#also still want all of Net & James cover songs
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It is such a big fucking tragedy that all the thai BL actors do crazy cover songs at their fan meeting / concerts BUT none of these songs get a clean studio version release.
Never.
The fame they would get with that. (sure they would have to pay copyright stuff but isn't that worth it?)
Also still looking sharply at Jeff Satur with all his cover songs on youtube and live. Sir... please. Just one full cover album for funsies 🙏
#yes I want the offgun hit me up cover even just for the heck of it because you are telling me the babiest 30yo did that?#(yes yes I know gun is not-so-baby underneath the idol cover ;) i know his earlier movies and regular thirst traps )#also still want all of Net & James cover songs#and the playboyy baddie bunch Dejayou cover slaps too#thai acrtors#jeff satur
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I try to mostly stay away from NetJames since February, because I decided I needed time to heal. A LOT of time to heal. On the way to where I'm now I realised I'll never be able to watch Net and his new partner, so I blocked baby carrot and soft blocked Net. I still check out what James is doing from time to time, because I really, really like him but I am still so disappointed, so I don't fully follow him. Just some things always get through, and so I saw the current issues.
People bullying him now really puts me on the fence. I've seen him talk on his live about it, my heart broke and I HATE those bullies. I know Net and carrot didn't have (still don't have??) a better time dealing with antis, but can they please leave James alone? I said myself that I am not sure he chose the right path and that he has a long way to go if he wants to be a singer. But these people are too hard on him. Let him do his thing. Ignore or block him, don't listen if you don't like and the market will take care of the rest.
But also: WHY is nobody seeing the real culprit behind it all? If they really have to bully anyone, why is it not the fucking management? I hate DMD so much atm! First they somehow make James choose between acting and music, because wow, apparently only ONE star of DMD is allowed to do both. IMPOSSIBLE to work and train at the same time. Because that would probably require management and we know DMD lacks that. And then they don't even do their job supporting and protecting James after all hell broke loose. Who in the world produces and reviews the covers these boys put out? Not even only James. Some group songs I saw were questionable, too. Why did nobody look at the final product and thought it might be better to keep it offline? Because naturally people will scrutinise James more for whatever he puts out musically. Because there's so many hurt idiots who can't keep it to themselves but must multiply their hurt by 100 and throw it back in his face for choosing himself over them.
I can't stand it. My heart is breaking for him and I'm not even full following him. In this kind of situation, I wonder what I can do for him. Because I definitely won't go fight idiots but I also can't write supportive messages. For one, I hope he just stays offline. For two, I don't think I will find the right words - honest words - to give him. I just wanted for him to be happy, but how, if his own management fails him so miserably?
Someone rescue and protect James.
Oh gosh I feel like the "Leave Britney alone" girl back in the day. 😂 No, but seriously. Leave JamesSu alone. 😠
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The Thing that lives under the Bed AU or Shadows.
Note: Please, listen to a song Cat Pierce feat James Levy- Regret by almost the end.
This was not what i imagined happening but as Cat release this song i couldn't help but to sank in it and imagine as Tony would feel Peter as much as the angsty song tells you. And i know that by those last lines it could led to a tragic end for Peter, but is up to you to decided if Peter falls asleep forever to dream of Tony of if he ever blinks again.
I did call him sleeping beauty for a reason.
@starker-sorbet, @thestarkerisobvious, @starkerprince
Read on AO3
Startdust and Moonlight
Up to next morning, Peter didn’t feel tired nor restless, he imagined he had dreamed last night, however his mind was foggy and he couldn’t remember what his dream was all about. A sharp knock on the door alerted him.
“C’mon sleeping beauty, it’s time to wake up.” Groovy with sleep Peter marched to the bathroom and got ready for the day. His hair was suffering from a crazy case of bed hair, sticking all over the place as if somebody had played with it before he went to sleep; a distant tune rang beneath him making him blink fast trying to remember. Where did the music come from?
Once again, May knocked on his door, only this time, she appeared smiling at him offering a warm cup of coffee.
“You’re getting late for school, kiddo.” Peter said his goodbyes running out of the apartment after kissing her cheek and stealing her breakfast.
Peter’s mornings were very similar and casual. Tones of boring classes, boring topics, interesting topics, horrible teachers and lots of screaming, whether is the Cafeteria flood with kids and hunger or the long hallways filling with swimming legs and rush breathes as more than one student seemed to late that day.
His one free period was usually taken by the library, on the days Ned and Gwen shared the same hours, they would stay together, eating snacks and talking about their days, their classes, the weekly gossip, dating and the walk of shamed to the principal’s office.
By the early afternoon, right after the bell rang and the students started to leave the school, Peter would take his time. The season was changing, the raging heat was slowly decreasing, although there was no obvious turning on the trees nor any sing of snow yet, surely autumn was taking his time to arrive. The sun still shined above their heads and painted the sky with blues and magentas reminding him of cotton candy on the Carnival.
Waiting for the subway wasn’t really a chore, at least not for Peter, sure May hated it on the rush hours when everyone was trap like a can of sardines, but even then for Peter was a whole experience. Low were the times where Peter would take a seat, and even if he got lucky he would prefer to give it away to someone who actually needed it. He liked to daydream about the lives of the people who traveled with him on short distances on the subway, where would they go? Where did they live? Did they like the subway like Peter or would they hate it like May? Would the people love being in such a restricting place or would they rather be on wide open spaces?
Like that foggy gray ancient mansion Peter used to visit when little.
Wait— what mansion?
Going into a tunnel with the flutter of passing birds, Peter closed his eyes and saw it. The long roads of ladders cover in dirt and dead leaves. The lonely looking mansion resting in dry land and open space, the bindweed created a slithering path that he wishes to dance upon. The creaking of leaves under his bare feet was a delighted sound as he danced an old tune in violin. Would anybody be there to dance with him?
The flashing light of warm sun brought him back to the present. The people around were unconcerned of his thoughts and soon one and another left their places by the time they reached their destination. Confusion clouded his mind, was it a dream? He could recall the fresh memory of a place he was sure; he had never been before even when the details were so firm in his brain. Perhaps he had seen it in class? History was never his forte but Peter could swear it was straight out of a Victorian novel, those which he and his classmate were force to read in literature and study their times in real life back in the 1800s.
Maybe, that’s what it was. A simple made of memory from a past class.
Peter went home without another thought feeling the soothing warmth of sleepy sun at the back of his neck, innocent to perceive the glooming darkness that soon came to follow.
That night the Shadow was small. The longing in their whole being was palpable but the Light was so bright and pure that they could not do much. They questioned what could have changed and what could have happened to their Master for him to be so different in a blink of an eye. Their eyes had not deceived them, Peter seemed happy, content, curious and joyful for the passing of nights where he could play with them, Peter went as far as dancing with them in their home and he looked so thrill; the Shadow thought they had found the one. But now their master was so gloomy, a pale shade of gray where not even his sight would light up the darkness.
What happened to master Peter?
They waited and hoovered, holding back and longing. They stood back until Peter came into his room.
* * *
Peter said goodnight to May with a long sigh, they were both tired after a long day and even when he had a pile of homework soon to become a mountain, Peter wanted nothing but to sleep and forget.
«What Master wants, Master gets. »
Under the covers Peter stayed wiggling his way into comfort, his puffy socks were on and his pillow was extra fluffy he felt swimming in the clouds, the air around him stilled. There was no rusting of wind or lonely dragonflies looking for their partners in the open, like a bubble of peace Peter was surrounded by calm and serenity.
Shadow peeked in curiosity ventured under the bed, slowly reaching the edge of its domain, they had never reached that far before, their limits were bound to the stretch of the bed and the cold floor beneath it. The Light had told them so.
«Impossible to go. Perish you will. Consumed and forgotten you be. »
The Shadow remembers those words, the words that left them powerless and lonely. Cast away in their home waiting, always waiting for someone who would come and dance once again. Fill their home with music and passion.
And surely he came.
Peter came stumbling around, touching the frozen walls of the mansion, painting marks of mist and fog, dark trails of obscurity where not even the selfish rays of light could reach them, the candles flickered, trembled in Peter’s passing. Peter was made to dance for them.
Thanks to Master Peter the Shadow could move, could walk and run, they could dance once again. So the Shadow would dance for Peter.
The roaming of music came in whispers. Peter wasn’t sure on how he knew but he was certain, soon he would be able to hear it all clearly. The shy notes sound peaceful and inquisitive, as if they were waiting for him. And waiting they were.
Bashful tunes came closer and closer, prompting him to walk freely on their soft rugs. Open doors greeted him but instead of the massive dance hall he was accustomed to see, his sight was different. A wide room with oval ceilings and spiders hanging from it with short flames of candles.
“Where am I?” Peter questioned. The flicks of darkness danced its way to him drawing snakes of forms to get his attention.
«Your room, Master. »
“My room?” The large bed was made, the bed post had creamy wavy curtains and nets with opaline wind chimes sparkling and giving light to the space.
«Yes. Yours. »
“How is this mine?” Peter came standing in front of the wavy shadow and extended his hand with clear intensions of touching but never being brave enough.
«His room. Happy Master. Room Master happy. »
Peter still didn’t understand how it came to be his. Who could have given him such room? Who lived in that place besides his friends. The friendly shadows that love to play and dance with him. As if sensing his thoughts, the shadow beamed looking bigger than before, faster than before. The shadow circled him, surrounded him and for seconds Peter feared, were the shadows going to hurt him? The last time he was in that same position, not only him but his uncle was also hurt.
«No. Master, happy. Master, dance. Clothes for Master. And Master dance. »
The Shadows wrapped him in spirals of feathers, later on Peter could picture the difference, the difference between the regular darkness he knew and the absolute blackness that soon followed his eyes to the point where he couldn’t even see himself nor the palm in front of him. His body took another shape, long lost was the soft camisole he always seemed to have in that place and now, a fit white dress shirt, a high neck and a soft cravat was decorating it, resting in the middle a dime of gold. His slacks of a pompous fabric, but quite fit and also white trousers. And all that pristine beauty shined over a burgundy jacket brocade in gold.
He had no trench coat as the Shadow seemed no need for it due to of the extensive waterfall of tail from the vest. Peter could not believe his eyes as he moved and twisted and twirled within himself. A full body mirror came in view and Peter saw himself for the first time.
«Beautiful. »
Peter wasn’t sure who was talking but he recognized the voice from before. The other times he had been in the mansion, they were there with him, all the shadows and whoever talked right now. He took careful steps reaching the mirror, the person standing at his back was at the far corner of the room, so Peter was not able to see him yet, the soft light trembled and soon after died as the mirror broke in tiny pieces.
“Please,” Peter begged with shaky hands, trailing shattered pieces of glass, the Shadow feared he would hurt himself. “Please, don’t go.” Closing his eyes, letting himself be consumed by the lack of light, Peter begged. “Please, I just want to see you.” The Shadow smiled and all the lights came to life creating a path for Peter to follow.
“Dance with me.”
* * *
Everything is easy in the middle of the night Your eyes are stars, your skin moonlight But with the sun there comes the truth It bares the soul and wastes the youth
* * *
With each passing breath Peter could see him better. His hands were cold to touch, Peter’s fingertips reaching the man’s hands with care as he let himself be led toward the center of the room, spinning around in harmony and light feet, Peter’s still bare feet slid smoothly barely feeling the lack of warmth when his whole attention was placed on the man he had to know yet.
“What’s your name?” his curious eyes did not escape the handsome features of the person dancing, Peter was trying to remember. He needed to remember this person, he was sure, he knew him somehow but from where.
“Our always curious Master.” The man smiled all teeth white and shiny, causing a shiver down his spine as Peter couldn’t look away. At that recognition flashed past his mind and Peter came closer as possible. Was it the shadow? Were his friends? The man nodded short but sweet and with a change of tune made Peter take a turn and bubbles of laughter fluttered out of his pale lips.
“But what do I call you?” What to call them? They were his friends, but keep calling ‘it’ or ‘they’ felt odd in a passive way, like he long to connect with them in a greater level. A name could bring love; a name could bring pain but still gave the warmth of memories and knowledge. A named could give meaning.
“I had many names before.” The man explained. “But in here, in our home…” To make a point, Peter twisted once again and was brought to a tight hug. “Master can call us what he wished to.”
“Peter.” He stated. And the man tilted his head to a side in question, like that Peter could take in all the little details. Long, dark lashes outlining whiskey warm eyes that never seemed to miss him, a strong jaw with full lips surrounded by a trim beard, raspy and soft looking.
“My new name is Peter?” Peter wanted to laugh but snorted instead.
“It’s mine.” The music soon came to an end but neither felt like moving away. “My name is Peter.”
«Peter. »
The honey dripping feeling he got from a simple whisper made him shiver and his friend feared he would get cold. They, both, would find a fitting name.
* * *
Hours spent walking and moving, traveling around the open halls and still rooms. The shadow followed close aching to never letting him go. Bright chandeliers on top of their heads and dying candles alerted them it was time to go. The Shadow hurt in longing, he had his master, he had a name and his strength was coming back because of it; his master was right. With a new meaning he could live again, live above from the binding shackles of fear were no longer in his wrist, his Master had given them so much live and love.
The Shadow stood next to Peter as the boy sighed in deep sleep, with no one else around, he could drink in all beauty his Master is, was and it would be in all eternity. With his long curls expanding over the white sheets of the pillows, protected from cold in his comfort cocoon of blankets, the Shadow reached down to touch him, however froze in impression and fondness. Even in his sleep, his master called for him.
“Tony.” To Tony, Peter was made of stardust when his eyes sparkle and moonlight shine of all his pristine skin each time he dares to feel under his fingertips. Meant to guide his path in the sea of black that was his existence. For a short amount of time, faster than a blink, Peter saw him. His master saw him materialized in his world, not the realm of dreams and wonder and smiled at him, called for him. “Tony—” He didn’t have to hide anymore; he didn’t have to be afraid anymore. With one touch of his lips and his Master would be utterly and completely his.
Closing his eyes and holding a breath, Peter thought if that was what it felt like to be loved to death.
#starker#pro starker#starker moodboard#The Thing That Lives Under The Bed AU#a very human Peter Parker#Dark Creature Tony#in english#mis escritos#Arte Muerto#Dark Tony
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okay i am so excited to get to plotting & interacting with all u cuties ! bare with me though , im also trying to study for a quiz i gotta take later tonight . anyways , i’m mia aka your resident masshole reporting for duty . i’m 20 years old ... will be 21 in june ( fingers crossed my Sad ass will be out of q*arentine by then ) . i go by she / her / dumb bitch pronouns & am very much so done talking about myself already . so lets get to my boy asher here who is ... how do you say ? a asshole ? a dirt bag ? a soft baby boi ? if you wanna plot & discord is easier for you shoot me a mssg @ 𝖒𝖌𝖐'𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖊#9789 . lets goooo 💛
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒
full name: asher james bennett nickname: ash , aj birthday: march 25 , 1996 zodiac: aries hometown: madison , wisconsin ( click here to see his parents house / childhood home ) current residence: los angeles , california ( although he lives in the villa with everyone , before the year away he lived on his own & still owns the home , both because he loves the place and because it gives his family somewhere to go when they come out click here to see his house ) vehicle: 2017 jeep wrangler rubicon in black ( click here ) , 2019 maserati granturismo in red ( click here ) gender: cismale orientation: heterosexual , heteromantic relationship status: single ( it’s complicated ) family: tamara marie bennett-abbott ( mother ) , harrison charles bennett ( father , deceased ) , mason billings abbott ( stepfather ) , bradford sawyer abbott ( brother ) , stephanie anne bennett ( sister ) education: vocational highschool graduating from the culinary program , graduated ucla with a bachelor in management with a minor in food studies occupation: celebrity chef , tv personality net worth: 19.7m height: 5′11″ weight: 161lbs tattoos: left arm ( x , x ) , right arm ( x , x , plus the butterfly tattoo jack has ) , right hand ( x ) , right thigh ( x ) , left leg ( x ) criminal record: arrested ( x6 ) - simple assault ( x2 ) , assault and battery ( x1 ) , disorderly conduct ( x2 ) , criminal mischief ( x1 ) , criminal trespassing ( x2 ) , minor in possession of alcohol ( x2 ) , drug possession ( x1 ) drugs / alochol / smoking: yes , mostly marijuana though / yes / no moral alignment: chaotic neutral hogwarts house: slytherin theme song: righteous by juice wrld ( a look at his mental health and the way it he attempts to cope ) & i am by james arthur ( deep dives into his view on himself and how outside opinions of him have effected the way he sees himself ) & empty space by james arthur ( instead of being about a girl this really encapsulates how the loss of his father has affected his life ) traits: charismatic , well-intentioned , affectionate , loyal , jocular , reckless , immature , flippant , short-tempered label: politicians son , miscreant , fuck boy , broken bird , mr. misunderstood , mama’s boy , epicure hidden talents: drawing , singing , master at rubiks cube , skilled card counter ( blackjack )
𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
asher was born just eleven months after his sister stephanie , to at the time lobbyist harrison bennett & prosecutor tamara bennett . a menace as a child , he made dennis the menace look like a saint , basically . at first his parents hoped this was simply just a phase but as time went on it became very clear that if it were a phase it was going on for much longer than his parents had hoped . his sister immediately taking on the spot of prodigal daughter , while asher took on the spot of black sheep of the family . this didn’t mean that his parents didn’t absolutely adore both of their children , because they did . both taking on daddy’s little girl & mama’s boy respectively , early on .
around the time asher was seven both of his parents were up for office , his mother for district attorney & his father for u.s representative from wisconsin . the influx of cameras / eyes on the bennett family mixed with the level of stress both his parents were under completely put asher off from the world of politics . despite being in a family that had generational ties to politics on both sides . during a family appearance asher was captured on camera ( both video & photo ) putting up a piece sign behind his sisters head during a speech his father was giving .
[ tw: death , suicide , loss of a parent ] when asher was twelve his father went on a boating trip with friend , call it a boys trip if you will . two days into the trip news broke of his father being in a major boating accident where harrison was the only one on the boat & was dead upon being found . it later was confirmed by the coroner that his death was likely a suicide . the loss of harrison was hard on the entire family , it was easy to say it affected asher heavily having locked himself away in his bedroom for nearly a week only leaving his room to go to the bathroom & grab food that he’d return to his room to eat . later , when he returned to school he was suspended just in that school year three times . it was genuinely the beginning to the incredibly reckless version of asher , that we seen since .
despite his antics he played varsity football as a cornerback & varsity soccer as a midfielder . taking up sports at an early age , it was clear he was a born athlete who genuinely enjoyed a little competition . he also took an interest in culinary , he was very much so that kid standing on a step stool as he helped his parents in the kitchen . this interest turned into him attending a vocational / trade highschool instead of an ordinary public school , like he had in elementary & middle .
when he was fifteen he started a youtube channel where he posted cook with me videos weekly & vlogged his experience within the culinary program at school .
during highschool his mom started getting serious with a professor at the local university . asher , of course , hated the idea of his mom replacing his dad and it took nearly two years & an engagement for him to actually sit down & listen to his mom about the situation . it wasn’t until then that he realized , mason , was supposed to replace his father ... it was simply his mom not allowing herself to get stuck in one place in life & fall into a spiral . once he actually heard her side he gave the guy a chance . turns out the two have alot in common & get along very well . he’ll never replace his father but he respects him none the less .
before he’d even graduated highschool , asher amassed over 1m subscribers , made appearances on the ellen degeneres show & rachel ray show . this was around the time he realized he wanted to turn his hobby into something more than that & hell he was good enough to do so . when graduation came , he’d already committed to attending ucla as a business major with a minor in food studies .
soon after graduation he went on the show master chef , finishing as runner up , which was one hell of a feat given he’d been the youngest chef on the show . he enjoyed the experience & recognition the show gave him .
while at ucla he continued to play football he was so good he was receiving national attention to the point where nfl scouts were looking at him . obviously he was still too young to go into the draft but they let him know , this was something that was more than on the table . it was definitely something he loved hearing but at the end of the day , the nfl was never really the goal for asher . so toward the end of his sophomore season when he was suspended for the rest of the season for getting arrested & charged with drug possession & criminal trespassing he took that as the excuse not to return the sport the following season .
this was not the first time ( we know it was not the last *wink wonk* ) asher was arrested . from the end of his middle school days throughout highschool he’d racked up four arrests . his first one taking place in eighth grade & the only reason the misdemeanor charges actually went through were because his mom asked for them to in hopes that it would scare asher from acting out in such a fashion ever again . unfortunately , his actions were rooted in much more than teen rebellion having never accepting or being able to cope with his father’s passing . the charges & arrests that would follow his mom was able to cover up & kind of bury them . that way word didn’t spread like wildfire about her reckless son .
not even a full year removed from football & he’d accepted a tv show offer from food network . a show called asher’s kitchen a primetime half-hour show where a new chef would come on each week if they beat asher in making a 3-course meal they win bragging rights & $20,000 , if they don’t they go home empty handed . despite the shows constant high ratings asher grew bored of the show & left after only two seasons . the network tried to replace him but quickly learned asher’s personality was what really carried the show .
in 2018 , he went on to open his first ever restaurant the smoking goat an american bistro with an upscale vibe in the heart of los angeles . the place is literally his baby & if you can’t find him you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll find him there . whether it’s catching up with regulars or big name celebrities coming through the doors , or throwing on a chef coat and cooking up some of his very own specials .
around the time of his restaurant opening he started to let up on the youtube channel & it’s now been nearly two years since he’s uploaded & honestly has no intent on returning to the platform . in asher’s eyes , everything has a term limit & his youtube channels time was up .
𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗 / 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐎 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄
the timing of his amsterdam arrest was to say the least , horrific . not only was he in talks with several networks ( fox , cbs , netflix , etc ) to have his own daytime food-focused talk show but his mother was at the beginning stages of her 2020 presidential campaign , which she had since put a halt to and decided to continue on with her tenure as a u.s senator from wisconsin . with the headlines of his arrest spreading like wildfire , the internet resurfaced many of his earlier transgressions , the networks inevitably put a halt to going any further in negotiation & the political realm began to turn their attention to the kind of parent the senator was to have a son so ... out of control ? her opposition questioning how she could run a country if she couldn’t so much as raise a law abiding son .
upon his release from jail he took a jet straight home to wisconsin . with the realization of how much harm he’d done to the bennett reputation he made the personal promise to stay away from the media ( no social media , no tv , nothing ) & be the son the political world expected from a politician . his mother ( who is emulated mostly after laura baker from all american ) nearly begged him not to halt his life as a way of personal punishment for his actions . but after months back home & away from the limelight , asher could see the tides turning back in his moms favor & no big network offer ( and there were quite a few that came his way after the news of his arrest subsided ) could pull him back out into the forefront .
instead opening his second restaurant bennett’s , an upscale bar & grill in the capital city of wisconsin . he also began work on a cook book that’s kind of taken on a life of it’s own but he’s yet to be anywhere close to finishing that .
he has inevitably decided to come back & reunite with the bling ring a year later after his family sat him down & kind of had an intervention with him over his persistence to punish himself . claiming they feel he’s matured & gotten a good grasp on himself & that they don’t think he’ll fall into his bad behaviors again . ( spoiler alert: they’re going to be very wrong about this ... just saying / he’s going to return with the intent of being a better guy , being on the “ right track “ but lets be real it’s going to quickly spiral out of control as per usual ) .
𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘
as you can probably tell this boy is no good . he’s the guy your parents warn you about , i swear , he will get you into so much trouble & bask in the glory of being the one to give you such an adrenaline rush . he’s big on being here for a good time & not a long time . he just wants to have fun , at any cost . he’s extremely goofy , the kind of guy to whip out some mediocre wrestling moves on you for the sake of getting attention . he doesn’t take much seriously ... until he does ? what im saying is homeboy has one hell of a short temper and once he’s flipped his fuse , he basically blacks out . the reason for this is because no matter how happy & full of life he’d like to come off he has this deep well of anger that swells in him ever since he lost his dad . also a topic that can get him clenching his jaw , do not under any circumstances bring up harrison bennett . very much so a mama’s boy , though , catch him facetiming his mom once a day to tell her how much he loves her & see how she’s doing . he can come off very uncaring at times , it’s easy to say he’s probably one of the most misunderstood people around . he comes off like a douchebag , like someone who has little regard for others & don’t get me wrong he often is both of those things but he isn’t heartless ? when he has time to sit back and think about the damage he does ... it hits him like a mack truck & he goes into a pretty dark place of feeling like he’s a villain but he wants to be the hero of the story ? not very big on apologizing , verbally . if he says sorry you can bet a smug grin is following behind the words . instead he’s big on buying things & even cooking to show he’s sorry . probably not the best way to go about things but this is asher we’re talking about here . he is a flirt & will fuck anything . that’s all i have to say about that . onto his friends ? whew are his friends his world . he is a big proponent of bros before hoes & is an extremely loyal guy - to his friends . a true ride or die type a guy , he’d help he hide a dead body without any explanation at so what happened . a big move now ask questions later kinda dude .
𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
BREATHE BY JAMES ARTHUR : he has a soft spot for her . he always has . she’s one of the only girls who doesn’t drool over him , they’ve never hooked up to any extent and that’s due in large part to her telling him from the beginning that the only way she’d give him a chance was if he straightened up his act & proved to her that he was worth her time . if there is a girl out there who can asher for the better , it’s her . but everytime she thinks she’s gotten him on the right path , she catches him either acting out or reverting to his fuck boy ways & getting with girl’s who he doesn’t have to put so much work into .
SAME SQUAD BY P-LO : let’s be real these three originated “saturdays are for the boys” . they’ve been boys for as long as they can remember . if you see one of them around you can rest assured the other two are in the vicinity . they’re the best of friends . they know everything there is to know about each other . all a bit reckless , but that’s what makes them such a fun trio . a very homiesexual bond takes place between these three & nothing & nobody could get between them .
CLOSE FRIENDS BY LIL BABY & GUNNA : they were once good friends , things spiraled past the point of their control , lines got blurred & then they were dating . the relationship as a whole was one no one thought would last . to give them credit things were good at first but after he cheated & she found out from a friend about it things started to go down hill . things only got worse when he was persistent in lying to her about the situation . she inevitably took him back & not too much later the arrest in amsterdam happened . before he was even released from jail , she was sent a video of him & one of his friends talking about sleeping with a prostitute . although it never happened the fact that was his intent was enough for her . his expectation was that because she forgave him before she’d wipe away the pain of him once again not having regard for their relationship & forgive him but she just couldn’t . when he came out to her forwarding the video to him , he decided to ignore the situation completely . the two have not had any contact for nearly a year & never really broke up or spoke about the situation .
NO FRAUDS BY NICKI MINAJ & DRAKE & LIL WAYNE : the perfect ride or die squad . the media likes to say someone in the trio is dating at any point in time but , that’s just not the case . these three are always getting into something . the true depiction of always having your friends back . they will lie for each other , fight for each other , anything to prove their loyalty to each other .
i also have some musing posts here , if you want to give that a look !
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B.Slade
Anthony Charles Williams II (born May 16, 1975), better known by his stage name B.Slade, formerly known under the gospel moniker Tonéx ( TOH-nay), is an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, dancer, producer, and activist from San Diego, CA. He has gone by various names and aliases, but his primary stage name of choice had for years been "Tonéx". In 2010, he began using the stage name B.Slade in order to rebrand himself.
Williams has released several hundred songs on dozens of albums over the span of his career, while producing several others for both gospel and secular artists. He has won six Stellar Awards, a GMA Award, and received 2 Grammy nominations: one for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for his 2004 gold album, Out the Box and another in 2009 for Best Urban/Soul Alternative Performance for his single, "Blend", from his 2009 mainstream (albeit theoretically Gospel) album, Unspoken.
Known more for his gospel recordings, his musical efforts have been known to blend a smorgasbord of styles, including pop, R&B, jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, rock, Latin, electro, punk and trance. His primary influences include Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Prince, Michael Jackson, Walter Hawkins, David Bowie, and Janet Jackson. His distinct sound and eclectic style of music led him to give his music its own genre per se, calling it "Nureau".
Life and music career
Early life
Born in 1975, Williams grew up in the San Diego, California area. His father, Anthony Williams, was Senior Pastor of the Truth Apostolic Community Church in suburban Spring Valley and served as a district elder in the California District Council of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). His mother, E. B. Williams, was a licensed minister in the PAW and served the church as Assistant Pastor. Anthony was the youngest of the Williams' six boys. Gospel music was the preferred choice at home, but other sounds made their way into Williams' environment. His father played saxophone for James Brown and Jackie Wilson, his mother sang in various girl groups, and his older brothers sneaked funk and R&B recordings into the house. By age 10, he had recorded an album of his own at home (produced by Virgil Brookins). Deciding early on a musical career, he took the name "Tonex" by the time he was 13, sometimes spelling it "Tonéx"; at the age of 16 he and his parents hired his first personal manager, Benjamin Jimerson (aka Benjamin Jimerson-Phillips) in 1991. Jimerson, who has since become a relatively successful movie producer, stated: "From the first moment I saw Tonex and he sang his first note, I realized I was dealing with a young man destined to become a major celebrity."
1996–2000: Early career
Rescue was still a small label, and Pronounced Toe-Nay was issued in a limited production run and distributed mostly from the back of Williams' car. Young gospel fans, however, quickly caught on to the innovative variety of music on Pronounced Toe-Nay. The album's producer, T. Boy, was an alter ego of Tonex himself. The album was divided by style into seven sections: hip-hop/rap, retro/funk, the future, jazz, mellow grooves, soul/gospel, and bonus tracks. In the recordings of Kirk Franklin and others, hip-hop had previously made inroads into gospel music, but this kind of wild eclectic mix was completely new. At the time, the digital reproduction of music was in its infancy, and rare copies of the album became prized possessions. Pronounced Toe-Nay garnered the attention of the producers at the 14th Annual Stellar Awards and placed him on the billing, and that performance by Tonéx made such a bold statement and had such an impact, it has been compared to the impact Michael Jackson made on the Motown 25th Anniversary Special back in 1983 when he introduced the moonwalk to the world.
2000–2004: As a rising gospel artist
By this time, national labels had come calling. Tonéx was signed to an unusual three-way deal that affiliated him with the successful and growing gospel label Verity, the pop imprint Zomba, and the durable hip-hop label Tommy Boy. Tonéx made his national debut with a re-release of his most successful independent album Pronounced Toe-Nay in 2000. His first high-profile television appearance was performing a medley of "Trinity" and "One Good Reason" on the Stellar Awards, which was a coup as Tonéx was a relative unknown at the time. He has dubbed his particular genre-spanning musical style "nureau."
Upon its release, Pronounced Toe-Nay bore 5 different record label logos: Rescue Records, the independent label that originally released the album; Mo' Soule Steppyn Records, Tonéx's then-active vanity imprint label; Tommy Boy Gospel, the label to which Tonéx was signed as an artist; Verity Records, the label to which his independent label Rescue Records sold his album's masters; and Jive Records, the mainstream umbrella over Verity Records. All of the material was produced, arranged, composed and performed by Tonéx, with guest appearances from his mother E.B. Williams, and the rapper Big J.
Some executives wanted to develop Tonéx's career in a secular direction, but he turned them down and kept to religious themes. "There are a lot of people who do similar things to what I do in R&B but I wanted to use gospel lyrics," he explained in an interview quoted on the Sphinx Management Web site.
After going through numerous revisions, his second album O2 was released in 2002. According to Tonéx, the title of his second album referred to the year of release, to the element oxygen, and to the album's status as his second major recording. O2 matched the stylistic eclecticism of Pronounced Toe-Nay, with each track diverging completely from the one before. The album spawned a major Christian radio hit in "God Has Not 4Got", a Stellar Award-winning song that displayed Tonéx's ability to create traditional choral gospel music as well as innovative pop fusions. USA TODAY gave it 3 stars (3 out of 4). The music video for the single "Bout A Thang" received heavy rotation on BET and MTV Australia, and featured energetic hip-hop dance and an urban image not usually associated with Gospel artists. O2 also featured a love song, "You", directed toward the artist's then-wife Yvette Williams (née Graham), a vocalist who at times went by the name Ms. Tonéx.
Becoming known to the wider contemporary Christian music community as a result of several music industry awards and award nominations, Tonéx went on tour with contemporary gospel artists Trin-i-Tee 5:7 and Men of Standard after the release of O2. Tonéx was moved up from opening act to headliner as audiences reacted enthusiastically to his music and his high falsetto voice. He performed once more at the Stellar Awards early in 2004 and won several awards.
Even though O2 brought him more mainstream success, Tonéx said that this album was not what he had in mind for release. He continued to release independent projects via the internet that showcased even more of his versatile creativity. Probably his most acclaimed of these works, Tonéx released Oak Park 92105 in 2003 on his now defunct Nureau Underground website in 2003, stating it was this album that he intended to release after Pronounced Toe-Nay, and not O2. Oak Park 92105 was a double album that mainly dealt with Tonéx's life growing up in the Oak Park community nestled in the eastern tip of southeast San Diego, California. It was eventually re-released on iTunes in 2005 with some new songs; however, the album did not come without controversy, as Tonéx opted to include a "parental advisory: explicit lyrics" notice on the front cover of the album, making it the first album by a Christian-based artist to carry the notice. Tonéx said the "explicit lyrics" notice is not a result of "cussing" on a record but rather content that "might be a little too deep for children."
2004–2006: Out The Box and accolade
His 2004 live double CD Out The Box earned him the most widespread acclaim so far. Divided into segments ranging from traditional gospel and praise anthems to splashes of urban dance, rock, and hip-hop, the ambitious Out The Box was a sprawling double disc set with 36 tracks, which included innovative intros, interludes, and a number of studio tracks. The supporting cast included a 10-piece band, 4 dancers, a 16-voice ensemble, and a 40-voice choir. Notable guest appearances on the album included Kirk Franklin, who plays piano in the live version of "God Has Not 4Got" and appears as an artist on "Since Jesus Came", and frequent Prince percussionist Sheila E, who appears on the Latin-flavored "Todos Juntos".
Out The Box debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Top Gospel Album Chart in September 2004, appeared on Billboard's Top 200 and Top R&B Chart, was No. 5 on the Contemporary Christian Chart, and to date has sold over 500,000 copies. He also netted a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album the following year, and had another bonafide Christian radio hit with the ballad "Make Me Over". In 2005, Tonéx won a total of six Stellar Awards including "Artist of the Year" for Out The Box.
2006–2010: Controversy, turbulence, and retirement from gospel
In July 2004, his father died, forcing him to take on the responsibility of becoming senior pastor of their family's church in his stead. He also divorced his wife of 5 years, Yvette. In 2006, Verity Records sued Williams for one million dollars citing breach of contract. Subsequently, Tonéx announced that he would retire from the Gospel music industry, frustrated by politics and mistreatment. Following the announcement, Kirk Franklin posted a personal blog on his own website sympathizing with the artist feeling "the weight of an industry that is only built to make money, not heal broken souls." He continued releasing music independently, using MySpace as his primary vehicle for promotion.
In March 2007, a reconciliation with Zomba Label Group was announced, which would be a joint venture for his Nureau Ink label. The deal was struck under the auspices of new Zomba president "Jazzy" Jordan (who previously had guided the careers of R. Kelly and Salt-N-Pepa). With a new record deal under his belt, he was preparing to release a double disc set titled Stereotype: Steel & Velvet, which was slated to be released on September 11, 2007, and was purportedly supposed to do for his career what Thriller did for Michael Jackson and what Purple Rain did for Prince. However, in June 2007, another split with Zomba was announced, fueled by his leaking of the vitriolic and profanity-laden song "The Naked Truth", along with several similarly themed blogs and videos. Tonéx cited label frustration as one of the reasons he leaked the song, and he soon faced much scrutiny within the Gospel arena for the explicit language and the angry tone of the song and its subsequent blogs. He later would close down his social networking sites for several months before resurfacing on the web in January 2008.
Recreating a softer gospel-friendly image, Williams changed his stage name to Ton3x (or TON3X) in 2008. He left the Verity Records family and signed under the umbrella of Battery Records, a label imprint of Sony/BMG. His only Battery Records release was the album Unspoken, released on March 17, 2009. The first single from that album, entitled "Blend", was unexpectedly nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, despite very little promotional/financial support from Sony/Battery and garnered the artist his first non-gospel Grammy nomination. That year, he would also present awards at the Grammy pre-telecast, including the first two awards given to Lady Gaga, who was already backstage preparing for her show-opening performance.
In September 2009, The Word Network aired an appearance of Tonéx on The Lexi Show. Starting out as another promotional tool for his music, the interview unexpectedly changed directions, leading to Williams candidly expressing his views on sexuality and revealing his own same-sex attraction. Though his sexual orientation had already been highly speculated within the African American and gospel communities, the unapologetic tone of these revelations were condemned by conservative Christians, and bookings and appearances were universally cancelled, eventually leading to Williams being excommunicated. The artist would later say that he was "caught off guard" by the show's line of questioning but that he answered every question truthfully.
On December 29, 2009, Tonéx's website, as well as his Twitter and Facebook accounts, reported that the artist's mother, Evangelist and vocalist E.B. Williams, had died the day before. Williams would soon end his pastoral duties at his family's church.
On June 9, 2010, Tonéx announced what would be his final mixtape, the digital-only release The Parking Lot. The mixtape was also distributed in NYC that night after what would be his final performance. On June 15, 2010, the brand Tonéx/TON3X was officially and permanently retired. A "Tonéx Vault" was created on Bandcamp to share rare and previously unreleased material like the shelved Verity project, Gosp0p.
2010–2013: Rebirth as B.Slade and a return to independence
Recreating himself as an out indie R&B/glam pop artist, the artist formerly known as Tonéx underwent a re-branding, dubbing himself B.Slade and using digital media to release his new music and philosophies. The name change was inspired by the character Brian Slade from the art film Velvet Goldmine. Though he continues to receive much resistance from his past, conservative gospel fans, his new-found transparency and honest lyrics have helped him carve a niche in the LGBT music genre, which itself is slowly gaining acceptance in the mainstream field. Albums announced and partially produced under the Tonéx brand like A Brilliant Catastrophe, his Michael and Janet Jackson tribute mixtape, and the long-awaited, aforementioned Stereotype were all officially released during this time. B.Slade performed "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" as a tribute to disco singer Sylvester at the 7th Annual OUTMUSIC Awards. His full-length album Diesel, was released via his own label Suxxess Records on July 19, 2011.
After completing his stint in the musical The Who's Tommy in the summer of 2011, B.Slade began work on his next concept album, Knowing. An ambitious "pop opera" narrating a dystopian take on the future of the major record label monopoly, the album will serve as a soundtrack that the artist plans to turn into a feature film musical. Knowing was scheduled for a release on Christmas Day 2011 (another album entitled Stealth was released on this day instead), but after a few delays was released discretely in memory of Whitney Houston on February 11, 2012.
In the fall of 2012, B.Slade embarked on his "Sex, Drugs and Sushi US Tour", doing shows in Chicago, New York and taking residency at the WitZend in Venice, LA during the months of September and November. He was nominated for four awards at the 8th Annual OUTMUSIC Awards, winning one for Best R&B/Soul Song. He released another album, Stunt B%$@H, on January 25, 2013.
2014–present
2014 saw a resurgence from the artist as a viable mainstream producer and songwriter, placing songs on albums from Sheila E. (Icon) and Faith Evans (Incomparable). He also wrote and co-produced Angie Fisher's smash hit single, "I.R.S.". The song was instantly a runaway hit upon debut on Stevie Wonder's L.A.-based radio station KJLH, before going nationwide and peaking at No. 29 on Billboard's Adult R&B chart shortly thereafter. "I.R.S." was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, garnering Fisher her first Grammy nod and giving him his third. He is currently working with Fisher on her debut album from Hidden Beach Records.
In 2015, he co-wrote several songs on Elijah Blake's debut album, including the smash hit "I Just Wanna..." (which peaked at No. 23 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart) and its title track, "Shadows & Diamonds". He also wrote and arranged the song "Unhappy" from Jordin Sparks' third album, Right Here Right Now, and produced comeback singles from Tisha Campbell-Martin and Chaka Khan. He was also a singer, writer and producer on Snoop Dogg's acclaimed 2016 Gospel compilation album, Bible of Love.
Acting and musical theatre
Along with the many changes made by Williams in 2008, a foray into acting became part of his long list of endeavors. Williams made his film debut in the 2008 Charlie Murphy comedy The Hustle, which was released to home video in 2011. In September 2008, he played the role of James "Thunder" Early in a San Diego production of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Later in 2008 and early 2009, Williams played the character of Rolin in Princess & The Black Eyed Pea at the Lyceum Theater in San Diego. In 2011, he played the starring role in San Diego Repertory Theatre's production of The Who's Tommy, His performance earned him the Craig Noel Award for Best Male Lead Performance in a Musical.
TV and movie soundtracks
Williams sang and produced the opening song for the hit UPN television series One on One. His production was featured on the song "Off We Go" from the J. Lo/Ben Affleck film Gigli and in BET Films original movie The Walk starring Eva Marcille. "Cry No More" from the album Pronounced Toe-Nay was featured in the HBO film Prison Song starring Q-Tip and Mary J. Blige, while the track "The Good Song 2005", a remake of the song "The Good Song", was included on the soundtrack of the action movie xXx: State of the Union starring Ice Cube. B.Slade's song "Don't Wake Me" was featured on the second episode of the 2013 BET series Second Generation Wayans. In 2013, he produced the score for the 44th Annual NAACP Image Awards telecast. In 2014, Williams produced and co-wrote the theme song to OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network) series, Flex & Shanice, starring Flex Alexander and Shanice Wilson, and guest-starred on a number of episodes. The first season of the series garnered two singles written & produced by B.Slade, "Gotta Blame Me" and "We Can Fly". He also performed the theme song for Bounce TV's sitcom One Love.
Media appearances
In 2005, Williams co-hosted the 20th Annual Stellar Awards with Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams. As "DJ Tonéx" he hosted his own syndicated contemporary gospel radio show in partnership with SupeRadio Networks and Blue Sky Productions entitled Club Virtue from 2005 to 2007. He also briefly hosted the BET J (now BET Her) show Lifted which blended positive secular and gospel music programming. In 2010, The New Yorker published a lengthy article on the artist, highlighting his journey as one of the first major gospel artists to come out.
Public image
Williams' appearance has included extremely conservative suits with close cropped hair, outlandish, flamboyant garb with feather boas, fur coats, punk-inspired multi-colored hairstyles, Sanjaya-like headpieces, Stevie Wonder-style dreadlocks and also platform shoes, that brought to mind the "glam" rock bands of the 1970s and 1980s. As Tonéx, his image raised eyebrows in the conservative gospel and contemporary Christian music communities, and he eventually took the sharper edges off his look for a short time. But he made no apologies. "It wasn't me trying to make a statement; I've always been different," he told George Varga of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "And it really worked. Out of church, people are always asking me what my tattoos mean."
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From above : PSA on Britney Spears and the #FreeBritney movement for anyone that needs or wants more information on what is going on with her. It’s a fucking rabbit hole, so buckle up. A little backstory first. Britney was a child star starting at the age of 4 years old on Broadway, and then worked her way to the Mickey Mouse Club, and eventually the solo career we know today. Her career has been on autopilot her entire life. If you look back at her music, she’s been telling everyone for years she’s too controlled and treated as a product if you listen to the lyrics of most of her hits. Examples include: Lucky, Overprotected, My Perogative, Circus, Piece of Me and Gimme More. Her music videos, social media posts, tour props and photoshoots regularly show her in a cage or in chains. If anyone has ever seen videos of her when she was younger, you’d know her REAL singing voice is very similar to Christina Aguilera’s. Her record label didn’t like it, as they were both on the Mickey Mouse Club and about to release their debut albums at the same time. So they had her voice retrained to sing in the baby voice we all know today because they believed it to be more iconic and would create a brand and career for her instead of her real voice. It’s unhealthy, and it’s been destroying her voice over the years, thus why she is known for lip syncing. She wanted to make an acoustic type pop album in 2006 titled Original Doll and reinvent herself using her real voice. The album was shelved and cancelled once her label realized she would be singing in her real voice. She isn’t allowed to sing live because she will either fail terribly, or she’ll have to sing in her deep voice that she isn’t known for. Her entire career she has been treated like a product meant to sell. Now, for the real tea. Everyone remembers the 2007 meltdown. Everyone. Leading up the meltdown Britney was going thru a public divorce, had two children under the age of 2 at the time and was VERY much the focus of the public. We all saw her on every magazine cover. We all also saw the photo of her with one of her kids on her lap while driving. Go on YouTube once and look up ‘Britney Spears paparazzi’. You’ll watch her be chased and followed by hundreds of them, even trying to get into a public restroom to photograph her, videotaping her in tears asking them to leave her alone, and even filming her thru the windows of an ambulance while she was naked being taken away for her final mental health hold. After the public meltdown, shaving her head, locking herself in her home with her children, speaking in a british accent on regular basis, wearing the imfamous pink wig everywhere, and shopping naked, she was hospitalized twice. After the hospitalization, her father petitioned the courts to be a TEMPORARY conservator to her until she was mentally stable and for only one years time. 2 months after her hospitalization she did a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother. 6 months after her hospitalization, she drops the Womanizer video and starts to promote her new album Circus with its worldwide tour that grossed $131.8 million. If she’s so unwell, why did she start working right away? Her father after one year petitioned the courts for the conservatorship to become permanent due to her ALLEGEDLY having EARLY ONSET DEMENTIA in her TWENTIES. It passed and has been that way ever since. For 12 years to be exact. Now for everyone that doesn’t understand what that means let me break it down for you. Britney Spears is a now 38 year old woman who is not allowed to do the following without her fathers permission or he can legally lock her up in a mental health facility: • drive a car • vote • get married • have children • spend HER OWN MONEY • see how her money is being spent • see her children (she has 30% custody of both of her boys due to her dad assaulting one of her sons) • leave her home • hire her own lawyer • have any control over her career • speak about the conservatorship publicly • do interviews that aren’t scripted and all final cuts are approved by her father as well • use a cell phone without being monitored • use social media unmonitored • contact ANYONE without being monitored or having them extremely vetted. (Iggy Azalea allegedly had her house searched for drugs top to bottom when they collaborated on a song together) • go shopping • go for a walk • get Starbucks A conservatorship is meant for people with mental health issues or decaying health. Most likely grandparents or people with actual dementia etc. They are meant for people who literally cannot take care of themselves. If she is so unwell that she isn’t mentally capable of doing anything for herself, why is she still working? Since the conservatorship began 12 years ago she has: • released 4 albums • done 3 worldwide tours • did a FOUR-year Vegas residency • was a full time judge on X-Factor • released multiple perfumes and a lingerie line • made $138 MILLION DOLLARS or so A YEAR In January of last year, Britney was placed in a mental health facility for 3 months after being seen driving her car to In-N-Out with her boyfriend without permission and for refusing to take the sedating medications her father has doctors prescribing her to keep her under control. She testified to a judge in documents that she was held there against her will by her father. After it was leaked to the press that she was there against her will, the Free Britney movement picked up speed causing a judge to open an investigation into the impact and legality her conservatorship has on her life. Britney’s mother Lynn was also liking and commenting on Free Britney posts saying she agrees that Britney is trapped by her father. Britney’s team had Twitter disable the Free Britney hashtag, and regularly threatens any celebrity that speaks out using the hashtag with a lawsuit if they don’t remove their support for the movement. She was seen shortly after leaving a hotel thru the front door (99% of celebrities park underground to avoid paparazzi unless they WANT to be photographed) stumbling while carrying her shoes, and out of it. Her team used that moment to justify to the public that she needs this conservatorship. She is not allowed to have any say in the hiring or firing of anyone on her team. Every year she pays $1.1 million dollars in fees for the conservatorship to continue, including paying her father a solid $100k+ salary and paying a lawyer she isn’t allowed to choose. She is allowed an allowance of around $1,500 a week for bills, shopping and essentials. Her net worth is $250 million. So, when everyone sees her on Instagram walking up and down her hallways like it’s a fashion show. That’s all she is allowed to do. She has NEVER had control over her life. I don’t care if you personally like her or her music, NO ONE DESERVES THIS. All this woman wants is to see her children, make the music she wants to make, and go get a frappuccino in her car. She is a light of sunshine in this world, and we must protect her at all costs. So please, do not make fun of her, support the Free Britney movement, and send good vibes her way. She has a court date this month to review the conservatorship and decide if it is abusive or will continue to be in place. There are so many details to this that i left out that would make this post entirely much longer than it is, but a simple search will show you what else is out there. Spread this far and wide. ❤️ Free Britney Edited to add some important links! Here’s a google doc of info https://docs.google.com/document/d/17jeZV78SCwgQGsOkad0H0PA8jqjgRsxgSqD9f_f1yAk/edit Petition by Danny H: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/conservatorship-and-civil-liberties-britney-spears Screenshots of leaked emails, voicemails, and other helpful links: https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-britney-spears-conservatorship-freebritney-movement-2020-2 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-17/britney-spears-conservatorship-free-britney https://www.forbes.com/sites/trialandheirs/2019/05/15/making-sense-of-the-britney-spears-conservatorship-and-freebritney/#5ce808c94b74 Jayden going on Instagram live reporting they were being abused by his grandfather: https://theblast.com/c/britney-spears-son-jayden-james-instagram-live-video-free-britney This is a news article from USA Today about her father’s child abuse allegations filed by Kevin Federline. He reportedly had an altercation with Sean in September 2019: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2362531001 Source from the opposing view pointing to the success of her conservatorship and that fans are wrong, I think it's weird she has made no formal appearances to contest the conservatorship in court but she said (link above) we were not being told the truth and the media is being manipulated: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/10/24/britney-spears-why-does-she-still-need-conservator/2288009001/ There's a lot of money at stake to keep her in this situation. Just seems too convenient that she can't care for herself considering her net worth, and considering the fact her male counterparts of equal stardom with public mental health battles have never been under this much control. This is an issue and question of abuse in conservatorships at large. Unfortunately, the princess of Pop has somehow become the poster child of this type of crisis. While conservatorships can be beneficial when the best interest is at heart, we can't ignore the fact there are companies that profit enormously from people with disabilities by keeping them under extensive legal control. Are they providing the best care? If Britney has been too unwell to care for herself these past 12 years, why would she be made to work tirelessly? World tours? Vegas? X-factor? Her perfume line? Why not let her rest? Here's a good excerpt from Forbes, it's just not clear what is going on, but my initial gut thinks there is something that is not right. "In this case, Jamie Spears did not have legal authority to force Britney into treatment or to take psychiatric medications. But that doesn't mean that Britney's reported claim that she was held against her will is wrong. Rather, because Jamie has so much control over Britney's life through the conservatorship - including decisions like whether to get married, to perform or live in Las Vegas, or even if she can drive a car - he easily could have refused to grant consent for Britney to do any number of things unless she agreed to his request to enter the mental health treatment facility. In other words, Jamie could have indirectly forced her into treatment even if he could not explicitly sign her in against her will. But, even if Jamie Spears did so, he may have done it out of an earnest believe that Britney needed the treatment. TMZ previously reported that Britney was not doing well and her old course of medications stopped working, necessitating heightened treatment." Take what you will from this, but here are a few petitions to reinstate her rights in August is here - http://chng.it/CMfngqyMBj https://www.change.org/p/team-britney-freebritney
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💜💜 PG MM Anon💜💜 Interpretation Collection- 6
Anon said:
You go PG!!! 😊😊😊🌸🌸🌹🐼🐼🐝🐝👍👍👍💖💖💖🌻🌻🌼��🌼😊😊😍😍💜💜🌹🌹🌹🌺🌺🌺💙💙💙🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌹🌹🌹❤❤❤👍👍👍👍 Violets 🌼
Anon said:
💗🌲🌞😺 hi Skippy this is for PG and JG🏡🌲🥰🥰🧚♀️👑👑🐱🐰🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🐥🌺🌹🌼🌸💐🐿
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💜💜PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON💜💜
MM Anon
MM ANON … In their Teflon bubble …… roast grief and Yorkshire pud… 👪🥘🍺……PR’what PR…… “ we believe you Harry”……💩💩💩PA💩💩💩…… “All you’re effort to no avail lillibet”…… send in the gowns ⚖️💼…… thank God for the G grandchildren ……” I’m the Queen of the castle!!!” …… A little patience!!…… O’ no!! She’s coming next week. ……”I bloody hope not!!”
💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜
In their Teflon bubble
The royals, the ones that are at Balmoral, HMTQ,PP and others are sheltered from media unless they want to access it. The horses, the outdoors and various beloved memories are a welcome respite although the issues, to put it mildly are still there and desperately needing to be dealt with.
Roast grief and Yorkshire pudding 👪🥘🍺
🤣🤣🤣 l laughed so hard when l read the news, oops PR article of PH, mm, amw taking a meal at the local😂😂😂, vegan eating roast beef 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣making point PH drinks several drinks but she only had water…fuel her PR of another pregnancy. Oh they had a cot and amw never stirred or made a sound🤣🤣🤣🤣THATS BECAUSE THIS DIDNT HAPPEN AND HE IS A RUBBER DOLL!!
PR what PR
PR what PR
PR has been off the charts, some seems to be done by LG , but lots of Megan name first in article s, you know it’s PR.
“ we believe you Harry”…
Those of us loyal and took time to watch the signals know and realize PH has been acting a role. We believe you Harry, you’re serving HMTQ!
💩💩💩PA💩💩💩
PA is in deep doo doo, he will have to be interviewed. The headline today was VRG singling him out! He is in deep trouble!
“All you’re effort to no avail lillibet”
This is most definitely PP talking, that’s the sweet name for the Queen. All of the work trying to deal with mm to no avail. Also past denials re PA. But this is mostly mm.
Send in the gowns ⚖️ 💼
In the UK system as in our, black robes are worn by the attorneys and the judge, white wigs also. This clearly means charges and cases to be filed in court imminently.
Thank God for the G grandchildren
These are our beloved Cambridge trio of little angels we all love so much. Such a welcoming distraction!!!
“I’m the Queen of the castle!”
And you’re the dirty rascal, anyone remember that?😁 There are definitely times when HMTQ has to put her foot down and rule/make the final decision. And she has decided as is described in this riddle.
A little patience
We need to be patient a little bit longer , softly softly…. remember from yesterday . Next week awaits…..
O ‘no she’s coming next week! I bloody hope not!!
Mm is coming to Balmoral next week, the second line is absolutely PP.
So we are asked to be patient just a bit longer. Next week, at Balmoral, there will be an intervention/confrontation. The charges will have been filed, per earlier in this riddle, l do believe this to be telling us that next week this will end!
GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜
Wonderful! Thank you so much dear PG! We love you! We love you too MM Anon!😊💜💜💜
Aug 28th, 2019
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44.
💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜
Difficulty level off the charts. I feel like nothing here that l have done is even close to correct. I am so so sorry everyone, l just cannot figure out most of this properly. I am embarrassed to submit it 😞☹️ l submit this with a heavy heart due to the extreme difficulty of this riddle for me. Whatever you do PLEASE don’t laugh at me, l have always tried my best and today is no different.💜🙏🏻😊👋
MM ANON … under-Cover flight … she played a Dummy… the accounting doesn’t ADD up!!…… a questionable salary …… this engagement Rings of petulance … a net-flick opportunity …… “ she can’t act’ and she can’t f@#ing spell”. …… “but it’s him in the bloody photo”!!…… an old grey friend …… “ fix this for the family Ian”…… an Atlantic backhander …… “ once smitten, twice sly”… “don’t fret, I’ve buried it!
Under-Cover flight
Might mm fly to the U.S. very quietly, ie under-cover for the U.S. Open? Who else is Under-Cover watching her and all she does. Will she make the cover of newspapers by her appearance there? Oh wouldn’t she just love that.
She played a Dummy
A Dummy can be something fake meant to look real ie Archieficial. She has been using that fake baby for months. She doesn’t have to really play a Dummy as she isn’t that intelligent just look at her grammar etc.
The accounting doesn’t ADD up
Is this the Sussex Foundation? The cost of her clothes? All sorts of marching going on.
A questionable salary
Salary for SL and Natalie Campbell resigned from the Sussex Foundation. Also mm taking her percentage of items on their Instagram.
this engagement Rings of petulance
Petulance is childishness, sulkiness. Will she appear at Balmoral in this manner?
She also changes her engagement rings with her mood , on a whim. Nothing precious or to be cherished, it’s all fake.
a net-flick opportunity
Videos of various people,l read code names as isle, combover and liar along with a certain female, l read today being shopped around for paid viewers. This allegedly took place in the souther U.S. but who knows?
“she can’t act and she can’t f@#ing spell
ThisLittlePetal, Twitter is exactly this, We know she couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag. But her grammar, spelling and attempts to use English colloquiums as she calls them, colloquialisms is the correct spelling and has totally different meaning that the other word. This is PP, l can hear his voice!
but it’s him in the bloody photo!!
This too is PP. riled up about the photo of PA, VRG and GM that is years old but once again is all over the media. Questions have now arisen questioning its authenticity.
an old grey friend
LG , continues to be close at hand, assisting in all aspects of this that he is able.
“fix this for the family Ian”
HMTQ asking for assistance to sort things out for her family.
Is she asking intelligence, MI5, MI6(SIS)to fix this, bring in the cleaners?
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was an English author, journalist and naval intelligence officer who is best known for his James Bondseries of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units, 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. His wartime service and his career as a journalist provided much of the background, detail and depth of the James Bond novels.
an Atlantic backhander
US Open, might she attend? Might that be a poor choice considering there are legal issues pending? Might she be compelled to remain there?
“once smitten, twice sly”
Once bitten twice shy, basically one learns after an experience that is bad not too do it again. However our Harry is sly and onto her, he has been all this time working on behalf on HMTQ,
“don’t fret, I’ve buried it”
PP? has hidden something very incriminating where it’s unreachable . The possible evidence of guilt or threats has been buried deep , unreachable by anyone except the one who hid it, l believe is PP.
GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
Dear PG! No one would laugh at you…and just people know….we only laugh with people here..not at them..(except Mm and gang). We appreciate you doing this riddle, although you found it difficult…..you still did a fantastic job! We thank you😊💜💜💜💜
Aug 29th, 2019
:::::::::::::::
MM Anon
As usual PG did a fantastic job. But can I add this
She played a Dummy
In association football, rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules football, a dummy or feint is a player deceiving the opposition into believing he is going to pass, shoot, move in a certain direction, or receive the ball and instead doing something entirely different, thus gaining an advantage.
🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thank you😊❤️❤️❤️❤️
22 notes
Aug 29th, 2019
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💜🙏🏻THANKS FROM PG 🙏🏻💜
💜💜🙏🏻💜💜Thank you everyone for your kind words about today’s and other riddles. I found today’s very hard but l am committed to any role l can be part of in helping our Queen and her family, l will do. Somedays, like today are more difficult but that’s all ok. God bless all of you Thank you 🐼💜🐼🙏🏻😊🐼💜, for allowing us into this space.💜💜💜💜GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
Thank you dear PG! You are the best🙏🏻💜💜💜💜
Ask Skippy submission
Aug 29th, 2019
————
45.
MM Anon
💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜
MM ANON ( Dedicated to all riddle busting anons). …… The Prince And the Show-girl and a duchess??…… he’s innocent until proven innocent …… 🎼if you leave me now I’ll take away the biggest part of you 🎼…… “ what!!! She didn’t sign a bloody pre-nup”…… “My client suggests a compromise” …… Tower Bridge is solid …… Westward “Hoe”……” dear boy ,everything’s bugged “… a sealed envelope. …���👩🏼🏫🍎📚🎀…… a fall in fall
The Prince and the Showgirl and a duchess?
Great old movie, check it out, Marilyn Monroe. A traveling party of royals from central Europe arrives in England in 1911, as the host country prepares to celebrate the coronation of a new king. But when the visiting Regent , goes to a musical theater, his attraction to American performer makes it hard to stay focused. Soon, the female performer learns of a potential coup in the Regent’s home country, and it’s up to her to smooth things out – or watch as the nation hurtles toward instability.So is this the suggestion this is PC as potential Regent, MM as showgirl, and duchess, l say her because duchess is not capitalized, for any other Duchess it most definitely would be. However in this scenario she has no caring what happens to the monarchy. She is me me me, money money money.
🎼if you leave me now I’ll take away the biggest part of you 🎼……
Ooooo no baby please don’t go, l love this song. MM threats to PH ,no pre-nup, she will take everything in terms of finances etc.and quite possibly secrets and embarrassments as well be revealed.
He’s innocent until proven innocent
PA, family and friends are stalwart and stand firm. He has done no wrong.
What!!! She didn’t sign a bloody pre-nup?
OMG! No pre-nup for mm and PH . They may well have quite a payment to end the marriage, which l still have my doubts about annulment being the way to go. But l am not privy to information.
My client suggests a compromise
PA attorney suggesting a compromise on how, when and in what manner he may be interviewed by the F.B.I. or answer questions. President Trump had written questions submitted to him, which he answered in written form and returned. Might this be the way things will go?
Tower Bridge is solid
This is code name for HMTQ. Reassuring us that she is well and handling things. She is solid and committed to the course of action chosen.
Westward “hoe”
Used to be a hotel chain minus the letter e, abbreviation for hospitality. Sounds like our girl is definitely heading to the U.S. for the tennis and then what??? If she goes, l can pretty certainly say, she will not be allowed re-entry to the U.K. She is not a citizen, and l highly doubt she has applied for a longer VISA. No one tell her shhhhh🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
Dear boy, everything’s bugged.
Soho, all places are bugged, wired, that’s how they catch people, blackmail them…this is someone talking to PH, likely PP, yet again the wise one. Any place where wealthy, Royal, celebrities politicians let their hair down so to speak, or have conversations there is surveillance absolutely.
A sealed envelope.
Contains secrets, photos? in exchange for $$£££££€€€€,who is presenting the envelope. Or is it a subpeona? Sealed envelopes containing a myriad of options of items inside.
👧👩🏼🏫🍎📚🎀
School resumes next week, and the pink bow refers especially to our beloved Princess Charlotte joining Prince George at Battersea. How exciting for her! She is growing up so fast!
A fall in the fall
A fall, l sooooooooooooo want Humpty Dumpty off the wall and gone to America. Please! Please! If l read this correctly that is what will happen
GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
HMTQ, PP, PH and all are in my prayers
💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜
Thank you so much dear PG. Sounds good! Much appreciated!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
Ask Skippy submission
Aug 30th, 2019
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46.
💜💜🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜💜
We remember today, in 1997, our beloved Diana, left us tragically 🙏🏻💜. My prayers for her boys🙏🏻🙏🏻💜
MM ANON
MM ANON … “bloody hell No!! Stick her in the lodge” …… A tabloid tirade …Sunday surprise??……”and the moral is?”…… sex lies and video tape ……… YOU CANNOT SHOW THIS!!!!!…… “tell Ann to talk to her”…… “ sooner or later “…… 🇬🇧🏰🎣🧘🏾♀️💅🏼…… the 4/10 or 12 bore Harry?……… “ private or public flight …… “ O b#&@cks more bad press”…… no cameras,no cameras!
“bloody hell No!! Stick her in the lodge”
This is our beloved, l say that word a lot don’t I?, but it’s true, our beloved PP!
No way, no how is she setting one grimy craggy toe into Balmoral? I say, put her in the barn!🤣
A tabloid tirade
Oh how predictable, a Markle distraction at its finest?? Can l use that word to describe it? Grandpa Markle comes out his shed to yammer at the world wanting to see Archie? Give him the website link to where Darren dolls are sold, he can look all he wants and even but his own. A loud distraction, a defensive distraction by the home team nearing the end of this game. She must be in dire straits to be using the grandpa card!
Sunday surprise!
I await this with bated breath, what’s coming tomorrow!! Pictures, videos, who knows. But we are very near the end game here my friends!😊
and the moral is?
Every story has a moral, sometimes good, sometimes very bad. Now we all know this whole ‘story’ or the life that we know of, of mm, and her past, but more importantly the last two years and the present has been, lies, obfuscation, manipulation, disrespect, vulgarity, l could go on and on. The moral is, rather the lesson is, karma. Life all comes back at you by your deeds, if not in this world, than God judges. I actually do pray for her soul, l want no one to not be redeemed. But we choose our behaviour and by those choices, there are consequences. We have seen the devastation on the face of Our Harry for a very long time now, the entire family, England 🏴, the 🇬🇧,Canada 🇨🇦and the Commonwealth. You reap what you sew/sow. As in sowing seeds. Justice awaits, if she goes to the 🎾, the U.S. Open, will there be men in suits waiting at the airport? IRS? If she goes and than tries to return to the U.K. will she be allowed entry? I think not, she is not a U.K. or. Commonwealth citizen, she has no job or Visa to work in the U.K. and she certainly has no family “that she never had”. She doesn’t think, consequences don’t affect her. Nothing bothers her, she has no conscience l now please understand, l am a Christian, it pains me to describe a human being this way, but l am also a realist which a lot of experience dealing with people with severe personality disorders. THEY DON’T CHANGE, EVER! , unless years of therapy, but the underlying personality is there.
sex, lies and videotape
We had this in a riddle awhile ago, at least, my answer was Steven Soderbergh film of the same title. We know that our girls’ life has been full of these things. I wonder if finally the videos will crawl from the depths and become public!
YOU CANNOT SHOW THIS!!!
Wow! 😮, how bad is the information/photos/videos that they uppercase exclamation marks indicate it’s VERY bad. Who is on the information, does it include important friends/family. I shudder at the thought. In revealing her truths, how much more damage will she continue to do. This sounds very dire!
“Tell Ann to talk to her”
The Princess Royal is such a sound individual, smart, elegant, amazing, dedicated to the Crown and her family. She is also tough as nails, very like her father , perhaps they think if she spoke with, the one who shall not be named, she might be able to get somewhere. I don’t know, they have all the information. I think she is never one to be reasonable, but l am on the outside and privy to nothing. So they must think, with whatever is the data, Princess Ann can get through to her.
Sooner or later
Sooner or later, this has to end, things will be made public, the law will come calling, people have turned their backs on her who were her ‘friends’, backers. By the way, where is her bestie of all besties MA? Where is he? He has literally vanished. Odd odd.
🇬🇧🏰🎣🧘🏾♀️💅🏼
While the country waits political issues, like Brexit, what will happen with BJ , DC etc, by the way, if you can see the film Brexit with Benedict Cumberbatch, l highly recommend it, not only because l love😍🥰BC, but he plays Dom Cummings so so well. It’s a great watch. But l digress, as l tend to do. While HMTQ and family are at Balmoral, fishing outdoors activities is she doing yoga and having her nails done? Is she going there at all??? Spending time with the family she never had oops never will have. Sorry, not sorry!
the 4/10 or 12 bore Harry?…
Bore, in weaponry, the interior of the barrel of a gun or firearm. In guns that have rifled barrels, e.g., rifles, pistols, machine guns, and artillery or naval guns, the diameter of the bore is termed the calibre. … The measurement of the bore in shotguns is expressed in terms of gauge.
The .410 bore or .410 gauge, is the second-smallest caliber of shotgun shell commonly available. A .410 bore shotgun loaded with shot shells is well suited for small game hunting . The .410 started off in the UK as a garden gun. The “12” 12-gauge “ means you can make 12 lead balls, each of equal diameter to the gun barrel, out of 1 pound of lead.
Now with that out of the way, sounds like if not there already, Harry will be at Balmoral for some hunting and these are probably the weapons he prefers that are on offer/available for him to use. Oh he needs a good long rest/ holiday, doing things he loves. Physical activities like hunting to get the accumulation of stress out of his body.
���Private or public flight”
Debate about how to get mm to come to a Balmoral? Certainly not PH, he flew commercial when he went to Italy for the Polo. Mind you, maybe they think he needs away from the public even the flight to Aberdeen. I have done that flight about four times, Aberdeen to London is like you’re up and you blink and you’re landing, it’s about an hour-ish, very short flight. So l certainly think most would not need private for such a short flight, but if they want her there for a confrontation/intervention type of meeting, a private flight might be an inducement to get her there. I wonder what’s all happening that we are not privy to!
“ O b#&@cks more bad press”
This is most definitely PP, angry about the Markle grandfather yammering away a wanting too see Archie, l can only imagine how this riles the BRF up. The lady thing they want/need is this guy crawling out of the woodwork again. Is this the never ending story? That was a great film, but this is not a film and it’s not great!
no cameras,no cameras!!
Again the Grand Dame of PR, wants no pictures taken as she goes to Balmoral, if she goes. I do not know how close l am. I just cannot see her going there. But there might be a very important reason to get her out of England!!
GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
My thoughts and prayers are with you William and Harry.💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜
Thank you MM ANON 💜🙏🏻💜
Thank you so much dear PG! Much appreciate all you do!🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
Aug. 31
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47.
💜💜PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON💜💜
🎼 “and the clouds are grey” 🎼…
California dreaming on a winters day..ongoing PR of D and DOS looking for a mansion in L.A. oh she is delusional. I doubt California wants her.
It’s rainy today as HMTQ attended church, Princess Anne looked stunning. Her husband was also there, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. I was glad to see PC face and hands were not so red and swollen today. I worry he has some sort of autoimmune issue he struggles with. The issues the BRF are grey as well, not sunny and bright.
anticipation of street-parties
It’s a very British thing to do whenever a major royal event. Tables set up, everyone outside celebrating the wedding or the Jubilee etc Are we anticipating a street party once madam is gone? I sure think so!!! There will be dancing in the streets all over the world!
little black orphans, “apply in writing “
So she has given up on using a surrogate again, she wants to join the celebrity club of women that adopt third world children. She has an exception though, the orphans must be able to write and in English, l am not sure she knows other languages. Oh what a humanitarian she will be to adopt a BLACK child. Just fits her pathetic narrative. This truly angers me.
“playing bloody golf”
PA spent the last two weeks in Sotogrande, golfing a lot. I hear PP in this comment, disgust PA is on holiday memories golfing while this massive PR and potentially legal crisis looming overhead!
“ fly public, you’re joking,”
this is madame, refusing to fly public to Balmoral or anywhere! Still ever the narcissist!
👨👩👧👦🎒🍎🏫
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will all arrive together at Battersea for the first day of school on September 5th. I can hardly wait for the photos!!
A waving poppet
Princess Charlotte loves to wave and interact with crowds. We will get the cutest waves when she starts school.
👩🏻🦳🙏🏻🧢🏃♀️
This emoji is tough. Someone with grey hair, were it HMTQ there would be a crown, someone is praying while, someone disguised themselves with a hat.and does a runner. Or does she plan to dye her, hair, put on hat and do a runner praying it works? I am sorry, this should be obvious but it’s not!
I know Betty, you can pick your friends “
This is a very close friend or lady in waiting, l am not certain, but in talking she is telling HMTQ the old line, you can pick your friends but you cannot pick your family. This is likely in discussions about PA, and the worry she has for her son.
… it’s the constitution, we’ve no choice …
They have to follow the constitution, how many times has Skippy said that. The “of the body “ law applies. It’s not a royal baby. They must act. They have no choice. Keeping the charge of a baby that isn’t PH in line of succession is treasonous.
…D&DOC and family 2020 commonwealth tour?
WOW, I know they, as a couple are doing an Asia tour in the fall, security must be a nightmare in that region 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻. How exciting would a tour of the entire family be. Oh heavens, l am twitterpadded at the thought😊😊😊🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜😁😁😁😁
GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
Thank you so much dear PG! You do such an amazing job! We love you!🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
Emojis
Grey hair lady…..Diana as she would be today
Praying hands
Blue cap
Jogger running
gstqaobc
BRILLIANT SEE, I SAID IT WAS OBVIOUS, SHE ALWAYS WORE HAT COMING OUT OF THE GYM IN HER SHORTS!! Thank you for seeing what l just couldn’t. But I KNEW IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS,, GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
Source: skippyv20
Sept. 1
———-//
48.
Sept. 2
💜THANK YOU MM ANON💜
MM ANON …… “ love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs”…… heart of darkness …… which-doctor …… dis-ease with one another …… no photo-op worthy …… a phoney die-anna …… a controversial decision …… legal discord within …… thinly covered deception …… images of happy anger. ……🦟🦟👶💉🧸
“ love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs”…
MM ANON does love Shakespeare, this is from Romeo and Juliet.
Act 1 Scene 1
“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs;
Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes;
Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears;
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.”
ROMEO
Yes, this is what love does. My sadness sits heavy in my chest, and you want to add your own sadness to mine so there’s even more. I have too much sadness already, and now you’re going to make me sadder by feeling sorry for you. Here’s what love is: a smoke made out of lovers’ sighs. When the smoke clears, love is a fire burning in your lover’s eyes. If you frustrate love, you get an ocean made out of lovers’ tears. What else is love? It’s a wise form of madness. It’s a sweet lozenge that you choke on. Goodbye, cousin.
Are there possibly feelings between PH and mm? Is the Stockholm syndrome rumours true?
Heart of darkness
Great book by Joseph Conrad. An Englishman becomes obsessed with an ivory trader. This is referring to PH love of Africa, perhaps some could call it obsession, he finds it very peaceful. I can’t imagine his inner conflict having to be on parade , so to speak, with mm, leads to another part of the riddle, images of happy anger.
which-doctor …
Play on words witch doctor is medicine person in many tribes around the world. Also which doctor will administer the necessary vaccines to amw and mm. Is she using some mumbo jumbo herbal stuff like she was thought to have been using whilst “pregnant “.
dis-ease with one another
Dis-ease is a play of words from disease to dis-ease, meaning PH and mm are not at ease one another. Let alone being together for an extended tour on behalf of HMTQ. There is also obvious dis-ease with every member of the BRF and mm.
no photo-op worthy
There will be no opportunity for photos on most of this ‘tour’. Even though it’s on behalf of HMTQ, it will be private🤨🙄
…… a phoney die-anna
Phoney PR mm has blighted us with regarding the late Princess Diana. Plans to go visit her grave with PH and amw. How she has yearned to know her, when in fact she has be stealthily researching her for years and her goal was and remains to be Diana 2.0
a controversial decision
Travelling to Africa with a baby, the public will go mad!!! More $$$$£££££££££€€€€€€ spent, on what? Givenchy that doesn’t fit? Faux-humanitarian makes me very angry and 😡🤢🤢🤮.
legal discord within
There is some legal disagreement in how to proceed. I believe this is regarding PA interview or questioning but the F.B.I.
thinly covered deception …
She, mm, is almost not covered in her deceptions. THATS ALL SHE DOES! Lie, obfuscate, now reactivating gramma markle into the mix right on cue!
…… images of happy anger. …
Fake PR trip, photos of the family appearing happy but seething underneath. Anger shows in non verbal communication, actually all feelings show. Non-verbal communication is about 85% of how we, as humans communicate. Although with social media, that might alter.
🦟🦟👶💉🧸
This is the need for regular vaccinations of a child along with the vaccines needed for Africa especially malaria. This is a high risk trip for such a young baby. It’s hilarious that another article, l think in the Express, stating they’re postponing the North America trip because amw is too young!😏🧐🤨
GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦
💜🙏🏻 THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻💜
Interesting….the Stockholm syndrome…..PH has been acting since Toronto IG…..doesn’t live with her, never has….is never alone with her….only sees her at events….so interesting….. Great job once again dear PG😊💜💜
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Operation: Rescue Playmate (Part 2/2)
(Another special thanks to @summerpipedream, who beta read this fic. You’re fantastic!)
Tony had JARVIS comb through every bit of data he could to find info on the group who had taken and captured his playmate. The group went by many names publically, but in reality was one organization by the name of Hydra. Hydra had people employed in businesses and politics around the world. The amount of influence the organization had caused worry to gnaw at Tony’s gut.
Seeing how involved Hydra was in politics, he researched what he could about the various world governments, but even for a quick and critical reader, Tony struggled to absorb every fine detail. That being said, he knew enough to know that a group like Hydra should not be allowed to have so much influence, especially when so much of their rhetoric was about creating superior human beings and how humans as they are were not evolved or inferior to the super humans Hydra wanted to create.
Super humans like James Buchanan Barnes.
One of the first things he’d had JARVIS pull up after the video feed was information on his playmate. At first there was no name for his playmate. There was a moniker and a number. The Winter Soldier was what he was called, but the title was shared with others who were in the same program as he was. It wasn’t until Tony reached files on his playmate from the 1940s that he found the name James Buchanan Barnes.
As Tony read in detail the experiments, brainwashing, and training James Buchanan Barnes had gone through, Tony became more determined to save this human.
James Buchanan Barnes had not volunteered to become a superhuman; he had been man injured and captured serving his country in a war decades ago. He didn’t deserve to be made a weapon by Hydra.
Tony locked himself away in his ship for weeks. Rescuing James Buchanan Barnes wasn’t a simple matter of taking him away from Hydra. After what James Buchanan Barnes had undergone, he would have no memories of his time before being turned into a living weapon (or very few). He would most likely not know how to function in society.
Tony could not return James Buchanan Barnes’ memories to him, nor would he be much help in teaching James Buchanan Barnes the ways of human society (assuming James would even want his help).
Nonetheless, Tony could return to James Buchanan Barnes his freedom of mind.
It took weeks to develop a serum that was safe for humans that would also work in conjunction with nanobots to heal the damage done to James Buchanan Barnes. Once Tony had it, he returned to his usual stomping grounds in hopes that James Buchanan Barnes would appear as he always had in the past.
A week went by and James Buchanan Barnes did not show.
Tony worried for James Buchanan Barnes and began contemplating how to go about breaking into the Hydra facility. He still ventured out into the city as he plotted, and just as he was certain he would have to sneak into Hydra, James Buchanan Barnes appeared.
Tony had been minding his own business, squatting on top of a dumpster and drinking a chocolate milkshake, when he was attacked via a pair of thick thighs wrapping around his neck.
(Mobile Users: Read More Line)
He shrieked and rammed his back into the wall. The thighs around his neck loosened and a device was shoved into his neck.
Volts of electricity raced through Tony.
Tony howled. With his tail, he plucked James Buchanan Barnes off him and flung James Buchanan Barnes into the opposite wall of the alleyway.
“That is no way to treat someone who wants to help you!” Tony shouted as he rubbed at his abused neck.
James Buchanan Barnes stumbled as he pushed himself off the ground and aimed a gun at Tony.
Tony cocked his head to the side and waited for James Buchanan Barnes to shoot.
The man didn’t.
Either the man had learned that his bullets were just a hassle to Tony, or he had a plan that didn’t involved shooting Tony unless necessary.
James Buchanan Barnes adjusted his footing and tensed his muscles.
Tony didn’t know what James Buchanan Barnes had planned, but he wasn’t going to wait to find out.
Time to test out the new feature he’d added to Dummy.
Tony raised his wrist and aimed Dummy at James Buchanan Barnes.
James Buchanan Barnes fired his gun.
Tony cringed as the bullet staggered him and cut deep into his shoulder.
“Dummy: Pop Princess.”
Dummy beeped. It launched a pink and gooey net that engulfed James Buchanan Barnes.
James Buchanan Barnes let out a series of phrase and words that Tony did not need a translator to understand. Partially because he had taken to learning a number of Earth languages, but also because there’s just a certain tone all humans used when they are swearing pain and humiliation upon whoever had angered them.
James Buchanan Barnes wasn’t simply caught in a net that looked as if it were made out of bubble gum. The net pinned James Buchanan Barnes’ limbs to his sides, and every time he struggled, the net’s pressure increased until he could no longer move.
Tony scanned James Buchanan Barnes for tracking devices, and had Dummy disable all that were found.
“I will capture you,” James Buchanan Barnes promised.
Tony frowned. He then aimed Dummy at James’ Buchanan Barnes’ mouth. “Sorry. Can’t have you shouting for help.” Tony fired a blast of pink goo at James Buchanan Barnes’ mouth, effectively silencing the man.
Tony then picked up James Buchanan Barnes, and slug him over his shoulder. Tony used his tail to keep himself and James Buchanan Barnes balanced as he climbed to the roof of the nearest building then jumped from roof to roof until he found a motel a great distance away from where he had taken James Buchanan Barnes.
He picked an empty room then locked James Buchanan Barnes in the closet until he could secure a key from the front desk and ensure that no one would enter the room uninvited. Once he had done that, Tony returned to the room and laid James Buchanan Barnes on the bed. He then turned off invisibility mode on Dummy, then removed James’ Buchanan Barnes’ goggles.
The man burned Tony with the rage in his gaze.
Was he doing the right thing? Tony wondered. He wanted to save James Buchanan Barnes, but everything he was about to do he was doing without James Buchanan Barnes’ consent.
“I’m sorry,” Tony said to James. “I hope I am doing the right thing for you, but I understand if you never forgive me.”
James Buchanan Barnes’ thrashed as best he could, but the netting had him entombed like a fly wrapped up by a spider.
Tony adjusted his settings on Dummy until a thin needle poked out from the device.
He searched for a vein in James Buchanan Barnes’ neck and jabbed him with the needle. James fought against his muzzle, but any sound he managed to make was muffled.
Tony removed the needle. He went to the bathroom for a tissue and dabbed at James Buchanan Barnes’ neck where there was a drop of blood. “In a few minutes you’ll fall asleep as the serum, the nanobots, and your body work to repair any damage that has been done to your brain over the last several decades. Some of the areas they will be targeting will be by your frontal lobe as well as the hippocampus and the amygdala. I can’t promise that you’ll retrieve any memories of your life before Hydra, but…” Tony trailed off. “..sorry.”
Tony watched over James Buchanan Barnes and waited for the man to fall asleep. Once the man was unconscious, Tony removed the net covering James Buchanan Barnes’ mouth, then removed the net binding him.
Tony’s tail swished anxiously.
He fiddled with Dummy. He could go a few days without recharging Dummy. By then James Buchanan Barnes should be awake.
Doubt plagued Tony. He’d done his research. He’d taken the information he could find on the human body and compared it to several species across the galaxy. Based off those comparisons, he had designed his serum. Any side effects should be minimal.
Nonetheless, there was always room for error.
To silence his thoughts, Tony picked up the remote of the motel room’s TV and turned it on.
An image of humans mating appeared on the screen accompanied by a song Tony had yet to hear. Tony cocked his head, studied the image, then changed the channel. Tony flipped through the channels until he found one featuring a dessert cooking contest.
Tony sat on the foot of the bed and watched the TV for hours.
Time passed slowly. For the first few hours, Tony felt comfortable leaving James Buchanan Barnes alone to fetch some much needed food and bottles of water for himself and for when the human would awaken. After those hours had passed though, Tony was less confident in leaving James Buchanan Barnes alone.
The human should remain asleep for quite some time, but there was always the chance that Tony’s calculations could be off. Also, even though Tony had put up the Do Not Disturb sign on the door, he worried that housekeeping or some other human might venture in the room and do something that would cause James Buchanan Barnes to be taken away while Tony was gone.
So for the bulk of two days, Tony stayed by James Buchanan Barnes’ side and entertained himself with human TV. He grew fond of the cooking channel and a channel called Hallmark.
He was just in the middle of watching a pragmatic and sassy witch detective solve a murder mystery, when suddenly the bed shifted and a lamp was slammed onto Tony’s head.
Tony hit the ground and rolled onto his back. His tail lashed out and wrapped around the ankle of his assailant: James Buchanan Barnes.
“What the fuck are you!” James Buchanan Barnes ignored the fact that Tony currently had his ankle in his grasp and stretched to grab the lamp on the other nightstand.
Tony yanked James Buchanan Barnes down to the foot of bed, where he’d be unable to reach the lamp.
James Buchanan Barnes cried out in shock and horror.
Tony rubbed the top of his head where James Buchanan Barnes had viciously attacked him. “Ow! I know I look strange to you humans, but could you at least attempt civil conversation before you attack anything that doesn’t look like you?”
James Buchanan Barnes’ eyes widened. His grip on the bedspread whitened. “It talks.”
“‘He talks’, or ‘Tony talks.’”
“Tony,” James Buchanan Barnes said in disbelief.
“It was one of the names closest to my original,” Tony explained. Tony clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “James Buchanan Barnes, do you have any memory of who you are or how you came to be here?”
James Buchanan Barnes blinked. “James. It’s just James. I…” James complexion whitened and he swayed. “Holy! I don’t—fuck! How did I…?” James pierced Tony with a look of terror, what did you do to me?”
“Before I can explain that, I need to talk about a group known as Hydra and what they-”
James launched off of the bed and headed for the bathroom, or he would have, if not for Tony’s hold on his ankle. James smashed into the floor and groaned. He clawed his way onto his hands and knees. “Gonna-” James shut his mouth. His stomach and throat undulated as he fought valiantly to keep the contents of his stomach in his stomach.
Tony grabbed the wastebasket nearby and shoved it under James’ head.
James vomited.
The foul smell of James’ contents attacked Tony, and Tony covered his nose with his tail. He clicked his teeth nervously as his mind calculated the odds that James’ reaction was a side effect of the serum.
James’ hands shook as he took a shuddery breath.
James’ vomited again. Barely anything came out of him but the sounds he made told Tony that James’ body was using every muscle to push the insides of James’ stomach out.
James coughed and covered his mouth. He shoved the wastebasket away and tried to stand, but faltered.
Tony rushed to help James. At first James tried to shake Tony off, but he didn’t have strength.
That scared Tony more than anything.
James was the strongest human Tony knew, and he was acting weaker than the average human.
Tony rushed James to the bathroom. Once inside, James shoved himself off Tony and braced himself against the sink. With fumbling fingers he turned the sink’s knob.
Water spewed from the faucet and James wasted no time thrusting his mouth under the water flow. He swallowed gulp after gulp until he was satisfied. With a gasp he pulled away from the water and turned it off.
James looked at himself in the mirror and trembled. His flesh hand reached up and touched his metal shoulder. “What happened?”
“It’s a long story,” Tony said.
James whirled. A scowl in place. “Well, someone needs to-” James knees buckled and quaked. He just managed to grab the sink in time to keep himself from collapsing. “Fuck. So, so-” James’ teeth chattered.
“Cold,” Tony stated. He rushed to the shower and cranked the knob as far to the hot side as he dared. He then hurried back to James and wrapped his arms around James’ waist. “C’mon.”
“No.” James shuddered. “Clothes.”
Tony nodded. “Okay. Strip. I’ll help.”
James didn’t hesitate. He cursed as he tried to figure out how to take off his clothes. It didn’t help that his shivers forced him to cling to Tony or the shower door. Eventually though, Tony got James’ clothes off and James into the shower.
“Hotter,” James demanded from the shower floor where he was curled into a ball. He feebly reached for the knob.
Tony batted James’ hand away and raised the temperature.
James breathed deep to warm himself and rubbed his arms and legs. His teeth didn’t chatter and he no longer shivered, but his actions indicated he was still cold.
“Would it help if I joined you?” Tony asked.
James croaked. “God, please don’t let that be the kind of offer my gutter brain thinks it is.”
“Intercourse?” Tony cocked his head. He considered the option. “If we must, but I really don’t think that would be best for you right now.”
James chuckled dryly. “‘Right now,’ he says.” James brow furrowed with concentration. He looked at Tony. His eyes darted up and down Tony’s body. He frowned. “I…”
“What?” Tony asked.
“I think… I feel like? … you’re not human, and so…” James scowled. “Everything seems wrong. Like you shouldn’t be here. But I don’t remember. I don’t remember it. I don’t remember how things are supposed to be. It’s just… instinct.”
Tony nodded. “You were captured by a group called Hydra. They performed experiments on you that blocked your memories. I gave you something that would help with any damage that had been done to you in that process. For some species that have used a similar serum that mine is based off of, it also has the added benefit of distancing one from the trauma caused by such incidents. However, it doesn’t-”
“Trauma?” James sat up straighter.
Tony nodded.
James groaned and clutched his head. He screwed his eyes shut. “I’m crazy. I’m crazy.”
“Technically, not crazy, but not necessarily mentally fit either. You’ve been through a lot.”
James snorted. He swayed as his eyelids fluttered.
“James?” Tony leaned into the shower.
James fell to the side and Tony caught him in his arms.
Tony touched James’ head as he had seen in human movies and TV shows. He wasn’t sure what qualified as a hot forehead for a human, but Tony’s gut told him that James’ forehead was not supposed to be burning.
Tony shut off the water, then toweled James off. He carried James to the bed and lay James on top of it. He scanned James with Dummy to check the human’s body temperature.
James had a fever, but he wasn’t in the danger zone in which Tony would have to take him to a hospital. Tony looked up what to do when humans have a fever then tucked James snuggly into bed.
Tony ransacked his collection of food until he found a cup of instant noodles. He was tempted to leave James and get better food and medicine, but without knowing when James would wake up, Tony dare not risk it. In James’ state, he might sneak out and get himself recaptured by Hydra or end up dead in a gutter.
When James woke an hour later, Tony hurried to make him the cup of noodles.
James coughed after eating his first spoonful, but he valiantly ate the whole thing.
“Why is my head hurting nooow?” James groaned then hissed in pain. He rubbed his head.
“If you promise to stay here, I can get you medicine. I don’t want you wandering around in this condition.”
“Anything,” James pleaded. He snatched a pillow and covered his face with it.
Tony nodded and did as promised. The first place Tony went in search of medicine was the motel’s front desk. While the receptionist was distracted, he sneaked a peek at the motel’s first aid kit.
He couldn’t believe his luck.
There was an entire box of pain relievers that doubled as fever reducers. Tony stole the whole box and returned to James, who inhaled three pills immediately.
As another day passed, Tony became anxious about Dummy. Dummy’s power was dangerously low, and Tony needed to ensure that he had enough power to get himself back to the ship undetected. He had grown so reliant on Dummy though, he was scared to power Dummy off.
As James’ fever threatened to bleed into another day, Tony finally turned off Dummy.
His tongue felt heavy in his mouth when he spoke to James the first few times after he had turned off Dummy. He’d listened to English and had practiced speaking it, but he had always had Dummy ready to translate in case he forgot a word or phrase.
If James noticed that Tony spoke with less speed and more caution, he didn’t point it out.
By the third day, James’ fever broke. He walked around with ease, but there was a tension to him. Despite Tony’s constant care for him, James’ was cautious.
Knowing what James had been through and how much of struggle everything must be for the human now didn’t change the fact that Tony was hurt when James asked, “So am I your prisoner or can I walk out that door?”
Tony wanted to shriek his displeasure, but he conveyed it through a tail thump instead. “You were never my prisoner. You can leave whenever you want; however,” Tony bowed his head, “I don’t think it is safe for you out there on your own.”
James snorted and glanced at the TV, which was playing the food channel. “No. Someone might throw a spatula at my head.”
Tony knew James was being sarcastic, but nonetheless, he was tempted to point out that someone very well could throw a spatula at James’ head. “I understand if you do not trust me and want to leave. You have no reason to believe me, and any evidence I can give you could be a fabrication.”
“Yeah.” James crossed his arms over his chest. His flesh fingers tapped his metal arm. He considered Tony. “The only reason I have to trust you is that you took care of me while I was sick, but you may have caused me to be sick in the first place.”
Tony was not going to tell James how true that statement was.
James sighed and plopped onto the foot of the bed. He grunted. “There’s also the weird dreams too.”
Tony’s spine shot up. “Dreams? What dreams?”
“I’ll share the details when I trust you.” James raised his head to the ceiling and shook it. “I’m an idiot or crazy, but so far, I don’t have a solid reason to trust or distrust you.” James uncrossed his arms. “So I guess that means, until you give me a reason to distrust you, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”
Hope filled Tony. “Really?”
“Don’t get too excited.”
“I can’t help it. You were my first playmate on Earth, and now we are bonding.”
James wrinkled his nose. “Playmate? That sounds so wrong, and kind of perverted.”
“James,” Tony took on a serious tone, “are most adult humans fascinated with sex?”
James’ ear tips turned red. “I… I feel like it is normal. I don’t really know.”
Tony nodded. “Is it normal for adult humans to call the people who make them think about sex perverts?”
“What? Why would you ask that?”
Tony tilted his head. “I’m not the one who keeps thinking about sex, but you think I am a pervert.” Tony hissed in amusement.
James startled at the sound, then turned a deeper red. He covered his mouth with his hand and mumbled to himself. “Am I the pervert then?”
Tony hissed in amusement again. “It is okay, James. I don’t mind if you are a pervert.”
James snatched a pillow and chucked it at Tony. “Shut up, and tell me more about Hydra.”
Tony sobered up. It was nice to share enjoyment with James—to finally talk to his playmate—but if James was ready to hear about Hydra, then it was time for Tony to share the details of the bitter truth.
“All right.” Tony made himself comfortable on the bed, next to James. “Let’s start with a brief history lesson and talk about World War II.”
#akira of the twilight#winteriron#tony x bucky#tony stark#bucky barnes#prompts#alien tony stark#hydra#magical science#fantasy science
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Framing Britney Spears Review: FX Doc Is a Pop Horror Story
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The FX docuseries The New York Times Presents takes a celebrity turn on the installment “Framing Britney.” But this is no tabloid exposé, even as the gossip rags and paparazzi become inadvertently complicit. The series provides consistently dedicated longform journalism as a matter of course. Their beat is varied. It’s covered front line workers, booted a hacking network, and chased a killer.
“Framing Britney” doesn’t present a homicide case, though legal minds might argue a life has been taken away. It is a true crime documentary, but the truth hasn’t been determined, and the crime is hard to define. There is a fiduciary element, and questionable mental health is a contributory factor. It is also a missing person’s case where the exact location of the victim-at-large is known. Well known and splashed across newsfeeds at a moment’s notice if there’s even a hint of a move. That’s part of the problem.
“Framing Britney” does a very good job of breaking down the incredibly confusing legal details. Since what has been called a very public breakdown in 2008, Spears has been under her father Jamie Spears’ conservatorship. This is also known as a guardianship and it is normally limited to people with diminished capacity who might not be capable of making decisions. Spears entered the conservatorship at age 26. She acknowledged it was necessary when it began, but at 39, wants the conditions changed.
The court documents call Britney a “high-functioning conservatee” who is still raking in the bucks. James Spears’ conservatorship may have been legally dubious, but it has been profitable, bringing the star from the depths of a bottomless spending spree to a net worth of well over $60 million. The conservatorship has done so well, even James’ initial co-guardian, the aptly named Andrew Wallet, wants a raise, and The New York Times Presents wants to know why. Britney’s attorney Samuel D. Ingham III tries to explain as much as he can, but he’s only privy to so much information. The documentary makes it seem Spears’ case is too profitable to get resolved. It’s not about health, but money. Even the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge is named Brenda Penny.
The subtext of the documentary has even saturated Spears’ song titles. “Work Bitch,” “I’m a Slave 4U,” “Overprotected,” all describe the neverland Britney inhabits, and “Framing Britney” lets you know it without stating it explicitly. Baby, she’s been hit more than one too many times. And it drives her crazy. It drives her fans mad as well. They’re only angry but they’ve been labeled insane by the opposition. Britney’s father dismisses them as “conspiracy theorists.” Some members of the #FreeBritney movement say they feel so gaslighted they sometimes doubt what they know. But they know, and are very good at getting the inside scoop.
One sequence recounts an anonymous voicemail message to the fan-produced podcast “Britney’s Gram.” It is obviously big news, and the fans who produce it do the right thing. They make all the right disclaimers. They do their due diligence, vetting as much as possible, cross-checking as much information as they can get. The self-appointed Britney-fan-journalists are organized, intelligent, and so well-informed Britney herself thanks them on record highlighting the word. They go to the hearings, take minutes and share them via google doc, insiders confess to them. They are a serious media concern, and this writer hopes when they achieve this goal, they don’t give up on their network and what it can do.
The fan/journalists dig through every conservatorship document available to the public. This may be part of a New York Times series, but they are star stringers, and director Samantha Stark is absolutely justified in treating them this way, albeit with tight editorial restrictions.
This may be the most innovative aspect of the episode. New York Times journalists Jason Stallman, Sam Dolnick, and Stephanie Preiss teamed with Left/Right’s Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, and Mary Robertson on this project. They enthusiastically analyze and incorporate the information they get from the grassroots fan-based press which sparked The Free Britney movement. Over the past few years, cellphone-recorded incidents and social media feeds have been changing the way news is gathered, providing first-hand accounts of harassment, protests and aggravated law enforcement tactics. The New York Times Presents produces one of the best mixes of the evolving media landscape. It is a transitional program, adhering to traditional journalistic values while vetting the upstart alternative media.
“Framing Britney” watches Spears’ followers as they scrutinize the star’s Instagram posts. Since disappearing from public view, these are the only glimpses into the megastar’s life, and she appears to be packing as much into the short clips as she can. Almost every post artfully weaves a mysterious clue, but even the fans admit, anyone can read anything into all of them. Spears’ lyrics have come under similar microscopes leading to vast and dark conspiracies. Britney could be singing about watching The Sixth Sense in “Girl in the Mirror.” The lyrics to “911” could be interpreted as a plea from a monarch-programmed sex-kitten. She never even officially released her response to a famous ex-boyfriend’s teary-eyed breakup song.
The documentary includes insightful interviews, especially with Felicia Culotta, who was with Spears from the very beginning of her career. She is to Britney what Mal Evans was to the Beatles, the one who did the day to day work. She was hand-picked by Britney’s mother and James Spears’ ex-wife Lynne Spears. Culotta stood with Britney for Times Square selfies on the first trip to New York. An early talent manager talks about how dedicated Britney was to her musical and performance studies, and the documentary shows stills of the singer on different instruments. We see the rise of a female pop phenomenon in the age of the boy band.
This is where “Framing Britney” earns its title. The directors indirectly infer not only has Spears been set up for some kind of blame, the entire picture is off-center. Sure, the #FreeBritney movement has become a cause célèbre, and the documentary shows Cher, Miley Cyrus, and others hoisting flags during concerts. But when Britney shaved her head and told people to stop touching her, she was a late-night talk show joke regurgitated on daytime game shows.
The documentary highlights how, from the moment Britney took off Mouseketeer ears and got ground through the American pop-star machine, she was a target and an easy score. “Her rise was a global phenomenon,” the FX advance press promised. “Her downfall was a cruel national sport.” One segment of the documentary shows a chorus line of well-known names making sport of Spears. The series shows Justin Timberlake treating radio interviews like locker rooms, and Us Weekly heading the cheerleading squad.
The piece sheds a completely different light on Spears’ public breakdown in 2007 and 2008. While an interview with former MTV VJ Dave Holmes reveals how professional, friendly and focused she was on set, one the paparazzi squad talks about ducking the famous umbrella attack. Even in retrospect, he doesn’t get it. He still doesn’t think his actions, chasing the pop singer around in a car while she tended intricate family business, had anything to do with her beating on his car door with an umbrella in the middle of the night. He acknowledges Britney had told him to lay off, but the cameraman assumed the requests applied to specific moments, not forever. It makes it seem Britney had to advise the paparazzi on a case-by-case photo op basis. Who does that?
One of the highlights of the documentary comes at a big announcement of her second Las Vegas residency in early 2019. Britney, who did her share of comedy acting on Saturday Night Live, does a perfectly broad impression of a Mel Brooks late-night Tonight Show appearance. She walks onto the stage and keeps walking. It is art. It is a major statement from the fabricated pop star.
One of the sad truths the documentary inadvertently points out is a series of artistic “what might have been” scenarios. Known only as a singer and dancer, we’ve never gotten to know the singer as a musician, because everyone cared about the gossip. People dismiss Britney as a dance pop artist without thinking that dance pop is an art. In spite of its intentionally static rhythms, it is often more intricate musically than rock. Britney, the artist, never stopped looking to expand the sounds. She was one of the pioneers of dubstep, taking it from the London club scene to the tops of all international charts. The documentary shows a series of unrelentingly harrowing questions about dating, boys, and the dangers of her young feminine sexuality. At one point Britney has to respond on camera to the news that some mother in the Bible Belt wants to shoot her dead. “I’m nobody’s babysitter,” the singer mouths, ad-libbing like the young professional she is, before cameras linger a little too long.
Ultimately, The New York Times Presents gives us a horror documentary, as scary and unfathomable as The Blair Witch Project, only more chilling because it is not fiction. Even Stephen King veers from this kind of harrowing suspense. It’s a pop-up, and you have to wait for it. They don’t reveal it until the end credits, though we’ve known it from the beginning. As the producers are thanking their contributors, they mention they reached out to Britney Spears herself. She never responded. They don’t even know if she got the message. This is dramatic brilliance. It is subtle, effective, and as the final visual burning in the mind’s eye, provocatively expansive.
“Framing Britney” is worth watching for the details, the history it tells, and the history it captures inadvertently by virtue of its hybrid journalistic filmmaking. This is Millennial Media and it is fitting the subject is Britney Spears, the most iconic figure of that generation. The full-length documentary, without ever expressly proclaiming it, shows how the star is being saved by her peers. An entire community, linked with nothing but love for their favorite singer, comes together to do right by her. It’s their prerogative. K-Pop fans showed the power of their stans as political weapons. “Framing Britney” presents entirely new possibilities.
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The New York Times Presents “Framing Britney Spears” debuts Feb. 5 on FX and FX on Hulu.
The post Framing Britney Spears Review: FX Doc Is a Pop Horror Story appeared first on Den of Geek.
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Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection: 11 January 2021 - He Has Spoken To Us By A Son
Monday January 11, 2021
First Sunday in Ordinary TimeVestment: GreenToday’s Rosary: Joyful Mystery
Entrance Antiphon
Upon a lofty throne, I saw a man seated, whom a host of angels adore, singing in unison: Behold him, the name of whose empire is eternal.
Collect
Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care, O Lord, we pray, that they may see what must be done, and gain strength to do what they have seen. Through our Lord...
FIRST READING
“He has spoken to us by a Son.”The beginning of the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 1:1 - 6)In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the ages. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs. For to what angel did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 97: 1 and 2b.6 and 7c.9 (R.7c)
R/. Worship God, all you angels.The Lord is king, let earth rejoice;let the many islands be glad.Justice and right are thefoundation of his throne. R. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The skies proclaim his justice;all peoples see his glory.All you angels, worship him. R.For you indeed are the LORDmost high above all the earth,exalted far above all gods. R.
ALLELUIA Mark 1:15
Alleluia. The kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 1 : 14-20)After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The exalted place of Jesus Christ in our time is highlighted today. Jesus is all that matters in our life now, because He has replaced the intercessory roles of the judges and prophets of old. He is the choice of God and the Son the Father has begotten. He ranks higher than the angels. He is the brightness of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s own being sustaining the universe with His powerful Word. Jesus is the One that the Father told the world to listen to. This is why He called the apostles to follow Him. We must in all things cling to Jesus, who is all that we need, and follow Him in all His ways.
Personal Devotional: Day 10
21 Day Novena for Personal and Family Restoration in the New Year 2021 (2nd January - 23rd January 2021)Fasting Guideline: (i) Fast on the first day of the prayers, (ii) Every Fridays throughout the period and (iii) The last day of the prayers from 6am – 6pm (If you have the grace to fast from 6am-12noon or 6am-6pm in the 21days of the prayers you’re free to do so).Note: The sick, pregnant women, nursing mothers are please advised to exercise caution in the fast.1. Opening Prayer: The name of the Father,, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 2. Prayer Point:Today pray seriously, asking God for deeper revelation of anything wrong with the foundation of your family for the next 3 days.3. Reflection; Jer. 33:3, Ps. 804. Say 1,000 Thank You Jesus using the Thank you Jesus Chaplet (Personal Devotion) Holy Rosary from Day 7 to Day 13 and trust God with all your heart for his wonders5. Prayer of Confirmation and trust in GodLord, God Almighty, I thank you for protecting me from every form of evil and bringing me the gift of your divine health.I thank you for breaking the chains of oppression and delivering me from every form of sin, sickness, disease and lie of the enemy.I thank you for the powerful name of Jesus to which every knee shall bow.Thank you for giving me your authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing shall harm me. Thank you for your full armor, your name, your most precious Blood and your Holy Spirit.No weapon formed against me shall prosper.Thank you heavenly father for all your protection and provisions, for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forevermore. Amen6. Recite the Rosary (Joyful Mysteries): Offer this mystery for your Family members, immediate and extended for unity and peace.7. Concluding PrayersDear Lord, I surrender to your mercy; Lord I surrender to your loving kindness; merciful God, I surrender to your saving grace. (Repeat as severally as you can)“I surrender my life and my destiny to you oh Lord, wash it with the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.”In the power and authority that you have given me, I say to all addictions, perversions,chemical dependencies, hopelessness, worry, doubt, fear, despair and all symptomsof any such illness that you must submit to the name of Jesus.I cast down every argument and proud obstacle that exalts itself against the knowledge ofGod in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.In the name of the father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
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My Favorite EPs of 2019
Here is my list of my personal top EPs of 2019
You can find my separate list for top albums of 2019 here.
My Previous monthly lists from 2019: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
My list last year for my top EPs of 2018 can be found here.
*Indicates someone I saw live in 2019
Best:
AUGUST 08 - Happy Endings with an Asterisk Genre: R&B / Soul
Part of the 88rising crew as the main songwriter, AUGUST 08 has been influential in their rise behind the scene. He stepped out on his own last year with the compelling EP Father. Happy Ending with an Asterisk picks up where Father left off with emotionally identifiable and relatable, soulful tunes.
Proof: Simple Pleasures (Feat. GoldLink) / Blood On My Hands (Feat. Smino) / Swim
Autograf - Love & Retrograde / Love & Retrograde (Remixes) Genre: Electronic / House / Dance
Chicago based Electronic trio has been one of my favorites wince their 2015 EP Metaphysical. They have a skill of incorporating horns and strings in their electronic music, yet not making is a “thing” that defines them (artists like Big Gigantic, Brasstracks and GRiZ). Not that it’s a bad thing for artists that have that, but it shows their ability to establish diversity in their electronic music pallet.
Proof: Test The Waters (Feat. WAYNNE) / Casual Love (w/ The Griswolds) / Hold Me Back (Feat. John Splithoff) // Casual Love (SLVR Remix) w/ The Griswolds / Hold Me Back (Syence Remix) Feat. John Splithoff / Test the Waters (Cofresi Remix) Feat. WAYNNE // Bonus: Ain’t Deep Enough (Feat. Jared Lee)
BAYNK - Someone’s II / Someon’s II X Genre: Electronic / Future Bass / Dance
It took awhile for us to get BAYNK’s 2017 debut EP Someone’s from when he first started dropping music. Luckily we didn’t have to wait quite as long for the follow up which is a subtle and touching group of electronic bops meant to may you feel as well as get up dancing.
Proof: Settle (Feat. Sinead Harnett) / go with u / Simmer (Feat. Habolt Brown) // Settle (Daju Remix ) Feat. Sinead Harnett / go with u (Louis La Roche Remix) / Off Limits (Ark Patrol Remix) Feat. Glades // Bonus: HIGH
Channel Tres* - Black Moses Genre: R&B / House / Hip Hop
I first found Channel Tres’ exhilarating house music from his debut EP a year ago earlier in the year and was instantly hooked. Luckily shortly after this EP dropped as well. The Compton based artists melds house seamlessly with sexy hip hop and soothing soul music with a touch of G-Funk influences for quite the unique and groove inducing blend.
Proof: Black Moses (Feat. JPEGMAFIA) / Sexy Black Timberlake / Raw Power // Sexy Black Timberlake (SG Lewis Remix) / Ready To Go (w/ Baauer Feat. Danny Brown)
Dog Blood (Skrillex & Boyz Noize) - Turn Off The Lights Genre: Electronic / Dubstep / Dance
The electronic super duo of Skrillex and Boyz Noize returns for their third short EP installment since their inception of Dog Blood back in 2012. Turn Off The Lights is a breakneck paced album of trap, house and dubstep meshing in a way only these two can deliver and remain not only listenable but something that fucking bangs. Keeping a neck brace handy is highly encouraged.
Proof: BREAK LAW / 4 MIND (Feat. Josh pan & X&G) / TURN OFF THE LIGHTS
Elohim - BRAINDEAD Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop / Dance
Producer/DJ/Singer/Songwriter Elohim as quickly risen up the ranks in my personal favorite artists list. Her self titled debut full length last year was one of the most enjoyable first listening to an album in all of 2018. This surprise EP drop was up there for 2019. As Elohim’s status rises she is being a bit forced to confront her social anxiety, but being the genuine person she is, she is letting us into those struggles. Her hope is making those issues public could help many others dealing with similar things.
Proof: running / tv / flagpole sitta (Harvey Danger Cover w/ AWOLNATION) // Bonus: Paradise
Emotional Oranges - The Juice, Vol. I / The Juice, Vol. II Genre: R&B
The mysterious R&B duo popped up last year with some soulful singles that caught my attention. They were super generous, despite keeping their identities secret, dropping two EPs in 2019 to introduce the world to their understated and subtle funky soul music.
Proof: Personal / Unless You’re Drowning // Just Like You / Not Worth It // Bonus: Motion (Rejuiced)
G Flip - Drink Too Much Genre: Pop
Last year, when I first heard Georgia Flipo’s debut single “About You” it was one of those musical religious experiences. Since then I have made a point to keep an eye on the Australian singer. Early in the year she gifted us with this four song EP as a teaser of what was to come later in the year (check out my Top Albums list for more on that). Drink Too Much was a perfect enticing introduction of G Flip’s music before her full release. Her tender and emotionally packed voice along with her knack for pounding and thrusting drums make a very impacting and lasting impression in a somewhat minimalist package.
Proof: Drink Too Much / Killing My Time / About You
ilo ilo - wish i said this to u sooner Genre: Synth-Pop / Electronic
LA based duo have been dropping great tracks since last year cultivating in this debut EP, yet there still is not much known about the group at this time. Despite the mystery this music looks to be a potential creative force in the EDM world with some crossover appeal. There’s hints of Mura Masa influences with their use of distorted vocals and guitars, but also very differentiated in their own right. I can’t wait to see where the group pushes the boundaries to next.
Proof: u don’t / come thru / transparent // Bonus: habits / On the Way (w/ pluko, Manila Killa)
Manila Killa* - 1993 (Deluxe Edition) Genre: Electronic / Future Bass / Dance
When Filipino DJ Chris Gavino left the duo Hotel Garuda it was a bit of a bold move as the group was finally starting to pick up steam. But he had plans that he didn’t want compromised and continued on as his solo project Manila Killa. Only about a year later that plan seems to be paying off with this marvelous debut EP.
Proof: Wake Up Call (w/ Mansionair) / All 2 U (Feat. Sara Skinner) / skin (Feat. outsideOutside) // 1993 (Kuur Remix) / All 2 U (Covex Remix) Feat. Sara Skinner / Wake Up Call (Kwon Remix) w/ Mansionair
Loote - lost Genre: Pop
New York pop duo Loote follows up last years infectious debut EP with another one full of songs more catchy then a flu. Loote have a knack for making music that both can cover a wide net of audiences yet have enough complexity and human emotions to really connect with listeners that pay close attention. I’m waiting for one of those catchy tunes to really blow up.
Proof: lost / tomorrow tonight / she’s all yours // Bonus: All The Fucking Time
PVRIS - Hallucinations Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock
This 5 song EP is a bit of a departure for the Massachusetts rock trio. PVRIS have always had pop and Electronic sensibilities in their generally Alternative Rock sound, but they are much more pronounced on these tracks than before. The band states this was a direction they have always wanted to explore but only their recent label switch have the support to branch out more creatively. The riffs are still guitar based but those guitars become more distorted with synth barging in. Some may be turned off by the new experimentation but if the music is good, then it’s a worthy venture and this music is still fun as hell.
Proof: Hallucinations / Nightmare / Old Wounds
REZZ* - Beyond the Senses Genre: Electronic / Trance / Dance
REZZ has quickly made a name for herself in the EDM world with her unique, eclectic beats, and wild visually stunning shows. From her debut album in 2017 to this EP you can also really see the Canadian artist perfect her craft and get better and better. Beyond the Senses is REZZ at both her most ruthless and potent as well as most open and sensible. REZZ’s music is very constructed and mechanical in feel yet never artificial in it’s persona. There are plenty of rich textures throughout her elaborate atmosphere’s to grab onto while listening.
Proof: Falling (w/ Underoath) / Kiss of Death (w/ Deathpact) / Lonely (Feat. Riggs) // Bonus: Criminals (w/ Malaa) / Hell on Earth (w/ Yutron)
Ruti - Racing Cars Genre: R&B / Soul
Can’t say I know too many of winners of The Voice that cross my way but this winner of The Voice UK’s song “Racing Cars” popped up on a blog and I instantly fell in love with the music. Ruti’s deep and warm voice is incredibly soothing and impassioned. A very comforting and pleasant listen.
Proof: Racing Cars / The Swan / Couldn’t Do This Without You
SG Lewis - Dawn Genre: Electronic / R&B
Smooth and sultry Electronic R&B producer SG Lewis finishes off his trio run of R&B and indie pop based EDM EPs. Just like last year’s Dusk and Dark EP’s, Dawn is full of atmospheric and tender Electronic beats with soulful vocals.
Proof: Throwaway (w/ Clairo) / Overdose (w/ HONNE) / Flames (Feat. Ruel) // Bonus: Flames (Lastlings Remix) Feat. Ruel / Pressure (w/ James Vickery)
Shay Lia - Dangerous (Deluxe) Genre: R&B / neo-Soul
France Born and Montreal based singer Shay Lia is most known for her collaborative work with fellow Montreal artists KAYTRANADA. Shay stays true to the funky Montreal sound on this EP of glossy and jazzy electronic R&B that you can both sit back and vibe to, or throw on to get a dance party started.
Proof: Dangerous / Blue (Feat. KAYTRANADA & BadBadNotGood) / Good Together
The Others:
Alina Baraz - The Color Of You (Remixes) Genre: R&B / Soul
Alina follows her lovely 2018 debut album with a small little EP of remixes here with re-imagined production for her beautiful and seductive voice to glide over.
Proof: Floating (Ekali Remix) Feat. Khalid / I Don’t Even Know Why Though (Qrion Remix) // Bonus: To Me
Aly & AJ - Sanctuary Genre: Pop
The sister pop duo continues their return to music after a 10 year hiatus that ended in 2017 with their comeback EP and album Ten Years. In 2019 they pick up right where they left off with soulful synth-pop bops that get caught in your subconscious.
Proof: Not Ready To Wake Up / Sanctuary
Astrid S - Trust Issues / Down Low Genre: Synth-Pop
It was a busy 2019 for the Norwegian singer Astrid S, with these two EPs and numerous features on other people’s albums. Astrid has been around for quite a few years now, but there is a growing confidence in her craft by the 23 year old singer.
Proof: Doing To Me / Someone New // Favorite Part of Me / Years // Bonus: Doing To Me (Felix Cartal Remix) / Doing To Me (Cavego Remix) / Favorite Part of Me (R3HAB Remix)
bülow - Crystalline / The Contender Genre: Pop
19 year old Canadian singer bülow continues her introduction into the music scene that started back in 2017 but with a heightened outputting now. Across two EP's, the raspy voice is compelling dancing through brooding and euphoric electronic backdrops.
Proof: Sweet Little Lies / Wake Up // Own Me / Boys Will be Boys // Bonus: bülow & Rich The Kid - You & Jennifer (the other side)
Cautious Clay - Table of Context Genre: R&B / Pop / Soul
After dropping two of my favorite EPs of 2018, Cautious returns with is subdued and soothing R&B music. His voice has a tender yet confident feel that is sent off floating in atmospheric production that is all quite alluring.
Proof: REASONS / HONEST ENOUGH
Charly Bliss - Supermoon Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock
An extension of their fun 2019 sophomore album from earlier in the year by the New York area based rock band, Supermoon is a fun little rocking romp in a genre that really needed it. This was not a good year for the indie rock genre but exciting artists like Charly Bliss are working to keep the genre alive.
Proof: Supermoon / Heaven
Crystal Skies - Constellations Genre: Electronic / Trance / Dance
One of the many great artists Seven Lions chose 2019 to really unleash on the world from his new Ophelia Label. The output from the electronic collective has been relentless and quite joyous with this possibly being my favorite non-Seven Lions project in a robust year.
Proof: On My Own (Feat. Satellite Empire) / Feels Right (Feat. RUNN)
Diplo - Europa / Higher Ground / Higher Ground (Remixes) Genre: Electronic / House / Dancehall
The man that never seems to sleep, Diplo was back to his normal busy self in 2019. Making these three EP’s while also forming two groups (LSD with Labrinth and Sia and Silk City with Mark Ronson) AND creating another side solo project of his own as Thomas Wesley, his Country/Electronic music fusing alter ego, Diplo is constantly churning out electrifying content and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Proof: New Shapes (Feat. Octavian) / Boom Bye Bye (Feat. Niska) // Hold You Tight / Win Win (Feat. Tove Lo) // Win Win (Yotto Remix) Feat. Tove Lo / Hold You Tight (Andren Remix) // Bonus: On My Mind (w/ SIDEPIECE)
Flume & Reo Cragun - Quits Genre: Electronic / Hip Hop
While building up anticipating for his upcoming new album, Flume dropped a highly enjoyed mixtape as well as this three track EP with rapper Reo Cragun. The rapping isn’t really my personal favorite, it’s suitable, but Flumes production is top notch as always on the project.
Proof: Levitate / Friends
Freya Riding - You Mean The World To Me Genre: Pop
Before her gorgeous self titled debut album, London singer Freya Ridings released this powerful EP of ballads to be on the upcoming album. Her voice is sturdy, soulful and captivating throughout.
Proof: You Mean The World To Me / Lost Without You // Bonus: You Mean The World To Me (MJ Cole Remix)
HVDES - Stand Alone Complex Genre: Electronic / Dubstep / Dance
Finding an escape in electronic music while in a rehab facility, the DJ/Producer HVDES returns with her brash yet enduring electronic music. Her sound is like a mixture of Deadmu5 and REZZ, and despite it’s darkness is quite compelling.
Proof: Akuma / Human
GRiZ - Bangers[1].zip / Bangers[2].zip / Bangers[3].zip / Bangers[4].zip Genre: Electronic / Dubstep / Dance
Despite dropping his sixth album early in 2019, GRiZ kept himself busy all year long dropping four short EP’s throughout the year. Every EP is a three song whirlwind of GRiZ high octane electronic music with jazz horns making their presence known.
Proof: No Bad Trips / Ice Cream // Griztronic (w/ Subtronics) / Freak the Method // I Like That (Feat. Kayla Jasmine) / Now Till Infinity // Gonna Get Funky / Tiger Kingdom Space Camp
Gryffin* - Gravity Pt. 1 (Remixes) Genre: Electronic / Future Bass / Dance
Before dropping his marvelous debut album later in 2019, Gryffin released some remixes of his 2018 sampler EP.
Proof: Remember (Madison Mars Remix) w/ ZOHARA / Nobody Compares To You (Bali Bandits Remix) Feat. Katie Pearlman // All You Need To Know (Jason Ross Remix) w/ SLANDER Feat. Calle Lehmann / Baggage (Kaidro Remix) w/ Gorgon City & AlunaGeorge
John Newman - A.N.i.M.A.L Genre: Pop / Soul
It’s quite a moment for British Pop singers right now, and the potent soulful voice of John Newman is one of those. This short EP is a good hold over while we wait for his follow up to his previous 2015 album.
Proof: Life Without You (w/ Nina Nesbitt) / A.N.i.M.A.L // Bonus: Life Without You (DFUX Remix) w/ Nina Nesbitt
Kwaku Asante - honeycomb Genre: R&B / Soul
Slipping in with a December release was the soulful vocals of London singer Kwaku Asante. I didn’t know much about Kwaku when I gave this EP a spin but was floored by the voice, I will definitely doing more research and will keep him on my radar.
Proof: AWOL / Primrose
Last Heroes - Moments Genre: Electronic / Trance / Dance
Another member of the onslaught that was Seven Lions’ Ophelia Records. Like their label-mates, Last Heroes are able to captivate with epic chill-inducing drops in there Future Bass/Trance landscapes.
Proof: Take Your Time (Feat. Satellite Empire) / Awake (Feat. Lauren Martinez) // Bonus: Above & Beyond & Seven Lions - See The End (Last Heroes Remix) / StayLoose & Last Heroes - Won’t Look Back (Feat. Soundr)
Lykke Li - still sad still sexy Genre: Pop / R&B
Following up her stellar fourth album from last year, Lykke dropped off this interesting EP of remixes, b-sides and acoustic versions. Never thought I would hear a song of Lykke Li, Skrillex and Ty Dolla $ign, but I sure am glad it exists.
Proof: two nights part ii (w/ Skrillex Feat. Ty Dolla $ign) / neon
Madeaux - Club Demons Genre: Electronic / Deep House / Dance
Miami Producer/DJ Madeaux keeps his recent uptick in music coming with this Deep House EP meant to steam up the dance floors.
Proof: Club Demons (w/ Dances with White Girls) / Love (Feat. BRUX) // Bonus: Me & U
MitiS - Shattered Electronic / Future Bass / Dance
Another member of the Ophilia Records infantry headed by Seven Lions. Every other Ophelia artist has a flair for the cinematic and climatic drop to smack the listener with all the feels, MitiS is no exception to that.
Proof: Home (Feat. Niko Athanasatos) / Shattered (Feat. RUNN) // Bonus: Break the Silence (w/ Seven Lions Feat. RBBTS) / Mercy (w. glasscat)
MorMor - Some Place Else Genre: alt-R&B / Indie Pop
Last year’s debut EP, Heaven’s Only Wishful, by MorMor was one of my favorite of 2018. The Canadian singer follows it up nicely with this sweet and sensual EP on Indie Pop and soulful R&B blending.
Proof: Outside / Pass the Hours // Bonus: Won’t Let You
MOSSS - Pale Blue Genre: Indie Pop / Soul / Alternative
On the opening song of LA based singer MOSSS, the sound is a subtle and gentle melody with breathy vocals, until the chorus hits and the drums temporarily crash in for a climatic crash of emotions before dissipating again. It’s a perfect showing of MOSSS’ subtle yet impacting music. I can’t wait to hear more from the new artist.
Proof: Here If You Want (Pale Blue) / Bound To Happen
Phantoms - Disconnect Genre: Electronic / House / Dance
The LA EDM duo returns with a short but effect EP of house and Synth-Pop dance tunes. Ever since their debut 2015 EP Broken Halos it’s been quite the steady ascent for the duo, one I don’t see flattening out anytime soon.
Proof: Say It (Feat. Anna Clendening) / 5AM (Feat. Katie Morgan) // Bonus: Say It (David Jackson Remix) Feat. Anna Clendening
Raja Kumari - BLOODLINE Genre: Hip Hop
Indian-American female rapper Raja Kumari comes in looking for skulls to crack with this electric EP. She’s been around the industry for awhile now as a songwriter but is ready to step out in front, on her own.
Proof: SHOOK / KARMA
Ryahn - Light Blue Genre: R&B / neo-Soul
Light Blue is a delicate and evocative debut project from the Florida native singer. There’s notes of ANTI-era Rihanna, with some Jazmine Sullivan and a sprinkle of Beyoncé influences in the sound that’s quite effective.
Proof: LIGHT BLUE / SAD BOY // Bonus: Anything You Want
Skrillex - Show Tracks Genre: Electronic / Dubstep / Dance
Skrillex gifted fans with this two track EP showing the producer still has a magic way behind the boards. His bigger output is listed above in his collaboration EP with Boyz Noize, as well as the GRAMMY nominated one off single with Boyz Noize and Ty Dolla $ign and there’s rumors of a Jack U project in the near future. We can only hope on the last one until we hear more. #prayerhands
Proof: Fuji Opener (Feat. Alvin Rick) / Mumbai Power (Feat. Beam)
Super Duper - Vessels Genre: Electronic / Dance
Super Duper’s tracks are usually absent of vocals but still have such vibrant human life present in his cinematic tracks. His tracks have a great duality of relaxing moments to thunderous wake up calls that smack the ear drums.
Proof: Horizons / Canons (Feat. JMR) // Bonus: Montage
Summer Walker - CLEAR Genre: R&B / Soul
Before later in the year dropping her sultry sophomore album Over It, the Atlanta singer quietly released this intimate EP of slow jams. It’s been a bit difficult of a time for the singer with the increased attention Over It gave her. She has been vocal about her challenge dealing with her anxiety, where there’s been talks of an early retirement. I personally hope not; the world needs more soul music like this.
Proof: Grave / Settling
Teeko & B. Lewis - Build Genre: Electronic / R&B
Singer B. Lewis caught my attention last year with his EP with producer Falcons. He managed to grab it again with this collaboration with producer Teeko creating a vibrant and unique electronic world of Synth-Pop, G-Funk and Soul music.
Proof: Let’s Ride / Neva Had It
TNGHT - II Genre: Electronic / Dance
The electronic duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice finally returns with their second EP after 2023’s whirlwind EP that still today is flexing its influence muscles on the genre. II is another electrifying output of breakneck Trap influenced Electronic beats meant to excite and elate.
Proof: Dollaz / First Body
XYLØ - pretty sad / yes & no Genre: Synth-Pop
With the departure from the group of her brother, singer Paige embarks continuing on with the XYLØ name now as a solo artist. Dropping two EPs in 2019 it shows the American singer is not slowing down being on her own, if fact she’s speeding up.
Proof: miracle / blue light // yes & no / the end
Zacari - Run Free Run Wild Genre: alt-R&B
The Top Dawg Entertainment singer first turned some heads with his features on Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. and the Black Panther Soundtrack. On his first solo project Zacari shows his unique voice is not where the individuality and creativity ends. Run Free Run Wild is not like anything else out there but is a great, and introspective form of alt-R&B music with Hip Hop, Indie Pop, Alternative and Electronic influences.
Proof: You Can Do Anything / Ten Outta Ten
The Rest:
Good: Abby Jasmine - Abbnormal, Action Bronson & The Alchemist - Lamb Over Rice, Adela - On The Line, AJ Mitchell - Slow Dance, Alessia Cara - This Summer, Alesso - ALESSO MIXTAPE - PROGRESSO Vol. 1, Alex Mali - Sweet & Sour, Anna Clendening - Waves, Anna Lunoe - Right Party, Ario Parks - Sophie, Ashe - Moral of the Story: Chapter 1, Bas - Spilled Milk 1, Bassnector - Reflective (Part 4), beabadoobee - Space Cadet, Beau Diako - Flutter, BENEE - STELLA & STEVE, Big Wild - Super Dreams (Remixes), Bishop Nehru & Brady Watt - The Real Book, Vol. 1, Blu & Damu The Fudgemunk - Ground & Water, B00TY - High Art, Brasstracks - Before We Go, Broken Social Scene - Let’s Try the After (Vol. 1), Broken Social Scene - Let’s Try the After (Vol. 2), Bun B - Bun B Day, Carlie Hanson - Junk, Caroline Kole - Freaking Out!, The Chain Gang Of 1974 - Pollen, Chase & Status - RTRN: THE ORIGINALS, Cheat Codes - Level 2, Cheat Codes - Level 2 (Remixed), chloe mk - Fantasy, Christelle Bofale - Swim Team, Christian French - bright side of the moon, Chrome Sparks - Be On Fire, The Cool Kids & The Alchemist - Layups, Curren$y - Hot August Nights, Curren$y & LNDN DRGS - Umbrella Symphony, CYN - Mood Swing, Deante’ Hitchcock - Just A Sample 2, Death Cab for Cutie - The Blue, Deb Never - House on Wheels, DeJ Loaf - Go DeJ Go Vol. 1, Destiny Rogers - Tomboy, Dijon - Sci Fi 1, Dillon Nathaniel - Obsessions, Dinah Jane - Dinah Jane 1, Ella Henderson - Glorious, Elliott Power - Kill Fee, Emmavie - Stop the Tape, Eryn Allen Kane - a tree planted by water, Excision & Wooli - Evolution, Finneas - Blood Harmony, FKJ - Ylang Ylang, FLETCHER - you ruined new york city for me, flora cash - Press, Flowidus - Footsteps, Fossa Beats - Same Place, Four Tet - Anna Painting, G-Eazy - B-Sides, G-Eazy - Scary Nights, girl in red - chapter 2, GRAFIX - Refuge, GRiZ - Find My Own Way, The HamilTones - Watch the Ton3s, Hello Yello - Love Wins, Hikaru Utada - Face My Fears, Hope Tala - Sensitive Soul, Hoodboi - Sahara, Iggy Azalea - Wicked Lips, ilham - With Time, Interpol - A Fine Mess, i_o - House of God, Izzy Bizu - GLITA, Jade Bird - I Get No Joy, Jaden - ERYS IS COMING, Jai Waetford - Figure It Out, James Bay - One My Messy Mind, JAMESDAVIS - MASTERPIECE, Jasmine Thompson - colour, Jay Prince - WONDER, Jay Wile - Somewhere in Mind, Jean Deaux - Empathy, Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler - brent, Jess Connelly - ATM, jesse saint john - don’t stop dancing. life gets sad., JGRREY - Ugh, JOHN.k - if we never met, Joseph Ray - Room 1.5 / Chem - Ex, Julia Michaels - Inner Monologue, Pt. 1, Julia Michales - Inner Monologue, Pt. 2, Justine Skye - Bare With Me, Kaash Paige - Parked Car Convos, Kari Faux - CRY 4 HELP, Kasbo - Places We Don’t Know Remixes, Kehlani - While We Wait, Kero Kero Bonito - Civilisation I, Kevin Abstract - ARIZONA BABY, Kevin Abstract - Ghettoboy, KIAN - BLISS, Kiana Ledé - Myself, Kingdom - EXTERRA, Vol. 1, Knife Party - Lost Souls, Koffee - Rapture, Kyle Lux - No Roof Access, Låpsley - These Elements, Laxcity - Purity, Layton Greene - Tell Ya Story, Lemaitre - Fast Lovers, Liss - Second, Little Boots - Jump, Lonas - Youth, Lost Kings - Los Angeles, Lost Kings - Paper Crowns, LOVA - A Gentleman's Guide, Lusine - Retrace, Mack Keane - Donna Ave, Maisie Peters - It’s Your Bed Babe, It’s Your Funeral, Marco McKinnis - E’Merse, McClenny - I’m Not Here, Melii - MOTIONS, Meyham Lauren & DJ Muggs - Members Only, Mickey Kojak - Coming Together, Middle Kids - New Songs for Old Problems, Missy Elliott - ICONOLOGY, More Giraffes - Bermuda, Navvy - The Breakup, Nightly - Talk You Down, NIKI - wanna take this downtown?, no rome - Crying In The Prettiest Places, , Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - This Is the Place, nothing,nowhere. & Travis Barker - Bloodlust, ODESZA - A Moment Apart Remixes, Oliver Tree - Do You Feel Me?, Olivia Nelson - Back to You, Omar Apollo - Friends, Pearl City - Gold Metal Money, Pink Sweat$ - Volume 2, Phonte - Pacific Time, Powers Pleasant - Life Is Beautiful, PRETTYMUCH - Phases, Qveen Herby - EP5, Qveen Herby - The Vignettes, R3HAB - The Wave (Acoustic), Rema - Freestyle, Rema - Rema, Rhys Lewis - In Between Minds, Rotimi - Walk With Me, Ruel - Free Time, Ryan Leslie - Fleurier Flows, RY X - The Water, Sasha Sloan - Self Portrait, SATICA - Dear April, Ily, Saweetie - ICY, The Score - Pressure, The Score - Stay, SISTERS - We Can Get Together, slenderbodies - soraya, SOB X RBE & Marshmello - Roll the Dice, Social House - Everything Changed…, SOFI TUKKER - DANCING ON THE PEOPLE, Sofia Kourtesis - Sofia Kourtesis, Starchild & The New Romantics* - Vhs 1138, Striking Matches - Morning, Sufjan Stevens - Love Yourself / With My Whole Heart, Sunflower Bean - King of the Dudes, SVEA - This is, Tash - VOLUME 1, Taylor Bennett - The American Reject, Tess Henley - Better, TroyBoi - V!BEZ, Vol. 3, Tycho - Stress, UMI - Love Language, Unperfect - Go On… It’s a Vibe, Valentino Khan - House Party, The Vamps - Missing You, Vasco - Tender Luv, Virginia to Vegas - Hartland St, vōx - I Am Not a God, Wrabel - one of those happy people, Wu-Tang Clan - Of Mics and Men, Zhavia Ward - 17, 11:11 - Mood
Meh: Bakar - Will You Be My Yellow?, Burna Boy & DJDS - Steel & Copper, Casilofi - Create, Create, Create, Floating Spectrum - A Point Between, Future - SAVE ME, HiDoraah & Dolly White - Slimestas, Kevin Gates - Only The General Gon Understand, Lil Nas X - 7, Lynda Dawn - At First Light, Miley Cyrus - SHE IS COMING, Pet Shop Boys - Agenda, Skyler Grey - Angel With Tattoos, 5am & TM88 - 5:88
#Best EPs#Top EPs#2019#AUGUST 08#Autograf#BAYNK#Channel Tres#Dog Blood#Elohim#Emotional Oranges#G Flip#ilo ilo#Manila Killa#Loote#PVRIS#REZZ#Ruti#Shay Lia#Alina Baraz#bulow#Cautious Clay#Diplo#Flume#GRiZ#Gryffin#John Newman#Lykke Li#Skrillex#Summer Walker#TNGHT
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Sprin(T)-Mobile; This Dish Is Bananas
Sprin(T)-Mobile; This Dish Is Bananas:
The Un-Network Is Now THE Network
And then there were three…
The wireless market got a touch smaller and far more interesting this morning. A U.S. federal judge ruled in favor of the $26 billion merger between Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) and T-Mobile US Inc. (Nasdaq: TMUS).
The ruling shut down a multistate challenge to the deal’s approval by both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice. According to Judge Victor Marrero: “The resulting stalemate leaves the Court lacking sufficiently impartial and objective ground on which to rely in basing a sound forecast of the likely competitive effects of a merger.”
Marrero continued that the states failed to convince the court that a combined company would “pursue anticompetitive behavior.” Furthermore, the judge noted that, if left alone, Sprint could “cease to be a truly national [mobile network operator].”
New York Attorney General Letitia James is considering appealing the ruling. “From the start, this merger has been about massive corporate profits over all else, and despite the companies’ false claims, this deal will endanger wireless subscribers where it hurts most: their wallets,” James said.
The Takeaway:
Let’s start off with a great big “Well, duh!” for Attorney General James. Of course this deal is about massive corporate profits. All deals are.
Corporations exist to generate massive profits. That’s their job. That’s what they do. (They’re like the Conway Twitty of the business world — yes, that’s a country song reference, y’all.)
I won’t comment on the antitrust implications of the Sprint/T-Mobile deal … or whether it’s ultimately bad for customers or not. I’ll leave that to Banyan Hill expert Ted Bauman, who’s sure to comment on this merger sooner or later.
By the way: Feel free to let me know your thoughts on the Sprint/T-Mobile merger by dropping me a line at [email protected].
What I will say is that this deal is big trouble for moose and squirrel … er, rather, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T). The pair have dominated the wireless world for years, gobbling up subscribers left and right.
Now, however, there’s a serious contender to deal with.
After AT&T failed to take over T-Mobile back in 2011, the latter used the $3 billion in breakup fees to launch a serious bid to dominate the wireless market. However, T-Mobile lacked in spectrum — i.e., the wireless airwaves that connect your devices.
Sprint has oodles and oodles of spectrum, including a broad swath of 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum that’s critical for 5G wireless. Unfortunately for Sprint, it has no cash to take advantage of this spectrum.
That’s what the Sprint/T-Mobile merger is all about, Charlie Brown: spectrum. And now, T-Mobile has both key 5G spectrum and the cash to further its nationwide 5G rollout plans.
What’s more, the new company is truly a pure play on the wireless market. There’s no debt-burdened Time Warner content or streaming package like at AT&T, or failed AOL/Yahoo content like at Verizon.
Just pure, unadulterated and unfettered wireless.
So, while AT&T struggles to pay down the cost of buying content and Verizon rides the fence on what to do with its media division, the new T-Mobile will solely focus on rolling out 5G to the world.
That focus is truly great stuff for investors. I look forward to seeing how the combined company’s stock trades once the merger is complete. It’s certainly on Great Stuff’s future watch list.
In the meantime, there’s work to do to bring 5G to the masses.
I mean, you can have all the G’s you want, but without a ground network to transfer that signal from the tower to the internet at high speed … well, you’re SOL.
That means fiber optics, and rolling out such a network doesn’t happen overnight — unless you’re out there unspooling cable … you aren’t, are you?
So, let’s stay crafty and find some real 5G profits.
And boy, are there profits to be had! The great wireless migration could generate over $12 trillion in new industry wealth … from telecoms to consumer 5G devices and more.
Many Great Stuff readers know Ian King and his incredible eye for picking tipping-point tech trends. The 5G explosion is no different. Ian just spotted one company that’s at the forefront of the 5G transition.
If you click here now, he will show you just how huge the 5G trend is … and why this tiny stock is setting up to clutch that $12 trillion windfall.
The Good: Hasbro Ain’t Toyin’ Around
After nearly a year of dominance by plastic figurines and bobble heads bobbleheads, actual toys are back!
Hasbro Inc. (Nasdaq: HAS) reported that net income skyrocketed to $2.01 per share in the fourth quarter from just $0.07 per share last year. Adjusted earnings came in at $1.24 per share, blowing past the consensus estimate for $0.91 per share.
(Pssst … net revenue was a little light at $1.43 billion, versus Wall Street’s target of $1.44 billion … but no one’s talking about that.)
Driving Hasbro’s success were strong sales of partner brands such as Frozen 2, Star Wars, Spider-Man and the Avengers. The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) toy sales — ahem, I mean “partner brand” revenue — spiked 24% to $1.22 billion for the year.
“We’re incredibly excited that ‘The Mandalorian’ season two will come to Disney+ this fall,” said Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner.
Umm … Mr. Goldner? Maybe you could get some freakin’ Baby Yoda merch on the shelves soon, please? Honestly, your revenue could’ve been millions higher already!
The Bad: M-m-m-my Corona
What do you get when you cross a Chinese pandemic with a struggling “premium” athletic clothing retailer?
You get a hot mess, that’s what you get. Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA) not only missed Wall Street’s fourth-quarter revenue target, it also lowered sales guidance for 2020. The company expects revenue to fall between $50 million and $60 million for the first quarter … and that’s just from lowered sales expectations.
Sure, Under Armour has about 600 stores in China, but about 60% of the company’s products are manufactured in China, Jordan, Vietnam and Malaysia. With the exception of Jordan, the rest of those countries are smack in the middle of coronavirus central. That means lowered productivity and potential supply disruptions as this epidemic grows.
And as for that “premium brand” thing: “We believe prior promotional activity has impacted the consumers’ willingness to pay full price for our brand to a higher degree than we originally anticipated,” said CEO Patrik Frisk.
So, part of Frisk’s excuse is that customers don’t want to pay full price for the company’s stuff? I think the market is telling you something, man.
For now, I’ll avoid Under Armour stock like I avoid paying full price for its clothes.
The Ugly: Dish Is a Mess
Did you think I forgot about Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH)?
No, sir. Dish is crucial to the whole Sprint/T-Mobile merger. As part of the deal with the Department of Justice, Dish will buy Sprint’s prepaid wireless business — aka Boost Mobile.
Let’s make no bones about this: Dish is getting screwed. The company already struggles with falling subscriber numbers for its pay-TV business. Dish’s old-school satellite service is worse than cable, after all. It’s all the content you’ll never watch (but still pay high prices for) … all bundled up in a service that screws up in the rain.
The bright idea to fix this is for Dish to buy Boost Mobile — a 4G mobile service on Sprint’s old network in a 5G world. Why not just start rolling out Betamax tapes as well, Dish?
Not only does Dish get the short end of the stick on the wireless deal, it’ll also soon face serious competition from Starlink — Elon Musk’s new satellite-based internet service.
I know, you’re thinking: “Starlink isn’t a pay-TV service, why should Dish worry?”
The answer’s simple: video streaming. The only thing that prevents some customers from moving away from Dish is the fact that they can’t get shows any other way. With Starlink and a Roku Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) player, all that changes.
I have to think that the only way Dish survives in the new Starlink and 5G world is for someone to buy out the company. Although, what company has such poor judgement that it’d even consider buying Dish? (No AT&T, don’t even think about it!)
5G! 5G! 5G! All we ever hear about is 5G! What’s so great about 5G anyway?
I mean, sure, 5G has never had its picture on bubblegum cards … so you’ve got me there.
That said, today’s Chart of the Week details some of the key benefits that the average smartphone user will notice right away when switching to 5G:
Now, if that doesn’t mean a whole lot to you … let’s just say that 5G is stupidly faster than your current 4G wireless service. That real-world speed of 100 megabytes/second is faster than most people have from their landline-based internet provider.
In other words, if you aren’t a data hog like yours truly, you might even be able to ditch your internet landline, just like you ditched your phone landline years ago. (Please tell me you don’t still have a phone landline…)
When it comes to 5G, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re in a Big Data world now, and Big Data needs high-speed transfer rates. As you can see from the chart, 5G has all that covered and more.
Great Stuff: Marco?
It’s that time again!
That’s right, it’s time to feed the Great Stuff beast!
This week, we’re focusing on the Sprint/T-Mobile merger — surprise! Be sure to write in to [email protected] and let us know your thoughts!
Here are some of this week’s topics:
Do you think the Sprint/T-Mobile merger will have a negative or positive impact on the wireless market?
Do you have any antitrust concerns?
Are you itching to invest in the combined company?
Which wireless carrier do you believe is the better investment: AT&T, Verizon or Sprint/T-Mobile?
Now, you know the drill. You have about two days to drop me a line at [email protected] to make this week’s edition of Reader Feedback.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Great Stuff on social media. If you can’t get enough meme-y trade war goodness, follow Great Stuff on Facebook and Twitter.
Until next time, good trading!
Regards,
Joseph Hargett
Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing
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The Un-Network Is Now THE Network
And then there were three…
The wireless market got a touch smaller and far more interesting this morning. A U.S. federal judge ruled in favor of the $26 billion merger between Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) and T-Mobile US Inc. (Nasdaq: TMUS).
The ruling shut down a multistate challenge to the deal’s approval by both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice. According to Judge Victor Marrero: “The resulting stalemate leaves the Court lacking sufficiently impartial and objective ground on which to rely in basing a sound forecast of the likely competitive effects of a merger.”
Marrero continued that the states failed to convince the court that a combined company would “pursue anticompetitive behavior.” Furthermore, the judge noted that, if left alone, Sprint could “cease to be a truly national [mobile network operator].”
New York Attorney General Letitia James is considering appealing the ruling. “From the start, this merger has been about massive corporate profits over all else, and despite the companies’ false claims, this deal will endanger wireless subscribers where it hurts most: their wallets,” James said.
The Takeaway:
Let’s start off with a great big “Well, duh!” for Attorney General James. Of course this deal is about massive corporate profits. All deals are.
Corporations exist to generate massive profits. That’s their job. That’s what they do. (They’re like the Conway Twitty of the business world — yes, that’s a country song reference, y’all.)
I won’t comment on the antitrust implications of the Sprint/T-Mobile deal … or whether it’s ultimately bad for customers or not. I’ll leave that to Banyan Hill expert Ted Bauman, who’s sure to comment on this merger sooner or later.
By the way: Feel free to let me know your thoughts on the Sprint/T-Mobile merger by dropping me a line at [email protected].
What I will say is that this deal is big trouble for moose and squirrel … er, rather, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T). The pair have dominated the wireless world for years, gobbling up subscribers left and right.
Now, however, there’s a serious contender to deal with.
After AT&T failed to take over T-Mobile back in 2011, the latter used the $3 billion in breakup fees to launch a serious bid to dominate the wireless market. However, T-Mobile lacked in spectrum — i.e., the wireless airwaves that connect your devices.
Sprint has oodles and oodles of spectrum, including a broad swath of 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum that’s critical for 5G wireless. Unfortunately for Sprint, it has no cash to take advantage of this spectrum.
That’s what the Sprint/T-Mobile merger is all about, Charlie Brown: spectrum. And now, T-Mobile has both key 5G spectrum and the cash to further its nationwide 5G rollout plans.
What’s more, the new company is truly a pure play on the wireless market. There’s no debt-burdened Time Warner content or streaming package like at AT&T, or failed AOL/Yahoo content like at Verizon.
Just pure, unadulterated and unfettered wireless.
So, while AT&T struggles to pay down the cost of buying content and Verizon rides the fence on what to do with its media division, the new T-Mobile will solely focus on rolling out 5G to the world.
That focus is truly great stuff for investors. I look forward to seeing how the combined company’s stock trades once the merger is complete. It’s certainly on Great Stuff’s future watch list.
In the meantime, there’s work to do to bring 5G to the masses.
I mean, you can have all the G’s you want, but without a ground network to transfer that signal from the tower to the internet at high speed … well, you’re SOL.
That means fiber optics, and rolling out such a network doesn’t happen overnight — unless you’re out there unspooling cable … you aren’t, are you?
So, let’s stay crafty and find some real 5G profits.
And boy, are there profits to be had! The great wireless migration could generate over $12 trillion in new industry wealth … from telecoms to consumer 5G devices and more.
Many Great Stuff readers know Ian King and his incredible eye for picking tipping-point tech trends. The 5G explosion is no different. Ian just spotted one company that’s at the forefront of the 5G transition.
If you click here now, he will show you just how huge the 5G trend is … and why this tiny stock is setting up to clutch that $12 trillion windfall.
The Good: Hasbro Ain’t Toyin’ Around
After nearly a year of dominance by plastic figurines and bobble heads bobbleheads, actual toys are back!
Hasbro Inc. (Nasdaq: HAS) reported that net income skyrocketed to $2.01 per share in the fourth quarter from just $0.07 per share last year. Adjusted earnings came in at $1.24 per share, blowing past the consensus estimate for $0.91 per share.
(Pssst … net revenue was a little light at $1.43 billion, versus Wall Street’s target of $1.44 billion … but no one’s talking about that.)
Driving Hasbro’s success were strong sales of partner brands such as Frozen 2, Star Wars, Spider-Man and the Avengers. The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) toy sales — ahem, I mean “partner brand” revenue — spiked 24% to $1.22 billion for the year.
“We’re incredibly excited that ‘The Mandalorian’ season two will come to Disney+ this fall,” said Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner.
Umm … Mr. Goldner? Maybe you could get some freakin’ Baby Yoda merch on the shelves soon, please? Honestly, your revenue could’ve been millions higher already!
The Bad: M-m-m-my Corona
What do you get when you cross a Chinese pandemic with a struggling “premium” athletic clothing retailer?
You get a hot mess, that’s what you get. Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA) not only missed Wall Street’s fourth-quarter revenue target, it also lowered sales guidance for 2020. The company expects revenue to fall between $50 million and $60 million for the first quarter … and that’s just from lowered sales expectations.
Sure, Under Armour has about 600 stores in China, but about 60% of the company’s products are manufactured in China, Jordan, Vietnam and Malaysia. With the exception of Jordan, the rest of those countries are smack in the middle of coronavirus central. That means lowered productivity and potential supply disruptions as this epidemic grows.
And as for that “premium brand” thing: “We believe prior promotional activity has impacted the consumers’ willingness to pay full price for our brand to a higher degree than we originally anticipated,” said CEO Patrik Frisk.
So, part of Frisk’s excuse is that customers don’t want to pay full price for the company’s stuff? I think the market is telling you something, man.
For now, I’ll avoid Under Armour stock like I avoid paying full price for its clothes.
The Ugly: Dish Is a Mess
Did you think I forgot about Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH)?
No, sir. Dish is crucial to the whole Sprint/T-Mobile merger. As part of the deal with the Department of Justice, Dish will buy Sprint’s prepaid wireless business — aka Boost Mobile.
Let’s make no bones about this: Dish is getting screwed. The company already struggles with falling subscriber numbers for its pay-TV business. Dish’s old-school satellite service is worse than cable, after all. It’s all the content you’ll never watch (but still pay high prices for) … all bundled up in a service that screws up in the rain.
The bright idea to fix this is for Dish to buy Boost Mobile — a 4G mobile service on Sprint’s old network in a 5G world. Why not just start rolling out Betamax tapes as well, Dish?
Not only does Dish get the short end of the stick on the wireless deal, it’ll also soon face serious competition from Starlink — Elon Musk’s new satellite-based internet service.
I know, you’re thinking: “Starlink isn’t a pay-TV service, why should Dish worry?”
The answer’s simple: video streaming. The only thing that prevents some customers from moving away from Dish is the fact that they can’t get shows any other way. With Starlink and a Roku Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) player, all that changes.
I have to think that the only way Dish survives in the new Starlink and 5G world is for someone to buy out the company. Although, what company has such poor judgement that it’d even consider buying Dish? (No AT&T, don’t even think about it!)
5G! 5G! 5G! All we ever hear about is 5G! What’s so great about 5G anyway?
I mean, sure, 5G has never had its picture on bubblegum cards … so you’ve got me there.
That said, today’s Chart of the Week details some of the key benefits that the average smartphone user will notice right away when switching to 5G:
Now, if that doesn’t mean a whole lot to you … let’s just say that 5G is stupidly faster than your current 4G wireless service. That real-world speed of 100 megabytes/second is faster than most people have from their landline-based internet provider.
In other words, if you aren’t a data hog like yours truly, you might even be able to ditch your internet landline, just like you ditched your phone landline years ago. (Please tell me you don’t still have a phone landline…)
When it comes to 5G, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re in a Big Data world now, and Big Data needs high-speed transfer rates. As you can see from the chart, 5G has all that covered and more.
Great Stuff: Marco?
It’s that time again!
That’s right, it’s time to feed the Great Stuff beast!
This week, we’re focusing on the Sprint/T-Mobile merger — surprise! Be sure to write in to [email protected] and let us know your thoughts!
Here are some of this week’s topics:
Do you think the Sprint/T-Mobile merger will have a negative or positive impact on the wireless market?
Do you have any antitrust concerns?
Are you itching to invest in the combined company?
Which wireless carrier do you believe is the better investment: AT&T, Verizon or Sprint/T-Mobile?
Now, you know the drill. You have about two days to drop me a line at [email protected] to make this week’s edition of Reader Feedback.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Great Stuff on social media. If you can’t get enough meme-y trade war goodness, follow Great Stuff on Facebook and Twitter.
Until next time, good trading!
Regards,
Joseph Hargett
Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing
0 notes
Text
The Super Bowl’s Best Matchup Is Gladys Knight vs. The Clock
Super Bowl LIII is not only about two of the league’s best offenses squaring off against one another — New England and Los Angeles — it’s also about America’s other favorite pastime: gambling. The total amount bet on the Super Bowl1 has risen from $40 million in 1991 to more than $158 million in 2018, and much of that growth has come from “props” or proposition bets.
For readers who aren’t degenerate gamblers, prop bets are wagers you can place on events during a game that don’t directly involve the final outcome. This year there are the standard prop bets, like if the Patriots will score a touchdown in the first quarter (they never have in a Super Bowl), or if the Rams will rush for more than 127.5 yards (they averaged 143.3 yards per game in the regular season and the playoffs). But there are also more exotic prop bets on things like whether Donald Trump will tweet more than six times during the game. (The implied probability on one offshore book is 58 percent that he will hit the over.)
Another interesting wager is on the length of Gladys Knight’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Several offshore books have set the total for the anthem at 1 minute 47 seconds, and the implied odds for both the under and the over were set at one book at -115 — a 53.5 percent implied probability — on both sides.2 The implied probabilities being equal indicates that the book has no real opinion on the length of Gladys’s performance — they just want to take a percentage from each side of the wager and hope bettors will place their bets evenly on both.
But is Knight performing the anthem in over/under 107 seconds really close to a 50 percent proposition? Or is there evidence that might convince us that the oddsmakers got the probabilities wrong?
To find out, I went to Youtube and watched 40 Super Bowl national anthems from 1979 to 2018. I eliminated any anthems with trumpeters (there were two) and then started timing the anthem from the moment the singer first started to sing and ended the timer after the completion of the first utterance of “brave.”3 Using this methodology, the 40-year average of all national anthem singers4 is 106.1 seconds, roughly in line with the total set by the books. So the total is correct so far as the average goes, but it also seems lazy. Surely there are other factors that might help us better predict how long Gladys might sing.
For starters, the performance time of the anthem has changed as the Super Bowl has grown to become the unparalleled cultural phenomenon we now enjoy each year. As the pomp, circumstance and viewership have increased, the time anthem performers spend on the stage has also risen.
So while anthems have gotten longer over time, the 40-year average is not fully accounting for that trend. When you do account for it5 the best forecast for the 2019 anthem is actually 119 seconds, 13 seconds over the 40-year average.
Gender of the anthem singer is also significant. Men tend to sing the anthem more quickly than women — though not many men have sung the anthem in recent years, when the anthems have been getting longer overall. Still, the all-time shortest anthem performance was by a man — the incomparable Neil Diamond — who got in and out like a boss in a cool 61 seconds. And the longest anthem ever performed at a Super Bowl was by the unforgettable Natalie Cole in 1994, which clocked in at a diva-esque 148 seconds.
Finally, Knight herself appears to be a singer who knows how to stretch a note. Using whosampled, I identified 31 covers performed by Knight and timed the cover performance of each using similar criteria to the anthem timing. Knight’s covers were 7 percent longer than the originals on average, good for a bonus 12.7 seconds of soothing soul per track. In perhaps the best comp to the national anthem — “Ave Maria,” a soaring, vocal-heavy standard covered by hundreds of artists — Gladys’ performance was 37 percent longer than the standard version.
Gladys Knight takes her time with interpretations
Difference in song length between Knight’s covers and the original songs
Song Original Artist Difference Feel Like Makin’ Love Roberta Flack +129 sec. The Look of Love Dusty Springfield +85 Yesterday The Beatles +70 Help Me Make It Through the Night Kris Krisofferson +66 Ave Maria Anna Moffo +65 For Once in My Life Barbara McNair +50 Midnight Train to Georgia Cissy Houston +42 The Way We Were Barbara Streisand +36 Fire and Rain James Taylor +33 I’m Gonna Make You Love Me Dee Dee Warwick +30 Groovin’ The Young Rascals +27 The Need to Be Jim Weatherly +13 Average +13 Everybody Needs Love The Temptations +8 You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me Ray Price +8 Goin’ Out of My Head Little Anthony and the Imperials +7 All I Could Do Is Cry Etta James +2 Baby I Need Your Loving The Four Tops +1 Tracks of My Tears Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 0 Yes, I’m ready Barbara Mason -1 Baby Don’t Change Your Mind The Stylistics -1 I Wish It Would Rain The Temptations -4 Cloud Nine The Temptations -9 Keep an Eye Diana Ross & The Supremes -9 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ The Righteous Brothers -14 I Feel a Song (in My Heart) Sandra Richardson -19 Let It Be The Beatles -21 Is There a Place? The Supremes -34 Wind Beneath My Wings Roger Whittaker -34 Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye -39 Thank You Sly & the Family Stone -45 Every Beat of My Heart The Royals -49
Sources: YouTube, Whosampled
Taking a larger view, only two anthems in the past 15 years have been performed faster than the 40-year average of 1 minute 47 seconds. And when I looked at the age of the anthem singers, I found no significant correlation between age and performance time.6 On the other hand, we can look at one of Knight’s previous performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner” itself, which is solid piece of evidence against the over, running for 92 seconds. It was, however, performed 28 years ago. All things considered, the bookmakers appear to have this line wrong on Gladys, and her upcoming anthem performance is probably going to go over 107 seconds.
Researching a single prop was a lot of work, and it’s understandable why books might not want to put this level of effort into each and every bet they publish. But it does imply that there are profitable edges for some Super Bowl props. Using the Twitter machine, I threw up a bat signal for a gambling expert to help me confirm my priors. Rufus Peabody, a professional sports bettor and former ESPN contributor who is well-known in gambling circles for the scale and volume of his Super Bowl prop wagers, agreed to help.
“The time and effort to accurately value props is pretty high,” Peabody said. “Some books put more effort into their props than others, and for some props there’s almost no data. Books will move the lines aggressively when sharp bets are made though, which helps them adjust.”
I’ve been keeping an eye on the Gladys anthem line, and it hasn’t moved all week. I was tempted to bet the over, but when I was confronted with the prospect of having to convert real money into Bitcoin in order to place a bet on an offshore site, I decided to abort. When I looked around for somewhere to place the bet in Las Vegas — where they accept actual money — I struck out. Peabody explained that prop bets like anthem length are illegal in Las Vegas because of restrictions on the types of sources casinos can use to “grade” or determine the outcome of a bet.
Even if it won’t net me any cash, I’ll be pulling for Knight to go over regardless. I want her to belt out that last note in “home of the brave” for an egregiously long time. After all, my Twitter credibility is on the line, and that’s serious business.
from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-super-bowls-best-matchup-is-gladys-knight-vs-the-clock/
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VC firms haven’t been the only ones raising hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in a booming market. After 15+ years of being the last industry anyone wanted to invest in, the music industry is coming back, and money is flooding in to buy up the rights to popular songs.
As paid streaming subscriptions get mainstream adoption, the big music streaming services – namely Spotify, Apple Music, and Tencent Music, but also Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, and others – have entered their prime. There are now over 51 million paid subscription accounts among music streaming services in the US. The music industry grew 8% last year globally to $17.3 billion, driven by a 41% increase in streaming revenue and 45% increase in paid streaming revenue.
The surge in music streaming means a surge in income for those who own the copyrights to songs, and the growth of entertainment in emerging markets, growing use in digital videos, and potential use of music in new content formats like VR only expand this further. Unsurprisingly, private equity firms, family offices, corporates, and pension funds want a piece of the action.
There are two general types of copyrights for a song: the publishing rights and the master rights. The musical composition of a song – the lyrics, melodies, etc. – comes from songwriters who own the publishing right (though generally they sign a publishing deal and their publisher gets ownership of it in addition to half the royalties). Meanwhile, the version of a song being performed comes from the recording artist who owns the master right (though usually they sign a record deal and the record label gets ownership of the masters and most of the royalties).
Popular songs are valuable to own because of all the royalties they collect: whenever the song is played on a streaming service, downloaded from iTunes, or covered on YouTube (a mechanical license), played over radio or in a grocery store (a performance license), played as soundtrack over a movie or TV show (a sync license), and for other uses. More royalty income from a song goes to the master owner since they took on more financial risk marketing it, but publishers collect royalties from some channels that master owners don’t (like radio play, for instance).
For a songwriter behind popular songs, these royalties form a predictable revenue stream that can amount to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars per year. Of course, most songs that are written or recorded don’t make any money: creating a track that breaks out in a crowded industry is hard. This scarcity – there are only so many thousands of popular musicians and a limited number of legendary artists whose music stays relevant for decades – means copyrights for successful musicians command a premium when they or their publisher decide to sell them.
Investing in streaming economics
In 2017, revenue from streaming services accounted for 38% of worldwide music industry revenue, finally overtaking revenue from traditional album sales and song downloads. Subscription streaming services hit a pivot point in gaining mainstream adoption, but they still have far to go. Goldman Sachs media sector analyst Lisa Yang predicted that by 2030, the global music industry will reach $41 billion in market size as the global streaming market multiplies in size to $34 billion (nearly all of it from paid subscriptions).
Merck Mercuriadis is seen on the left. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage for Conde Nast media group)
Earlier this week, I spoke with Merck Mercuriadis who has managed icons like Elton John, Guns N’ Roses, and Beyoncé and raised £200 million ($260 million) on the London Stock Exchange in June for an investment vehicle (Hipgnosis Songs) to acquire the catalogues of top songwriters. His plan is to raise and invest £1 billion over the next three to five years, arguing that the shift to passive consumers paying for music will take the industry to heights it has never seen before.
Indeed, streaming music is a paradigm shift from the past. With all the world’s music available in one interface for free (with ads) or for an affordable subscription (without ads), consumers no longer have to actively choose which specific songs to buy (or even which to download illegally).
With it all in front of them and all included in the price, people are listening to a broader range of music: they’re exploring more genres, discovering more musicians who aren’t stars on traditional radio, and going back to music from past decades. Consumers who weren’t previously buying a lot of music are now subscribing for $120 per year and spreading it across more artists.
Retail businesses are doing the same: through streaming offerings like Soundtrack Your Brand (which spun out of Spotify), they’re using commercial licenses – which are more expensive – to stream a broader array of music in stores rather than putting on the radio or playing the same few CDs.
Much of the music industry’s market growth is happening in China, India, Latin America, and emerging markets like Nigeria where subscription apps are replacing widespread music piracy or non-consumption. Tencent Music Entertainment, whose three streaming services have roughly 75% market share in China (a music market that expanded by 34% last year), is preparing for an IPO that could give it roughly the same $29 billion valuation Spotify received in its IPO in April. Meanwhile, music industry revenue from Latin America grew 18% last year.
Western music is infused in pop culture worldwide, so as these countries enter the streaming era they are monetizing hundreds of millions of additional listeners, through ad revenue at a minimum but increasingly through paid subscriptions as well.
At the talent management, publishing, and production firm Primary Wave, founder Larry Mestel is seeing emerging markets drive more revenue to his clients (like Smokey Robinson, Alice Cooper, Melissa Etheridge, and the estate of Bob Marley) as new fan bases engage with their music online. He raised a new $300 million fund (backed by Blackrock and other institutions) in 2016 to acquire rights in music catalogues amid a market he says has improved substantially due to growth opportunities stemming from the streaming model.
It’s not just streaming music platforms that are driving growth either. Streaming video has exploded, whether it’s from short YouTube videos or the growing number of shows on platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, and with that comes growing sync licensing of songs for their soundtracks; global sync licensing revenue was up 10% year-over-year in 2017 alone. Over the last year, Facebook signed licenses with every large publisher to cover use of song clips by its users in Instagram Stories and Facebook videos as well.
The inflating valuations of songs catalogues
Catalogues are commonly valued based on the “net publisher’s share,” which is the average amount of annual royalty money left over after paying out any percentages owed to others (like a partial stake in the royalties still held by the artist).
When Round Hill Music acquired Carlin for $245 million in January to gain ownership in the catalogues of Elvis Presley, James Brown, AC/DC, and others, it paid a 16x multiple on net publisher share, which is high but not uncommon in the current market when trading catalogues of legendary artists. Just three years ago, multiples anchored in the 10-12 range (or less for newer or smaller artists whose music has not yet shown the same longevity).
Avid Larizadeh Duggan left her role as a general partner at GV to become Chief Strategy & Business Officer of Kobalt
Kobalt, which raised $205 million from VC firms like GV and Balderton Capital to become a technology-centric publisher and label services powerhouse, has also become an active player in the space. Aside from its core operating business (where it stands out from traditional publishers and labels for not taking control of clients’ copyrights), it has raised two funds ($600M for the most recent one) to help institutional investors like the Railpen pension fund in the UK gain exposure to music copyrights as an asset class. In December, their fund acquired the catalogue of publisher SONGS Music Publishing for a reported $160M in a sale process against 13 other bidders looking to buy ownership in songs by Lorde, The Weeknd, and other young pop and hip-hop artists.
Too high a price?
The natural question to ask when there’s a rapid surge of money (and a corresponding surge in prices) in an asset class is whether there’s a bubble. After all, last year’s industry revenues were still only 68% of those in 1999 and the rate of growth will inevitably slow once streaming has captured the early majority of consumers.
But the fundamentals driving this capital are in line with a secular shift – it’s evident that music streaming still has a lot of room to grow in a few short years, especially as a large portion of the human population is just coming online (and doing so over mobile first). Plus as new content formats like augmented and virtual reality come to fruition, new categories of music sync licensing will inevitably accompany them for their soundtracks.
Each catalogue is its own case, of course. As Shamrock Capital managing director Jason Sklar emphasized to me, the rising tide isn’t lifting all boats equally. The streaming revolution appears to be disproportionately benefiting hip-hop, rap, and pop given the youth skew of streaming service users and the digital-native social media engagement of the artists in those genres.
Beyond the purchase price, the critical variable for evaluating a deal in this market is also the operational value a potential buyer can provide to the catalogue: their ability to actively promote songs from the past by pitching them to new TV shows, ad campaigns, and any number of other projects that will keep them culturally relevant. This is where strategic investors have an advantage over purely financial investors in publishing rights, especially when it comes to the longer tail of middle-tier artist’s whose music doesn’t naturally get the inbound demand that the Beatles or Prince catalogues do.
With strong long-term market growth and a wide range of possible niches and strategies, music copyrights are an asset class where we’ll see a number of major new players develop.
via TechCrunch
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Text
The war over music copyrights
VC firms haven’t been the only ones raising hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in a booming market. After 15+ years of being the last industry anyone wanted to invest in, the music industry is coming back, and money is flooding in to buy up the rights to popular songs.
As paid streaming subscriptions get mainstream adoption, the big music streaming services – namely Spotify, Apple Music, and Tencent Music, but also Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, and others – have entered their prime. There are now over 51 million paid subscription accounts among music streaming services in the US. The music industry grew 8% last year globally to $17.3 billion, driven by a 41% increase in streaming revenue and 45% increase in paid streaming revenue.
The surge in music streaming means a surge in income for those who own the copyrights to songs, and the growth of entertainment in emerging markets, growing use in digital videos, and potential use of music in new content formats like VR only expand this further. Unsurprisingly, private equity firms, family offices, corporates, and pension funds want a piece of the action.
There are two general types of copyrights for a song: the publishing rights and the master rights. The musical composition of a song – the lyrics, melodies, etc. – comes from songwriters who own the publishing right (though generally they sign a publishing deal and their publisher gets ownership of it in addition to half the royalties). Meanwhile, the version of a song being performed comes from the recording artist who owns the master right (though usually they sign a record deal and the record label gets ownership of the masters and most of the royalties).
Popular songs are valuable to own because of all the royalties they collect: whenever the song is played on a streaming service, downloaded from iTunes, or covered on YouTube (a mechanical license), played over radio or in a grocery store (a performance license), played as soundtrack over a movie or TV show (a sync license), and for other uses. More royalty income from a song goes to the master owner since they took on more financial risk marketing it, but publishers collect royalties from some channels that master owners don’t (like radio play, for instance).
For a songwriter behind popular songs, these royalties form a predictable revenue stream that can amount to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars per year. Of course, most songs that are written or recorded don’t make any money: creating a track that breaks out in a crowded industry is hard. This scarcity – there are only so many thousands of popular musicians and a limited number of legendary artists whose music stays relevant for decades – means copyrights for successful musicians command a premium when they or their publisher decide to sell them.
Investing in streaming economics
In 2017, revenue from streaming services accounted for 38% of worldwide music industry revenue, finally overtaking revenue from traditional album sales and song downloads. Subscription streaming services hit a pivot point in gaining mainstream adoption, but they still have far to go. Goldman Sachs media sector analyst Lisa Yang predicted that by 2030, the global music industry will reach $41 billion in market size as the global streaming market multiplies in size to $34 billion (nearly all of it from paid subscriptions).
Merck Mercuriadis is seen on the left. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage for Conde Nast media group)
Earlier this week, I spoke with Merck Mercuriadis who has managed icons like Elton John, Guns N’ Roses, and Beyoncé and raised £200 million ($260 million) on the London Stock Exchange in June for an investment vehicle (Hipgnosis Songs) to acquire the catalogues of top songwriters. His plan is to raise and invest £1 billion over the next three to five years, arguing that the shift to passive consumers paying for music will take the industry to heights it has never seen before.
Indeed, streaming music is a paradigm shift from the past. With all the world’s music available in one interface for free (with ads) or for an affordable subscription (without ads), consumers no longer have to actively choose which specific songs to buy (or even which to download illegally).
With it all in front of them and all included in the price, people are listening to a broader range of music: they’re exploring more genres, discovering more musicians who aren’t stars on traditional radio, and going back to music from past decades. Consumers who weren’t previously buying a lot of music are now subscribing for $120 per year and spreading it across more artists.
Retail businesses are doing the same: through streaming offerings like Soundtrack Your Brand (which spun out of Spotify), they’re using commercial licenses – which are more expensive – to stream a broader array of music in stores rather than putting on the radio or playing the same few CDs.
Much of the music industry’s market growth is happening in China, India, Latin America, and emerging markets like Nigeria where subscription apps are replacing widespread music piracy or non-consumption. Tencent Music Entertainment, whose three streaming services have roughly 75% market share in China (a music market that expanded by 34% last year), is preparing for an IPO that could give it roughly the same $29 billion valuation Spotify received in its IPO in April. Meanwhile, music industry revenue from Latin America grew 18% last year.
Western music is infused in pop culture worldwide, so as these countries enter the streaming era they are monetizing hundreds of millions of additional listeners, through ad revenue at a minimum but increasingly through paid subscriptions as well.
At the talent management, publishing, and production firm Primary Wave, founder Larry Mestel is seeing emerging markets drive more revenue to his clients (like Smokey Robinson, Alice Cooper, Melissa Etheridge, and the estate of Bob Marley) as new fan bases engage with their music online. He raised a new $300 million fund (backed by Blackrock and other institutions) in 2016 to acquire rights in music catalogues amid a market he says has improved substantially due to growth opportunities stemming from the streaming model.
It’s not just streaming music platforms that are driving growth either. Streaming video has exploded, whether it’s from short YouTube videos or the growing number of shows on platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, and with that comes growing sync licensing of songs for their soundtracks; global sync licensing revenue was up 10% year-over-year in 2017 alone. Over the last year, Facebook signed licenses with every large publisher to cover use of song clips by its users in Instagram Stories and Facebook videos as well.
The inflating valuations of songs catalogues
Catalogues are commonly valued based on the “net publisher’s share,” which is the average amount of annual royalty money left over after paying out any percentages owed to others (like a partial stake in the royalties still held by the artist).
When Round Hill Music acquired Carlin for $245 million in January to gain ownership in the catalogues of Elvis Presley, James Brown, AC/DC, and others, it paid a 16x multiple on net publisher share, which is high but not uncommon in the current market when trading catalogues of legendary artists. Just three years ago, multiples anchored in the 10-12 range (or less for newer or smaller artists whose music has not yet shown the same longevity).
Avid Larizadeh Duggan left her role as a general partner at GV to become Chief Strategy & Business Officer of Kobalt
Kobalt, which raised $205 million from VC firms like GV and Balderton Capital to become a technology-centric publisher and label services powerhouse, has also become an active player in the space. Aside from its core operating business (where it stands out from traditional publishers and labels for not taking control of clients’ copyrights), it has raised two funds ($600M for the most recent one) to help institutional investors like the Railpen pension fund in the UK gain exposure to music copyrights as an asset class. In December, their fund acquired the catalogue of publisher SONGS Music Publishing for a reported $160M in a sale process against 13 other bidders looking to buy ownership in songs by Lorde, The Weeknd, and other young pop and hip-hop artists.
Too high a price?
The natural question to ask when there’s a rapid surge of money (and a corresponding surge in prices) in an asset class is whether there’s a bubble. After all, last year’s industry revenues were still only 68% of those in 1999 and the rate of growth will inevitably slow once streaming has captured the early majority of consumers.
But the fundamentals driving this capital are in line with a secular shift – it’s evident that music streaming still has a lot of room to grow in a few short years, especially as a large portion of the human population is just coming online (and doing so over mobile first). Plus as new content formats like augmented and virtual reality come to fruition, new categories of music sync licensing will inevitably accompany them for their soundtracks.
Each catalogue is its own case, of course. As Shamrock Capital managing director Jason Sklar emphasized to me, the rising tide isn’t lifting all boats equally. The streaming revolution appears to be disproportionately benefiting hip-hop, rap, and pop given the youth skew of streaming service users and the digital-native social media engagement of the artists in those genres.
Beyond the purchase price, the critical variable for evaluating a deal in this market is also the operational value a potential buyer can provide to the catalogue: their ability to actively promote songs from the past by pitching them to new TV shows, ad campaigns, and any number of other projects that will keep them culturally relevant. This is where strategic investors have an advantage over purely financial investors in publishing rights, especially when it comes to the longer tail of middle-tier artist’s whose music doesn’t naturally get the inbound demand that the Beatles or Prince catalogues do.
With strong long-term market growth and a wide range of possible niches and strategies, music copyrights are an asset class where we’ll see a number of major new players develop.
Via Eric Peckham https://techcrunch.com
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