#and one of the songs was the hallelujah chorus

[clanoffelidae]

Music to get me pumped up and music to fall asleep to are the exact same

[j-femmescoli]

i swear there was a post that was like what's your favorite line from hallelujah and i swear i reblogged it with mine in the tags but i can't find it on my blog so i'm posting it again. mine is "remember when i moved in you and the holy ghost was moving too and every breath we drew was hallelujah"

[scaryanneee]

psa: every veilguard mural is written in the solas hallelujah cadence

if you have no idea what im talking about, read this overview first!

so as a quick refresher, the hallelujah cadence follows an iambic stress pattern and uses this specific number of syllables per line:

8 / 8 / 11 (verse)

8 / 8 / 11 (verse)

4 / 4 / 4 / 5 (chorus)

and repeat (usually). now, here's the dialogue from each of the Lighthouse murals broken up into that pattern:

so, from this we learn that "hallelujah" is perhaps less Solas's cadence, but rather the cadence of the ancient elven gods more broadly. cool!

the end, but first, a few stray observations:

Murals 3 and 5 both end after one verse/chorus, which is interesting given the content of each: both are instances in which Solas cuts a "song" short -- the song of the ancient elves in #3, and of the Titans in #5. 😭

Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain both use the cadence in the murals, but do NOT use it at all once they are released into modern Thedas (Mythal, on the other hand, uses the cadence both in the murals and as a fragment in the final scene, although I'll admit that's not really a 1:1 comparison).

Two notable non-Evanuris speakers of the cadence include 1) a Solas-romanced Inquisitor Lavellan and 2) Morrigan (although she does it when she's speaking about Mythal, so the degree to which she is not-Evanuris in those instances is... probably up for debate).

[gilbertscurls]

The cozy little lounge was decked out in full holiday cheer, with garlands draped along the walls, strings of twinkling lights casting a warm glow, and a makeshift stage adorned with a tiny, glittering Christmas tree. The buzz of laughter and the occasional off-key rendition of “Jingle Bells” filled the air as you and Chris found a spot near the stage.

You hadn’t wanted to come at first—holiday karaoke wasn’t exactly your idea of a relaxing evening—but Chris had insisted. “It’ll be fun,” he’d said, flashing that irresistible grin of his. “I promise.”

Now, watching him sip his drink and scan the song list with a mischievous glint in his eye, you were starting to think he had a plan.

“What are you scheming?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at him.

He leaned back in his chair, feigning innocence. “Scheming? Me? I’m just here to enjoy some music. And maybe provide some entertainment.”

You groaned, already imagining the kind of show he’d put on. “Please tell me you’re not going to sing something embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing? No way,” he said, standing up and grabbing the mic before you could protest. “I’m about to blow your mind.”

You watched as he handed a slip of paper to the DJ and took his place on stage. The crowd clapped politely, but the room went quieter when Chris leaned into the mic with a confident smirk.

“This one’s for someone special,” he said, his eyes locking onto yours.

Your cheeks flushed, and you shrank into your chair as the opening notes of All I Want for Christmas Is You filled the room.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, covering your face with your hands.

But when Chris started singing, you couldn’t help but peek through your fingers. His voice was surprisingly good—smooth and warm, with just the right amount of charm—and he leaned into every word with exaggerated passion, his grin never faltering.

He pointed at you during the chorus, dramatically singing, “Baby, all I want for Christmas is you!” The crowd ate it up, cheering and clapping along as he hammed it up, winking and even throwing in a little spin for good measure.

By the time he reached the bridge, you were laughing so hard your sides hurt, but there was also a part of you that couldn’t stop smiling at how genuinely sweet it was. Chris had no shame, and it was clear he didn’t care what anyone else thought—as long as he made you laugh.

When the song ended, he took an exaggerated bow, the crowd whooping and whistling as he returned to the table.

“Well?” he asked, plopping down beside you and taking a sip of his drink. “Did I nail it or what?”

“You’re ridiculous,” you said, still laughing.

He grinned, clearly unbothered. “Ridiculously charming, you mean.”

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

Chris leaned closer, his expression softening slightly. “I told you this would be fun. And you’re smiling, so I win.”

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t deny it—your cheeks ached from smiling so much. “Fine. You win.”

“Good,” he said, leaning back with a satisfied look. “Because next, we’re doing a duet.”

“What? No way!”

But before you could argue further, he was already flipping through the song list, a gleam in his eye that promised the night was far from over. And as much as you pretended to protest, you knew deep down you wouldn’t trade this moment—or him—for anything.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom, @sturniolowhore69, @faith5drpepper, @emely9274, @psychologyloverfr, @lovetaylorrussellgrr, @conspiracy-ash, @helpimateenagerinlove, @ghostlythinggoingaround, @sturmatt, @chris-hallelujah, @goingtojohnkramershouseee, @wurlibydominicfike, @straw8berry

[raggedypina]

The song “Delicate” by Damien Rice reminds me of Bunnydoll in your band AU. Just listen to the lyrics. One of my favorite songs. 🥲

Especially the chorus…

“So why do you fill my sorrows

With the words you've borrowed

From the only place you've known?

And why do you sing Hallelujah

If it means nothing to ya?

Why do you sing with me at all?”

It wasn't uncommon for them to exchange songs during cuddles, this could possibly be one of them

Even if they didn't know the irony the song would become

[omegalomania]

What are some of your favorite aro-/ace-coded fob lyrics?

oh fuck yes a little bowl of seeds just for me

boycott love from disloyal order of water buffaloes is a personal favorite of mine. its a lyric i really really want tattooed at some point. that's not the only lyric i latch onto from an aro perspective but it's probably the biggest one

basically the entirety of it's hard to say "i do" when i don't but a special mention goes to you are appealing to emotions that i simply do not have as well as the only ring i want buried with me are the ones around my eyes

it's true romance is dead / i shot it in the chest and in the head from the music or the misery is also a favorite of mine, also just that whole song in general

i thought i loved you but it was just how you looked in the light in hum hallelujah resonates with a lot of queer folks i've found, and it's no different for me

same goes for it's a strange way of saying that i know i'm supposed to love you from g.i.n.a.s.f.s.

i'm outside the door, invite me in / so we can go back and play pretend from alone together brings me back to when i was trying to perform heteronormativity/amatonormativity even if it was making me miserable

i also hold to a very similar vibe with she said "i love you 'till i don't" / i am just playing house, no idea what i'm doing now from sunshine riptide and also most of burna boy's verse, frankly. i fell in love but i didn't fall down and feel like i'm bulletproof, baby in particular

american beauty/american psycho, particularly the first verse. i think i fell in love again / maybe i just took too much cough medicine

golden is a big one for queer folks in general i've found. the chorus especially hits hard from an aro and/or ace reading. and i saw god cry in the reflection of my enemies / and all the lovers with no time for me

i've got a dark alley and a bad idea that says you should shut your mouth is a heavy song no matter how you slice it. but that chorus gets to me in particular: we can fake it for the airwaves / force our smiles, baby, half-dead / from comparing myself to everyone else around me

the kids aren't alright reads to me as one big anthem for platonic love above anything romantic, which resonates super hard with me. the second verse has a lot of good lines that i latch onto from an aroace lens too. your love is anemic and i can't believe / that you couldn't see it coming from me

pretty much the whole chorus of HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON'T does it for me, and those verses have got some good aroallo vibes too! i never really feel a thing... confidants but never friends...

the whole of fake out is a gimme. that chorus rings real true. starts with love is in the air, i just gotta find a window to break out and finishing with but it was all a fake-out

i've got all this ringing in my ears and none on my fingers is one that has another highly applicable title but the whole refrain of the truth hurts worse / than anything i could bring myself to do to you paired with the one-two punch of that second verse REALLY gets under my skin

and of course, the culminating one: you are what you love, not who loves you from save rock and roll. obviously there are a LOT of ways to read that line

there are a couple other songs i latch onto - wilson (expensive mistakes); a little less "sixteen candles", a little more "touch me"; the (after) life of the party to name a few - but the ones listed above are the big lyrics that resonate with me on a personal level

just in general i have a shitton of fob over on my aro playlist (which doubles as a general aroace/queer playlist but has a lot of emphasis on aromanticism) in case i forgot to mention anything but like i said those are the big ones

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Defying Gravity (Wicked)

So if you care to find me/Look to the western sky/As someone told me lately/"Everyone deserves the chance to fly!"

"An actual cultural reset. this song makes me want to follow my dreams regardless of what society may think of me and my green fucking skin"

Poll Runner: The ultimate act one closer, this song is just so full of defiance, as well as the emotion within the goodbyes they say to each other. Just a really good one.

Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

You say I took the name in vain/I don’t even know the name/But if I did, well, really, what’s it to ya?/There’s a blaze of light in every word/It doesn’t matter which you’ve heard/The holy or the broken hallelujah

Maybe there's a g-d above/but all I ever learned from love/was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you/And even though it all went wrong/ I'll stand before the lord of song

"The swelling instruments and the song’s loneliness paired with the backup vocals on the chorus really get me. Plus the messy and detached relationship with G-d"

"the hopeless! the doubt! the pain!dude's saying that everything might have gone to shit but that won't stop him from presenting himself to GOD THEMSELF, WITHOUT SHAME, bc LIFE IS HARD AND HE LIVED IT ANYWAYYYYYYY"

Poll Runner: Here's the link to the Alexandra Burke version, which I find especially beautiful. This song has been covered so many times and it's haunting in all its forms

[waywardxwords]

Hallelujah

Summary: While cleaning up after dinner one night, you hear the most beautiful sound coming from the oldest Winchester's room. You can't stop yourself from moving towards the sound. Dean doesn't enjoy singing in front of people, but he might just make you the exception. Word Count: ~1.2k Warnings: Fluff - lots of fluff

A/N: I saw this video the other day and I just couldn't help myself. Jensen starts around 3:23 mark.

While it wasn’t the first time you heard Dean Winchester’s voice echo off of the walls of the bunker, it was the first time you heard him sing this folk rock classic. The verse traveled to your ears, just barely peeking through the sound of the running water from the sink faucet as you washed the dishes from dinner. 

“Well, maybe there’s a God above,” he started softly at first. So softly, your hand reached up and turned off the water. You stilled your body so your ears could focus on the sound. “As for me, all I’ve learned from love is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.”

Dean would never sing in front of you, besides the random jam out sessions in the Impala on the way to a hunt. But those were mostly songs from the likes of AC/DC, or Zeppelin…and there was that one Survivor song he loved. Never like this; never with such emotion. 

“But it’s not a crime that you’re here tonight, it’s not somebody who’s seen the light,” his voice began to travel as his words became clearer. There was no way he knew you could hear him; he wouldn’t have continued if he knew. While Dean was, well, Dean–he had less confidence about himself than he would lead others to believe, but you saw through that. 

“No, it’s a cold and broken Hallelujah,” he belted. “Hallelujah, Hallelujah.” The sound of his voice sent a shiver through your body to your core. You couldn’t help your feet as they moved towards the sound of his voice. You grabbed at the dish towel that hung on the rack of the oven and dried your hands on your way. You didn’t have to go very far, Dean’s door to his bedroom was open as he gently sang the remainder of the chorus. 

As you stood in his doorway, you saw him through blurry eyes. You hadn’t realized before that moment that you had tears in your eyes, but the conviction of his voice—full of pain, but also peace—was overwhelming. 

“Shit,” he breathed as he saw you. He moved to put the gun down that he was cleaning before you startled him. His brows knitted together in concern when he saw your face. “Hey, you okay? What happened?” In two long strides, he was in front of you. His hands gripped just above your elbows. Through the tears pooled in your eyes, you watched his green gaze study you. 

“I-I’m sorry, I’m fine,” you quickly moved your hands to swipe away any droplets that threatened to fall. “Your voice…”

You watched the reddish pink hue start under his stubble on his neck and climb up to his cheeks. “Oh, uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone could hear me…” he removed his hands from your arms and you noticed the room suddenly felt cooler without his touch. He brought a hand up to pull at the back of his neck, clearly a little embarrassed. 

“No, Dean,” you reached for his arm before he could turn back from you; your fingers delicately on his forearm. “Your voice is beautiful.” The words fell in a whisper from your lips. His eyes watched you, and that’s when you noticed all of the feelings Dean could sing, but couldn’t say. “Would you…would you sing for me again?” 

“Oh, darlin’,” he chuckled and ducked his head to glance at his boots. “I don’t think I can do that…I don’t sing if I have an audience.” His eyes found yours again. You nodded once, not willing to push it if he wasn’t comfortable. 

“Well, just know,” you started softly. “You have such an incredible voice. It was…comforting.” It took you a moment to find the right word. 

“Thanks,” he chuckled gently again. You turned from your place in his doorway and headed back to the kitchen, hopeful that it wouldn’t be the last time you heard his beautiful voice. 

The darkness was overwhelming. Even in your sleep, you knew you were dreaming but as hard as you tried, you couldn’t wake yourself up. It felt as though the walls were closing in on you as you fell into the darkness. A whimper fell from your lips involuntarily as you tumbled down, down, down…into an abyss of nothingness. You didn’t know what you were running from, but your heart thudded quickly against your rib cage—so quickly that you thought it might break out. 

You couldn’t be sure, but you thought you felt a gentle touch on your bare arm just below the sleeve of your short sleeve cotton t-shirt. And then you heard a low hum—so low you thought you imagined it. 

“Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord,” the words sounded far away at first, but as you came to you realized they were just beside you. “But you don’t really care for music, do ya?” With your eyes still closed, you felt peace fall over you as the voice calmed you. “It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth, the minor falls, the major lifts. The baffled king composing Hallelujah.” 

As the chorus began, you blinked your eyes. As you squinted against the darkness of the room, you saw Dean’s green gaze staring back at you. “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…” his whispered singing trailed off as he reached his hand up to brush a dampened strand of hair off of your forehead. 

When he looked back so his eyes found yours once more, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Dean?” You asked as you blinked the sleep away and focused in on the way his eyes examined your features. It was then that you realized he had positioned his body just next to yours, his face only a few inches away. 

“Yeah, it’s me, sweetheart,” he said gently. “You had a bad dream.”

A pause of silence fell between you before you realized something. “I thought you said you don’t sing for an audience?” You eyed him conspicuously, which elicited a breathy chuckle from him. 

“Yeah, well, you were thrashin’ and weren’t waking up when I tried talking, so…” his voice trailed again. 

Your eyes darted between his once more. In the glow from the light of the hallway you noticed the way lines crinkled at the corners, and how tiny freckles you had never noticed before dotted around his nose and his cheekbones. It was almost as if you were truly seeing him for the first time.

“Thank you,” was all you knew to breathe. Your eyes fell closed and a gentle hum rumbled from your throat as you felt the pads of Dean’s fingers swipe at your hairline once more. 

Just as you opened them, he made eye contact with you once more–as if asking if this was alright. Your head managed the smallest nod before your eyes closed once more and felt Dean’s lips on yours, soft but purposeful. As he pulled away, all you could manage to say was, “Hallelujah…”, causing the green-eyed man to snort in laughter.

[misc-obeyme]

So there's a lot karaoke in the game, yes? I think, to troll them all, mc will sing only "Take me to church" by Hozier until one of them dares to speak up about it

LOL. I honestly feel like there are a lot of songs that you could do this with that would essentially just be trolling them.

There's also the question of whether certain words hurt them, as demons. I mean there's a part in that song that's just "amen" you know what I'm saying? Like would that cause them actual pain? Or would it just be really awkward??

While it's not likely to be a karaoke choice, I do think it'd be really bad to sing the Hallelujah chorus in their presence. Or pretty much any overly religious song. Lemme throw out some Come Thou Fount, you know what I'm saying?!?

I only know songs like these because I was in choir in school and I grew up in a religious place lol.

But it'd be funny if that bothered them, I could really bust out some bangers. Gonna start singing Ave Maria every morning aslkdfjdfjf

At least with Take Me To Church you can do it karaoke style. And that'd be so funny. Like I wonder how many times you'd have to sing it before one of them is like hey... MC... are you ever gonna sing anything else??

And then you act totally oblivious like Why would I? This song is my favorite!!

And they all just kinda groan and allow you to continue because what're they gonna do? Tell you that you can't sing your favorite song? Not those demons lol.

[dabiconcordia]

A Windy Day

If I can’t be me listening, may I be a eucalyptus, one of many in a grove (Is that too much to ask?) as I heard when the first wind of winter blew in? When I, too, may sing— full-throated—a hallelujah chorus?

What luck, the happenstance—me, the trees, the wind, the green song— the wind carrying our shouts through cathedral skies. by Grace Hughes Chappell

[rhapsodynew]

#Did you know that this is a cover?📌

"But we all often glorify the former, not knowing that we glorify only the latter..."

Agree, it's a bit insulting if you were the first to perform (or even worse, write and perform) some kind of song, and all the laurels and national love were collected by someone else's cover, which, in addition, many perceive as the original.

«Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon»

Neil Diamond The Bang Years 1966-1968

Needless to say, the soundtrack to the movie "Pulp Fiction" (1994) is almost all good. But there is also a favorite here - the charming song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" performed by the band URGE OVERKILL. The one that Uma Thurman's character dances to before sniffing the wrong powder.

Knowing the love of director Quentin Tarantin for the "old" music of the 1950s and 70s, it is not surprising that the song turned out to be old - albeit in a new performance. It was written and released as a single back in 1967 by American singer Neil Diamond. And, although the song was already in the TOP 10 at that time, over the years it had been forgotten.

«Hallelujah»

The song "Hallelujah", which has already tired the listener with countless covers, actually went to its glory for a very long time. The original 1984, recorded by the author of the song - Leonard Cohen - almost no one noticed.

In 1994, "Hallelujah" was recorded by Jeff Buckley on his album Grace. He abandoned the rich arrangement and performed the song simply with an acoustic guitar. As it turned out, it is this kind of performance that will really touch the audience. But the young man will not live to see this moment. After all, at first his album was not selling well, and in 1997 Buckley drowned in the river. Only 10 years later, "Hallelujah" was re-released as a single, the single became "platinum", after which there was no end of those who wanted to sing the song.

«White Dove»

On the collections of ballads by the German band SCORPIONS, released since 1994, you can find a composition called "White Dove" ("White Dove"), dedicated, as it is not difficult to guess, to "world peace". Many rock music fans of the older generation know perfectly well where the legs of this beautiful song "grow from." But the younger ones may need to be enlightened...

To do this, we need to go back 25 years to the time of the existence of the Eastern European socialist bloc, which included Hungary. It was in Hungary that one of the most famous rock bands of the socialist camp, called OMEGA, appeared.

The career of Magyar rockers began quite successfully. In 1968, they were noticed by British manager John Martin and invited to tour the Foggy Albion. OMEGA's debut album was also released there under the characteristic name "Omega Red Star from Hungary" — "OMEGA — red star from Hungary" (at home the record was called differently "Trombitas Fredi es a rettenetes emberek").

The group wanted to record a second album in Britain, but the Hungarian leadership did not visit OMEGA to the capitalists They liked it, and they were banned from traveling to Britain. But in vain. It was the 1969 record, "10000 lepes" ("10000 steps"), that the band released very successfully.

It was on it that OMEGA's biggest hit "Gyongyhaju Lany" ("Girl's Hair") was recorded — a beautiful ballad with a fashionable psychedelic tinge and a piercing anthemic chorus that could be sung along with the audience. In the spirit of the times, there was also a romantic and mystical text about a mysterious beauty with pearl hair, instilling light and hope into people's souls.

In 1970, "Gyongyhaju Lany" was released as a single and topped the Hungarian charts for 60 weeks.

Feeling the great potential of the song, the band recorded two more versions called "Pearls in her Hair": English ("Pearls in her hair") and German ("Perlen im Haar").

to be continued....

[theretirementhome]

What Child Is This?

2023. WHOSE child is this? GET IT THE EFF OUT OF HERE. Jesus Christ. Consider this your invitation to disassociate for 2 hours with every favorite Christmas song I could coherently stuff into one long megamix. All killer, no filler. Here's to 2024 not being such a little dickhead.

https://www.mixcloud.com/jessprice/what-child-is-this/

Image via @weirdchristmas

Tracklist:

Dorothy Remsen - On An Old Christmas Song (Silent Night)

The Crossing - Prelude: Adam

The Swingle Singers - Medley: Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly / What Child Is This?

Les Petits Chanteurs De La Renaissance - Le Messie Vient De Naitre

The Annapolis Brass Quintet - O Holy Night

Urbie Green - Ave Maria

Anne Phillips Choir - Touro Louro Louro

Roberto Perera & Juan Areco - Joy

High Spirits, Past And Present-Youth Of Holy Spirit Parish - Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy

The Dixie Humming Birds - The Holy Baby

The Roy Meriwether Trio - Jingle Bells (Part I)

The Flirtations - Christmas Time is Here Again

The Supremes - Twinkle Twinkle Little Me

The Staples Singers - Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas

The Jack Brokensha Quartet - Do You Hear What I Hear?

Brook Benton - You're All I Want For Christmas

Joe Tex - I'll Make Everyday Christmas (For My Woman)

Roy Smeck and His Island Quartet - Winter Wonderland Vol. 2

Johnny Selph - All I Want For Christmas Is My Baby

Ed McCurdy And The Harvesters - (Tonight Is Christmas Eve) Get Along Home Cindy

Gene & Jerry - Hootenanny Christmas

Richard Gillis - C.B. Santa Claus

Dave Dudley - Six Tons Of Toys

The Smothers Brothers With Childrens Chorus - The Toy Song

Marc Haney - Christmas Song

Rhys O'Brien - Christmas Morning

Kenny Rogers And The First Edition - Joy (Jeso, Joy Of Man's Desiring)

Chaquito - Carol Of The Bells

Sacha Distel - Ding, Ding, Dong (Jingle Bells)

Cincinnati Symphony Members With Mac Frampton-Soloist - Jingle Bells 

Les Paul and Mary Ford - Jungle Bells (Dingo-Dongo-Day)

Edmundo Ros - My Favorite Things

Walt Harper - Silent Night

The Ramsey Lewis Trio - Mary's Boy Child

Raindolls - Disco Santa Claus

Hot Chocolate - Brand New Christmas

Moonlion - Little Drummer Boy

Geoff Bastow - God Rest Ye

Hot & Sassy - Christmas Strutt

The Next of Kin - Merry Christmas

Freddie Mitchell Orchestra Featuring Rip Harrigan - Auld Lang Syne Boogie

Washington High School Acappella Choir - We Wish You The Merriest

David Axelrod - Hallelujah

Airforce Broadcast Services - Slide Whistle And Pop

Airforce Broadcast Services - Ho, Ho

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Jonghyun

Since this is a very special review, I wanted to start off not with my “credentials” or with a disclaimer but with a story. I’ve been a casual k-pop fan since early 2019 and a deeper fan since March of the year after, when I discovered Red Velvet. In late November of 2020, during lockdown, I lost one of the people I loved most in the world. I was still a teenager (barely younger than Jonghyun was when he debuted in SHINee), and I felt alone and isolated, and I became depressed. And just three weeks later, on December 18th, I was scrolling on social media when I came across posts memorializing Jonghyun. I had heard him mentioned, through Yeri of RV, but had never taken the time to listen, and I finally did.

I saw people mourning, people celebrating, and most of all, people remembering. The k-pop world had just lost two more idols to suicide, Sulli and Hara, and the messages surrounding mental health had never been stronger. It was this that got through to me, like a lightbulb going off, and I went, “Shit, I think I have depression.” And I started taking medication. Now, I’m not going to credit him with saving my life because I have no idea what would’ve happened, but I try to continue what he did for me. But all I can do is what all of us can do, which is remember who he was, respect the art he created, and continue the great advocacy he started. So, in this review, I’m trying to do all three, and I’d love it if you came along with me.

Crazy (Guilty Pleasure) is first on the list, and immediately had me feeling nostalgic. There’s something about his voice that’s so instantly recognizable, and a song like this that oscillates between his more subdued style and the strong emotions of the chorus fits it so well. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the rap, probably because of the vocalizing behind it, which helped it blend in seamlessly. On the whole, I liked this one! Its strings and immaculate sense of drama reminded me of Taylor Swift’s Don’t Blame Me.

Deja Boo begins with Jonghyun’s classic sound of smooth R & B and his crooning voice. I enjoyed the constant starting and stopping of the instrumental, as it made what could be a boring song far more interesting, and while I’m not usually a fan of rapping or choruses so heavy on vocalizing, I actually liked both here, since they felt like they were there because they fit the song and not because someone thought that they “should” be. The “Okay, next” at the end gave me a good chuckle

It’s a testament to how strong this first EP is that, before this deep dive, I had no idea which of these songs were actually the title track. Beautiful Tonight’s distinctive whistling hook, Hallelujah’s beautiful gospel choir back-up, and Love Belt’s gentle words (and references to a real car accident that Jonghyun was in) all do something unique with what could be such simple R & B melodies, ensuring that the piece feels cohesive but never same-y. My favorite was definitely Neon, though, whose funky catchiness snuck up on me, and I ended up replaying it twice.

End Of A Day has always been one of my favorite singles of Jonghyun’s, and I’m not alone. There are few songs as heartfelt, and led by only his quiet, comforting voice and a gentle piano, it feels like a warm hug from someone you love. Telling the listener to “lean on my shoulder” and “let me cheer you up”, it features Jonghyun at perhaps his most earnest. I paused what I was doing for a few minutes just to appreciate the peace that this one radiates, and take a deep breath in and out.

The Collection “Story Op.1” is so called because it was written by Jonghyun based on the stories the listeners of his radio show Blue Night confided in him; it’s a very special album for that reason, because it truly feels like a group effort between him and fans. I enjoyed U & I’s sprightly piano, interesting percussion, and cozy guitar, Diphylleia Grayi’s gorgeously sad lyrics and strings, the falling rain sound effects and comfortable energy of 02:34 (which I think was my favorite), and the interpolated phone conversation in Maybe Tomorrow. This is one of my favorite albums of his, and has some of his most excellent imagery.

She Is, despite being super popular, is not a song of his I’ve listened to much. It leans more into funk and is lighter than his other singles (Crazy, End Of Day, Lonely, and Shinin’), being about having a crush. It’s a nice break from the sadder and darker aspects of his discography, and it’s also really catchy. I even liked the sing-talk aspects, though my favorite part was definitely the vocalizing in the post-choruses.

From the She Is album, I liked the “you, you, you” and finger-snapping in White T-Shirt, the ethereal quality of Moon, the layers of falsetto vocalizing in Aurora, the intentional vocal fry and minimalistic background of Cocktail, the sped-up quality of Red, and the vulnerability in Suit Up.

I admit that when listening to the She Is album, a part of me had forgotten the reason I was doing this review in the first place, but Lonely had me remember immediately. Lonely is, in hindsight, both gut wrenching and haunting, with its lyrics about feeling isolated and alone. It’s a beautiful song, don’t get me wrong—the piano is so lovely and Taeyeon and Jonghyun’s voices work beautifully together, each making the other sound richer—but it’s one of those tracks that you just can’t listen to more than once in a while.

The Collection “Story Op.2” follows where the first collection left off, with more stories inspired by the callers on his radio show. I enjoyed the calm guitar of 1000 and the gentle groove of Just Chill, but Let Me Out has been one of my favorite songs since the first time I heard it. It’s one of the most genuine, gripping, painfully open k-pop ballads I’ve seen, and it never fails to make me want to reach through the screen and say “No.”. Overall, though, this album is definitely a more subdued and peaceful album, although I might be imagining more melancholy with the benefit of hindsight.

Less than eight months after the release of his second collection was, again, December 18th, 2017. It’s a day that’s become so infamous that in the k-pop community just saying “December 18th” will likely get your message across. It gives me no joy to say that he had a plan; his last album, Poet | Artist was released just a month after he left the world; a final gift to the fans who had watched him grow up for both so long and not nearly long enough.

Shinin’ is the single from the album, and uses a glowing, minimalistic electronic synth background that expands with some percussion in its choruses. Jonghyun’s voice is at some of its smoothest here. It’s one of those songs that’s happy and sad at the same time, and its happiness feels…muted? It’s hard not to be emotional when the song ends with “always be with you, you, you.” Without the story behind it, it’s a simple love song. With it, it’s a promise that he’s managed to keep for the last six years. I do admit that I got a good laugh out of the super 80’s animation, though.

Before Our Spring wasn’t intended to be a single, but after his passing, SM Entertainment decided to make it a tribute video for him. It follows in the footsteps of End Of Day, as it’s a peaceful, piano-led ballad, but undeniably heartbreaking: “Before spring comes, before the sun rises, I’ll meet you when everyone is asleep. I’m okay, don’t worry, spring will come to me too.” I hope it does. Depending on the day, sometimes I listen to it and feel comforted, and sometimes I listen to it and just feel heartbroken. Thankfully, watching it with the video made it just a little easier. It’s good to hear him laugh.

Poet | Artist is Jonghyun’s last, posthumous album, and is one of his strongest. I loved the disco-y synths of Only One You Need, the tongue-in-cheek humor of #Hashtag, the chorus’ explosion in Grease, the ethereal encouragement in Take The Dive, the brighter and funkier delivery of Sightseeing, and the quietly anthemic quality of Just For A Day.

My top 5 songs from Jonghyun are End Of Day, Only One You Need, Take The Dive, Hallelujah, and U & I, with Neon and Let Me Out as honorable mentions. Jonghyun’s work gets a 9.25 out of 10 from me, which is probably about as surprising as TWICE announcing a comeback. In all seriousness though, I know that I’m super biased, but hey, we started with a sob story and that’s how we’re going to end.

I can’t really put into words the feelings I have about this review. Writing it has reminded me how grateful I am, not only that I found Jonghyun and his story, not only that I became a Shawol, but that I became a k-pop fan in general. As Jonghyun wrote in his book (which I haven’t been able to find a full English translation of yet, but I’m still trying), “Even though we can’t communicate using the same language, we use music instead.”

Jonghyun broke boundaries in k-pop, with his openness, his self-producing, his prolific writing, and his advocacy. Both our community and the world as a whole was very lucky to have him for as long as we did, which still wasn’t nearly long enough. He changed the lives of so many people—he changed mine, without me even knowing who he was at the time he passed away—and overall, he made the world just a little easier for everybody else, no matter how hard it was for himself. All this is to say, he did very, very well.

I’ll be taking a break next week because it’s the holidays, so I’ll see you again in the new year for a girl group, folks. Thank you so much for reading, and please, take care. Tschüss, und Fröhliche Weihnachten (Happy Holidays)!

[borajibolala]

That's my interpretation..

I'll talk about spoilers so read at your own discretion.

To start:

I had forgotten completely that RM already performed it at one of the D-Day last shows.

So I got the experience of hearing it for the first time twice.

I consider that a bonus!

But let's get to the important part:

The day it was released I barely woke up and rushed to watch the video.

We knew it was in Letterbox (it's a movie rating platform, really cool) so the cinematography wasn't really a surprise.

I just checked and they took it out of letterbox 😭

What caught me off guard was the total absence of rapping.

I always rooted for RM to find his singing voice, but that certain part just HITS the spot.

Wow.

And the GENRE?? I wasn't expecting it at all.

It has a bit of folk with the whistle and the talking-singing, along with the chorus sounds very R&B.

Not only he is singing a whole song by himself for the first time, but he is experimenting with the genre too!!!

Hallelujah.

Major indie vibes.

And the lyrics hit me so hard too.

I forgot the hour. I don't wanna know 'bout the hour. I forgot to shower. Even washing my face seems like a waste of time.

In case you don't know, this is depression.

It was very bold and brave of him to talk so openly about it like this, thank you Joonie.

You keep making us proud.

If I ever doubted about the members ability to grow artistically, now I'm a believer.

And the cherry in this amazing cake:

The MV:

It's cinematic, it's moody, it's confusing, it's DIFFERENT.

We see RM going through different scenes where he's role changes with the room he enters.

The colors change, the light changes, the clothes change.

In the beginning we see him in a party looking apathetic.

Disconnected.

A drunk man offers him a cigarette twice and he refuses (which reminds me of that one picture that was posted on Instagram).

We see him walk in and out of rooms looking confused.

In one of the rooms, he is even in a baby bed! Probably my favorite part.

Do you see something familiar?

Eventually he comes across a young woman that seems to be another version of him.

From then on, he looks changed, at ease.

He looks like he's finally the

right person in the right place

A friend having fun at the party.

A husband brushing teeth with his family.

A baby playing with his parents

And a boyfriend talking to a girlfriend.

I think this MV could have a lot of different meanings.

But the feeling like an outsider and running around, the apathetic look, the being misunderstood (in the fight with his girl) and then finally smiling and going back at peace....

It seems like making peace with the past, making peace with the old self.

It's ok to disappoint people sometimes.

The scene as a baby in the crib with the parents, the scene with the angry girlfriend made me think about that. Read expectations and disappointment.

"My kid will be this, my kid will do that"

"You promised this, you lied about that"

It might take time for us to understand life and ourselves, but when we are finally ready for it is liberating.

You don't have to be, you don't have to be the anything you see

He was free to simply be a baby for his parents.

The present is the party, he's thinking about his childhood and past (and future?) relationship but he's not living in the moment, at least he wasn't in the beginning.

I am rewatching Suchwita and RM says that his dream is to live more in the moment:

While interviewing Jin, Suga also brought back a conversation between him and Jin that happened while they were recording the first In The Soup:

Those are obvious things, in theory it's easy to understand. But when it comes to real life it's just different.

Without being careful we get caught up in moments, regrets, feeling overwhelmed.

The girl he meets in the end could represent many things: himself, his inner peace, happiness, army or spring.

As he mentions in the lyrics:

spring always been here, I will sleep in her eyes

That scene represents meeting a good friend, having a laugh, letting the weight off your shoulders.

And I just noticed the sunlight moving in the room representing the passage of time, interesting. That could mean how we lose track of time when with the right people, but it could also mean something else that I don't know.

He might be referencing Army, as spring day is such a loved song in the fandom.

What makes me think he might be talking about army is the lyrics too.

You are my pain, divine.

We know this life, although very beautiful, isn't always easy to BTS.

Along with all the prizes and support comes expectations.

I like to think this could be Namjoon making peace with his love for music, army and fame.

I see you come back to me.

That's what I could think on my own.

The references

I saw armys pointing there were references to the other members in the video:

The video starts in a party with people drinking - Jimin (Like Crazy)

Namjoon is sitting beside a couple kissing - V (Friends)

He enters a room where his girlfriend is mad at him - JK (Seven)

He is in a crib with a snoop plushie - Jhope

And the tangerine - Suga

? -Jin

There was also this theme of doors representing a different reality, and I guess this is very on brand with BTS as their logo represents a door. Yoongi also used a door in his Amygdala MV. The final door he passes also has a purple shine for a second.

All in all, I love the MV.

Once again RM is flexing his sexy brain in his art for our delight.

Stay happy and healthy, Joonie.

Love ya.

[stardustguide]

Has the set list had any updates since the start of the tour?

hey anon! i actually did a little setlist analysis on my blog the other day, so i'll summarize that here!!

the short answer: yes, but not a lot.

the long answer:

every setlist has been 27 songs long so far.

no night has had an encore (a trend i think will continue, because the setlists are long and almost every city has a concert curfew of 11pm local time.)

there are 24 songs on that setlist that have been played every night, including 2 covers (don't stop believing and crazy train.)

the first of those three songs we don't have accounted for the song that patrick plays solo on piano. (night 1 was lakeshore drive cover. night 2 was what a time to be alive. night 3 was i'm like a lawyer.) this song is usually just the first verse and the chorus, and then we go into don't stop believing.

the second is the magic 8 ball song. different question/prompt every night, then we get the full song.

the third some we can't entirely account for yet is the 12th song in the setlist, where 2 nights in a row we got "take over, the breaks over" and then on the 3rd night we got "hum hallelujah" in its place, so. who knows if that'll rotate consistently or what!

with them- potentially, but incredibly likely- teasing this new cover/update of "we didn't start the fire" as of this morning, it's maybe likely that will replace one of the covers on the setlist? but, don't hold me to that, as it's just a best guess.

we've got so many shows left that so much could change! if you'd like my conjecture, i can go into that in another post.