#anyway I listened to beautiful romantic music while drawing this... big mistake

[ging-ler]

you’re my comfort

[goldendream-s]

tied down; pt. 2

part 1 masterlist || request

a/n; the gif is totally irrelevant but i couldn’t help myself LOL

Knocking on the door of the address his manager gave him, Shawn played with the strings of his hoodie. After a much needed month-long rest following his European and Asia legs of his tour, he’d be meeting his opener for his American shows. Shawn usually had opening acts who he was already familiar with, but this opening act was one he’d never met in person. After hearing some of his tracks, Shawn insisted on spending the day with the guy he’d be spending the next part of tour with. 

To be frank, Shawn would much rather be by himself figuring a way to win you back, but didn’t want to make any bad first impressions on Tyler, the guy he’d be meeting soon. 

The door finally swung open, removing Shawn from his drifting thoughts.

“Hey man, it’s nice to meet you. Sorry if I kept you waiting for long,” Tyler kindly greeted as he shrugged on his jacket and closed his door. He was slightly shorter than Shawn but had resembling black skinny jeans. His light brown hair was slightly quiffed and feet clad in converse. Shawn introduced himself, complimenting Tyler’s music as they got ready to leave. The two planned to go to nearby guitar shops in hopes of finding a new instrument to bring along on tour.

Tyler and Shawn quickly clicked together and Shawn could already feel a great friendship on the rise. The two were about the same age and shared the same love for guitar ballads, songwriting, and hockey, making every second of their conversation interesting. Sure, they had been talking over text for weeks now, but Shawn didn’t expect to relate to a new friend that easily. It was refreshing for him to meet someone who treated him like Shawn, the teen boy from Pickering who was obsessed with Harry Potter and magic. Not Shawn Mendes, who was touring the world and holder of numerous awards and multiple platinum titles.

Gazing across the wall decorated in electric and acoustic guitars, the two new friends requested for some to be taken down to try out. 

“Do you have any particular guitars that you came here for?” Tyler asked, eyeing a turquoise electric.

“Nah, I’m just gonna look around and see if any guitars would be good for the next album,” he replied, thinking about a song that he had written on the flight back home.

Although the last thing Shawn needed was another guitar to add to his already massive collection, he craved something to distract him from the thought of you.

Looking up from his feet while waiting, Tyler diverged the topic, “I hope this isn’t too random, but could I ask you a question? You know, about touring?”

Shawn nodded, understanding how scary it could be going on a big tour that would last for another set of months.

“So, this girl and I have been going out and I really wanna officially ask her out. I would do it in a heartbeat, but I don’t know if tour would get in the way of our relationship. I’ve heard stories of people feeling tied down, but I also feel so many things for this girl,” Tyler slightly rambled, a small blush grazing across his tan cheeks.

At his seemingly innocent words, Shawn merely choked, gripping tightly onto the neck of the guitar he was holding. It had been months, but the mention of being tied down hit too close to home. It was like he was seeing himself in a mirror reliving his fears again.

“How serious are you about her?” Shawn questioned. Although he hadn’t been in too many relationships, he was a hopeless romantic.

“Honestly? I think I love her,” he replied, “like, it’s so crazy how fast I fell for her but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Tyler continued.

Listening to Tyler’s sweet words made Shawn’s heart wrench. He admired how highly he talked about the girl, wishing he had told you how beautiful you were more often.

“If you’re sure about this girl, I would just do it. At the end of the day, sometimes a relationship can be so much more worth it than some random hookups and it seems like you really like this girl from the way you’re talking about her,” Shawn answered. 

“It’s great to have someone to keep you grounded. Of course, there’s going to be times where you miss her, but there’s no better feeling than to come back home to them,” he continued, giving the advice that he wishes someone would’ve told him months ago. 

He didn't want Tyler to make the same mistake as him. He didn’t want Tyler to spend nights drinking into oblivion or have a notebook’s worth of songs about a broken heart like he did. Didn’t want him dwelling on “what if’s” and “could have’s.” 

What he wanted, was to have you back in his arms - to get a chance to explain to you that he had made the biggest, dumbest mistake of his life.

Tyler nodded, a smile gleaming across his face. 

“How long have the two of you been talking?”

“We met through some mutuals just a few months ago. Her last breakup turned out bad and she said she was over it, but I don’t wanna rush her,” he explained as the employee brought out two new guitars.

“I think you’ll be able to know when she’s ready, but a tour is definitely a huge test for any relationship,” Shawn spoke, his mind taking back to the late nights he spent talking to you. He hated not hearing your soft voice for more than a day, but sometime down the road, Shawn somehow convinced himself that commitment was something he wasn’t into. He managed to tell himself that he was missing out on the rockstar lifestyle because he had someone waiting for him back home.

“Yea,” Tyler chuckled, strumming a bright melody, “I guess I still have a week to see how things work out.”

+

A few days had passed since Shawn’s day with Tyler and the moments before tour were ticking down. As he sat in his living room floor writing tags for his suitcases, marker cap between his white teeth, Shawn focused on using his neatest handwriting.

Shawn could practically hear your voice in the back of his head, remembering how you would always complain about his handwriting and inability to draw something as simple as a heart. You would always help him with the luggage tags anyway, so Shawn didn’t mind your teasing. He didn't realize how much he hated packing alone until he was sitting by himself, no one near to coax his worries for the next part of tour. 

It would be almost four months and half since Shawn has last seen you, but it was as if his love for you never died. You were intertwined in all of his best memories and every time he tried to rid of them, he seemed to be unravelling himself.

He wanted to call you so many times after that night in the hotel, but he shot himself down every time. As much as he wanted to beg you for your forgiveness and to give him another chance, Shawn told himself he’d wait until he could say it in person. 

He kept your note in the back of his phone and would read it when the pressure was all too much. He practically had the note memorized at this point but despised himself for doing so because it would always lead him to wonder if he was on your mind as much as you were on his. 

Shawn tells himself he hasn’t tried reaching out to you in person because you probably hate him, but knew it was really because he’d hate himself more for letting you go if he saw you again. Eventually, even Shawn’s team became tired of seeing him mope around and persuaded him to make amends before the American tour.

Finishing up with the last of his packing, Shawn made for his car. Earlier, he had called in for an order of flowers, nearly buying out all of the store’s pink carnations. According to the flower shop, they were great apology flowers and symbolized ‘undying love,’ which Shawn saw as fitting.

Shawn knew forgiveness from you would not be as easy as some flowers, but he felt obligated to do this to let you know he still cared. He wanted —no, needed— to let you know that he had made the wrong choice and that you were still the one for him. Shawn couldn’t get over you without at least knowing that he tried to make things better.

Pushing through the door to the hole-in-the-wall flower shop, the subtle aroma of flowers immediately filled Shawn’s senses. His mind couldn’t help but take him back to all of the times he came here to get you flowers, the sickly sweet smell suddenly going pungent at the thought.

“Shawn! I have your flowers right in the back, so let me go get them,” Brenda, a middle-aged woman greeted, already making her way to the carnations he had ordered the day before.

While waiting, Shawn made sure his button up was perfect and hair shaped. He planned to come by to your house later that day to try and to explain himself in hopes that you’d still be willing to talk to him. Shawn didn’t bother rehearsing any words, though because he knew he’d forget them as soon as he saw you.

He wondered if you’d look any different, pondered how much of your life he’d missed during his time away.

Shawn wondered if you ever cut your hair that you were too scared to chop off or if you ever got your ears pierced like you talked about before tour.

Wondered if you got that dog that you had wanted for so long. The same puppy that despite being allergic to dogs, Shawn nearly bought for you because he was addicted to seeing you happy. 

Brenda walked through the doors, arms full with the flowers. Shawn was quick to help her out as they walked to counter for him to pay.

“So, who’s the lucky girl?” Brenda curiously questioned. The question wasn't meant to be harmful, but it still tugged a little at Shawn’s heart.

“Um, well, she's actually my ex,” Shawn anxiously spoke, chuckling to lighten to situation.

Brenda’s luminous grin slightly faltered for a second before she nodded and swiped Shawn’s card. Wishing him good luck, Shawn thanked her for the flowers again before exiting the shop. 

Nervousness and fear flowed through Shawn’s veins as he set the last of his flowers in the back of his jeep. He didn’t know if he was making the right decision by coming to your house unannounced, but it was now or never.

Pulling up into your neighborhood, Shawn had to remind himself to take deep breaths. He had called your dad in advance to make sure you were home, to which you luckily were. Although your dad knew you were no longer with the singer, he still treated Shawn like family. Shawn even contemplated why your dad was so nice to him, curious if you ever told him how he really broke up with you.

As he rounded the turn onto your street, Shawn scrunched his eyebrows as he saw you already standing at front of your door. Eyes moving around your surroundings as he neared your house, he noticed that you weren’t alone. Although the boy’s back was turned to Shawn, he could see your glimmering eyes laugh at what must’ve been a joke the boy told.

You looked good. No, you looked drop dead gorgeous. Although you didn’t look drastically different, your features seemed to mature, eyes bright nonetheless.

Shawn was quick to recognize the black hoodie and skinny jeans from earlier this week as none other than Tyler’s. His hair looked more neat than the last time Shawn saw him, a bouquet of red roses was tucked behind his back.

By now, Shawn had parked his car a few houses away though you and Tyler were seemingly too preoccupied to notice. His heart continued to race as confusion mixed with the uneasy feeling in his body.

What happened to the girl Tyler was going to ask out? How did he know you?

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as each excruciating second pricked at Shawn’s heart. Tyler, as if on cue, leaned in as his lips met yours. Shawn’s rapidly beating heart seemed to shatter and drop to the pit of his stomach all at once. Everything around him suddenly felt too real as he took in the unveiling scene in front of him.

You were the girl Tyler was going to ask out. The same girl who came off of a bad breakup, the same one Tyler couldn’t seem to stop talking about. 

Shawn wanted to look away, but he couldn’t stop from noticing your smile that felt two times wider than he’s ever seen. He wanted to scream, wanted to throw away all of the flowers he had stuffed in his backseat. 

He needed something to distract him from the fact that he was simply too late. You had moved on with someone that wasn't Shawn.

It felt as if you and Tyler had been kissing for minutes now, though in reality, it lasted for only a fraction of that. Shawn watched from afar as Tyler’s hand rested on your hip like Shawn’s used to. He watched you put your hand along Tyler chest, heart sinking when he noticed you were no longer wearing your ring. He didn’t expect you to keep wearing it after things ended, but he didn’t expect for its disappearance to hurt so much either.

Leaning back into his seat, Shawn felt the irony of how he was the one that suggested seeing other people, yet he ended up being the lonely one in the end. As selfish as it sounded, Shawn wanted to let you know that no one could love you like he could. Watching Tyler give you the bundle of roses he had, Shawn wished he had just come to you sooner. Shawn wanted to run to you and get on his knees for forgiveness, but he was finally seeing your smile that he had longed to see.

It was hard to be completely upset when all Shawn wanted was to know that you were happy, yet he couldn’t suppress the overwhelming sadness. His vision clouded with the tears he was all too familiar with.

While Shawn was wondering if you would look any different, he should’ve been wondering how things would be different if he never let you go. He should’ve been wondering how dumb he was to think you’d want him back after what he said.

Shawn was ready to give you the world, yet you had already found your own with someone new.

feedback would be greatly appreciated!

+taglist:

@pinkanddepressed @softshawns @nocturnalmendes @mendesruin @itsabouttymeee @illuminatedestiny @mutual-shawn @ashtonwahs @everydaymendes @spn-marvel-nerd @ironfurycollector @kobeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee @ourlittleshawnie @ashwarren32 @super-fire-breathing-girl

[lifejustgotawkward]

My Favorite Albums of 2018

Now that we’ve reached the end of December, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite albums from this year. I’m particularly proud of the emphasis that I placed on listening to new music by women, which will be obvious as you make your way through the post. As I hope is the case every time I make these annual rankings, my goal is not so much that anyone should be awed by my short paragraphs of explanation (doubtful since my schedule didn’t allow me enough time to edit my writing too closely - let me know if there are any weird errors!), but rather that my mentions of these artists will spread positive awareness of them. If I can share my appreciation for a singer or band and subsequently inspire someone to become a fan, the work will have been worth it. Have a good time with this, everybody!

Tagging @shadowfaxstables, @entrancedintime, @mr-top-secret, @walkingwiththemoon, @thehoodedone, @yung-lawsuit, @oystersaintforme - I hope you enjoy the music!

15. Seinabo Sey, I’m a Dream

Standout Tracks: “Never Get Used To,” “I Owe You Nothing,” “My Eye,” “Truth,” “Breathe,” “Good in You”

I might never have heard of Gambian-Swedish singer-songwriter Seinabo Sey if I didn’t regular check out Pitchfork reviews, although luckily I started listening to I’m a Dream before reading Katherine St. Asaph‘s piece, which unfairly marks Sey’s album with a 6.0 grade. Sey’s second album, following Pretend (2015), continues her interest in marrying soul/R&B with pop, moving through different tempi to exhibit her perspectives on romantic and familial relationships. Most inspirational among the songs is “Breathe,” an empowering reminder from Sey to herself that no matter what hardships she endures, she is valuable and magical.

14. Black Belt Eagle Scout, Mother of My Children

Standout Tracks: “Soft Stud,” “Keyboard,” “Mother of My Children,” “Yard,” “I Don’t Have You in My Life,” “Sam, A Dream”

There may not have been a more impressive debut single in 2018 than “Soft Stud,” a searing ode to unrequited lust. The rest of Katherine Paul’s album is fairly quiet by comparison, but her first full-length project as Black Belt Eagle Scout burns with longing. A self-described “radical indigenous queer feminist,” Paul draws from her experiences growing up in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington to tell stories both deeply personal to her and universal in the desires they communicate. Album closer “Sam, A Dream” is the best example of how Paul blends those two concepts, taking a minimalist lyrical approach to expressing her love for the song’s subject before spending a solid two and a half minutes on a guitar solo to finish the record, a sound so beautiful that you feel like you’re floating when you hear it.

13. Blossoms, Cool Like You

Standout Tracks: “Cool Like You,” “Unfaithful,” “How Long Will This Last?” “Between the Eyes,” “Lying Again,” “Love Talk”

For those of us who love a good tune that pays homage to 80s New Wave and synthpop, Blossoms are your band. They don’t seem to have made anywhere near as much of an impact in the US as they have in their native UK, and British critics weren’t exactly bowled over by this sophomore album (despite it hitting #4 on the charts), but I’ll bet that most of today’s young American bands would kill to put out a single half as catchy as “Cool Like You,” or anything close to the upbeat yet still sort of bittersweet perfection of “Love Talk.”

12. Shannon Shaw, Shannon in Nashville

Standout Tracks: “Bring Her the Mirror,” “Broke My Own,” “Leather, Metal, Steel,” “Love I Can’t Explain,” “Cold Pillows,” "Make Believe”

Stepping away from her role as frontwoman of Oakland, California’s surf-punk outfit Shannon and the Clams, Shannon Shaw’s debut solo album Shannon in Nashville is an entrancing collection of songs deeply inspired by 60s girl groups, Roy Orbison and, of course, Dusty “Dusty in Memphis” Springfield. Even if you’d never heard Shaw’s voice before now, it would instantly become iconic to your ears thanks to melodies that sound just as timeless as their predecessors from half a century ago.

11. Say Sue Me, Where We Were Together

Standout Tracks: “Let It Begin,” “But I Like You,” “Old Town,” “After Falling Asleep,” “About the Courage to Become Somebody’s Past,” “Coming to the End”

Korean-American indie rock band Say Sue Me have a sweet, light touch that makes both their snappy power-pop efforts like “But I Like You” and “Old Town” and also somewhat more serious-minded guitar showcases like “Let It Begin,” “About the Courage to Become Somebody’s Past” (an instrumental that gives me real “This Magic Moment” vibes) and “Coming to the End” equally appealing. I don’t speak or understand Korean, so I don’t know how lead singer Sumi Choi’s lyrics of “After Falling Asleep” translate, but the fact that I love it anyway is a testament to the fact that fantastic music always transcends barriers of language.

10. Robyn, Honey

Standout Tracks: “Missing U,” “Human Being” (feat. Zhala), “Baby Forgive Me,” “Send to Robin Immediately,” “Honey,” “Ever Again”

I didn’t expect to love Robyn’s newest album upon first listen back in October, but now I do, so here we are. A couple of months spent absorbing her woozy beats has made me appreciate Robyn’s ability to evoke moods that feel specific to her particular talent as an artist. The loss that inspired the album - the death of one of her closest friends, Christian Falk, in 2014 - pervades nearly all of the tracks, but they are relatable and will still make you want to dance, closer to light than to darkness. Even in songs like “Human Being” and “Baby Forgive Me,” where the rhythms and (to cite the latter’s credits in the album liner notes) “sad robot voice” play with notions of human artistic creation juxtaposed with machine-manufactured products, Robyn herself is always in front and center, and in the album’s crown jewel, the title track “Honey,” her maturity as a storyteller is evident.

9. cupcakKe, Eden

Standout Tracks: “PetSmart,” “Cereal and Water,” “Garfield,” “Prenup,” “Blackjack,” “A.U.T.I.S.M.”

All Hail Queen cupcakKe. On her second album of the year, following January’s Ephorize, the Chicago rapper continues to show why she’s one of the best women in the game. “PetSmart” starts things off incredibly, exhibiting one entertaining brag after another, then the rest of the album displays more of her often laugh-out-loud humor, endless pop culture references, a bunch of her quintessential sex-centric jams (”Garfield,” “Typo,” “Blackjack”) and a song dedicated to people on the autism spectrum (”A.U.T.I.S.M.”). Every now and then there are moments that indicate that cupcakKe still has room to grow, like when she uses the R slur on “Garfield,” but ultimately her heart is in the right place; besides the aforementioned “A.U.T.I.S.M.,” she has also recorded songs in support of the LGBTQ+ community (”LGBT,” “Crayons”), so I am certain that she’ll eventually learn from her mistakes. As one YouTube commenter wrote on one of her videos: “She should be where Cardi B is.” Indeed.

8. Chelsea Jade, Personal Best

Standout Tracks: “Ride or Cry,” “Pitch Dark,” “Colour Sum,” “Laugh It Off,” “Over Sensitive,” “High Beam”

New Zealand-based singer-songwriter Chelsea Jade has not yet hit it big in America like her younger compatriot, Lorde, but there is an ample proof on Personal Best that Jade can craft earworms with memorable hooks and intelligent lyrics. (Seriously, when was the last time you heard the word liminal used in a pop song, as Jade does on “Laugh It Off”?) She has her foot in the door in America as a lyricist, credited as one of the writers of this year’s Chainsmokers single “You Owe Me,” but one hopes that the “Accidental Dream Pop Hero” of Auckland, NZ will claim her own chart-topping stardom one day.

7. Beach House, 7

Standout Tracks: “Lemon Glow,” “L’Inconnue,” “Black Car,” “Lose Your Smile,” “Girl of the Year,” “Last Ride”

I thought I knew what to expect from a Beach House album after following their career for the past few years, but “Lemon Glow” and “Black Car” hit me like gorgeous sledgehammers anyway when they were released earlier this year, still taking my breath away every time I hear them. I don’t know how Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally manage it, but they keep finding sophisticated ways to update their mining of the same musical territory in a tried-and-true comfort zone. Beach House’s secret seems to be that they have deduced all the algorithms necessary to hypnotize listeners. 7 is perhaps less exciting to me than the duo’s last album, Thank Your Lucky Stars, since the freshness of first being introduced to their music in 2015 has faded, but I’m glad to report that their new songs are absolutely worthy of praise.

6. Soccer Mommy, Clean

Standout Tracks: “Still Clean,” “Cool,” “Your Dog,” “Last Girl,” “Skin,” “Wildflowers”

Nashville, Tennessee’s Sophie Allison, who performs under the moniker Soccer Mommy, wowed me with this ten-track album full of indie rock gems. At age 20, she is ready to take the music industry by storm, evoking her heroes Liz Phair and Mitski while always maintaining a recognizable individual style. This is most apparent on the more upbeat tracks - “Skin,” for example, is a brutally honest articulation of yearning, and if ever there was a year that needed a blistering takedown of abusive relationships like “Your Dog” as its rallying cry, it’s 2018.

5. Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

Standout Tracks: “Hopefulessness,” “Charity,” “Need a Little Time,” “Nameless, Faceless,” “Help Your Self,” “Sunday Roast”

It took a while for Courtney Barnett’s latest album to sink in with me. Tell Me How You Really Feel is the definition of a slow burn; it has just as much of Barnett’s trademark dry humor, but it also brings to the surface a sensitivity beyond what she revealed on her breakthrough album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015). Most of all, I think she’s enjoying exploring what she can do with her melodies, like the guitar solo on “Help Your Self,” her incorporation of Margaret Atwood’s famous “men are afraid, women are afraid” quote in the chorus of the #MeToo/#TimesUp anthem “Nameless, Faceless” or the amount of time it takes her to reach the “Keep on keeping on/You know you're not alone” part of “Sunday Roast.” Listening to new music by Courtney Barnett is as rewarding an experience as any modern-day alternative rock fan could want.

4. Caroline Rose, LONER

Standout Tracks: “More of the Same,” “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” “Getting to Me,” “To Die Today,” “Soul No. 5,” “Animal”

I was magnetized to Caroline Rose’s music from the intriguing opening notes of “More of the Same,” the first of many riffs that LONER gifts to us. My favorite track is “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” which continues a classic singer-songwriter tradition of relating the ups and downs of another woman’s life, especially her dreams for a brighter future. She also moves through a few genres besides indie rock with skill, employing elements of trip-hop on “To Die Today” and R&B on “Talk” and “Animal” in engaging ways. (According to Rose in a press release, LONER is “as much inspired by Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears as it was late-’70s punk,“ which I can believe.) Rose’s sense of humor might be the best part of the album, though, as seen in her sharp wit and sarcasm on “Money,” “Soul No. 5” and “Bikini,” the last of which is a bouncy number mocking the industries that compel women to become sexualized puppets tailor-made for public consumption.

I also find this Out Magazine quote from Caroline Rose about how she incorporates her own sexuality enlightening: “When I was first starting, I was kind of afraid to make being queer a part of my identity for fear that it would consume it, because that happens to a lot of artists, unfortunately. When you’re first starting, that is the way people identify you cause that’s all you get. You get one elevator pitch and if you’re lucky, a 30 second clip of what your music sounds like—and that’s the pitch. But I hit a point where I was like, ‘That’s dumb.’ People should be as much of themselves as possible, ‘cause then everyone would be super unique. No one else is you. You are independent of other people and you can do whatever you want with your identity and your body and the way you dress and the way you act. I realized I should just be myself—middle fingers up and no fucks given, ‘cause life is really short. My life is zipping by and I’m okay with that, but I want to make sure I do it right.”

3. Wild Moccasins, Look Together

Standout Tracks: “Boyish Wave,” “Temporary Vase,” “Longtime Listener,” “Missing You (the Most),” “No Muse,” “Waterless Cup”

Few bands that I discovered in 2018 have dazzled me quite like Houston, Texas’s Wild Moccasins. When the pair at the heart of the group, vocalist/keyboardist Zahira Gutierrez and guitarist Cody Swann, ended their romantic relationship a few years ago, they turned their complex jumble of reasons and reactions into art. But Look Together isn’t a mopey breakup record; “Longtime Listener,” the song that immediately turned me into a fan, is a slice of New Wave heaven, while “Missing You (the Most)” and “No Muse” are just as jaunty but dig into the more personal side of the duo’s songwriting. “Missing” ends with a repetition of the lines “You only want me if you get the chance to change me/You only want me if you get the chance to save me,” while “No Muse,“ a pointed examination of how men (especially artists) undermine and belittle the women in their relationships, features this cogent chorus: “I’m no use to you unless I’m undressed/I’m no muse to you/You cut me in two unless I say yes/I’m no muse to you/And you can sing about it all you want/I must not want it bad enough, bad enough.”

2. Miya Folick, Premonitions

Standout Tracks: “Thingamajig,” “Premonitions,” “Stock Image,” “Stop Talking,” “Deadbody,” “Baby Girl”

Thanks to Pitchfork, I first heard of Miya Folick when her single “Deadbody” came out this past March. It immediately struck me as a manifesto for our new age, where women can move forward with confidence thanks to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. That song alternately demonstrates subdued menace and loud, unapologetic anger, but “Stock Image” and “Premonitions” show that Folick has a strong leaning towards modern pop music; “Stop Talking” is so commercially accessible that it’s as much of a bop as any sugary confection by Carly Rae Jepsen. Folick’s debut album - after having released a number of EPs and standalone tracks over the past few years - showcases a woman whose voice and songwriting abilities have limitless potential, and she’s only just getting started. To quote some of Folick’s lyrics from “Stop Talking,” seemingly a summary of her artist’s statement: “You have to make a choice/Don’t be an accidental voice/We have to speak with grace/We will become the words we say.“

1. Mitski, Be the Cowboy

Standout Tracks: “Geyser,” “Me and My Husband,” “Nobody,” “Pink in the Night,” “Washing Machine Heart,” “Two Slow Dancers”

It’s no mistake that so many end-of-year best-of lists have placed Be the Cowboy at the top of their rankings. Mitski’s fifth album finds her wading through deep pools of emotion in brief, lovely bursts of song, with twelve out of the fourteen tracks running two and a half minutes or shorter. It was pretty difficult for me to pick only a handful of highlights from an album that is so impressive in every conceivable way, so just know that every cut is a masterpiece. She puts words to the feelings we all carry inside, diamonds that glisten for fleeting moments but linger in the memory for a long time afterward.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (alphabetical)

Cher, Dancing Queen (”Dancing Queen,” ”Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” “The Name of the Game,” “Waterloo,” ”Fernando,” ”One of Us”)

Farao, Pure-O (”Marry Me,” “Get Along,” “Luster of the Eyes,” “Cluster of Delights,” “Gabriel,” “Triumph Over Me”)

Florence + The Machine, High as Hope (”Hunger,” “Big God,” “Patricia,” “100 Years,” “The End of Love,” “No Choir”)

Juliana Hatfield, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (”I Honestly Love You,” ”Physical,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Xanadu,” “Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round,” “Make a Move on Me”)

Marie Davidson, Working Class Woman (”Your Biggest Fan,” ”Work It,” ”The Psychologist,” “Day Dreaming,” “So Right” [although the extended version is even better since the opening lines are brought back in the last thirty seconds, making the song’s ending even more effective], “Burn Me”)

HONORABLE MENTIONS #2: EPs (alphabetical)

Ellis, The Fuzz (”The Drain,” “Frostbite,” ”What a Mess”)

Hatchie, Sugar & Spice (”Sleep,” ”Try,” “Bad Guy”)

King Princess, Make My Bed (”Talia,” “Upper West Side,” “Holy”)

Margaret Glaspy, Born Yesterday (”Before We Were Together,” ”One Heart and Two Arms,” “I Love You, Goodnight”)

Sevdaliza, The Calling (”Soul Syncable,” “Energ1,” “Human Nature”)

[taejinpurple-blog]

ARTISTIC BEAUTY OF LOVE- CHAPTER 4

Fluffy Romantic Story about two guys who became friends and blossomed into something more.

*Mature Scenes later on.*

Trigger Warning: Speaks about sexual abuse in later chapters.

I did my best with editing. Sorry in advance if there are any mistakes. But I really tried to make sure there were not many. Please enjoy

Previous Chapter: https://hopeless-taejinstan.tumblr.com/post/172349423050/artistic-beauty-of-love-chapter-3

Two months had passed since school started and Jin started his job as guardian of a hopeless college freshman named Taehyung. He stared at the test paper that had tons of red marks on it. He looked at the person across from him.

“What’s your grade in art?”

“I got a perfect grade A+.” Tae smiled proudly and Jin sighed.

“Okay, what’s your average in everything else?”

“Um …Writing D, Math D-, History D+ and freshman seminar B+.” He said proudly and Jin gently bopped him on the head with a rolled-up paper magazine. “Ow!”

“How do you expect to pass the semester with mainly Ds this early in the semester?”

“I don’t know …” he shrugged.

“God.” Jin slapped his forehead. “When’s your next test?”

“Today.”

Jin’s eyes widened. “Today? You have a test today?”

Tae nodded as Jin remembered yesterday. Tae came home, ate a snack, listened to music with Namjoon and Yoongi, danced around with Hoseok, practice soccer with Ken and Sandeul, took a nap, ate dinner and drew until whatever time he went to bed.

“You didn’t study at all yesterday!”

“I had the intention to but I got a bit …side tracked.”

“What subject?”

“Math.”

“Come on, we’re going to the library.”

“Huh? But I have art right now.”

“You can afford to miss a class, let’s go.” He grabbed Tae’s wrist before he could say anything else.

 ~~~~*~~~~

 They sat at a table in the back of the library. Tae handed Jin his textbook and notebook. Jin opened the notebook and felt exhausted suddenly.

“Where are your notes?”

“I get so bored in class and before I know it, I’m drawing.”

“Did your mother pull her hair out a lot while you were in high school?”

Tae chuckled. “Actually, she said I was a very pleasant child.”

“I’ll have to talk to her about that …”

Miyeon walked into the library and spotted Jin and Tae. She sat down at a table to study for her biology test. If only she could get a good look at that person’s face. If that person was Jin’s girlfriend she would feel so down. Her friends told her to just move on but there was something about him that made her heart flutter.

Jin ran his hand over his face, this was the third time explaining the equation to Tae and he still didn’t get it. He started to wonder how he even got through high school. He looked away for a moment and saw Miyeon sitting at a table alone. A lump formed in his throat, she was so ladylike.

Tae looked up from the paper and saw Jin spaced out. He followed Jin’s eyes and saw the beautiful young woman.

“Is she an ex-girlfriend?” he asked snapping Jin from his thoughts. He cleared his throat trying to hide his embarrassment that he got caught staring. He readjusted his seat.

“No.”

“Do you like her then?”

“Something like that …I never had a conversation with her.”

“Why not? She doesn’t like you or something?”

“I’m just really nervous around her. I really never spoke with girls before so …” he shrugged. “I don’t know how to talk to them.”

Tae nodded his head. “What’s her name?”

“Miyeon.”

“Her last name?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know her age?”

“She’s the same age as me.”

Tae nodded and stood up.

“Taehyung?”

His face paled when Tae walked over to her table.

Miyeon looked up and saw Tae giving her a big smile. He ran his hand through his hair and her eyes widened when she realized he was a guy.

“Hi Miyeon Noona, my name is Taehyung and I’m a freshman here.”

“Oh hello.” She gave him a small bow. “Welcome.”

“Thank you, I was there with Jin Hyung and he was staring at you. I think he has a crush on you.” Miyeon’s eyes widened. Taehyung couldn’t finish his sentence because Jin ran over to him and covered his mouth.

“Yah babo, don’t go around meddling in other people’s love lives!” He snapped and Taehyung removed his hand from his mouth.

“But I thought you liked her. You just said you were too nervous to talk to her that why you never did.”

Miyeon looked at them as everything began making sense to her about Jin’s previous actions. She giggled making Jin and Taehyung look at her.

“That’s so cute,” Miyeon said. Jin’s ears and cheeks turned a deep red.

“Miyeon Noona, are you busy right now?”

“No, I was just going over my notes.”

“Hyung, you should sit with her and get to know her now that the hard part is over.”

“Taehyung, you can’t just go and make suggestions like that.”

“I would like that,” Miyeon said and Jin looked at her in shock. Taehyung grabbed Jin’s book and set them on the table.

“But what about-”

“Don’t worry, I think I can pass the test with flying colors.”

Jin knew he was going to fail. “On my days off from work, I’m gonna start tutoring you. You need to get your grades up before you find yourself on academic probation.”

“Yes, yes, got it.” Taehyung waved and gathered his stuff. He looked back at Jin and smiled when he saw them having a nice conversation before leaving.

“Is that your little brother?”

“No, his grandfather owns the house I’m staying at and before I knew it I became like his guardian kinda …it’s exhausting.” He sighed deeply. Miyeon giggled.

“It’s cute that you help him out though, he seems so innocent and a little naïve.”

“A little naïve? I’m honestly afraid that someone may offer him candy and he’ll get in the car with them.” The thought made him shiver.

“So Jin, tell me about yourself.” Miyeon placed her hand over his. He cleared his dry throat trying to calm down. It was either now or never.

 ~~~~*~~~~

 That night Tae sat in his room listening to music and reading a manga. He wondered how Jin and Miyeon did after he left. He hoped they hit it off well. There was a knock on his door, he lowered the music.

“Come in.” He watched Jin walk in with his hands behind his back and tilted his head. “What’s up Hyung?”

Jin walked over to him and handed him a cell phone.

“You don’t have a cell, do you? I thought you could use one in case of an emergency, I put you on my plan so you unlimited everything, enjoy.”

“Really? Are you sure I can have it?”

“Yeah, it’s the least I can do. You really helped me out with Miyeon.” He scratched the back of his neck as Tae’s eyes widened.

“Are you telling that …”

“We’re a couple as of today.”

Tae jumped up and hugged him. “I’m so happy for you Hyung!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jin pushed him away feeling his cheeks heat up. “Anyway, thank you for helping me. What were you doing before I came in?”

“St-St-Studying …”

Jin’s eyes went to the manga book on the bed and saw all his school books piled up on his computer desk all over the place.

Jin glared at the younger male who laughed sheepishly.

“You said you don’t like sleeping much at night anyway, so let’s study.” Jin smiled as Taehyung grunted.

A few hours passed, and Tae rubbed his eyes. All he saw were numbers, he hated math. They both were lying on the floor since it was comfortable. He stared at the problem and rubbed his head in frustration. He felt like Jin made it harder than the professor. He looked towards him to say something but saw the older male was sleeping. He was lying on his stomach with his face nested on top of his arms.

Tae smiled, he truly was a beautiful person inside and out. Tae sat up and hugged his knees, he couldn’t believe how comfortable he felt around Jin. Honestly, he thought he would never get close to anyone ever again. He just hoped his relationship with Miyeon flourished, he wanted Jin to always be happy.

Tae laid on his stomach smiling at Jin.

“Hyung, when you and Miyeon get married can I be your best man?”

Jin buried his head deeper into his arms.

“Taehyung babo.” He said in his sleep and Taehyung covered his mouth, so he didn’t laugh out. He grabbed his sketchpad and began drawing him.

Next Chapter: https://hopeless-taejinstan.tumblr.com/post/172521580885/artistic-beauty-of-love-chapter-5