#Slaying in the album category

[anemoiawithatouchofobsession]

My YouTube music 2024 recap

[ace-turned-confused]

spin me around | joel miller x f!reader

joel masterlist | read on ao3

summary: you find a vintage record store full of rare finds, the man behind the counter the rarest of them all word count: 2,4k warnings: 18+ only, reader is able-bodied & wears a dress, way too much music talk, food & alcohol consumption, pet names, touching in public, dirty talk a/n: written for @secretelephanttattoo's Secret Springs challenge! i saw record store on your wheel and ran away with it - this is highly self-indulgent with the music references (like woah) but what better place for it than secret springs :) not beta'd, keep slaying

The stair treads creak as you head up to the second floor, blank CDs are fastened to the risers and old warped vinyl hangs from the ceiling. A faint melody floats down the stairwell that you don’t recognise, the instrumentals rising in a crescendo as you climb, the varnished railing worn and knotted.

You’d found this place online on your quest for a bargain, the secondhand vintage vinyl shop is situated on a fashionable street at the top of town with picturesque mountain views. After stalking their social media pages, you decided you’d just come and see it for yourself. Having mentally prepared yourself for parallel parking, it was unusually stress-free for a Saturday morning, the sun just beginning to warm the air.

Reaching the landing and glancing around, the room is essentially wallpapered with band posters, crates and crates of records are alphabetically organised, and a gallery of LPs sits on shelves behind the counter. A few customers are rifling through the various collections, one man perched on a barstool with headphones wired into a cassette player. The space is light and vibrant, it feels like a sacred haven.

What really catches your eye is the man behind the counter — unruly silver-streaked hair, trimmed moustache and greying beard, unreasonably broad shoulders that fill out his faded thin t-shirt.

“Mornin’!” He looks up as you round the bannister and flashes you a winning smile, his brown eyes sparkling in the light filtering through the windows. “Anythin’ in particular you lookin’ for?”

You greet him shyly as you enter the room, “Just came to look around, thanks.”

“No problem.” He turns back to his newspaper and you can’t help but stare, stuck in place as you think you’ve found far more than you could’ve imagined.

-

The sheer number of records fitted into the quaint shop is amazing, with some dividers spilling over into two or three boxes. Flipping through the S category, you find Sade, Stealers Wheel, Steppenwolf, Stevie Nicks, and countless others — a never-ending supply of artists and albums, some popular and some obscure.

Your eyes go wide at seeing Pretzel Logic, a favourite album by a favourite band. You’ve considered for weeks whether or not to just buy the damn thing online at full price, but you never did. Now you see why, some sort of divine intervention leading you here to snatch it up at a fraction of the cost — or it led you here for that man.

You’ve been peering over to him every time you move to the next crate — crinkles around his eyes, plush lips, deft hands. It’s almost unfair how beautiful he is, hidden away up here from the rest of the world. Admittedly you tried looking if he had a wedding band on, but you scolded yourself before you could complete the task, not wanting to get caught.

Time slips away from you as you switch between scouring through everything and stealing glances at the mystery music man, your fingers cramping from holding onto far more records than you’d planned to take. You scan over the tables and check for anything you may have missed, slinking through the room and placing your selection on the counter. You rummage in your bag to find your wallet.

“Fan of Steely Dan, huh? Gaucho, Pretzel Logic, Countdown to Ecstasy… You’re cleaning me out here, darlin’.” You lift your head at his words, losing yourself at the endearment.

“Yeah, uh… couldn't help myself,” you huff a laugh, feeling heat under your skin as he keeps his attention on you, a half smile on his face. “I did pick out some others, too. For some variation, you know?”

He fans the records out on the table to see each one.

“Yeah, thought you might be a Fleetwood Mac girl, Eagles is a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one… Steely Dan, though? Wouldn't have pinned a girl like you as a fan of ‘em.”

“A girl like me…?”

“Far too pretty.” He winks at you with a tilt of his head, that half smile now spread fully across his face before he moves to add up the total. Your mind races as you try not to stand and gawk like an idiot.

“I saw online you had Dark Side of the Moon… do you uh, still have it, by any chance?”

“Full of surprises… I’m afraid we sold that one already, noticed it’s a bit of an elusive find ‘round here.” He drums his fingers against the wooden top and looks at you briefly, his eyes warm.

Shuffling papers around, he picks up a notepad, big hands and thick fingers dwarfing the pages. “I can keep an eye out for you, if you’re okay giving me your number? Won’t bother you, just business.”

“Yeah, sure.” His fingers graze across your skin as you take a pen from him and write down your information. Tearing the page off, you slide it across the counter and tease him, “Wouldn’t mind if you bothered me.”

“Well then, maybe I will. I’d love to know what else you got in your carefully curated collection.” He doesn’t take his eyes off you as you pay for the records, and he slips them into a brown paper bag, folding and unfolding the top like he doesn’t want you to leave.

“There’s actually this nice restaurant—” he turns to look behind him, grabbing a small carton and repositioning it on the counter, stalling as he tries to find the words, “—they have uh, live music on Friday nights… if you’d be interested.”

“Sounds fun…” You mull it over, impressed by his boldness but still wary. “Can I let you know?”

“‘Course, no pressure, here,” he writes his own number on a new page and tears it off, holding on as you reach for it and brush your fingers over his hand.

“And you are?”

“Joel Miller.”

Joel Miller. You quite like that.

-

You’d stared at Joel’s number for days, a constant back and forth on whether or not you should go. On the one hand, you knew nothing about this man except his name and where he worked; on the other, you’ve seen just enough of him to be well intrigued… 

You caved and said yes, which brings you to the present day — it’s Friday afternoon and you’re pacing in front of your wardrobe, worried about what to wear. To avoid losing your mind over this, you text Joel for some insight.

You: So, what am I supposed to wear tonight?Joel: Place is smart casual, I guess

Smart casual — arguably the worst fucking dress code description in existence.

You: That doesn’t help meJoel: Just wear a dress or something nice? I’m sure whatever you choose will be perfect

Perfect? Well, that certainly raises the bar. You suspect that Joel isn’t impressed by material things, and isn’t phased by flashy appearances, but you still want to make an effort. He called you pretty once already and you’re hoping he’ll repeat it tonight.

-

Approaching the restaurant, the brick wall facade is lined with fairy lights, the stars just beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky, and muffled music sounds through the windows and glass doors.

Joel waits out on the pavement like a gift from God himself — black dress pants, a hint of chest peeking out from behind his button-up, a blazer hooked on one finger over his shoulder. You can’t help the way your gaze runs over him, noticing how his tummy just pokes out past the waistband of his pants, and just how well fitting those pants really are. You swallow to steady yourself.

“Hey.”

“Hi…”

You fall into silence as you take each other in — a low heat settles at the base of your spine and you drop your eyes to the floor, holding back a giggle like an enamoured schoolgirl.

“Shall we?” He pulls the door open and gestures for you to lead the way, eyes sparkling and a crooked but warm smile on his face, a guiding hand on the small of your back as you step inside.

Black-framed minimalist posters line the walls, the floors are polished dark wood and exposed brass light fixtures hang at varying heights from the ceiling. You pass a long, elegant bar lining one side of the room as you’re led towards the back of the restaurant — this place oozes sophistication, even the waitstaff are in fancy uniforms. Not smart casual.

Joel pulls a chair out for you as you reach your table, a small reserved card rests against a floating candle and two red roses bloom in a slender vase. 

“Do you mind if I take the wall?” you ask timidly, pointing towards the opposite bench.

“Not at all.” His gaze is soft as he shakes his head, eyes trained on you as you both take your seats.

“I just— I like being able to see, it’s uh…”

You smooth your hands over the tablecloth as your voice fades off, resisting the urge to make a game of blowing the candle out. You flit your eyes up to look at Joel, finding he’s already staring at you, candlelight flickering in his eyes. You drop your gaze to the table again, failing dismally at suppressing the grin that spreads across your face.

“You look gorgeous, by the way — if you don’t mind me sayin’. Knew you would, of course, but…”

It seems your outfit choice has paid off — gorgeous?

After hours of flinging clothes off hangers, you’d finally settled on a black, mid-length dress — a sweetheart neckline with white piping, the same white mirrored on the hem, a daring slit up one side of the skirt. There’s nothing casual about it, but seeing Joel dressed up and the finely decorated restaurant has calmed your nerves.

You don’t dare look at him again as the waiter returns and places two menus on the table. The night’s barely begun, and you hope it doesn’t end any time soon.

-

There hasn’t been a lull in the conversation once during dinner, a sharing dessert now in the centre of the table as Joel swirls what’s left of his whiskey around the glass. He held back all evening, fingers twitching and curling into a loose fist alongside yours on the table until he finally allowed himself to dance them across the back of your hand.

“How’d you get into all this record business?”

“Started workin’ there on weekends as a kid, wanted to earn some pocket money. The old man who owned it was like a mentor, he taught me all about the world. He left it all in my hands when he retired, and I’ve never looked back.”

A fond smile on his face as he retells his memories, you saw the first day you met how happy and comfortable he was in his charming shop, and it seems that charm bleeds over into him, too.

“And you get to meet all kinds of people — loud, friendly, aloof… pretty ones, too.” He gives you the same wink and devilish grin as before, continuing his stories as if you aren’t burning across the table.

-

Sometime during the night, he’d moved to sit next to you, claiming he ‘wanted to see the band’ — the arm draped on the bench behind you and fingers trailing across your shoulder says otherwise.

He mentioned at the shop that there was live music here on Friday nights — the one thing he didn’t mention? That tonight’s particular band was a jazz quartet — the slow, smooth, romantic kind of jazz, the kind that acts as the perfect backdrop for a night of cheeky flirting, lingering glances and desperate touches.

“Joel, can I ask something?”

“Shoot.”

You roll the edge of the tablecloth between your fingers. “Is this a date?”

“It can be, if you want.” You drop your hands and eye him, unimpressed by his response.

“Alright, I’ll admit, I was hopin’ for a date. I wasn’t really sure how to ask, didn’t wanna come on too strong.”

You’re silent for a beat, considering how to respond. “I mean, you could’ve just asked.”

“Well then, you wanna go on a date?” He tilts his head, eyebrows raised.

“I thought we were already on one.”

He chuckles at your remark, downing the last of his whiskey and momentarily tracing a finger along the rim of the glass. You focus on his movements, imagining his fingers tracing patterns into your skin instead.

As if he can read your mind, he twists himself towards you and plants that same hand just above your knee, fingers curled towards the inside of your leg as he scrapes his nails against you.

“And?” His voice is almost a whisper in your ear, “Has it been a good one?”

He glides his hand up your leg and into the slit of your dress as you nod, higher, higher, higher until his fingers brush against lace. You wonder if he can feel the fabric dampening.

“Y’know the Pink Floyd you asked about? It wasn’t sold, I kept it for myself. I’ll play it for you sometime.”

“You’re gonna talk about music? Right now?”

“What should I talk about instead? The delicate panties you got on? How wet they’re getting?”

Your breath hitches as he shifts his fingers, tucking them just under the edge of your panties and caressing your skin. Glancing around, the band are still playing low and slow, most tables having cleared out by now.

“Would love to see ‘em, if you’ll let me. I’d really love to see what’s underneath though. Pretty girl like you’s bound to have a real pretty pussy, too. Certainly feels like it, Jesus.”

He presses his fingers into you with more force this time and you turn your head to him. His eyes are dark, pupils blown wide and not from the dim lighting. He glances down to your lips and back up to your eyes again and you close the distance between you. He repositions the arm around your shoulders, hand holding the back of your neck as you lock your legs together and grind yourself against him.

His lips are soft, beard and moustache tickling your skin as he swipes his tongue against the seam of your mouth. You moan into him as you part your lips, letting him lick into you and you can taste his whiskey. He pulls back and you whine, teasing you with just enough to leave you reeling for more.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“Take me home, Joel. Please, I need you.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Wanna hear the music you can make.”

comments & reblogs are hugely appreciated, forehead kisses to all 💜

dividers by @saradika-graphics

[why4anne]

Daylight

Part: 2/?

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Category: Social Media au

Summary: Follow the love story of a global pop icon and a monegasque F1 driver

Face claim: Taylor Swift (Singing) + others

Masterlist

2018

f1

liked by charles_leclerc, yourusername and 2 689 329 others

f1: BREAKING: Charles Leclers signs a contract with Ferrari starting in the 2019 season

view comments:

graciethewag: OMG I am so happy for him!!🥹

scuderiaferrari: Welcome to the team Charles❤️

- charles_leclerc: It's an honor to be a part of the team FORZA FERRARI!❤️

yourusername: I've always looked good in red so I see this as an absolute win🤷‍♀️

- holly_leclerzz: lmao you're so real for that

- gridpenalty231: Yes girl! Slay the Ferrari red!!!💅

- charles_leclerc: I just signed with my dream team and this is what you come up with?😒

- yourusername: Just joking baby😘 I'm so happy for you FORZA FERRARI❤️

- scuderiaferrari: We've got mother on our team😤

- charles_leclerc: I see who's the favorite🥲

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, badgalriri and 5 393 359 others

yourusername: My man😍😮‍💨 Let's appreciate the ft screenshot I got of him yesterday. Thirstiness aside, amore I am so proud of you for achieving your life long dream of driving for Ferrari and I know that your loved ones whom are no longer with us would be too. I look forward to cheering for the red cars next season!❤️

view comments:

charl_lecleczz: Y/N casually showing off how hot her and her bf are before dropping the cutest caption ever

hardtires313: are we not going to talk about how hot Charles looks in that pic??

charles_leclerc: my biggest supporter❤️

- yourusername: always🤍

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, arianagrande and 10 393 359 others

yourusername: It felt appropriate to to do an F1 theme with this album announcement since the person it's about is an F1 driver. I am proud to announce that my new album Lover will be out February 14th 2019.

view comments:

y/ngirlforevs: SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP!!! HE GETS AN ENTIRE ALBUM WRITTEN ABOUT HIM????

rorytheracingcar: STOP!!! this is too much for me to handle😭 I still can't believe that my fav f1 driver and my fav artist are dating and now she goes and writes an album about him??!! Y/N and Charles fans STAY WINNING!!

y/nhasaniceface: This man must've done something incredible in his past life to deserve all of this

safetycar92: The fact that she made the announcement f1 themed does something to my heart 🥹

charles_leclerc: I am so proud of you my love, you never seize to amaze me. Your talent, voice and beauty is otherworldly❤️

- arthur_leclerc: Charles, you are disgusting but I am so proud of my future sister in law that I'm gonna let it slide

- yourusername: thank you Arthur and Charles. I love you both!❤️🤍

- yellowflagzz: FUTURE SISTER IN LAW??

yourusername uploaded a story

[ollie-alooffloof]

you ever thought you'd see Dr. Doppler irl? i am so so happy with the first photo especially! My muzzle got caught on the lower lip in the second one and I had no idea because I can't perceive that part of the mask without a mirror, when I'm wearing it T_T Handmade the whole cosplay back in 2022 and have upgraded/updated/replaced details and pieces over time since then. This was the first cosplay I ever made and I love it very much. It proudly won the novice category of the NZ Cosplay Competition in 2022 and went semi-viral on TikTok one time, which was bizarre. c: Kohika Creative slayed with all of their cosplay photography this year and I recommend checking out their photo albums on facebook (KohikaCreative) to see some awesome cosplays like Nightcrawler, Baldur's Gate, Gravity Falls, and more.

[whyanne4]

Daylight

Part: 2/?

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Category: Social Media au

Summary: Follow the love story of a global pop icon and a monegasque F1 driver

Face claim: Taylor Swift (Singing) + others

Masterlist

2018

f1

liked by charles_leclerc, yourusername and 2 689 329 others

f1: BREAKING: Charles Leclers signs a contract with Ferrari starting in the 2019 season

view comments:

graciethewag: OMG I am so happy for him!!🥹

scuderiaferrari: Welcome to the team Charles❤️

- charles_leclerc: It's an honor to be a part of the team FORZA FERRARI!❤️

yourusername: I've always looked good in red so I see this as an absolute win🤷‍♀️

- holly_leclerzz: lmao you're so real for that

- gridpenalty231: Yes girl! Slay the Ferrari red!!!💅

- charles_leclerc: I just signed with my dream team and this is what you come up with?😒

- yourusername: Just joking baby😘 I'm so happy for you FORZA FERRARI❤️

- scuderiaferrari: We've got mother on our team😤

- charles_leclerc: I see who's the favorite🥲

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, badgalriri and 5 393 359 others

yourusername: My man😍😮‍💨 Let's appreciate the ft screenshot I got of him yesterday. Thirstiness aside, amore I am so proud of you for achieving your life long dream of driving for Ferrari and I know that your loved ones whom are no longer with us would be too. I look forward to cheering for the red cars next season!❤️

view comments:

charl_lecleczz: Y/N casually showing off how hot her and her bf are before dropping the cutest caption ever

hardtires313: are we not going to talk about how hot Charles looks in that pic??

charles_leclerc: my biggest supporter❤️

- yourusername: always🤍

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, arianagrande and 10 393 359 others

yourusername: It felt appropriate to to do an F1 theme with this album announcement since the person it's about is an F1 driver. I am proud to announce that my new album Lover will be out February 14th 2019.

view comments:

y/ngirlforevs: SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP!!! HE GETS AN ENTIRE ALBUM WRITTEN ABOUT HIM????

rorytheracingcar: STOP!!! this is too much for me to handle😭 I still can't believe that my fav f1 driver and my fav artist are dating and now she goes and writes an album about him??!! Y/N and Charles fans STAY WINNING!!

y/nhasaniceface: This man must've done something incredible in his past life to deserve all of this

safetycar92: The fact that she made the announcement f1 themed does something to my heart 🥹

charles_leclerc: I am so proud of you my love, you never seize to amaze me. Your talent, voice and beauty is otherworldly❤️

- arthur_leclerc: Charles, you are disgusting but I am so proud of my future sister in law that I'm gonna let it slide

- yourusername: thank you Arthur and Charles. I love you both!❤️🤍

- yellowflagzz: FUTURE SISTER IN LAW??

yourusername uploaded a story

[thehypnone]

when you listen to the rhrn album can you please give your thoughts about like the mixing? Live albums typically don’t always have the greatest mixing but this one like confuses me

alright anon, I'm using your ask to make my official HYP TALKS RHRN SOUNDTRACK post

tag list: @devilsandstarlight @jazz-bazz @skele-bunny @azureseacloud @lilhoechlinsbae @delusionalbitchinthehouse @fallen-iii-ghost

A disclaimer, any negative-leaning take is not hate or "I would've done a better job" (because I would not), it's only my opinion that I was asked for multiple times due to what I do here on tumblr

Okay so I can divide the tracks in two categories when it comes to mixing and all that stuff:

1. Awesome mixing – more depth, better instrumental and vocal balance – Spillways – Cirice – Call Me Little Sunshine – Twenties – Marry On A Cross – Kiss The Go-Goat – Dance Macabre – Square Hammer

2. Less fortunate mixing – some flatness and chunkiness, less balance – Kaisarion – Rats – Faith – Absolution – Watcher In The Sky – Rats – Miasma – Respite On The Spitalfields

I’m not putting If You Have Ghosts into any of these categories because it’s a different world entirely. It’s actually just brilliant, but it’s not as hard to find balance with so few and such instruments as with the other songs on the album. I think Copia is a little too sharp for this vibe and I'm pretty sure they tried to help with reverb. It was a nice touch, but I think it could’ve been more smoothed out. But also I kinda hear Terzo in the second half of it, not Copia, SORRY. The vocal ghoulette could’ve been put either fully on the middle or all stretched all around to surround Copia and the instrumental and fill the space, if that makes sense

In general the mixing is strange in some places, even in the better made songs, it’s just like they lose the plot sometimes. It's possible (and very likely) that it was prepared with vinyls or CDs in mind, not headphones, but that doesn't explain why sometimes it's better and sometimes worse. Some general stuff about mixing I picked out:

1. Dew isn't really on the right, he's more to the middle than Aeon who's totally to the left. Dew could be louder actually in some places, Aeon could be stretched more to the middle 2. Bass has a great definition, we can finally hear how nice some fillers are and how good Rain actually is 3. The girls got some very much deserved highlights, but they did Swiss dirty. I’m outraged for my bbg, but not only because I love him. It would be a genuinely better technical decision if he was louder and/or placed somewhere else. The entire thing is very off balance. It's lead guitar and strong female vocals on the right, and rhythm and basically nothing (Swiss) on the left. It just doesn't make any sense!!!

Now some stuff about specific songs:

1. Rats – So dirty, the mixing failed a little here, the audience just sounds like noise instead of actual good background – DEW DID A PINCH HARMONIC (I manifested it) – Cirrus!!! It’s hard to hear her most of the time and she rocks here – Aeon and Dew had a very good harmony, they work so good together wtf (sorry Aether but they win here)

2. Faith – Aurora and Cumulus completely slay – I adore Dewdrop’s little addition to the 1st solo – But he missed a note in the 2nd solo heh

3. Spillways – FINALLY Swiss in Spillways – It’s the best mixed song in general and I’m not only saying that because of Swiss (who I love), all the instruments and voices are balanced so much better and so much more fluid – There’s less tone definition on bass though

4. Cirice – Dew does some fancy lil harmonic tricks in Cirice, I LIKE – It’s also very well balanced when it comes to instrument, SWISS IS AUDIBLE – Something went WRONG with Cirrus’ synth here, like omfg they did my girl dirty

5. Absolution – I talked about Absolution extensively here

6. Watcher In The Sky – Love the synth on it, why not do that setup for Cirice pls – But also Swiss is always the loudest at the beginning, why not here!? – It’s on the worse list, but it’s not horrible, the backing synths fill it nicely so it’s not as chunky as Rats for example – I think someone forgor Dew is lead, not Aeon, but at least we can appreciate the bug’s skill some more like that – Mounty slamming those bitches at the end, go baby!

7. Twenties – Very glad they highlighted the drums and the bass so much in this one, it’s what Twenties is FOR – Both Dew and Aeon’s palm muting game is so yummy here – Oh, Swiss how I love you – But what are they doing with the solo mixing, why is the bitch moving at the beginning? It’s like someone was late to press some buttons (It might have been on purpose but trying to do some fancy effects doesn’t always work)

8. Miasma – Miasma lands somewhere between the worse and better mixing category but that might be the lack of vocals which takes away some of the needed balance, but it is rather chunky – I don’t like the synths shoved totally into my left ear but that’s just me, not an actual flaw – But then what are they doing at c. 3 minutes??? Again, more fancy doesn’t always mean better and Miasma is fancy and full enough as it is – I think the mixing in Miasma changes from worse to better along the way because the ending is so much better and smoother, around when the sax comes in so they might’ve adjusted some things just to fit it – OMG RAINY GO FANCY AT THE END (the tiniest solo ever <3)

9. Mary On A Cross – Cumulus oh my fuckckk – The vocals before the chorus is such a good touch, nice ascend into the change in melody, love it – Same with Aurora’s solo part the next time, it’s so good that they put her on the middle for that, it’s perfect – The girls do slay the end but Swiss could balance it nicely if only he were just a tiny bit loudeeeeer – And again what are wed doing with these weirdly sustained layered synths??? That’s just slightly unnecessary

10. Respite On The Spitalfields – Swiss should be louder here, too – Respite is in the slightly worse category because this one sounds very flat to me for most part, it’s like only the drums and bass give any depth (or rather force some depth into it) – Once again Aeon’s palm muting is top tier – Girls slaying as usual – I’m not sure why the strings are just forcefully shoved behind Dew but okay… – The mixing here is a crime!!! It’s so flat and this is a song that deserves to be all around and fully immerse you. I’m actually sad about that one – And where are the solo vocal parts???

11. Kiss The Go-Goat – Now why is KTGG deeper and more melodic than Respite??? We’ll never know ig, but yeah, it’s on the better category – Did Nihil fucking mix this album or what??? – Cirrus’ solo in KTGG should be as loud as Dew’s, period

12. Dance Macabre – Dance Macabre is on the better category too, you can even hear Swiss – Glorious bass here

13. Square Hammer – Now Squammer, very good mixing for the finish but I still think that the girls should be more to the middle and wider, especially in backing vocal heavy tracks like this one – YES Dew bestie go ham on it at the end, slay, make your tech angry – OHHHH AEON’S THING UGHGFHNGHGHHG (he was probably wobbling his pickup switch with one of them turned off so it was basically sound on–off–on–off)

Also not really from the technical side but they cut out some strong tracks and it's honestly a big shame :(

Some gear stuff nobody will hear but me (/hj): 1. Rain definitely still has steel strings ‘cause COME ON, the TONE!!! 2. Aeon’s palm muting skills rock 3. The difference between Aeon’s ceramic humbuckers on the Fantomen and Dewdrop’s Hot Rail single coils is on the Strat so prominent AHHH 4. Aeon missed on the CMLS solo a little but Dew covered him up hjfgsdh 5. Slightly funny addition, but I love that Aurora’s voice and Dewdrop’s guitar can be mistaken for one another sometimes because of the tone and pitch lmfao

And that's it heh I'll gladly elaborate on some aspects or answer any questions that might come up so you know, my askbox and dms are open :3

[soapyoapy]

thoughts on dnp's new video

hey y'all. no one asked for it but here's a review of dip and pip's outfits from their new video from a costume design student's perspective.

*disclaimer: this is all for fun and totally my opinion, everyone has a different style, i’m just working with what they’ve worn before and what they seem to like wearing*

Category 1: Y2Gay

Phil:

🤔 i don’t know how to feel about this one… it’s not horrendous but dare i say he didn’t go far enough. i’m an ARMY so i can see j-hope wearing this but perhaps the reason why is would work is because he’d add like a white bucket hat, some sunglasses, and some colorful jewelry to fully commit to the maximalist style. also phil doesn’t really suit the baggy style imo. correct me if im wrong.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (add some accessories)

Dan:

honestly, i love the sweater. i saw it in the photocards and loved it. this is how dan should wear color tbh. my only critiques would be: a. what are the straps for??? and b. i wonder how it’d look with a dark colored tank top underneath it instead of a black one 🤷🤷

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Category 2: Americore

Dan:

umm…keep the jacket on. i’m sorry, the shirt is too much 😅😅 also i’m so confused by the pants. that’s it. maybe instead of that shirt have just like a nice white shirt. or maybe phil’s out of date gaming console shirt. the eagles are just a lot to look at. also ditch the crocs. again, sorry. a good black chonky sneaker would fit the look better.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Phil:

i agree with phil that the blue shoes don’t really fit. but i have a solution. wear some white sneakers and the blue mesh top from the q&a video or just a matpat-style blue jacket. other than that, this outfit works. especially with the blonde hair.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Category 3: Stranger Materials

Phil:

phil, please please please get that jacket fitted. it looks ever so slightly too big on him. hot take: the pants aren’t terrible. it’s just terrible with the jacket. the lines are not going in the same direction and it’s really distracting. i think they’d both have the effect he wanted just on their own. not together.

rating: ⭐️⭐️

Phil pt2:

i agree with dan. the pants are the issue. they aren’t the right shade of blue or the same pattern. major clash and if they were performing, it’d be very distracting.

rating: ⭐️

Dan:

ok. at least it matches 😝 considering he bought is from an ✨adults only website✨ not bad. would probably make too much noise to be an actual outfit he’d wear onstage with mics and all that but for fashion…kinda slays

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Category 4: Serving Shorts

Phil:

🫢 umm…ok so, how did he not know the shorts were see through?? perhaps it did show on the website but if it was from the same place as the vest and the vest was mesh then you’d assume the shorts were too?? idk anyways. its giving backup dancer construction worker if that makes sense. i’d say go all the way add some fingerless gloves and some design to the shirt and/or vest. go full jojo siwa with it. i do also love the color coordination.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Dan:

eh…that’s it. it’s not awful it’s not great. maybe it he coordinated the blue with the top. it just looks like a dude headed to the gym. i like the shoes. they do look like the cover of a 90s boy band album. nothing amazing. if the star was blue and silver i’d like it more

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bonus Round:

Dan:

honestly…as a neurodivergent person, this is just a good item 🤣🤣 it looks so soft. not even from a designer perspective but a sensory perspective. i’d buy it. maybe in a different color but still. (also if it’s like an ✨adults website✨ thing plz let me know idk anything im aroace 😅)

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (for the goofs)

Phil:

question. where would you wear this other than a disco/party? this outfit looks really fun. the only thing i'd add to this would be some white boots or sneakers with rainbow laces.

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (for the goofs)

thank you for reading the ramblings of a junior costume design student who is using this video as procrastination from doing their lighting design homework. I hope you all have a good rest of your day! ✌️✌️ go ahead and tell me if any of the things I said were wrong i don't know anything 😊😊

[thelastdj]

long after dark and steel wheels for the album ask?? 💛

hiii!!!!! thanks for the ask! sorry it took a while lol

Long After Dark - TPATH

The best song on the album: Change of Heart

what can i say its got everything. great lyrics. i want to eat the guitar. the chorus is catchy af. the bridge is beautiful. hands down best song.

My favorite song on the album: We Stand A Chance

i want to sing i want to cry i want to tear my heart out i love this song so much its such a banger

My least favorite song on the album: Between Two Worlds

this is an evil evil category. the only reason this is here is bc i want vibing with it as much tonight

The most overrated song on the album: You Got Lucky

some other songs on here just deserve a little more recognition yk

Most underrated: A Wasted Life

idk i haven’t heard people talk about it as much but its such a pretty song it kinda feels like a hug yk yk and toms vocals on this are so <333

The banger of all bangers: Finding Out

SUCH A VIBE SUCH A BANGER SO AMAZINF AND COOL AND AWESOME

Rate from 0-10: 9/10

literally amazing beautiful another slay by thomas earl petty and the band

Steel Wheels - The Rolling Stones

The best song on the album: Sad Sad Sad

i have this one on here twice i just really like it as a song and an album opener

My favorite song on the album: Can’t Be Seen

KEEF SONG KEEF SONG KEEF SONG!!!!!!! i love when he sings sm and his voice is really really good on this one! plus its a vibe so another win for cant be seen!

My least favorite song on the album: Almost Hear You Sigh

idk i dont like mick’s vocals and the songs general groove. keith’s version of the song is wayyy better too

The most overrated song on the album: Mixed Emotions

tbh i haven’t heard that much talk about these songs so imma just go with the one that was on the essentials playlists. i’m not really a fan of stones songs where they do what they were doing what they were doing here,, the vocals are just not my thing

Most underrated: Slipping Away

another keith song but i really like this one

The banger of all bangers: Hold On to Your Hat

i like how fast paced it is and its kinda like their 60s stuff just tougher yk

Rate from 0-10: 5/10

not my favorite stones album sorry ://

[coralsgrimes]

His cover art matches jho’s cover art for that single she did to promote her book. So that one anon that said that this was gonna be ‘songs for jh 2.0’ might be right.

I don't think it does, not on purpose at least. I looked at it and in me Coral opinion they are just both cheap and boring lol

Ye know they both are in the zero imagination been done ten thousands times already category. It's ye know, a cover made in PicsArt. There's nothing wow about any of them, no personality whatsoever and generally it's shite. OHHHH and he looks so cheap at the beginning without the filters like its a kiddies Halloween costume xd

Like it was on Aladdin Sane and everyone been doing it since the 70s. It does the job is all lol

And for everyone saying that Benny's is artsy and on theme whatever his album concept might be... Hun, AI could summarize his 'concept' in one 5 word sentence. He do be stealing, he do be repeating, he do be a I'm 14 and this is deep shitting it out. And not in the The Clash rips off Elvis kinda way cuz that was actually on purpose and a really good one if Coral might share another opinion.

His light gets in and golden cracks shite been done so many times before that I wonder what moniker he gets this time. It was dollar store Bublé last time if someone forgot. ALSO If ye wanna see one instance of someone doing what he was trynna do with that cover - Nothing but Thieves. The art is there and there's actually a story behind it. They kinda always slay with the art too so making look Benny even more grainy that he be looking everywhere lately xd

[itsays]

i kinda like the new twice album despite it still falling in the "watered down westernized slash retail music" category. sometimes there's a slay in the generic

[maciedeclines]

My Personal Chart Review (31/5/23)

bias again slay

Well, this was an incredibly busy week. For our top 5, Remember continues its top 10 run up to #5, with Like I Used To slipping from #1 to #4, Side Effects drops 1 to #3 but still gains in performances, with I Go Dancing returning to the runner up spot and Jazzy claiming her 2nd #1 (1st solo) with Giving Me.

For our losers and dropouts, we had quite a few in the latter category. Off the return last week, Blow Your Mind (Mwah) by Dua Lipa is gone from #10, Wish You The Best by Lewis Capaldi loses all of its momentum from #37, Chasing Pavements by Adele couldn’t stick for another week as it exits from #52, while Vibration (One More Time) fades naturally from #53. Meanwhile, I Wrote A Song by Mae Muller and Unicorn by Noa Kirel are out from #60 and #62 respectively as their Eurovision boosts wear off and Princess Diana by Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj underperforms as it leaves from #65. Now for album falloffs, with Lewis Capaldi also losing Forget Me off the return from #67. As for piri & tommy, they lost on & on from #56, beachin’ from #63, player 2 from #64, settle from #68, say it from #70 and can we from #73. Furthermore, we also lost Curtains by Ed Sheeran from #61, River by Miley Cyrus from #71, Set Me Free by D.O.D from #72 and Oscar Winning Tears. by RAYE from #74 which quite comfortably clinched its year-end list spot. As for our losers, Finally by Jonas Blue & RANI slips down to #22, Cupid - Twin Version by FIFTY FIFTY, Miracle by Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding and Like Crazy by Jimin all take big hits to #32, #33 and #36 respectively, with Can’t Tame Her and No Sleep down to #38 and #39. This week was a pretty bad week for both RAYE & Mahalia with Five Star Hotels. down to #42, Worth It. at #43, Terms and Conditions at #44 and Flip A Switch. completely collapsing down to #48. Meanwhile, ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine is back down to #51, 21 Reasons and Better Love fall to #57 and #58 respectively, Kill Bill by SZA continues its big losses down to #65, 10:35 by Tiësto & Tate McRae also collapses to #68 with Whistle by Jax Jones & Calum Scott making its way out at #69 and our final loss comes from piri & tommy, as words falls off the album boost to #70. What a list.

As for our gains and returns, well given the huge list of losers & dropouts there were quite a few. All By Myself by Alok, Sigala & Ellie Goulding is back in at #75, Oh No You Didn’t by Hix & Kelli-Leigh returns at #73, Snow On The Beach by Taylor Swift & Lana Del Rey is back in at #60 due to the release of the new version with a full Lana verse, Calm Down by Rema & Selena Gomez surprisingly has a very good week as it’s back in at #55, Stay The Night by Sigala & Talia Mar surges back to #50, Be The One by Dua Lipa returns at #35 (more on the reason why later) and finally False Alarm by Matoma & Becky Hill is back again at #30. As for our gains, Substitution by Purple Disco Machine & Kungs soars off the debut to #52, Pretty Boys by Caity Baser continues its resurgence to #26, I Found You by Sub Focus & Hayla rebounds to #25, Fly Girl by FLO & Missy Elliott continues up to #18, Because Of You by Gustaph surges into the top 10 at #10, Karma by Taylor Swift jumps up to #8 thanks to the Ice Spice remix and finally Hell N Back by Bakar continues its gains at #7.

Now that’s over with, let’s start off with our debuts

#74 That Part by Lauren Spencer Smith

Now I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m a huge fan of Lauren Spencer Smith, and so far I’m really liking the singles being pushed with this being no different. In this single, Lauren takes a step away from her breakup singles and actually sings about a happy relationship, and wow it definitely works. I expect this to rise in the coming weeks, and this isn’t the last we’re hearing of her today.

#72 live more & love more by Cat Burns

Cat Burns is back once again with another single. This one had been bubbling under for a few weeks before making the top 100, and it has now eventually found its way here. And yeah, I really like this one. I love Cat’s voice and I’m a huge fan of pretty much all her singles with this again being no different. Solid stuff.

#71 Eyes Closed by Ed Sheeran

Earlier this month, Ed Sheeran released his 6th studio album “-“, which unfortunately is one of his worst performing albums ever. It’s a damn shame because all the singles from this album so far are bloody great, including this. It was decent at first but I’ve found it to have really been growing on me the past few weeks and now it’s made it here. And my god this is so much better than any of the singles on “=“. Ed’s voice really suits the more acoustic sound “-“ was going for, and I really like the way Ed went with this. Never did I think I’d be this positive about a lead single from one of his albums but this is bloody good.

#64 Best Friend Breakup by Lauren Spencer Smith

This is definitely my most favourite track from the album rollout so far, although I’m really shocked it’s only just debuting now. In this song, Lauren sings about her ex best friend, saying how everybody thought they were sisters and how she didn’t expect this “best friend breakup” to hurt this much. And god damn she does it incredibly well. This will definitely see a decent climb next week.

#59 Escape by Kx5, deadmau5, Kaskade & Hayla

So this is a song that charted on the US EDM chart between last year and this year which I only recently checked out, and yeah I’ve been missing out. The production is really damn good with Hayla’s incredible vocals really making the song feel alive and I’m just mad I didn’t check it out sooner.

#56 Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue

I really didn’t expect this to be the route Kylie would go down. But she did not disappoint. Like with Head & Heart the chorus is about the noises of the heart, so I was pretty much guaranteed to like this. The production is really good with Kylie’s vocals still aging beautifully as she shows she’s still got it. I’m glad this is becoming a hit in the UK after A Second To Midnight missed completely along with Magic missing the top 40.

#49 MADELINE by INJI

So this is a recommendation from one of my friends Noah ajc, who actually charted 2 songs himself this week (more on that later, but he definitely had a good week didnt he 😅). And yeah, this is really good. It absolutely reminds me of something Charli XCX would do and I really like it. The production is basic but very fun with the vocalists sounding like Charli herself at certain points. If you haven’t already and you’re a fan of Charli XCX, check this out.

#34 Dance The Night (from Barbie: The Movie Soundtrack) by Dua Lipa

We have the welcome return of Dua Lipa, however this time with a single from the new Barbie movie she’s starring in, which is out in July. And this is so Future Nostalgia (positive). Her vocals never disappoint with Mark Robson’s production definitely taking it back to FN. Overall this is an absolute bop and if you liked Future Nostalgia, you’re bound to love this.

#29 tenner by Noah ajc & Esotie

So, here’s the first of two tracks from Noah this week. Now originally I was actually going to make a remix of this but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get it to work, but this song is unironically good anyways. I’m not even sure how to describe it, but it’s hilarious and a bop at the same time. Esotie’s verse is a highlight, but Noah’s heavily autotuned vocals really stand out and all in all it’s genuinely unironically good. Check it out.

#19 i hate me more by Noah ajc

Now the reason this charted is due to a remix with one of my good friends, Filey Frog. I haven’t actually listened to the original yet but the remix is incredibly infectious, with really damn good production and Noah’s vocals actually really suit it a lot. I expect this to stick around for quite a bit, this is some good stuff.

#16 Hits Different by Taylor Swift

And finally we have the last debut. This was originally a CD exclusive track that was released onto streaming upon the release of the Til Dawn Edition of Midnights, and this is absolutely awesome. In fact, I’d say it’s my favourite from the Midnights era and one of my favourite Taylor songs in general. As soon as I heard it I fell in love, and it’s a big fan favourite which I can absolutely see why and agree with. As the title says, it really does Hit Different. 🥁

So, Hits Different by Taylor Swift gets this week’s Best of the Week, with the Honourable Mention being a tie between Best Friend Breakup by Lauren Spencer Smith & i hate me more by Noah ajc. Next week, expect a couple of pretty big gains.

[our-flag-means-death-ao3feed]

a feeling so peculiar

by Anonymous

Glimpses into a decade-long story of love and loss, narrated by Taylor Swift’s album evermore.

Updates every Saturday.

Words: 1749, Chapters: 1/17, Language: English

Fandoms: Our Flag Means Death (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Blackbeard | Edward Teach, Stede Bonnet, Edward Bonnet | Stede Bonnet's Father, Mary Allamby Bonnet, Doug (Our Flag Means Death), Israel Hands, Nigel Badminton, Chauncey Badminton

Relationships: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Fluff, Childhood Trauma, Bullying, Drinking, Minor Character Death, Homophobia, Old Men in Love Being Gross, Photographer Ed, Depressed Nepotism Job and History Hobbyist Stede, Mary Allamby Bonnet Effortlessly Slaying

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/44960224

[yisanged]

HI NICO i want more music can you give me more kpop song recs my favourites out of the ones you recced already are changgwi by ahn ye eun(?) and after school by weeekly and flowering by lucy so if you have any from those artists that would be extra swag 💯 you've got good taste though so anything's good

OMG HI SAM slay alright hold on.

okay so ahn ye eun. my favorite's by her other than changgwi is probably sailing. she also has a song that released literally like yesterday called RATvolution that i also really like

so if you like after school then that's like the fun upbeat stuff i like that too 100 emoji. ummm tbh i'm not a huge weeekly fan specifically but i do know a lot of songs w a similar vibe like dolphin by oh my girl and do 4 me by epex. hop-in by blitzers and awkward silence by stray kids i would also put in that category? maybe also dkdk by fromis9 and any song by zico but those two are kinda stretching it in like opposite directions

i heart lucy my fave songs besides flowering are irrelevant answer, i got u, and oh-eh. if it's the unique sound that the violin adds that interests you i'd also recommend hoppipolla mayb?? i honestly don't know much about their music but i do know they have a cellist in there. Let's is the only song by them i've really taken the time to listen to listen to

anddd just for funsies i'll add a couple random songs i really like. dry flower by surl is a kind of softer rock song. reveal is probably one of my fave the boyz songs and thrill ride has also been growing on me. also xdinary heroes released a new album super recently and i like all of it but particularly strawberry cake

[soundsof71]

Hey! Album: 'Fleetwood Mac' (1975) - Fleetwood Mac

Hey! Great to hear from you! You (and your previous blog) were my original inspiration for trying to raise my tumblr game to something intentionally curated, and more than that, personally creative. Sorry to have let you down. LOL

What a pleasure to talk about this one, though, an album I think is -- strangely enough -- one of the most underrated albums in the classic rock pantheon!

What’s that you say? An album with “Rhiannon” and “Landslide” underrated?!?! Well it’s true, seriously underrated, at least partly because those two stellar, nay, legendary songs are the first ones that most people think of. There's so much more! It's definitely my favorite Fleetwood Mac album!

My perspective is a little different than the standard rap that Fleetwood Mac didn't properly begin until those two California kids joined the band in 1975, because to me, they started taking off when their first American joined the band, Bob Welch in 1971 for Future Games, which I wrote about at some length here. 

(For the record, Future Games is my second favorite Fleetwood Mac album. Anyone who hasn't checked it out really needs to.)

I’ll leave it at that for now, except to observe that to most of my music nerd friends at the time, I was a latecomer to Fleetwood Mac the band, having completely missed their earlier, bluesier lineups. Indeed, the 1971 lineup was their 8th! And they'd come to #9 in 1972, before landing on lineup #10 in 1975.

They had a bunch of hits on the five albums in this 71-74 range (”Hypnotized” is one that still slays me) that I think hold up as among their best ever. While the album before Fleetwood Mac, Heroes Are Hard to Find didn’t have a hit single, it rose to #34 on the US charts, and got plenty of attention. 

My point is that Fleetwood Mac didn’t spring into existence out of nowhere in 1975. Nor was 1975 necessarily ground zero for the millions of people who bought the album Fleetwood Mac. It came out in the summer of ‘75, but took 15 months to hit #1 in the US! (It peaked at #11 in the UK.) This was a far bigger album in 1976 when all the singles came out, and the band was touring like crazy to support it.

They basically dragged the album to the top of the charts kicking and screaming by the end of THAT year with relentless touring, setting the stage for their true commercial breakthrough with Rumours in 1977, but artistically? I prefer everything about 1975′s Fleetwood Mac.

btw, the music nerds know that Fleetwood Mac was recorded at Sound City Studios, which makes all the difference in the telling of the tale. In 1974, the band had located to Los Angeles, and following the departure of Bob Welch in December, Mick Fleetwood went looking for both a recording studio and a guitarist. 

While getting to know producer Keith Olsen at Sound City (a studio legendary for its drum sound, among other things), Keith played Mick some tracks from an album he’d recorded here a couple of years earlier with a local guitarist and his girlfriend singer, both of whom were also songwriters.

Mick said, I’ll book the studio to record my next album, I’ll book you to produce, and I’ll hire the guitarist....who famously informed Mick that he and his girlfriend were a package deal. All of this happened because of Sound City Studios.

(Here's Mick recording this very album in this very studio.)

Your friend and mine Dave Grohl directed a FANTASTIC documentary about Sound City Studios, a kind of a dump to be honest, but where tons of phenomenal records were made, from After The Gold Rush to Caribou, Damn The Torpedoes, Nevermind, Rage Against The Machine, and most recently, Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher. Lots and lots of stories about the making of Fleetwood Mac in this movie, and much more. 

Here’s the trailer. The whole movie is available on YT, too! And Amazon Prime, and a bunch of other places. HIGHLY recommended!

So here we go taking directly about Fleetwood Mac.....

the first song from the album i heard: "Over My Head". This was the first single released in the US, remarkably, four months after the album was released! I dunno, did the label not want to sell any albums? Or did they just not get how catchy these tunes were? I have no idea.

And ironically, the band didn't like the choice of "Over My Head" at all, ranking it dead-last in their own considerations of likely singles! I think that this is evidence that they were using heavy drugs much earlier than we thought. LOL

"Over My Head" peaked at #20 in the US, their highest to date by far, although, in some defense of the band's reservations, didn't chart at all in the UK. Saying that it rose to "only" 20 in the charts doesn't begin to describe how heavily it was played, though. A LOT.

do i own the album: Did then, Spotify now. The answer for most of the albums in this round of Asks. :-)

my favorite song: "Over My Head". Look, I admit that this is insane when Fleetwood Mac also includes "Landslide" and "Rhiannon." "Landslide" in particular is maybe one of the greatest songs anyone has ever written, and every single person reading this knows somebody named Rhiannon because of that song. (I've met two.) And hey, "Say You Love Me" was a MUCH bigger hit at the time too... but I'm tellin' ya, "Over My Head" fucks. 

It's the single version that fucks hardest, though, no doubt about it. I was disappointed when I finally bought the album that the version there fades in (NO! THIS IS WRONG) and has a wide mix that diffuses the impact. The radio version is so tight that it's practically mono, and it punches you right upside the head. 

One of my favorite things about listening to "Over My Head" in the past couple of weeks for this Ask is that it's Old School Fleetwood Mac. Chris on piano, Mick on drums, and John McVie with what might be the best bassline that anyone stroked out in 1975. My god, it's a fucking monster, and it just gets hotter as the song progresses. By the end, it's on fire, and you hear it so much better in this tight single mix.

The new guy adds a nice little solo on top of a nice rhythm lick, and he and Stevie add background vocals, but they're not front and center. "Over My Head" is really Christine McVie's showcase, although Fleetwood and Mac really shine too. This would have been a monster hit without the new kids, as indeed it pretty much was. You could say the same thing about "Say You Love Me", which is also all about Christine's songcraft, and a voice like no other, then or now.

Here's my edit of a lovely Mick Putland photo of Christine McVie from a couple of years earlier.

I guarantee that it's been way too long since you heard the in-your-face single version of "Over My Head". On Spotify, you can find it on the couple of Deluxe Editions of Fleetwood Mac (here's one), and it's also on the anthology, The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac, which I've embedded here. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw-lIt1ILzk

least favorite song: "I'm So Afraid." I'm so afraid not. LOL

a song I didn’t like at first, but now do: Hmm, I might put "Sugar Daddy" in that category, but honestly, the main thing I don't like about this song is the title. LOL But it's the 4th best Christine McVie song on an album where the best three of hers were all released as singles, so I guess it all works out.

a song I used to like, but now don’t: Anything by the new guy. I'm not going to go into detail here because what I love about this album, I still love. At the time, I dug two of his songs here (you can guess which two, surely), but I started to really despise this guy a few years later. Now, I can't listen to anything where he's prominent at all, on any Fleetwood Mac records.

Fortunately there are more than enough Christine and Stevie songs, and Mick and John's playing, plus all those earlier albums like Future Games, to keep Fleetwood Mac in the rock good pantheon. I'd have fired the new guy 30 years earlier than he was. 

favorite lyric:

Mirror in the sky

What is love?

Can the child within my heart rise above?

Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changin'

'Cause I've built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I'm getting older too

Like I said, the two Stevie Nicks tracks on Fleetwood Mac deserve every bit of the love they've gotten over the years. You can also see with just a quick glance around my blog that she's one of my most-posted artists. Please don't take me repping Christine as any disrespect for Stevie!

Do I like "Landslide" a little more than I otherwise might because it's specifically about outgrowing the aforementioned new guy? Maybe.  Or do I like it a little less than I otherwise might because I can't hear it without thinking of him? Maybe that too.

overall rating out of 10: Then: 9.4. Now: 9. The new guy went 2-for-4 for my money at the time, and the two that he whiffed on are genuinely terrible...but as bad as those two clunkers were, the rest of the album seemed perfect to me. Certainly among my most-played mainstream rock records into the early 80s. I was perfectly fine skipping one song on each side.

Even though nowadays I can't stand any of the songs he sings lead on, you take those off, and you STILL have "Landslide", "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Over My Head", and "Warm Ways". No album with ALL THOSE on them gets less than an 8.5, right?

I'm adding a few tenths each for how tightly Fleetwood and Mac are locked into each other and these songs on rythm (easily the most underrated duo of the era, sez me), and Keith Olsen's immaculate production. The score of 9 is therefore objectively correct and mathematically unassailable. LOL

I'm going to end where I began, by talking about Christine McVie. Instead of listening to this first and foremost as an album with a couple of giant Stevie Nicks songs, listen again to Fleetwood Mac as Christine McVie really lighting things up. She deserves so much more credit for the band's success than she gets, and seriously, "Over My Head" fucks. 

Now looky here, @aluacrescente . I know that YOU have strong feelings about this record, so spill! And the rest of you, too! I don't intend to have the last word on the albums in any of these Asks! Just the first one. :-) So lemme know what YOU think!

PS. Apologies for any formatting weirdness! I started this on desktop, where I do all my writing, saved the first few paragraphs to come back to later, only to be told by tumblr that I'd stated this on the app (DID NOT) and could only edit there. Grrr. Not cool, @staff. I've spent another day just tweaking to make it somewhat readable and wondering how these people can be so bad at their jobs. LOL

My crackpot opinions and wobbly writing are my own of course, and I'm aware that they have a larger negative impact on readability than tumblr's incompetence by far. LOL

[hoochy-coo]

Can I ask WS anon, from her experience and knowledge in the industry which type of celebs make the most money?

I'm just going to account their salary and not their endorsements/business deals. I'm also talking about the top celeb of every categories' salary.

1. Athletes

2. Directors

3. Actors

4. Host

5. Musicians

6. Models

Will not take in fashion designers since either they own the company and we don't know if they go by salary+stake or just stake, or they are hired by the company and we don't know their deal.

J or WS… do you think those Tom and Zendaya kissing pics were staged ?

I go back and forth, but either way I think they were notified about the photos and gave their permission. I think this because Diggzy is well-known for doing that and tries to keep a good relationship with celebrities. And the fact that paps nowadays try to go for keeping good relationship with celebrities over pissing them off and being intrusive. The pap business just isn't as lucrative as before.

- Worcestershire Sauce Anon

Jessie, Pitchfork gave Peppa's sophomore album a higher score than Donda! If I don't see Peppa slaying the grammys-

I agree about Tomdaya pics. Even if the pics weren’t staged, they (their teams) were definitely notified about the photos and gave permission for them to be published.

I still can’t believe Pitchfork gave Peppa’s sophomore a 6.5 lmao. DONDA getting a 6 is not wrong though lol

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)’ - Lizzo REVIEW: Blame It On Her Juice

“Why men great 'till they gotta be great?” has got to be the most pressing question of our time, and it’s crazy that no one has asked it before Lizzo did on her hit “Truth Hurts.” Lizzo feels like the pop star we've been waiting for so long, but really, she's the one that's been waiting on us, and very patiently, may I add. Although you might not have heard of Lizzo until 2019, she's been in the game since 2013. Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) (2019) is actually Lizzo's third studio album. So why the hell did it take us so long to take notice? When Lizzo released “Juice” as the lead single for Cuz I Love You, her first album with a major record label, she may have had some insight on the matter when she said, “I'm like chardonnay / get better over time.” Better over time, or ahead of her time? Why not both: her two high-charting singles of 2019 were "Truth Hurts," a song only included on the deluxe edition of Cuz I Love You that was initially released in 2017, and "Good As Hell," which was the lead single off of her 2016 EP Coconut Oil. Multiple factors play into the delayed rising popularity of these two tracks, such as Netflix and TikTok, but we should all be ashamed at how behind we have been; Lizzo is playing chess while we're all playing checkers.

And so here she is today, in 2020, about to attend the Grammys with a whopping total of 8 nominations, occupying a spot in all 4 of the night's biggest categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the year for "Truth Hurts," and Best New Artist. Three out of the four of these nominations would normally make no sense, considering there is an eligibility period for the Grammys, but a lot of technicality loopholes made it possible, and deservingly so. No DNA test- or Grammy Award, for that matter- is necessary for us to know that Lizzo is 100% That Bitch™; Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) is sufficient proof.

BEST TRACK: "Juice"

When the best track on an album is also the best to witness live, you know you've got a winner. It is impossible to stay still or think a single negative thought while listening to "Juice," and every performance Lizzo has put on of the track has been a marvel. In her first televised performance of the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she pulled out a flute and took the world by storm. Nothing like a wind instrument to top off an already perfect pop song. In the misery of our current society, "Juice" is a necessary mood booster. 

WEAKEST TRACK: "Boys”

This short track that is sonically reminiscent of “SexyBack” is groovy but adds little to the body of work. It is repetitive without purpose, and although it is congruent with the album’s overall message of acceptance (”from the playboys to the gay boys /Go and slay, boys"), having a track specifically dedicated to the male species on an album so empowering for women feels redundant. 

THE IN-BETWEENS

Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) shows Lizzo's eclectic abilities as a vocalist and musician, ranging from the funky "Crybaby" to the sultry "Lingerie.” Most of the album consists of self-love anthems celebrating the parts of Lizzo- and her listeners- that others might (and do) attempt (and fail) to use against her, such as her race on “Better In Color,” her weight on “Tempo,” and her femininity on “Like A Girl” (which contains quite a delightful moment where she refers to Serena Williams as “Serena Willy”). However, Lizzo does explore interpersonal and romantic love as well. On “Jerome” she puts her foot down and refuses to pick it up until her man- supposedly Jerome- grows the fuck up, and on the epic title track, “Cuz I Love You,” Lizzo is overwhelmed by all the love she is feeling for someone, as she previously thought she was “love-impaired.” Clearly, she’s not, as her self-love is overflowing; so if anyone is lucky to receive some of that love, they better recognize it. Jerome, I’m looking at you. 

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: "Soulmate"

The most impressive thing about "Soulmate" is how cleverly Lizzo injected her sense of humor into the track. I honestly laugh out loud at half of the lyrics in this song, because they are genuinely funny.  "The old me used to love a Gemini / like a threesome fuckin' with him every night," she starts off. Have you ever heard a better opening line to a song before? In the second verse, when describing her relationship with herself, she says "you know the sex is fire," implying that pleasuring herself is better than what men have given her in the past. As the spotlight has been shining on Lizzo, she has used every moment to preach self-love and acceptance, and "Soulmate" embodies that message perfectly.

***

Lizzo is such a necessary artist because she embraces who she is unapologetically. People who are uncomfortable with a bigger woman loving herself will ask why her weight needs to be celebrated or a part of the conversation at all, but this isn’t about them. There are plenty of people out there being told that the way they are is unacceptable, which is precisely why Lizzo made the album cover a picture of her au naturel. Because at the end of the day, the way you were made was beautiful, and Lizzo wants her music to be your constant reminder of that, even if our culture has ingrained in us otherwise. The entertainment industry practically endorses products that encourage eating disorders, and so having someone like Lizzo show that you do not have to look one certain way to achieve your dreams, be successful, and- most importantly- be happy, is vital, and can save many lives. As a slim white woman with more than enough representation in the media, Lizzo’s music makes me feel better about myself; I can’t imagine the immense impact it must have on someone with little to no representation at all to finally have a positive light cast upon them. As she sings, “If I'm shinin', everybody gonna shine.” And if it bothers you that much to see people give themselves the love that they deserve and of which society has deprived them for so long...well, it ain’t her fault- blame it on her juice. Grade: 4/5

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: I first heard of Lizzo through her hit “Juice,” and boy has watching her rise throughout the year been exciting. I find her to be so incredibly talented, and it is so nice to see a woman preach self-love and acceptance when we are constantly yet implicitly told to dislike and change ourselves. It is so rewarding as a music lover and consumer to see someone’s hard work pay off; I hope Lizzo’s rise to the top brings her only smooth sailing from here on out. I plan to continue celebrating everything about her along with the rest of the world. And to anyone who still has shit to say about her body....that’s a you issue, sweetie. As a wise philosopher once said, haters gonna hate, and it doesn’t look like Lizzo is gonna let that stop her anytime soon. I hope it never does.