes up, stretches, then goes on a run

6:00am - Does laundry, cleans his and Irie’s room and tries not to wake Irie up

7:30am - Breakfast (a Japanese meal with natto and grilled fish)

8:30am - Voluntary strength training

12:00pm - Lunch (including a large quantity of bread that Irie baked)

1:00pm - Voluntary stamina training

2:30pm - Rests, puts a towel over a sleeping Ryoma

4:00pm - Bathes, looks after an overheated Inui

6:00pm - Dinner (sautéed chicken breast and tomato salad)

8:30pm - Gets a massage

9:00pm - Relaxes while reading yacht magazines

10:30pm - Prepares for tomorrow, then goes to bed

[finalgirllx]

✨🌻✨

Hi Celery! ILY!

So, I am a massive fan of the horror genre. I've collected a ton of trinkets over the last few years dedicated to my fanaticism. I'll do a mini tour of descriptions for ya:

In front of me, I have posters for Hereditary (2018), Scream (1996), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), and Carrie (1976).

Next to that, I have a Raccoon City sign (Resident Evil) and a Necronomicon Ex-Mortis sign (Evil Dead).

I have a beloved row dedicated to my trinkets on my bookshelf. This includes my 3D-printed Lament Configuration (Hellraiser), a homemade depiction of the camera from the old Japanese video game series Fatal Frame, the keys from Resident Evil 2, a Pyramid Head plushie, the hotel room keys from Silent Hill 2, the stick figure from Blair Witch Project, and VHS tape from the Ring.

Also, there lies my extensive retro horror video game collection that has taken me years to curate. Many older horror games (circa PS1 and PS2 era) have become more difficult to find. I had to actively hunt to obtain most of them. The only ones I still need for sure now are the ones that run $700+ or more. Some proof under the cut!

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

PROBABLY THE ULTIMATE KAWAKAMI PIC WITH NO KAWAKAMI AT ALL -- PURE RAW PUNK LEGACY IN ONE PHOTOGRAPH.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on Rainy and Bones, co-founders of English hardcore punk band DISCHARGE, sitting in between Hideki Kawakami's mother in his hometown of Kochi City, Japan, taken during the band's 2011 Japanese tour. Photo from the private collection of Royston "Rainy" Wainwright.

"KAWAKAMI FOREVER Japan 2011 Chillin’ with the very cool ...Kawakami’s mom."

-- RAINY WAINWRIGHT, c. 2021

In memoriam, Hideki Kawakami "D-beat Master" -- Dis nightmare still @¢#*%©$&! continues!!

Source: www.picuki.com/media/2419916906167229439.

[tbhsilver]

hiii, yaya here ( she/her ). back with a slightly revamped rendition of silver. don’t worry, she’s still mother but there’s a few changed details to reflect the fc change. as always, click the heart and we can plot. <3

— look who’s joining the infinite tour! only NINOMAE AIKO (SILVER), who is the LEADER of FLORA. i’ve heard whispers that the 28 year old is pretty RESILIENT but lowkey ABRASIVE. also, doesn’t she remind you of HIRAI MOMO?

ABOUT — PROFILE — PINTEREST — PLOTS

UPBRINGING

ninomae aiko was born smack in the middle of five children, two older brothers and two younger brothers. she was raised in a financially comfortable and very loving household.

considering how conservative japan can be, the neighborhood found aiko’s family a bit unorthodox. her mother was the primary breadwinner of their family, working in tokyo as an attorney. due to the commute from their hometown of nikko to the capital, her mother typically stayed in the city for the week, only to return home on weekends to spend time with her children. meanwhile, her father stayed at home with the children. the ninomae’s familial dynamics seemed strange to others. but for aiko, she grew up thinking that was the norm — a woman in control of her life, a woman who could have it all.

being surrounded by her father and brothers constantly meant that aiko grew up incredibly tomboyish. she loved to cut her hair really short, wear her brothers’ too big hand me downs, and carried herself with a natural toughness. she didn’t need her brothers fighting any battles for her; she could handle it herself.

since aiko had so much energy, her father thought it would be good to put her in ballet lessons to learn discipline and focus. she started at the age of seven. at first, she resented the lessons, rejecting what she thought to be a “girly” activity. she wanted to spend her free time, playing outside with her brothers out in the dirt. but once aiko finally gave dancing a real chance, she realized that she loved it — plus, her natural born competitiveness made it easy for her. aiko began to expand to different dance styles as she grew older.

at the age of fifteen, she got noticed at a dance competition in tokyo by an executive over at new star entertainment. they were in town to scout japanese trainees for their upcoming girl group. they offered aiko an audition. 

she auditioned with a self-choreographed piece to telephone by lady gaga and beyoncé. she was accepted into new star in january 2011 and after an emotional goodbye to her family, aiko moved to seoul to start training.

TRAINEE YEARS

aiko entered the company building with one simple mantra — she will debut. knowing there was only one slot (if that) for a japanese member, she made every moment count. she had too much pride to ever be one of the girls sent home every month. due to this ambition, aiko often carried an intimidating, cutthroat aura about herself.

she wasn't an actively malicious soul, but she was unapologetic. and if someone's feelings got hurt because of her words and actions, it wasn't likely for her to apologize. despite her foreign background, the company was impressed by the tenacity and confidence that aiko carried herself with at such a young age. her intelligence and hunger made her a viable candidate for the leader position for the future girl group.

realizing she had a genuine shot of making the final lineup, aiko doubled down on her studies in both korean and english. she knew the key to an ideal idol was the ability to communicate globally — so she made sure she wasn't lacking in the department.

even before she was officially deemed the leader, aiko's later years of training usually involved her taking charge of the monthly evaluations and even participating in the choreography. her approach with the other female trainees was strict but came from a place of genuine passion and love. she was pinning all of her hopes and dreams on the success of this group, and she would do anything to make sure they did well.

the additional members of flora really helped her come into her womanhood. it was her first time being surrounded by women, which was drastically different than her childhood with a household full of guys. through building a sisterly community while training, aiko got a better sense of her style and mannerisms. her initially tough, tomboy nature got sandpapered down into an elegant, severe kind of femininity.

MUSICAL CAREER — death tw

after 3.5 years of training, aiko debuted with flora as leader, main dancer, lead rapper, and lead vocalist as her official positions. her stage name “silver” is inspired by the meaning of her name — 'sharp as a sword'. ever since her debut, she actually prefers to be called silver over aiko.

the public opinion of silver was initially lukewarm, with many neitzens wondering if a foreign member was the best choice as leader of a highly anticipated girl group. dahlias quickly warmed to her due to her strong dance skills and off-camera magnetism.

while silver acknowledges her performing positions, she takes her role as leader the most serious of all. from day one, it's evidently shown that she would not hesitate to go to war for her members. them being comfortable and happy is most important. dahlias call her “mama lion” for her bold and fierce care over flora, which is where her representative emoji (🦁) originated from.

she refuses to do aegyo. in fact, she will show absolute disgust at any aegyo.

silver is known for having a professional poker face and has never once been seen crying publicly for all to see. she saves those moments for when she’s in her room back at the flora dorm, by herself.

she always keeps it real with dahlias. while she loves them and appreciates their support, she is big on setting boundaries and doesn’t encourage the parasocial dynamic of being the idol the way others may.

on stage, she can execute the light feminine concept that comes along with flora but her offstage energy is much darker.

death tw // mid 2018, silver got a call that no one would ever want to get. her second youngest brother yuta was driving home from a party with his friends when he was struck by a drunk truck driver. he died instantly at the far too young age of nineteen. the news devastated silver and she immediately rushed back home to be with her family. new star announced to the world that silver would be taking a temporary hiatus for “undisclosed reasons”.

the only problem was that flora was at its peak after the immense success of yes or yes and silver’s absence meant that she would not participate in the best thing i ever did comeback or promote flora’s second japanese album. this incited the ire of neitzens, demanding to know the real reason why silver wasn’t active. rumors went rampant: rehab, a dating scandal, bullying accusations. k-pop fans weren’t satisfied until they knew the truth.

silver wanted to keep her family matters private for a reason, but unfortunately, they didn’t. a week after her hiatus was announced, a sasaeng uploaded pictures of silver crying at her brother’s funeral for the world to see. dahlias did all they could to try to take the private content down but it wasn’t long before outlets were reporting on the news. suddenly, a thing that silver wanted to keep between her and her family became a gross exploitation for millions to consume.

on top of that, new star was pushing her to come back to flora before she was ready. they only wanted to give her a three month hiatus, but she demanded six instead. once the six month period was over, silver still didn’t feel healed enough to be active again but the company did not care. flora desperately needed its leader. so, silver returned to seoul in time for fancy preparations.

safe to say, 2018 broke silver. not only was her privacy invaded by people who were supposed to care for her, but she felt like new star didn’t have her back. suddenly, this world she loved and wanted to be a part of for so long was something more sinister to her now. the walls were up and silver became more harsher and volatile, instead of the untroubled and rational person she’d once been.

she didn’t shield the change in her from anyone. in fact, she wanted people to see. she grew a reputation around the industry for being resentful and intense and even dahlias began to notice her personality shift. they lamented over the loss of the old silver, making youtube compilations and twitter threads for views and likes over the change in her personality. silver despises those kind of ‘fans’ most of all.

in the aftermath, silver’s now considered a bit of a hot topic in the k-pop industry. her appeal in the korea has declined while her appeal in the international space has inclined over the years. global fans tend to love her, call her “mother”, and think her idgaf approach is refreshing. however, those closer to home find her off-putting. neitzens can see that she clearly no longer wants to be an idol and tarnishes flora as a household name in result. 

they’re kind of right. silver has fallen out of love with being an idol after everything. she hates this industry and its expectations with a burning passion now. but she refuses to leave it because that would mean leaving her members to the wolves. absolutely not. silver refuses what happened to her to happen to them. this industry wasn’t kind to her, so she refuses to be kind to them. even after the infinite merger, she hasn’t toned down a bit.

at the end of the day, she’s in this for as long as the other flora members want to be it. she owes them that much for getting her through her hardest of times. but in the meantime ? silver’s ready to be a fucking problem.

TOUR

if silver had it her way, she wouldn't have done a tour. but obviously, that decision was out of her hands. as a part of flora, she embarked on infinite's mega world tour. while she will never complain about the chance to travel with her members, the performing side of tour was agonizing for silver. she received a lot of backlash from fans because of her 'declining' stage presence and lack of engagement while on tour.

during tour, silver was approached by infinite about a solo debut. it wasn't the first time they've asked her — but she's declined every time. however this time, they were more insistent than ever after noticing the massive success of the maknae's solo debut. silver, realizing she had some leverage, eventually agreed with one simple condition: she got creative control. if she was finally going to give the company what they wanted, it would be with her ideas and under her terms. infinite was initially hesitant but eventually relented, allowing silver to debut with a much darker concept than flora.

CURRENTLY

silver released her solo debut '28 reasons' in october 2023. much like her as a person, the project was met with divisive reviews. there was praise surrounding the dark concept and bravery to try something different. but for those hoping for more of flora's signature sound, the album was disappointing. silver doesn't care about charts or reviews. for once in a really long time, she was proud as fuck of something in her idol career.

don't ask her for a solo comeback though, infinite. that was that.

ever since the end of tour and her solo promotions, silver's been pretty off the grid if there's no schedule for flora activities. she's been traveling and enjoying the much needed break after such an exhausting past couple of years.

she's lowkey considering therapy (shocker). ever since losing her brother, she hasn't wanted to open that can of worms. the idea of talking to someone about her feelings makes her skin want to crawl. however, her brothers have all started to go recently to deal with their grief and have encouraged silver to do the same.

TIDBITS

personality: resilient, abrasive, self-assured, confrontational, decisive, rebellious, shrewd, mature, vindictive

aesthetics: black coffee, profanity, winged eyeliner, restless nights, thunderstorms, lipstick stains, lace

is a proud mean lesbian ( please see: santana lopez, monet de haan, leighton murray, cheryl blossom, etc )

veryyyy sparse on social media. her stans are begging for content from the other members of flora. however when she does decide to pop in, weverse is her usual choice of social media. at least on weverse, the content she shares is more likely to be reached by REAL dahlias and dahlias only. you'll only ever see her in the promotional content on instagram, tiktok, and twitter otherwise.

hasn’t done an individual live in two years. she only does lives if she's doing them with nari and/or yani.

does not initiate skinship but accepts skinship from her loved ones

FOR REFERENCE

personality overview

character study — the stage

viral moments

scandals (wip)

more tidbits

[yuzurujenn]

[2023.10.30] JAPANDIGEST - The story of figure skating prince. Hanyu Yuzuru's GIFT

Japan is home to many talented artists and athletes, but few enjoy as much international popularity as Hanyu Yuzuru. With two Olympic gold medals and numerous competition victories under his belt, the 28-year-old figure skater from Sendai has made a name for himself worldwide. So it is not surprising that Hanyu continues to be on the ice and enjoys great recognition even after the end of his competitive career. (Text: Maria-Laura Mitsuoka)

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

For many sports enthusiasts, Hanyu Yuzuru is and remains the prince of figure skating. He was the first Japanese skater to win the gold medal at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics and was the first athlete in history to attempt the quadruple Axel (the most difficult jump to date) at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. With numerous records, fantastic costumes and emotional choreographies, he ushered in a new era of figure skating and inspired many young athletes to emulate him.

Hanyu is one of Japan's most esteemed personalities not only because of his masterful technique, but also because of his artistic programs. The ice surface is his canvas, his body the brush with which he paints stories. With his emotional performances, he not only opens portals to distant worlds for the audience, but also elicits storms of enthusiasm. He is considered one of the most important benefactors, especially for northeastern Japan, because after the great Tohoku earthquake in 2011, in which large parts of the country were devastated by a tsunami, he gave strength and new hope to the people of Fukushima and his home prefecture of Miyagi.

Just a few months after the end of his competitive career in July 2022, Hanyu opened the show PROLOGUE, and in February 2023 he finally opened the next chapter of his life with his project GIFT in front of 35,000 spectators in the Tokyo Dome. Now the journey through Hanyu's artistic worlds is taking a new direction with the picture book of the same name, which will be published in December in collaboration with the mangaka group CLAMP, which is also famous in Germany. He will also begin his first Japanese tour in November entitled "RE_PRAY", in which he stylishly combines figure skating with the world of video games.

Q: You made history in February and performed a one-man show called GIFT for the first time in front of an audience of 35,000 people in the Tokyo Dome. That is also the name of your picture book. What is GIFT about?

I wanted to put all the experiences and things I value in my life into a story and present it to the audience as a gift. Even if it was just a tiny fragment, I wanted to pass on all my thoughts and words to the people who were watching me and needed support at that time. The feelings and words in this story may be mine, but I am sure that many other people share them with me.

Q: During the show, you used the expression "to give colour to the world." What did you mean by that?

I’m sure I’ve had many experiences throughout my life, and the meaning I attach to things has changed. For example, as a child, I never hated the rain or associated a cloudy sky with a gloomy feeling. But as I got older, rainy weather made me feel more melancholic, and when I looked at the cloudy sky, my heart grew heavier. To describe days that I had attached such meaning to, I used the word “colour.”

Q: For the show GIFT, you worked with MIKIKO, the choreographer of the Japanese pop group Perfume. What did you take away from the experience?

After meeting MIKIKO, my way of expressing myself and my perception of everyday life changed. Expression has always existed, and I realized that as soon as you communicate something, words and body language (which are used in figure skating) are also means of communication. I don’t have much confidence in my choice of words or my way of speaking, but I’ve come to believe that I can express myself through these very words. And I believe that there are feelings and thoughts that are particularly strongly conveyed through my figure skating. I think I feel the music more intensely than before, which makes it easier for me to express my feelings honestly. In order to convey my emotions even better, I want to continue working on my technique and learn many different forms of expression.

Q: Why did you choose CLAMP as a manga group to realize your project?

I really like CLAMP's works and am impressed by their worldview. The depiction of the background and characters is bubbling with emotion. Each of these depictions carries an encrypted message. Additionally, I like stories and images that don’t come about randomly but emerge from the situation. Therefore, I wanted my GIFT to be brought to paper by CLAMP, and I asked them to illustrate the book for me.

Q: This interview will certainly arouse the interest of many German readers. Do you have a final message for them?

I will continue to work hard to reach people abroad - including in Germany. And I will continue to channel my emotions into figure skating. Thank you very much for all the support!

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

Profile and important achievements Hanyu Yuzuru was born on December 7, 1994 in Sendai (Miyagi Prefecture) and is considered one of the most successful figure skaters in the world. He won numerous national and international competitions in the men's singles discipline. He ended his competitive career on July 19, 2022.

2012-2015, 2020-2021: Japanese Champion 2013-2016: Winner of the Grand Prix Final 2014: Gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014, 2017: World Champion 2018: Gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang 2020: Winner of the Four Continents Championships 2022: Fourth at the Winter Olympics in Beijing

Source: JAPANDIGEST No.23 October 2023 issue, pg 16-18 https://www.japandigest.de/moderne-kultur/sport/hanyu-yuzuru-interview/

[weed-ols]

Reviewing Every UKISS Release: By Unpopular Demand ~ Tick Tack + Forever (For KISS Me) + Forbidden Love

So releases from this point onward until around ~2014/15ish are constant and hectic, so I've had to deviate from my original plan a bit. I think grouping the JP singles + KR digital singles in 3s helps keep things a little less...unwieldy, and less constrained by image limits on posts.

Tick Tack - 1st JP Single | 2011.12.14

This was the PV that got accidentally leaked, right? Like they posted the full version of this instead of the short version, and that's why it was so easy to watch it on YouTube or whatever, and it was super easy to get the full audio because of it lol. I think it only took me a day or two to find a 320kbps download of it. Anyway, another pivotal moment of my tween years.

Tick Tack (Audio) | YouTube Music 5.3M | Spotify 1.11M

God that clock sound is so good

Love the entire vocal line stuffed into the first verse

Vocal troika taking the chorus love that for them

Also love stuffing everyone into the second verse

I like that the parallel with the first and third verses where the former is all the vocalists and the latter is all the rappers

SooHoon + Dongho bridge? An odd combo but very much goated

Honestly super impressed at how much this song is a team effort

Obviously Soohyun, Kevin, and Hoon have the most lines since they do the chorus, but Dongho gets a good amount with his little extra rap, and while AJ, Eli, and Kiseop get a couple lines each

And yeah sure it's a couple of lines, but they are attention-grabbing

Always appreciate a good bookend with the clock returning

Love the dramatic music, love the dramatic lyrics, it's such a good follow-up to NEVERLAND, and an insane first JP release

So lyrically, is this a reluctant breakup song? Like is this a toxic relationship that they're ending even though they're still in love?

That's a new breakup theme for them

10/10 "the perfect Japanese debut for a Kpop group doesn't exi-" wrong

Tick Tack (MV) | Short ver. 3.9M | Official upload 733k

Oh buckle in buckaroos I got a legit copy of this on my laptop AND of every JP MV right up until 2016 babyyy

And I can't remember if it was they learnt the choreo in 3 days (while promoting) or if they both learnt it in 3 days while their choreographer was still working on it

Iconic and lol their positions

Kiseop, AJ, and Eli are just kinda comfortably posing

Soohyun on his knees, Dongho chilling on the floor, and Kevin making modern art with his body lol

Also the dramatic grasping hands

Abandoned Warehouse Set #1 with an amazingly large clock

Abandoned Warehouse Set #2 + group sadboy shot

I love the black/white look with red accents super chic, but is Soohyun the only one without white? I mean fair he is the real MC of UKISS

Not Hoon being the only in a full pose

Ew Kiseop don't touch the dust/ash that's dirty

Oh his hair....it's kinda pompadour-esque. I remember thinking it was super cool back in the day, but it's kinda...tragic now lol

Still looks good though, hard for his face card to ever decline

Love the fanning out of this part, it's super cool on stages for such a simple step

Also these grey suits are gorgeous and it's 2011, so of course it's paired with combat boots

Surprised that this dance has only resulted in one instance of ripped pants

Could be more, but Hoon ripping his pants during their Best Of tour promos is peak comedy

This part is also very cool, very fun to look at

I could've sworn they wore gloves during the dance, but I guess not? They're wearing them for the dramatic solo shots though

Dongho with yet again the bowliest bowlcut to ever bowl

Another personal favourite choreo bit

It's a bit difficult to explain, but the force and purpose Soohyun uses when he slides his hand down Kiseop's back is so cool

The way he pops up kills me every time

These are the worst outfits in the video

I hate the white sleeves so much they make them look juvenile

Like I get black sleeves probably wouldn't have worked with this set since they'd get lost in the dark edges of the frame

But a dark colour would've worked, or heck even no sleeves

On the topic of outfits, not much to say about their hair that hasn't been said already

This was filmed during NEVERLAND promos I think, so their hair is fine

Kevin, Soohyun, and AJ have great hairstyles; Hoon, Eli, and Dongho are fine; Kiseop's pompadour is meh, but I really like his hair when they're in the grey suits

The fluffy hair looks really good on him, much better than the sleek look he wore for NEVERLAND

The dance battle is cute, really helps give everyone a bit more spotlight

This part? Seared into my brain

What's falling down from the ceiling? Ashes? Dust? Snow? Asbestos? We may never know

Anyway, no story, just a banger dance and brooding shots in The Box and some abandoned spaces

Oh and this isn't in the MV, obviously, but remember how Hoon and Kiseop nearly knocked each other out while filming this? I don't remember the exact documentary, but it must have been that one they did during NEVERLAND

They were all so enamoured with the giant clock too lol

10/10 still gives an insane dopamine rush

Coincidence | YouTube Music 113k | Spotify N/A

It's so insane that this banger is just a random b-side for a single?

I'm trying to figure out who dominates this song, and while my initial instinct is to say it's a Kevin song, Eli is also a very constant presence? Soohyun and Hoon also have parts that are more memorable. All I can say is that this is definitely not a Kiseop (RIP) song

Love the first and last choruses are SooVin while the others are HoonVin

Soohyun's little "follow me!" is so cute omg

I really like AJ's rap here he always makes it so interesting

The cute little SooSeop verse

Dongho's rap was also nice, like the little break for AJ and AJ+Eli

The little bridge part with SooHoon and Eli+Dongho is really cool

I like the darker sound of this, very fitting to be Tick Tack's b-side

Not entirely sure what the song is about? I think it's about meeting an ex again, hence all the mentions of coincidences and fate?

The colourless world mentions sure make it sound depressing though

Also looking at the lyrics, I thought the song was a lot more complex than it is? It really is just like 5 choruses, 3 post-choruses, a couple of verses and a bridge

I think the constant switching of singers/rappers help make it sound more complex

9.5/10 super catchy. I can't believe I actually forgot about this song until I got back into this hellscape

0330 -Piano & Chorus ver.- | YouTube Music N/A | Spotify N/A

There's no official upload but the fan upload of it is sitting at 16k

I think they did this in their 2012 tour? Anyway, sounds a lot like the Christmas version which I really like

Love the stripped down sound, really turns it from crying in the club to crying in the tub

What can I say, I'm a sucker for them harmonizing in the background

Vocal troika really shines in sounding like kicked puppies in this version

9.25/10 higher than the original version because I love me some pathetic-sounding men (affectionate)

Forever (For KISS Me) - 1st Digital Single | 2011.12.22

I remember this coming out!!! Got home from school and did the good ol' YT video-mp3 converter to get it on my laptop. I remember distinctly loving it, then also never playing it lol. It's got a special place in my heart now though, like special as in it makes me a bit teary lol.

Forever (For KISS Me) | YouTube Music 419k | Spotify 13k

So if I'm remembering correctly, this is a song they reworked to be fanservice. The original singers were an older NH group, I think, like before Paran

Something Eli and AJ always having to do a spoken word opening in their songs from this time is so funny to me

"Parting was so hard 'cause you are my only passion" I always thought that it was "partying was so hard" which was super funny, but I see now that I was wrong

"Come visit here it's our lovely party mansion" that always gets a chortle from me like I love them, I actually wouldn't mind drinking with them, but I do not wanna party with them they're all insane

I think it's cute they all get whole verses to themselves, really gives them all enough time to shine during encores lol

So after the Dongho and Eli raps come my favourite part of the whole song - the sex kitten vocal trio building up to Soohyun

Kiseop > Hoon > Kevin > Soohyun is sooooo good and I love building from Kiseop's soft voice to Soohyun the Powerhouse

Also once again, validates my belief that what Kevin is to Soohyun vocally, is what Kiseop is to Hoon, and is why the four of them can be matched off with each other in any way and still sound good

Honestly, the song is mostly the vocal line, sans AJ. The rap line is just there to act as hype men

Music is cute, super upbeat and poppy, and the lyrics are equally mushy

7.75/10 not something I'd listen to on my own volition, but it's always fun watching lives of this, and I love how much the vocal line is allowed to shine (read: I love how many lines Kiseop gets)

Forbidden Love - 2nd JP Single | 2012.02.29

I remember obsessively watching the short MV on YouTube because now when I listen to the song, I can still pick out exactly where it ended lol. I also remember really wanting the shirts they wore for the single cover because it was so ~*~cool~*~ and lowkey edgy, which is perfect for a wangsty tween.

Forbidden Love (Audio) | YouTube Music 1.2M | Spotify 571k

Another song, another dance beat, and I'm absolutely not complaining lol

I really like Kevin's opening line, love the "...najitte mitari-i-i" bit

Plenty of gratuitous English, a very important staple for them from this point on

Again, the entire vocal line stuffed into the first verse, yeah AJ's not singing, but he was there

Love how Hoon drags out the "...datta kedo~" part right into Soohyun's line, and the slowdown in Soohyun's line to transition to Kiseop, and AJ's rap picks up the pace again into the chorus, super fun to listen to

Even though I know the start of the chorus is "I, my, me, mine", I always forget the "mine" because it's off-beat

And okay, the first chorus always kills me because of Soohyun

The "subete kakete Egaku ai no sign", is so funny to me because I just think about him doing the ahegao face while singing it during the MC break in their anniversary tour

Like his eyes were completely rolled back and the camera, bless their heart, did a great close up

And he did it like 3 times I love him so much

Back to the song, I really like how the second verse starts with Kiseop, and how Eli bridges the gap between him to Soohyun, and they do the same thing as verse 1, this time going from Soohyun > Hoon > Kiseop

HoonVin second chorus, once again, has me begging for more duets with them, they sound insanely sweet

Vocal troika taking the last chorus is soooo good

SooHoon back-to-back high notes? They were feeding us so good

Love the constant "love, love, love" and "you make me feel this love" in the background

Like it's almost too much with the music, but it oddly works?

The song is basically exactly what the title says - a forbidden relationship that's doomed to end, but they're like "no baby I love youuuu"

There's also an implication of class difference? First verse has what google tells me translates to "this relationship began with me overreaching myself/but I finally feel like I'm equal to you"

Could just be that girl is way out of their league, idk

10/10 I go back and forth between whether I prefer Tick Tack over this, but they're both like pure dopamine being injected in to my brain

Forbidden Love (MV) | Short ver. 604k | Official upload 462k

Once again, I was so obsessed with watching the short MV

Yes I did watch the full version but I mostly watched the official short one because I couldn't afford to materially support them

There's a lot happening in this first scene

First, Kiseop, take your damn shoes off that's dirty, but I'm happy you're like kind of the protagonist for the non-dance non-solo shot parts of this

Second, why is there a life preserver on the bed? Is it supposed to symbolize that this forbidden love is a life saver?

Why are the chairs tipped over? Why is there an Arizona 51 sign? Are the sirens like directly outside the window or what? What exactly is that next to the bed?

Aww the little Kevin solo dance

I like the little circular bit they do while snapping to change formation

Soohyun bodying the hell out of this part

*Kevin voice* "Why are you so passionate during this part of the dance? Is there something you need to tell us?"

Or at least something like that god Teattari Shidai was so funny, and Kevin and Soohyun were constantly catfighting at that time

I think his explanation was about timing the body roll to it but idk he's just really good at it

I like this set by the way, a new version of The Box for them

Is...is that a tree? Why is there a tree growing in your apartment?

Ooh AJ was really hot in this era I think this is when he fully entered my crush category

Is he wearing winged liner? Goated love his eyes

Kiseop and AJ always make this part of the dance look so cool

Oh and the preceding part with the little shuffle into this

They just have that je ne sais quoi chill that makes look natural

Man I just love this dance, there's a bunch of shoulder shimmies and like at least 3 pelvic thrusts

Wait my guy why is mattress bare like that

Okay pause for a moment to talk about these costumes

Love the black-red suit combo, love the red laces on the boots

I'm a huge sucker for epaulettes so obviously AJ has my favourite suit

Love the rhinestoned lapels for Kiseop and Kevin

Like the glittery lapels for Soohyun and Dongho

Eli has epaulettes too, but because they're also black, they're practically invisible until the closeup shots

Hoon's suit is fine, just more subtle with glitter on the outside of his lapels

In terms of hair, Kiseop and AJ are on their A-game, love the fluffier hair for them

Soohyun, Hoon, and Eli all look fine, like those are pretty standard looks for them

Dongho still has his bowlcut, and while I don't hate Kevin's hair, I wish it had more texture to it?

The ironed hair with the sideswept bangs just aren't that great on him, especially not with the single-toned hair

WHY IS SOOHYUN SO GOOD AT THIS WHY IS HE SLIGHTLY CUPPING HIS HAND

Also like this set, very cool

These costumes are okay, the white-red is a nice combo, but the clothes themselves are less snazzy and more understated the other set

Most baffling choice is why Dongho has a belted coat on rather than a blazer

Also not a huge fan of the longer jackets Soohyun, Kiseop, and Kevin have on

It's not the worst, and I think I could like them in a different MV, but it's a bit too...floppy with this dance

Hairs are a downgrade from the first set of costumes, except for AJ whose hair is glorious at this time

Like I'm sorry to bring this up again but look at his winged linerrrr

He actually looks like a cat

Oooh slowmo shot during the dance break

They really love this move we'll be seeing this a lot in their JP dances

Well I mean they already did a variation of it in Shut Up!!

Also love this part it's so cool how Kiseop transitions back to the dance, very reminiscent of when he does this in NEVERLAND

I like how the choreo tones down for the double high notes so everyone's focusing on Hoon and Soohyun

Lowkey wish we got a dance version of this I would love a wide shot of this to see every bit of choreo

There's no shot of them in their casual outfits, but they all looked fine, very standard 2012 male idol fashion

So yeah, not really much of a story to this, lots of solo shots and dancing

9.5/10 I think I'd prefer a whole dance vid for this, and I really didn't like the white costumes, and they never answered why were the sirens going off at the apartment set???

Redial | YouTube Music 13k | Spotify N/A

I completely forgot about this song until recently

I do vaguely remember listening to it before, so I think I had it on my first laptop and for whatever reason either forgot to transfer it to my second one, or couldn't find another download of it

Is that...a synth harpsichord? It sounds like the harpsichord setting on electronic keyboards like I swear that's what the one at school sounded like

SooSeop sharing verses? Goated

I thought this song had a lot more Hoon and Kevin, but I guess not?

Vocal troika are kinda tied for lines, even though I think I remember Kevin's more because he does a title drop in the first chorus

Dongho gets a bulk of the raps, but Eli isn't too far behind, nor is AJ

Kiseop gets what amounts to nearly a whole verse, plus he's sharing with Soohyun so that's cool

Ooh just noticed it's a sex kitten trio leading in from the second half of the first verse to the pre-chorus and chorus

It feels like a weirdly paced song

I don't know if it's all the synth sounds and the heavy beat, or if it's the lengthier raps to a slower beat but it feels both oddly long and short at once, even though it's basically the same length as Forbidden Love

Maybe it's the shorter verses compared to the raps and choruses?

Or how the bridge comes out of the second rap chunk without really changing tempo as it goes to the last verse?

Lyrically, it's pining over an ex, very normal UKISS stuff

7.5/10 I do like it and it is in a lot of my playlists, but something about this song just makes me uneasy lol

I wish I had a fun fact for this little time, but unfortunately everything funny I know from 2012 is from after this. Anyway, crazy that this all happened within a year of 0330 and Hoon and AJ joining. Like they honestly fit in so seamlessly it's like they've always been there.

So yeah, we're fully entering what I guess we can call their 'peak' era in terms of popularity (lol, lmao even) and activities, and also approaching when I started being chronically online and had actively blogged about them on this good ol' hellsite. Yes, I did find all of my reblogs and tags from that time and dear lord, 2012-2014 for tweenies-turning-teens is very psyche-damaging in our current year.

[valeriianz]

concert ask game!! 12, 13, 20, 21 !! :D

woo!

12: Song that’s better live

i can not pick just one song lmao. you'd havta narrow it down by band/artist... most music is better live <3

but since they're the last band i saw, X Ambassadors does a wicked live show. Sam, the lead vocalist, is so full of energy and is so goofy. he likes to dance on stage and can really shred on the guitar (who knew!). and being able to actually see his blind brother, the keyboardist, play a set, is so cool. he kills it every time.

a couple random examples:

Renegades is amazing live. Sam will whip out an acoustic guitar and get the crowd to sing along acapella.

during a show in 2021, they performed one of their oldest songs, Litost(one of my personal favs from them) and totally remixed it, to the point where i didnt even recognize it until Sam started singing. it was sooo gorgeous and a fabulous reworking. i wish i had recorded it to show you haha.

13: Song you want to see most live

LIAR or NO SCARED by One OK Rock. I've seen them 3 times and they just. don't play their old/Japanese stuff in American tours. which i get? but i'm definitely not alone in wanting to hear their older/native language songs. and their older stuff just goes so much harder, i wanna hear it!

anything by Maneskin, omg. as soon as they're touring again i'm getting tickets (and dragging @delta-pavonis with me lmao). can't wait to rock out to HONEY, (ARE YOU COMING?)

Woman by Kesha

Jesus He Knows Me by Ghost (seriously i just wanna see them live some day lol)

and just as a quick blanket: literally anything circa the 80s by The Cure, Depeche Mode, R.E.M., Madonna, or Joan Jett

20: Best venue (also asked by @seiya-starsniper!)

i remember loving Theatre of the Living Arts in Philly. the venue itself is nothing spectacular, the acoustics are fine. but it's the location that gives it a special place in my heart. i have many fond memories of going to shows there and meeting up with random fans who also saw the show at one of my favorite bars just a couple blocks away and having post-show drinks together. and if you know Philly, you know south st is the place to be on a Friday night. it's just good times.

21: First concert

Panic! at the Disco, Vices and Virtues tour in 2011 haha. Patrick Stump opened for them while he was trying to go solo.

concert asks

[ghostoftheyear]

Not sure if this is a rabbit hole I feel like going down tonight, but this is a thing I find interesting all the same.

The song "Maji Love 1000%" came out in 2011 as the ED theme for the first season of the UtaPri anime. It's an iconic song and has been performed in every seiyuu live and even showed up in the double encore of the STARISH Tours movie just for that nostalgic sting.

But there's a line in it that I noticed was odd, at some point; I don't even know when. It's so odd. In the official Sentai release, which was on Crunchyroll and is now on Hidive, one of the lines in the first verse (the words are traded off between Masato and Ren) is translated thusly:

"A myeterious rave that connects our hearts"

A couple of years ago, I threw together a subtitle file for the first seiyuu live, in which that song is sung twice, and I used lyrics from the wiki. These were originally translated by Moonlit Sanctuary over on Livejournal, and this person had something quite different:

"My heart - is flustered - a marvelous rave!"

So I looked at the original Japanese lyrics, and this is what they say:

Masato：心 Ren：騒ぐ Masato & Ren：不思議なRAVE

If you listen to the song, you can hear Suwabe (as Ren) sing "sawagu". It's pretty clear.

Sure enough, "騒ぐ" is sawagu, not tsunagu. And "sawagu" doesn't mean anything regarding connections; it's about clamor and making merriment and stuff. So it seems a bit sloppy that an official translation had it wrong; surely they had access to the original lyrics as written in Japanese, right?

OK, well, that was 13 years ago, these things happen and I'm sure that when the song got revisited for STARISH Tours they fixed it--

...or not.

(I'm positive I'm not the only one who's noticed it, and I'd really love to know why. Or maybe the source used for the translation that made it to the wiki is wrong? At some point I'll get more energy to delve further into this, but for now it'll remain a mystery.)

[Screencap from the EN-sub release of STARISH Tours, from Sentai.]